Since this is a long chapter I might not post another update today. I'll try.
Natalia woke up, her face in Ian's chest and his arms wrapped around her. She cuddled deeper into him and felt his arm tighten around her. Lifting her head slightly she she looked up to his smiling face.
"Good morning Ian" Natalia said.
"Good morning, love" He said stroking her hair.
"Ugh I don't want to get up" Natalia groaned when she remembered. "Max and I have to meet the selected today"
"Looks like you have some work to do. I'll see you at breakfast" Ian said getting up.
"Ya I guess I have to get up and get ready" She said taking the hand that was offered.
"Do you want some help" He asked teasing and she pushed him out the door.
"Get out, I'll see you at breakfast." Natalia said. "I'm making pancakes, I apparently have enough time to drop by the kitchen."
"So bascically get there before breakfast is gone" Ian said.
"Ya, the cooks are making breakfast already but I have time on my hands, though sadly not enough to drop by the gym. You're ruining my schedule Ian" Natalia said with a pout.
"I will gladly delay you everyday, if it means I get to taste your cooking." Ian smiled.
"Hmm, alright I'll bend my rules and make tarts" Natalia said smirking at his face. "Strawberry, you and Max have such smiliar tastes."
"Don't tell him or he'll rush to breakfast" Ian said walking over to his room.
"I sometimes forgot you guys are best friends" natalia said shaking her head and going inside to get ready. She wore a dark navy navy blue dress with white polka dots that went down to her knees. Tanya came in to help her with her hair and make-up. She braided a part of her hair and then pinned at the back of her head with a white hair pin. She put her pearl jewelry set on and and Tanya applied mascara and red lipstick that makes her face even more gorgeus.
"I think Prince Ian would like this look" tanya said giggling.
"TANYAAAAA" Natalia said.
"Alright, alright, I've to go, I'm making pancakes and strawberry tarts. I'll send you, Lisa and Sara some if I can." Natalia promised making her way over to the door and headed down to the kitchen. She greeted the kitchen staff.
"I'm making pancakes and strawberry tarts. Do we have the ingredients, Eliza?" Natalia asked the head chef.
She nodded and natalia got to work on making the breakfast. Just as she was pulling out the tarts a maid came by to tell her that that it was time to go to the hall to mmet the Selected. She brushed off the flour on her dress and handed over plating to Eliza.
"Thanks for letting me make it Eliza. Thank you for letting me come here when ever I need it and cook or bake" Natalia said with a warm smile, gratefulness shining out of her eyes.
"Of course Princess Natalia, it was my pleasure." Eliza said.
"Eliza, I have known you for years now, I think you can call me just Natalia."
"Thank you Pri-Natalia" Eliza said returning her smile.
"Now if you'll excuse me, it seems I have to meet the selected girls now, so I'll leave you to work. If you need any help to make lunch or anything you need, don't hesitate to come find me" Natalia said walking out of the kitchen to meet her brother.
"Hey Maxon" Natalia said as she found her brother in front of the closed doors of the great hall.
"Morning Talia" Maxon said as she joined him.
"What are you waiting for?" Natalia asked him as she quickly fixed her dress. She eyed her brother in his crisp suit.
"Silvia insists we eed an introduction. Talia how do I look?" Maxon asked and she could see he was nervous.
"Play it cool max, you look fine." She said fixing his navy blue tie and brushing off his coat. "if it'll calm you down, I made pancakes and strawberry tarts for breakfast. Don't rush the introductions though, no one is eating them all"
He smiled at her. "thanks little sis. Guess it was a good idea keeping you around" He teased her.
"Oh please you know you need me" She said with an equally teasing smile. Just then the guards opened the door and they walked in, postures straight and confident.
Natalia studied her brother with one eye and the selected with another. She found him studying the selected as she was, but his gaze stopped on one particular girl. She shifted her entire concentration onto him and the girl. She had red hair and seemed to be talking to the girl next to her. She saw the girl look up and Maxon smiled at her. She could tell that something had happened. Leaning close to her brother she whispered,
"Anyone catch you eye?" she said keeping her voice light and tasing, just in case any of those nerves were still around.
He blushed the slightest shade of red and whispered back, "Tell you later, after breakfast, stay back. Ian can wait five minutes while I steal my sister."
She nodded and they stood next to Silvia. Natalia hugged Silvia as Maxon greeted her with a smile.
"Silvia where were you yesterday?" Natalia sked in a cheerful tone, hoping to ease some tension. Natalia knew that the strict woman had a soft spot for her, after all the times she messesd up, she never yelled at her.
"Good morning Natalia, i was a bit busy yesterday. I was assured though you were quite busy with a visitor though?" Silvia said winking. She was like a second mother to Natalia. Maxon let out a soft laugh ans she glared at him, a hint of rose in her cheeks.
"I do believe that isn't what we are here for though?" Natalia said and Silvia just nodded.
"Yes, Prince Maxon, how would you like to go about with this?" Silvia asked.
"I would like to speak with each girl individually, Natalia would you please keep the other girls company along with Silvia?" Maxon asked. Natalia nooded while musing over how strange it was for Maxon to use her full name. He always called her Talia. She chatted with some of the other girls, occasionally glancing oer at Maxon. However when she saw the red haired girl go up to Maxon she switched her full attention, watching her brother. He looked a bit nervous, then dissapointed, then understanding. Finally she came back and he called over the next girl. There were only a few left.
"Your highness?" The girl sitting across from her asked. Natalia shook her head and looked at the girl, her name was Kriss. She seemed like a nice girl.
