Chapter 1

As he heard the sound of wood against wood, Ryker imagined the clanging of real metal swords in its place. The sun was setting against the faded yellow stucco walls of the palace, painting everything in a golden hue. He felt safe letting his mind wander because of all of the time he had spent training himself to fight. Two figures danced across the courtyard, swords flying in a complex series of thrusts and parries, each attempting to disarm the other, but Ryker knew who was going to win this fight.

He stared down at his opponent, a smirk sliding across his face. "Oh, you're really going with a backhanded razor blade? What, are we seven now?" he said, referring to a time eleven years ago when he and his opponent had created that very move together. Instead of replying, the figure in the helmet opposite him simply began to fight more aggressively, managing to knock Ryker's wooden sword from his hand. However, his opponent continued to hit him with the sword, causing Ryker to cry out with a laugh as he removed his helmet, "Okay, okay, you win! I'm done!"

The figure regarded him with an air of smug satisfaction while discarding an identical helmet and let a long wavy mane of brown hair come tumbling out. "You let your guard down," she said, raising her eyebrows. "As usual."

"Okay Cass, I'll let you have this one, but I swear I'm going to win next time," he replied with a smile as he picked up his fallen sword and headed back towards the palace doors.

"You know there's no way you'll ever win, as long as you're fighting me."

"Cass is right; your fighting is sub-par at best. I give it a five." A voice chimed in from the shadows, startling Ryker because he had forgotten that his little brother had come out to watch the fight. He charged at Elliott, pinning the smaller boy to the ground and tickling him mercilessly. Elliott continued to scream in laughter until Cass ran over and tried to pull them apart but just ended up getting caught in the tickle fest herself. The three of them rolled over and over in the grass until a servant came to door and called them in for dinner.


Ryker, Cass, and Elliott walked down the hallway, the two boys still occasionally shoving each playfully into the wall as Cass rolled her eyes. On the way, the two brothers ran straight into their sister Melody, who was coming down from her room, a single speck of bright orange paint on her nose.

"Melody!" Elliott cried. "You missed an awesome fight."

"I'm assuming that's where you got all of those grass stains," Melody replied, looking pointedly at the huge green splotch on her little brother's gray superhero t-shirt.

"You're one to talk," Ryker said good-naturedly, reaching out and rubbing the paint off of her nose with his thumb. "You're kind of a mess yourself, kid."

Melody just sighed. At the age of fourteen, she resented the idea of being called a "kid."

The four of them had made it to the dining room, and Cass reached out to open the wide double doors and step inside, only to be stopped by a servant.

"You are to eat separately from the king and queen tonight. They are otherwise engaged."

Cass closed the door, catching a glimpse of Ryker's parents sitting at the end of the long table, deep in conversation. As the servant began to turn away, Ryker called after him, "Is it about the Southern rebels? Did my parents ask for me?"

"No, Your Majesty, the King and Queen did not specifically ask for you. They wish to discuss matters alone."

Ryker's face fell slightly, but he pulled a smile back onto his face. "Very well, thank you."

"Don't worry about it," Cass said, noticing the troubled look that had crossed her best friend's face. "It's probably just about the Selection."

He hadn't thought about it for a while, but he realized the date was approaching. Soon girls from every province would fill the palace, and he would have to narrow them down to one- the girl who would become his wife and future queen. The custom was an old one, and though his parents had thought about discontinuing the tradition, they believed that seeing the Selection play out would unify the country in this troubled time. But the thought didn't make Ryker feel any better, because though he tried his best to be open-minded, he didn't feel ready to make such a life-changing decision, let alone from a group of girls he had never met before. He had never even really talked to a girl before, save his sister and a few diplomats. And Cass of course, but she was his best friend, so that was different.

Melody's voice broke through his thoughts. "Isn't it so exciting? Soon there's going to be beautiful dresses everywhere and all sorts of romance in the air... and soon I'll have a sister!"

"What have I been all these years?" Cass asked jokingly. "The family dog?"

"Of course not. But you're not my real sister," Melody said.

Elliott broke in, pushing his glasses up onto his nose and giving his sister a supercilious look. "Technically, you'll never have a real sister. Unless Mom and Dad have another baby, but that's not likely to happen."

Ryker looked at Elliott for a moment before he replied. Sometimes the way his little brother talked, he seemed like a wise old man rather than an eleven year old boy. "What are you insinuating?"

"I don't know. It's just that I'm the youngest, and it's been eleven years since I was born. That seems like a long time to wait to have another baby."

"And one day you will have babies, and I will be an aunt!" Melody interrupted, still ranting about her brother's non-existent love life. "And my babies will play with your babies, and Cass can be there too!"

"Do I get to have babies?" Cass asked without much interest, pulling her hair up into a messy bun.

"Let's be real here Cass, who would want to marry you?" Ryker teased with a smile.

She replied by shoving him playfully in the bicep, "Enough of that Ry, let's just go eat."

The four of them walked up the stairs that would take them to their respective rooms where their dinners would already be waiting for them. When they reached the first landing, Melody and Elliott continued on to the royal family's rooms on the third floor while Ryker stayed behind to talk to Cass.

"Do you want to eat together? My mom is off having dinner with one of your mom's maids- I think they are old friends or something." Cass asked, not wanting to be alone.

