There won't be much sex in this story -- it is the background to what will be shared in various future stories.
I was born into the Glory of the Light. We all were. We are a strict religious sect with absolutely no contact with the outside world. At least I had no contact. As a female, I know my place. The men honor The Book. The women honor the men. The children obey.
My name is Marigold. I was born into a family that sat outside The Counsel. We were not special or powerful in any way. You might think this is a bad thing, but those outside The Counsel can lead relatively normal lives. You marry who your father chooses for you and raise children. You help where needed and don't make any waves. That's what my parents have been doing with my older brother, my twin sister and me for the last twenty years. We were happy.
That was until The Sorting. Once a girl reaches the age of eighteen, her future worth is assessed by the doctors and The Counsel. This includes getting a throughout physical to determine likely reproductive abilities, an interview with The Counsel and an appraisal of appearance and skills. Most girls will just be released to their homes to get married, but a small group will be chosen for a different fate.
I tried to be as average as possible during my interview. I had high hopes of marrying my brother Brave's best friend Milo. He turned the required twenty a couple of months before my eighteenth birthday. My parents were loving and supportive so I knew that this could happen... all I had to do was not get chosen.
On the day of The Sorting, my sister Dahlia and I held hands as we walked toward the great church. We knew this could be the last day that we were together if one of us was chosen. Even if we both were, it would be unusual for us to stay together.
The ceremony itself is relatively short. All eligible girls are brought up on stage in their best clothes and lined up in a single file line. This year, there were thirty of us. It was a relatively high number so the odds of being chosen were even lower. Once we were lined up, names would be called. If your name is called, you step forward. Those called were Chosen and the rest were released to their families.
I kept holding Dahlia's hand as we took our places on the stage. I knew being chosen could lead to a life of luxury and contentment -- but I felt that getting to grow old with Milo would do that all the same... with none of the risk. I bent my head down when I heard the speaker of The Counsel's voice.
"Glory of the Light" he started.
"Of the Light," the entire church murmured in reply.
"Today is the most important day in these young ladies' lives. They will learn their path. As a reminder, if you are chosen today -- you will spend the next two weeks being assessed before learning of your final placement. To be chosen is a great honor. It means that your value is recognized and appreciated within The Glory of the Light and you will forever be taken care of." He explained, "Now, without further ado. There were five girls chosen this year."
Five felt like a lot of girls. Quickly doing the math in my head, I had an almost 17% chance of being Chosen. I tried to calm myself by remembering that that meant I had an 83% chance of not being Chosen but my grip on Dahlia's hand intensified.
"Starla, Imogene, Cadence, Marigold, and Amethyst... please step forward." He finished.
I froze. The worst possible thing has just happened, and I didn't know how to compute. Dahlia, my much more obedient sister, pushed me forwards with a small whisper of congratulations. The crowd politely applauded, and I searched the group for Milo.
I saw him in the back with the other twenty-year-old single men. He looked upset but refused to make eye contact with me. I knew at the end of the two weeks; he would be betrothed to another girl and I would be receiving my life sentence -- away from him. I couldn't help the tears from falling from my eyes. As the group dispersed, I grabbed Dahlia and hugged her tightly.
"I wish we could switch," I whispered into her ear, "I know you really wanted this."
"You've always been the pretty one... and the smart one. I'm not surprised you were Chosen. I'm happy for you," Dahlia responded. She sounded disappointed but she was ever the obedient child so she would accept her place eagerly. She broke the hug and joined my parents in the audience. Over the next two weeks, while I learned about my new life -- my parents would be making marriage matches for their two remaining children. I no longer belonged to them; I was above them in the hierarchy. I belonged to The Counsel.
Cadence, Starla and I had been fast friends since we were young. I was excited to have some allies during this new experience. They were both thrilled that they have been elevated from their common status. The other two -- Imogene and Amethyst were already born to Counsel parents -- so their placement here was expected. I sensed they had a better idea what was going on than we did.
