Chosen

by Shelby Hild

  They continued through different hallways, turning left and right and left. Vivilyn couldn’t keep track of the path they took. Fiona pointed out different rooms that Vivilyn was sure she’d not be able to find without a guide, such as the library and sitting room.

  “Now we are entering the contestant’s wing,” Fiona said as she waved another door open. “This is the second most secure wing in the entire palace.” As they entered, Fiona waved to two guards sitting next to a window that overlooked outside. “As more people arrive, they’ll actually do their job.”

  “Hey now, Miss Fiona,” the one on the left protested. “We knew y’uns were on your way.”

  “No one could miss your radiance, Fiona,” the other guard said.

  “Oh, stop it, Lance,” Fiona said as her cheeks grew red. Vivilyn looked away with a small smile. “Besides, soon all of us will be overshadowed by all of the pretty ladies vying for the prince’s heart.” Fiona gave a quick wink to Vivilyn.

  “Your beauty could never be overshadowed,” Lance said with a small bow.

  “Oh shush,” Fiona said. Then she led the way to the hall on the right. The halls here were a light beige with gold designs running through.

  “Since you’re the first here, you get to choose whichever room you want,” Fiona said, but she didn’t slow down any so that Vivilyn could check out any of the rooms they passed. “I asked around a bit once I was informed that I would be assigned to you and I think I know the perfect room for you.”

  They continued along, passing at least a hundred doors until they arrived at the end of the hallway. All three of the walls surrounding them had doors. Fiona opened the door directly in front of them. Vivilyn wondered if the room being the last in the hall represented her placement in the competition.

  As Vivilyn entered, she felt her jaw drop. She couldn’t help it. With what she could see of the room, it was larger than the entire building her family rented. Grey rolled the cart of luggage in and began to unpack it for Vivilyn before she even said she wanted the room. Fiona moved over to one of three large windows, the one beside a large red sitting chair. It was large enough to double as a bed.

  “Come look,” Fiona said, gesturing to Vivilyn. “I heard that you’re an artist, and I couldn’t find a room in this wing that had a better view. I hope you like it.”

  Outside, Vivilyn could see the forest she’d ridden through and the outer rim of the maze. Beyond that, she could just barely see the edge of Ettravil. The mountains were almost visible through the clouds. She could see two of the Grand Trees at different corners of the grounds. To her other side, the gardens and fountains were like explosions of color against green and blue.

  “One of the windows in the dressing room looks out better towards the gardens. You can see the greenhouse from it as well.”

  “It’s stunning,” Vivilyn said. Words failed to express how overcome with the view she felt. Her heart felt lighter at all the colors in front of her. Immediately she began trying to think of ways to create the different colors in her limited supply of paints.

  “I’ll go see if they’ve brought any food for you,” Fiona said as she walked back towards the entrance. “You’re not supposed to leave the room until we’ve received word. No one is supposed to meet each other until it can be recorded.”

  “Oh,” Vivilyn said, only half paying attention as she continued to stare out the window. “Thank you,” she shouted as the door closed.

  “I’ll leave you to get settled,” Grey said a few moments later as soon as he finished unpacking all the bags. He bowed to Vivilyn and then left the room.

  Vivilyn sighed as she looked around the room. She couldn’t even have dreamed of the elegance of the room. There were three bookcases that seemed more for decoration than anything. Deep bronzes and rust browns filled the room. The bed could fit Vivilyn’s entire household.

  To the other side of the room was a sitting area with a loveseat and two chairs around a screen that currently showed an image of a fireplace.

  “I wonder if there are any real fireplaces here,” Vivilyn said out loud, as the door opened behind her.

  “Six hundred and three,” Fiona said. Vivilyn jumped slightly, shocked at Fiona’s sudden reappearance. When she turned, Vivilyn noticed Fiona held a covered tray. Fiona continued, “although there are rumors there’s a hidden section that has two more.”

  “Will I get to see one?” Vivilyn asked as Fiona set the tray on the table in front of the loveseat.

