CHAPTER 7
ERIS
I think I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't surprised when Hakuryuu was chosen.
I was even more surprised he would enter and leave my nephew alone with his sister. Those two...they remind me of Galaxy and Olivia, except that Shuu isn't like Ollie. Kiriga is just so typically his father's son. I chuckled to myself. Suddenly, I saw a change in the Princess's expression. It was a subtle change and it didn't really show too much, but I could tell she was in some sort of pain. Hmm...interesting. It would cost me maybe another few bags of dried Biluochun, but then I could get enough out of them. Calista seems angrier than usual, and that wasn't very normal. I made a mental note to call Hakuryuu to prep for it. Next I met up with the Head of Security. I'd earned their respect ever since I walked through the securities and showed them where the loopholes were.
"Your Majesty? Is there something I can do for you?" I asked her and she looked at me, "Eris, no need to be so formal, I'm just the queen."
"I like how you say, I'm just the queen. As if somehow, you can be just a queen."
She laughed and glanced at English, who was leaning against a table talking quietly to her best friend Lynn.
"Is she doing alright Calista? She doesn't look too good," I said and Calista looked at me, "She's fine! There is nothing wrong with her!"
Now I knew that there was something wrong with her. Calista didn't actually think she could hide this from me, right? I hoped not, or else things would get a little too awkward when she found out I knew the whole time.
"Eris, do you remember the letters Pierce and I sent you?" Calista asked and I glanced her way.
"The ones about Dominica?" I asked and she nodded, "Yes, those...well, Calista, I'd just like to tell you not to worry, Those were bad, very bad, but they weren't the worst."
"So you're telling me there's worse?" Calista looked over at me with large eyes. I let a little smile slip, "I'm sorry Your Majesty, but yes. Those attacks weren't the biggest one's we've come across."
"They weren't?" Calista sighed, obviously upset.
"The rebels are setting up a large group. You can expect an even larger plan. Do you remember the man the guards have been hunting?" I asked her and she shook her head, "Didn't he have like...reddish, brown hair?"
"Yes," I said.
"Right, he's a very dangerous criminal isn't he?" Calista pointed out and I nodded, "Do you think...maybe the Selection?"
"No, no, no, that would never happen. He'd have to really have a heart of hatred of us if he wanted to get right into the action," Calista said and I nodded, "Sure."
ENGLISH
The Selected would be in the castle in under and hour. That meant my maids had less then an hour to make me look like a real princess, and give me medicine to keep the headaches away. When I was younger, there were times I thought that I only got headaches because I didn't have a true love. Nowadays I wasn't that dumb to think that all I needed was a boy to save me from pain.
"Miss English, how would you like your hair?" Marigold asked as Jana straightened out my dress. It was short and white with long sleeves and a little black lace at the bottom of the skirt end. I sighed, "Just do something. Please."
Marigold nodded, putting my hair into a pretty waterfall braided hairdo. I smiled, "Thank you."
"No problem Princess English, anything to make sure you look beautiful for meeting your future husband," Marigold smiled and I found myself stumbling. It hadn't even occurred to me that one day one of the boys coming to my house would end up marrying me. Having children with me. Ruling the country with me. I know it's a stupid thing, the fact that I hadn't even realized one of them would live my life with me, but everything was about preparing for the Selection, not really, thinking about it. I rubbed my forehead. I wasn't going to cry again, no matter how many times my heart started leaking tears.
"English!" Marigold caught me before I fell, "Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah, yes, I'm fine," I waved them off as they set me on my bed, "I'm fine, I promise."
"You almost fainted Miss English! This isn't okay! I might have to call a guard to take you to the medical wing again," Jana snapped and I bounced up, "No! Please no! I'm fine, I promise! I don't need to go to the medical wing!" The last thing I wanted was to be sleeping in the medical wing while the boys were waiting for me. I also didn't want my mother telling me I told you so. I hated those words.
"Are you sure?" Marigold asked quietly and I nodded, smiling, "I'm sure."
"Fine," Jana grumbled, "Let's get you into the dress now, before you start throwing up or something."
Marigold glared at Jana, but pushed me forwards towards the knee length dress. As I slipped into it and put my heels on, Marigold tried to put makeup on my face, "Not a lot please."
"Why not?" She asked and I shrugged, "I'm just not feeling it I guess."
I saw in the corner of my eyes Marigold glance at Jana and Jana shrug. So I was acting a little weird. You could blame my mother. Sometimes I hear about Lynn complaining about how her mom is so annoying, wanting her to find a nice boy and wanting to go shopping when Lynn would rather sit down and watch TV. Sometimes I even hear Ursa, or Jana or Marigold talking about their mother's. Jana's mother thinks Jana's weird for not liking girl things. Marigold's mother, from what I've heard, sounds sweet and nice. Ursa's mother was kind of strict, and Ursa rarely complained, but she did sound annoyed while talking about her. But my mother was usually an okay mother, but lately she's just been bratty. Everything seems to have shifted. Instead of a very active Harris, he looks more frightened or quiet. And instead of a shy Austen, he's a little more talkative. And Libby's been distant. I've never encountered a distant Libby before. It's starting to scare me.
If our mother shifts. So does our family.
Sewati Quatali Misu
I had been hoping that all of the suitors were friendly. But most of them just seem distant and quiet.
