A month passed after the rebel attack and my partial kidnapping. Sitting in the Women's Room, I sat in a corner while reading a book that Prince Seth had asked for me to read. I had to admit that he had a good taste in novels.

Around me the thirteen other girls sat patiently, some watching the TV, others reading magazines or playing cards, the rest casually lounging around and chatting freely among each other. Everyone seemed to have one close friend in the Selection. Not me, though.

Due to my cold demeanor and actions, no one really bothered to get close to me. I was somewhat acquainted with Winter Haven, but that was it. Flipping a page in the book, the door to the Women's Room was opened up to reveal Queen Veronica and Princess Dinah.

All of the girls looked up and gave the Ones a short curtsy. Queen Veronica took a seat in her own chair, and Princess Dinah skipped over to where I was sitting. I looked up at her over the top of my book, smiled gently to her, then put the small slip of paper I used for a bookmark on the page I was reading.

"Hello, Princess," I greeted her respectfully.

"Hi, Celaena," she chirped with her light, young voice. "What are you doing?"

"Reading a novel," I shrugged, setting down the book on the small table in front of me. "What are you doing, Princess?"

"Dinah or Di is fine," she smiled at me. "I wanted to know if I could play with your hair. It's really long and pretty."

"Thank you, Dinah," I smiled warmly. "And of course you can."

She let out a squeal of joy, stood up, and grabbed my hand. I flinched slightly at the feeling of her touching me; before I was too far, I scooped up my book into my free hand. She led me over to a small place where large pillows were sat and placed me on a light blue cushion.

While I sat down, she grabbed a brush and began to run it through my long flattened strands the girls had straightened this morning. She giggled as she gathered the hairs that were part of the pinned up hairs, and started to craftily braid the long strands. I sat perfectly still and straight despite how much it hurt my back.

"None of the other girls let me do their hair," she commented while braiding.

"Well maybe they don't like people touching their hair or their Maids worked really hard on their hair," I offered.

"I would like to do Miranda's hair, but she's mean," the Princess had a pouty tone.

"She's a professional," I laughed lightly at her childish nature. "They don't like a lot of things."

"You're my favorite, Celaena," she stopped braiding, brushed out the artwork, then gathered all of my hair into her hands.

She gasped loud as she pulled up my hair, and stumbled back. I whirled around to see her pale face staring at me, her large eyes taking me in with terror. She saw my scars.

Damnit!

I bit down on my lips, knowing that she had seen each of them. All of the girls were turned towards us, Queen Veronica standing up and racing towards her young daughter. Dinah's large green eyes stayed locked onto mine.

"What happened?" Queen Veronica asked sharply with a worried mother tone I used to hear from Mom.

"H-Her back!" shrilled Dinah, pointing a small finger at me.

"What?" Queen Veronica looked at me in confusion.

"Look at her back!" Dinah urged, her big eyes snapping to her mother's.

Queen Veronica stood and walked over to me, motioning for me to move my hair. I lowered my head and didn't obey her order. She made a sound of impatience.

"Miss Evermore, please move your hair," she ordered.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but I can't," I stood up and raced out of the room before anything else could happen.

Normally I would race to my room, but for some reason I found myself instead pacing back and forth in the gardens. Only a month ago I was walking these rows with Prince Seth just before I was running through them for my life. That was our one and only date.

After that, he had spent time with the other girls. Especially Niah Sixx. I swore that girl had gained so much ego that the air that was once between her ears was now filled with the thick smoke of self pride.

I hugged my elbows, pacing back and forth quickly, my head throbbing painfully with a growing headache of worry and stress. Tonight, four girls would be taken out of the Selection. I was positive that I would be one of them.

Clutching my hands together, I moved over to a bench beside a large cherry blossom tree that had been planted on the day Princess Dinah was born, and sat down. I started to pick blankly at the ruby layers of my dress. There was the light crunching of shoes against grass, and I looked up slowly to see Prince Seth walking towards me.

"Miss Evermore," he nodded to me, his gray-green eyes taking in my view. "Would you mind taking a stroll with me?"

"Of course, Your Highness," I stood up, fixed my skirts, and ran a hand over my hair before following him into the maze.

"You seem to be in distress," he noted once we were a good ways away from the castle.

"I- I suppose," I sighed deeply, rubbing the ring I had kept on non-stop.

"What happened, Miss Evermore?" he stopped walking and stood in front of me.

"I was letting Princess Dinah play with my hair when she moved it and saw. . . you know," I lowered my voice as I came to the end of my explanation. "She gasped and everyone looked. No one saw them, of course. Queen Veronica asked me to move my hair and I refused and ran. Ran like a coward."

