His Choice (The Selection)

Chapter Forty Three

Wrote by firerose11

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"You know, we still have everything ready to go for the wedding," my mother remarked casually at dinner, two nights after news of Tanner's death had reached me.

"I'm not getting married, Mother," I replied curtly, stabbing at the food on my plate. "I refuse to."

My brothers exchanged a look that clearly told me that they knew something about this sudden insistence on my mother's part.

"Ember, just because Tanner died does not mean that you won't marry someone else," my father said. "You have plenty other options in front of you, and you're still young. In fact, I have several government friends that wouldn't mind making a good match for their sons."

I kept my eyes on my food even as my fingers clenched my fork in a death grip. "I do not wish to be engaged to anyone else, Father."

Like he hadn't even heard me, he forged on. "I do believe that the prince still hasn't announced his engagement. I'm sure that he would agree to marry you despite how you treated him when he came here last."

"I will not marry anyone!" I growled, shoving my chair away from the table and standing. "I'm done with falling in love only to have that person abandon me or shove me away! I will not marry one of your friends' sons, I will not marry someone from Baffin, and I will not marry the prince that threw me aside once he thought that I was going to blemish his perfect little life!"

My father stood as well, eyes boring into mine as if he expected me to back down like a frightened puppy. "You will do as I say, Ember Carolyne Shields, while you yet live under my house! I did not raise you to sit on a shelf and collect dust when there is so many advantages to be gained!"

"I'm not a doll!" I yelled, ignoring my mother's pleading look. "I am not a pawn for you to throw at the highest bidder! If you are worried about someone rebelling under your own roof, you'll be happy to know that this daughter is leaving!"

"I forbid you!" My father thundered, but I had already made it out the door.

I angrily blinked back tears as I threw what few possessions I wanted to take with me into a suitcase. I couldn't afford to take more than that, but I greedily wanted my clothes and objects that would remind me of happier times.

It was no surprise to me that when I came out of my room, hauling the suitcase behind me, that my father was standing at the base of the stairs. He was intent on stopping me from leaving, but I was done with his plots.

"Goodbye, Father," I spat, shoving past him, "though you hardly deserve that title after all that you have put me through. There is nothing more you need from me. After all, the Selection all but guarantees that you have your campaign in the bag."

Seeming to realize that he wasn't going to be able to start me and probably figuring that I would come running back after the big bad world chewed me up, my father made no move to stop me as I stormed out of the house I had grown up in.

"One to Albin," I told the startled clerk at the train station as I laid a wad of cash on the counter.

He blinked at me but took the money and counted it before sliding a ticket to me. "Train departs in fifteen minutes."

I nodded solemnly, taking the ticket and picking up my suitcase.

I had considered my options carefully before using a portion of my funds to purchase that ticket. I would have gone to Abigail in Zuni, but she already had enough burdens and it would be easy for the prince to find me there.

No, Albin and Karigan was my best options as the prince wouldn't likely think of her, and that was where Tanner had grown up.

I dragged my weary body to a bench and stared at the board that displayed departures and arrivals.

"Ember!" I heard my brothers call from across the waiting room, and I lifted my head slightly to acknowledge them.

"What were you thinking?" Anson asked as they flopped down on either side of me. "You have nothing outside of what we have known."

I sighed. "I'm going to Karigan. If you would pass that along to Lily and Lily alone, I would much appreciate that."

"I knew you were crazy, little sister, but I hadn't realized just how deep it ran until today," Kingsley remarked. "However, we'll do our best to keep this a secret. In fact, we'll pay off the ticket guy to keep him quiet as to your location."

"Here," Anson said, and I felt him shove a bulging envelope into my hand. "I know that it likely won't last long, but we won't need it and you most certainly will."

"Thanks," I whispered before shoving it deep into my stash of clothes before zipping up my suitcase again.

"We also got you some stuff, so you don't look so much like the Ember we know and love," my other brother continued, not wanting to be outdone as he handed me a paper bag.

I frowned at it. "What did you get?"

"Hair dye and colored contacts," Kingsley answered with a shrug. "Just enough to alter your appearance."

I hugged them with one arm. "Honestly, you two are better brothers than I thought you were. I wish that we weren't about to part company for a long time."

They both patted my head.

"Don't worry, Em. You'll still be our younger sister even if we don't see you until Father's funeral," Anson reassured me. "Now, we best disappear before someone lets Father know where we vanished to."

"We'll make sure that Lily gets your message as soon as she comes back from her honeymoon," Kingsley agreed. "Bye, Ember. Don't have too much fun without us."

I watched them leave before staring down at the bag crumpled in my fist. My train was called, and I hauled myself off of the slats of the bench, bags firmly clenched in my hands.

Once the train had pulled away and my ticket had been checked, I called one of the porters over.

After I asked him where the bathroom was, he kindly pointed me in the right direction, and I picked up my meager belongings to take with me.

Once I had locked myself in the bathroom, I opened the bag my brothers had given me to find exactly what they had told me.

I popped in the hazel contacts first, blinking at the foreign feeling of the film on my eyes. Eyes trained on the mirror, I carefully extracted the small pair of scissors that had been tucked into the bag and took care chopping my hair to chin-length.

With every lock that fell away and every mile the train moved, I felt one more shard of my past vanish. I was not going to allow anyone else to rule my life, and how I lived it was going to be by my rules.