EXTENDED SUMMARY:

Seven years ago, Prince James held his Selection. He found the love of his life, got married, and became a father. And then she died. Now, he's 25, and closer than ever to becoming king. One small problem remains, though; in order to be crowned King, he needs to be married. And that means that it's time for his second Selection. But make no mistakes: his second Selection isn't going to be any easier. Mysteries will be revealed, long lost will return, and loyalties will be switched. When every corner conceals new dangers and lies, all one can do is believe that Love Will Survive.


Chapter 1

The rain was, for a change, beating down on the windows of the Palace as Prince James raced down its halls. Unlike other days, he did not have time to admire the many painting lining the walls as he passed them. He also didn't have time to finish a third helping of eggs and bacon, which is the exact reason he was late for the weekly meeting of Illéa's government, held every Friday morning.

He was still holding his sandwich when he finally arrived at the biggest conference room in the Palace's offices' wing. James had been to the opening of a new city hall a few years ago, in Columbia, and was told the large glass tower filled with offices and people was normal for an office building. He had to agree that the tower had a certain charm, but he would still choose the Palace over it any idea. The offices' wing might not have as many offices as a tower like that, but it was still the largest wing of the Palace, and at least all of the offices are spacious and as luxurious as they come. It is still the Royal Palace, of course.

"Prince James. How nice of you to join us, finally," Minister Park Hardy, a grey-haired man who is not quite as fond of the crown-prince as he is of his dog, greeted James as he entered, eyeing the bacon sandwich James was quickly stuffing down his throat. The other occupants of the room — all of Illéa's other thirty-four ministers, the King, and the Queen, turned towards the door. The ministers all promptly bowed for him, while the King and Queen remained seated. When the ministers were standing again, and James had finished his sandwich, he walked up to the head of the table, where his seat was still open.

"I am so sorry for the delay in my presence, dear ministers, but I was held up by a five-year-old who refused to eat," James said as he sat down. Instantly, the mood in the room changed. Even minister Hardy, who famously dislikes James, has a soft spot for his daughter. Princess Jeralee Anne Sierra Schreave is the country's sweetheart, and no-one can blame James for being late when she was the reason.

Prime-Minister Kord Whyte, the minister of Yukon, was the first to come back to the mortal world. "Now that we are all present, I think it is time to start this week's meeting. We have a Report to prepare for tonight, not to forget."

"Yes, we do indeed. First on the agenda is the schooling system of Illéa — petitions have been started in Tammins, Fennley, Likely, Belcourt, and Calgary for the improvement of several classes being taught at Illéa's elementary schools, specifically the subject history. The petition asks for more transparency in the classes," the King began.

Illéa's history had always been a precarious subject, with previous monarchs trying hard to keep their mistakes under wraps and had the history books altered in order to make it a prettier picture, and easier to support. The last few decades that practice had ceased, but the results were still here. James thought that teaching Illéa's citizens of Illéa's faults and how they tried to overcome them would instil much more loyalty than pretending Illéa hadn't ever done anything wrong, which was echoed around the table. It was agreed upon to sit down with the starters of the petition and discuss how the history books could best be improved.

The weekly meeting had almost come to its end when the King announced the last point of the agenda. "Lastly, we must discuss James' coronation. As I am sure you are all aware, I have aged and have recently found that being King is tiring and derogatory to my health. As such, I wish to step down sometime within the next five years, after which James would become King."

The ministers did not keep quiet while the king spoke. While some expressed true concerns for King Alexander's health, most were shouting about the law, and how James could not be King — he was no longer married.

James himself kept quiet, already aware of the only possible outcome this could have. A Selection. He didn't hate Selections an sich— his parents had found love like that, his grandparents had, and he had too — it was more the idea of having one, again, was something he had tried very hard to ignore. The first time he had a Selection, he had been nineteen, and it had been upon his own request. When he found the love of what he thought would be his life, it had been more than he had ever hoped for. But now, all he had left of her were the memories and their daughter.

Lily Schreave-Austin had been the country's favourite from the very start, and she'd been James', too. It had taken James just two months to realize that she was the one for him, and it had been the start of a love nothing could compare to. Her death had almost torn James apart. The only reason he was still standing was his daughter.

To have another Selection, no matter how important, felt as if it was a disgrace to Lily's memory. He'd known that, after she died, he'd have to remarry if he wanted to be King. He had failed to realize that meant having a second Selection, six years after the first. His time with Lily had been cut short, and James was scared that if he managed to find someone else he could come to love — if not at first, maybe after they'd been married and had grown towards each other — they'd just be taken away from him all over again.

