The Beautiful Ones

My mother once said that only the Beautiful Ones survive. This is because in the war-torn Great South, beauty is a currency, and to have it means you will never have to worry about a thing. The only problem is: Beauty is judged by our capital’s Gentlewomen, and there is no guarantee we will pass their test.  

I have accomplished the goal of my lifetime. I have become a Beautiful One. But it is not at all what I expected. Between the glitz, the glam, the fame, fortune, and my recent wedding, it’s almost impossible to believe that a civil war rages beyond the capitol city’s walls, and that my life was nearly taken because of it. This is why, the day after the attempt on my life, I choose to designate my Purpose to the great war.  

I have failed my duty as a Beautiful One. War has arrived at our doorstep. The Glittering City is falling. And worst yet: Innocent people are dying. But all does not seem lost. In the midst of the chaos taking place in the city, me and the last of the Beautiful Ones are rescued by a group of people known as The Southern Saints, who some see as terrorists but others as our salvation. Their goal, they say, has always been to fight the South’s cruel practices.