The next day, Iris spent the whole day in bed while her mother nursed her. She held herself back from telling anyone about what had happened yesterday and what she found in the woods. So she wasn't surprised when Amelia and Luca came to visit her. Chrysanthe came with them with some freshly baked bread she made herself.
"You haven't been this ill for a long time, Iris. What have you been doing in the woods yesterday? There are rumors that there are more sightings of darklings now compared to the past decade." She asked Iris as she helped the latter sit up and lean against the headboard of her bed.
"Sorry for making you worry, Chrys. I didn't mean to venture too far from the edge of the woods and lose track of time." Iris lied, although it was clear that Chrysanthe didn't believe her...
"Iris, whatever is out there in the woods is hovering close to our town." Luca said worriedly as he stood next to the windowsill of the room she was sharing with Junifer. "Do you think this has something to do with the selection that is about to take place very soon?"
"I don't think so." Amelia, who was seated at the foot of Iris's bed, commented. "I was warned by my brother that more rogue darklings have been pestering the towns and villages near the border. If it was a fight between the darklings, then we only need to make sure that we wouldn't be the collateral damage in their war."
"Hey, now that you've mentioned it, did you really propose marriage to my sister?" Iris gave Luca a pointed glare.
The young man flinched under her gaze, the apple of his cheeks reddening.
"That's true. I'm sorry for not asking for your permission. It's just that…" His words trailed off as he tried to find the right words to explain himself. "When I heard that there would be a selection ceremony this year, I proposed to Jun impulsively. I'm really sorry, Iris."
"And the idea of leaving Calaren town? I supposed that's my dear little sister's idea."
Luca nodded in affirmation, leaving Amelia speechless. They all know what kind of punishment would await the chosen maiden who chose to abandon her obligation.
"I tried to convince her not to, but Jun insisted. You should know her better, Iris."
Iris pressed her lips into a thin line and furrowed her brows together. Of course she was aware of her sister's fiery temper, she just didn't expect that Junifer would be bold enough to consider escaping the selection.
"You know I care for you and Jun. You two are some of the most important people in my life, but Luca… my sister is only seventeen. I supposed I don't need to tell you that Jun could be reckless with her decision at times. Mother is worried about what Jun would do before the selection, so could you promise me not to leave the town with her?"
Luca sighed and took a seat on the wooden chair next to the window, clasping his hands together as he pondered his choices. It was obvious to Iris and Amelia that even he was having doubts about Junifer's plan to ditch the upcoming selection.
"I don't know how to convince her to change her mind, Iris. The last time we talked about it, Jun became hysterical and claimed that she would never honor the decree if she was chosen as one of the chosen maidens." Luca informed them, his eyes showing his confusion over the matter.
Iris pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. While she understood her sister's worries, she also couldn't turn a blind eye to the consequences that awaited all of them if Luca and Junifer eloped before the selection. Everyone would put the blame on their mother and Luca's parents, and they would receive a harsh punishment because of it, and that would leave her and Ren's lives miserable.
"But I'll try to talk her out of it. Now that you know about her plans, I hope that we'll be able to convince her not to leave. I worry more about her safety than mine."
"She's not the only one who's afraid. I'm afraid too." Amelia commented, "but I won't run like a coward. I may not have the money nor the title to my name anymore, but a Buchanan would face death even if it comes knocking on our doors."
"My whole family is on edge too because of the selection, but I'd rather wait and see before making a decision." Chrysanthe said.
"And you, Iris?" Luca turned to question her.
"We've feared the maguses and darklings our entire lives. I refuse to let this selection distract me from what I should be doing - to make sure my family would be able to eat and my siblings would be able to continue their education. Because if I allow myself to get bested by my worries, I think we wouldn't have reached this far."
The young man fell silent on that. Luca was a year older than Amelia and Iris, while Chrysanthe was the same age as Junifer. However, their age differences didn't stop the four from becoming good friends. It wasn't like the gap was large anyway.
"I heard that the crown prince will come to facilitate the selection himself." Chrysanthe suddenly said, turning everyone's attention on her. "It might not be a good idea to elope with Junifer, Luca. He might even sentence the two of you to death, if we are to believe the rumors about him."
"What do you think, Amelia? Have you met him before?" Iris watched as the frown on Amelia's face deepened.
"He's an arrogant bastard who thinks everyone should bow down to him because he's a prince. Indeed, he's quite a good looking person, but I don't think he has any redeeming qualities at all. We better pray that we don't end up with that boy as our king in the future."