Sixteen heirs from the ages of fourteen to twenty-one stood in a hedge maze. Normally only the first-born sons of the family would be allowed in such trials but given that Kazia was currently the most likely to take the throne, she, a second-born daughter, was among them while her elder brother Gabrielius was somewhere away from her. She stood in a secluded corner, just listening to the world around her. The birds chirped away as sunlight filtered through the leaves. It was peaceful and Kazia wondered if she was truly meant to take the throne.

What if the arrow was trying to reach another person and she was constantly in the way? What if it was meant for her brother? She paced the small area she was in, pondering these options when something in the sky caught her eye, a very brief flash of holy gold before the arrow appeared and sunk into her shoulder, causing her to cry out. She shook as she touched the arrow and wound. She gripped the arrow tightly and pulled, biting her lip to keep quiet as blood splashed onto the ground before the area healed over. She saw Anatol appear seemingly out of nowhere. He took her by the wrist and led her out of the maze and to the center. Others began to appear with the other heirs. Anatol held up Kazia’s hand with the arrow.

“Chosen once more, Lady Kazimiera Jagoda.” There were demands to try again, which the priests granted to keep the peace. Each time the results were the same. The arrow would go and land itself in Kazia. She was shaking by the end of it, waiting for the next wound to appear and then vanish. The final test was just gathering all the heirs except for her in one area and her across from them and a priest shooting at the larger group.

The arrow flew and immediately arced and hit Kazia square in the chest, the arrow shattering. Kazia stood there, staring in shock as she watched the arrow turn into golden dust. She didn’t fall, despite the blood that she had lost that day because of people demanding proof. Quietly she looked up at the shocked faces of those around her. Gabrielius took a step forward, worried for his younger sister as the wound healed over. Kazia swallowed thickly.

“Does this prove that I am the one chosen by Pandievas for the throne?”