  “Yes,” Fiona said with a smile. “At least, I’m willing to bet eventually you will.”

  Fiona lifted the metal cover off the food to reveal a small plate of cheeses, meats, and breads.

  “Thank you,” Vivilyn said as Fiona made her way out of the room again.

  “Just ring the bell next to your bed if you need anything,” Fiona said before she closed the door. “I’ll come a-running.”

  Chapter 7

  Vivilyn sat on her bed with thick blankets wrapped around her waist as she listened to the noise in the hallway. Someone else had arrived and she made more noise in the wing than all Treelyn did during the Founders’ Parade. Despite being halfway through the night, the new arrival’s laughter vibrated loudly through the walls.

  With a deep breath, Vivilyn realized she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep, so she got out of bed and slid her feet into the new slippers Malcolm had provided for her. Having shoes that were basically beds for her feet was a wonderful new thing. Then she wrapped herself in a matching black robe.

  She carefully lit the candle on the table next to her bed and wandered around the room aimlessly for a few minutes.

  “Maybe a book will help,” she said to herself as she picked up the candle and began to look through all the different books for the hundredth time in the past twelve hours. In the middle bookcase, Vivilyn noticed one of the books gleamed gold in the candlelight.

  With one finger, Vivilyn tried to pull the book out to look closer at it. After it was pulled out about two inches, something behind the bookshelf clicked. The bookshelf then slowly swung forward on hinges revealing a dark hallway. She lifted her candle to peer into the hallway, but could only make out cobwebs and dust.

  Vivilyn shook her head and took a step back.

  “There’s no way I am going in there.”

  As she grabbed the side of the bookcase to close it, Vivilyn’s new neighbor laughed at something again. Vivilyn rolled her eyes.

  “It’s as though she doesn’t realize anyone else is here,” Vivilyn said under her breath. She closed the bookcase and made her way back to the bed. Removing the slippers and the robe, Vivilyn got back into the soft cloud that she now called her bed.

  Everything remained silent for eight minutes. It was a sweet silence. Vivilyn smiled as she relaxed her head on the pillow. As she closed her eyes, the girl in the next room began snoring loudly. After the third snore, Vivilyn huffed and sat up. There was no way she’d be able to get any sleep until the snoring abated.

  From beside her bed, she relit the candle and picked it up. She got back out of bed, walked over to her dresser, and changed into a pair of dark pants and a matching top.

  Then she walked over to the bookcase and reopened it to the secret hallway. As her neighbor snored some more, Vivilyn stepped into the darkness.

  Many different hallways broke off to her left and her right, but Vivilyn went straight forward. Every step forward caused her heart to beat quicker. She went down what felt to be four flights of stairs before she came to a dead-end.

  Vivilyn almost turned around, but the light from her rapidly diminishing candle reflected off a handle in the wall directly in front of her. At least, Vivilyn assumed it was a handle. As she approached it, Vivilyn realized that although it appeared to be a handle, it was only painted on. Carefully, Vivilyn lifted the candle as close to the spot as she could without touching it.

  “No one can bring pictures to life like you,” Vivilyn repeated what her mother had told her. �
�If only you could see this, Mama.” If something as well painted as this was hidden away in the palace, what kind of artists would she be competing with? She shook her head. Maybe all of this is just a fool’s dream.

  With her free hand, Vivilyn gently slid her fingertips over the painted handle. Above her, something loud clicked, causing her to jump back away from the wall slightly. Not a wall, a door. Vivilyn shook her head once again. Of course, the painted-on handle would open something hidden.

  Why wouldn’t it? Vivilyn almost rolled her eyes. If I were smart, I’d go directly back to my room. This is a very bad idea.

  As the door opened, a cool, fresh breeze began to filter through the stuffy hallway. Vivilyn’s heart pounded in excitement, completely erasing any thought of going back to her room. With the breeze, Vivilyn realized the door must somehow lead outside.