"Next time I see my mother I will tell her when you were kidnapped you got hit across your back and it left a nasty mark," he offered kindly, smiling to me.

"You'll tell a lie? For me?" I met his gaze. "Wait, why do you say it like she'll remember it forever? Aren't you going to eliminate me today?"

"What?" he stared at me like my face was melting off. "What makes you think I would kick you out?"

"Well. . ." I looked down, laughing breathlessly. "It's silly."

"Tell me," he urged softly.

"Well, we've only had one date," I pointed out. "And you haven't really talked to me since last month. I figured I'd be one of the women to leave."

"No," he laughed in amusement. "You're the last girl I wish to get rid of. You want to know who I'm getting rid of?"

"You don't have to tell me, Your-"

"Seth," he cut me off sharply. "And I want to tell you. I'm kicking out Niah Sixx, Abigail Cloud, Briella Paige, and Daisy Tress."

"Really? But I thought you liked Niah?" I tilted my head like a dog would.

"I may have been going on dates with her more frequently than the other girls, but that's because really I just wanted to know that I for a fact didn't like her," he reasoned.

"Oh," my face changed temperature.

"You actually thought I would get rid of the most interesting and beautiful girl in the entire castle," he mused, shaking his head at me.

I blushed deeper. "There's girls much prettier than me. . ."

"Not to me," he held his hand over mine, as if asking permission to hold my hands.

I put my hand in his, blushing and smiling as he laced his fingers through mine.

"I'm glad you're getting over your fear of being touched," he whispered gently after a moment.

"It's going to take a while before I'm no longer flinching or shaking," I shrugged. "But I'm getting there."

"Like I said," he reached up and tucked a baby hair behind my ear. "I'm glad."

"You're too sweet to me," I laughed gently, my eyes locking onto his.

"I wish to spoil you as much as I can," he smirked.

"Prince Seth," came a deep, familiar voice.

"Yes?" Prince Seth turned to Nick.

"May I speak to you? Alone?" Nick flickered his gaze to me.

"What's the matter?" Prince Seth released my hand.

I rolled my eyes, stood on my toes, and cupped my hand against my mouth so that Nick couldn't see what I was whispering into his ear. Nick narrowed his gaze. I shot him a glare back.

"That's my older brother," I whispered to the One.

"Oh," he paled. "Well, of course. Until next time, Miss Evermore."

He bowed to me and followed Nick down another path. As much as I knew that I shouldn't, I couldn't help but follow after the boys. My feet where shockingly silent on the cleanly cut grass.

I stopped around a corner that led to a clearing with a large silver maple tree that Nick had come to favor once he started working in the palace. I crouched low against the two foot tall wall that held a bed of flowers and other plants. I leaned forward but was careful to make sure I was hidden.

"So, you like Cel?" I heard Nick ask.

"Quite," Prince Seth answered.

"How much?" Nick challenged.

"Enough to die for her," Prince Seth didn't hesitate to answer my brother's questions.

"I know that Cel's one of the Selection and that she's technically dating you, but I will warn you right now. That's my baby sister you're flirting with," Nick got a dead serious tone that all brothers used when they were warning a person about their family. "I've practically raised her since our mother died. I'll say this to you once and one time only: you break her heart, and I'll break your face. Are we clear on this?"

"Crystal clear," agreed Prince Seth. "Officer Evermore, I promise you that I'd never do anything to hurt Celaena. I'd kneel to a rebel before I ever let her get hurt."

"That's a big promise," Nick noted.

I rolled my eyes.

"Nick? Stop scaring the poor boy," chuckled James who I guess came from another path.

"Excuse me?" Nick raised his voice slightly. "This is the boy that was making goo-goo eyes at Cel and was moments away from kissing her!"

"Like you're always somehow moments away from kissing Wendy back home?" James teased Nick.

"That's not funny," grumbled Nick.

"Sorry for the way Nick acted, Your Highness," James apologized to Prince Seth. "He's just very protective over Cel."

"I know the feeling," Prince Seth's tone showed the smile he was more than likely bearing on his face. "Now, before I leave, I'd like to ask something of you two."

"Please, go ahead," James had a certain sharpness that proved enough to me that Nick was going to say something sarcastic.

"May I have your permission to officially begin dating your sister?" he asked formally, as if he was the officer and was talking to royalty.

"You have my permission, Your Highness," James approved.

There was a grunt from Nick. James must've elbowed him. I put my hand over my mouth to hide the snickering.

