Me: Sorry about the super long wait! I made this chapter reeeaaallllyyyy long to make up for it. Some people have been asking to meet the Prince so... lets just say your wish was granted! If you like my story please follow, fave, and comment if you would like something to happen. I'm pretty great with making suggestions into reality!

Ashton: Readers are so sexy, their focused faces make me...

Me: Whoa there Ashton, lets stay PG-13!

Ashton: ...hot and bothered ;)

Me: You didn't listen to anything I said did you?

Ashton: Nope, my eyes and ears are only for my beloved readers 3

Me: Well why don't we let the reader actually read!

I stood there dumbfounded. I'm in the Selection! Is this a dream? I pinched myself to make sure. "Nope, not a dream" I mutter while looking at the darkening spot on my arm.

I look over to see Jess's parents scolding her as a result of the show. She catches my eye and gives me the darkest scowl. I recoil as her bright eyes stare down my soul. What have I done? This shouldn't have happened; she should be the Daughter of Jeneva. But wait, she isn't a virgin?

I look back to the girl whom I thought was the heavens above. Before I could ask, "Jess lost her virginity? WHAT?!" Jace looked as though he as if he was a deer in the headlights.

"When, where, WHO?!" Jess looks to her brother with a look that could have stopped a train in its tracks. "That is NONE of your business!" Jess's mom looks to me as to say "You better leave" I take her advice and run out the door.

I sprint down the street all the way home. Along the way I see people waving and congratulating me as I stop for air. Please don't cheer. I don't deserve this. Please leave me alone.

I slam open the door to see my brother with the biggest of grins. "Welcome Princess Sophia, may I take your coat?" I fight the urge to push past him and instead plaster a smile on my face.

"Why thank you young man. I am quite distressed right now so I shall go straight to my bedroom." I say in the snootiest of accents.

I run past him and leap onto my rickety bed. I try to cry as silently as I can but loud wails escapes my lips.

I bawl for hours thinking of Jess and the box and Jamie… Oh no Jamie! What are you going to do when I'm gone!

Then I remembered, my employer Mrs. Murbell said she would care for him if I got in. Oh that sweet, sweet angel. Thank God for Mrs. Murbell! I turn over to see my dented alarm clock. 12:41! I've been crying for 6 hours!

I sit up and find my mirror on my simple wooden desk. I am a mess. My eyes resemble plump tomatoes; my cheeks are stained with tears and my nose is crusted with dried snot. And this is whom they trust to be a Princess? I sigh and laugh at my ridiculous face.

I was washing away my sadness when I heard a knock on the door. I find my knife and make my way to the door slowly. This isn't my brother's knock, it's more quick and proper.

I slowly turn the doorknob ready for a fight. Before I can react, two hands reach out to me from the darkness. I can't move. Is this the end? Suddenly a head of frizzy red hair comes to the light.

"Oooo boy, looks like we have a feisty one! Sorry but it looked at though you were about to stab me. Will you promise not to hurt anyone if I let you go?" Is this lady serious? I nod and the firm hands let me go.

"What do you want with me?" I ask. The lady laughs, " Sorry to disturb you Miss Lyon but the palace awaits you." Oh my god, it's the lady from TV. She was the one who told Queen America about Jess.

She looks at me with a face of amusement as I stare at her with wide eyes. "I know what you are going to ask, and yes I do look like my sister."

I finally realize what is going on. "You are the Queen's sister, May! You are in charge of keeping the palace in order!"

She smiles and sits on my bed. "You are a smart girl aren't you? My, my room used to look just like this before I moved to the palace. So are you ready to go?"

I give her a look of confusion. "To the palace? Now?" Meet the Prince looking like this? He will send me home after one glance!

"Yes, we have to go late at night so we don't attract unwanted attention from the rebels." The rebels! How could I forget the people I have been running away from the past ten years? Not only do I look horrendous but my brain is slow as well!

"I understand, can I have some time to get my things together and say goodbye?" The woman looks at me with a sincere smile. "Of course, your brother is waiting for you in the living room. We will be outside."

She turned around and ushered the guards through the door. I scramble to get all my belongings in my old suitcase. At least I have experience for packing quickly! Since we moved around a lot I never really kept many things from my past homes. Let's see, I need my knife, my sweatshirt, my old pair of jeans, my old necklace, Oh! and the small box that tore my family apart.

