The Dragon Races- Part 6

I threw another knife, a frown coming over my face as it hit the outer circle of the target painted on to the long wooden wall. I tried again, frustrated with myself. I need to learn how to do this. I can't focus on one weapon, I need to be versed with all. There might be close- range combat tomorrow in the arena, and archery doesn't work with that type of fighting. It takes to long to get the arrow flying. 

"Like this." Karila said with a smile, taking a knife off of the wooden table. She planted her feet into the ground, standing perpendicular to the wall, twisting her shoulders and throwing it.

I took the knife she handed me, copying what she had done. The feel was completely different. The movement was sharper. I felt surer of where the blade was going.

I practiced again and again, glancing over at Luke's older sister and Therin from time to time. They knew each other. I was sure of it. The emotions were too prominent for me to ignore, for they were taking up every single space in my head. They felt comfortable- safe. He did, at least. The girl was harder to read than him.

After a few minutes, a guard entered. We all stopped what we were doing, and the girl turned to face her. 

"Raya Castor." she said softly, offering a timid bow as Luke's sister turned to her. She murmured something softly, too quiet for me to hear. Raya replied, relief flickering across her face for a moment. She glanced at Therin, repeating what she had said to the guard. He nodded, offering her the slightest of smiles. 

As if on cue, two officials walked in. "You have all been requested to join the king and queen in an hour's time." One of them said, eyes sweeping around the room. "Please make your way back to the right wing. Your assistants will be awaiting your arrival." 

I knew what they meant. Emmie would be waiting for me with the pale blue dress.

I couldn't help but noticing Karila's bright smile as we walked down the elaborately decorated corridors and back up to the large, circular common space. Instantly, Emmie took me by the arm and led me back towards the room I had been assigned to, handing me the dress she had laid out on my four-poster canopy bed. 

I took it from her with a sigh, ducking into the over sized bathroom, glancing around before finally meeting my reflection's eyes. She looked confused, but intrigued. It was the same, overwhelming curiosity that I had seen in Alaric's eyes that fateful day I chose my death. 

With a sigh, I changed into the dress with a bit of struggle around my shoulders, tugging it down once it was on. I stared at myself in the mirror, reaching up and freeing my hair from it's ponytail, watching as it tumbled down my back and over my shoulders in loose waves. People- friends- back in Forane always used to tell me that I was pretty. I still don't understand why. I tied my hair bacin just as Emmie knocked on the door. 

"Done getting the dress on?" She called, voice tinged with the slightest bit of humor. 

"Yeah." I replied. 

She opened the door and picked up a brush from the white and grey marble counter, standing behind me as she ran it through my hair. I winced as it caught on knots, Emmie brushing them through until none remained. Even without curling my hair, it looked as if it had been done. She turned me to face her and I sighed, clenching my teeth as she added a light layer of blush and eyeshadow to my face. She picked up a small tube of a black liquid and twisted the cap open. 

"Close your eyes and relax your face." she instructed, and I did. I felt something cold and wet touch my eyelid, breathing out a sigh of relief as she finished the other side. I opened my eyes, trying to get used to the feeling of the powder and eyeliner painting my face like I was a blank canvas. 

The canvas was obscured in a layer of white. Underneath, there was a mural.

She handed me the heels as I took off my shoes and socks, slipping them on and following Emmie back out to the common room. She waved, offering a last smile, and I returned it, following everyone else down the staircase. Had it really been an hour? That long just to get me into this excessively fancy apparel and have makeup done? 

Just to have me- and all except one person- dead by the same time tomorrow. 

Everyone besides Therin and Everlys looked like mannequins. Emotionless figures walking, always in step with the people beside and in front of them. 

We branched off to a corridor more elaborately decorated than the others, the stark white dotted with gold decor, white vases with blood red roses lining the columned way.

I could hear voices on the other side of the large, double doors that the guards promptly opened as we approached.

I looked over at the other contestants. They looked afraid, all except for Therin and Everlys.