"Yes?"
"Oh I'm sorry, you just seemed to space out there for a second."
"Oh no it's quite alright Iwas just thinking"
Just then Maxon and the last girl came walking over and he adressed them all.
"Please follow my sister to the dining hall unless I asked you to stay back." He said then turned his attention to me. "Talia show them to the dining room and make sure Ian doesn't eat it all" He said with a smile.
"Alright, alright, funny he told me the same thing. You two think alike" She said as she lead all but seven girls to the dining room. As she walked past him she whispered "Later"
He nodded and they all went to the dining room. She took her seat next to Ian as the slectedtook their seats.
"Hey Ian, Morning Liv" She greeted.
"Morning Nat" Liv said at the same tine Ian said "Hey love."
She laughed at the two siblings. "Oh Ian before I forget Max said not to eat all his breakfast."
"Oh he knows me too well" Ian laughed as they waited for Maxon, Queen Amberly and King Clarkson. As the King and Queen walked in the Selected all got up, curtsying. Natalia walked over to her parents bidding them a good morning and whispering a quick update about what happened. She figured by now that those seven were eliminated. Maxon walked in just then as she sat down and the selected all rose again. he told them to sit and enjoy their breakfast which was just served. She had made special pancakes for Maxon, Oliva, Ian and herself. They had Nutella on the inside and were wrapped up into rolls. She had drizzled chocolate sauce on the top (she plated them herself before she had to leave). Looking up she knew that was what her broher needed. He thanked her but seeing as she was distracted Ian tried to grab a roll off of her plate. She quickly slapped his hand as everyone's eyes turned to them. Maxon and Liv smirked but her attention was fixed on Ian who was rubbing his hand.
"Really Ian?" Natalia asked. "You have them on your plate"
"Aw come on love please? One more?" He begged as he shook her head. She turned to her brother who was smirking. "Wipe that smirk off of your face Maxon Calix Shraeve, your only getting one tart as well."
Both of their faces dropped as they groaned. The cooks who were just coming out and the gaurds lauhed at the two princes groaning over the fact that they can't eat a strawberry tart. Oliva and Natalia giggled at their brothers and the Selected just watched them in shock. What was going on? This wasn't the poised royal family they knew!
"I'll give you half of mine and you guys can split it. Deal?" Natalia said. "Just stop pouting. Both of you!"
Both boys nodded and Olivia spoke up. "You guys can have half of mine as well"
Natalia gave her half to Maxon and Olivia gave her half to Ian. "Thanks guys" They both said and went back to eating.
"I swear I have to stop going into the kitchen" Natalia said.
"NO" Ian and Maxon shouted.
"OK ok calm down, eat your breakfast, you might be forgetting you have an audience" Olivia said as she gestured to the Selected who were looking at them in shock and the staff, who were used to this, chuckling.
Ian and Maxon looked at each other and then the Selected. "Max want to handle this?" Ian whispered.
"Why don't you try sweet talking my sister and see if she'll consider helping us out here?" Maxon suggested.
"I'm right here you know, and I can here evrything yous say" Natalia said.
Queen Amberly sighed and turned to the Selected. "do excuse them. Natalia is quite good in the kitchen, she made those strawberry tarts and pancakes. The royal families of Italy, France, India and England love her cooking but these two would die for it."
"I probably should have made more but I was out of time" Natalia said sighing. "Go ahead continue eating" Natalia sighed and waved over a maid. "Could you get Eliza for me please?" She nodded and seconds later Eliza came into the room and walked over to Natalia.
"Natalia, you wanted to see me?" Eliza asked.
"Yes Eliza would you please grab the jello I made just in case, for these two, I think they won't rest in peace until they get something sweet"
Eliza giggled and nodded returning with a few plates of jello. She placed two on the table for he Selected and the other three near the royal table. Thanking Eliza, Natalia got up, placed on in front of Ian, one in front of Max and served the rest of them onto the bowls.
"Happy now?" Natalia asked.
"Oh Anna I don't think they will ever have enough." Olivia said eating her Jell-O. "My brother's lucky, if you two do get married, he gets to eat your cooking as much as he wants."
"Olivia!" Ian and Natalia said.
"What? She speaks the truth." Maxon said high fiving Olivia both laughing. "I'm the unlucky one, if anything. I don't get my sister's delicious cooking. Oh woe is me"
"Alright people if you want me to make dessert for lunch, eat your breakfast"
She looked over to the selected and it seemed as of though the girl who had captured her brother's interest, America, was enjoying the tarts. She caught her brother's eye and nodded over to America. He grinned and turned towards the selected.
"Lady America?" He said and she looked towards him.
"Yes your highness?" America said.
"Enjoying the tarts?" He asked her and she nodded.
"Oh yes your highness, they're wonderful. My sister would love these. She has a giant sweet tooth" America said.
"Would you like for me to send some home for her?" Natalia asked in a kind voice.
"Oh she would love that, your highness" America said smiling.
"I will see if I can make them myself, if not I will have one of the cooks make them. Is that alright?" Natalia asked and America nodded again. The Selected talked among themselves again and he royalfamily did the same. Some teasing, some normally talking.
"Hey Liv! you want to call Nico, Daphy, and Kaju later. i havn't spoken with them in forever." Natalia asked and Olivia nodded.
"Sorry ian, but I'm stealing your girlfriend." Olivia said as they finished up breakfast.
"Meet me in my room in 10 minutes." natalia said and grabbed Maxon both of them heading to his room.
