The Crown

Chapter One - The Birthday

          The real world shifts into focus as I wake from a dream in the fields of lavender and the days spent picking berries with my little sister.

          As I open my eyes, a sense of pure joy collapses on me. Today is the day I am placed by my Observer. Slowly, I pull the covers away from my body and slide out of bed. I cross to the window and look outside. For the first time in my entire life, my Observer is not standing out in the fields beyond our home. She is preparing. Preparing for my future. It's funny that way. The Observers prepare for our future while we just sit by and be ourselves.

          Opening my closet, I find myself at a loss. Is it a fancy occasion? It is my birthday. It's also the day my Observer places me. Do I get dressed up? Do I wear daily, basic clothes?

          I finally decide on a deep red t-shirt and a pair of skinny jeans that I only wear on special occasions. I straighten my honey blonde hair and apply accents of warm toned makeup.

           I walk out into the main living quarters. My feet press against the hard wood floor. It hasn't felt the warmth of a human since last night at 9:30. My mother sits in our big dark purple comfy chair by the fireplace. She turns her head after finishing a sentence in her book and smiles. There is a glimpse of sadness in her expression as well.

          "Annora!" My younger sister, Clara, pops up from her seat at my mother's feet and rushes over to me. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you!" I say bending down to her level. "Soon, it will be your nineteenth birthday! And I bet that you'll be picking for royalty!"

"That's not possible, Annora," she complains. "It's only every twenty years and this is one of those years. I'll be nineteen in eleven years not twenty."

"That's what makes you so special," I smile. "You get picked when no one else can."

"I bet you'll be picked for royalty!" she cheers.

I laugh. It's not that I don't believe I could be. I'm well behaved and fairly good-looking. I'm just not the type. I don't want to rule Ariz. I don't want to rule anyone or anything.

"C'mon," I say to her. "Let's eat my birthdays breakfast."

She claps a few times and runs over to her spot at the table.

My mother rises from her chair and places her book of the coffee table. She slowly walks over to me. We watch Clara as she puts her napkin on her lap.

"I'm never going to be placed for royalty," I comment, quietly as to make sure Clara doesn't hear.

"I know that perfectly well. But she doesn't," my mother responds. "She will be disappointed but she is only a child. She will understand it all in a few years. We can't do anything now."

I look at my mother. Her face is solemn and concerned. Then I think of what it must be like for her. To know one of your daughters will be shipped off somewhere in the country while the other, stays but will never smile, for far too long.

"It's going to be okay, Mom," I turn in front of her. "We're all going to be okay."

She nods and we walk to the table to take our places. I sit up straight and place my napkin in my lap. The smell of pancakes and syrup wafts in from the kitchen. A glass of orange juice is placed at every place around the table. Even the empty one at the end.

"Mom," I say. "There's a glass of orange juice at his place."

"Hmm?" she asks. I motion my head to the glass. She follows my gesture and her eyes soften as she realizes what I mean. "Oh. It must have slipped my mind."