A/N (SPOILERS! I WARNED YOU IN THE DESCRIPTION, SO I REFUSE ALL BLAME. READ THE HEIR COMPLETELY BEFORE YOU READ THIS!)

Hello! This is my take on what happens if Kile wins, and the events leading up to Eadlyn announcing it. Oh, and America is all good, she didn't die or anything.

I don't own The Selection or any of its characters.

Eadlyn's POV

I pressed my lips against his harder. My hands go to his hair. I could do this forever and never get tired of it. He tastes like chocolate.

"Eadlyn?" Kile asks, his lips only inches away from mine.

"Mmmm?" I kiss him again. This time he pulls away. "What's wrong?"

He looks around the room, not meeting my eyes. "When are you going to talk to my mom? When are you going to eliminate me? I'm tired of this. There are only 4 guys left. I don't know what I'm still doing here."

My eyes widen. I pull farther away from him. "What?"

"Eadlyn, I want to leave. I'm done being your plaything while you look for someone you actually want to marry." He spits the words out and his nostrils flare with anger.

He thinks he's my plaything? A distraction? He's not. He's nothing even close to that. Well, he was. At the beginning, maybe he was, but not now. Not even close.

"Kile, I don't… I… You are not a plaything. Not a distraction." I say quickly. My mind is racing for something else to say.

"Eadlyn, I'm done with the palace. You know I hate it. I hate this entire place. Everything about it. The overbearing staff. My overbearing mother. The constant pressure. The feeling of being trapped. I want out." Kile says, pulling away from me completely.

"You want to leave? You're done?" I can feel tears welling up in my eyes, but I refuse to cry in front of him. "You hate everything about the palace. I'm the palace. This is me. This is where I'll be for the rest of my life. This is me that you hate. The royal part of me." A tear leaks out.

"No. Not you. Never you. Just the… What's the word…" He stumbles through his words, but his voice softens.

"Just my future. I'm fun for now, but when I have to be serious and run a country you'll hate me." I close my eyes tightly. "That's fine. Fantastic. I'll just be going then." I walk away and smooth my hair, trying to make myself look presentable.

"Eadlyn," He walks towards me, "Wait! Eadlyn, don't leave."

I ignore him. "And to think, I was going to tell you today. I was going to tell everyone." I slam his door as I walk out.

Tears begin to fall down my face, and I can't stop them. Five different guards stop me, along with two maids, and Miss Marlee. Each of them asking if I am okay. I just keep running.

Finally, I reach my parents room. Without knocking, I fling the door open to find my mother reading the paper on the couch. I throw my arms around her, and my body racks with sobs.

"I was going to tell Kile. I was going to tell him that he won. That I loved him. Everything." I crying into my mother shoulder, and she soothingly rubs circles on my back. My tears subsided slowly, and I sat up next to her.

"I didn't know that Kile won. What happened?" My mom says calmly.

"Well, we were… we were," a blush rose up to my cheeks.

She laughed, "What happened after that?"

"He said he wanted to leave, that he hated the palace, and everything about it. He didn't even have an answer when I asked him if he hated the royal part of me. Mom, I still love him. What do I do?" Mom pulled me into a hug.

"I'm sure you'll figure out something." She smooths my hair and kisses my head. "You always do."

"Can I just stay in here for a while? Just until I can think of what I'm going to do." I ask, sitting up straight. She nods at me. Before she can say anything else, I curl up against her side, using her legs as a pillow.

Slowly, I drift into a dreamless sleep.

~ ~ ~ TIME SKIP of 4 HOURS ~ ~ ~

I carefully walk over to Kile's room. My hands are shaking uneasily, and I feel like I might throw up. Just as I'm about to knock on his door, I feel hands grab me from behind. I shriek causing three guards to look over at me. I turn around to see an out of breath Kile who won't meet my eyes.

"I've been looking all over for you," he says quickly, the words rushing out. "I need to say I'm sorry, and I didn't mean-"

"Kile, you're done," I cut him off. "You're free to leave, and… travel or whatever you want to do," Tears stream down my face silently. My hands shake as I walk away.

I feel a hand on my wrist that pulls me back. Kile pulls me into his chest. I quietly cry into his shoulder. He pushes me arms length away, still keeping one hand on my lower back and one on my shoulder. He takes his hand off my shoulder and wipes my tears.

"Eadlyn, I love you. I don't know what I have to do to get that through to you. I've tried before, but you push me away. Why?" Kile asks softly, keeping his voice low enough to not be heard by the guards.

I ignore his question because I don't even have an answer. "Tell me something you've never told anyone."

He looks at me strangely before bringing his lips to my ear. "I put my name in. I submitted my form for the selection. Not my mom. Not Josie. Me."

My eyes widen in shock. "But you hated me. You called me a brat, said I was spoiled and obnoxious, and you left. Six months you were gone, and I didn't care. Please don't ever leave like that again." I automatically become emotional again. I wrap my arms tightly around him.

"Then don't send me away. Don't make me leave when I'm so close to winning your heart." I must've made a face at that because he quickly says, "Not that you or your heart are prizes to be won."

"So, what do you say? Kile Woodwork, are you the winner of my selection?" I laugh as the words come out. The words seem so stupid now.

"Only if you want me to be, but I would be happy to stay here with you for as long as you want me here. I hope that you want me here forever."

"I do. I want you here forever and a day." I kiss him, smiling against his lips. "You know who else wants you here that long? Your mother."

"Oh, she'll be beyond thrilled. She'll love you more than she loves your mother." He smiles down at me.

"Kile, do you want to kiss me?" I ask, repeating the words I said only months ago, but with more feelings and passion.

"I want to kiss you every moment of the day for the rest of my life." He pulls me into a kiss, and I know, much to the dismay of my original plan, I fell in love and I have my happily ever after.