“Parliament Station,” an electric voice came over the intercom. “This is the last stop. All patrons must exit the train.”
“Parliament?” Chastity muttered to herself. Her head snapped up, and she looked around for the first time.
My mom didn’t go to the Parliament Station to get to the mountain, did she?
She slowly rose from her seat and shuffled along the masses exiting the train. The moment she stepped off the train, she looked up and marveled. This area was above ground and encased in the dome. It was her first time experiencing a wide, open space.
She stepped off to the side of the foot traffic and spun around, unable to repress a soft giggle. Looking around and seeing so far into the distance was an odd sensation. Even the air was different. It was so bright it nearly hurt her eyes with the sun’s rays boldly reflecting off the glass.
The train pulled away, revealing another side to the aboveground city. The structures were similar to the buildings in the underground, it was simply the fact there was nothing but glass far above her head with no low ceilings that made this location feel special.
She looked around and realized most of the travelers had cleared out of the area. There were no lights lit for her, and so she walked around until she could find the closest scanner to have Security light a path for her.
The lights activated once again and set her on a new path. She was soon back in the familiar underground walkway and scanning into an apartment building.
Her mind was nearly numb; her entire body rigid. The moment the elevator began to raise, she questioned for the first time if her destiny lay somewhere other than the mountain. She immediately pushed the thought away and forced herself to keep her mind calm.
Until I am told otherwise, anywhere I am taken is just the first step to get to the mountain.
She couldn’t allow herself to give into hope, not for a moment. It would only lead to even more pain and disappointment, if she dared to dream her fate lay elsewhere.
The monitor on the wall flashed the moment she walked in the door of what appeared to be a common apartment. She spun around and immediately activated the monitor, standing with both her hands braced against the wall.
Chastity 319,
Welcome to your new permanent residence. We are pleased to inform you that due to your high test scores and history of excellence, your civil duty assignment will be in the State House, as the personal administrator to the Head of State. You are expected to report for duty tomorrow at 08:00.
You have been coupled with a Security officer. He has already taken up residency in this apartment and will direct you to your new civil duty tomorrow.
Regards,
The State
She read the message three times before she let herself sit on the sofa. A droplet of salty water splashed onto her hand before she realized she was crying. Once she comprehended her situation, she screamed for joy, pumped a fist in the air and nearly collapsed sideways onto the sofa.
She held no consideration for Security watching, assessing her. Nothing else mattered. Her tears of happiness and relief flowed freely down her cheeks as all her anxiety and dread washed away.
The door to her apartment opened unexpectedly. She sat up instantly, horrified as a young man with wide shoulders entered the door. She didn’t have time to wipe away her tears or make herself presentable before he saw her.
“Uh.” He dropped his gaze from her as though he had accidentally walked in on her indecently. He turned to close the door behind him, flashing a view of his Security uniform. She hurriedly made a vain attempt to wipe her tears. “Are you okay?”
She lifted the bottom of her shirt to try to get a more efficient sweep of the moisture on her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to walk in on me like this.”
“So,” he shifted his weight between his feet. “Are you okay?” He sat on the arm of the sofa.
She nodded and tried her best to smile. “Yes. I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what you think of me.”
She hesitated, unsure of how to continue. Even though he was a Security officer, she didn’t know if he was privy to information about the mountain. How could she properly justify her actions without explaining her motives? She decided it would be better to say less.
“I just got here and read my message. I didn’t realize I would work for the Head of State.”
He nodded and eased his way onto the sofa. “That’s fair. I don’t know what I would do if I found that out. Are you scared?” He flinched and straightened his posture. “I mean, it’s an honor. Most people don’t get the privilege of meeting him in person in their lifetime. You are not only going to meet him but be responsible for his daily life.” He let out a heavy breath. “I would be scared.”
Chastity’s mind spun rapidly. The only part of this new calling she had managed to process was that she was free of the life she had dreaded. He was right, though, working in the State House was a terrifying concept.
She had not been sent to the mountain, nor had the pair of them been chosen for reproduction. She decided right then and there to leave her past where it belonged. There was no reason he had to know she was the child of two prodigies. He didn’t need to know what a disappointment she had been to the woman who raised her, and to herself. She had been given a fresh start in life.
As the personal assistant to the Head of State, she would be respected and revered. Neither her partner nor anyone else she met from this day forward had to know what a failure she really was.
“I’m still in shock, to be honest. I mean, I finished my last exam yesterday, moved into a new apartment today, and tomorrow, I’ll be spending the day with the Head of State.” She laughed and shook her head. “It doesn’t sound real.”
