The Guardian Wars: Part One #Wattys2016

Chapter One

My mother had often referred to me as untamable. I knew that she meant it as an insult to my character, but I always took it as a great compliment. The word she so begrudgingly used to describe me lingered in my mind as I tried desperately to accept my inevitable fate.

"You really don't want to know?" Rowan asked from the doorway that separated my bedroom from his study. I simply shook my head and stared out into the night as I sat perched on the windowsill of my twelfth floor apartment. I was attempting to think of anything but the envelope my mother would have received earlier that day. Rowan huffed loudly.

"I don't believe that. Even I'm curious to find out who you've been matched with, and we both know how I feel about this whole process," he teased with a sarcastic laugh.

Two weeks prior I had taken my mandatory compatibility test to determine the person in my Sector that I should spend my life with. The results were based loosely on personality traits and individual preferences, and more strictly on monetary and social standing in the Sector. The envelope that should have arrived at my parents' house that day would contain a copy of my test, along with the name of the person I was most suited to marry. 

My twenty-first birthday was only 6 months away, and I had until then to either accept or reject a marriage proposal from my match. I wasn't required to marry the person selected for me, but it had become tradition to marry within the findings of your test. No one had gone against the test results since our Sector government initiated it nearly twenty years ago. Other sectors had tried to adopt the same method, but for some reason Sector 1 was the only one who still mandated the test. Our Sector's leader, Dante, was a firm believer that money was the only true power in the world. As a result, all of his decisions and rules were based on that philosophy.

As I stared out my window thoughtfully, I could see other young girls like myself walking across the large campus of The University with their protectors, their Guardians, by their side. It was so easy to forget about the dangers of our world, but the presence of the Guardians was a constant reminder of what lay outside the safety of our Sector. In Sector 1, we were safe. We didn't need to worry about the things that transpired in the lower classes.

Even from my current height, I could see that the girls below me were not friendly with their Guardians. Their relationships were forced and typical. Not like mine and Rowan's. I smiled fondly at the thought of my Guardian.

"I'm going to call it a night." His deep voice startled me as it broke through the heavy silence. I jumped slightly before turning towards the doorway of my bedroom. Rowan still stood there, leaning casually against the door frame.

"Did I scare you?" he asked, with a grin.

"No, I was just lost in thought," I defended myself against his teasing expression. He nodded before stifling a yawn with his hand. I looked at the clock beside my bed and saw that it was almost ten o'clock.

"Do you need anything before I go to bed?" he asked, reaching his arms above his head, and stretching them from side to side. His shirt lifted with his arms and revealed a small pistol tucked into the waistband of his pants. I averted my eyes quickly. The gun that he carried always made me nervous. I knew that Rowan was well-trained, and that the gun's safety was always in place, but it was a dark reminder of our country's checkered past, and why it and the man who wore it were there.

"I'm fine. I'm done studying for the night, so I'll probably turn in as well," I answered in agreement, still not looking directly at him. He lowered his arms and adjusted his shirt to cover the pistol. I had final exams coming up, and despite the long hours of studying I had put in that day, I still didn't feel like I had learned anything. He walked over to me and kissed the top of my head gingerly.