The doors opened to a space as large as a ballroom. The lights from the gigantic chandelier in the center were dimmed, though they weren't needed much because of the large windows that stretched from the ground to ceiling. Columns just like the ones outside were set between them, benches made of the same stone pressed against the glass. 

I didn't know what to do. There were too many people, all draped with jewels and the symbols of each major Sinistrian city dotting the room on banners and noble's cloaks. I saw Raya walk towards us, and I couldn't help but stare.

Her dress swept the floor, and was the color of a naturally pink rose. There was a slit in the side that reached above her knee, high heels the same deep black as her pixie- cut hair. Strays brushed her forehead and silver earrings, the thin metal long enough to almost touch her broad shoulders.

First, she looked at me. I know what you're doing. Trying to free the dragons...it won't work. It never will.

I refrained from shaking her by the shoulders to ask how she knew. Had Luke told her? Had she just...found out? One possibility suddenly revealed itself. There was only one other person that I knew of who she could have gotten it from. Nepthys. Had Raya known her? My best friend? And now, was she going to end me through Therin and Everlys? I was a target now. That was the only thing I knew for sure.

She extended a hand decked with jeweled rings towards Therin and he took it, unable to keep from smiling. "You're welcome." she said with a smirk, and the two were soon lost in the crowd, leaving me more confused than ever. I instantly disliked Raya. It wasn't that I was jealous that she was just so beautiful, but rather that she was hiding something, and doing so in a way that I hated. It I also didn't like the fact that Luke was her brother. It just...bothered me, for some reason. Was he plotting against me? Was everyone?

"Hi." said a voice behind me. I jumped, quickly turning around to meet a pair of golden eyes. 

I sighed, crossing my arms. "Please don't scare me like that." I said with a slight shake of my head, rolling my eyes at his smirk. Luke looked like his sister just then, with the same satisfied look that I had seen in Raya. 

"No promises." he said, and I rolled my eyes, looking around again. 

"It's so...crowded." I could tell that people's eyes were on Luke and I.

A noble talking to one of the contestants? One from Forane, at that. In Emran, there were never events like these. Not with as many people, not with as much decoration and showing off as much obvious wealth. 

"Yeah. I hate it, too." He grabbed my hand, weaving his way through the crowd of nobles. He stopped he almost collided with two young women, both looking like they were in their late teens. 

"Katya." He said in acknowledgement to the girl with bright sapphire eyes, then dipped his head as he turned to the other. "Zea." 

We tried to move past them but were stopped by the one name Katya. "What happened to just 'Kate?'" she asked with a smile, then turning to me. 

"You're Eriene." The other girl-Zea- said, twisting one of her gold rings. I nodded, and Kate's eyes lit up. 

She tucked a lock of her wavy brown hair behind her ear before staring at me with a sapphire gaze that could dare to rival Raya's. 

"Careful." Zea said, and Kate glanced at her before looking at me with a nod.

Whatever that look was faded from her eyes. She smiled at me again before hooking her arm through Zea's and walking into the crowd. 

"I don't understand." I murmured, and Luke shrugged. 

"Me neither." he said. His voice was taught with worry, but I didn't know who it was for. Me? Or Therin and Everlys? 

******************

((Hiiiii! Thank you SO much for reading!!!!! All critiques are welcome!!! I know that this prompt doesn't exactly fit the prompt. The idea that I had is that all the nobles brought something from where they're from, kind of like a royal potluck, if that makes any sense at all. Example: The food in Emran might differ slightly from another city in Forane, just because of the different resources. The places on flat land might resort more to farming and agriculture, while places near large bodies of water would have more fish and seafood. Kind of like in The Hunger Games. My original idea was that Raya had requested that the contestants join just so that she could see someone, as you might have inferred. So...yeah. That was my idea for Part 6 that loosely fit the prompt. Again, thanks for reading!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!))

((Also, shoutout to Zea Bowman and Kate Reynolds!!! They're AMAZING writers, so please check out their stories!!!))

((Another shoutout to Litlover and Jennie for also being amazing writers AND great friends.))