Avery's pov
The sun was bright, with cool air moving the leaves of the tall trees beautifully arranged. The forest during summer was a sight to die for, and it was just the perfect time to swim in the river. The birds were whispering to themselves, and the squirrels haggled over one small nut, silly creatures.
I couldn't swim, not because I didn't know how to swim but because I couldn't afford to be seen.
"Just imagine..."
I shuddered at the thoughts my brain brought up. Taking my feet out of the water, I decided to head back to the temple before someone would come looking for me.
"Avery!"
"gods! Why does she always come when I'm about to leave?"
"Avery! I know you can hear me! gods! Avery, you'll be the death of me!"
I recognised the voice. It was Lumina's. Hiding behind a tree as she approached me, I tried to run away, and I honestly thought I was successful until I saw Mira right in front of me.
"I found her! I've found the running girl!"
"Shh!!" I begged, using my index finger to signal to her. She raised her eyebrows, trying to understand what I said.
I clasped my hands , rubbing them together so she wouldn't speak, and it looked like she finally understood me.
"You don't want me to speak?" She motioned with her hands, and I responded by nodding vigorously.
She gave a small nod with a smile, and I sighed in relief. Now, I could run away without Lumina ever finding out.
"I was mistaken! It's not Avery. She's not here!" She yelled and then turned to me with a smile.
My left eye twitched, and I instinctively looked back.I shouldn't have.
Lumina was there, staring daggers.
"The truth is, I..I was about to leave and..."
"Save it." She ordered, and immediately, my lips were sealed shut.
"She found out." Mira whispered behind me. Her voice was shaky and sounded regretful. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I'm the reason Lumina's angry with you."
I groaned. Of course, she wasn't the reason, but there was no way she knew that. Mira had always been like that. Ever since she lost her older brother to a bandit attack and her twin sister, Kantida, lost the ability to move, she had believed that everything was her fault. She couldn't even hear people speak anymore due to trauma. The only thing she could hear was the way her sister screamed as her legs were broken. All this happened to her at age seven. She was too young.
"It's not your fault. " I said to her with hand signs. Her eyes widened, and she sighed in relief.
"You!" Lumina yelled.
"I'm not trying to run away or anything, I promise." I quickly got down on my knees and started pleading. "Oh, great Lumina! Blessed and favoured specially by the gods. Help a sister out!"
I flinched at my words, but there was nothing I could do about it. I had only just figured I wasn't like other girls or rather I wasn't a girl at all two years ago when our parents no longer needed to take care of us, and we could bathe together as girls.
"And what makes you think that, young lady? All the other girls are always getting yelled on because you run away from literally everything, and then we have to do your chores. It's not nice at all."
'What can I do?" I questioned myself. At just age twelve, Lumina already acted like an adult, unlike the rest of the other girls, myself included, so I knew my childish gimmicks wouldn't work.
"I won't do it again, I promise."
She looked me dead in the eye, raising her left brow in complete disbelief.
"This won't be the first time you're saying that, Avery."
A nervous chuckle escaped from my lips. Of course, I was lying. I would still like to go out again. The forest, the animals, always called out to me.
Rolling her eyes with a groan, she dismissed any words I could have said to counter her.
"Let's just go. The priests are waiting for us. They have something important to tell us. "
She left before me, giving me time to sigh. At least, I knew she wasn't going to tell on me.
"Wait up! Let's walk together!"
"It's not my fault you're a shorty with short legs." She yelled, laughing to herself.
"Iconic, use my height against me."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You all were chosen at birth. Ever since you were weaned, you have lived in the temple. Initially, your parents were with you, but after you all turned ten, they left you alone in the temple, only visiting you once a month."
Priestess Freidka walked around in slow strides as she approached the twelve girls, all sitting quietly on stone carved chairs in the temple hall
"You may have noticed that whenever you go out of the temple, you are given prefential treatment. Has it ever come to your reasoning that there could be a reason for it? I would like one of you to answer honestly."
Jade raised her hand and was given the opportunity to speak.
"Actually, priestess, I always wonder why people are always friendly with me whenever I visit my family at home, even though I do not know them."
"Twelve years ago today, you all were chosen to carry out the will of the goddess, which assures the continuity of our blessings."
Eltharia raised her hands."What exactly are we doing?"
Freidka smiled. "At least some of you are paying attention, unlike some girls." She praised and chastised, turning towards Jade and Yyvette, who were giggling at each other. One sharp look from her was enough to silence them.
"The question Eltharia asked is the reason you all are gathered here today."
Priest Varena soon joined us, and some of the girls swooned as they watched him approach. Although he was thirty, according to the information Scarlett gathered, he was handsome to our young selves.
"The reason you were chosen by the goddess.." he began in a deep baritone voice, and we all sighed, " The reason is because one of you will be wedded to a king."
"What!" The girls chorused.
"Although we don't run a monarchical system here, you must have heard of kings before."
"They're humans chosen by the gods to rule a particular land. They're like mini gods." Jade answered, battling her eyes because she answered. She probably felt proud of her obvious answer.
The riverine clan didn't run a monarchical system of government. Instead, we ran a theocratic system, and the Riverine clan, unlike a lot of places, if not the whole world, was matriarchal in nature, with the women being the head of everything."
"When you turn eighteen, a ritual will be conducted which will decide which one of you will be wedded to the king. So, from now on, you all shall begin training as a proper queen, and no one, I repeat, no one is permitted to run away." Freidka warned, looking directly at me, but I wasn't paying attention to her as one thing kept repeating in my mind.
'I might get married to a man like me?'