Saturday, January 21, 2017

Prologue: the princess that are sold

Prologue

    Sisca woke up. She felt like she has been tossed through a washing machine and hanged out to dry in order to go through the purification process. She realised she was soaked wet from head to toe, her sheets were humid. It was stuffy because of the dusty air that clogged the whole place. She recalled back her dreams and couldn't remember. It was a good dream, but the outcome was terrible. Was it a dream about her getting pierced in the ear to mark her as a princess or was it a dream someone said she wasn't pure enough to be a princess? Yes, she was completely nervous for the purification process later on that afternoon. She wished she never grow up, still stay as a child in her cosy home and getting fed by her parents. 

    Sisca shook her head and sat up. Immediately a buzzer rang and Tish came in with a tray of toothbrush, an empty bowl for her to spit after she brushed and a cup of water.

    "Are you fully up, m'lady?" she asked, her eyes never met Sisca as a sign of respect.
    "Obviously, yes." Sisca replied impatiently. This was the question that had been asked every morning. She sometimes wish she can lay in bed and think about her future without getting up. Where is her privacy after all.
     "Master had brought a new set of High clothes for m'lady to wear. It's right at your closet properly ironed." Tish continues, feeling proud of what she had done.
    Sisca sighed, "Why do you have to be so polite, Tish. It's going to be my last day here , who knows i will never see you again."
     Tish looked like she was in shock for hearing those words. She immediately bowed even lower than before, "Oh no , M'lady! Never say such words! It's my pleasure to work with the High ever since i got here. They pay me well, they never mistreated me. I am honoured to be serving you , m'lady. I will miss you but it is your future after all."
    Sisca look at Tish, a young girl who is barely Sisca's age. A young scruffy looking curly hair, brown-eyed girl that tied her hair neatly into a bun, wearing grey suits as a symbol of Low. Sisca felt sorry for the girl, who will never get through purification process because she came from the Low, a class system that are fighting to survive through poverty. A class system where they will have to work for the High in order to get food, to get money and to live on.
    "What will happen to you after i'm gone?" Sisca asked , trying to lock eye contact with Tish.
     "I will work in the kitchen, m'lady. Master says the kitchen helper needs some help, i be glad to be transferred there. " Tish reply, sounding relieved that she will not be resold again or maybe be abolish back to her poor home.
     Sisca was happy too, because she heard of some cases, young girls that are abolish are sold to the brothels. She can never imagine her life in a brothel where old man came looking for only one thing in his mind.
     Sisca went to see her High clothes. It was a tradition to wear light colours to symbolise pure. She look at the pastel blue dress, a long tail hanging behind in a majestic shape She tries it on. It was tight at first. Sisca remembered she ate a big dinner last night because her father reminded her that it may be the last meal she may had with them . It was sad but yet exciting because she would be an adult.
    She looked in the mirror. She never felt so beautiful  in her own life even though it was a morning look and she haven't clean up her face and hair. The dress beautifully accentuate her body, making her look at her womanhood figure. "I'm 21." She whisper to herself, feeling pleased.

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The hall was filled with High governors and important people. There was also a group of young High teenagers that are with Sisca, ready to be pure too. She spots her father among the High governors. Her father was the highest among the governors, earning himself a title "Lord Rodin" who constantly have to be an advisor to the king. She had yet to see the king for the whole 21 years but rumours had it that he will appear once in a year to witness the purification process.

"I'm nervous as hell." Lyken , a fair baby face guy from Sisca's school said next to her. "My mum told me that whoever your parent is, you'll take after their job."

Sisca can't remember what was her mother's job. She had never knew her mother ever since she was born. They told her she died trying to give birth to her, which saddens her even grimly. She can't imagine taking up her father's job either, because no woman is able to hold such important position in the governing line.

"So what does your parents do?" Sisca asked Lyken whom she had never paid any attention to in school until now.

