Prince Nathaniel Gabriel Schreave

I was seriously considering having myself kidnapped if it meant I had to avoid the thirty-five girls who waited for me on the roof. I may play it off as if I hated those girls, but really I was scared. It had been years since I had a date, apart from Mrs. Wilson next door, whom I occasionally took to the senior's centre. What if this turned out like the time I tried to pick up the guitar again after seven years when I was fifteen and ended up embarrassing myself in front of the girl I like because I sounded like a beached narwhal?

Lexus entered the room, dressed in a sparkly blue dress. "Sir, everyone's already up on the roof. We're waiting for you, are you ready?"

"Lexus, I don't look like a beached narwhal, do I?" I asked, examining my appearance in the mirror. My eyes trailed down to my reflection's plastic hand. Hopefully, the girls were all blind or completely oblivious to it. Lexus came into view behind me, a confused look on her face.

"We don't have time for silly questions, sir. You look perfectly fine, the girls will immediately drop dead once they see your striking beauty and you can remain a bachelor forever. Happy now?" she replied, tugging my arm gently. I allowed myself to be dragged by her out the door and down the hall.

"Striking beauty? Lexus, do you find me attractive? I mean, it was only a matter of time before you fell for my good looks and charm, obviously. Now, how shall we keep our affair secret from my future wife? I say we go for the good old-fashioned elopement and live as hermits in the mountain."

"I don't find you attractive, nor will I ever. Besides, even if I did, and we were to become hermits, then the crown would be passed down to Prince Ace. And we all know that the country would burn under his rule. So it's in everyone's best interest that you get married, and forget any mountain fantasies you have of me, Your Highness."

I laughed, throwing my head back. "Oh, Lexus, how I enjoy it when we make mockeries of each other."

"Would you pick the pace up a bit? You're already five minutes late, who knows what the ladies are thinking? I don't know why you're so hesitant to meet them, they're the loveliest girls this country has to offer."

I rolled my eyes but didn't say anything. I knew better than to get into this argument with another person. As the door to the roof got closer, I looked down at Lexus who was still holding my elbow, an exasperated look on her face.

"Lexus, I suggest you let go of my arm. Who knows what the girls will think?"

"Oh, right. Sorry, Your Highness," she said, dropping her hand from its iron-like grip on my arm. My family was seated by the door, all waiting for me.

"Nathan, there you are! Now, we're running late already so get in your positions for our entrance. Lexus, you on ahead and alert Lauren of our arrival so she can announce us," my mother instructed as she ushered my siblings into their positions. The female components of my family had insisted that a grand entrance into the party was the best way to introduce myself. I didn't really find it necessary, it wasn't like there were any important people in attendance. Just the Selected, my extended family and a few government officials that could make it.

Just as Lexus was about to leave, Beverly called out, "And make sure to let Edy know to ready the confetti cannons."

"Beverly! I told you no confetti, it gets everywhere! I don't need that grand of an entrance." I had specifically told her to lose the cannons, it wasn't that big of an event. But, of course, my larger than life sister had to be this extra.

"Oh, the cannons aren't for you. They're for me. I can't get dressed up this much and not have confetti blasted at me. Don't be so selfish, Nate, it's not always about you," she said, linking her arms with Ace and Romeo. I had no idea if she was being serious or sarcastic. Anyway, it wasn't my problem, I had much larger things to worry about. Like, the fact that I would be meeting my future wife in less than a minute.


The moment I entered the room, thirty-five pairs of eyes were staring at me. I gave a wave to my siblings, a silent gesture to tell them I needed to talk to them. There were thirty-five girls and I was going to need help keeping them all engaged. They made their way over quick enough, questioning looks on their faces.

"Okay, I'm going to need help getting around to all of them. I won't be able to get their entire biographies in five minutes so you guys need to gather intel for me, as well. Rome, you go for the younger ones, enchant them with your politeness or whatever it is you do. Ace, you talk to all the girls aged twenty-three to twenty-five year olds. And Bev, you get to go on a free-for-all."

"How come I have an age limit?" Ace whined, glancing over his shoulder at a group of girls who were standing by the food. I recognized them as Lady Aura, Lady Lorelei, Lady Marceline and Lady Solene.

