Chapter 6: The Castle

CLAIRAELLE’S POV

The courtyard in front of the castle gates was wide enough to hold every remaining candidate with room to spare.

Three hundred and twenty of us stood in uneven rows under the late afternoon light. Pale stone walls rose high on every side. The banners moved in the wind. Guards lined the steps leading up to the main entrance, their armor catching the sun in sharp flashes.

Savannah stood on my left, her arms loosely crossed. Zelda was on my right, her black hair with green highlights tucked carefully over her ears. A few rows ahead, the blonde werewolf from the train—wavy hair, sharp gold eyes—stood with her two friends. They looked completely at ease, as if the castle already belonged to them.

A woman walked to the front of the gathering and stopped.

She was tall and strongly built, with black hair pulled into a severe knot and golden eyes that missed nothing. Her face was sharp and stern.

“I am Madam Jacqueline Torringail,” she said. Her voice carried cleanly across the courtyard without effort. “I oversee candidate conduct inside these walls for the duration of the preliminary stage.”

The last conversations died.

“You have arrived at the High Kingdoms,” she continued. “From this point forward, the Selection is no longer something you can simply walk away from. The train that brought you here will depart again in twenty minutes. Anyone who wishes to leave may do so now. There will be no penalty. No record. You will simply return to wherever you came from.”

She let the silence stretch.

No one moved.

The blonde werewolf smirked at something one of her friends whispered. Savannah glanced sideways at me but said nothing. Zelda kept her eyes forward.

Madam Jacqueline gave a short nod.

“Very well. Follow me.”

We climbed the wide steps and passed through the main gates.

The inside of the castle was larger than anything I had ever seen. High ceilings. Long corridors of pale stone and polished wood. Tall windows that let in clean light. Everything looked deliberate and expensive.

First we were taken to change into official candidate attire.

The clothing was simple but clearly made for this place: dark fitted leather trousers, soft black leather boots, and high-collared leather jackets marked with a small blue crescent. When I pulled the jacket on, it settled against my shoulders like it had been meant for me.

Savannah adjusted her cuffs with a small satisfied sound. Zelda checked that her hair still covered her ears. Across the room, the blonde werewolf and her friends laughed quietly as they examined their reflections.

“Couldn't they find a better material for these jackets?” The blonde werewolf said to her friends.

“You're one to talk. Atleast it looks good on you, Lyra.”

“You're right. Everything looks good on me,” Lyra said proudly.

I chuckled inwardly and looked away from them.

After that, we were led deeper into the castle.

The chamber assigned to us was enormous.

It stretched farther than I could easily measure, with high windows along one wall and rows of beds spaced evenly across the floor. Three hundred and twenty beds. Each one neat. Each one identical.

The moment the doors opened fully, the other girls surged forward.

Some ran for the beds near the windows. Others claimed corners or spots closest to the bathing rooms. Lyra and her two friends immediately took a cluster of beds near the center, spreading their things out as if marking territory. Voices rose as girls called to one another and claimed space.

I did not hurry.

Savannah caught my eye and tilted her head toward a quieter section along the far wall. Zelda followed without needing to be asked. We claimed three beds together. I dropped my bag onto mine and sat down. The mattress sank slightly under my weight. It was soft—softer than anything I had slept on in years.

For a moment I just sat there, feeling the unfamiliar comfort of it.

It felt like luxury.

Savannah sat on the edge of her own bed and looked around. “Well. This is nice.”

Zelda pulled her boots off and flexed her toes against the stone floor. “Definitely better than my bed at home.”

I didn’t add anything. I was still getting used to the fact that the bed didn’t creak or sag in the middle.

The large doors opened again.

Madam Jacqueline stepped inside.

“Girls, You have thirty minutes,” she said. “Bathe quickly. Dress in the candidate attire you were given. Then follow the assigned guards to the ceremony hall. Do not be late.”

She turned and left without waiting for questions.