The boy from Whites was the only one I had caught the name of. Hakuryuu. That was his name. I had heard of him before. He was supposedly famous for something, but I didn't know what.
He sat a few seat away from me. A boy from Bankston sat in the front of the plane, and we had to stop at St. George, Baffin and Atlin before heading to the castle.
We stopped at Atlin first, after getting the St. George boy, and a guy got onto the plane. I remembered him. His name was Thomas Moore. I only remembered him because my sister had pointed out that he lived in the province next to us.
He moved his hands around a little, and the captain smiled, nodding and pointing to a seat. I hadn't even heard Thomas say anything, but the captain understood what he meant, How?
Thomas sat down, and before the plane took off, I went to sit across from him. He looked a little surprised, and I smiled, "Hi."
Thomas gave an awkward smile and waved.
"I'm Sewati. Sewati Misu," I stuck my dark hand out for him to shake, and he did. "You're Thomas right? Thomas Moore?"
Thomas nodded.
"You don't talk a lot do you?" I asked with a smile, and Thomas looked like he wanted to laugh.
"He obviously can't talk," I heard someone say and Hakuryuu came up to sit next to Thomas. Thomas nodded and I looked at him.
"Oh, I didn't know that," I said and felt a little odd. Thomas was mute. How could I have not guessed that?
Hakuryuu looked at me like it was a simple thing to understand or find out.
"You must be Hakuryuu, I'm Sewati Misu," I said, holding out my hand. Hakuryuu looked at me, "Your name means curved bear claw?"
I looked at him, stunned. My little sister Awanatu always called me Bear or Bear Claw because of my names meaning. How had this guy known what it meant?
"Uh, yeah, I just. How did you know that?" I asked him, my hand slowly bringing itself back to my side.
"I know everything," he smiled, "Don't be surprised."
Finnigan James Hartley
The ride was long and boring. We had to stop by Columbia, Dakota, Ottora, and a ton of other provinces before we could finally reach the Illean palace. The first guy to get on was Nicholas Alexander Hartwick. He was from Belcourt. We hadn't even stopped at all of the other provinces yet. Only my province, Calgary, and his. He instantly came my way.
"Hello," he said and I looked at him, "Hi."
"So why did you sign up for this?" He asked me and I was a little surprised. I hadn't expected such intense questions this early on.
"I guess I just need time away from my schooling. And I thought Princess English was pretty, and nice enough. So why not?" I said and Nicholas nodded, "Good, I was just making sure you weren't one of those brats who came to play around. Glad to have you here."
"Uh...thanks?" I said, but it was more like a question then any other statement I'd said in my life. "So why are you here?" I asked him and he smiled.
"I actually don't exactly know the answer to that question. I hope to find out soon enough," Nicholas answered and I frowned, "How do you not know why you entered the Selection? Did you do it for a vacation of some kind? For the money? For the princess?"
"I don't know Finnigan," He answered and I frowned, "How do you know my name?"
"Finn, all of our names were broadcasted live on television, how do you not know my name?" He said.
"I do know your name," I pointed out and he laughed, "Then what is it?"
"Nicholas," I said. He shook his head, "That's too hard. You can just call me Nick."
"Dude, it's literally only eight letters. You just crossed out four, does it really matter?" I asked and he shrugged, "I don't know does it?"
"Your confusing me."
Elias Fulkner
I think it wasn't until I heard about Princess English's Selection that I actually wondered if I could fight for her. That's why I signed up. To see if she was worth the fight. But getting on this plane, and leaving my home, and going to a ton of different provinces before I actually got to Angeles. It just seemed like a lot.
We picked up people from Clermont, Allens and Kent. Midston too. Since I lived in Carolina, I was kind of the heart of the southeastern area.
A blonde haired boy gets onto the plane, Sorren, I think his name was. He sits across from me and a guy named Sven.
"Hi, I'm Sorren," he smiled. I knew his name was Sorren.
"Elias, but you can just call me Eli," I said, holding out my hand for him to shake. "M'kay, thanks."
"No problem,' I said and looked at Sven who was sitting next to me.
"So...this is exciting," I said, then laughed, "Can't wait to see if Princess English is as pretty as she is on TV."
Sorren looked at me, "I bet she is."
"Ya think so?" I looked out the window, "Maybe instead of brown hair, she actually has red or blonde hair, and our TVs just mess everything up," I laughed. Sorren smiled, "Yeah, sure, because that's likely."
"I wonder if these other guys will be nice. I mean, I know there will be some jerks, but, what about the rest?" I asked and Sorren shrugged, a smile coming onto his face, "I wonder what the guys who hate brunettes do in this situation."
I laughed at him lame joke. I hadn't thought of that. I probably hadn't thought of that because it didn't matter to me. I'd take any hair color. As long as she were worth it.
Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! I can't wait until Christmas, even though I know we have a while to go. Here in America (in case you don't live in America.) It's Thanksgiving, where we give thanks for everything we have! I'm really sad because we had to kill our turkeys to eat, because the traditional meal is turkey. Anyways I'm excited for Christmas because I'm probably going to get a ton of books, I know, because that's all I asked for. Anyways, thanks a bunch and have a happy Thanksgiving if you live in America and a happy day if you live anywhere else!
Forever And Always,
MABubbles
