Chosen

by Samantha Britt

  “Yes.” His response was quick and flat.

  “You ladies don’t want to take your chances with the companion market? I’m sure you could obtain a potential suitor.” His gaze moved over Bridget with unconcealed interest.

  I didn’t think twice. “No, thank you.”

  The male continued to observe Bridget, more with pity than longing, but said, “Very well. Draekon are walking around. They may stop and speak to you about the positions they have available. If you accept one today, you will be escorted to their lodgings. If not, you are permitted to remain at the bureau for up to a week before we will select a position for you.”

  I digested his words and found that they seemed fair and far better than what I was expecting.

  “Any questions?”

  All three of us shook our heads.

  The draekon dipped his chin, giving Bridget another admiring look. “Good luck.” He moved to the side to approach another group of recruits.

  Agent Min bowed, telling us he needed to speak with a colleague. Then he disappeared, too.

  We moved to the edge of the room near a window. It was the one space guards weren’t positioned. Observing the thick glass, I figured there was little chance of any of us escaping through it. It wasn’t like we’d have anywhere to go. Caldiri was days away, and we knew no one in Draek.

  Turning my back to the window, I observed the scene and noted the interactions of the draekon and humans on the labor and companion side.

  On the latter, the physically superior beings were practically fawning over the humans, trying to sway them to accept their positions. We were all wearing the same flowing, fine material, making us all look attractive, but it was easy to tell which humans the draekon found most appealing. They were the ones surrounded by offers.

  I realized the draekon working the market were not the ones searching for companions. Each of them conversed with multiple recruits, but there was no lust in their gazes, only calculation and admiration.

  The older draekon from the panel mentioned humans needed to be selected by the draekon in charge. The companion market seemed like just another recruiting station.

  “This is strange.”

  I nodded, agreeing with Bridget. “Not what I expected at all.”

  “Lorie?” A male voice called my sister. We all turned and broke into our smiles as we noticed three men from the Caldiri census approach.

  “Warren?” My sister rushed forward and wrapped her arms around the sixteen-year-old boy’s neck. I hadn’t realized they were friends, but I should have. Lorie and Warren were the same age.

  The young man smiled. He pulled back and held on to Lorie’s arms. “You chose labor?”

  She nodded. “We all did.”

  Jasper Green and another one of our neighbors, Kip Monroe, sidled up beside Warren. They heard Lorie’s statement.

  “We figured the draekon would have convinced you otherwise,” Jasper said in a tired voice. “They managed to convince four of us.” He gestured toward the companion market. My eyes landed on the four Caldiri men speaking to a beautiful female draekon.

  The men must have received their own regimen of pampering. Each looked handsome with clean faces, sporting a cream-colored tunic matching our dresses. Their tan pants fit each of them like the items were made specifically for them, managing to highlight their muscles and conceal the hints of starvation.

  I sighed and turned back to the three men before me, appreciating their good looks for the first time. Life in Caldiri could be so hectic and stressful, I never took the time to truly admire the young men who grew up around me.

  “They tried to convince us, too,” I tell them. But they failed.

  “Good for you,” Jasper said to me. “Though, I can’t say I’m surprised. Jem spoke about you all the time, and he often praised your strength and resilience.”

  Hearing my friend’s name caused a fresh pang of sadness, but I quickly concealed the emotion. “Thank you.”

  “Has anyone spoken to you?” Kip looked around us, pausing when he noted a draekon. He waited until the male passed before continuing, “Any idea what kind of jobs they are offering?”

  “No,” I answered. “We just arrived a few minutes before you.”

  At that precise moment, a draekon dressed in tight pants and an armored chest plate approached. He looked directly at the men. “Any of you interested in joining the king’s army?”

  We all stared in surprise. Humans were permitted to be in the king’s army? They were given weapons?

  Jasper spoke up, “Would you mind telling us about it?”

  “One gold coin a week. Free room and board. Two personal days a month with compensation if you are called to duty.”

  I wasn’t sure what the going pay was for a position in Draek, but one gold coin a week sounded like a fortune. It would have taken me three months to earn such a sum with my measly healer stipend.

  The men openly gawked at the offer. “I’m in,” Kip answered. He looked at the rest of us, searching for our approval.

  I gave a slight dip of my head. It sounded better than being a companion, but I worried that the positions could be dangerous.

  “Excellent. Anyone else?”

  “Is there a way to ensure we are located in the same unit?” Jasper asked, using the military term with ease.

  Black eyes appraised him. “Yes, that can be arranged.”

  Jasper looked to Warren with a brotherly affection. “Warren?”

  The teenager stood beside Lorie. I blinked when I saw they held hands. Had I really been so oblivious to my sister’s life?

  Warren gazed down at her for a long moment.

  “What do personal days look like?” I asked, buying Warren time to decide. “We don’t know much about Draek society. Are humans allowed to visit one another? Are soldiers?”

  The draekon’s forehead furrowed, processing my questions. “Of course. There are curfews that need to be adhered to, but all humans are permitted to live their life as they please.”

  Humans were permitted to live their lives as long as they stayed in Draek and worked.

