A facade, an obsession, and a passion. She's all he wants.
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In a land infested with creatures of the night, stood the mighty capital of Knobel; Vassuryn. Alongside the capital stood 4 districts bordering it; Thalass, A...
"Eudora!" Yells Joseph, an old man who is in his 50s marches up a hill in search of his daughter. He pauses in the middle of his path, "This goddamn hill either got steeper or I got weaker," He murmurs under his breath and takes deep breaths before attempting to climb up the hill again.
He was calling out for his eldest daughter, Eudora Elaine Vincela. She's 24 years old, the oldest of his children. She is said to be the beauty of the village, the prized reputation of the district. Her eyes glittered like the stars of the night and her dark brows were prominent, complimenting her heart shaped face. Her nose was dainty and a little round, but all just enough to call it adorable. Her lips were plump with little presence of the cupid's bow, alongside a natural shade of pink that always humbled her outstanding facial features.
"Father? What are you doing up here. I was just about to come down." Says Eudora as she pops out from behind an oak tree. "You can't come up here the same way that you and mother used to; you've become an old man." She giggles. She expected her father to laugh along with her, but his face remained stiff.
"My darling daughter," he gasps for air, "The royal guards, they're-" he takes one last deep breath, "they're at the door and they are looking for you."
Eudora's world froze. Why would they be at the door at this time of the day! The selection should've ended hours ago in the afternoon. "No...I-It can't be father, the neighbors speak of the Henderson's daughter- the one who was selected!"
Her father shook his head. "She ran away and they are hunting her down for disobeying a royal decree. She will be executed at sunrise as soon as they find her." Eudora is frozen from what she has just heard. There's no way the guards are here for her now. Her father looks at her disassociating gaze and reads her body language; she does not want to go.
"My dearest, I do not want the same fate for you." He states.
Eudora's hands fidgeted with one another, contemplating whether or not this was real. She had just came back up from the willow tree which weeps by the river, being thankful for another year of freedom from the royals and not being picked. Coming back home upon this news was not what she was expecting. "Father, I can't- there's no way!" Eudora says as she steps forward to find reassurance in her father's eyes, to which she was met with sadness and despair.
"My daughter, no one disobeys a royal decree." Was all he said with a sigh of defeat following after. "The probability of you being chosen as one of the five aren't very likely as well, seeing that as your father, I have a reputable reputation for bringing wealth into our economy as a tradesman. You will just be there to represent our household is all. Then," Her father pauses and pulls her into his arms, "then, you will come back to us. And you will be okay, alright?" He caresses her head and leaves a kiss on her forehead. "You will come back to me." He reassures.
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Eudora's stepmother, Tamera, assists her into the red gown given to her when she was 18. Every girl in the kingdom is given a red gown on her 18th birthday for this very moment, should they be chosen. They are to never wear it anywhere else unless they are one of the chosen. Today, Eudora fits into hers perfectly just as a glove would on a hand. "Eudora I should tell you," Tamera breaks the silence between the two, "I've always thought of you as my own. I never discriminated against the fact that you were born from another woman. I've watched you grown and I've become attached to you. I hope you know that when I say that this hurts me just as much as it hurts your father, trust me."
