SYOC! Will only be accepted if you have a ton of detail on personality, sexuality (are they just there for the crown, or actually gay?), appearance, family, etc.! Anything you don't add, I will take creative license to fill in, so be detailed! In this fic, the caste system is still in place, so remember to write what caste they are in.
Princess Katalina was gay. Not bi, not curious, she was one-hundred percent gay. This was mildly problematic, considering her upcoming eighteenth birthday. Her parents, Queen Aledonna and King Tyran had been speaking to her about hosting a Selection… a chance for the heiress to the throne, Katalina herself, to find true love. True love, that is, in the form of a man.
"This is ridiculous…" Kat mumbled to Alder, the blonde boy sitting on the edge of her bed.
"The Selection, or the lynchings?" Alder asked, nodding to the report Kat was sifting through.
"All of it. Everything," she grumbled, "I can't believe they expect me to have a Selection! I'm not even eighteen yet and they're already shoving it down my throat!"
"It is kind of absurd, but it's rather commonplace for Selections to occur right after the eighteenth birthday, Katty. You're only really mad because you haven't told them you're gay," Alder replied with a shrug, earning a glare from his friend.
"And what am I supposed to do, just waltz up to them and say, 'Hello Dad, hello Mom, your perfect little china doll likes ladies'?"
"You're running out of options, Kat. Your grandmother helped to legalize gay couples, so perhaps…"
"My parents are nothing like my grandparents. They're shallow and self-focused, and the country has only gotten worse under them," Kat replied, with a slight air of superiority, "I need to finish this report. Please leave, Alder."
"You can't keep denying the truth. You need to get out of the closet, Kat. And soon."
With that, Alder turned around and left Katalina's bedroom. Kat let out a sigh, for she knew her best friend was right. However, there was much too much to deal with for her to focus on her love life. Relations between castes were getting worse. Just that week in Sumner there had been three lynchings on Sevens who had been protesting for better wages. There had been riots among the Sixes who wanted better treatment in a few of the northern provinces, and the southern ones were quickly spiraling out of control. Her father wanted her to come up with solutions to the problem before the Royal Council met that night, and so far she had absolutely nothing.
"Damn it all," she grumbled, tossing the papers back onto her bed and standing up with the intent of heading down to the kitchen to get a scone. As she reached for the golden handle, she was surprised to see it turn before she touched it. She jumped backwards as the door swung open and Queen Aledonna stood before her, a reproachful snobbish look on her face.
"Daughter," Aledonna said.
"Mother…" Kat replied.
"I would've expected you to be working on the reports at this time, but apparently they weren't important enough for your attention," Aledonna stared her daughter down.
"I was, I just stood up to go get a scone."
"Scones will make you fat, Katalina. And you have to be presentable for the upcoming Selection."
"U-Um," Kat started nervously, "about the Selection-"
"Yes?"
"-well, I just wanted to say…" Kat paused, "maybe each of the Selected could have their own color theme? And it could be based on their province?"
Aledonna nodded in approval, "Good, you're focused on the important things. Just like I was at your age. Like the importance of recognizing which province to choose your husband from. I actually came to talk to you about the Selection. We plan to announce it this Friday on the Report."
Kat's eyes widened. It was Wednesday, giving her a meager day and a half to come up with a solution. Because Katalina truly was the gayest person she knew, even gayer than Alder. However, she was much too afraid of that to admit it to her parents, so instead she said, "Alright, I guess I'll just return to the files I'm to look over…"
"Good choice. Perhaps there is hope for you yet."
With that, Queen Aledonna left the room, and left Kat to her reports. Kat had never liked Aledonna. After seeing her father's Selection reruns, she knew that Aledonna was nothing more than a gold digger with gigantic breasts, a beautiful face, and a nasty attitude. Her father was not much better, having clearly eliminated girls based on attractiveness alone, not their aptitude for being a royal. Kat was much more like her grandparents, who had passed away when she was seven. An elevator had broken and fallen sixteen stories. Though it had been ruled as an accident, many had suggested that the real cause of death was foul play.
Sighing at the papers she looked over, a gnawing feeling of guilt began to creep over Katalina. She'd been rather rude with Alder, and all he was trying to do was be helpful. She promised herself she'd make a point of apologizing, as soon as she finished the papers.
