The Flight of the Eagle (Editing)

High Lord

It surprised me that no one had wondered why a girl that looked like Lyanna had come riding through the camp, but maybe they were just going to spin it as she was training. I didn't care as long as they did not catch me. I had no interest in dying.

Father told me that today the training grounds would finally be completed and tomorrow would start the first test. No one had any idea what it was going to be yet, but I was trying not to worry. I could handle whatever they threw at me. I was just taken back with how calm everyone seemed. The fire burned bright in the middle of the tent, mother sitting across from father and Lyanna to my right.

Did they not care that this could mean my life? Even Lyanna hadn't even tried to talk me out of it. She was just so ready to have this High Lord that it was all she cared about. In her place, I would never ask her to give her life just for my happiness.

I smoothed down my plain red dress and set to braiding the black wig on my head. I would follow Lyanna around today, see how she acted with everyone that way. If forced, I could fake acting like her till she could get to me. That was the scary part, having to act like a First Daughter.

Amannah sat tea in front of my mother on a wooden board before doing the same for my father. I'd still not gotten to be alone with her, ask her how things were going. She wouldn't even look me in the eye.

I tied the braid off with a little piece of string, hands falling to my lap. My stomach was flipping over and over. I could fight in any way they wanted, but I couldn't fake a whole new personality.

"Stop fidgeting." Mother commanded, eyes watching me in disgust. "It's beneath a First Daughter."

"Good thing, I'm not one." I countered back, eyes narrowed. Since I was helping her, least she could do was stop bullying me.

"Thank the Gods." She mumbled under her breath, holding her marble cup up to her lips.

"Mother is only trying to help," Lyanna whispered to me, red hair framing her small face, causing her blue eyes to stand out against the fire, "Pointing out things that may be useful. To keep everyone from finding out the truth."

Lyanna had changed in the few months she'd been here. There was something different about her, but I couldn't put my finger on it. She looked the same, but there was something in her eyes... or maybe it was just me.

She gave my hand a squeeze before sitting up straight and finishing her breakfast of potatoes and chicken breast, like she didn't have a care in the world.

________________________________________________________________________________

More of the same as we walked around the camp, more people claiming that they'd never known she had a younger sister. The pain was numbing over, with each new person being surprised. I kept my head down, only speaking when spoken to, like a proper Second Daughter. At least this was something I could do. Lyanna had a smoother way of speaking, anyway. But she'd been trained up to be the future leader of our clan.

I followed in her steps through the camp, keeping the dress and the shoes as clean as possible, though the ground was drying out and they'd not called for rain today so hopefully soon, I could just walk normally.

"Oh, Lyanna, aren't you worried about the competition?" Asked the First Daughter from clan Canopthia. She was stunning, dark hair with some of the lightest grey eyes that I'd ever seen, her skin was like honey, but her family worked the more southern lands where the sun shone most of the year, even in the cold times of winter, the sun was shining, I'd heard it was a beautiful place. "It's rumored the High Lord prefers darker coloring."

Lyanna only smiled, laughing softly as she shook her head. "I'm not worried at all. You should be though."

None of the young First Daughters seemed to be friends. They all viewed each other as competition. No one to share secrets with, to talk to. I could never imagine living their life. There was only one other Clan that had a Second Daughter here, Clan Banderjorn. Though they were using her more like a servant. They were a poorer clan, not as powerful as the Six. Maybe they'd been able to bring a servant, but I knew the truth. Why would you need one when you had a perfectly capable Second Daughter? You never had to pay your family like you did a servant.