"That way it keeps you from hitting on them." I knew my brother. He was stubborn and when he saw something he likes, he took it.

"How do you know that? For all you know, I could be into older women," he smirked. I shot him a warning glare, he was not to talk to these girls in a romantic way at all. "I'm only kidding, Nate. Chill out, dude. Come along now, it's time for us to stalk our brother's girlfriends."

As my siblings fanned out across the roof, I scanned the room trying to find a girl to start with. All the girls were in their own respective groups, and I really didn't want to start with a big group on my first run. I spotted Lady Jaci, quietly sipping champagne along the railings, watching the city skyline. Perfect.

"Lady Jaci, is it?"

She turned around to face me, immediately dropping into a curtsey. "Your Highness."

"Please, no need to bow or any of that. Now, how are you? I trust that your stay at the palace so far has been up to standard, yes?"

"It's more than I ever thought I'd ever experience in my life. It's a bit overwhelming right now."

"Understandable. I felt the same when my parents forced me to move back here. Live alone for a while, you get used to doing things for yourself."

"You lived alone?"

I was shocked she hadn't heard about it. The media blew up about it, thinking I had abdicated the throne. "I did, a small house on the edge of the city. I'm surprised you didn't know, it was all the media talked about for a month. 'Prince Nathaniel becomes a hermit, quits royal life because of his secret love affair with the Italian Princess.'"

She laughed, "Well, I don't really bother myself with any of that. Not really any of my business if you decided to become a hermit, really."

A comfortable silence fell between us as we looking down at the streets of Angeles. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"My exact thoughts. My sister, Ella, would've loved it. It's much better than the view of the night clubs we have from our window. Oddly calming, in a way, seeing how busy the capital is."

"It scares me, in all honesty. I'll have to rule this place one day, and it'll be in my hands to keep things running the way they are right now. But let's not talk about that right now. Tell me about yourself. What is Lady Jaci Ashway's day to day life in Clermont like?"

"For starters, nobody calls me Lady Jaci Ashway, and I'd prefer it if you didn't either, Your Highness." She turned to face me, a smile tugging at her red lips. "But Jaci is a simple bartender, trying to pay off her sister's tuition. Jaci never made it big in the world, but she's determined to make her sister successful."

"Admirable," I said, glancing down at my watch. "I'm terribly sorry to cut our time now but I do hope we can talk more in the future…"

She smiled softly, nodding her head. "Of course, Your Highness. I look forward to it."

I was feeling more confident, so I made my next destination a group of girls who were marveling...the flower arrangements? I had no idea what they were doing, they were crowded around a table. I announced my presence, "Ladies."

The girls turned around, immediately dropping into curtseys when they saw me. I waved them off, "No need for that, girls. May I ask what you all were so engrossed in?""

"Oh, Emmeline was just showing us a card trick." One of the girls, Lady Bianca I think, gestured to the table, which was covered in cards.

"I see, Lady Bianca."

"That's Siena, I'm Bianca," said a girl in a short purple dress, pointing first at Lady Siena in blue and then herself. The girls giggled as I mentally chastised myself. First mistake of the night, way to go, buddy, I thought.

"My apologies, there are so many of you and my memory is not that strong, I'm afraid."

A girl in a white and pink dress piped up, "That's alright, Your Highness. I'm Emmeline, by the way. That's Isla in the pink dress with the petals. And that's Emily wearing burgundy, although she goes by Ashton."

I appreciated Lady Emmeline's introductions, otherwise I would've no doubt mixed them all up again. "I'll remember that, thank you. Unfortunately, I have to go right now, but I hope to speak with you all in the future. Enjoy the party, Ladies!"

I hope I wouldn't make any more mistakes, the media would have a field day if they learned that I didn't know half the girls' names. I decided I needed a drink, then I'd continue with my rounds. Lexus was right, the girls were lovely.


When I arrived at the punch table, I was met with Lady Aura who was nibbling on a cookie. She put her plate down once she saw me, but I stopped her before she could fall into a curtsey. God knows how the girls managed them with their huge skirts. And I thought bowing was a lot of work.

"Lady Aura, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. My little sister has been talking my ear off about you."

