“Bearers, I have some very exciting news!” Matron Mary Ann informs us while we take our places inside classroom 11. “Bearer's Day is coming and Mother Addison has already assigned us our task for that day.”
All Bearers look at the Matron expectantly, some of them are murmuring to each other. I have no idea what they are so excited about, I know Bearer's Day is an annual event organized by the Ministry of Females where Bearers and their families enjoy a big celebration, but since my mom abandoned the Ministry at the same time she abandoned her family, I don’t really remember what this day is all about.
“What will be our task, Matron Mary Ann?” Melody asks with a wide grin.
“Please, let it be the decoration, I’ve always wanted to decorate the Grand Fertility Forum!&rdquo
(Leopold’s POV)I walk in circles around my office feeling restless. I am worried that the Ministry of Press and Information is going to find out about what happened last night. I know none of my men would ever betray me, not even Sabrina that resents me for dumping her would be capable of leaking the information to the press, but maybe a nosy neighbor saw something…. If the news that I was attacked in my own house gets out there I will be everyone’s laughingstock and Major Anderson won’t hesitate to use the incident against me. He’ll surely try to convince General Schubert that I am too incompetent to be promoted to Major.I take a seat and I grab my phone, I am about to call Gustav, he is the only person who can prevent this information from seeing the light. I dial his number, the fact that I know it by hard annoys me.
(Aubrey’s POV)I finish putting the frosting on the last muffin and smile pleased with myself. Suddenly, I feel Baxter’s moist nose on my calf. Baxter has stayed by my side since the moment I started baking the muffins. Every now and then he whines a little to remind me that he is here and that he wants me to give him a piece of muffin. I’m moved by his sweet round eyes and, after what happened last night when I thought he was going to die, I want to spoil him as much as I can, but I have no idea if dogs are allowed to eat muffins and I fear he might get sick. The muffins look good and they smell even better. The whole house smells great, like sugar and butter. I eat one of the muffins to see how they taste. It is soft and buttery… its been a while since I ate something so good. Bearers are supposed to eat healthy food all the time, but the Matro
Mrs. Jordan walks to the kitchen and I follow her to see if I can be of any help.“Thank you very much,” she says as I help her make the coffee. “I am sorry we haven’t seen each other more, I was under the impression that Leopold didn’t want you to socialize much and I prefer not to snoop. I know he is a very private person that doesn’t like when others intrude in his personal life so I always try to respect that. I am glad he changed his mind, I’ve been so eager to get to know you better, my son has told so much about you...”“Like what?” I ask flushing with the idea of them talking about me.“Jareth has told me everything that happened to you, he feels so ashamed for his part in it… I’m glad he
Every Bearer from group 11 brought varied types of desserts and pastries except for Eliza, who came in empty-handed. The room is filled with chatter from the girls who talk incessantly about what they brought. The Matrons pay no attention to us while they get ready to start with the selection.“Ok, Bearers, that is enough. Silence, please. I see all of you brought something delicious to share with us,” Matron Mary Ann says as she looks at us with a smile.“Eliza, how about you? What did you bring?” Matron Constance asks when she notices her empty hands.“I tried… I wanted to make cookies, but they burnt in the oven… I really tried…” she explains disappointed in herself.
Once I get home I start with what has become my daily routine: cleaning, sweeping, cooking, and playing with Baxter while I wait for the commander to arrive. The hours go by and he doesn’t come home. I get really hungry so I eat a little by myself. Once the hunger is gone, I realize how bored I am. I go upstairs and I turn on the huge flat-screen TV. The television I had back home is tiny compared to the commander’s. It is a shame he never uses it.I feel a little nervous to be watching his TV. The truth is I don’t feel at home here, I am a guest and I don’t feel comfortable using the amenities in this house. Everything here is his, his house, his bed, his TV, even me… his Bearer.The evening news appears on the screen and I immediately understand why the commander is not home yet: there was a shooting downtown. The reporter on-site from the Ministry of Pres
I go in the house with my heart pounding against my chest. I can’t believe we were about to kiss… or maybe I just imagined it. I don’t know if he was going to kiss me or not, but what I do know for sure is that I wanted to kiss him. Something inside of me longed to feel his lips on mine, I don’t get why I feel like this I just know I do.The commander walks to the living room and gestures for me to follow him and take a seat.“Aubrey, I’ve been thinking about a way of repaying you for what you did that night when the men attacked me… but I can’t think of anything and I think it’s best if you tell me how would you like me to compensate you,” he says.“Compensate me in what way?”&ldquo
Shortly after, Jareth leaves, I go into the bedroom as silently as I can and I close the door. I don’t want Mortensen to know I was listening to his conversation.The commander walks in a few minutes later and looks daggers at me. “Did you hear everything all right or do you want a recap?” He asks angrily. I panic. I look at him unsure about what to say. I can’t deny I was eavesdropping, lying would only make things worse. “When I tell you to do something, it is not a suggestion, it’s an order! Do you understand?” He says with a scowl on his face.“I understand, commander. I’m sorry,” I say shyly.The commander rolls his eyes and then he tosses a document on his nightstand. I assume it’s the copy of the report Jareth brought for him.
“Good morning, Bearers, how are you all doing today?” Matron Constance says as she walks into classroom 11.“Good morning,” we all reply in unison.The air feels heavy with expectation. Today the Matrons will announce the members of each team. Obviously, every Bearer already knows which team she prefers to be in, obviously, none of them want to be in mine, the Eel team.“I can see you are all very excited, so let's get started!” Matron Mary Ann says with a big smile.My heart is in my mouth because I know what’s coming and I know how Alice is going to react.“The first team is going to b