ʙᴛꜱ ᴀᴍʙᴡ ᴏɴᴇ-ꜱʜᴏᴛꜱ, ꜱᴄᴇɴᴀʀɪᴏꜱ, ᴀɴᴅ ꜱʜᴏʀᴛ ꜱᴛᴏʀɪᴇꜱ | ʙᴛꜱ x ᴏᴄ

The one where she's the Chosen One pt.1 (KNJ)

"What?!" The screech of a wooden chair fell upon the ears of the small household. And stood up from it was the seething presence of Alexandra, her hands firmly planted onto the worn wooden dinner table that her mother and younger sister were currently sitting at. Ellen's lips purse at her eldest daughter's abrupt behavior. There was outrage burning in her eyes, and she stared her mother straight in the face, which was completely contrary to her typical tranquil nature.

  "You sold my name to the ballots? Mother, we've discussed this!" Ellen sets her cup of brewed peach tea down onto the table beside her plate.

  "Sit down, Alexandra -"

  "I refuse, you heartless wench! How dare you wish death upon me!"

  Ellen's expression hardened and her jaw clenched. She, too, stood to her feet, palms placed firmly on either side of her metal plate.  "I've done no such thing. We had an agreement, Alex-"

  "You speak of an agreement and yet you betray me. Have you any idea what this could mean for me if I were to be chosen?"

  "We agreed that your name would be submitted so long as you maintained a steady payment that could help support the three of us." Ellen replied in a stern tone.

  "And have I done no such thing?! Do you not consider all my exhaustive work around the village supportive? All the trouble I go through and for you to submit my name on your own accord...." Alex scoffs to herself, stepping away from the table. The chair she'd once been sitting in topples to the floor. She massages her temples obsessively, "How many times did you submit my name? For how much?"

  Ellen sighs, looking down at the plate of food Joy and Alex had prepared for their dinner that night. It wasn't very much at all, but it would last to the next meal. She looks at her younger daughter, who kept her gaze on her plate and her hands held tightly in her lap.

  "Alexandra, you must understand... With winter on the rush food is scarce, and we need to pay off our debts to a carpenter that can fix up the house so that it'll last the season. We barely made it through the spring due to the heavy rain. Imagine what a snowstorm could do...! We'd be homeless-!"

  "How much did they give you, mother?" Alexandra demanded, her back turned completely towards her mother, who sunk her head in defeat, eyes burning with hot tears.

  "The royal messenger is to arrive tomorrow with 2,000 dollars... A dollar for each submission;  it was the maximum number of submissions I could make."

  Alex sighed, staring up at their straw ceiling, which was starting to become quite sparse due to the wearing of weather and wildlife done to it. Her vision blurred as her lids flooded with tears, and she shook her head. "Even if the king is to select someone else as his bride, I will never forgive you. You've permanently betrayed my trust."

  "I'm sorry, Alex. But you're the only one of the three of us that are of age to be a candidate. You know how much money that is, for us. We could get a better house, maybe even some cattle or a horse...!" Alex felt her mother's warm hand rest on her shoulder.

  "Please look at your mother, darling." Ellen begged. And Alex reluctantly turned to face her mother's guilty, wet eyes. "I had no choice. Without money we won't survive another month out here. And if you are to be chosen, then we could be set for life. Imagine it! We could have warm loaves of fresh bread to eat in the morning instead of cold, bland soup. Wouldn't that be fantastic?" Her voice was distant, like she was stuck in a dream; a fantasy.

  Alex felt her chin quiver, " But at what cost, Mama? " her voice wavered. "I'll be far away in the kingdom, I don't know if he'd even allow me to see you two-"