"Cosmo Gilqen of Elsiah, Stelletoile."
Lyra, who had been prepared to stand, froze.
It wasn't possible.
The gift.
Paige couldn't have been lying when she said the gift was from Libra.
How could anyone be so cruel? Lyra had been so convinced that she would be the one, that she would be chosen by Libra. Lyra knew that Libra wasn't the type of horoscope to give out false hope. The gift couldn't have been meaningless, and yet ... and yet ... here she was, sitting in the stadium ... small and pathetic.
Of course Libra wouldn't choose her. She wasn't good enough.
For the first time in her life, Lyra well and truly hated Libra.
"Lyra?" Alcie whispered tentatively.
Lyra ignored her, instead focusing on the burly figure that stood by Libra. That was supposed to be her spot, yet it was he who stood there. He with the messy black hair, he who lacked to precision and neatness required for Libra's apprentices, he from the little farming village of Elsiah. Lyra was so much more worthy when it came to being Libra's apprentice. But Libra hadn't chosen Lyra. Libra had chosen him.
Holding back tears, Lyra let her hair fall forward to cover her face.
Of course. She was never good enough. She, with the highest score in every class and the perfect, perfect sister wasn't good enough.
But, apparently, the simple farm boy standing on stage was.
Lyra was so caught up in her emotions that she barely reacted when Alcie suddenly punched her in the shoulder.
"Alcie, please ... "
"Lyra, come on, get up. She called your name, you're Capricorn's apprentice!"
"What?"
Lyra looked up and saw the entire stadium laid out before her. Everyone's head was turned toward the seething mass of nominees, searching for the one whose name had been called.
She was about to stand up until it finally occurred to her.
Capricorn. One of the least important horoscopes had chosen her. For some reason, this hurt more than not being chosen by Libra. So she was good enough ... to be the apprentice of the worst.
Capricorn spoke again. "Would Lyra Arocuge of Ilya, Stelletoile please come forward." She looked almost frail, thin and pale, her face framed by black locks.
Lyra stood and felt the pressure of thousands of eyes on her. She could feel the disappointment from her parents, the fear from Alcie, the expectation of the Honorable Twelve. She made her way down the row of nominees, trying hard to avoid eye contact and quickly wiping the remnant tears off of her face.
She saw the stage, and on it, The Twelve. It looked exactly like she had imagined, save for one detail. There was someone else by Libra's side, and she was to go and stand at the side of another. Yet that one tiny detail made all the difference.
It wasn't supposed to be like this, she thought. It wasn't supposed to be this way.
Lyra refused to look at Capricorn, choosing instead to stare at her feet as she made her way to her side. Capricorn wore a simple, long black robe and more black underneath. She seemed to fade into the background. Lyra couldn't help but have the thought that no one would notice if Capricorn had gone missing. This, Lyra thought, was her future. To be a shadowed figure in black, to go unnoticed and ignored.
The rest of the apprentices passed by quickly. Lyra only noticed that all twelve names had been called when Libra stepped forward and spoke. "This concludes The Selection. Parents and candidates, please remain seated as The Twelve and their apprentices exit the stadium." She didn't look at Lyra while speaking, and Lyra found that she was grateful for it.
Lyra walked behind Capricorn, staying four or five steps away. She entertained running out of the stadium and refusing Capricorn's apprenticeship, but in hindsight, that would probably have been more embarrassing than the original problem.
Capricorn barely acknowledged Lyra on the way out of the stadium, for which Lyra couldn't help but be grateful for - she didn't think she could return the greeting.
Paige was ahead of Lyra. She and Libra's new apprentice flanked Libra. Paige turned around and met Lyra's eyes. She didn't smile. Looking into Paige's eyes, Lyra knew that as much as the two of them wanted to, there was was no turning back from each of their chosen paths.
...
Author's note: I'd like to clear things up a bit. I realize that this chapter may have some hate on Capricorn, and that isn't what I intended. I didn't mean to offend anyone. It is just that Capricorn is considered a less important horoscope in comparison to some of the others. There is an inner hierarchy within the horoscopes. Libra, Scorpio, Virgo, Gemini, Leo, and Aries are in the upper tier. Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Cancer, Pisces, and Taurus are in the lower tier. This is not in any particular order. The upper tier horoscopes are considered more influential and "better" to the general public, while the lower tier less so. I personally don't think any horoscope is better than another, this is just the stereotypes of the realm Lyra lives in.
Also, Lyra is very disappointed about not being chosen by Libra, and she is taking her anger out on Capricorn. Although I will admit, this hierarchy will probably come back into play later on.
Anyways, thoughts on the results? Anyone surprised? Comment you thoughts and don't forget to vote!
YOU ARE READING
The Choosing
Fantasy"Each of us has made our selection." Libra was speaking again. She had stepped forward, into the circle. "Now it is your turn to make your choice." "Our choice?" Lyra turned to the speaker, Leo's apprentice, the redheaded girl from the south. "Ye...