  The door completed its slow swing open towards the world outside, and Vivilyn smiled at the stars above. She took a step forward onto the grass. Vivilyn eagerly blew out the candle. Not only were the stars and moon bright enough that she didn’t need it, but she also didn’t want to have a beacon in front of her shouting that she was breaking the rules.

  She slid off her slippers and set them against the wall next to the door. Then she set the candle next to the shoes. The grass beneath her now bare feet was softer than the grass near her home. Even the dirt seemed softer.

  One step, two steps, three steps forward, then she broke out into a run. Laughter escaped her mouth, but it seemed quiet compared to the sounds of birds and crickets and cicadas all around. She jumped as high as she could. She did cartwheels and rolled on the grass. She ran until her breath came in short spurts.

  Vivilyn shocked herself in the exhilaration she felt being free from her room. It hadn’t even been a full day since she was forced to remain in there, but it was longer than she’d ever hidden away from the fresh air.

  Before she even realized how far away from the building she had gotten, one of the Grand Trees loomed above her. From the carriage on the way in, Vivilyn knew the trees were larger than the one she was used to, but she’d never quite expected them to be so massive.

  Her earlier enthusiasm of thinking these trees were just as climbable as the one back home to wavered slightly. She put her hands up to the bark. Despite the grass and ground being softer, despite all the differences between home and the palace, even despite this tree being so much larger than the one in Treelyn, the bark felt the same. It was rough under her hands, with the vague feeling of diamond and heart shapes etched within the surface.

  It gave off a slight warmth and as she looked up at it, the leaves were all different shades of green. If what Malcolm had said was true, that meant this tree was the one currently in its summer season.

  “Which means,” Vivilyn said quietly to herself, “if I climb high enough, I should be able to see my room.” She moved to the left of the tree slightly and found a thick branch low enough for her to reach. With a slight hop, Vivilyn reached to hoist herself up.

  It wasn’t difficult to climb at all. Until she was about halfway up the tree, the branches were so regularly placed apart that all she had to do was stretch slightly to be able to reach enough to raise herself up. When she hit the halfway mark, though, they started becoming more difficult to reach.

  Vivilyn pulled herself around to face the palace again and thought she could vaguely see, if she squinted her eyes and tilted her head to the left, the outline of the chair she moved next to the window. Gently, she leaned her back against the trunk of the tree and let her legs hang over the sides of the branch. Vivilyn kicked her legs, causing the leaves farther out on the branch to quiver.

  With a sigh, relaxing for what felt like the first time since she’d been chosen, Vivilyn closed her eyes. She leaned her head against the trunk as well.

  Shapes began to form in front of her eyes. Four people, three tall and one short, in capes and hoods hid in the shadows whispering. Vivilyn didn’t want to listen but couldn’t help but move closer in her vision.

  “We have access to most places now, and the longer she lasts, the more we’ll get access to.” The shorter one said in a voice that was remarkably familiar, but Vivilyn couldn’t quite place it. “We’ll continue to observe until an opening arrives.”

  “We’ve taken out two more of the rails,” a male voice said. “It has kept the attention away from our objective.” His head suddenly turned toward Vivilyn.

  “Shush,” he said, his eyes looking directly at her. “We’re being watched.” He took a step towards her, but Vivilyn couldn’t move. “What are you doing here? Who are you?” The man lifted a hand as though to touch Vivilyn. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to pull herself out of the vision.

  With a sound similar to something ripping loudly raging through her ears, for the first time in her life, Vivilyn managed to yank herself out of the vision.

  “They’ve taken out eight of our rails on the border, two more just this afternoon,” said a new voice directly below Vivilyn. She opened her eyes and saw moonlight shining on two people rapidly approaching. “There has been no contact, no demands,” the one speaking reached the tree Vivilyn sat in and slammed his fist into it.

  “Ethan,” he said, turning back around. “Something is happening. It’s as though they are toying with us.” He shook his head and pulled himself into the bottom layer of the branches. “And then the news about that ship on the coast of Port Shroe?” He let out a heavy sigh. “If they try to convince me one more time that everyone on board turned into cats, I will throw something at them.”

