The Choosing

Chapter 31//: What are we?

[ E D I T E D ]

♕✿~♕✿~Chapter 31//: What are we?♕✿~♕✿~

I stand there quietly, still not quite believing that I'm an Elite. But when I pinch myself and feel the quick pain that follows, I release a shaky breath as I realize it's real.

The other Elites around me start to look around at everyone, sizing them all up. I see Penelope narrowing her eyes at me, Nina's gaze pass over me, and Olivia's calm stare looking right through me. Emily and Alexis don't bother to size me up; they already did that in the very beginning.

They were all on edge now. It had been all fun and games when they first started out in this competition but now everything was real. One of us would be the next queen, and we couldn't let our guards down. Especially not now.

A strange feeling rushed through me as I realized this. It didn't take me too long to name the feeling as competitiveness. Until now, I haven't felt at all competitive. I had felt easy-going, calm with the knowledge that I was here to be Ahren's friend and only that. But I couldn't find this calm anymore no matter how desperately I searched for it. Maybe the conversation with Rose had made me realize something. Or maybe I knew it all along and was just avoiding it at all costs.

"Good luck." I look up sharply, broken from my thoughts, to see Alexis smiling at all of us. It seemed genuine and was different from her usual smirks and cocky smiles. The other girls nod their heads in acknowledgement, and I give a curt nod to Alexis in response. It was time for me to go to Lessons and for the other girls to go to training. I realized with a sad pang that I would be the only one in Lessons today. I would suffer through Caroline's boring lessons without Addaline and Rose.

The Silver Elites give me one more nod before turning down the hallway, heading to the training room located just around the corner of the dining hall. I stay put before forcing my legs to move towards the hall where the Lessons room is located. But before I can turn the corner, someone calls my name.

I turn around, a smile on my face as I recognize the voice immediately. Juliet smiles back at me as she walks over to me. She loops her arm through mine, pulling me down the hall to my Lessons room. I can't help but grin at her bubbling energy that never seemed to disappear.

"So, how does it feel to be the first ever Red Elite?" Juliet asks with a smile, bumping my shoulder with hers. My smile instantly falls, my cheerful mood evaporating in a second. A sudden weight is in my chest, and I can't seem to breathe fully.

"It feels weird. I don't even know why I'm still here, especially since I'm not a real candidate for future queen," I tell Juliet honestly. Juliet stops walking, and I stop with her. She turns to look at me with a shocked look.

"Why do you think that?" She asks me. I shrug, not sure if I should tell her I know the king doesn't approve of me. Norta does not need a weak and useless queen. The king's words from earlier slap me in the face, and I clench my fists. It was the sad truth. I didn't have an ability, and the Silvers definitely won't allow a powerless girl rise to queen. They would make sure that would never happen.

Juliet purses her lips, seeing my internal battle based on the emotions crossing my face. But her being the great person she is decides to ignore it. I was thankful Juliet didn't try to pry, and I took a few deep breaths to try to calm my emotions.

Juliet and I continue to walk to the Lessons room, this time in complete silence. When we reach the door, I mumble a 'goodbye' before turning to escape into the room. Before I can, however, Juliet reaches over and grabs my wrist. A bit startled, I look up at her and am a bit surprised to see the determined look in her eyes.