-uUu-
Yvette dusted the rosy blush onto Kat's cheeks as Adina buttoned up the yellow gown she was wearing to dinner. Her younger sister, Berlin, stood next to her in a similar peach number, her maids working as diligently as Kat's.
"Now, suck your cheeks in as I apply the contour," Yvette commanded in her soft voice, and Katalina obliged.
"You're almost done," Adina told her, having finished buttoning her dress and moved on to spraying a foul-smelling concoction over Katalina's hair.
Soon both Berlin and Kat's maids had finished, bringing out two large mirrors in front of the girls. Berlin was Kat's six-year-younger carbon copy, both of their long, dark brown hair curled into ringlets and pale skin shaped beautifully, their striking green eyes framed and accentuated.
"We look so good!" Berlin cheered, "This is the most elaborate dinner outfit of this entire year, minus my birthday! I wonder why? Do you think something special is happening?"
Kat smiled at her little sister, but it was far from genuine. Berlin hadn't been informed of the upcoming Selection, and her parents planned to announce it tonight.
"You know, I have an idea of what it might be," Kat said, attempting to remain casual towards her sister, despite how much the idea of having a Selection, much more with boys upset her.
"Really? What?!" Berlin's grinned stretched a mile wide, happy for a chance to be involved in something exciting.
"Hm… Adina, Yvette, you two are excused. Thank you so much for your work. Vivien and Cherry, you as well."
The four maids left the room as Berlin's excitement became nearly tangible. She loved secrets, and had a reputation at the castle for knowing everything about everyone. It was a surprise she didn't know about the Selection yet, though it was still a fairly quiet affair.
"Well, first Ber, I gotta tell you something, okay?" Kat asked, to which Berlin nodded happily.
"You know how our grandparents legalized two girls and two guys to get married when they were King and Queen?"
"Mmhm, and Winnie and Renee from cooking were dating because of it too! But what does this have to do with the extra fancy outfits?" Berlin inquired.
"Wait, Winnie and Renee were dating?" Kat was a little surprised, but she knew now was not the time for her sister to go on a gossip spree, "Nevermind that. What I'm trying to get it, Berlin, is that… well, I'm gay. I like girls."
Berlin blinked twice, then her face broke into another smile, "Duh! I know nearly everything that goes on in this castle. I got Alder to tell me forever ago! But don't be angry at him, after I heard the rumors I locked him into my room until he spilled."
"Wait, there are rumors about me? And you locked Alder in your room? Berlin!"
Berlin's only response was to dash out of her sister's room, giggling. However, she was soon stopped as Kat called, "You still don't know what tonight's about!" causing Berlin to poke her head back into the room.
"Well, what is it about then?" she asked.
"Promise you can keep a secret, sis?" Kat crossed her arms and pretended to stare down her sister, wiggling her eyebrows, "Cuz if you can't, there's gonna be a huge punishment which might involve… tickling!"
"Don't tickle me, don't tickle me!" Berlin shrieked as her sister advanced towards her, fingers wiggling, "You know I won't spill! I never do!"
"Fine, I believe you. Come here."
"Promise you won't tickle me?" Berlin asked.
Kat laughed, "I promise, we just need to be quiet."
Berlin moved closer to Katalina, desperate to hear what exactly would be going down at the approaching dinner.
"Alright," Kat whispered, "Mom and Dad have been planning…"
"For what? For what?" Berlin interrupted.
"Shush, I was about to say! They're planning for me to have a Selection."
Berlin covered her mouth and jumped up and down in excitement, "That's so exciting! It's going to be so amazing, so romantic, so perfect! Oh, but please don't choose someone like Mom or Dad! Choose someone like Amadeo…"
"Who is Amadeo?" Kat was genuinely confused, though she didn't miss the jab at their parents.
"He's from the reality TV show! I can't believe you don't know him, it's called Staying Close to the Stefanos!"
"Oh, I've heard of it. Aren't they a bit, I don't know, trashy?" Katalina shrugged.
"No," Berlin replied, her hands clasped together and with starstruck eyes, "not Amadeo… Amadeo is beautiful."
