The October Queen ~{By Harper Thomas}~

CHAPTER ONE ~ ASTERIA WHITEWING

Gold and Silver. Pretty and ugly. Adored and loathed.

In Aurelia, everyone is divided into two groups by the age of sixteen. They call this the Sorting. If put you in the Gold Sector, it means you're gorgeous – bright eyes, cheerful smile, elegant posture, and the perfect shape for hands to run down.

If you are selected to be in the Silver Sector, it means your inhuman. It means that your internal and external ugliness will wreak havoc, for when someone is different – when someone doesn't fit into the correct standards – society will clash.

On the day you turn seventeen, a ceremony is held for everyone, and then you stand up in front of a group of judges and they review your size, shape, eyes, hair, lips, everything. Then the head of the jury enchants you with the Hex. If you are a Silver, you get a little silver moon design imprinted on your ring finger. If you are a Gold, you get a blazing, gold sun.

Everyone wants to be Golden – to have their mothers' praise of their beauty to finally be confirmed. You see, this is how They keep peace – by dividing us.

Every day, Mother lets me gaze into her blue hand mirror with the swirls of gold rimming the edge, and a beautiful white swan carved into the middle. But only for a minute. True Goldens are not self-centered or arrogant. We do not fight. We are polite. We say "Thank you, ma'am" or "Good evening, sir". We curtsy for the queen and pick up are skirts and powder our faces.

Goldens are perfect.

"Miss Asteria! Miss!" Lorelei, my maid, a slim little Silver – all peasants or maids were Silvers – bustled in, not bothering to pick up her skirts because only Goldens needed to do that. Most Silvers, like Lorelei, stopped caring after a couple of years.

"Hm?" I sat up in my messy bed, my loose, practically transparent white shift hanging off of my frame. My practically white-blond hair was in a long braid that slithered down my back to where my spine stopped.

"Classes start in twenty minutes, Miss Asteria!" Lorelei shoved back my sheer lace curtains, letting the blinding white dawn sun in.

"That can't be true." But when I wearily, my eyes still adjusting to the sharp sunshine, glanced up at the tall wooden grandfather clock, it indeed read nine forty.

Lorelei adjusted her white ruffled apron and helped me out of bed. "You shall wear this gown." My maid held up a gown the color of golden leaves, wet moss, glistening golden sunshine, and dewy mushrooms. It had a square neckline trimmed with white lace that matched the top layer and the bottom rim. The shoulders were puffed, slim at the elbows, flared at the wrists. I could practically taste the odor of wet fallen leaves and rainwater beaded up on the forest floor.

"I do love it." An understatement. "But isn't this a bit dressy for classes?" I queried, still stunned at the golden gowns glory.

My maid shook her head, with a "No, Miss. This evening is your Sorting-Eve celebration with all the other boys and girls turning seventeen tomorrow. Surely all the young women that will be Sorted with you tomorrow will be wearing the most elegant of gowns today," Then she hastily added, "And this one matched your eyes miss."
I suppose the rich, satin mustard fabric did compliment my soft hazel eyes nicely. "Alright. I suppose I don't have much of a choice, do I?" I teased the scrawny maid playfully, who brightened at my lightness.

How I could I not be light? Tomorrow, I will be Sorted. And I was determined to get into Gold.

Lorelei spun me around, lifting my shift over my head, leaving me bare before her. I didn't really care – or at least I had taught myself not to. I was used to her seeing me like this. She placed a petticoat low around my hips, then slid me through a padded lace corset. She aggressively yanked the laces, and I let out a breathy half-yelp, half-gasp like I always did when Lorelei dresses me. She tugged the laces until I was positive I must have looked like an hourglass – which I suppose is good – then tied the laces in a bow. She slipped white elbow gloves onto my arms, then finally pulled out the gown.