I close my suitcase and walk outside. My brother is waiting for me on our sagging couch. He looks up with a weak smile. "Hey sis, ready to be a princess?" I couldn't take it anymore, I ran to give that stupid brown-haired teen a huge hug. I cried into his shoulder thinking how hard it would be to not see his stupid grinning face every morning.

"I'll write to you every free moment I have, and you'll right back ok?" He let me go and gave me a mocking grin. "Like you'll be there that long" I punch him hard in the shoulder.

I give him one last hug and head out the door to my awaited destiny.

As I walk through the door, the cool morning breeze tickles my nose. I wonder if the breeze at the palace is as nice as this. I breathe in the cool air only to be interrupted by May, who frantically rushes me to a waiting limo muttering, "Not enough time"

She pushes me into the long car and we zoom off. I watch my small house getting smaller in the distance. And just when it started to feel like home….

I turn to the mumbling woman and ask, "Are we there yet?" trying to lighten the mood. A small grin appears on her face. "Well we are almost to the airport where you will meet several other Selected. Isn't this exciting?"

I feel a smile play on my lips as I look out the window to see the rising sun. "Yep, I have a feeling that my destiny has drastically changed for the better."

She suddenly leans over. "Say, do you know why I personally escorted you?" Oh my God, wait why would she? She is so friendly that I forgot she was a huge royal official!

May seemed to notice my realization, "Haha, I see you just noticed. It is all right! Anyway, you are the lowest caste in the Selection and you honestly fascinated me. When I first saw your profile I thought a multilingual and talented Six? Where did you learn that?"

I felt my face turn white as a sheet. She seems so trustworthy but I can't risk anyone knowing who I truly am. "I was in foster care with my brother and we were taught by some Threes."

"Really? That is amazing! I mean, I'm sorry about your parents." She said with a sad face. Yeah, I'm sorry too. "It's ok, a lot of people don't know about my troubled past. I just like to reflect for a moment then let it all go so I can keep moving forward."

May's face brightened up. "That's a great way to look at things, Miss Lyon." I turn to look her way, "Thank you, also you can call me Sophia."

"Sure, Sophia, oh look we're here!" I quickly spin around to see the large airport coming up on our left. Wow, I didn't know such huge places existed. Look at all those people! I admire the glass exterior where swarms of people rush to catch their planes inside this crystal structure.

The limo pulled up to the back entrance so we wouldn't attract too much attention. As I climb out of the limo I hear a whining voice: "Why did we come to the back entrance? I have fans awaiting my arrival!"

I turn around to see a tall, slim girl with long blond hair. Jess? She spins around and I look at the face I have seen a million times in ads all over the country. To my surprise is the famous pop star Amelia Ross. What is Amelia doing here?

May suddenly rushed over to Amelia, "Ms. Ross, please step inside so we may continue to get you and the rest of the Selected on the jet to the palace."

Amelia Ross is one of the Selected?! Amelia huffed and strutted inside only after she gave me a look of complete disdain. May looked to me with a sympathetic face but I just waved it away. It is not the first time I have been bullied because of my awkward looks.

A guard waited for me at the door to escort me to the jet. As we walked I tried to spark some conversation, "So, how long have you been working as a guard?" No answer. "Isn't today a beautiful day?" No answer. "Why are your uniforms so tight?" I got a slight smile from that one.

Feeling accomplished I climbed up the stairs to enter the jet. My breath caught in my throat. Oh my God. Never have I ever seen such luxury, not even in my life as a Three. The chairs were bigger that my bed with soft cushions and tons of legroom.

"Whoa" was all I could muster before an annoyed voice shattered the silence. "Are you done day-dreaming? It took you long enough already, should we wait for Her Majesty to end her gawking?" I looked down to see an annoyed Amelia glaring at me with enormous hatred.

I heard a soft voice interrupt the awkward silence. "Amelia, you should recognize that not everyone has had the luxury of riding in a jet let alone seen one."

I spun around to see a beautiful girl with dark hair and golden eyes. Wow that girl is gorgeous. I can feel jealously boiling up inside me. "Here come sit next to me!" I was so shocked by the offer.

I hesitated too long, her eyes turning into a challenging mood. "Aw don't be scared!" she said in a mocking tone. I smiled and quickly walked past Amelia to the beautiful girl. "Thanks so much." I whispered in a friendly way.

I looked up to see her grin. "Sure girl, we are all sisters now aren't we?" I seriously like this girl. I return the grin, "Yeah I guess we are!"

