One week later...

Kaden's POV

Breakfast was substantially quieter without the Elite.

It was a peace I'd missed when all the Selected showed up at the Palace gates, but now I seemed to miss it, the dozens of clinking spoons and forks, the low murmurs of chatter.

"I think..." Osten said quietly, catching my attention. He mixed his blueberry oatmeal slowly, not even touching the warm food. "I think a confetti cannon would be great in here, Kaden."

I raised my eyebrows. "Do you remember what happened last year with the yogurt cannon?"

Osten nodded. "It took them five days to scrub it out of the draperies."

"I going to miss," Henri said suddenly from across the table.

We were all eating at one large table again, in the center of the Dining Hall. The windows threw long beams of light across the table, shining over the crystal and silver. Every seat was taken, all along the table with Eadlyn at the head.

To her right, Erik was heaping a pile of orange slices onto his plate. Beside him, Henri was seated. Next to Henri, Osten was plotting. I sat across from him with Mom, then Dad to my left before we met up with Eady again.

My sister tilted her head, dark eyes trying to determine what Henri meant before they sparked with understanding. Her expression softened. "We're going to miss you, too, Henri."

He smiled, looking at all of us in turn. "I going to miss all."

"Next time we go to Swendway, we'll pick you up," I grinned.

A ripple of laughter ran along the table before Mom reached for Henri's hand, clutching it in the way that only a mother can. "You're welcome back anytime. Of course, you'll stay here until the wedding."

Eadlyn and Erik exchanged a bashful look at the mention of their wedding, a gaze they couldn't quite hide from the rest of us.

In nearly two months, they would be married on August 4th. The date had been released to the public yesterday, prompting the magazines to start running news stories on dress designs, political guests, the ceremony, and who would be a bridesmaid or what not.

I already knew that I was to be a groomsman. Henri had the honor of being Best Man, and Ahren would be back here for the wedding as a groomsman as well. Osten got to wear a tuxedo and play the part of the ring-bearer.

I wasn't so sure that was a wise choice.

"Speaking of the wedding," Eadlyn said, standing up. On cue, the rest of us rose, chair legs scraping the polished floors. Eadlyn beamed at us all as she set her linen napkin on the table. "I have to go talk to Lady Brice about the coronation that will follow."

Erik swallowed a little at the mention of the coronation, where he would be proclaimed Prince Consort of Illéa. Eadlyn kissed his cheek before she swept off, allowing the rest of us to sit down once again

"Mom," I piped up, pushing away my empty plate. Almost immediately, a footman stepped forward to retrieve it. "May I be excused?"

She nodded, giving me a tiny wave.

I stood up, kissed her cheek lightly, and sped off out of the Dining Hall. It took me five minutes to speed-walk to the back doors before a guard opened them for me. The smell of cut grass wafted through the air, along with crisp morning mist. I grinned out of habit, the sounds of birds singing and breezes rushing through the trees so very Angeles.

I strode across the lawn, straightening my already pressed blazer before I reached the stables, a large wooden building made like a pavilion with pale shingles and curling spires that reached towards the sun.

Inside, it was bustling with activity. Stretching out like an H, the building went in one long hallway with a turn in the middle that led to another hallway. I took in the smell of hay as people brushed past me, carrying bags of apples and sugar cubes to the horses.

I finally reached the paddock of my horse, right to next to Eadlyn's Butterscotch.

"Hello, Pegasus. How are you?" I asked.

She turned at the sound of my voice, her large black eyes reflecting my face. With a knicker, she brushed her nose against my forehead, whiskers tickling. I laughed, petting her yellow mane.

I had raised Pegasus since she was foal. Dad had given her to me as an 9th birthday present, right after I started getting better than Ahren at sword-fighting. I had this idea about becoming a knight, as embarrassing as that was to even admit in my head nowadays.

"C'mere," I said, reaching for the paddock lock. Unhooking it, I led Pegasus from the stall, grabbing the bridle from the peg beside me. I made sure that every horse in the stable had the best bridles we could find, down to the last stitching. All of them were recycled material-no leather- and each one fitted the horses comfortably.

It made me glad to think the horses were happier because of that.

Once Pegasus had her bridle, saddle, and other riding gear on, I checked the stirrups, gave her a half of an apple, and stepped up. Swinging my foot over the saddle, I gripped the reins gently, almost forgetting my black helmet.

With a little flick of the reins, Pegasus walked, her hooves clop-clopping down the tile floor. We headed out through one of the open stable doors. The sunlight was blinding for a moment before my eyes adjusted.

"Alright, let's go," I said to Pegasus, using a leg cue as she started to trot through the large, grassy pasture.

Within seconds, Pegasus shifted into a dead run, galloping quicker towards the corral fence. I hunched towards her mane, my heart beating with anticipation for the jump that she cleared every time.

The fence got closer, and, with a graceful leap, Pegasus flew into the air almost as if she had wings. I laughed as my stomach seemed to rise into my lungs before Pegasus landed with a jolt, taking off again.

Wind whistled in my ears as we cut a path through the grass of the grounds. The Palace loomed to the side, all stone and glittering windows.

Then, a flash of yellow.

I squinted at the source, my eyes landing on someone standing on the balcony outside of the Women's Room. The person raised their hand, waving.

Who was that? Miss Lucy? Miss Marlee? Did they all have blond hair?

Then it hit me like I'd run into the Palace wall: Josie.

Suddenly my heart was speeding up for an entirely different reason than before.

It had been like that ever since the Capital Report where Eady announced the news about the major changes in Illéa, her engagement to Erik, and probably breaking half of the traditional customs of our country.

Josie had been speaking to some people, talkative as always. But she was different at the same time. For starters, she dressed simply, like she didn't care about being dressy to get attention. I could picture it, her turning, her blue skirt swishing around her, mid-laugh.