  I bit my cheek to hold back my sarcastic retort.

  “I’ll do it.” Warren squeezed Lorie’s hand and stepped forward.

  “Very well.” Jasper rolled his shoulders back. “I will join, too.”

  “We depart for the barracks in an hour.” The draekon pointed to a gathering of men standing in lines near the back of the wide room. “Go there to complete the paperwork.” He left without another word, on to find the next recruit.

  Jasper turned to me. “Well, the hard part is done.” He tried to make it sound like a joke, but I had trouble registering it.

  I reached out to grab Jasper’s arm. He thwarted my gesture and instead gathered me in a hug. It was odd. We barely knew one another. I returned the embrace anyway. We had all been torn from our families and homes and thrown into a world where all we heard about it featured violence and cruelty. We could all use a little comfort.

  He pulled back. Looking at me and the group, he said, “We are all we have left of home. We will see each other again.”

  Moisture gathered behind my eyes.

  “We will contact you once we know our positions and location,” I vowed. I smiled softly. “We can gather on personal days.” I prayed to the gods the draekon had been honest about their right to do as they pleased on those rare days, and that Lorie, Bridget and I would be given the same deal.

  “Yes.” Warren moved and hugged my sister. “We shall do that.”

  Each of us took turns exchanging farewells and embracing one another. I was sure our actions drew attention, but I couldn’t find it in myself to care. We’d been bonded by sharing the same fate, and we were determined to give the relationship meaning.

  Too soon the men walked away. Lorie, Bridget, and I watched them join the lines of men on the other side of the room.

  “They will be fine,” Bridget said with surprising strength. “I know it.�
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  I glanced at her, noticing her expression. Gone was the timid girl I’d seen delivering her father’s baked goods, and in her place stood a brave young woman determined to survive.

  “Yes,” I murmured. “I think so, too.”

  Several draekon approached us in the next hour. Various positions were described, and some of them didn’t seem that bad. I didn’t have a problem being assigned as a nanny or even a barmaid, but I denied every single offer. We still had time until the Census Bureau would decide our positions for us. Unless someone approached with jobs where the three of us could stick together, I wasn’t interested.

  Gradually, the crowds around us began to dissipate. Men and women were assigned their tasks and led away while we remained standing against the window.

  I let my eyes wander, trying to pass the time. I found Agent Min with his head lowered as a female agent whispered something in his ear. Whatever she said, it caused his spine to snap straight. His gaze swung around the room until it landed on me.

  I blinked as I watched him purposefully stride towards us. Suspicion seeped into my mind.

  “Have you accepted a position?” he questioned.

  His abrupt question confused me. “No.”

  “Good.” He looked at Bridget and Lorie before returning his attention to me. “My sister is the chef for the royal household. They are looking for kitchen servants. Are you three interested?”

  “All three of us?” I asked with bated breath, barely daring to hope.

  He nodded. “Yes. All three of you.”

  I couldn’t form words. Honestly, I didn’t trust that I was not in the middle of some cruel daydream.

  “Yes!” Bridget answered, shaking me with a wide smile. Both she and Lorie wore matching expressions of relief.

  My own lips curved up.

  And that was how Bridget, Lorie, and I came to work for the royal family of Draekon.

  15

  Agent Min graciously offered to guide us to the castle. When he first stated our destination, I must admit a part of me panicked. I wanted to avoid powerful draekon, yet we were walking straight into the mightiest one’s home.

  Sensing my unease, Agent Min spent the beginning of our journey describing what our daily life would look like. He discussed the typical meal schedule of the castle, the hours needed to prepare food for all of the guests, and how little time kitchen servants spent around draekon in general. I was pleased when there was no mention of a king or any other royal.

  I decided Agent Min, though a draekon, was a decent male. He’d been nothing but kind and patient since we left Caldiri. I would never forget how he tried to protect us from the goblins. Originally, I thought he only did so because we were census recruits, but after observing him in the following days, I knew his actions came from a sense of honor and bravery.

  Briefly, I wondered if Agent Min had actively tried to seek a position where all three of us could remain together. It seemed too much of a coincidence, and I did not forget the female I saw whispering in his ear before he rushed across the room to offer us the positions.

  Our group walked across paved streets, winding in between stone buildings and crowded markets. It felt traitorous to admit, but Draek was stunning. People from all walks of life roamed around us, conversing and conducting business with happy grins and satisfied smiles. Most of the draekon looked the alike with tall statures and physically fit figures. The draekon’s hair ranged from dark brown to midnight black with lightly bronzed skin, but the humans came in all sizes and shades. I saw one man who was nearly as dark as the night sky and as tall as the door frame in my cottage, and I observed a petite female whose height would barely reach my shoulders. Her skin tone reminded me of warm caramel. Each of them was beautiful, an unspoken requirement for recruits, but I’d never seen anyone like them.

  In Caldiri, many of us were tan from the sun but still pale compared to the individuals I saw before me. I was intrigued by the diversity of the capital, and I wondered where they came from.

  My surprise continued when I saw evidence of class distinction among the draekon.