I soon learned that this mysterious beauty was Camille Rivera, a Four, from Paloma. For the rest of the flight we chatted away. Until finally, "What do you think of Prince Ashton?"

Hmm I never really considered the Prince until now. "Well," I started, "I never really had a lot of access to a television so I don't really know what he is like." Her face brightened up like a light. "I have heard he is a real ladies man. He has the Princesses of France and England by a leash. I'm going to guess that he has a lot of experience."

"Why am I not surprised? From what I've heard I bet he is a huge heartbreaker." I say with mocking haughtiness. I then lean forward to whisper in her ear, "But I bet it takes a very special girl to capture his heart."

Camille burst out laughing, " Like I have a chance against the likes of you!" I join in on the laughter, "Have you seen me Camille, I look like an unfashionable walrus!" We continue laughing when we hear a voice on the loudspeaker.

"Good afternoon ladies, I am glad to welcome you to the royal palace! Feel free to look out the window but keep your seatbelts fastened as we begin our descent."

I swear every single girl on the plane threw open the windows with excitement. Camille opened our window only to discover the most beautiful castle surrounded by a huge forest of greenery.

A chorus of high-pitched awes escaped the aisles. Two seconds later the plane landed on the small landing strip beside the palace. Is this a dream? I look over to Camille who seemed to be thinking the same thing.

As we make our way off the plane thousand of cheers saying "Welcome!" fill our ears. The palace's staff line the edges of the courtyard with gleaming smiles. We all stand there amazed until Amelia sashays forward like she owned the place.

I hear her mutter, "Finally" as she plasters on a beaming smile and confronts the crowd. Unbelievable! She has all these poor people under her spell. Suddenly everyone starts to bow. I quickly do the same. What is going on?

I lift my head a little to see a young man slowly walking down the marble steps. As he got closer I noticed his masculine figure is tall and toned. His smooth black hair moved along with the soft summer wind and his green eyes seemed to smile as a smirk appeared on his face.

Who is this guy? "Aye Señor! It's Prince Ashton!" Camille whispered in my ear. Oh my God, this is Prince Ashton. Hot, probably athletic, sexy smirk, all signs that he is an enormous heartbreaker.

A soft touch on my shoulder interrupted my thoughts. I looked up to see the man of the hour grinning. "Please, you don't have to bow in front of me. It should be I who should bow for you."

I hear some gasps of longing come from the rest of the girls. Really? How cheesy can you get? I felt my eyes roll. I got up to see a flash of amusement in his eyes, "Oh my, we have a hard nut to crack. Nice hoodie by the way."

I quickly look down to see what I was wearing. No way! I forgot about my old jeans and tattered jacket. All the other girls are in gorgeous dresses, I probably stick out like a sore thumb. I definitely will be the first to go home.

As I get up I feel a blush coming to my cheeks. Don't blush, he'll think you are under his charm! I shake my head and stand up to see Prince Ashton charming the other Selected. I look to Camille who stands in awe trying to regain her composure.

"Miss Rivera, Miss Lyon come with me I will show you to your rooms." I turn around to see May gesturing to follow her. I grab Camille's hand and pull her away from the other girls.

Once we are far enough away I hear Camille shocked voice say, "I have never seen anyone so beautiful in my entire life." I smile at her astounded face. "As much as I don't want to admit it, I agree."

A wide grin appears on her face. In a manly voice she recites, "Please, you don't have to bow in front of me. It should be I who should bow for you." We both burst out laughing. "What in the world was that? How could you act so calm? I tried so hard not to laugh!"

"Well, I actually felt a bit offended by it so I actually had the urge to punch him in the face." Her face suddenly turned gloomy. "I would have loved to see that." We laugh again.

"Miss Rivera? This is your room here. Miss Lyon, you are right next-door. If you need anything just ask your maids, they will help you out with anything." We both say thank you and head straight into our rooms.

As soon as I walked through the door I was speechless. Never have I ever seen such luxury. The bed was huge and was covered in large, beautiful pillows. There was a big window leading to a porch looking out onto the garden. I had a ginormous vanity and a walk in closet. Every thing was a soft blue, my favorite color.

I was about to jump on the bed when, "Does everything fit you tastes, Miss?" I turned around to see three maids. One was blonde with soft brown eyes, another was a brunette with piercing blue eyes, and the last had dark hair and dark brown eyes that made me melt inside.

I make a big smile and say, "This is the best room EVER!" Each one of the maids giggled, trying not to laugh too much. "Don't worry, you don't have to control your laughter around me!"