He laughed, crinkly his deeply inset eyes. “Yeah, that’s quite the trip.” He shifted in his seat, facing her. “I’m Lance, by the way.” He extended his hand to her.
She gasped and covered her face with both hands. Her color instantly flushed several shades of crimson. “Oh God. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I just did that. Here we are, going on and on about me and I didn’t even ask your name.”
He laughed in response. “And your name is Chastity. It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me. I’m in Security. I’m pretty resourceful when it comes to these kinds of things.”
Her hands suddenly didn’t feel like enough to hide her face. She fought the instinct to hide behind a pillow or flee from the room. She slowly lowered her hands but couldn’t bring herself to look up at him.
“Is there any way we can start over and pretend everything didn’t just happen the way it did?”
He immediately jumped off the sofa and stepped out the door. He flung it open theatrically yet didn’t disrupt a hair on his tightly groomed head as he stepped inside. “Hello.”
A wide grin spread across her face. She stood herself, stepping towards him. “Why hello. Are you the male I am now coupled with?”
“Why yes, yes I am.” He held out his large hand. “My name is Lance.”
She took his hand giving it a firm shake. “And I am Chastity. It is so nice to meet you. Welcome to our new home.” She gestured around the room.
“Thank you, Chastity. I look forward to sharing this space with you.”
Her face fell slightly, losing the jovial mood their pretend introduction had temporarily given her. “Why does this feel so awkward? I mean, thank you for playing along, but doesn’t this feel weird.”
He gave her a knowing look, a rather soft smile for his sharp features, and sat on the sofa once again. “It feels that way because it is. It always is. I know because I see other couples get introduced. You just walk into an apartment one day and your life changes forever, you know?”
The gravity of the situation settled in. She had been so fixated on the mountain, being coupled was hardly a consideration. Now that she was here, and so was he, she didn’t know what to do or what to say.
“Have you had a chance to look ar
ound at all?”
“No.” She let out a heavy breath. “I read the message, uh, reacted, and you walked in.”
“Well, would you like a tour?”
She looked at him from the corner of her eyes. “I can’t imagine our apartment is that big.”
He gave a half laugh. “No, I mean the area. I can show you how to get to the State House, where our common room is and such, if you like.”
Chastity couldn’t think of a single thing she would like more. She was curious about this unknown area, and it sounded a lot less awkward than sitting around trying to make conversation. She needed time to think, to wrap her head around this new life she was beginning—this new partner she would be living it with.
“I think I would like that very much.”
He stood and offered her his hand. She gripped it and stood. He didn’t release her hand once she had her balance, and she decided to let him keep it. This was her chance to start over, and this time around, everything would be perfect.
Chapter 16
Chastity
She wiped her palms on her pants before reaching for the door. Somehow, she had kept her nerves under control on her commute, yet the extra Security right before entry just about made her lose her spine.
Her mind ran over a hundred terrible scenarios in the time it took Security to manually verify her identity. The mechanical sound of the camera moving while she waited made her break into a cold sweat.
A mechanical locking noise reverberated through the door and she timidly pushed it open. Her knees trembled as she walked slowly through the long hallway. The wall on her right side abruptly ended and she was standing in a large open room filled with furnishings for a large gathering.
She hardly had time to take in the room’s vastness and decor, before an older woman with heavily salted hair was suddenly beside her. Chastity froze when she saw her. The combination of her rigid posture and sneer gave her an intimidating presence.
“Are you going to just stand there with your jaw hanging open? We have work to do.”
She turned on her heel. Chastity could hardly process the abrupt coldness radiating from this woman, let alone respond to it. Chastity silently followed behind the woman who had not even taken the time to conduct proper introductions.
Is this the normal here? Are all social niceties thrown out the window the moment I step inside this house?
She was led into what looked like a common apartment inside the State House. The room left Chastity a little perplexed. The existence of the apartment wasn’t the only strange part of her tour, she had expected to be working in an office.
“Sit down on the sofa.”
Chastity did as instructed silently, somehow knowing anything she might say would be wrong.
“My name is Lenora.” She didn’t make eye contact as she spoke or even turn to look at Chastity. She retrieved a tablet from her kitchenette and brought it over to the sofa, taking a seat. “Hold out your hand.”
Chastity reached out with her palm facing up and Lenora laid a tablet on top, securing it with a strap.
“Pay close attention as this will be a part of your job. Each new worker here will need their own tablet, and you must sync the tablet to each user.”