"Both my parents are in the military. If they ever put me in that field, i do hope they let me fly a jet." Lyken said it but not really confident on what he says so. For one thing, Lyken is not fit, he looks like a bean sprout. A ton of bricks would break his bone if he happen to be hit by one.

Their attention shifted when a holographic images of one bald aged man with the whitest suit Sisca ever seen appears in the middle of the podium. He claps once and the governors claps once. He claps twice and they clap twice following his every claps. Until the fifth clap, he stopped and turn to look at the young adults. Sisca looked in awe at this bald man who seem like a god to her even from far. So this is King Golden.

"Welcome my dear sons and daughters. " He look genuinely happy. "As you can see, this year i am even more excited to be here in your purification process. We all know that purification marks the adulthood of your life. Through purifying our body, we would be able to make adult decisions, to create our future in what we are given and to make this world a better place. "

"In this list i had names. Names that would be our future one day. Names that would bring us to a greater community, a bigger hope that our community stay safe from the outside. I must hope that all of you would cooperate in the future we assigned you to according to what we get from your elders."

"i must also say i am proud that my son is also joining you as one of a pure. " The whole crowd ambushed by the statement done by the King. Neither of them knew that the prince is here among them. They didn't even know he is 21 to begin with.

Sisca and Lyken look around but everyone seem to be looking at each other to see if they are sitting beside a prince.

"I must say i do let out a big surprise to you all, but his identity will be disclosed as we do not compromised biases among our High. On each of your seat is an arm machine. Strap both your arm on it and it will activate your seats." King Golden continue. Soon after there were 35 people being thrown behind in a lying down position and their legs are strapped on. The straps shocked them and some begin to fight with it because of their fears of what will happen. It was forbidden to leak out how purification process are done to the youngsters until now.

Sisca remained calm. She trusted her father, he of all people will not let her get hurt. Furthermore, this process had been done every year, nobody dies from it- yet.

"Are they going to cut us open?" Lyken sniggers from the side as he tries to free his left leg.

"Stop moving, you're just going to make me panic." Sisca begs. She have to admit she felt pretty tense looking at other youngsters trying to break free.

"Relax my sons and daughters. Once it is done, your body will be fit to help you in your given future." King Golden bowed down, the governors follows. Under his breath, he chanted a little prayer. "May you be blessed." He pressed a button and there were beams surrounding each youngsters showing them visuals they are too afraid to look at.

Sisca squinted among the rays. She saw what she need to see. She was curvier, fuller hips, her backbone was straight, her hair is long and lustrous. She was wearing a full gown with cleavage she didn't know she can form. Beside was a data, and she was shock to see what it wrote. "Maiden of the Palace"

She heard that name before. Queen Hallow was a maiden once until the King decides to wed her. The rest of the Maiden were abolished according to the rumours. Some were kept as maids instead in the palace or some become cooks .assistance to the next coming maidens or coaches for the next coming maidens. Queen Hallow disappeared one night and people said she died while delivering King Golden. Some says she was caught cheating with a governor and both were hanged. It was scary to think of all future she was assigned as this. She broke out in sweats just to realise the beams of light is doing something to her she can't avoid. The lights started to beam at her chest , her hips, her lips, her skin. They were slowly growing, changing, shifting, she felt pain she cannot describe.

After what feels like ten minutes, slowly the straps break free. The beams vanished and she was free but looking and feeling not herself. She needs air, Sisca was hyperventilating. It felt like a dream but it wasn't. She searched for her father, but her father was not looking at her. He was looking down with a frowned, a worried look, a look where for the first time Sisca knew she will be unsafe from now on.

Lyken scares her. He was obviously happy but she could not recognised him. He had obviously grown two inches taller, a broader shoulder, a fitter body, a good looking crew cut and a smirk on his face . "This thing is so predictable, I'm going to be in the military! I'm going to be a commander! Can you imagine that, Sisca? Look at my abs, my biceps, my muscle !" He shows Sisca what is underneath his shirt. She tries to be happy for him but she couldn't. It shows in her face.

