Cupid Chronicles by Natarsha Lions Chapter One The girl stood on a large wooden pedestal and resisted a smirk as a plump woman, who’d introduced herself as a fashion designer for the Central Unified Government, continued her work. ‘You look lovely,’ the erratic designer chirped. She’d boasted about her ability to create wonderful and unique pieces, and yet her most acclaimed project was to be dedicated to this girl, a train wreck from the Docks. The girl was pretty in a sense, with wide green eyes and cascading chocolate hair, coupled with an enviable figure. From what the girl had overheard, the designer had been promised a substantial reward for clothing her, so it was no surprise that the girl had been subjected to multiple dress and design changes over the course of the morning. As midday approached, the designer finally decided to keep her in an offthe-shoulder, flowing ball gown. ‘There’s something missing.’ The designer grabbed a large gold ribbon, wrapping her arms around the girl’s waist and fastening it tightly in place with an exaggerated bow. ‘Just like starlight,’ the designer gloated, but she frowned at the girl’s lack of amazement for the marvellous creation she’d concocted from simple cloth and needle. ‘Come see girl!’ she ordered, grabbing the girl’s arm and pulling her harshly towards the large antiquated mirror positioned against the far wall. ‘For the last time, the name’s Anna,’ the girl huffed, yanking her arm free from her counterpart’s sausage-like fingertips. Sceptically Anna gazed at the dress she’d been poked and prodded into. The dress came in at her hips, billowing out slightly in a distinct gold colour that seemed to shimmer as she twirled around. ‘It’s beautiful,’ Anna conceded, for a moment forgetting herself. Almost on cue came the sound of knuckles rapping on the door. Together they turned to see a young girl with short raven hair, flanked by three guards dressed in dark blue uniforms. The girl was pixie like, dressed in a short blue skirt and a pristine white dress shirt, along with the emblem of the Ceiceis.
Ceiceis were humans taught from a young age to serve as personal envoys of the Cupids. Though a life of servitude didn’t appeal to those in the Capital, many parents from the lower classes freely offered their children into the program, knowing their children would be provided for. ‘Please follow me.’ The girl bowed, before turning around—the guards pushed forward, placing themselves behind Anna. * Begrudgingly Anna followed the pixie girl down a hallway with a marble floor and gold wallpaper that shimmered under the chandeliers aligned with their every tenth step. They entered another room where Anna was placed in a large chair and swarmed by a team of make up artists who painted her face with subtle hues of brown and gold. Next, her fingernails and toenails were etched with intricate gold leaf patterns and she was decorated with a series of elegant wrist and ankle bangles. When they finished, Anna was permitted a second look in the mirror to assess the final result. The girl who stared back at her had golden lips and perfect skin with almost glowing green eyes. Anna reached out, touching the reflective glass, trying to figure out who this girl was. Her mind ran through a million possibilities, all leading to one undeniable fact: she was no longer herself. ‘Alright it’s time,’ a voice chimed in, breaking her train of thought. Anna turned in the direction of the voice: at the far side of the room stood a young man. Almost ethereal in appearance, he had long, flowing silver hair with piercing blue eyes. As he walked towards her, it was almost as if he were floating—each step a regal and precise movement. He was dressed in silver threads, yet the most captivating feature was his vaguely glowing skin—a trait that had always made his kind appear touched by otherworldly matters. ‘Cupid,’ Anna said venomously. The corners of his mouth curled up in a disfigured smirk. ‘I will be officiating the ceremony. My name is Marcus,’ he explained with a forward bow. Anna turned away. ‘You will follow me.’ The threat was now evident in his voice. She wished to be anywhere other than where she was. Marcus turned to face the door, and three of the make up artists immediately shuffled her towards him. Anna begrudgingly followed Marcus out to the main hallway.
