The Heir of Red and White

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Aiyana

Several chairs had been arranged in the hallway outside the council room so that all the competitors sat in a row in the order they would enter. As the youngest, I sat at the end, and I watched apprehensively as each girl approached the door with hope shining in their eyes and left looking utterly dejected. The only two who didn't seem fazed by the test were my sisters, but even Arielle had frowned when she exited the room.

By the time my name was called, I had been effectively spooked and had practically jumped out of my seat. The ways the girls watched me walk through the door like I was about to walk through the pits of hell with little hope of returning, did nothing to soothe my nerves. I tried my best to ignore them, but, despite my outward apathy, I was never good at ignoring my emotions. Just skilled enough to hide them.

The council room has been emptied and rearranged to better suit the needs of the competition. Gone were the individualized seats for the noble women, and in their place were five plain chairs. Four stood on one side of the table, filled by the judges, and the other sat across from them. Empty and alone.

"Take a seat." Duchess Azure instructed. I tried not to look at her as I walked forward. She read animosity like a hawk, and I didn't want her to know how suspicious I was of her.

Yesterday evening, I had attempted to infiltrate the basement, but whatever the duchess was hiding was even more protected than the secret library. Every entrance had either been sealed off or a guard by a set of soldiers. And when I tried to command my way passed them, they refused and immediately called for the duchess. I was quick-witted enough to pretend I was seeking out the maids' quarters to visit Cienna, but I had no doubt my curiosity had cost me the advantage of surprise. The duchess knew I was plotting against her. And from the way her gaze practically seared into my skull, I knew she wasn't particularly fond of my attempts.

Beside her sat my father, who seemed more intrigued with his chalice than my exam. Royal Minister Jones, who had checked the clock several times in the last five seconds, sat beside him, and on his left sat General Lynx, the commander of the Navy.

As a child, I had imagined General Lynx was a pirate who scourged the sea for treasure and enemies to best. Now, much older, I still agreed with that sentiment. She sat before me with her hair braided into severe cornrows that stretched down her back, each tied at the end with a gold ribbon. She had a patch over one eye, and a dark coat worn through with age. Unlike Nia's, which was stark black, the general of the navy had a dark blue coat lined with red seams, and the emblem of a ship with a rose on her back.

I imagined it had been her gaze that had instilled fear into the other competitors, and even Royal Minister Jones, the only woman on the council with a genuine smile, wouldn't be enough to overshadow it.

"We're going to ask you several questions. You will be given up to 60 seconds to think of an answer, and if you do not respond in that time, you will automatically be disqualified. Understood?" General Lynx had a jarring voice to match her harsh exterior, and each word seemed to pierce me like a blade.

"Yes, Understood," I replied, forcing the angst in my veins to dissipate.

"Great, Let's Begin."

Each of the four judges asked their own questions, surprisingly tame ones considering the reaction I had seen on the other girls' faces, and I briefly wondered if I were being offered easier questions because of my title.

My father asked me about the royal line, and just like I had for Duchess Chartreuse, I recited the names of my ancestors dating back to the end of the Old Era. The image of the scroll crossed my mind briefly, and I distantly wondered whether the ruler before Queen Eboni had been a vermin. Or possibly a man.