She smiled, glancing back to her friends where my sister was. Of course, Beverly seemed to bragging about her custom-made Aria Glass dress. I don't know why she still likes to point that out, everything we wear is custom.

"All good things, I hope?"

"Good? The girl idolizes you, I wouldn't be surprised if she and Edith had a secret shrine dedicated to you and Lady Freya."

"That's quite the compliment, although maybe a tad frightening. But she wouldn't be the first superfan I've met. There's been a few occasions where fans got a little too...intense."

"Exactly why I prefer the safe confines of my home. No crazy fans who try to attack you. I can't count how many times girls have tried to kiss me."

"True, but most fans are very sweet. I love the gifts they give me. Posters, cards, drawings, everything! It's nice to know people other than your parents support you."

I smiled at her, it was kind of cute how much she loved her fans. Usually anything written about me was trying to expose my "scandalous" life. The last one I read was about how I was hiding dead bodies in my basement. It was a shock to me, the realtor told me my house was 100% body-free when I bought it.

"So, what brought mega-star Aura Eckhart to the Palace? Other than the Selection, of course."

Aura laughed and shook her head, "My friend, Amelia, convinced me somehow. I've kind of been working a lot, and yeah, I guess I could've just gone to the Bahamas or something but this was a once in a lifetime chance, and it seemed fun. Plus, it's going to help my charity so much!"

"I wish I could take a vacation. The last time I went somewhere was for my best friend's wedding two years ago. Obviously, it's a bit difficult to drop everything and go somewhere in my job."

We continued our conversation and in a few minutes I learned that Aura had leukemia as a child, which is why she started her charity in the first place. She cared a lot about people, but seemed to close off when I asked more personal questions. I didn't push further, there was probably good reason to it.

On my way to another group of girls, my father intercepted me. "Nathan, I need you to talk to Lady Jasmina next, please. Her father's high up with the Swendish, and we need to improve relations with them."

Illéa's relations with Swendway had been shaky for a while now. Last year, we found out that Swendway had been leaking money to the terrorist group that was responsible for the attack on me. I guess Swendway found out we knew, because the money stopped coming after that. It was grounds for war, but of course my father didn't want to confront Swendway. It made sense somewhat, Swendway was significantly larger than us and stronger, too. And their trades with us were important for the Illéan economy.

I nodded. Jasmina looked a bit intimidating and bored, the way she eyed everyone from a table far away from the party instead of socializing. She looked suspicious and I discreetly motioned for a guard to keep an eye on us, I did not trust this girl.

"Lady Jasmina. I hope you're enjoying yourself, so far."

She murmured a quick "Your Highness" before dropping into a curtsey while simultaneously trying to push her cleavage up even more. Okay, this girl was the first to go down the route of seducing me so far. I hoped she was the only one.

"Let's go for a walk, shall we? You look like you need some fresh air," I said, looking back at the guard. I offered her my arm, which she immediately latched on to.

"Oh, yes. Parties tend to tire me out. Besides, I'd much rather spend some...one-on-one time with Your Highness," she spoke with a Swendish accent, I noticed. She attempted to smile seductively at me, but really only succeeded in looking like a duck. I was looking forward to eliminating her, but that wouldn't be anytime soon given her status in Swendway.

"So, how has your time been in the palace so far? I hope everything is to your liking."

"It's wonderful, Illéa is so beautiful. The girls are so lovely, but might be a little put-off by my Swendish heritage, which is why I'm a bit lonely here. And the maids are very rude to me. I'm so glad I have you, however," she said, while stroking my bicep.

I had no idea how to answer that but decided a compliment should satisfy her. "I'm sure that's not the case. They must be in awe of your beauty."

"You're too kind, Prince Nathaniel. You make this whole situation bearable." She moved closer to rest her head on my shoulder, looking up at me expectantly. What did she want? I mean, other than my dead body as her country clearly stated years ago. Thankfully, the guard appeared from seemingly nowhere and announced that my father was looking for me. I made sure to get a glimpse of the guard's name so he could be properly rewarded for saving me from that awful situation.

"I'm so sorry, Lady Jasmina, but I must cut our talk short but duty calls. I hope you enjoy your stay at the palace." I quickly placed a kiss on her knuckles and left, hoping that was enough interaction from the Prince to keep her away from me.

