I was as nervous as I was excited. Walking to the double doors of my parent's room had my heart beating far faster than it should have been. I knew what this was about. I couldn't decide if I was dreading it or looking forward. Perhaps both in some strange way.
The guards outside the door bowed to me then opened the doors. I walked in slowly and tried to control my breathing. Both of my parents stood in the living room section of their bedroom. They were by the little two seater couch which they sat on, gesturing for me to take the single chair across from it.
Worry gnawed at my insides. They both looked so serious. Perhaps I was mistaken? But no, I had recently turned nineteen. There wasn't anything else it could be.
"James," Mother greeted with a bright smile, almost too bright.
"Mother, Father." I nodded to them each. For a moment there was awkward silence as my parents looked at one another, daring the other to speak first.
Finally it was Father who spoke up. "Son, as you know, we have traditions in this land. The sons of royalty marry a commoner. We feel it is time for you to do the same."
"Of course father." My voice comes out a little breathless. I clear my throat before continuing. "The Selection." I say simply.
Mother smiles. I know she's been waiting for this day since I was born. "The Selection." She agrees brightly.
"When do we begin?" I ask.
Father gives me a slight smile. It seems he was worried I'd put up more of a fight. "We'll be sending the entry forms out this week. After that it should take about a month before we're ready to announce the winners."
A month. I had a month to prepare. One month to get ready for the rest of my life.
I'm quiet and mother and father share another look. It's mother who speaks up tentatively. "You're taking this rather well." She says.
I sigh. "You know my thoughts on the Selection."
For years I'd grown up with stories about my parent's selection. How they'd fallen in love nearly at first sight. How his selection was the shortest in history because he'd know from the start that Mother was the one for him.
It was only later that they started telling me more than just the fairytale aspect. Father had needed to fight to marry mother. She had been a five, considered far too low class to be the princess. My grandfather already had a woman in mind and fought father every step of the way.
Eventually, father had gone behind his father's back. He'd announced on the Report that he loved my mother. There had still been fifteen girls left in the competition. But Father couldn't wait any longer. He'd announced and since it was so public, his father had no choice but to agree to the marriage.
After that Mother had admitted more about how her side of things worked out. She told me how caddy the girls had been, how factions had formed, how some girls were so nasty she'd go to sleep in tears. She'd made some friends for life, but the selection hadn't been as magical as she'd originally made it out to be.
These stories had sent me on a selection frenzy. I had been seventeen and my selection felt far too close. I wasn't prepared. I'd read everything I could about past monarch's and their selections. I read diaries and watched old Reports. While everything worked out for Mother and Father, that certainly wasn't always the case.
Panicked, I'd begged my parents not to have the selection. I had been so frightened that I would end up choosing a girl out of necessity rather than love. That I'd end up like King Elliot and Queen Rachel. Those two had despised each other so much. They'd slept in separate wings of the castle, barely spoke to one another, and fought so much it even showed up on the Report.
It took some time, but mother had calmed me down. I'd gotten their assurance that they wouldn't interfere with my selection. That they wouldn't force me to marry anyone.
Mother had even agreed that if one selection didn't work out I could have a second one. That alone had calmed my fears. I wasn't limited to just twenty girls out of thousands. I had at least a one in forty chance.
"You'll try your hardest, though?" Mother's voice brought me out of my thoughts. She looked so hopeful, leaning forward even.
"Of course I'll try." I promised. My future wife would hopefully be among the twenty women chosen. I wasn't going to let the opportunity pass me by.
Mother smiled at me, obviously relieved. It was father who spoke up next. "We know how you feel about the selection, son, but we won't make you marry anyone you don't love."
A weight was taken off my shoulders at his words. "Thank you father."
"But don't worry," mother hastened to add. "I have a feeling that you'll find your wife in the selection. Maybe not as quickly as your father and I, but I just know that you'll find your true love."
"Mother." I groaned. I felt my cheeks flush. Emotions weren't something that were easy for me to talk about. I could barely imagine falling in love. I'd never felt that way before.
Mother just gave a musical laugh. She patted my knee. "You'll do fine James."
I nodded, although my heart had once again clenched up in worry. I tried to tell myself that I could do this. Fall in love. It was easy enough to do, right?