  Each of them possessed the natural strength and power of their kind, but while some dressed in rich, vibrant, expensive clothing, others wore simpler attire.

  The wealthier draekon often had at least one human accompanying them as they roamed in the market and shops around us, while the less wealthy accomplished their tasks alone. I saw many draekon fit somewhere in the middle, blending the two extremes.

  Humans, on the other hand, were of two types.

  The men and women who followed around the wealthy draekon sported durable, nice clothing, but nothing as embellished or fancy as their employers. I saw no evidence of mistreatment, but the humans observed a healthy respect for the superior beings. They spoke with them, but I heard the overly polite tone of several as we moved past.

  Then there were the other humans I saw. My lips pinched together when I laid eyes on the first companion. She was stunning with long auburn hair curling down to her slender hips. She hung on a draekon’s arm, letting her silk dress trail behind her on the street as she fawned over something he said. Her laughter chimed through the air, and I nearly gasped as I watched the male lean forward and press a kiss against her temple.

  I turned away, unsure how I felt about the display of affection. I’d been sheltered in Caldiri.

  Lorie and Bridget, also, observed the scenes around us.

  However, while I kept my thoughts to myself, both of them shared their surprise and interest in the details of the capital.

  They gushed about the beauty and gasped at the diversity. They gawked at the stunning clothing of the people around us, and they marveled at the impressive buildings. Caldiri’s largest structures were the town hall and Lord Stanley’s manor. Already, I’d seen at least three buildings which dwarfed those from our home region.

  While they made their admiration known, Agent Min offered sporadic comments or explanations when appropriate. My sister and Bridget eagerly digested anything he had to offer, even venturing to ask questions about how such accomplishments were possible in Draek.

  I listened to their conversation, committing Agent Min’s information to memory, as I continued to take in the new world around me.

  During my inspection, I begrudgingly admitted I did not see a single beggar or anyone remotely similar to an unfortunate, despite my thorough attempts to spot one.

  Where was the evidence of the violent and cruel draekon?

  Where were the human servants who were terrified of the regime they served? I had only witnessed healthy respect but no fear. An uneasy thought crept to mind, as it had been all day: what if the things I believed about the capital and draekon was nothing more than a lie?

  But what would be the point? Why would anyone knowingly lie to us and make us fear the draekon?

  We rounded a bend in the road and a gray, stone castle appeared on the horizon. I stumbled, almost falling on my face as I marveled at the enormous structure positioned perfectly against the grey mountains in the distance.

  Five levels rose from the ground, separating the front of the structure into five floors with gleaming, freshly polished windows. On each side, lower wings branched off and retreated towards the back of the castle grounds. Several elegant spires rose to the sky, some with pointed roofs and others with flat tops. I wondered at the odd design when I saw a winged beast land gracefully on the flat platform, reinforced by sturdy columns.

  Right… draekon can fly.

  A tall, stone wall surrounded the castle’s perimeter. Its size made Lord Stanley’s wall look like a joke. Oddly, I felt eager to cross the boundary. I wanted to see more of the castle. If I thought the public streets of Draek were beautiful, I could only imagine the splendor inside the king’s domain.

  The streets became less crowded as we neared the castle.

  The path leading up to the king’s home was heavily guarded, and only a few wealthy-looking draekon ventured close to the g
rounds. Every ten feet on both sides of the street, a draekon dressed in black leathers and a loose, red cape stood armed and ready. Their dark eyes scanned us from head to toe as we crossed their path.

  I’d seen census agents before, and I had been intimidated by their sheer size and muscle. The royal guards, however, put them to shame. I’d never seen such tall and well-built males. Their tight leathers hugged every tendon and ligament, and the gold-chest plate showcased the breadth of their muscular pectorals. Matching belts were strapped to their waists, holding a dagger and broadsword. They stood with their legs apart for balance, and their arms were crossed over their chest plate.

  The loose red cape draped over one shoulder made them look easy going, but I didn’t fall for it. The guards looked ready to take on any threat, and I doubted they’d lose to any foe.

  Agent Min approached a thick wooden gate. It was nearly half as tall as the wall, but there was a normal sized cutout of a door on the right side. A guard stood beside it.

  “New recruits for the kitchens.” Agent Min withdrew a piece of parchment and handed it to the guard.

  The burly man barely spared the paper a glance. His attention landed on us, and he released a low whistle. “They chose labor?”

  My fingers curled inside my palm. I was getting tired of everyone’s surprise regarding our choice. Couldn’t they imagine why we would opt out of being a companion? It seemed obvious.

  Then again, things weren’t like I imagined.

  I sighed. I’d gathered that my opinions about draekon and the Census might be different if I was raised in a different region. Remi, for example, said he couldn’t wait to get out of Sipal. His neighbors, obviously, had not been told the horror stories we saw and heard about in Caldiri.

  Agent Min brushed by the question. “Yes, and they are in need of food and rest. May we pass?”

  The guard allowed himself one more look and a shake of his head before lifting his knuckles to knock three times. The smaller door swung inward, and we entered our most powerful enemy’s home.