I watched the new batch of trainees shoot the targets that had been set up on trees, one of them being my brother.

"Watch your stance Gabriel," I instructed. He would have a stronger throw if he stood properly.

Gabriel only turned to glare at me as usual. "I am not a natural like you Clary."

I could only roll my eyes at his childhood behavior even though he was thirteen. He just turned old enough to join the training force, but of course, my father had already begun training him as soon as he could walk. Compared to his class, Gabriel was on top; he might as well be better than some graduated students as well. Unlike me, Gabriel worked hard whereas things came naturally to me. I was as everyone calls me; my father's prodigy. I have always noticed that Gabriel was jealous at times, not that he would ever admit it. It wasn't in my hands; I wasn't going to stop being good at something because someone didn't like it. I found that a little encouragement made soldiers work harder, just like all my previous peers who would work twice as hard being embarrassed that a woman was more talented than they were.

"Lady Clarissa!" A messenger boy came up to me looking sort of intimated by my presence. I got this reaction quite a lot. I was one of the fiercest warriors here, something I got from my father. "Lady Clarissa, the king and queen wish to speak with you. They are in the meeting room along with your father the captain, and your mother the vizier."

Things seemed urgent. I felt nervous. I made my way quickly to the meeting room thinking of all the possible scenarios that were awaiting me. I barged into the meeting room before bowing respectively before Queen Adeline and King Rowan.

"You may rise my child," the queen's soft voice said. She had always asked me not to bow or treat her like royalty but rather family, but I did not know how. I was, as some compared me to, a rule following robot. Unlike Grace, my little sister, who was the only person in the whole castle to call the queen Aunty Addy instead of her royal title.

I looked around the room trying to get a feel of the situation. "If it is alright to ask, may I know why I have been summoned?"

"Take a seat baby, we're just waiting for one more person," said my mother with a worried look. She was rarely worried, my mother was a strong woman. I always asked her or my father to tell us the story of how they saved Fariane. After going through a war, it took a lot to worry my mother. She only ever worried when it came to her children. Could I be in trouble?

I sat down near her father who turned to speak to me. "How was training?"

By that, I knew he meant how Gabriel was doing. "Gabe is doing well, still on top of his class."

My father worried about him a lot since Gabriel was a lover and not a fighter. In a world of kill or be killed, Gabriel would not know how to make the hard decision. He was too kind hearted, much like our mother. I remembered when Gabriel was still a little boy and was being bullied by some of the older kids, no matter how much they hit him he would never fight back. I always had to interfere and scare them away which only made Gabriel mad at me. He didn't want me to fight his own fights yet he would never hurt another person. The only reason he had joined the guard was to make our father happy.

"Not a surprise there, huh Dorian," said King Rowan with a playful wink.

My father put a proud smile on his face nodding in agreement. We all followed in my father's footsteps in joining the guard, well all of us except Grace. Grace was currently being chased by all eligible bachelors of this generation. She was every man's dream. As beautiful as our mother, and as lady like as the queen, she was what men desired. Unlike me, my strong personality and career choice intimidated men. Even men in the guard business were intimidated by my high status in the guards. I was the most promising student, which was no surprise being that my father was the captain himself. Being on top of the class and being a woman made me hated or intimidated by a lot of men.

"I think we should get to business," said Queen Adeline. We all fell silent waiting for her to continue.

"There is a rumoured threat against... an important individual in our castle. We need you to keep him safe on his political journey," she explained with hesitation.

Something seemed off from her tone and the way everyone was staring at me. I definitely felt uneasy. I don't think anything good was going to come out from this mission. Could the threat be bad? Who was the threat? Who was the individual?

"Forgive me for being unvarnished, but who might this individual be?" I asked.

Suddenly the doors were thrown open as the arrogant Prince Mathew walked in. I felt my blood boil at the sight of him. To say I hated him was an understatement.

"You called for me father?" asked Mathew. Unlike the shy scholar he was named after, Mathew was as arrogant and womanizing as his father was in his younger days as I have heard, but as wise and knowledgeable as his mother.

My eyes locked with Mathew's, our gazes burning each other with hatred. All was silent for a while until both our eyes widened in realization as to what was going on.

He was the special individual.

"No," we both said strictly and simultaneously. This only caused us to glare at each other harder. Of course he did not want my services, how could I be surprised?

"There is no way I am going anywhere with you," I spat wishing he would just evaporate. He had to be the most aggravating person to walk this earth.

"For once we seem to agree on something," Mathew narrowed his eyes at me, looking like he wished I would disappear from his life as well. At least our feelings were mutual.

"Clarissa," my father warned in a dark tone. My cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. My parents had not scolded me since I was a child, one of the perks of being a rule following robot. But being scolded as an adult, in front of an audience including your enemy was highly embarrassing. "Your queen ordered you on a mission. Let me ask you again, what is your decision?"

I sighed in defeat knowing that my honour came first. I could never disobey my queen or my parents. "Yes your highness, I will complete this mission."

I noticed Mathew's expression turn angrier. "This is embarrassing! Why do I need a woman to protect me?"

Excuse me?

Not this again.

"Mathew!" His father's loud voice scolded him. "You will not disrespect Lady Clarissa as so. She is the most qualified person here other than her father."

Mathew and I both glared at each other; I felt the air thicken in the room. Everyone in the kingdom knew we could not stand each other's guts, we could not even be in the same room without there being a lot of insults and shouting. Mathew hated me for being everything his father dreamed he would be, which was being a great warrior. While I hated the way Mathew disregarded my skills since I was the only female in the guard, it was not as if it was his opinion and he kept quiet about it. No, he had to go and broadcast his poor opinion about me to the whole kingdom. It was hard enough as it was to be the only female in the guard, but to not get any respect too? Let's just say he made it his life's goal to make my life a living hell.

"I am going to meet a princess to wed, not going off to war," Mathew tried again.

So that was his little location. Our kingdom and the kingdom of Garain were arranging a marriage between Mathew and their princess. The kingdom of Garain had just discovered a cave filled with gold making them one of the richest lands. Every kingdom wanted an alliance with them. With them being vulnerable, our kingdom offered protection from our army in exchange for some of their gold. To insure this alliance, a marriage was arranged for both heirs of the kingdom in a symbol of uniting the two lands.

"Honey, I just want to be assured you are safe," his mother said. "A lot of kingdoms don't want this alliance to happen. My heart will be with you the whole time. You want me to worry myself to death?"

Mathew's angry exterior seemed to soften upon realizing the very worried state his mother was in. "Fine. But this is the last time you guilt me into working with her."

The way he said that made me want to punch him in the face, repeatedly.

"Well will you look at that, this is the second thing we seem to agree on," I said, hate laced with every word.

Both our parents sighed in defeat at the feud between us. If outside sources didn't kill us, then we sure were going to kill each other.

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So this is the spin-off of The Selected featuring Liana and Dorian's daughter along with Rowan and Adeline's son. If you haven't read "The Selected" then this will only spoil the ending of who ends up with who and some other points later on in the story. For those who have read it, I have answered your wishes and I hope you enjoy!

I know this chapter was in the epilogue of The Selected, but the second chapter will be posted up immediately so I don't keep you waiting.

Now, for something special for my fans in this little series, I am holding a mini competition: whoever wants can submit a one shot of Gabriel when he is older to my inbox. I will pick my favourite one(s) and post them at the end along with your username. Or if you want, I will write a bonus chapter (or a few in the end) based on Gabriel when he is older. Whoever shows the most support throughout this book, it could be as simple as commenting something in each chapter, will get to be part of these bonus chapter(s) as Gabriel's significant other. Let me know in the comments.

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XO