"Ooookay, well the reason we're dressed up all fancy is because tonight Mom and Dad plan to reveal that a Selection will happen… the thing is, they don't know I'm gay."
"But that won't work!" Berlin interjected, "You like girls, not boys! You just gotta tell them, okay? And do it tonight! At dinner!"
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea, Ber," Kat replied nervously. Every time the idea of telling her parents she was gay came up, she felt a ball of stress and fear build up, right in the pit of her stomach, "I don't think they like the idea of their perfect media star being marred by homosexuality."
"I think you can totes get them on your side! You just gotta plan your speech right, I'll help you!" Berlin grinned, "I know exactly what to say if they want a perfect media star."
Kat sighed and shook her head, "Well, I can always decide not to do it if I don't like it. Why not?"
-uUu-
Katalina pushed the mashed potatoes around on her plate, back and forth, getting some on the green beans in the process. She had absolutely no appetite, and was quite certain that any food to enter her mouth would come right back up. The ball of nervousness and stress had only gotten worse as the night progressed, and she barely spoke a word in her family's conversation, for fear that her voice would show how she felt.
"Katalina, you are seventeen, nearly eighteen. For God's sake, don't play with your food!" Aledonna complained, "Didn't Leonarda raise you better?"
Aledonna was never active in Kat or Berlin's lives, instead hiring Leonarda to raise her. Leonarda had been the true mother to both of the girls, despite the thin biological connection that bound them to Aledonna. Luckily, there was no better woman to raise them than Leonarda. She was strict when necessary, kind at all times, and bestowed her morals gracefully upon them.
"Sorry, Mother," Kat apologized quietly, spooning a forkful of mashed potatoes into her mouth as Aledonna nodded condescendingly.
Kat continued to eat in silence, as the rest of her family talked. She really couldn't care less about dinner conversations, with the confession she was going to make sitting in her stomach. Half of her could not wait until the secret's weight was lifted from her shoulders, but the other half screamed that she was being a fool to even consider letting the words out of her mouth.
"Well," King Tyran began, "I see we all have finished our dinner, though some of us, Katalina, appear to have taken a bit longer."
Kat blushed as Aledonna sent her a pointed glare.
"I have a very important announcement to make regarding Katalina's situation. All staff who have served us, please do stay for this announcement."
Great, Kat thought, more of an audience. Just what I needed.
"It is my pleasure to announce-"
"Actually, father," Kat interrupted, surprising herself and earning a deep glare from Aledonna, "I too have an announcement to make. And I would really, really appreciate going first. Please."
"Alright, Kat, since this is in regards to you. But make it quick." Tyran grumbled, clearly not pleased that his schedule had been derailed.
Katalina stood up, brushing down the front of her dress. She caught Berlin's eye and was greeted with a proud grin, which she needed desperately. She then caught Aledonna's eye, and was greeted with a disgusted glare, which she really didn't need.
"Father, the idea of a Selection sounds lovely, since there is really no other solid way for me to meet suitors, but there is something I have been meaning to say for years, and is very important to me. It's also very important to the country. The country needs a leader they can relate to, and they can see in their shoes. They need a leader who is one of the people, who brings sympathy and understanding from Eights to Twos, who everyone can find some way, big or small. In our country, there are many issues we are still trying to fight, and though many of them are getting better, some of them aren't. Many LGBTQ people are still discriminated against daily, and they see no sign of it getting better anytime soon. They need an icon, someone who they can see themselves in, who they can believe is here making a difference and taking action for them. And I am ready to be that icon."
Katalina took a deep breath.
"Because, Mother and Father… I am gay."
Please submit girls for the selection! I need one from every province, so I need quite a few. Feel free to send in two, but that's the limit. I love hearing feedback, so tell me if you liked this, or if there is something that could be improved in the reviews! You can submit characters in the reviews OR PM me your character. Remember to give her LOADS of detail. I mean TONS. If you look at The Selection Wiki and go to the "Application" page, there's a list of questions that are on the canon Application, so I'd appreciate if you included those. Remember that I need a ton of physical information as well, so don't leave anything out. Eyes, hair, skin, height, build, etcetera. Don't leave out anything, and give her a well-rounded personality as well! (And don't be afraid to send in mean characters… every Selection needs someone!)
