A New Day
Surprisingly, my back was feeling slightly better the next day. I was able to move quicker, although paired with an immense amount of pain, and was able to stand up and walk with the rest of the girls out the door. We continued up, the click of heels echoing off of the stone steps, until we were led into a preparation room of sorts. The workers threw us into a shower room and warned us that we had 15 minutes to get ready. Girls sprinted to the showers, while I slowly waddled into one of them. I hesitantly let water fall on my back, wincing a little, but knew it was better than letting bacteria grow there. While the water worked on my back, I massaged the shampoo in my hair, rinsed, and then the conditioner. I tried to rush everything else, before wrapping myself in a robe, and walking to the dressing room. Some people were there waiting, and asked me my name. They quickly checked it off and grabbed previously assigned clothes in my hands before presenting a booth. I got the dress on with great struggle and examined myself in the mirror. It was open back, bad choice on their part, but the front was elegant. I wasn't comfortable with the back showing in general, but knew that I wasn't going to really be given a choice. As more and more girls got dressed, I noticed that all the dresses were open back.
Their using us as an example.
I almost felt disgusted at my revelation, but figured that it really was the best way to instill fear into the other girls. Quietly, we walked through the hallway and were guided into a dinning room. All of the girls were seated in groups of twenty, around 10 tables. I noticed the farther to the right it got, the more extravagant the people and food. The other groups were already sitting down and eating, but became silent when they saw us come in. I was near the front as we were led to the tables and sat down. We could hear gasps and a few whispers once they were able to see our backs as we sat down. I was seated where I could view the rest of the tables, immediately I looked for Elizabeth. Once I caught her stare, I could see the look of guilt on her face, I smiled and waved. She didn't respond and just looked down at her food.
"I still can't believe you switched like that," someone said.
I looked to the person. She had black hair and wore a blue dress.
"Sometimes, I can't either. But when I think about what he would've done to her, I don't regret it."
The girl was silent.
We heard a chair screech, grabbing our attention. We could barely make out the person, since they were literally across the entire room from us, but the voice made him unmistakable. The king spoke out, "Good morning, Ladies. I hope you enjoyed the last section of our meal. But before we continue, I must announce the next test. To be queen, you not only have to have beauty, but also a brain. You all will be participating in an academic assessment meant to measure your abilities in Arithmetic, Reading and Writing, Language Usage, and Political scenarios."
I winced.
Politics?! I don't know a single thing about politics...
I sighed to myself and mentally prepared to be put in the red or black.
"Testing begins immediately. Anyone with an average below 75 will be executed," he finished. Without another word, he stood and walked out the room. All of the girls seemed to lose their appetite, and the food was brought out of the room. Surprisingly, my group was led out of the Dining Hall first and into a room full of tables and papers. The room was dusty, and you could feel the chill of the unheated room.
"The assessment will be graded as soon as you're done by one of the guards at the door. Take your time," the guard warned.
The girls spread out and sat down at the tables one by one, and just like at the first test, some looked horrified while others sat down with confidence. I was in the middle of nervous and confident. I hadn't done math in a year or two, so I doubted I could remember all of the formulas I was supposed to use, but if it was multiple choice, I could pull off a pass. Which means that it could still go horribly wrong, and I could probably die if I can't bring back what I learned as a teenager. Not to mention, I have never even thought to study politics in my entire life, so there is almost no way I would be passing that portion. But realistically, if I get 90 or above on the first four portions, I would have plenty of room to fail on politics.
I scribbled my name into the upper right corner and started the test. The first subject was math, and I could tell that I was struggling to remember how to solve all of the problems. Luckily, I had always been good at math, so I just took my time and solved the questions. Surprisingly, there were only one or two that I had to leave blank. Reading and writing were easy, and I knew they were going to be the ones to lift my average. Language usage was slightly more difficult, but the real problem came when Politics had showed up on the paper. I muddled through all of it, not being able to made even an educated guess on most of the questions. There were a few of common sense questions, but I knew I had basically failed the entire portion.
The moment came, and I gathered the courage to hand my paper to one of the guards. They held an emotionless expression as they totaled up my scored. Eventually, the guard handed me back another paper listing my individual scores . At the very top was my final average:
78%
I let out a breath of relief.
"Take it to the guard stationed at the door, they'll give you your designated chocker and escort you to your room," he said. I nodded, making my way over to the door and receiving a red choker. I took it happily and got escorted back down to the punishment room. I saw the same wooden poles and wondered if we were going to be receiving the same punishment as last time.
I saw the guard from before walk up to me.
"Red again, huh?"
"Unfortunately."
"You don't seem to be the type of person to fail a test," he noted.
"I'm not, but I haven't learned a single thing about politics."
"What about the other sections?"
"Aced them," I said.
"Then how did you end up here?"
"Averages. I completely failed politics but aced the rest, so it's gonna end up somewhere in the middle. I'm just glad I'm not gonna die," I explained.
"You have a habit of being here when you shouldn't be," he said.
