The Chosen One

“The Gods smile onto you, your highness.” Petitioner practically cooed to my sister. I fumed inside but maintained my outer expression, a charming smile. Jasnah, my twin and the mortal enemy accepted the praise with a gracious nod and heralds presented next person in the court. 

It was always like this. She was the future of the family and the kingdom, the chosen one, prophesized to bring a new dawn while I was an afterthought. But I knew it to be untrue. I knew the truth behind the façade of her charming personality. I knew the mistake prophets made. We were exactly alike in appearances. It wasn’t hard to get confused especially if you are seeing us for first time. It was me they should have chosen because I am not a double faced maniac like my sister.

I glanced towards the court and my eyes found my betrothed, Jared, among them, eying Jasnah with thinly veiled admiration. Damn her! I couldn’t even tell anyone what she has done. She always gets what she wants. She is the chosen of Gods after all. But not this time! This time I had a plan to teach her a lesson. I palmed the locket given to me by someone much more powerful than Jasnah, someone as old as the time itself. Tonight, I will change the course this kingdom is going to take.

“Avery” Jasnah’s soft voice broke my reverie and I turned towards her to realize that last petitioner was gone. She motioned me towards her as if I was a mere dog to follow her every command. I swallowed my pride and walked the short distance towards her. Soon enough, you will learn that I am not yours to command. “Father has summoned us. Let us hurry.”

“Are you angry with me, Avery?” She asked softly on the way to royal study. I just shrugged after making her wait for a while. She sighed and whispered. “I didn’t mean to do it. But I need to be loved too.” We reached our destination before I could ask what she meant by that. She is the most loved person in the entire kingdom. Everyone loves her, even Jared.

“We have a problem, Jasnah” Father said as soon as we closed the door. King Marcus Zedris of Zedri Empire glanced towards me, frowned and then totally ignored me as usual. So the summon was for the heir only. She brought me here just to humiliate me. I was half tempted to just turn and strode out of the room but it will also give her chance to paint me as a spoiled brat that I was not. So I stood there firmly. 

“Readers detected a terrible presence in the Palace. Something evil is happening or is about to happen.” Readers were the first line of empire’s defense against evil sorcerers just as soldiers were against neighbor armies. I knew what they detected. I ran a hand along my trouser’s pocket where I had put the locket. The news disturbed me. I was sure that they wouldn’t be able to pinpoint it at least not before I used it. But my rising anxiety didn’t care for that fact. I forcefully calmed myself down and listened to their plan of action. 

We were excused after a couple of hours and I nearly sprinted to my room. I pulled the locket out of my pocket and started the ritual witch told me about. I drew a pentagon with specific patterns just as she described and placed the locket in the center along with a strand of blonde hair I secretly stole from Jasnah’s brush. I was about to offer my blood to pentagon but my door flew open. 

I was beyond terrified. This was my end. Now no-one will ever believe me about Jasnah and her evilness. My terror gave way to anger when I caught sight of my assailant. Jasnah, I forgot that she is a reader. She closed the door quickly and gave me a look of utter shock. “Don’t do it, Avery. Sorcery is not the right way to gain anything. Tell me, what is it that you want, I will give it to you.”

I huffed at her condescending tone. “You will give me? I am not one of your loyal subjects who perform for the scrapes of your graciousness. I want you destroyed. I want what is rightfully mine. I want everything that you stole from me and everything you were ever given to be mine.” I could see she was horrified at the venom in my voice.

“Why do you hate me so much?” She said in an anguished voice. “What have I ever done to you to deserve such contempt?” I ignored her and cut my hand with a dagger. After dropping few drops of blood on two items placed in center I began chanting. Jasnah covered her ears with a look of absolute horror on her face. 

“You know sorcerers can never be trusted. Whoever gave you that spell isn’t your well wisher. Stop it Avery.” She shrieked.

I continued to ignore her. “Avery, I will give you my place. You will be the heir. You will have my magic, Jared too. Just stop it. I promise it on my honor, on my magic.”

This declaration stopped me. I looked at her searchingly. She was right about not trusting sorcerers but I did not have any other choice. “Will you bind this oath with magic?” I asked her finally.

She nodded and I rose from the pentagon. She took my hand and bound it with hers with a scarf. When she spoke her voice was strange, not like Jasnah at all. 

“My blood to yours! My magic to yours! My destiny to yours! Let us bind and be separated as changed and whole.” A white light enveloped us and I saw the locket flashing with it. Only then I realized that we were standing on opposite sides of pentagon while our joined hands hovered over the center. When the light subsided I looked down to find that there was no sign on the ground. It was as if I never draw anything there. 

A knock came at the door at exact that moment. Jasnah opened the door and a group of readers entered. They bowed to me first. That was odd. “Your highness, we detected the evil presence in this room but now we find it clean. It seems you handled whatever it was.” It was directed towards me not Jasnah. It worked then! I spared a quick glance towards Jasnah who was standing there smiling softly. 

“Yes, someone planted an evil artifact here. I purified it.” I answered appearing confident while I was feeling nothing like that. When the readers nodded and took their leave I beamed with happiness.

“You did it!” I asked Jasnah who was beaming just as happily. Seeing her like this planted some doubts in my head. 

“Why are you so damn cheerful?” I ventured. She laughed hysterically.

“Oh, Avery you’re an idiot.”

“What? You’ve lost your mind. Now I’m the heir to the kingdom. People will love me instead of you. I will be the chosen one.” She laughed again.

“Yeah, You’re now chosen one. But don’t you want to hear the full prophecy?” A feeling of dread settled in my stomach at the mocking tone in her voice. 

“On the day when sky falls and earth swells, Zedri will be saved by chosen one of two!” Everyone in the kingdom knew that. Now I was the savior of the land instead of my vile sister. What was she getting at?

“With the last breath of the savior, whole kingdom will be born anew.”

Last breath of savior? Gods. I will die?

“Welcome to the world of heroism! Celebrate your ascension to the throne. I have a celebration of my own to attend. Celebration of freedom. ” 

She walked away whistling a happy tune as I sank to my knees, defeated. She stopped at the edge of the room and looked back at me to deliver the parting shot.

“And listen, dear sister, one last bit of advice. Sorcerers are never to be trusted especially if they are being paid by your treacherous sister.”