Torin Illéa's POV
My earliest memory was when I was five, I was supposed to stay in my room but I had a bad dream. My aunt and uncle were having a dinner party and I came looking for my aunt. When I found her she was surrounded by other women, she was telling them about my cousin Silas' newest achievements. I tugged on her dress and one of the ladies asked who I was. My aunt was quick to tell her I was one of her maid's children and pulled me out of the room. When we were back upstairs away from the guest she slapped me and told me to never disobey her orders again. At the time I didn't understand why my aunt would lie about who I was or why I deserved such a punishment. I couldn't help but think of this memory as I stand here in the hanger of the royal jet the night before the whole world finds out about my existences. Before the whole world finds out that Illéa and North Marid broke the Treaty of the Three Countries and how my very existences is so incredibly illegal. South Marid was for sure going to declare war on both countries over my existences.
I try to push away my thoughts as the brisk and unforgiving October night air makes me shiver. My step-mother was barking orders at different workers but her attention soon turned to me.
"Torin," She said demanding I come over to her, "My sweet son" she quickly adds to soften her appearance to the workers.
But if any of them were paying attention they would have noticed there was a hitch in her voice when she says son. It's a foreign word coming out of her mouth and I don't recall a time she has ever used it before.
"Yes, mother," I say playing along with her, but mother comes out just as foreign for me.
She pulls me over to a quiet corner of the hanger where no one else is. I can't help but notices that second jet that was being prepared. I wonder what part of my step-mother's plan that was for.
"Remember Torin your focus is to find a wife. You're not to think of politics or any wars that might break out during the Selection. Your only worry is finding the girl you want to marry." She says
"I know my place, your Majesty," I say addressing her the actual way she likes me to address her.
"Good boy," She says put a hand on my cheek, she stands there looking at me
What was she thinking? Was I still a threat she might need to get rid of one day? Or how my existence was just step fifteen in a plan she has been laying the groundwork for, for decades.
"Get on the jet. You need to be in Illéa's air space before the sun is up." She tells me dropping her hand from my cheek
"Yes, your Majesty," I say as I walk away from her
I walk back around and start to climb the stairs to the jet. I stop myself from entering and turn around to get a last glimpse at North Marid before entering. The jet was lively with the four other suitors for the Selection. When Queen Charlotte conceded that I was her rightful heir, she struck a deal with my father. She would name me her heir if the four sons of the richest families in North Marid and I married girls from Illéa through a Selection. It would a way to show our countries becoming one was how she put it. My father said it was the easiest deal he had ever made.
I choose to sit down next to cousin Silas Morland, who is looking at something on his tablet. I look over to see he is looking at the family crests my father had commissioned for each of us and our families. He pulls up mine which is just for me and my future family. My crest was tri-colored using the colors of all three countries, with both the eagle and the dove, the symbols of both North Marid and Illéa on it.
"What do you think?" Silas asks me
"I think it looks like peanut butter and jelly are about to get into a fight," I say as the two most prominent colors are orange and purple.
"Do you always let your stomach think for you?" my cousin says chastising me
"Do you think the rumors that all Illéa girls are as ugly as dogs, is true?" Lachlan Steele says interrupting us as he drinks his glass of wine.
Lachlan's father is the owner of the biggest military plane manufacturing company in the world. And as Lachlan is his father only son, it will all be Lachlan's one day. Lachlan has eight older sisters which to me always showed how desperately Lachlan's father wanted a son.
"What does it matter?" Gates Holbrook says "I thought you'd be excited since you've already slept with every girl in North Marid."
Gates' father is the owner of the most powerful bank in the three countries. And though Gates is the third son in his family and will never inherit his father's company, his inheritance could last three generations of people before investing any of it.
"Yeah but I still prefer my company to be attractive," Lachlan says which gains a sneer from Silas. "Get off your high horse Morland, not all of us have as ridiculously high standards as yours."
"If you could at least reframe from sleeping with all the Selected, that would be greatly appreciated," Silas says
"Are we still holding to the standard that the girl you marry has to a virgin? A tad hypocritical of you Morland." Lachlan says "What do you think Caswell" Lachlan adds dragging Adrien Caswell into the conversation.
Adrien had been quietly writing in his journal since I step on the jet and obviously did not want to be a part of this conversation.
"No comment," Adrien says in response.
Adrien was the true prize of this Selection. His mother is the richest person in the world and is the owner of the largest tech company ever. And as her only child, Adrien will inherit it all. Of course, as long as I've know Adrien he has never shown any interest in his mother's company.
"I swear Steele you better not sleep with every girl," Silas says threatening him
"No promises," Lachlan says and I have to pull Silas back into his seat before he goes after Lachlan.
The pilot thankful comes over the intercom which diffuses the situation.
"Alright gentlemen, we are preparing for takeoff. If you could please get buckled up that would be greatly appreciated. Our flight from Waverly to Angeles should take a little under five hours with us crossing into Illéa three hours in and well before the sun comes up." He says
When the pilot is finished, everyone has turned to do their own things. Which meant the conversation was over for now. I pull out one of the romance novels I packed and turn my focus to my book as the jet takes off from Illéa.
Hi everyone, this is the rebooted version of my story Young Gods. I wanted to get back into the story but it was just so stale and boring. So I've spent the last couple of months revamping it and making the suitors more interesting. I want to make this clear now that one of the biggest problems with the original version was that I gave way too many characters POV, so for this reboot the POVs will come primarily from the five suitors with the Selected have POVs when necessary. If you don't like that I understand but I want to do better with this reboot. If you had an accepted character in the original story, you obviously have a spot you just need to resubmit the character with updated information on her opinions of the new suitors. Thank you for reading all this and I'm excited for this second chance.