‘When you are asked you will keep to the approved scripting. You will not deviate from the scripting or the contract will be revoked. You will keep your answers short and to the point. After the agreement is placed, you will be taken to get it initialised. Your things will be packed and your family provided for,’ Marcus rattled tiredly, as if he were checking items off a list. Anna felt a pang of guilt in her chest as she remembered her brother at home —all alone, watching her take part in this charade. This was the reason nearly every girl, especially from the docks, who was offered the contract accepted it. It didn’t matter who the other person was; a contract was a ticket out of poverty, and most knew that was worth the sacrifice, especially for their families. ‘What if I say no?’ Her words boiled timidly to the surface as Marcus pulled open the final door, leading behind the main stage. He froze, turning to face her, and for a moment Anna saw compassion on the cold canvas of his face. ‘Anna, for your sake, for your brother’s sake—free yourself. Eric Talbot is a good match, he’s handsome and wealthy—he can provide for you,’ he whispered, leaning closer to her ear. Anna couldn’t explain it, but as Marcus’s breath touched her ear, her cheeks tingled. ‘This is for the best.’ Marcus pulled away, his demeanour instantly becoming more rigid. ‘Alright Milady, when this light turns green, that’s your cue to enter the stage.’ The small, pixie-like Ceicei had suddenly appeared to the right of them. Anna nodded as Marcus disappeared off the stage, the Ceicei trailing closely behind him. Anna turned to the stage opening, watching the announcer, Edward Stone—a veteran in the television industry—stir up the crowd with promises of what was to come. In honour of a Docks bride being chosen, he was wearing a white tuxedo with the traditional bluebell flower in his lapel. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, now the moment you’ve been waiting for. Right out of the pages of a fairytale, we present to you our very own Cinderella—Anna Jones,’ he embellished—that was her cue. Anna’s heart pounded in her chest, tuning out all sounds other than the frantic beat and her now shallow breathing. Slowly she walked over to Edward as the crowd erupted into a sea of applause.
‘What do you think? We have to scrap Cinderella, we seem to have a goddess in our midst ladies and gentlemen,’ Edward boasted to the crowd, taking Anna’s hand to twirl her around slowly, allowing the crowd to take in her dress. The applause echoed yet again. She turned to look at Edward’s ageing face, which seemed to be awaiting an answer. ‘Sorry?’ she said vacantly, only to be met with a roar of laughter. ‘It seems we have a nervous bride in waiting folks, let’s say we take it easy on her,’ Edward joked, earning several heartfelt responses from the crowd. Anna breathed a sigh of relief, as she was allowed to take a seat. Edward ran Anna through some standard questions about her childhood and her life, from her family and friends to her feelings on being chosen to be bound to one of the Capital’s most eligible bachelors. Finally, after a half hour of questions, came the one she’d been dreading the most. ‘Ok so now the question that everyone would like to know. Do you or do you not accept the proposal of our very own Eric Masterson Talbot?’ He edged closer, placing a hand on her knee. ‘No thank you,’ she murmured, averting her eyes as she lost her nerve with millions of eyes boring into her. ‘Sorry?’ Edward retracted, obviously believing he’d heard wrong. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking in a large breath—willing the last scraps of courage she had left to the surface. ‘I will not accept the proposal Edward,’ she affirmed, filled with a renewed sense of determination. His eyebrows crossed in confusion, as he focused firmly on her. ‘I believe Mr. Talbot will be sorry to hear that.’ Edward shifted uncomfortably in his seat. ‘No he won’t. My name was picked from a Census as a charity case. I’m sorry, but I don’t deserve that, that’s not love.’ The words left her mouth before she could contemplate their full gravity. She knew she shouldn’t have said it, but it was too late to retract the words. The society that had loved and embraced the Cupids had allowed terrible things to happen to her family—it was something that she’d long ago promised herself she’d never forget. The rest of it became a blur. The crowd was in an uproar, and it didn’t take long before all manner of things, from shoes to books, were hurled in her direction.
Within moments, Anna was escorted out of the theatre and into a vehicle. They drove for several minutes, through streets Anna couldn’t identify because of the blacked-out windows on either side of her. * Finally they stopped, and she was pulled from the car and shoved into a new building. Escorted by nameless men in black suits, she was led into a boardroom on the highest level of the building. As she glanced around the room, more nameless figures in suits lined the walls, while other members were seated at a table. They placed Anna in the centre of the room, and that’s when she realised. This was her tribunal.