Undesirable

Chapter 10

As any normal person would expect, Messena's predictions didn't fill me with a lot of confidence. Being told the only person who can save me from being banished, is going to lead me to my doom, isn't very encouraging. Ana refused to accept my story when I told her what the witch said. Apparently, I must have done something to upset her. Mother, as expected, yelled at me when I returned. She couldn't understand why I would jeopardise my last opportunity of getting married just because I wasn't willing to give the witch's gifts a chance. All in all, I'm feeling extremely positive about going to this meeting today, knowing that my family fully-heartedly support me.

If only.

A carriage arrives to pick me up in the early hours of the morning. The Higher Tier meeting house is on the outskirts of the Capital Sector and takes around two hours to get there from Kephia. Just enough time for me to work myself up into a nervous wreck.

Mother forces out a few words of encouragement, but she's still annoyed about yesterday, so they are sparse. Ana hugs me before wishing me good luck.

The footman, as he introduced himself, opens the carriage door and holds out his hand to help me inside. He's taken back by my blue dress, and his cheeks flush a deep red as his eyes graze over my bare shoulder, making me self-conscious.

Has he never seen a woman's skin before?

I wave at Ana and Mother through the small window as we set off, watching them fall into the distance as I begin up the road leading out of the village. The next time I see them, I will have some idea of what awaits my future.

The two hours fly by. My mind is so distracted with concerns about the meeting, I don't even realise that we have arrived. The carriage door opens and the footman guides me towards a huge stone building. It has pillars reaching up from the floor to the ceiling, but only for decoration rather than support, and a dome sits in the centre of the roof. Black statues are built into its walls, marble men and women posing proudly, some with horses and some without, but all looking like gods.

Once inside, I'm led up a huge staircase and we walk through hundreds and thousands of corridors. Massive paintings cover every wall, and beady fresco eyes peer back at me as I stumble by. Everyone we pass is dressed like Luca. Reds, greens, and golds cover their clothes, their hair graces their shoulders, and swords swing from their hips. I'm the only girl here, as far as I know. Not one woman has walked past us yet. Just men.

We eventually stop at the end of the corridor, outside a room with a door painted white and gold. No one is here yet; I must be the first to arrive.

"Wait here until you are called inside," The footman says before departing, leaving me by myself.

I kneel down on the marble floor, tucking the skirt of my dress underneath my knees so that I won't get any red marks on my skin. Even if I do, my dress is long enough to cover them, but I am not taking any chances. I sit like this for a while, waiting for the other girls to join me. Back home, most of the attendees would have arrived by now. I begin to worry that I have been taken to the wrong room.

Just down the corridor, I hear foots walking towards me. I remain in position, refusing to move or even look up at the person, scared they might think I'm being nosey. The footsteps stop a few meters away from me, as the man halts in his tracks.

"What are you doing?" He asks, and I instantly recognise the voice.

Luca stands, his arms folded across his chest, looking down at me suspiciously like I'm doing something very strange.

"Waiting to be called in," I tell him. What else did he expect me to be doing?

He replies, "I mean, on the floor."