Still, he said: "I will have another Selection." The ministers, of course, did not hear him over their own shouting, so he stood up until finally, he had their attention. "I said that I will have another Selection. We can announce it on the Report next week, send out the forms on Monday so they will be available next Saturday. I will have a second Selection, and I will marry someone else."

James didn't wait for any response, or for the official message the meeting had ended. He simply turned away and strode out of the room.

The Report that night could not have come at a worse time when it came to James. Not only was the Selection hanging over his head, but Jeralee also had immense trouble to stay seated and not jump up and down all throughout the Report. The reason for her inattention was, of course, the Disney movie night that had become a tradition for the Royal Family. Every Friday night, after the report, the family got together in the Palace's movie room to watch a Disney movie. This week, it was Jeralee's turn to pick, and she had chosen her favourite; Beauty and the Beast. James was fairly sure she chose it every time she could. Her energy wasn't all about her that was distracting that night, though. With her blonde hair and small stature, she was a carbon copy of her mother, despite being only five and Lily no longer being around to be compared to. James knew he would have to tell her about the Selection soon, and he dreaded it with every fibre of his being. He was scared she would think he would be replacing Lily because she was still too young to understand that he could never do that. Lily had taken up such a big part of his heart no-one could ever replace her. He just hoped he could make Jeralee understand that. Luckily, he still had a week.

April Garter, a brunette who has been the Report host for the past five years, came up to James once the report was over. "So, I heard a new Selection is going to be held in a couple weeks?" Her voice was light, a simple inquiry in something that was sure to be big news. It kept hidden a much deeper sentiment, the knowledge of how painful it must be for James.

"You heard well," he answered her, keeping his own tone light as well. They didn't have to worry about any audience member overhearing, luckily, as live audiences for the Report had been abolished ever since rebels had started attacking different places in the country. The Palace had been hit directly only a handful of times, but for the safety of both the Royals and the citizens, live audiences had no longer been invited. The only people that could hear their conversation were the employees of the Royal Palace, and they had all signed a Silence Clause in their contracts; they were under strict orders to never reveal a thing about what happened at the Palace, even after their contracts ended. To go against that could result in jail time. Despite all that, this Selection was still a sore subject for James, and in respect for him, April kept her tone low.

"Just so you know — Lily would want you to be happy. And right now, you're not happy. Maybe this Selection can at least help you find some happiness again." April and Lily had famously been best friends in James' first Selection. It was the exact reason he'd kept April up until the end as well, and then offered her a job as Report host. There'd been an ongoing search anyway, and she had expressed interest in the job when she'd talked to him. After the Selection, April had also become one of James' closest friends.

"I know. It still just feels — wrong. My Selection is how I met her, but also why I lost her. I don't even know if I can find someone again, and if I do, what if I lose her too?" James' voice was no longer light. It was filled with a mix of pain, longing, and even a hint of complete despair. Yet, April knew that it was just the bare surface of how he must be feeling right now. She was right — of course she was, she knew him better than almost anyone. The only two other people that came close were his sister, Charlotte, and his valet, Mason.

All James had been able to think about since the meeting was Lily. He'd loved her so much — loved her so much still. It felt like a betrayal to those feelings and to Lily herself to try and find a replacement, even though James knew that if he did love someone else, she would have her own portion of James' heart, and never be a replacement. He knew he needed to marry someone. Even though loving someone, and holding another Selection, felt wrong.

At the same time, James was also scared.

Scared of giving away his heart just to get it back torn apart, or not even back at all. Scared of having to marry someone he didn't, couldn't, wouldn't love. Scared of finding someone who made him forget Lily and made him so happy he couldn't breathe.

But no matter how he felt, James would have to go through it. He was going to be the next king of Illéa, and sometimes, that meant putting aside your own feelings, your own hurt, your own problems, if it was in the best interest of Illéa. He was a Schreave; he would endure what is unbearable, and he would bear it.

"Oh, Jamie. You won't. I'll still be here — you can always come to me when you need to, you know that. And these girls, you're Selected: they know your history. They know what you've been through, how you are different now. They might even understand. You have been through a lot, but you are also older. You have grown, become a better man. For God's sake, you're a father now!" April's eyes shone with unshed tears, and she hugged him. "This Selection will be different, Jamie. It will be hard, but I really do believe it will be worth it."

James smiled at her. "I hope so."

Disney, as always, proved a great distraction. James had probably seen Beauty and the Beast a hundred times by now, but Jeralee loved it, and if that meant he did too. She was very strict on wearing her favourite yellow dress and would only allow the movie to start if James was also appropriately dressed in his Beast-attire. They then would proceed to act out the entire movie in front of the screen as well, much to the entertainment of the other members of the family.