  His climbing was a lot louder than Vivilyn’s ascent had been. She could almost feel his anger vibrating through the tree.

  Should I say something? Vivilyn thought to herself. No, I’m not even supposed to be out here. What if they think I’m a spy?

  He didn’t hesitate as he climbed. It reminded Vivilyn of herself as she climbed the Grand Tree in Treelyn. She knew every branch by heart. She could climb it in her sleep.

  Vivilyn tried to think of a way out of the tree without being noticed.

  As he climbed closer, his path took him to the opposite side of the trunk. Vivilyn tried to calm her breathing as the branches behind her creaked with his weight.

  This is it, she thought. He’s going to see me and I’m going to be in so much trouble.

  The man just kept climbing. He hadn’t seen her.

  “Aiden,” the other person, who must be Ethan, said as he pulled himself up to follow, much calmer. “Is this really what you’re upset about?” The branches above Vivilyn began to shake as the man continued to find the sturdiest branches to continue his ascent.

  “Of course.” The reply came from a few branches above Vivilyn. She could almost make out his shape as he grasped another branch.

  “Are you sure it isn’t because of Mother’s decree?”

  “Of course not. Why would that anger me?”

  “Because—” Vivilyn felt a moment of alarm as she realized who the two people were. Whatever they were talking about, Vivilyn knew she shouldn’t listen to anymore. She had to say something.

  “You shouldn’t climb a tree angry,” she said, loudly. The one below her cursed as he looked up.

  Vivilyn continued, “You’re so distracted a squirrel could knock you out.”

  It wasn’t a squirrel that caused him to lose his balance. It was his shock at Vivilyn being practically right below him. He slipped and tumbled down, arms reaching.

  There was no way she could let the prince fall, especially not from this height.

  Vivilyn did the only thing she could think of. She’d done it before. Every time Ryso and Maia tried to climb a tree at the same time, one of them fell out of it.

  She reached out for him and grabbed him around each elbow as she linked her ankles and flipped on the branch.

  As quickly as she could, Vivilyn angled him over a weak branch, just enough to take some of his weight. He was heavier than either of her friends.
And Ryso and Maia held still when she caught them. He yelled and kicked, despite no longer falling.

  “If you keep that up, I’m going to drop you.” Vivilyn said simply to him. “It’s a long fall.” He stopped.

  “Who in the skies are you?” He asked looking up at Vivilyn. “And what do you think you’re doing?”

  “Well,” she said, watching as Ethan rapidly moved up the tree to join them, “it seems that I’m just hanging around.” She carefully shifted how she was holding him until his feet slightly touched a branch directly below. “Can you balance on that?” Her arms ached and the branch had torn part of her pants when she flipped. She could feel the rough bark under her knees and it hurt. “I can’t hold you like this much longer.”

  When Prince Ethan reached the layer of branches beneath Vivilyn, he set one hand on the trunk for balance. Vivilyn slightly rocked her torso to swing the man she was holding into the one below her without so much force that either of them fell.

  The last time she’d attempted this it hadn’t worked out well. Maia had slipped from a branch and Vivilyn had caught her, just as she caught the prince. When she went to swing her friend to Ryso on a branch below, Maia accidentally kicked Ryso. They both fell to the ground. Ryso shouted in pain as Maia landed on him. He’d broken his finger.

  It was much more successful this time.

  After the disturbances of her peace were balanced, Vivilyn reached up to grab the branch her legs were firmly wrapped around. When she managed a proper grip with her hands, she released her legs and flipped back right-side-up. Her mind raced as she attempted to think of a way out of the situation. If she were in a tree in the orchard, she would have tried climbing into the next tree.

  “Did we find a mutant monkey?” Prince Aiden asked, as he tried to get a closer look at Vivilyn. “One that can talk?”

  “My brother is the only one I’ve ever heard called a monkey,” Vivilyn responded. “I don’t have enough of a tail.”

  “Don’t have enough of a tail?” Prince Aiden repeated, with a slight tilt of his head.