The blonde maid stepped up and introduced herself and the others. "I'm Abby, the brunette is Cecilia, and this is Ida. It is a pleasure of being of service to you, Miss."

"Oh please the pleasure is all mine, also call me Sophia, "Miss" is too formal."

"Oh course, hmm girls we have our work cut out for us." Abby says looking at my clothes. I am probably not what they would have imagined to be the next Queen of Illea. I must have blushed because Ida quickly said, "Not that you are unfit, it's just we will need to make some changes to your wardrobe."

I smile and say, "No it is all right, I know what you mean." I look down at my old shirt and worn-out jeans.

"Well lucky for you we did prepare one dress for dinner tonight!" Cecilia says brightly. For dinner? How late is it? "May I ask what time it is?" Ida checks a small silver watch on her wrist. "It is 6:30, Miss. Dinner is at 7:30 so we should start to get you ready!"

I suddenly feel three pairs of hands try to strip me of my clothing. "WHOA, I can do this myself. It will be faster if you all start on some other things anyway." Three heads nod as they prepare for my makeover. As soon as I strip down, Abby calls me for my bath.

For the next thirty minutes I was waxed, lathered, washed, and almost covered in make-up. Before they could put more on than mascara, eyeliner, and lip-gloss, I asked them to stop.

Jess has tried to put tons of make-up on me and I ended up looking worse than when she first started.

Wait Jess! I never got to say goodbye! I feel tears coming to my eyes. I'm about to break down when, "Oh no, Miss er Sophia, you will ruin your makeup!" The tears suddenly disappear and I go into a fit of laughter.

My maids seemed confused as to my abrupt change in mood, which makes me laugh even more. After a few minutes I calm down and they bring out my dress.

"You shouldn't have!" The dress was gorgeous. The strapless dress was a mint green with dazzling crystal accents on the sweetheart bodice with a modest opening in the back. It seemed to match my olive skin and brown hair perfectly.

They helped me into the beautiful gown and lead me to the mirror. I looked like a completely different person. Wow, is this really me? Cecilia and Ida giggled and Abby seemed pleased with the result.

Ida checks her watch, " If we don't hurry now you will be late!" Cecilia was about to rush me through the door when Abby blocked the entrance. "Wait! You need jewelry!"

Cecilia quickly nods and rushes me back inside. I put on crystal studs and my mother's old silver necklace. I thank my maids as they push me out the door. I was walking quickly through the hallway when I saw Camille waiting on top of the stairs.

She looked so lovely. She was wearing a full-length one-shoulder black lace mermaid gown that fitted her body flawlessly. Before either of us could say anything, May walked quickly around the corner. "There you two are! We are all waiting for you. Come with me!"

As we jogged behind May trying to keep up, we whispered about how nice the other one looked. "Camille you look so pretty! The gown fits your form perfectly!" "Please Sophia, the color of the dress accentuates your features in the best possible way!"

We both giggled softly. May stopped in front of two large golden doors. "This is the dining room?" Camille asked. "Oh no no no, this is the ballroom. We want you to have the best possible first night at the palace."

May then turned around and opened the doors. A gasp escaped from my throat. The ballroom was built from white marble and had gold accents all along the walls. From the ceiling hung a big glass chandelier.

But these weren't the things that took my breath away. Look at all the food! Speaking of which, when was the last time I ate?

All of a sudden I felt an arm loop around mine. Camille looked at me with a smile. "So shall we enter?" I nod as we make our way into the room.

We walk by groups of Selected as we make our way to the food table. Just as I was about to stuff my face with food, trumpets announce the arrival of the royal family. Can I at least have one bite?

An announcer stood near the entrance of the door. "Amberly and Albertine Schreave!" Two small girls emerged in matching yellow dresses. They were identical separate from their hair color. One had wild red hair like the Queen, the other had golden brown hair like the King. They both had pale skin and had soft brown eyes.

I don't remember the King and Queen having twins! They are so cute! The princesses raced down the stairs giggling before the next announcement was said.

"King Maxon and Queen America Schreave!" Arm in arm, the King and Queen stepped into the room with a royal but comfortable presence. The King looked dashing in a grey suit and the Queen in a flowy purple gown.

I stared at them in longing. They looked so perfect together. You can tell that they love each other very much. I hope one day I'll find someone that will have that kind of relationship with me.

"Our Guest of Honor, Prince Ashton Schreave!" The said Prince walked in with the most suggestive smirk. He wore a sharp fitting black suit that drove all the women in the room wild.