When it was time for the ball scene, James picked the little girl up and twirled her around the room, which she responded to with cheers. "Do it again, do it again daddy!" She was giggling in his arms, squealing every time he put her higher.

Jeralee pouted when the movie had ended. She was still only five, and while the rest of the adults would sit and talk, for her the end of the movie meant time for bed.

"But I am not tiredddd!" She said, drawling the word and trying to hide a yawn at the same time.

"Then you better get tired really quick, because you're going to bed, my little pumpkin pie." James looked at his daughter, who was standing across from him with her arms crossed defiantly, and mimicked her stance. "Either you will come with me without a fuss, and I'll read to you, or you can stay and fall asleep here. But be warned: I'm not putting you to bed if that's your choice."

Jeralee pouted again. "But I want you to read to me!"

"So you're coming upstairs with me?" James raised an eyebrow at his daughter, who was yawning. She was fighting to keep her eyes open but refused to give in until, finally, she reluctantly nodded and reached for his hand. James picked her up and placed her on his hip. That's how he walked to her room, where he put her pyjama on her and helped her brush her teeth.

He tucked her in, then grabbed one of her books from the shelf next to the little Princesses' bed. She was asleep just three pages in. James sat and looked at his sleeping daughter for a while, just watching her chest rise and fall, her breathing all he needed to sustain him at that moment. Sometimes, when his life as the Crown-Prince of Illéa became too overwhelming, he missed Lily more than ever. Being with his daughter was then the only thing that truly managed to calm him down. This night, however, not even that was enough, thanks to his worries about her reaction to his Selection.

Finally, he put the book away, placed a kiss on Jeralee's forehead, and went to the sitting room where he knew his parents and sister would be.

They were all doing their own thing when he walked in; King Alexander was reading a book, Queen Winona was watching something on her tablet, and Princess Charlotte was thumbing through a magazine, a pile of others next to her. She looked up when he walked in.

"Now that we're all here, I have some news," she said, not meeting any of the gazes that turned towards her. "Prince Dorky von Dorkenstein called—"

"Lot—" Queen Winona interrupted her daughter, groaning at the name. Lot ignored her.

"To tell me that 'the best state of our engagement would be terminated.' And yes, he phrased it like that." She bristled. "Glad I've gotten rid of that self-righteous piece of crap."

Prince 'Dorky von Dorkenstein', otherwise known as Prince David from the kingdom of Germany, was Lot's — apparently former — fiancé. Neither of them could stand the other, which Lot says is because he tried to have his way with her when they were fifteen, after which she kicked him in the nuts when he ignored her strong decline. David claims she just kicked him in the nuts out of nowhere and can't forgive such an offence, which Lot thinks is a bullshit excuse for not being able to handle rejection.

"Lot!" Her mother now looked outright shocked. "Language!"

"What? Why? There's no one here but us!"

Before that argument could blow up any further, King Alexander stepped in. "He terminated the engagement? For what reason?"

"He said it was because he found someone who was better suited to his needs, which I'm guessing means that she isn't from high enough social circles to be able to say no his advances, nor from a low enough to not take shit like that. Shame. Their wedding will take place when ours was originally supposed to, probably to spare expenses. We're all still invited, by the way." Lot was studying her nails, appearing disinterested in the conversation, when she added the last sentence.

Alexander sighed. "It would have been nice to be able to hear this first-hand."

"Oh, I'm sure King Abel will reach out to you tomorrow. Dorky called just before the Report, and I believe it was the first thing he did after she said yes." Lot tossed her hair over her shoulder, then scrunched up her nose, turning to her father. "You're not going to arrange another marriage for me, are you? Because if so, I would like a bigger say, and also preferably a woman as my betrothed."

Lot was famously gay. She'd come out to the inhabitants of the Palace last year, partly because she was done pretending to be someone she was not, and partly because she had been caught making out with a maid in a supply closet.

"I quite believe it would be best to leave the choice of a spouse to you this time, darling," Alexander said, a smile tugging on his lips. James quite agreed.

"As long as you can leave the girls of my Selection to me," he said, not entirely sure he was ready to joke about it. He did it anyway. The look Lot sent him told that she was aware he wasn't ready for the rest of them to joke about it, too.

"Don't worry," she said. "I can't even imagine liking someone who could ever have an interest in my brother."

And with that, she breezed out of the room.


Hi!

So, this SYOC is now officially open! You can find the rules and form on my profile :)

I hope you'll enjoy!

Love, Sabine