Hello! So this may be a long AN but I promise to make up in the chapter. So some of you may not know what The Selection series is (YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTLEY READ IT) but it is about a very futuristic time where there is a Prince or Princess and they do something like the Bachelor. They have 35 girls or boys to choose from to marry and start a family with. This is Basically The Selection in TMI form. I also noticed that there is another fanfic made recently using this same topic, you guys should check that one out too the author is amazballs. Without further wait here is the chapter!

Clary POV

The airport is absolutely crowded when we arrive. There are people screaming and shoving to get a closer look at us. I'd never imagined so much attention would be directed towards me. It's a good feeling.

We are escorted outside by 5 bodyguards pushing and blocking people from reaching us.

A flash of red catches my eye and I turn my head to see a little girl. Well not little I guess, she's about 13 with bright red hair like mine.

And she's totally rocking the sign she has that says 'Redheads Rule' clearly written across it.

I smile as I make my way towards her.

"Hello," I say.

She stares up at me in awe and I can't help but feel a surge of pride wash through me.

"Can I have your autograph," she asks me.

"Of course," I laugh.

I neatly sign my name across the notebook she handed me.

"And for the record I do believe that redheads will rule the world one day," she says excitedly.

I laugh as she wishes me good luck and turn to walk back to the other girls when I see other people reaching for me.

I shake so many hands, give out so many hugs, and sign so many autographs but I never seem to tire.

I've never felt more awake. My eyes are wide with disbelief at the many people here to support me.

After what feels like hours I tear myself away from the crowd smiling as I retreat to where the girls are waiting beside the car.

While Maia is smiling broadly at me as she finishes shaking hands with a woman and her son, Kaelie is glaring harshly at the both of us.

I smirk at her. She must've thought that this would have been easy for her. That the 5 and the 4 couldn't stand a chance against her. But it seems that her perfectly tailored dress and shiny red shoes intimidate most people because as of now she isn't getting nearly as much attention that I'm sure she was looking forward to.

I decide to watch out for Kaelie though, she seems as though she would do anything for Prince Jonathon… or his crown. Good or bad, and I do not want to be in her line of fire.

We all pile into the limousine waiting for us. And after a while we are moving through the crazy streets of Astasia. The heart of Idris. Or as many of us like to call it, The City of Glass.

AN: Some of you may be confused. The story takes place in the future. So we still have the states of Idris assuming Idris had states. Such as Morrow where Clary is from, or Jewels where Kaelie is from, or Astasia where Prince Jonathon lives.

Sometimes I find it hard to believe that the Palace can be in such a busy city. I wonder if all the noise ever keeps Prince Jonathon awake at night.

And why have The Royal Family in one of the busiest cities in Idris when the Rebels are still very strong.

I guess they must have very skilled security.

Kaelie snaps me out of my thoughts of the Prince's security with a hard poke to my shoulder.

I cringe when I feel her sharp nails stab at my skin.

"What game are you and your little prostitute friend playing at," she all but snarls at me.

"Excuse me, what makes you think that you can just say something like-"

"Don't play innocent, the amount of attention you were getting out there had to paid for, and I think I know just how you did it. I know that fives can be dancers too, what was your stage name huh, was it Ginger-"

"Shut up!" I cut her off. Wow she must have extremely low self asteem if she has to assure herself that we only received more attention than her because we slept with the right people.

"How stupid can you be? We both know that to even be chosen for The Selection that you have a virgin," I say at her.

Her cheeks color and her eyes fill with guilt.

"You do know that the law says that sexual intercourse is illegal before the age of 18, right," I ask her suspiciously.

She doesn't reply. And I sigh as I return to staring out the window.

What she did could lead to a public whipping for both her and her partner. I don't know what sort of plan she's got going on in her head but I do know that ever since these punishments were brought back around 2045, everyone has been careful.

The punishment for becoming pregnant before 18 is an automatic caste lowering to the very bottom. An eight. My visions of seeing Kaelie having to live in a shelter are interrupted my the sudden shadow encasing the car.

Maia and I have our nose glued to the window as the Palace looms above us. And it's not long before we are being ushered out of the limo into the hands of stylists, designers, and hair dressers.

PAGE BREAK

The inside of the Palace was even grander than the outside. Well at least as much as I've seen of it.

I was hurried into a very large room with the other girls and shoved into a seat.

"Come on people we have to move faster, they're group is late!" says a woman besides me.

"Sorry, that was my fault," I mumble through my colored cheeks.

"Oh darling at least you and the other girl didn't look like snobs in front of the most influential people in the country. The one in the red, oh god I can tell she's going to be all drama," she says with a roll of her eyes.

I let out a snort, maybe this won't be so bad I think.

PAGE BREAK

Now they are trying to decide what to do with my hair.

"I rather like her shade of red, it reminds me of red velvet," says a man named Rangor.

"But don't you think it's a little plain,"? Asks a woman next him.

"I don't care if I have fleas living in my hair, I'm not going to change it so that the Prince will like it," I hiss at them.

"Ooh, we have and individual," Rangor sings. "And that personality will look great in the dress we have for you," and with that he simply takes put a comb and some small scissors.

He begins to trim my hair. My hair has always been one length and he keeps it that way only having it come about 2 inches above my waist.

I also noticed that whatever Rangor had used made my velvet hair look shiny, and it was a nice change from what it usually looks like.

Rangor pulls me out of the chair and pushed me into the dressing room where I was rather forcefully shoved into a dress.

And everything else went by as a blur.

My skin felt softer though, and I smelled different too, like flowers and mint maybe.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror before and even though it was just for a second I've branded the image into my mind.

The girl I saw in the mirror was very much myself. Her dress was beautiful it was an off shoulder emerald dress, giving view to her collarbone and showing off just enough to still look innocent. Further down the dress had a fitted midsection that showcased her slight curves and narrow waist. Then the dress flared out into soft waves of emerald cloth.

But she was me with subtle differences, they still made her look amazing and my spirits lifted when I finally processed that I was staring at myself.

I barely had time to thank Rangor and the rest of the stylists before all of the girls including myself were pushed out of the room into one of the most lavish hallways I've ever seen.

I was in awe at the structure and my fingers itched my sketch pad.

Amd the feeling amplified almost painfully when I saw him.

There he was, Prince Jonathon standing in front of the 35 of us. His gaze swept over all of us a smile on his face. And it looked less forced when his eyes came to me.

It was at this moment when the competition wasn't just so that I could get money for my family. Looking back on my initial reasons, it made me feel ashamed of myself. Ashamed that I had the gold digger qualities I had told myself to never stoop to.

But now I seemed to forget about everything.

I forgot about Simon. I forgot about my mom and dad. I forgot about Max and Clara.

I forgot about what my caste meant, and I forgot about the entire world.

All of it frightened me, that in just a couple of minutes I found myself caring about him, interested in knowing what his favorite color was. Interested in knowing if he slept with socks on, or of he tied his left shoe before his right.

But mostly I wanted to know if I was someone he could love. Though this much was certain to me.

I wanted him.