The moment just stuck with me, and before I knew it, butterflies were eating my stomach up. Eadlyn came and suggested I sit with Josie. I seriously hoped Eady didn't know how I felt.

Josie waved again, maybe wondering if I'd noticed her.

Then a thought leapt into my head, one with me looking like that gallant knight I wanted to be so many years ago. I had Josie's undivided attention. "Pegasus, let's go," I said, the wind snapping my words back. But Pegasus heard me, her ears pricking up before I used another leg cue, gripping the reins tightly.

Galloping quicker, Pegasus ran, wind throwing her mane back, the air gliding off of my face. The tall grass around us was trampled as Pegasus flew along, nearing another wooden fence.

I could picture it, Josie stunned on the balcony as Pegasus and I cleared the fence. She would be impressed, no doubt about it.

Before I knew it, I was beaming, the fence coming closer and closer.

Josie would think I looked strong and noble. She would look away bashfully, tell me how she wasn't sure if we would make it over the fence or not.

With a jerk, I was suddenly up in the air, Pegasus jumping. I gasped, my grip on the reins faltering as the wind changed direction around me. My leg slipped on the side of the saddle, the world becoming a sudden blur of lime-green grass and blue sky.

Then it was all dark.

4 hours later...

"Dude, stop eating all the candy at once! You'll get a stomach ache!"

"Icaph carmy imph I wamph foo."

"Darling, swallow before you speak."

"This is so ridiculous."

"You're telling me! I'm not the one who fell off a horse!"

"Not funny, Osten."

"Sorry... what any candy?"

I stirred, blinking my eyes open groggily. Where was I? What time was it? Why were so many people talking?

"Shhh! Kaden's awake!"

"I wasn't talking!"

"Well now you're yelling."

"Ulch!"

I squinted against the bright light as my vision sharpened, faces snapping into focus like I'd changed the setting on a camera. Mom was the first person I saw, her hair falling around her face like an orange waterfall.

"Sweetie, how are you feeling?" She reached forward, placing a cool palm against my cheek.

I opened my mouth to speak before a sudden pain made me wince. My whole head ached, like someone had clubbed it several times. My shoulder and my knee burned, but nothing compared to the heavy pain that was in my left forearm.

"Doctor Barton! He needs another dose!" Dad called, standing to my right as he gazed over his shoulder.

I swallowed, looking up at the white ceiling that so obviously was in the little infirmary of the Palace. Then, I swiveled my gaze to the faces around me. There was Osten, chewing on a handful of sour candies. Eadlyn was beside him, her brow creased with concern. Next to her was General Leger and Miss Lucy, and finally-

No.

It rushed back to me, horseback-riding outside with Pegasus, seeing Josie on the balcony, getting distracted as I tried to show off, falling off Pegasus and hitting the ground. Maybe I should have thought about my head or my arrogance.

But my initial reaction was: Josie saw all that.

And now she saw me lying in the infirmary. She blinked, watching as I stared at her for what felt like hours but couldn't have been two seconds.

"Here we are," a voice said before Doctor Barton drew my attention, setting a bottle down beside me with a spoonful of medicine already propped in his hand. "Just a teaspoon of this."

I gulped down the cherry-flavored medicine, trying not to grimace at it's bitter, medicinal taste. "What happened?" I finally asked, avoiding Josie's gaze.

"You totally wiped out," Osten said before Mom cast him a disapproving look.

"You were outside with your horse before you tried to jump a fence," General Leger explained gently. "You fell and hit your head on the fence. It's miracle that the worst that happened was you breaking your arm."

"Breaking my arm!" I screeched, jerking up my limb before I gasped at the pain rushing up through my bones. Mom was on me in an instant, gingerly setting my arm back down on the pale covers, shushing me. Then she leaned back, letting me breathe quietly.

I took in the blue cast, already wrapped up between my thumb and forefinger before it continued to my elbow. The cotton beneath it was comfy, but it was odd having the added weight and stiffness on my limb.

"Thankfully, you were wearing your helmet," Miss Lucy piped up.

Josie nodded, tilting her head. "I saw the whole thing happen."

I know.

"I was out on the Women's Room balcony."

I know.

"When I saw you fall, I started screaming for help. Pegasus was panicking outside when they found her, and you weren't even moving. Your arm..." she shook her head in horror.

"Kaden, it's not like you to get hurt like this. What happened?" Dad asked me, his brown eyes searching.

I froze, clamping my mouth shut. What was I supposed to say? I got distracted because I saw Josie watching me and I have a thing for her now and I seriously don't want to have to admit that right here in front of you all and her and by the way my arm still hurts and I think I'm rambling now and why is Eadlyn smirking at me?

I glanced at my sister, watching as her lips curved up in amusement. She knew. She definitely knew. "Alright, everyone," she said, sweeping her hands. "How about we let Kaden rest? Let's go. You can visit him later."

Mom leaned forward as the chatter started, kissing my cheek. Dad ruffled my hair. Eadlyn led Osten out by the shoulder, taking a piece of candy. Josie glanced back at me before she smiled, waving.

"I'm glad you're okay, Kaden," she said.

And then she walked out, closing the double-doors. I let out a breath.

That did not go as planned.

Okay, so after I posted the second chapter, I saw that reviews were back up- thankfully!

I hope you liked this chapter. I already have chapter 4 typed up and there's a fluffy scene that I like! Well, thank you for reading. I do hope you all liked this chapter, it was the first from Kaden's point-of-view! :)

Thanks to our reviewers:

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AmeValdez

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Guest: You can find it on the Selection Wiki! :)

Bye guys! Mwah!

~Loveableheart