The chamber filled with movement. Some of the girls headed toward the bathing rooms in groups. The blonde werewolf’s group went early, still talking loudly enough for others to hear. Savannah, Zelda, and I waited for the first wave to thin before following.

The baths were large and clean. Hot water. Soft towels. Soap that smelled faintly of something very expensive. I washed quickly, changed back into the dark candidate clothes, and rejoined the flow of girls moving through the corridors toward the ceremony hall.

The hall itself was vast.

Long tables had been set along the walls, covered in dresses. Hundreds of them. Ball gowns in every shade—deep reds, midnight blues, soft golds, black with silver thread, pale greens, rich purples. Some were simple. Others were covered in fine embroidery that caught the light.

“You will each select one gown,” Madam Jacqueline announced from the front of the hall. “These are for tonight’s welcome ball, hosted by the royal family in your honor. Choose quickly. Fitting staff will assist you where needed. You have one hour.”

The reaction was immediate.

Everyone moved toward the tables in a wave of excitement. Hands reaching for the fabrics. Voices rose as they held dresses up against themselves and turned to show their friends.

The blonde werewolf, Lyra, claimed a striking gold gown almost immediately, holding it up for her friends to admire. One of them chose deep red. The other took a sharp black dress with silver detailing. They looked like they belonged in this world. Unlike me.

Savannah found a deep green gown with clean lines and held it up against herself. “This one,” she said simply. “It makes my skin pop.”

Zelda chose a dark blue dress that would let her hair blend in more easily. She ran her fingers over the fabric once, then nodded. “And I'm choosing this one. Matches my hair.”

I stayed near the edge longer than most. Eventually I stepped forward and chose a simple black gown with a high neck and no heavy embroidery. It looked like something I could still move in if I had to. A fitting attendant helped me into it without much conversation. When I looked at myself in one of the tall mirrors, the girl staring back barely resembled the one who had left the Human District two days ago.

The pendant still rested at my throat. The candidate band remained on my wrist.

Savannah appeared beside me in the mirror’s reflection, already in her green gown. “You look like you’re attending a funeral.”

“I don't really care. As long as I can run in this if I need to, it's perfect for me,” I said.

Zelda joined us, adjusting a sleeve. “Practical. I respect it.”

Across the hall, Lyra laughed at something one of her friends said and turned just enough to catch my eye. Her gaze flicked over my plain black dress. The smirk returned for a second before she looked away, whispering to her friends.

When the hour ended, Madam Jacqueline called for order again.

“You will return to your chamber and prepare for the evening event,” she said. “The welcome ball begins at sundown. You will be escorted to the grand ballroom. Conduct yourselves with restraint. You are guests of the royal family tonight.”

We filed back through the corridors in our gowns. The fabric whispered against the stone floors as we walked. Some girls still talked in low, excited voices about the ball. Others had gone quiet. Like myself.

In the chamber, the mood had shifted. Everyone sat on the edges of their mattresses, adjusting the hems of their gowns and checking their reflections on the mirror. The soft light from the windows was beginning to fade into evening.

I returned to my bed and sat down carefully. Savannah sat across from me, braiding a section of her hair. Zelda leaned against the wall beside her bed, her arms folded, watching the room with quiet attention.

“Any idea what this ball is actually for?” Zelda asked.

“To welcome us. Look us over and let the important people decide who amongst us might last in the game and emerge as the winner.” Savannah said.

I touched the pendant at my throat. “So they're betting on our heads?”

Savannah finished her braid. “Exactly. So better to make a good impression tonight.”

Zelda’s mouth curved slightly. “That... Is messed up.”

Outside the high windows, the sky turned deep blue. Lanterns were lit along the outer walls of the castle. Somewhere deeper in the building, we listened as the music began to play—faint at first, then clearer as more instruments joined.

A knock sounded at the main doors.

An official stepped inside.

“Candidates,” he said. “It is time.”

We all rose in a long, uneven line of dark fabrics and brighter colors. The air in the chamber felt tighter somehow as everyone felt the excitement mixed with nervousness.