A Crown's Game|✔︎UNDER MAJOR EDITING

-Chapter Ten-

"Aspen! Wake up, it's time to wake up." Lise shakes me awake, and I turn over to my side, looking at the clock. It's only 6:30! Do really have to wake up that early for the death ceremony?

I slowly stand up, shocking myself by touching the cold, wooden ground. I rub my eyes. Today is the day. The day of death.

Lise holds out my robe, like she always does. Even though I know it will be the last time. She leads me to the vanity, as she unbraids my hair I notice the little things, the soft gold accents all around the room, the sweet smell of flowers, even though there never there. She tucks my hair into the soft crown, the sharp pins digging into my scalp.

She adds the tiniest of makeup onto my face, and she hands me a pouch.

"This is the essential pouch. Everything you need is in here,

A toothbrush, toothpaste, lip balm, and tissues. Use it wisely, none of these will be provided in the arena."
I embrace her in a hug. I will miss her so much. "Thank you for everything," I whisper.

She pulls away. "Here's your outfit." She points to the corner, where camouflage pants lay, including a black adjustable shirt, and a heat-reflecting black jacket. It's similar to the training uniforms.

After I get dressed, I hug Lise one more time. "Again, thank you."

"Goodluck, Aspen Woods." She whispers.

We hear the doors open, Anastasia stands there. "Is she ready to go?"

Lise steps back, and swallows. "Yes." She turns back to me quickly. "You have a chance. Remember that." And she leaves the room.

I run into Anastasia's arms, almost in tears. I can see Onix behind me, and she looks like crying as well. I go up to her. "Alliance, right?" I grab her hand.

"Of course."

+++

Anastasia leads us into the hovercraft, where all of the selected are eating breakfast. After that, she tells us that we will all take our own hovercraft to the arena, where we'll be sent out by a ladder, onto the platform.

As I enter, I can see a bunch of girls in tears, one of them begging for a warden to let them go home. I turn my head to see Halo, cracking her knuckles and shaking her hands back and forth. Hanna, on the other hand, looks very frightened. Her eyes dart between me, Onix, and Halo. She shakes her head, and warms up her fists for fighting.

The servants bring breakfast in, plates of waffles and pancakes, fruits and drinks. I think I should eat a lot, so I don't get hungry immediately in the arena.

I eat many fruits, the ones that have the most nutrition in them. The ones I didn't have back in Serenade.

Serenade.

Home.

I might never see my house again, never walk in the market place again, never hunt in the woods again, never see Kato again.

Never go home again.

+++

As breakfast concludes, I still have the aching thought of Serenade. I tell Anastasia, but she tells me to lose the thought, making it less painful if I die. But the problem is that I can't, because it's my home.

"Aspen." Anastasia says. "Can we talk?"

I head towards her. "What's wrong?"
"Kill Alice. Kill her before Lilah can. That's all."

We exit the hovercraft, where Anastasia leads me to another hovercraft, a smaller one, fit for one person. Onix gives me one last hug, and a kiss on the cheek. "May the mayhem begin." She whispers.

We drift apart as a warden leads us our separate ways, onto the stairs and into the hovercraft. He belts me in and starts explaining that when we reach the arena, a ladder will drop, and my job is to climb down, place my feet on the platform, and wait.

I feel the cold, wet drop of water slide down my cheek. I quickly rub it off. Be fearless, I tell myself. Fearless. Just as fearless as my father, who's betting on me to come home. Fearless like my mother, who has been so strong. Fearless like my brother, who can't bear the thought of me not coming home.

Fearless like Kato, my fiance, who can't live without me.

I take a deep breath as the hovercraft lifts up into the air. I shake my hands fast, faster than I ever have. This is the day that all of this has added up to, this is what everyone has been training for.

I fiddle with the necklace. I had forgotten that I was wearing it.

Suddenly, I feel the hovercraft stop moving. I hear the latch open, and the sound of the ladder dropdown. No, no. No it can't be. Not this sudden.

"Fearless, Aspen. Be fearless."

The warden unbuckles me, and I stand, looking down into the arena.

"Fearless."

I grasp my hand onto the ladder, and climb my way down.