The car ride is long, and no one will tell me anything. I am wearing a white dress. I am shaking as I realize that I am not ready. That Everett is probably a slime ball. That I am forever tied to him, That I probably will never see my family again. And that he will most likely fertilize me tonight. So I hold my breath again. 660Please respect copyright.PENANAEQAJiw5gWp
A maid takes me up from the car up the driveway to the front of a beautiful Victorian style mansion, the likes of which I have never seen on person. It is beautiful, with a manicured lawn and shrubbery.
Another maid opens the door and sends me to a sitting room, and I settle into a plush gilded couch, waiting. And then he walks in, and my breath is taken away for a minute because he is the same age as me, and he is strikingly handsome. 660Please respect copyright.PENANA3XrZeYJksx
I guess I was expecting a stout old fuddy duddy with money, not...this.
He is tall, both in height and presence, with angular features, tousled hair like sand and warm and steady eyes greener than mine are violet.
I stand up when I see him, smoothing down my dress with my clammy hands. I haven’t really seen a man, I mean, not really, so I can’t stop looking at him and realizing we are to spend the rest of our lives together.
His eyes search my face with an unreadable expression. After a few seconds, a ghost of an inquisitive smile graces his face, and I blush, realizing I’m staring at him. Fledglings aren’t supposed to stare.
“Hello. I hope your ride here was well.” He says. His voice his loud and commanding, and behind it I can hear years and years of preparatory and finishing school, as well as dozens of stuffy dinner parties.
“Yes. It was well.” I say, trying to match his volume and stature. His eyebrows shoot up for a second, and I wonder why he is surprised.
“Well. Great.” He falters. We both clear our throats at the same time, his out of awkwardness and mine out of frustration. Just as I thought. I am to be owned by a stuffy rich kid who has never had to work a day in his life. At least real estate brokers and financial salesman have to work for their wealth.
"My name is Everett, as you know. And you are Gen, is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“Shall I show you around?” He says. I nod, and gestures at a maid who is lurking in the corner of the room. “This is my lovely Prize, as you know, called Gen. Can you show it around?”
There. There. He just called me it. And I shouldn’t be surprised. I mean, that’s what I am. That’s what everyone calls Fledglings. But hearing this from my Prize Winner is different. It’s a violation.
“Excuse me?” I find myself saying. Everett looks at me, slightly surprised. “Did you just call me it?”
“Um. Well, yes, of course. It is only a pronoun-”
“Yeah, well, it’s more than that to me. Never call me it again.” I spit. The maid gasps in surprise. Everett stares at me for so long that I want to run, but I stand my ground. Then he chuckles.
“You are an odd creature, aren’t you? “
ns 15.158.61.48da2