THE FIVE

Chapter 3

Eloisa lay in a field on her fathers land. She sat under a tree at the highest point. She lives on the outermost lands of their kingdom and saw very few people. She liked it that way she preferred the animals or people half the time any way. She like to have limited interaction with the outside world. When she went into town the girls laughed and pointed and her ugly tattered dress and the boys made crude jokes she couldn't understand. It was best to be around the others in her village. Who understood her and enjoyed a quit life.

She ventured into town one morning to sell milk and cheese from her family cows and the town was in more of a bussal than usual. Everyone was dressed up in fine dresses and looked more polished than usual as well.

"What's going on" She asked in curiosity to another local merchant.

"Oh didnt you hear?" The king evoked the calling finally. I stiffened. The calling was one of the oldest traditions in our culture. Many years ago the monarchy became over run with greed and the common people suffered for it. They became angry and hateful and many rose up against it. After much blood shed, the king and leader of the rebels made peace and as part of the treaty the prince took his daughter to be his wife. The mix of leadership from the king being raised as royal and the common girls experience being brought up modestly lead to the greatest reigns we had ever had.
Seeing the perfection of the match the king created the calling. The calling was when every woman ages 13-18 were put through three phases and one chosen to be the new queen.

I saw the kings guard gather everyone together. A man in the finest cloths I've ever seen stepped out of a carriage and onto our town squar platform.

"Here this!" He bellowed. "Phase one of the calling shall commence in one day. At sunrise every qualified women with a surname beginning with a-m shall report to the town hall for interviews and at sunset the rest. Long live the king!" He waited as we shouted back long live the king then turned on his heel and depart.
My stomach turned. I knew I would be dismissed after the first phase but I was so nervous to be involved. You are not to repeat the questions they ask but I heard they ask some very invasive one.