On the following day, horse hooves thundered along the gravel path towards our farm. I gazed up from my toil to see the village messenger deliver a scroll. When I squinted to get a closer look, I gasped.

He didn't carry just any document--the message was tied with a red ribbon. It was an official decree from the Gatál Crown.

My father wiped the sweat from his brow as he approached the messenger, took the scroll, and nodded his thanks. My mother stopped tending to the corn and raced up the road to meet them. When Papa handed her the document, she glanced at it and pointed towards me.

My heart raced, and my stomach sank as I dropped the bundle of grain in my arms. Good gods! What did the Gatál want?

If the Gatál issued a decree, it often resulted in punishment or death. Sweat beaded on my brow as I wracked my brain to think of any wrongdoing I could have committed.

Yesterday, things got a little heated between my best friend Lena and me. Our fight escalated until we almost dueled over whether she made an illegal move during a board game. Otherwise, I hadn't done anything wrong. Certainly nothing deserving of a summons.

Mama and Papa called me over to them. I tried to detect any sign of agitation or anger, but their voices seemed pleasant. Lowering my scythe, I took a deep breath and faced them.

"Yes?" I tried to sound innocent, but my voice came out as a squeak.

My parents raised their eyebrows. "Why do you look like the fox who stole the chickens, my little hawk?" Mama asked with a chuckle. She ruffled my hair and smiled.

With a sigh of relief, I relaxed. Mama would never joke if the decree meant something serious. She knew when to play and when to get down to business.

"No, I'm just surprised is all."

Then Papa broke into a grin. "You forgot, didn't you?" His laughter boomed across the field. "It's your results from the aptitude tests to determine whether you're best suited for your mother's profession or mine."

"Or the Guild," I said as a rush of adrenaline surged through me from head to toe.

My heart raced when I saw the letter that would determine my future. Even though I had very little chance of being chosen, I was dying to find out my results.

"Go ahead," Papa said with a smile as he handed over the document to me. "Open it."

Full of excitement, I took the parchment and slid off the red ribbon without untying it. Please choose me! Please choose me! With great care, I released the red wax seal with the official emblem of the Gatál monarchy.

When I saw the results, my face fell.

It didn't matter how many times my eyes scoured the page. The answer remained the same.

Name: Helena de Grazia
Status: Gatál noble
Suggested profession: to be determined

Please report to Castle Halcía at the sixteenth bell on Midweek, the 3rd of Fall to discuss your assignment.

I groaned and handed the document back to my parents. "They've put me in the wrong category. Look, they say I'm a Gatál noble!"

"What?" Papa asked in an incredulous tone.

"They want me to appear at the castle for placement."

He took one look at the document and balked. "Good gods, this can't be right!"

"What is it, dear?" Mama asked as she glanced at the document. "Oh, my word! Andreas, I'm sure it's just a mistake."

Mama shifted on her feet and pursed her lips. Papa ran a hand through his hair, his face turning bright red.

"Aurora, come with me," Papa said in a firm tone. "Helena, wash up and go to the study."

"But I have to finish--"

"No buts," he growled. "Aurora, follow me, please."

Both of my parents walked far away from me into the amber fields, which undulated in sweeping, rippling patterns. After I traipsed back towards the house, I turned around and saw my father gesticulating with wild motions, the wind swallowing up his words.

I'd never seen Papa so livid.

Perhaps seeing the words 'Gatál noble' next to my name had triggered his hatred for our oppressors. Rumors had spread that the Gatál had laid waste to an entire Halcían village. The Shadow Riders had killed all the peasants simply because they'd hidden a refugee Gatál family who'd refused to execute political prisoners.

Papa probably couldn't bear the thought that I'd work for them. To be honest, neither could I. Even if it meant a better life for my family and me, I could never torture people.

Would the Gatál make me do something evil? I can't harm an innocent person.

After several minutes, my mother returned to the study, and I lowered my book. She sat down next to me with a deep sigh.

"You are blessed with a great mind, Helena," she said. "Perhaps the Gatál have noticed your skill and made an exception in your case."

"Mama, I'm not that smart," I insisted. "And the law says Halcíans can't rise above peasant status unless they're chosen for the Adventurer's Guild."

"The Gatál ignore the laws when it suits them," she muttered in reply.

"Yeah, but never in our favor." I swallowed a lump in my throat. "What if they make me kill people?"

"The Gatál work in science, education, and industry. They aren't all Shadow Riders." She forced a smile. "Think of this as a possibility to undermine the system from within its walls."

My parents thought I was destined for greatness. If only that were true ...

I'd be lying if I said I hadn't imagined a life of freedom. Beholden to no one, not even the Gatál, I'd dreamed of traveling the world with Lena and defending innocent people in the Adventurer's Guild.

But I'd created those fantasies to make me feel better about scything grain or picking berries. Nothing more. Tomorrow I'd turn sixteen, and I had to journey to the so-called 'Castle of Screams' where a group of Gatál nobles would discuss my fate.

I shivered at the thought.

"Mama, we need to focus on reality. You have to admit that the summons makes no sense."

"Be that as it may, perhaps you should take advantage of this opportunity. The Gatál can take on any profession they choose."

"I'm a Halcían peasant," I said, holding up the summons. "They made a mistake here. If I played along, I'd be living a lie."

My mother stared at her hands in silence.

"You both raised me to believe in truth and science, not luck and fairy tales," I said with a scoff.

"They have selected you, my little hawk, no matter what race you are." She gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "You deserve more than a peasant's life. I know you will fight for justice no matter what profession you choose."

I nodded and tried to ignore my unease.

Later that evening, I knew something was wrong when my parents hardly spoke as they prepared and ate dinner. Papa and Mama always talked about local politics around the table. They avoided my gaze and shifted in their seats whenever I mentioned the results.

"Just eat your supper, and we'll discuss it later," Papa said in a terse voice.

After dinner, Papa descended into his private lab and Mama retreated to her study. One thing I knew for certain--my parents wouldn't have reacted that way if the Gatál had made a simple mistake.

___

A/N: Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. The story might start off gently, but things get dark fairly quickly, so hold on to your hats. Why not give Helena's parents a vote for being so supportive of her? :)

Banner: courtesy of @amazewrites ❤ Thank you so much.