Hey guys, I am soooo sorry that I didn't warn you about me not updating, I just don't have much computer access, but now I can update a lot now that school has started. I will update pretty regularly now that it has. Thank you all so much for the support and number of responses I got after the prologue! You all are truly a gift and I'm lucky to have so many people reading my fanfiction. Just so you know there will be no cursing or anything inappropriate in this story, so the rating will most likely stay the same. Oh, and Kenna and Kota will NOT be in this story. Without further ado, I present: The first chapter!
America P.O.V.
Sunlight streamed through my bedroom window as a new day presented itself to me. Never in my life of a 2 have I felt this nervous, guilty, and desperate all at the same time. One of mine and my boyfriend's hit songs blared from my phone, signaling that yet another call from a customer should be received. Sighing, I reached out and took the call. I never turned down a client, no matter how much they annoyed me or criticized my past performances. Being a professional singer had its perks, but privacy and discretion was not one of them.
"Hello," I said with a false cheeriness, "America Singer." "Hi, this is Sylvia Brown, the event organizer and protocol expert of the palace. I was just calling to see if you could sing at the King and Queen's wedding anniversary, as the queen favors your singing. Shall we set up the date for the twentieth of May?" I gasped inwardly and said, "Madam Sylvia; that is a week after the Selection begins! "So? If you have entered, the chances of you being chosen are astronomically small, and so unless you are otherwise engaged that night; it would do you well to take advantage of this opportunity to raise your status. Your backup is invited as well; what is his name… Alex?" I shuddered at this horrible guess, because he would never like his name to be mistaken as something that it is not. "His name is Aspen." "Ah, yes. Well, I will call you back the day after the names are drawn to have your response. Good day." CLICK. I sighed. Tomorrow was the day the names would be revealed. I could only hope and pray now, but what Sylvia said was right: the chances of me getting picked WERE small, so I tried not to get my hopes up. But with all that I was going through, I had several reasons to.
Some would say my life was perfect. I was a two with a loving boyfriend and a steady, well-paying job. However, despite its perks and perfect looks, nothing would make me happier than to have the opportunity to escape this life. I used to have a best friend, Lucy Coral, a two, until she tried to steal Aspen from me and he rejected her. She then tried to ruin my life, to no avail. When Aspen came to Carolina, we had an instant connection, but Lucy was jealous. She tried to make me look bad in front of him, and almost succeeded, but he saw through it and became the boyfriend that I loved. But then he became unbearable. He was very possessive and always got his way. He was kind and thoughtful in the beginning, when we were just starting our careers and actually were in love, but then he became overbearing and obsessive; always calling to find out what I was doing; where I was. The pressure of an expected life caused more stress than anything else, even my job, which was pretty stressful and taxing. But if I joined the Selection, all of that would change and my existing pressures would cease to exist.
The Next Day…
That morning I was awakened by not sunshine blinding me, but heavy rain clouding my vision to the outside of my apartment. Sighing, I thought, This isn't a very good omen for tonight! That night would be the deciding factor of my life; whether I would stay in a pressuring job with a man I didn't love, or I would get a chance to find myself in the grand hallways of the Angeles palace, and maybe, meet a man that I could love without the overbearing qualities. Just as these thoughts leave my head and new ones enter, my phone rings with my favorite song of mine, "The Life". I laughed as I read the name: Aspen Leger. I pressed to reject call button, as usual. I didn't want him talking to me until AFTER to Selection names were drawn and announced, as I didn't want to seem nervous, or accidently tell him about the job opportunity at the palace. If I did that, he would ask me why, and then he would basically move in with me and never let me out of his sight. I waited for the second call, because he always called twice, just in case I decided to spare the time to answer. I waited for hour upon hour, expecting a call that never came, until I finally headed to the living room.
Just to pass the time, I turned on the TV and changed the channel to the National Illean Programing channel out of pure boredom. I stared at the screen for a while before my eyes glazed over and I fell into a deep sleep, not conscious of the TV still blaring out politics to an uncaring nation.
I jerked awake several hours later to the Illean crest sitting proudly on the screen. My eyes glanced over my hanging wall clock to see the time: 5:00 p.m. Sitting up wildly I looked expectantly at the screen for Gavril Fadaye, who was the announcer and host for The Report. The crest flashed off of the screen and was replaced by the stage with and empty chair that would be filled by Gavril and the five thrones for the Illean monarchs- King Clarkson, Queen Amberly, Prince Maxon, Princess Madeline, and Prince Gerad. Not for the first time, my heart fluttered with longing and sadness. Both of my parents died when I was 16 in a car crash, and I am an only child, so I have always longed for a big, loving family. One tear escaped from my eyes as I thought about what it would be like to live in that kind of environment for the rest of my life. I had to get in; I just had to!
"And now it is time to announce the names of the 35 lucky women who will compete in Prince Maxon's Selection!" "Lady Eleyna Mills of Treal, three. " "Come on, get to Carolina," I shouted, jumping up, just as I heard the door open. "America?" Oh no- Aspen. And he heard me! "Why do you want to know so badly?"
"Lady Celeste Newsome of Clermont, three," Gavril persisted. "Um… I..." "Lady Lucy Coral of Carolina, two," Gavril commented with a sense of finality. When the news hit me, I fell to the ground, and the blackness engulfed me to the sound of Aspen screaming my name.
...Soooo what do you think?
*I think its AMAZINGER!*
*Thank you!*
k so Fav, Follow, and Review! Don't give up on me, because I have so many things I'm doing at my school this year that it won't be consistent updating, but I will update regularlyish! Some people asked me if I would be changing the history in this story, and the answer is yes. Yeahhhhhh... So that's it! Lurve ya!
-A
