Maddy's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Maddy counted her entry papers twice, hoping the rumor was wrong. She had crossed half of Upaswood for one thing: the planetary beauty crown. Not for her green eyes or her wild curls. She wanted to win something her face couldn't hand her. Now a line of contestants whispered the same news. Only sponsored women passed the gate. No backer, no entry. Maddy had no backer. The gate officials turned her away without looking twice. A woman with a folded sash pointed Maddy toward the exit. "Come back with a noble's seal," she said. "Or don't come back." Maddy stepped aside and tried to think. She had no money and no name. A small flying dog swooped past her head, ears flapping, wings a blur of blue and orange. It landed on a decorative tree thick with bright fruit. The animal barked once, then stared at a cloaked figure beneath the branches. The figure was short, with purple skin and large golden eyes. A thin gold crown sat above them. The whispering contestants went quiet and stepped back. Maddy understood why. This was Thor, an alien noble, and nobles chose who competed. Thor plucked a fruit and fed it to the flying dog. "You were sent away," Thor said, not turning around. "I watched. You didn't beg. The others beg." "I don't have a sponsor," Maddy said. "I guess I don't have a chance either." Thor faced her now. The golden eyes moved over her slowly, then stopped at her eyes. "They all want to sponsor a face. I've sponsored faces for years. They win, they smile, they forget me." Thor tilted their head. "Why do you want the crown?" Maddy almost gave the easy answer. She stopped herself. "Because everyone looks at my face and decides they already know me. I want to prove them wrong. The crown would prove it." The flying dog nuzzled Thor's hand. Thor scratched its colorful wing and studied Maddy a long moment. "That's a reason I can use," Thor said. "I'll put my seal on your entry." Relief rushed through Maddy. Then Thor raised one thin finger. "But my seal comes with my rules," Thor said. "Sponsored contestants follow their patron's wishes. You'll wear what I choose. You'll perform the routine I design. And if you disobey me once, I pull my seal and you're out." Thor smiled, small and sharp. "I didn't sponsor you to watch you be yourself." Maddy's throat went tight. She had wanted the crown to prove she was more than a face someone dressed up. Now the only way in meant becoming exactly that. The gate official waited behind her. Thor held out a glowing seal, pressed between two purple fingers. Maddy took it. The gate opened. She was in the pageant now, and she no longer belonged to herself.