A Crown's Game|✔︎UNDER MAJOR EDITING

-Chapter Twenty Eight-

Cold. It's cold. I wrap my arms around myself, and I come in contact with the tacky, rubbery coat that I wore in the arena. As I look down, I'm wearing the exact outfit. Fear pumps through me, so I reach for my belt, hoping that my knives are there.

Nope. Nothing. I'm unarmed in an arena full of killers.

I take large steps, but every time my foot reaches the ground, there's a loud crack of branches. I cringe every single time.

Suddenly, a terrible pain shoots up my spine. I try to scream, but no noise escapes my lips. I fall forward, but a force pushes me onto my back, sending the item, which I'm guessing is a knife, deeper into my back.

It's so painful, it's so painful! Just kill me! I want to die, please! Stop the pain!

I can't see who's ontop of me, everythings fading out. But pain only grows throughout my body. I'm trying to throw the off of me, but I get weaker and weaker as a bright white light comes to my vision.

I gasp, sitting straight up. I'm okay. I'm okay, although there is still the lingering pain in my back. All I want to do is scream, but I can't do that. Not here, not now.

So, I do what I always do. I go to the balcony for a breath of air. It's the only thing thats not different from home. Oh, how I wish I was there right now. I wish I was with Dandy, spending time in the forest collecting food for our families. Just like selection day, where we did what we wanted to, happily. And I know that it'll never ever be the same.
***

I do my own hair today, simply brushing it out and tying two strands back, letting the rest flow down my back. Lise lets me choose a dress as well, a green one with a lace collar and lavender hues. Then, she curtsies and leaves the room.

As I walk to the door, I realize that Lise has left a drawing for me. I rush to the table to pick up the large paper. On it, a dress is sketched out, certain parts colored gold or white. But the dress? It's stunning. Thin long sleeves, the shoulders have lace dripping off. The bodice is lined with gold in the seams, a blinding white. The skirt itself is long, small sparkles everywhere. It's my wedding dress. And now I realize that Lise has written a note in the corner.

Show this to Kato. I think he'll like it.- LW

I snatch the paper and run out of my quarters, down the hallway to the room where my fiance is. I don't even care to knock, I just run in. "Kato!? Where are you?"

"Aspen? Is that you?" Kato's voice rings out, and he comes into vision. His eyes are peeled to the piece of paper. "What's that?"

"Lise made this." I hand him the paper.

"Is this," his fingers hover over the paper ever so slightly, "your wedding dress?"

I nod quickly before hugging him. "Do you like it?" I whisper.

"No." He shakes his head.

What? "You don't-"

"No, Aspen. I love it." He laughs, lifting me into the air, spinning. "You'll look so amazing in a gown like that." Kato plants a kiss on my forehead. "Make sure Lise starts commissioning it immediately!"

"Alright!" I'm laughing as he lowers me to the ground.

"What's your plan for today, my love?"

"Oh," I rub my nose. "I have multiple girls coming in for my ladies in waiting. I have to choose 5, I think."

"I can bring you downstairs, if you want." Kato offers his hand out, but I shake my head.

"I can manage. I'm guessing you have legal things to sort out?"

He nods. "I'm heading back to Serenade in a few days, but I'll be back in time for the coronation."

"Of course you will." I kiss him one last time before I exit his room.

I'm not entirely excited to have ladies in waiting, considering that they would have to be my friends. I'm not ready to make new friends. Go figure.

So, I tread quickly down the stairs, where I can already see a line of fabulous young girls lined up, all dressed in their finest clothes. They all cursty to me, and then turn to one another to whisper when I pass. My stomach turns as multiple pairs of eyes look at me, up and down.

With that, I rush into the throne room, where everyone turns to me. A man, quite tall with ruffled blonde hair is waiting for me. He reaches for my hand and kisses it. Okay then, that's how we're doing this. "And you are?"

"Lord Russel, Prime Minister, Your Majesty. Pleased to serve you." He points to the chair behind him, which is my throne. The Queen's throne.

I take a seat, and the girls start to file in in clumps of 5 or 6, still whispering. There's a large lump in my throat now, refusing to move. I'm nervous. So nervous.

Suddenly, a girl shuffles up to me. Her eyes are green, and her hair tones in a fresh blonde. Her fabulous dress is coated in small flowers on a cream fabric. She curtsys and smiles.

"Emma Belcourt, Your Majesty." She says, voice so beautiful like a bird singing in spring. Something about her makes me want to be her friend. Once she turns around, I whisper to the Prime Minister.

"I shall consider her."

He nods and the next lady comes up to greet me. This time, she has brown eyes and short brown hair, bangs flowing over her forehead. Her gown is a Christmas red, with yellow accents of lace. "Isabel Grunfeld, Your Majesty."

And so the rest come, some more quiet, some with too much confidence. It reminds me of the interviews with Julius, how some of us played different angles. But we all shared one thing, even Halo, even Hanna, even Laura, even Maya, even Piper. We all wanted to go home. No here, no. Not to the palace but home. We all shared some sort of pain in our voices, some hid it better than others, I must say, but no matter how vicious we were, how kind we were, how reckless we were, we all had something so visible in our voices. Something everyone could hear no matter how far they were. I didn't think about it until now but, It was hope.

And that flame of hope still burns brightly inside of me.