Iris couldn't blame her mother for worrying. Any sane parent would feel the same if their beloved daughters were subjected to such a threat. At the same time, she was surprised to find out that Junifer was harboring such views, which were almost the same as her.
Their mother turned her attention to her as if accusing her of something.
"What?" She paused and lowered her spoon to meet her mother's gaze. "I didn't tell her anything." Iris said in defense.
Years ago, she had voiced out the same sentiments Junifer voiced out tonight and almost scared their mother to death. Eventually, Iris learned to hold her tongue when she witnessed how a drunkard was beaten to death by the roaming guards when he started to spout insults, one after another, against the royal family.
Since then, Iris had been keeping most of her thoughts and opinions to herself. Even at home, she had been very careful not to say things that her younger siblings could repeat to other people. However, it didn't stop her from hating the royal family and its court more than she despised the darklings roaming the border of their lands.
"Mother is right, Jun." She gently chastised her sister. "If others heard what you've just said and reported you for a handsome reward, how would we be able to help you?"
Junifer instantly fell silent, and Iris felt bad about it. She didn't want her sister to limit her views by silencing her opinions, but she was aware of the consequences if Junifer dared to voice her thoughts out loud.
"I know and I'm sorry…" She started. "It's just that… I'm afraid. The last selection was a decade ago. You've seen them yourself, Sis. None of them were able to return after the darklings came to collect them."
Iris knew what Junifer was talking about. They were merely young girls at the time, clinging to their father's legs when they first saw the darklings in person at the town's square where everyone gathered to send the chosen maidens off.
The darklings wore expensive silks, golds, and jewelries that were worth enough to feed the whole town for a month. Their faces clean and smooth in contrast to the dirt-smeared faces of the townsfolk.
However, no matter how beautiful they were to look at, everyone was reminded of how terrifying those creatures were. One of the chosen maidens had burst into flames and was burned alive by a darkling, indicating that she wasn't chaste and was already tainted by a man.
The event haunted Junifer for months that she even had nightmares of it. Since then, she tried her best not to get involved with anything that had to do with the darklings and nursed a hatred towards the royal family who failed to protect one of her friends that had been taken to become a sacrifice to the demon lords.
They came to collect the previous chosen maidens and brought them to Asnar. Iris and Junifer knew some of those young women personally, and they had never seen them since then.
It was understandable why Junifer was afraid. If either of them was picked through the selection, then it only meant that they would never see each other again.
If Iris was one of the women being picked, she wondered how her mother and siblings would survive without her? Who would feed them and send her siblings to school if that happens?
Iris completely lost her appetite by then. Just thinking of what could happen if one of them were taken to Asnar was enough for her to forget her hunger. Well, it wasn't like she was skin and bones, but she had to force herself to finish her meal nevertheless. There was no way she could retire for the night with her stomach growling from hunger.
"With so many maidens to choose from, the probability of us being chosen is quite low." Iris shrugged, trying to lighten the mood around them.
"We could leave, you know." Junifer suggested, which rendered Iris and their mother speechless.
Since when did Junifer start thinking about the selection? Surely, she wouldn't have said this if it hadn't bothered her for some time now.
"I talked about it with Luca, and he agreed to take me out of town until the selection was over."
"Junifer Scarborough! Do you even know what you are saying?!"
Their mother, who was meek and gentle, snapped at Junifer. Ren moved immediately to her side and tried to coax their mother to calm her down.
"How could you say that? If you were chosen, could you imagine what could happen to us if the royal guards find out that you escaped with Luca?"
Their mother didn't need to say what could happen by then. Surely, Junifer would be charged with treason and disobedience and Luca would be severely punished for taking her away.
"Mother, please listen to me." Junifer said, with despair reflected in her eyes.
"Just like Sister said, the probability of being chosen as one of the sacrificed maidens is quite low. This is just a precaution. Luca has proposed to marry me and I accepted it. We plan to hold the ceremony once I turn eighteen. I want to be his bride, Mother. Not some darkling's who won't cherish me and would spite me because I'm human."
Iris didn't know how to respond. She was thinking that the right people to be called 'The Cursed Ones' were the young women who were sacrificed to keep peace and harmony between two parties.
The idea of escaping the selection was quite preposterous and dangerous at the same time in her opinion. However, who was she to question her sister?
She was just a little surprised when Junifer announced Luca's marriage proposal because he never mentioned anything about it to her and to Amelia.
Iris then decided to confront Luca about it at their next meeting and to convince him not to take Junifer before the selection took place.