America's POV
I'd been fidgeting all week, the letter should be coming soon. I still remember those days in the palace as I felt a single streak of tear ran down my face. It was just vicious, the memory of suffocating piles of silk, velvet and precious stones, for what? A chance to win the Prince's "heart", what was I thinking? being the few of a few hundreds, that was lucky, but being his one in a million, that was ridiculous, like that's even possible. I've given too much in the Selection and learned much more. I won't let any of my daughters go, not even to sign up, Anne and Lucy had just become of age so I should be receiving two entries,but i haven't got any yet. Maybe the king ordered specifically not to give us any due to the fact that he doesn't want to see my face just as much as i don't want to see his. Well, that spared me the trouble, but the thought that now King Maxon might think my daughters were not good enough for his son to be even considered to be in the selection kept jumping back in my head. And that bothered me. But it doesn't matter now I'm free of the drama the selection caused me and my daughters will completely ver out of the way. I feel kind of bad, but its the best for them.
Lucy's POV
I sat down on the Red velvet sofa waiting for the capital to be on, my mother came in with a bowl of popcorn and sat next to father. By my side was Anne my big confident sister who was now shaking with anticipation, I was really surprised that my parents have not found out about the selection. Anne is really bad at hiding emotions, I think she gets that from Mum. I didn't expect mum to find anything weird like she ever cared, but I mean dad, he got drafted in the army, he was taught how to read emotions and hid them. But he carried on as usual, I'm sure that he knows something was wrong, but my gullible big sister Anne convinced me I was being too superstitious so I gave no thoughts to it.
On the screen was Gavril Fadaye, who is wrinkled throughout his body. Why do they even let him on the show was a mystery. While he was introducing the Royal family,we carried on our normal routine, Anne goggling at Jake for the gazillion time, Matthew, my younger brother, staring blankly at the wall, but then I noticed Dad tightens his grip on Mum as she looked a bit... sad? disappointed? It was quite confusing, but there was no point figuring out now.
" Welcome people of Ilea! Today is a very special day, for you all and our dear prince Jake." Jeez, who uses dear? " Today we'll know who the lucky 40 girls will compete for Jake or get Jake to win their hearts" He chuckled at that, as if sharing a private joke, did this happen in the past? "as you know, King Maxon decided to increase the number of girls to give them a bit more chance, so now we have two girls from each province" winking at the audience as he continued. "well, let go to our queen and see if she has any brilliant advice to help the chosen few on their way"
Now the screen is focused on the queen, she looks so calm and collected, "Queen Amberley gave a brilliant advice, be what you are and don't try to pretend to be anyone else" she takes a deep breath, though slightly shaken "but my advice is to never give up hope, cling onto your goal and you will achieve it, there was some hard competitions in my selection, but I came through at the end." Mum stared ice daggers at the queen, as if she wants to stab her multiple times, but she quickly smoothed her expression and looked like nothing had happened. I came to be awed and slightly afraid by her skill of hiding her expressions, but sometimes her emotions gets the best of her, then father comes in and quickly soothe her down. They're made for each other. I knew it.
I quickly turned my attention back to the screen, as the list drew nearer to the end, i began to lose hope, I thought there might be a chance of us being in the selection, thats why I helped Anne to nick those entry papers, i was drowning in my own despair until I heard "Catherine Williamson of Hathaway 4,Anne London Leger of Carolina, 3, Lucy Summer Leger of Carolina, 3." I was so stunned and so was probably the rest of my family, I wasn't even aware of my brother Matthew still staring at the wall as if he didn't know what was happening, then the silence was interrupted by repeated rings of our house phone, we actually got in! What was the odds that both of us getting into the selection, this is going to be so interesting!