"You have my permission," Nick forced through his teeth. "I've already warned you what would happen if you did wrong, so I guess that our little talk is done."

There was footsteps. I curled up tight against the wall, silent, watching with large eyes as Prince Seth appeared and started on the path to the right - since I was on the left side, it was a good thing. Glancing around the wall, the clearing was empty.

Slowly, I stood up and started down the path I had came from. There was a small pond that was just recently put in parked in the rear of the Western sides of the gardens that I enjoyed to go to, so I started to weave my way towards the small area. As far as I knew, I was one of the only people to ever go to the miniature lake.

I turned the last corner that opened up to the pond, and I strode over to one of the benches parked near the edge. Sitting down, I listened to the light swishes of the animal life. There was frogs, tiny fish, dragonflies, and a family of ducks around the pond.

It gave the artificial landmark more of a natural feel to it. I saw one of the frogs look at me with its beady green eyes, croak, then jump off its lily-pad into the water. A smile and chuckle came from me.

"I suppose that I'm not the only one who enjoys this place," Prince Seth was suddenly on the other side of the lake, smiling at me.

"I found it a few days ago," I shrugged. "I've never really seen a pond before."

"I thought it would give the palace a new and interesting feature," he walked the rim of the pond and sat down beside me on the bench. "And I love water."

"It's beautiful," I nodded, agreeing with him.

"Miss Evermore, would you mind going on another date with me?" he turned to me and looked at me with hopeful green eyes.

"What would we do on this date?" I smirked.

"Do you like horseback riding?"

"Never tried it."

"I think we'll take a horseback ride up to the gale a mile or two away," he stared at the pond surface for a moment, deep in thought. He smiled and glanced at me again. "Then I'll have a surprise waiting for you."

"Oh, really?" I smiled teasingly, turning myself to him, my eyes locking with his.

"Really," he smiled cockily back.

"Alright," I laughed. "What should I wear?"

"Something beautiful," he cupped my chin for a second with his thumb and forefinger. "Then again, you could wear the ugliest purple dress in the world and still look magnificent."

I hooded my eyes, staring down at my hands, blushing at his compliment. He lifted my face up to his, and I stared down into his eyes. We stayed like that for a moment, just staring at each other, giving a small smile every here and there.

"You're beautiful. Did you know that?" he finally broke the stretching silence.

"I'm not beautiful," I rolled my eyes. "Just barely grasping onto the average 'okay'."

"No, no, no," he shook his head. "You're really beautiful. And I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you know that."

"This is your new life goal, isn't it?" I smirked.

"Monthly goal," he shrugged.

"Meaning . . ?"

"Meaning that I will have you knowing you are absolutely gorgeous by the end of this month," he gently brushed the curve of my nose with his finger.

"Hmm," I laughed. "We'll just have to see by the end of this month, won't we, Your Highness?"

"I like how you challenge me," he blurted thoughtfully, studying me carefully.

"Why is that?" I almost didn't realize that my voice was lowering the more I spoke.

"Because you're the only one who does that," he answered, tilting his head slightly and slowly moving closer. "No one but you dares to challenge me. None of the other girls do it."

"Is that why you don't want to get rid of me?" I teased.

"That's only a fraction of why I'd never let you go," he shut his eyes and finally closed the space between us, his lips pressing against mine just barely.

I shut my eyes and kissed him back. It wasn't exactly your ideal spicy and fierce kiss, but it was enough to have me sold. When he pulled away, I was smiling and kept my eyes closed.

"Have you ever been kissed before, Miss Evermore?" he spoke, breaking the heated atmosphere around me and him.

"No," I admitted shyly. "Have you?"

"Once or twice with one of the other girls," he shrugged. "None were as amazing as it felt to kiss you."

"Really?" I opened my eyes and looked into his.

They were shimmering, the pupil of them wide enough that only a sliver of his unique green-gray mixture was showing. I stared into the inky dimes, almost begging with my gaze for him to not be fooling me. He smiled gently and put his hand on my cheek.

I didn't flinch from him, shockingly. It felt actually natural for me to have his hand on my cheek, his thumb stroking my cheek gently. As if we had done it a million times before, and this was no different than before.

"Really," he gave me that lazy smile, then kissed me again.

"I should go. . ." I whispered, not moving despite saying I was going to leave. "Amanda's going to want me to be in the room and get dressed for lunch."

"Why is it that you don't eat nearly as much as some people do?" he was curiously worried again, his eyebrows drawn closer together, large eyes studying mine.