He walked down into the room and exclaimed, "Let the party begin!" That was my cue. I headed straight to the food table. This is heaven! There were little hamburgers, hotdogs, carrots (I love carrots), and fries.

I grabbed a plate and piled it high. I was about to go find Camille when I felt a tug on my dress. One of the twins, the brunette, looked up with a smile. "You sure eat a lot for a lady!" I laughed. "I wouldn't call myself a lady." Her face then looked confused. "But you look like a lady."

"Thank you! Do you want some?" She nodded and gladly took some hotdogs. The other twin was hiding shyly behind her sister. I offered the plate to the girl and she took a hamburger.

"So which one of you is Albertine and which one is Amberly?" The brunette perked up. "If you can guess which one of us is which, I'll tell you a secret." I smiled. "Well I'm game! Let me see…"

I looked at the two girls assessing their personalities. I have heard that Queen Amberly was a strong but quiet queen so maybe she is the redheaded one? Then again Albertine looks more like King Maxon…

"So, what is your final guess?"

"I think that you are Albertine and your sister is Amberly!" The redheaded girl smiled. "You are right! You are the first person to guess correctly. People think that Albertine is Amberly because she looks more like her."

"I was thinking of that but I changed my mind. So what's the secret?" The brunette gestured for me to come down so she could whisper in my ear. "Ashton doesn't have nearly as much experience with girls as everyone thinks. He reads girl gossip magazines so he knows just the right things to do to make a girl happy."

The princesses and I burst out laughing in the somewhat quiet room. Everyone looked and stared at us trying to see what was so funny. Amberly looked to me, "So you won't tell anyone?" I give her a sincere smile, "Of course I won't tell!"

Albertine then spoke up. "You wanna do something fun?" I nodded. "Do you wanna play a prank on big brother?" Evil desire filled me inside. "Oh yes, I would love that."

The small girl whispered an idea into my ear. "Wow, you are a naughty girl!" She giggled, "Thank you!"

The girls rushed to the kitchen to get hot sauce. They poured it into a drink and offered it to their brother. He took it graciously and drank the whole thing in one gulp. This is going perfectly according to the plan. I poured a glass of vodka and started to make my way in his direction.

His usually smirk turned into a circle as the surprise kicked in. I walked quickly over. "Water?", I offered. He nodded and gulped down the vodka. His surprised face contorted into a façade of dread and worry.

He ran to the food table and chugged down the whole jug of water. The princesses and I were rolling on the floor dying of laughter at this point. The prince looked over at us and realized what we had done.

He scowled at us at first but then it turned into an amused smile. He joined our laughter with a deep chuckle. He then beckoned me over.

Oh no am I going home? Before I could move Amberly pulled my dress. "Visit us later ok? We are on the third floor, the guards will show you where to go!" I smiled. "Sure!" If I'm even here much longer…

I slowly walked over to His Majesty. He gives me his signature smirk and holds out his arm, "Can I have a word with you outside?" Oh my God, he is definitely going to ask me to leave! I give him a gloomy nod and take his arm.

We walked out of the ballroom and into the hallway. He dismissed the guards that were stationed, we were now all alone.

Suddenly I was up against the wall with his strong arms on either side of me so I couldn't escape. His eyes seemed to pierce my soul.

"That was a pretty nasty trick you played there, Miss." he said with a grin. I tried to look calm, "It succeeded as planned, the perfect prank if I do say so myself."

His eyes seemed to smile. "Have I met you?" Now it was my turn to smirk. "You complimented my hoodie earlier…" His perfect face turned into a look of surprise. "Hoodie girl? That was you?"

"Gee what a great nickname!" I said sarcastically. He suddenly took my chin in his hand and brought my face up to his.

"I like you Hoodie girl..." He leans in and…..

Me: Bum bum buuuuummmm! Huge cliff hanger! I have an idea of what I'm gonna do next but your comments might sway my decision... Sorry about the typos, I was on a tight schedule! I make no promises about the next chapter but lets say a week? Thanks so much for reading, it means a lot :)

Ashton: I love it when you smile :)

Me: *Blushes* Oh don't flatter me!

Ashton: Oh I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to the readers ;)

Me: You know I can kill you off! :(

Ashton: You know you wouldn't do that :)

Me: Argh... you're right

Ashton: *whispers* hell yeah I'm right

Me: What did you say?

Ashton: Nothing, my lady!