She pulled up a menu and typed commands into the tablet and worked quickly, not giving Chastity much time to catch on or to ask questions.
They continued with their tablets. Lenora ran her through the different programs and Chastity followed along on her own. In the midmorning, an alarm chimed on both their tablets. Lenora placed her tablet on the sofa and stood. “We have a meeting now. You will not need to bring your tablet.”
Chastity slipped the tablet onto the sofa beside Lenora’s and stood. She had only been at the State House for a few hours, yet she was already questioning her own capability at performing this civil duty. She was concerned about attending a meeting when she knew so little about her own job.
Does Lenora even know my name? She didn’t ask me.
Lenora led her down the long, narrow hallway to a closed door and knocked sharply.
“Come in,” a male voice called out.
Lenora opened the door. The moment Chastity looked inside, she lost the pit of her stomach. She was looking squarely at a desk with the Head of State seated behind it.
Chastity froze.
She had only seen the man once before, as he was new to his position, and only given one address thus far in his role. Although he appeared to be much younger than the previous Head of State, the simple concept of being in any space with him—let alone his office—made her paralyzed with fear.
Lenora gave her a little shove to move her further inside as she closed the door.
He looked up at her, and a cold sweat broke across her forehead. He smiled warmly at her and gestured to the chairs on the opposing side of his desk. “Please, Chastity, take a seat.”
She flinched from hearing him speak her name with no formal introduction. Her legs felt like jelly, but she didn’t want to give Lenora the satisfaction of shoving her into place twice in one day.
“Yes, Mr. Statesman.” She sat across from him, holding her body in perfect posture to hide the turmoil brewing in her gut.
“Thank you, Lenora. You may leave us.”
Lenora flinched. A bitter scowl came over her face. “I think it could be viewed as inappropriate for the Head of State to keep the company of young girls in his office, alone.”
He looked up at her, flashing a winning smile. “Then I will be grateful that only the three of us will be aware of this meeting that as you say, may be viewed as inappropriate.” He held her gaze with the same warm smile as she sneered at him and left the room, tugging the door closed more firmly than necessary.
He gave a slight sigh and looked back at Chastity. “I’m sorry about that.” He laughed to himself. “And for whatever you experienced this morning, and what I am sure you will need to endure until Lenora’s retirement.”
Chastity swallowed hard. Her throat was dry, but it was her blank mind which kept her from responding. She was still adapting to seeing the Head of State in person, let alone to have him speak directly to her. Even looking at the emblem of the State behind him, the background of every broadcast she had ever witnessed was enough to flare her nerves. Being in this office alone would intimidate her even if he wasn’t sitting there speaking directly to her.
“Thank you for meeting with me, alone.” He smirked. “You see, you are the first new staff to be brought on since I became Head of State. I would like to have a good working relationship with those who continually surround me.”
Chastity swallowed hard. She was adjusting to sharing a space with the Head of State, but her mind couldn’t conceive of them having any type of relationship.
“It is my belief that it takes not just myself, but my entire team to run the State. I feel the person who cooks my meals is as important as the groundskeeper who is also as important as you, the person who keeps me organized. I can’t do what I do without each of you supporting me. Call me idealistic, but I would like to have a relationship with each member of my household. We will be spending much time together and I would like for us to see each other as a family.”
Her mind was spinning. This was not at all what she had expected. He was so kind and warm and so young to be the Head of State. She realized he was waiting for a response and nodded as she still felt ill equipped to speak.
“I wanted to take this opportunity to speak to you, to ensure we got off on the right foot. Lenora has been in her role for some time and is proficient at it. Perhaps it’s my age,” he smiled, his eyes twinkling, “but she isn’t too keen on me.”
Chastity couldn’t stifle her gasp. It shocked her that anyone would dare to disrespect the Head of State. Her mind replayed their exchange and realized Lenora was nasty to him.
Who does she think she is to treat the Head of State poorly? And he’s so nice! Nicer than her, anyway.
“I want to do things a
little differently than my predecessor. Lenora hasn’t been open to new ideas, therefore, giving me no choice but to request she takes an early retirement. I don’t have the time nor the energy to be at odds with my right-hand personnel.”
Chastity stifled a sigh of relief at knowing Lenora was only a temporary obstacle.
“It isn’t customary for an administrator to be brought into the State House at your age. You would normally need to work in the military for a time to earn your stripes. With the conflicting personality issues I’ve had with Lenora, I requested someone young. I hope to find the right administrator and keep them for the entirety of my service, as opposed to switching them out every decade or so.”
Betrayed: Book Five of the State Series Page 10
