Amelia started her day even before dawn broke. She left her bed, cleaned her room and made sure everything was in place. She had this ominous feeling that she might not be able to come back to this place again. She hadn't felt like this since their family lost their wealth and was forced to leave the capital ten years ago.
She looked at her father's old books that she was able to keep after leaving the capital. Amelia had to beg Jacob to allow her to keep a box of their parents' belongings that weren't confiscated by the royal court. It was a day filled with tears and anguish, and Amelia felt that today might not be any different.
Today was the selection and the chance of being chosen amongst the eligible unwed women was quite high, given that many young women in their town chose to marry as soon as they reached the legal age to settle down. Not that she could blame them. Those women would rather choose a loveless marriage and face a possible early death due to childbirth than be sacrificed as tribute to the thirteen demon lords of Asnar.
She then went downstairs and found her older brother sitting with a blank expression on the worn leather couch in the small space of their living area, head cradled in both his hands. Amelia didn't need to ask why he was acting like this. Surely, everyone in town was feeling dreadful about what awaited them later that day.
"Amelia…" He lifted his head and saw her standing there, deep in her own thoughts.
"Jake." She replied once she realized that he was waiting for her to respond.
"You're up early." She forced a smile, hoping to lighten the mood between them. "What's up?"
"You know what's up, Amelia. I promised Father that I would keep you safe and take care of you." Jacob broke into tears and shook his head. "But there's no way I can save you from the selection. Melia, the royal family is still keeping an eye on us. I'm sure they wouldn't stop until our family had nothing left, but I have nothing but you, Amelia."
Amelia said nothing, but her tears were threatening to burst. She knew what Jacob had done and sacrificed for her sake. Jacob, who was now reaching his thirties, remained unmarried because he took it upon himself to take care of her. She hated that she was being a burden to him and couldn't do anything to help him.
"It's alright, Jake. No matter what happens today, we'll always have each other's back. I'm glad that you are my brother." Her voice trembled, knowing that if the royal family still held a grudge towards their family, then it would only make sense that they would include her name as a tribute.
The Buchanan family was wrongly accused of being part of the last rebellion against the royal family. Jacob and Amelia's father, the marquis, ended up beheaded in public as a punishment, and all of their properties were confiscated. The execution served as a reminder to the opposing noble families of what would happen to them if they tried to usurp the throne again.
Jacob's life was only spared because he had been sent to study in the neighboring human kingdom. His return was welcomed by the death of his parents and his younger sister Amelia, who was only 9 years old at the time, thrown out of their home to die from starvation.
Life had been hard for the Buchanan siblings since then and to ensure that they did not get the royal family's attention again, Jacob had decided to settle in Calaren Town and frequently traveled around the kingdom as a merchant.
"It's not okay, Melia. This isn't the kind of life father and mother wanted to have for you. I also know that you wish to become a knight and restore our family's reputation, but this place… this kingdom isn't suitable for a woman like you. You deserve so much better."
What else could they do? The royal family seemed determined to prevent any chance for their family to recover.
Perhaps being chosen today at the selection wouldn't be so bad after all. Amelia thought. The possibility of the unthinkable might happen today anyway. It wouldn't be any worse than their parents' sudden death years ago.
With her gone, Jacob wouldn't have to settle in this wretched town and could live the life he always wanted. Unlike her, Jacob didn't want to meddle with the royal court anymore.
"At least let me cook something for you to eat before we head to the town square." Jacob said and made a beeline to their small kitchen. Whenever he was home, he would always make it a point to eat with her as he was rarely at home due to his work. Though Amelia could count those moments with her ten fingers, it meant a lot to her too.
Amelia then proceeded to take a bath and dressed herself. She didn't wear her usual attire, which consisted of a shirt and a pair of trousers, but instead pulled out a gray dress she hadn't worn for more than a year. It was a gift from her brother for her eighteenth birthday, but she had never thought that the next time she'd worn it would be on the selection day instead.
When she was younger, Amelia used to love wearing dresses and would constantly dress up for her mother's entertainment. However, after their family's fall, she had chosen more practical clothing that wouldn't hinder her movements.
As she looked in the mirror with a crack on its corner, Amelia pinned her long hair up and realized that she somewhat resembled her dead mother. No wonder her brother would look at her at times with a hint of sadness in his face. Jacob must have missed their mother terribly.
When she returned to the dining room, she found that Jacob had already started his meal without waiting for her. He gestured for her to take a seat and join him.