"I'll try to rid myself of it soon," I said.
Girls started to pile in, and the guard went back to his post. Once everyone was sorted in the guards opened the door, and the king strode in. Everyone bowed their heads, including me, and waited for the king to speak.
"Out of anyone I hate, it's the idiots I dislike the most. All of you have proven to be slightly above that mark, but still stupid enough to make me hate you," his eyes scanned the room and landed on me.
"Those of you who are here again for the second time will be given twice the punishment delivered personally by me," he spoke. My name was called first, and I stepped forward.
"Get me her paper," the king said. He grabbed my score sheet and glanced at the number, "78... Disappointing, really. Go to the pole," he said.
I silently walked over, and set my bag to the ground beside me. I was still in my dress, and felt the cold air on my back. My heart was beating rapidly in fear of pain. I stood there waiting, anticipating the strike. I heard a paper rustle and then footsteps, before the king showed beside me.
"What is this?" I heard him ask. I kept my head down but glanced at the paper, I wasn't even sure if he wanted an answer.
"How did you cheat your way into red this time? 90, 98, 99, and 90? How exactly does that equal 78? You just want to be punished, is that it?" He spoke bitterly.
"No, Your Majesty. I've just never been taught politics," I said frightened, staring at the ground.
He flipped the paper over and saw my score in politics.
"18%," he said. It was silent and he seemed to study the number.
"You," he started, "cannot be queen if you don't know simple politics... But you're obviously not an idiot, which means you are capable of learning... You get 6 whips."
I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing I was going to make it out alive, but was cut off by a scream ripping out of my throat.
Ouch, that definitely hurt.
My breathing sped up as I shook in pain. That one whip was worse than any of the ones before. The pain didn't dull, it stayed and waited for the next strike to come. The king seemed to prepare before it cut through the air and into my back again.
Another scream and tears poured down my face.
3 more and I was crying freely. I couldn't stand up, the restraints held in place for the last blow. The hurt was more than the whole 30 I had gotten before, and a new fear of the king's strength was instilled in me.
"This is for the 18%," he said, before hitting me on last time. I didn't need to look to know that blood was seeping out of my back, the smell was already in the air.
"Get her wounds treated and disinfected, then put her into one of the gold rooms. She got 90's for the rest of her scores," he said. I could barely hear him or comprehend him due to the pain taking over most of my consciousness. All I know is that I was knocked out by a doctor, who I concluded took care of my wounds.
I don't know when I woke up, but I knew that it felt horrible. My attempt at moving lasted about 2 seconds before I realized the pain was too much. So I stayed there in a surprisingly comfortable bed and stared up at the overhang attached to the ceiling.
What?
I looked around frantically, wondering where I was and almost jumped out of my bed when the door opened.
"Oh! You're awake! Just in time for tea!" I heard a girl exclaim. She rushed in, putting the tray on the desk beside me before helping me sit up.
"We must quickly get you ready. You have breakfast in an hour."
"What?"
"Breakfast. We must hurry. Being late is punishable by death," she warned.
"But why am I here in the first place? I was given a red choker, I should be in the cell."
"You're wearing a gold choker though."
"I'm what?" I looked at her confused and felt the chocker around my neck. I took it off and examined the now gold fabric.
"Now we really must hurry, I have to get you in a dress," the girl said. She moved me out of bed and slowly put on the dress. It was the softest fabric I had ever felt in my life and was dyed a royal blue. It poofed out like a ball gown and felt slightly heavy to move it. Not to mention every step felt like pure torture on my wounds. Eventually we made it to the room where we were supposed to eat, and I was led to the seat farthest from the King. The girls were mostly the same as before, but there were a few new faces added to the lot of gold. Without a word, servants were lined up in the room and serving food. The room was highly decorated and the tablecloth seemed to be handmade lace. I couldn't help but run my hand across the area in front of me lightly.
"Let's begin," the king announced. The girls picked up their silver ware and ate delicately, I watched and copied their movement. It seem to be silent except for the small clicking of silverware on china plates. One girl attempted to make conversation, "Did you sleep well, My King?"
"I slept fine," he said. Silence overwhelmed the table once more.
Well that didn't last long.
"Feel free to talk amongst yourselves," he said.
Someone immediately turned to me, "I heard you were originally in red. What happened?"
"I don't quite know actually. I just woke up in the room and then rushed here."
"Were you still punished?"
"...Yes."
"Did it hurt?"
"It still does. I'm actually hoping this meal ends sooner rather then later, so I can go back to resting," I smiled weakly. The dress was rubbing against my back, and a throbbing pain was pulsing through my entire spine. I took a sip of water.
"Gosh, I hope I never have to be punished."
"Well the tests are to see if you are suitable to be queen. There's probably going to be a elegance or mannerisms test sometime. Are any good at those?"
"I took Cotillion for like 5 years."
"I'm sure you'll be fine, then. Me on the other hand... not so much. I'm just hoping I can make it to the top 50."
"Isn't everyone?"
