Electus (Regnum Series Book 1) Read Free Page A

the prettiest one there. It will raise your chances,” her uncle suggests. Tia rolls her eyes.
    “I suppose this is it,” she replies with a sigh. “I love you both so much. Thank you for everything.” Without another word, she forces herself to walk toward the doors to the back room, where other candidates await their next step.
    In the room she is at, there are fourteen other Regnumian candidates from Vetus. Seven of which are full-blooded Pruden. Three of which are full-blooded Mediocris. Two, who are mixed descent, including Tia, and two others are full-blooded Humilis descent. Most of the candidates Tia does not know. Only two of the Pruden descents were from her neighborhood, Mina and Quade.
    Mina was Tia’s first friend. As children, they shared every waking moment together. On weekends they had sleepovers, and each day at school, they swapped foods they didn’t like in their lunches.
    It wasn’t until junior high that Mina and Tia grew apart. While Mina dressed up in her mother’s clothes and painted her face with make up, Tia prepared her body for the Electus. She climbed rock walls on the out skirts of her village, sprinted down the trails everyday to a pond, which she used to clean off her sweat with a vigorous swim.
    “Hello, Tia,” Mina salutes, as she approaches her. Mina has a plum, silk dress on with high heeled shoes, and her hair is pinned up elegantly in a bun. Her parents spared no expense on her outfit, as always. On her neck, she sports fine jewels that  match her  earrings.
    Mina and her sister, for Prudens, live lavishly. Mina’s father ranked high in the Electus when he was eighteen, and Mr. Avery offered him a prestigious position. Unlike most other families from their neighborhood, Mina’s parents fixed up their home and bought their children beautiful gifts on special occasions. This also drew a wedge in their friendship.
    “How are you, Mina?” Tia responds, attempting not to gag, as her name leaves her mouth. Mina’s body is curvier than Tia’s, and her skin is a natural carmel color. She always carries her head high, never lacking in confidence.
    “Bored. My father made us arrive two hours early to assist Mr. Avery, and now these heels are killing me. You are so lucky, you can’t afford anything but flat hand-me-downs. These are such a bitch.”
    Tia imagines what it would be like to bludgeon Mina in the head with one of her high-heeled shoes. “Aww, that’s a shame. Why don’t you just sit and rest your feet or take them off for a while?”
    She looks at Tia, as though she suggest that she cut off a limb. “This floor is way too filthy for that,” Mina exclaims. “Who knows what people drag in here on their feet.”
    While Mina continues to blather on about parasites, carried in on the bottom of shoes, Quade sneaks up behind Mina and silently mocks her. Tia stifles a laugh, nodding in response to Mina’s inflections.
    “Oh! Did you hear about that new head of Novo’s capitol in Elatus? Apparently they had to replace the old leader after they found Mr. Tersus’s body outside of his house.”
    Tia’s attention turns back to Mina. “What? When did that happen?”
    “Last week, his wife walked out the door to water her Polly Blossom plant. Next thing she knows her husband is lying in the yard with a note reading, ‘Tranquility dies amongst the hearts of the insurgent.'”
    “Isn’t that a line from the peace treaty?” Tia poses.
    “Yep. So, all of last week, the Elatus Capitol was frantic searching for a new leader,” Mina replies, matter-of-factly.
    “Who did they pick?” Quade chimes in, abandoning his mocking of Mina, since he lost Tia’s interest.
    “Supposedly, they offered it to a young man named Javan Leporem. Who is, from what rumor has it, the youngest leader Regnum has ever had, and the most eligible bachelor on the East end.” Mina practically salivates on the last sentence.
    “Looks like you finally have something to aim for in the Electus,