A Crown's Game|✔︎UNDER MAJOR EDITING

-Chapter Two-

-ASPEN

One, two, three. Three knives were lodged into the big pine tree standing in front of me. I take a breath and tuck a loose strand of my honey brown hair behind my ear. I guess I am good with knives, hitting the handmade bullseye every time. I am ready at the least for the big event.

Any second now, Mom, Dad, and Liam would come out of the house and call me for the selection, and can I just say, I'm not excited.  Sure, if I get selected I might be prepared in the slightest for the Crown's Game, but the girls from richer districts like Stern, Hecht, Salisbury, and Trape already have somewhat more training.

"Aspen," Liam calls from the back door. I forcefully throw another knife into the tree, adding a turn for effect.

"What?"

Liam walks over to me and yanks the four knives out of the tree. "No need to be sassy. Or a showoff." He laughs and hands me the knives.

"Should have listened to Dad when he taught us how to throw, instead of bawling your eyes out," I say. Liam was always afraid of the knives when we were kids. I , on the other hand, was fascinated. I would perfectly copy my dad, lodging knife after knife into the tree. Liam would sit on the side and cry, worried that I was going to die. He is my big bear, after all.

"I'm better than you are, and you know it. We need to go now." He pushes me in the direction of Mom and Dad, who both have a worried look in their eyes. I bet their parents were always worried when they had a Crown's Game.

"Mom, where was Queen Marie from when she won the games?" I whisper in her ear.

"Trape."

Interesting.

As we head to the town square, we pass the abundant farms with rows of grain and orchards. We work on a farm too, since my province is all about farming, crops, agriculture, stuff like that.

The farms stop coming as we enter the square, where a metal podium stands tall, almost domineering,  in the center. Prince Carter and Princess Anastasia stand next to it, along with Princess Alice and Princess Lilah. Lilah is 15 and Alice is 14, which is within the age range. They will be competing. Princess Anastasia stepped up to the podium, her voice is loud but sweet.

"My name is Anastasia Martins, and I am here to commemorate my mother in the Crown Games that will take place starting in five days. We have given every family a rupee, so that you may see the games for yourself, along with a big screen here in the town square. I am disappointed to announce that only Lilah will be competing for Baez-"

Alice rushes up to the microphone, pushing Anastasia out of the way. "I-I will partake in the games."

Her father grins from his seat, and I can see the belt marks on her back.

Alice rushes back into her seat, and Anastasia takes her place at the microphone again. "Okay, then. Alice Martins and Lilah Martins will be performing in the Crown's Game."

Gasps flood the crowd. I smirk. Siblings in the Crown's Game? Not good. They would most likely form an alliance and then turn on each other. Sure, it might make for a good show, but it's truly sad. In the end. I kinda feel bad for the competitors. I know for a fact that Lilah was trained in combat, but Alice? She couldn't hurt a fly.

"Now," Anastasia glances at Prince Carter before carrying on, "parents of girls from the ages of 14 through 19 please turn in the headshot photos of your children."

I hear my parents shuffle over to the turn-in desk, placing the slick photo of me onto the desk.

Anastasia taps the microphone, and a screech blares through the speakers. I shrink back again into Liam's arms.