"Sure. My room or yours?"

"Is that even a question?" she laughed. "Why would we eat in my closet of a room when we could eat in yours?"

The two of them laughed as Ryker caught the attention of a maid down the hall. "Excuse me, would you bring Ms. Cassandra's dinner to my room, please?" She nodded and hurried off toward the apartment that contained Cass and her mother's rooms.

After a dinner of roast chicken, rice, and broccoli, the two of them sat on his gigantic bed to talk. As Cass looked around his room, she saw all the parts of him that no one else did. The wall across from his bed was lined with floor to ceiling mahogany bookshelves, and the books on them were neatly organized by author in alphabetical order. She thought about all the books that he had multiple copies of and all the ones he read over and over. Cass took pride in the fact that she could name them all.

"Why are you staring at the wall?" Ryker asked suddenly.

"I wasn't," She retorted quickly. "I was staring at your books."

"Again same question."

"I don't want to talk about me," said Cass, ignoring Ryker's pointed look. "I think we should talk about you. You seemed upset earlier when Melody mentioned the Selection. How are you feeling about it?"

He didn't answer so much as sigh and fall back on the bed in exasperation. "I don't even know!" he said, running his hand through his golden hair rather roughly. "It's like sometimes I think I'm okay with all of this, and other times it's like... like there's something in the way. Does that make any sense?"

"No, not really. Not at all actually. Are you excited to meet all of the girls at least?"

"Absolutely not! I mean maybe," he said, heaving another sigh and closing his sky blue eyes. "I don't even know. How would you feel?"

"Ry, we've been over this. I don't feel feelings. I am the emotionless block. But, if you want to grab the swords and go fight for a little bit, clear your head..." she said, hope creeping into her voice.

"Cass, you're not helping. I know I'm usually the genius in this friendship, but still, give me something here," Ryker turned over to face her, a lazy grin on his face. "Dig deep into your feminine soul for me; I require words of comfort."

She snorted in a most unladylike manner, picking up a pillow and smacking him across the face with it, effectively muffling his words.

"That was a schmancy memory foam pillow. Comforting enough for you?" Cass said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Shut up, Cassandra."

"DO NOT CALL ME CASSANDRA," Cass yelled. She had always had a strong hatred for her given name, and Ryker knew this better than anyone, which is exactly why he chose to use it to get out of situations like this.

He laughed in response. "I only say it with the utmost love and affection, of course. Plus, you can't afford to get mad at me. I'm your only friend after all."

She got up to leave, trying to keep a straight face while saying, "Not anymore. Since we're not friends, I guess I'll just leave." Cass mockingly reaching for the door.

"Fine." He smirked.

"But seriously," she said with no humor in her voice, "Don't think you are getting out of this conversation. We will delve deeply into your emotions next week when the girls get here."

"Maybe," replied Ryker, "That is if I haven't already ditched you for one of them."

"As if you even could if you tried!" She said in lieu of a goodbye before actually leaving the room and half-jogging down the stairs to her part of the palace.


After Cass left, Ryker picked a book at random from his shelf and tried to get lost in the world of the characters, just like he always did when something was troubling him. But for some reason, the world of fiction didn't have answers for him this time. He pulled himself up off of the bed and went out into the hall, walking until he reached a set of white French doors that had blue curtains covering the glass. He knocked and opened them when he heard his mother tell him to come in.

Ryker stepped through the doorway to see his parents sitting in bed. His mother was reading a book, but she looked up when he came in, brushing strands of red hair out of her eyes. His father was going over papers. Everyone said that he and Ryker looked similar, but his eyes were his mother's. Melody was the one who looked the most like the Queen, right down to their same shade of red hair and blue eyes.

"Hey honey, why are you still up?" said the Queen.

"I was wondering," he began, biting his lip. "Is there any way we could call off the Selection?"

The King looked up from his papers in surprise. "That's what's bothering you? I thought you were okay with the idea."

"Well I was, but then I started thinking, and I'm not sure anymore. It's just a big decision."

His mother looked over at the King before looking back at her son. "It may seem scary, but it worked out well for your father and me." Her gaze wandered over to the opposite wall, where a collage of pictures was displayed. There were pictures of his parents back during their Selection, pictures of him and his siblings, other photos of the palace, especially the gardens, all of which his father had taken with one of his many cameras.

"But you didn't really meet Mom during the Selection; you met her before it even started! And what if I don't like any of the girls? Or what if none of them like me?"

"Well, you'll never know until you try, will you?" his father said with a small smile.

"The whole thing just seems a little... abrupt?" Ryker began. "Even the first time I meet the girls. Does it really have to be in the middle of breakfast? Can't we just have a party or something?"

"Actually," the Queen said. "That's not a bad idea. It would settle everyone's nerves and let them get to know each other in a stress free environment," she looked towards her husband smiling wider. "I think we can both remember how nervous I was my first night at the palace. Plus, it would give all the girls a chance to dress up before you send the first batch home."

"Not helping."

The King laughed at his son's expression. "Well, I think it's a great idea. I'll tell the staff to start preparing tomorrow."

"And don't worry, Ryker," the Queen said. "We'll be here to help you out whenever you need us."