Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 64357 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64357 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
The interior of the building looks a little like the inside of a filing cabinet, if the filing cabinet had nothing inside it. There are a great many officious-looking workers, all wearing the brown and beige of their status. Men and women alike work here, all of them unmatched to any romantic partner, but called to serve a greater purpose.
I walk between the two officers who continue to handle me with what I can only describe as respectful disdain. They respect the fact that I have been chosen by the Artifice, but they do not respect me. I am a pawn being moved across the board, no more and no less.
Maraline would have hated this treatment. She thought that they would bow and scrape and praise her. She should have known better, and so should I. Angeland’s officers are known for their stiff demeanors and solemn exteriors.
“M Seraphine,” they say, as they take me to another officer waiting at one of the internal doors. I am shocked, and unable to take in much of the fine detail of the place.
“Where is this one going?”
“To The State.”
A brow is raised at me. “This one? To The State?”
The State is what remains of what used to be the most powerful country on the planet. Back in the days of human governance, it was a collective of unified states. Nowadays, it is a single state, under the Artifice.
The State retains some of its history and many cultures. It is regarded as being at the forefront of entertainment and commerce. The Darken family is one of the highest ranked families in the nation.
It is just beginning to sink in that I am going to be joining that family. My name will no longer be Seraphine, but Darken.
Mila Darken.
It sounds like the name of a villainess. Maraline Darken sounded better, I think.
My sister was supposed to be here. This has to be a mistake. The Artifice must have made one.
I feel uncomfortable for having had that thought. I try to have others to cover it. They say that the Artifice cannot actually read minds, but there are plenty who believe that it can. It is one of the many Artifice-related topics that goes around and around at dinner parties and such.
I try to think more positive thoughts about the Artifice, and what is happening.
I am being honored, after all. I have been chosen to be the lifelong mate of a very important man. That means the Artifice must see something in me that I don’t see in myself as yet. Yes, that’s it. This will make sense once I get to him. I don’t need to be afraid. The Artifice would never do anything to harm me.
“Do I need to sign anything?” I blurt the question in the effort to appear like I am cooperating.
“Sign anything?” A female officer looks down her nose at me. “Whatever do you mean?”
“For the wedding or the… you know, marriage.”
“The paperwork was generated when the Artifice made the match. You have been married since you were notified.”
“But my sister made a dress…”
“Yes, it’s common for newly paired couples to hold a wedding. It is a good opportunity to maintain social connections. The Artifice approves of it. It’s merely ceremony, however. The legalities are long in place.” She looks at me again with that expression of disdain. “Have you been taught nothing?”
“I don’t think anybody expected me to be selected.”
Her gaze runs up and down me, and she gives a swift that makes sense sort of nod. “Come with me,” she says. “You need to be inspected before you go.”
“Inspected, for what?”
“For purity, and other relevant traits.”
I am confused, but I don’t want to show it. I am already incredibly scared and self-conscious, and I know that I am supposed to have some understanding of what is happening.
I am led through more doors, handed off to more people. At each step, some facet of my being is inspected. I am asked questions, very personal questions. Finally, I arrive in a sterile white room that contains a bed with stirrups at the end of it, and a male nurse wearing a white uniform. He greets me with a curt nod, and proceeds to ask me the most impertinent question yet.
“Have you had mating relations with anybody?”
He has a State accent. He must be from the Darken side of the pond. I feel a little spark of excitement, wondering if he perhaps knows my husband. Just as quickly, I dismiss the idea. He is clearly in the business of medical service, and I am sure the Archon-General keeps more elite company.
“Mating relations?” I let out a little laugh. “Of course not.”
I hope not, anyway. I don’t dare tell him I don’t really understand the question. I’m not entirely sure what mating relations entail. We don’t talk about those things in our family. It is unseemly, my mother says. Something we only need to know before we are married. Unfortunately, this means she has told Maraline, and not me.