"True, but there's bound to be someone here who wants to be queen, right?"
"I guess. Are you going to be okay if he does a etiquette test?"
"... Maybe. Probably not," I sighed.
"If you want, the king gives us a breaks in between meals. I can teach you what I know."
"You would do that for me?" I asked.
"The less that die here the better. Plus, I heard what you did for that girl in blue. I think I should return the favor."
"Oh, well, thank you."
"You're welcome. I'm glad to help. I'm Sofia, by the way," she smiled.
"Eleana. Nice to meet you," I replied.
We went back to eating the food served and listened in on other's conversations. Most of them talked about their home and lives before the ball. I glanced at the king every once in a while, awfully aware that if he heard me say or do something he didn't like, I could end up dead. I thought he was going to execute me for getting in red twice. I quickly looked away before he would notice me and took another bite of the salad I was given. I wanted nothing more than some pancakes in that moment.
"I'm curious to know," the king started, waiting for everyone to hush, "What does everyone think of the ball so far?"
The girls glanced to each other and wondered whether he wanted a truthful answer or not. No one wanted to answer, in fear of being the one killed, myself included. He seemed to look around the table expecting someone to speak.
His eyes landed on me, "You there. The one who was in the red earlier. What was your name again?"
"Eleana Allenvure, Your Majesty."
"Eleana, yes. What are your thoughts on the ball so far?"
"It's been very eventful, Your Majesty," I replied, hoping my answer was vague enough to tell the truth but not insult the King.
"Eventful. I guess that's a word you could use for it," he said setting his utensils down. "For some reason, I can't help but still be bored. Tell me, what would you do in my case?"
"...Read a book, Your Majesty?"
He was silent for a moment and then smirked a little, "Right, I forgot you were the girl who brought some yarn and a book here. Doesn't it get tedious to read the same thing?"
"I guess it would depend on how well the author of the book is, Your Highness."
"Why is that?"
"If the author is good, the book is often better the second time. You notice foreshadowing much more than you do before, and it can make the scenes much more meaningful."
"I see. I take it you like to read."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"What is it that you like about reading, Eleana?"
"The characters, Your Majesty."
"The characters?"
"You live through the characters and watch them develop. It's like meeting someone new every time you read a new book and getting to know them. I also find more about myself by putting myself in their position and wondering what I would do in their situation. I don't think I could ever get sick of it, Your Majesty."
"I see," he said before turning to the other girls, "Does anyone else like to read?"
All of the girls raised their hands.
"Really? Everyone here likes to read?" He asked.
"Then after breakfast, we can take a trip to the Royal Library," he announced. I perked up a little thinking about going to a library. Plus I could separate myself from everyone and get a break. Everyone ate the rest of their meals happily, knowing that they were going to spend personal time with the king. Most of them saw it as an opportunity to impress the king, but I thought the more time I spent with the king, the more I was guaranteed my death sentence. After the servants took away the last of our dishes, the King led us toward the Royal Library. My maid had given me a pain killer later in the meal, so I was actually able to walk at their pace without any struggles. The girl's looked around amazed by the amount of books that were stored in such a large room. There were books up to the ceiling and signs hanging to separate the genres. There were bookcases surrounding the floor and tables filling the center of the room.
"You can go ahead and explore," the king dismissed. The girls curtsied, myself included, but didn't go far. Most stayed within the inner circle of tables. I immediately separated myself from the group and went to the far back of the library. I spent a few moments looking around before I spotted the perfect book reading chair I have ever seen in my life. It as a huge circular moon chair that had a fluffy cushion and blanket laid upon it. I went up to a shelf next to it and grabbed the first book that caught my eye. I could hear the faint chatter of girls as I cuddled into the chair. I quickly set the blanket on top of me before I opened the book and started reading. I don't know exactly when but the comforting warmth of the chair made my eyes flutter close.
"Comfortable?"
My eyes shot open at the sound of the kings voice. I immediately took off the blanket and stood up, biting my lip to stop myself from wincing. The medicine only did so much.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness," I said. I didn't really know what else in the moment.
"How are your wounds doing?"
"I received some medication this morning, so it's not too bad, Your Majesty."
"Good, follow me," he ordered before turning away and walking. I kept a small distance, but listened nevertheless. He led me to the other side of the library, weaving through the different stacks of books. Suddenly, he stopped and picked out a book from the shelf. I kept my head down as he examined the table of contents. He seemed to be holding a text book. He walked a little further and grabbed another book from the shelf, repeating the same process. After a few more books were added to the stack, he went back to the center circle where most of the tables were.
"Sit down," he said. I looked around and noticed the other girls missing.
Please don't tell me he's choosing to carry out my execution himself.
"I moved you back to gold because I thought you had the ability to learn based on your scores," he started. "I still have to test out that theory. After all, you could have just gotten lucky and actually deserved to flunk the test. So to make sure, I'm going to teach you this material and quiz you on it. If you do well, you'll stay in gold until the next test..."
"If you don't, you'll be executed."
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