"I never ate very much at home since Father gambled so much," I shrugged, turning away a slight bit. "It just kind of stuck with me."

"You should try to eat a little more," he offered, his thumb and forefinger wrapping around my wrist to prove his point.

"I know," I hunched my shoulders uneasily and pulled my hand away from his. "I'm going to go head back to my room. Where will I meet you for tonight?"

"Just before dinner," he stood up. "I'll have to explain to my mother and father why I have to miss dinner. And why you're going to be absent as well."

Seth gave me a wink and stood up, holding out a hand to me. I took his hand, flinching a little in my shoulder by natural instinct, and allowed him to help me up. He still had that warm, soft, natural smile on his face as I took his arm and we walked back to the castle.

In front of my bedroom door, he gave my hand a kiss, bowed to me, and left. If I wasn't as level headed as I was, I'd be on cloud nine skipping and being the most girly teenager ever. I did have that settled blush and smile as I opened up the door and stepped inside.

Amanda was in one of the chairs sowing up a large pile of beautiful golden fabric, Mina dusting off some of the pictures hanging on the walls, and Clarice in the bathroom rummaging through the drawers and cabinets. They all looked up when I stepped in, saw my blush, and smiled as they continued on with their day calmly. I walked over to my bed, turned my back to it, and sighed dreamily as I fell back.

"Have a nice day in the Women's Room, Miss?" teased Mina as she moved to another wall.

"No," I frowned at the memory of Dinah's horrified expression. "I left and took a stroll through the garden to clear my head when I got a headache from all the talking and noises."

"So you're all happy and giggly because you got to be in the gardens?" Clarice pouted out her bottom lip a little bit.

"No. . ." I fiddled with the fabric on my dress skirt, smiling again.

"Did you meet up with someone?" Amanda smirked, putting more force behind the word piece 'one'.

"Yes. He's the only one I'm really allowed to be with," I looked back at them, tilting my head back to do so.

"What happened in the gardens, Miss?" Mina dropped her feather duster and sat on the bed beside me, grinning like a little girl about to get a piece of candy for answering a question right.

"We talked and walked for a minute. . ." I started, curling up into a ball on the duvet, blushing at the memories. "My brother Nick came and took Prince Seth to go have a 'talk'. I went to the new pond in the gardens and Prince Seth somehow found me on one of the benches. He sat down beside me and we talked and. . ."

I let out a sigh, grabbed one of the pillows, and smashed it over my face.

"What happened while you two were speaking?" pressed Amanda curiously.

"We arranged a date," I simply shrugged, being honest but partially lying at the same time.

"When?" immediately demanded Clarice.

"Before dinner," I smiled as I played with the corners of the pillow now under my chin.

"Then let us hurry and get you ready!" declared Mina, gently grabbing my hands and lifting me off of the bed.

I was led into the bathroom by my Maids and sat down as they spent hours literally just doing my hair and makeup. Amanda was going through the "Date Dresses" rack, when she pulled out the black dress I had loved, before tucking it away and making me turn as she pulled out another dress. The girls all giggled in excitement.

Forbidden to look in any of the mirrors, I allowed the girls to blindly get me ready. Five minutes before dinner, the girls finished with me. I looked in the mirror and was shocked to see what was looking back at me.

All of my hair was curled and flowing down my shoulders and back, my makeup dark and flirty, the dress fitting me more beautifully than I had imagined. It was the silver dress. It was all solid silky fabric, princess neckline, long sleeved, closely fitting on my curved body until it reached below my knees where it flowed down into a small train behind me. On the back was a beautiful cross shape that was opened, but the girls altered it so that glittery lace covered where it used to be open. I wasn't given much jewelry, only diamond earrings. Mina and Amanda had a small blow over about whether I should wear flats or heels. Flats won the day, thankfully. I couldn't do heels. Not after the rebel incident.

"Okay, we're done," Amanda stepped back and studied their handiwork. She smiled. "Now go and have fun."

"Thank you, girls," I smiled warmly to them.

A/N: I know I haven't updated in a while and I apologize for that. School was being a pain, then I got in trouble, and we're just now getting our wifi working again. Please forgive me. I hope you've enjoyed the story. I know this chapter was a lot shorter than the others. I'm going to make them become shorter slowly but surely, even though this one was greatly cut off.

What's Seth's surprise for Cel? Is Queen Victoria going to drop the back issue?

If you have any suggestions, please feel free to message me. I'm open. I'll try to make up for lost time and push the story along.

Thank you for reading my story, I love y'all, and enjoy !