the choosing

The grand hall is huge. Tall windows near a very high ceiling, rich colors and paintings of naked angels and humans every where. It almost looks like a ball room, what with the balconies. they actually used it as one when the queen took the crown after king Georges demise. Anyway, the grand hall is, well, grand.
Today the balconies were full of younger girls watching, and giggling no doubt imagining themselves one day in white robes. Now that I was actually wearing one, I gotta say it wasn’t as elegant as id thought seeing them on elder student all through my younger years.
Standing in neat lines on both sides of the hall, we took up about half the space. on the other half were all the principalities staff and the dominions that were here to watch. The dominions were standing in the very back in all black robes, with that distant watchful way of theirs. I don’t know if it was because of the beauty or the power, but those guys always freaked me out. In front of the doms, the teachers stood in black robes edged in white, in a similar way we stood, on both sides, looking like approving statues. the teachers were mostly of the principality rank, with a few exceptions where the doms had taken matters in their own hands.
The quite hum of voices in the hall suddenly died and I looked in time to see lady Noella, also dressed in a white robe, clear the double doors and start walking toward the front.
As she walked, the contrast of the black satin worked into the hems of her robe almost made it look whiter than everyone else's. How fitting. I didn’t have to like her, but I had to admit she was admirable in her way. She was one of the heads of the rank we currently –but hopefully not for much longer, unless we got assigned here- belonged to, and that was admirable whether she walked with her nose in the air or not.
She nodded to the teachers and dominions present when she was close enough and they nodded back, and then she was facing us. With that odd glint she always had in her eyes like she knew all about what each person was thinking right now_ and her hands clasped in front of her, she kind of looked like a queen standing in front of her army just before they went out to battle. Maybe that was the case.
“we all know the reason for this gathering today.” she paused for effect and looked around at our faces. “we were made for a cause. and to fulfill that cause, to give back what we have received, is a task that needs much sacrificing. today, it is requested of you to take an oath. to choose your side. let us know whether to expect a friend from you.” pause ”or a foe. all you have learned to this day, has been to prepare you for this choice.” the room had gone that much quieter if that was even possible. then she half smiled.”let me say, it has been a delight being part of that preparation.” I should add it had been anything but delightful for us on the receiving end, but then she did seem like the sadistic type.
“let us proceed.” she said and some one stepped forward from the back of the room and the staff stepped a bit back to make room for the wine table on lady noellas right. on it they placed a container filled with something black. it was the wine of the oath. rumor had it, it was made in the above itself. I wondered which one was older, Noella or the wine.
wine in place, some one called the first name and I groaned inwardly. It is such an annoying thing to have a name starting with an A. your always first.
I focused all my energy on not stumbling as I started walking down the isle .
Really, it was just like me to stumble now, in front of all these people. The oaths were more like a ceremonial gesture now,true. Even if someone wasn’t rooting for all that was good and holly, few ever had the guts to declare that in front of a dozen dominions. but the oaths aside, this was where we officially joined the ranks. This was a competition. Sure, what you were going to be was probably determined before you even learned to speak, but how far you were gonna go in that path was up to yourself. and I was willing to bet that if I stumbled now, the end of this isle would be the furthest I ever reached. After all, dignity and grace were part of the job description. A fall on my butt would hardly qualify me.
as I approached, Noella filled a cup with the wine and she offered it to me after I reached and bowed.i swallowed and looked at its black contents and had to remind myself that it was just wine. I cleared my throat as silently as I could.
“I, arok, swear upon my essence to serve good and repel evil, for as long as I shall exist.” And then it was bottoms up. The crowd cheered. I gave the cup back, bowed slightly to the lady, and walked back to the stands, the strange taste of the wine lingering in my mouth.
the guard standing at the very back of the grand hall to the right read the next name just as I reached my stand. The next person stepped up, said the words, we cheered, she drank the wine, bowed, and walked back.
For all the excitement everyone always had for the choosing, I have to admit it was a pretty boring ceremony. I watched the same procedure a gazillion times more before the violins started playing and we were given leave.
But this was important. actually, the choosing was pretty much the most important event that had ever happened to any of us novices. it was what marked the end of our academical education and our admittance to the ranks. In other words, it was what ended our useless existence and made us begin to become useful. Begin, because even though we were now officially in the ranks, there was still a lot to learn. A lot of practical stuff that we missed out on while we were busy learning useless theories.
So, even though it took a lot of time, we all stood in the grand hall until every last one of us had taken the oath. Then the violins started playing, food was served and more wine was drank, red this time, thank god. The black wine was just for the oaths. We danced, chatted, gossiped, and then it was over.
there was nothing to do but wait out the night now. technically no longer students, we had no curfew, so pretty much everyone stayed in the hall, mingling and ‘partying’ base style. Which essentially meant the music only went so far as violins and cellos and the main activity would be gossiping.
“Remind me why I thought this party was a good idea again?” I nagged at ladan after the choosing was over. Not enjoying a party at the base was a usual thing. But this was just downright painful. personally I preferred to be in my pajamas and sulk around in my room when I was fretting about what I was chosen for. not in some fancy robes and in the grand hall.
“Because this is the last time you’ll see all your friends and you want to stay here with them and party” ladan said, sipping from her glass. I had taken one single sip of that stuff and had been avoiding the refreshment table ever since. If they weren’t going to put alcohol in there, they didn’t have to make up for it with sugar.
“Right” I muttered, looking around for people I knew. I did actually regret never seeing these people again. It wasn’t like we were all best friends or anything, living at the garden u had to keep to ur self. But they were familiar faces, and I had never fully understood the full impact of never seeing them again. Ladan was the closest thing I had to a friend , and I figured wed still manage to keep in touch after going off to whatever it was they were going to send us off to. But there was a very strong possibility I really was never going to see the rest again.
And that was just scary, knowing id be all on my own from this point on. it was sad, really.