A Crown's Game|✔︎UNDER MAJOR EDITING

-Chapter Three-

ASPEN

The train is marvelous, filled with velvet seats and rows of glazed foods. Stuff I've never really seen before.

I remember that time where Kato's late father held a party for his fellow council members, including the mayor. Since they're Twos, he ordered a bunch of fancy foods, including glazed cinnamon rolls. Kato invited me, and I had one bite of those delicious rolls, and it became my favorite food. Ever since then, I haven't had one.

Then I see them.

    I reach out for one, but Anastasia cuts me off. "Not yet, Aspen. Let me show you where you'll be staying." She leads me and Onix through the first train car and stops. "Onix, you're here." She turns to me, and Onix slips into her room. "Aspen, you're one down. If you're looking for me, I'm another two down."

    I nod and go back to the first train car. Sure, it's pretty, but after lying in my satin bed for a good 45 minutes, my boredom gets the best of me, and I end up throwing the butter knives at the wall, hitting the painting every time.
    "Aspen, you're going to have to pay for that." Anastasia walks in.

    "Okay then. If I win, I'll pay for it," I grunt. Anastasia rolls her eyes.

"Good point." She hands me a cinnamon roll and I bite down on it.

"Thanks."

    "You know, you're not bad. Maybe more training and you'll be fine, like I said earlier." She looks me square in the eyes. Then, she turns her head to the door, and then left and right.

"Remember when your father received the award? For helping the families during the famine?"

    Of course I did. I received the award as well, for mixing and grinding herbs for the sick. We had doctors from Trape come in, but they didn't do much. Even though my province is a middle-class province, Trape, who is an elite class province, thinks that we are hooligans. They sent the starving and the sick away, so they all came to us. When I received the award, my dress split in two.

    "Yes, when my dress split in two." I cough.

    "I was there, of course. After the terrible famine, I was sent there to help start the "pinter" rice." Anastasia laughs. I roll my eyes, of the thought that it was her idea for the terrible rice. "I saw you when I was walking past your house and saw you throwing."

    "Of course you did."

    "Aspen, you have a chance, a real one. More than Onix. Yes, she's a Ten, and her survival skills are great if she's lived this long. But her shortages with bite back in the arena. Before they send you into the arena, they give you a check-up, and refuel your vitamins and minerals, but not all the way. She won't have enough to last her."

    I think about it. It's true, she can't last long, but she can last 7 days. I've learned that through the famine. If she wins, she'll get a refuel, but it will never be enough.

    "Now, dinner will be ready in one hour, so why don't you take a shower and freshen up." She stands up with an exhale and nods her head. "Just think about it more. You have a chance." She whispers and leaves the room.

    I stand up to, after her into my living quarters. I can't believe it! My own train car! I've never seen one like it. I shake my head and tell myself this is all for slaughter and take her orders, taking a shower.

    A servant turns on the water for me, setting it to warm, even though I can manage it myself. But I order a vanilla shower set, which seems nice enough. It reminds me of Mom, who smells like vanilla and cedar.

    I take a long, relaxing shower, scrubbing every inch of my body with the vanilla scrub that she prepared for me. If I can't look good, then I should probably smell good. I also rub the shampoo in my hair, and it feels great. Back home, shampoos and conditioners were treats. Sometimes for Christmas Mom would get some from Kato's rich mom.

I dry off and have my maid bring me a pair of black pants and a silk gray tank-top. She pulls my hair into a tight high bun, slicking the edges with some sort of gel.

    She bows and leaves the room. "Aspen?" Onix peeks her head in the door. "Its dinner time."

    I walk out of the room next to her in silence, and she turns to me. "Are you nervous?"

    I look at her in confusion. "Nervous? About what?"

    "You know, about being in front of such a large crowd?"

    How stupid can she be? Nervous about being in front of a big crowd? How about dying a slow painful death in the arena? Being chased down by rabid dogs? What about your family, wouldn't it be hard for them to see you die?

"You're scared of that?" I snicker. "Okay..."

    She shoots me an evil eye. "Call that funny, but I am just as nervous about that as I am facing society. I'm sorry that you faced most of our village when you received the award, but I was dying in the Grey of Serenade. You forget that I am a Ten and that I don't have the privilege of being a Six. I hope you understand."

She walks into the dining room and doesn't talk to me for the rest of the evening.

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Author's Note-

Ty for reading! ONIX OR ASPEN! let us know. Read, comment and favorite!

-Ellie and Denver