"Oh no, what you got?" Lyken reads her expression. He then realized as he found his gaze to her chest, he realise it is not good news.

"Maiden of the Palace." Sisca breathes as she spat the words out. Even the name despise her.
"That's not too bad right? You get top class services because you get to be in the palace!" Lyken tries to cheer her up.

"Have you ever heard of ten maiden of the palace and only one gets to wed the king and the rest are either being the Middle and the worst are being abolished?" Sisca pointed that out.

Lyken knew it will be a tough cookie. He heard of stories, and yes he also knew what happen to Queen Hallow. He knew too that King Golden was angry he didn't have a mother, he went to make crazy rules about those maiden of the palace for the next generation. As King Golden weds Queen Wynona, she was pregnant.

"Well, at least you know the king you are going to marry is someone our age." Lyken added some positive vibes, but it came out wrong. Who will want to marry someone she didn't even know.

Sisca was dumbfounded. She looked around, some groups are hugging, cheering that they are proud of what they got and their new found body too. A few were shock like her too. She was caught until she felt a hand grasp her shoulder. She turned in a gasp.

"Sisca, " Her father was there standing looking a little worried but there was a smile on his face. Maybe a comforting smile. "This job is great, you don't need to aim higher, you can be the teachers in the palace, or maybe you can be their entertainer. You love to dance right?"

"oh dad" Sisca says and hugged her father. She was pleased he came over from across the podium to comfort her. She thought she will be an advisor just like her father, but it wasn't as she expects.

"Now now, " King Golden clapped his hand and everyone silence. "I believe everyone is pleased with their given future. As i am too happy that my child is getting his future as well, but because of being an unbiased king to everyone, he is placed under what i think best for him"

Everyone held their breath.
"He would be placed in the military as well."
Everyone gasped. No one in the history would place the heir of the throne in such dangerous department. They know well the raids are dangerous enough and the population of the military keeps decreasing because of casualties.

"I highly think that with military training and leadership he would be able to rise as a better king to protect our world from the rebels. We strongly need our future to be held tight by someone who can lead through war and to experience it himself." King Golden seem pleased at his decision, "Therefore the community of the palace, especially the maidens will be shifted to the military campus as to assist the prince. "

"But My Mighty, " Lord Rodin protested, "It'll be a dangerous ground for girls and what more the prince's life will be at risk."

"Lord Rodin, my advisor of the high , this is a decision i made after thinking it for countless time over the month. I wanted something safe as we can see our barricade are jeopardise more than five times last year, if we do not have one leader who have the authorities and also to lead, we will not save the barricade next time."

"My Mighty, i will promised to have a great strategy coming up to prevent those from happening again. I had asked for advanced skills and talents to come over to strengthen our barricades and added more traps in order our community to be safed from outside." The Commander, Lord Tunrip argues.

"Not enough my commander of the high. I had sense there will be great war next time as our sources are getting high at stake in demand, we need a better leader. I believe my son will do well, as i know you do know too."

Lyken lowers his head in embarrassed as his father fights for his right. Sisca looks at him in a sense of pity. She looks around, there was a group of boys in green, Green for military. She wanted to spot who is the prince. There was one rustic figure and a face of royal among them. Maybe he is the one.
There was also a bunch of girls in pink, for maidens. They were all pretty with hairs so long they swept at their backs. Sisca never knew she will be one of them, the pretty one.

"Now i want everyone to group into their own futures." King Golden command. Everyone obeyed looking for those who wore the same colour outfit as theirs. "I want each one of you to know one another well within your future. We are all family, i want nothing but peace and harmony between each future as well because we all have one purpose in our community, that is to be safe."

Everyone nodded. They all knew their community was to be safe, but somewhat Sisca knew the Low community purpose was to survive, and to survive, they will harm those that are keeping them lock out from their survival.

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