As soon as I reentered the party, I decided talking to a group might be a good idea, to avoid anymore meetings like the one I just had. I met up with Lady Piper, Lady Makayla and Lady Caitlyn. Lady Makayla I recognized as being a maid in the palace, which made the situation a bit awkward. I mean, a week ago she could've been the girl serving me coffee, I never noticed. Lady Piper worked at a salon, probably an explanation as to why her hair was in the most complicated updo I've ever seen, while Lady Caitlyn talked about her travels. Lady Makayla, who most likely had spent all her life in the capital was captivated by Caitlyn's tales of the Italian coast, and I made a mental note to take Makayla to the beach on a date.

I decided a snack was in order where I met Lady Michalina. She spoke in the accent that so many in the south spoke in. I had trouble following what she was saying, to be honest.

"So, how's bein' a Prince like, Nathaniel?" Michalina asked, immediately slapping a hand over her mouth when she realized she forgot my title.

I raised an eyebrow at her casualty. I wasn't used to being addressed without any titles by anyone other than my family. She began spouting apologies but I became distracted by my parents who were beckoning me over, presumably to meet the new French diplomat.

"Oops, sorry man, I din't mean t'not call ya Prince Nathaniel, but, since we're on the subject, wouldn't it make more sense t'call ya jus' plain old Nathaniel 'nyway? I mean, let's shove the elephant out of the room: I'm in a competition tryin' to be yer wife, yeah? But husbands 'nd wives don't call each other "King Whatever" 'nd "Queen Whatever", they's on a first name basis, 'cause it's more intimate tha' way. I mean, yer not gonna call me "Commoner Micha", are ya? Well...actually, that'd be kina funny if ya did, but tha's beside the point, yanno? Sorry for rantin' 'nd ravin' or whatever, I jus' kina thought it was weird...but whatever."

"Terribly sorry but would you please excuse me for a minute, Lady Michalina? We'll continue this later," I said. She nodded, and smiled. She was a good sport about my sudden departure, I'd have to give her credit for that.

I had forgotten there were foreign officers here, too, and they would be needing my attention, as well. I said my goodbyes to the girls I was with and went to go speak with him. I was almost there when Lady Lorelei tripped and crashed into me. She squeaked as her face made contact. A few people saw this and their stares were diverted to us.

"Careful, Lady Lorelei! We wouldn't want any burnt tostitos around here!" Ace picked up a candelabra as he passed by, and burst into fits of laughter. I sent him a murderous glare, I was going to kill him. Thankfully, Beverly took care of it for me by smushing a cupcake up his nose. We were in an awkward position, though. My hands planted on her waist to steady her, her rubbing her no doubt bruised nose.

"Ignore him. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, mostly. I think I bruised my ego, though," she laughed, rubbing her nose. "Wow, you really take iron chest to another level."

I chuckled as I dropped my hands from her waist. She realized what she just said and blushed.

"As much as I'd like to believe that, you probably hit my phone. I kept it in my pocket."

"Oh, well, now that I've thoroughly embarrassed myself, I think I'm going to go back to my friends before I embarrass myself even more," she laughed nervously while backing away. I gently grabbed her hand to stop her.

"You sure you're okay? I can send for some ice if you want."

"No, Your Highness. I'm sure I'll live."

"Okay, well, I need to see my parents. Try not to hurt yourself, I usually prefer my girlfriends in one piece." I laughed as she flushed completely.


I was completely exhausted by the end of the night. I had gotten through the night successfully, save a few screw ups here and there but nothing life-changing. The girls were all nice, but now I was faced with the eliminations of some of them. I had a pretty good idea of which girls needed to go. For now, the only place I wanted to be was in bed.

But of course, the role of Prince never ended. My parents wanted a complete debrief on the girls, especially Jasmina. And Drew wanted to get an interview of what it was like meeting the girls. I managed to weasel out of both things, however. There were some perks to being me, I guess.

I was feeling a lot better about this Selection, and while I had no idea who would come out as my wife in all this, I was confident that I could find her. I'd be lying if I said I didn't like some girls more than others. For now, I could only hope this Selection would have the least amount of drama possible.