Selena's Chosen

Chapter 1

Tonight was a gala - a gathering for shifters from all kingdoms to come and have a chance to find their mate. Packs and tribes held them constantly, near weekly, to raise the probability of finding each other.

Salona hailed from the Cliffs of Haggarth of the Cenze Kingdom. The Kingdom that owned the northern Hemisphere of Venelia, One of 6 continents. It was a harsh climate in the winter, with the mid and southern regions boasting rejuvenating springs and summers of warmth annually.

Salona was a soldier, stationed in the city at the Cliffs of Haggarth- miles high glaciers that surrounded the town on two sides. Still rather young at 24, she was an average warrior, but an excellent strategist, making her an asset to select missions. Occasionally being sent for from other cities, her main appointment of duty was to slowly expand their borders north.

Currently, however, she and many others had traveled far to attend the current Gala being held by the Daroma Kingdom. The Daroma Kingdom was in the southernmost part of the continent, surrounded by water on three sides. It boasted a hot climate with jungles and deserts and a long, rich history. One of, if not the longest, in all of the world.

A belief held by many on Venelia was that life for all shifters began in the lands of the Daroma Kingdom.

The Kingdom was rich due to its expansive, nearly worldwide trade system, thanks to most of its borders being coastal. It boasted a heavy tourist industry, and there were plenty of physical laboring jobs constantly available to those who needed the money.

Salona, along with many other shifters, traveled by carriage to Daroma, an arrangement set up by the Royal family for these events. You simply must show up to your towns designated waiting area, and the royal carriages will stop for anyone.

For people like Salona, however, it was different. The carriages only reached so far north, and even less so in the winter. Currently, Salona was stationed at their Northern most city. People like Salona had to somehow make the trek to the closest city with a royal stop.

Usually, it would mean strapping your things to your back and going for a long run, but with Galas, you were bringing your finery with you, and you didn't want to chance ruining it on the hike.

Salona opted for a 3 day train ride and the carriage the rest of the way.

Salona had only attended two other Galas in her life. Once at 18, when she first became old enough, and once again at 21, and both had been to the center territory of the continent, the Albot Kingdom.

Salona had not been prepared for the heat of this climate, and at the first tourist town, she had the driver pull over to look for more climate appropriate casual wear.

She stopped at the first clothing store and went in, looking around. Lots of clothing available was beautiful and heavily decorated in jingling gold and silver.  Thread sewn in made it shimmer,  and the thin whispery material, made it seem like she wouldn't sweat too much, but Salona knew better. The body didn't work like that.

She did end up purchasing a few of the different but enchanting outfits, but she also purchased outfits more close to what the shopkeep was wearing. 3 long outer layers, in green, brown, and white, and three head wraps in brown, floral, and white. Also a glance at the woman's footware had Salona purchasing a pair of closed toed shoes that went up to her calves.

"Perceptive," the old sand cat behind the counter complimented, "sunburn on the feet is a terrible pain."

For the rest of the carriage ride, Salona dressed casually in a robe and headscarf, not dressing too tightly, due to being in a carriage, but never knowing when they were going to need to stop made her too paranoid to dress any lighter.

Speaking of dresses...

Salona took the bag off her dress from where it hung in the carriage.

Her dress was floor length, and rich blue - as blue as the ice hiding in the northern sea. It's sleeves were long to the wrist, and tumbled in waves of fabric to the floor. It was thick, a level Salona would have been able to put up with in Albot, but not here. She was gonna need to make some changes.

"So much for being an expert strategist," She groaned as she pulled her hands down her face. Not that she wanted to come this time either, but her mother was getting old, and it would ease her worries. Salona was a sucker for her parents.

In the next town Salona passed through, she looked for a fabric shop. When she finally found one, she brought her dress in and began.

She was inclined to just buy a new one, but it was cheaper to buy a bolt of fabric and do it herself on the way, then buy an entire new outfit, including accessories and shoes.

The shop keep was excited to help out until she saw the hue of Salonas dress.

"Ah..." She stared down the deep blue, "I'm afraid I don't have a bolt of color close enough in the material you are looking for. If I might suggest instead..."

When the carriage arrived at Salonas hotel that evening, they simply had some additions to their dress to do and they were finished.

As Salona made their way through the lobby, a scent perked their nose. It was so strong that it woke Sunny from her doze.

'Ma-?'

Salona felt her confusion and prodded.

'What is it?'

'I thought I smelled our mate,' Salona's wolf yawned. 'But it turned normal.'

Salona perked up at even the idea their mate was here. They hadn't actually attended to find them - simply to stop her mother's worrying.

Looking around, there were many shifters in the lobby, all here for the festivities of the weekend. It could be anyone who had peeked her noses interest.

'Not our mate, so who cares?' Sunny said grumpily. What a pouty puppy.

'I just wanna see the person with the weird scent, that's all. Curiosity and cats and all that.'

After another quick graze over the lobby, Salona gave up and resumed heading to her room.

Once there, she finished alterations to what she hoped wouldn't look to weird.

At the seamstresses suggestion, Salona had detached the outer decorative layer of dress from the two inner layers. From there, she carefully cut and removed the sides of the dress along her ribs, and most of the skirt. In its place, she sewed in copper fabric that shimmered in the light. It slipped within the front of the bust and out the otherside, wrapping around an arm to act as a sleeve. The sleeves of the dress were completely tossed aside, for a wrap of copper around her arms. The bust and remaining portion of the skirt remained, leaving her with the sweetheart neckline, and deep V of blue between her legs as the material trailed to the floor. She wore a headdress of copper adorned with dazzling blue jewels along chains.

The festivities begain tonight after nightfall, and the entirety of the royal city would play host to tonight's celebrations - starting with a royal toast at the palace. She glanced at her invitation and sighed. Her mom knew a guy who knew a guy and was so proud to do this for her daughter.

Salona would suck it up. For her mother.

After dawning some jewelry that matched her new dress (she had to buy some new accessories anyway, since she only had gold with her and didn't want to mix metals).

As the sun was setting for the evening, Salona set out for the Palace.

And her mates.