Prince Adrian
The reaction was immediate. The cameras shut off and each of the royals, including Adara, raced over to the windows, pulling on a cord, and dark metal shutters slammed into place. The selected looked around, frightened.
"In the corner please ladies." Louis shouted, sheparding the girls over into the corner, away from the doors and the windows.
Rebel attacks were common on the royal palace, and Adrian had never thought much of it. He had figured this time that it was the Northern Rebels, who just attacked to frighten them, the Southern ones being much more lethal, and having killed people before.
Adrian stood and watched his brother mill amongst the selected, comforting the ones who were crying, and keeping the rest from doing so. It was funny. He hated everything about the selection, but, when he needed too, he could step up and do things like this. It amazed Adrian sometimes what his brother could do.
Adara walked over and stood next to Adrian. "France gets them too."
Adrian looked over at her and she continued.
"The rebel attacks. Not quite as often as here, but we still got them," Adara sighed. "It's too bad that so many people are unhappy with the way the government is run that they feel the need to kill us."
Adrian nodded. "You can't please everyone."
"Is this a rebel attack?" The two turned to look at Penelope Wright in her dark blue dress.
"Yes, it is."
Penelope nodded. "Okay, I thought so. But it's different down here than it is up in Calgary, so I was just curious."
Adrian blinked in surprise. "You get rebel attacks in Calgary?"
Penelope looked at him as though he was crazy. "All the time, Calgary is probably one of the worst provinces in Illea for rebel activity."
"Have you ever been personally targeted?" Adrian looked down at Adara, confused by her question.
"Yes. They attack the tracks all the time, they've never killed anyone, but since Calgary is big on racing, they keep trying to make a statement," She frowned. "I'm surprised you haven't heard of it. It makes the news all the time."
Adrian had to admit that he rarely watched the news, that was more of his father's and Louis' job, but he was sure he would have heard of it unless it was purposely being silenced.
Adrian would have asked another question about the rebels up in Calgary, but seeing the other selected were beginning to eavesdrop on their conversation, he changed the subject.
"What's it like? Racing."
She smiled. "It's exhilarating. I'm constantly worried for crashes, and that I might lose my life, but I love the feeling of the speed, knowing that you are going around the track at 200 miles per hour. It probably seems crazy and ridiculous to people who have never done it, but I love it."
Adrian blinked in surprise. He never thought people could be happy as a seven. He was about to ask more, but stopped as he noticed some of the other girls listening in, jealous looks on their faces as they took in the conversation they weren't invited to join.
Louis came walking over, a slightly agitated look on his face, but he smiled as he joined them. "Hello, how are you all faring?"
Adrian gave him a look that told him he was overstressing, as Adara and Penelope both replied with. "Fine,"
Louis nodded. "That's good," He went to say more, but was cut off by a girl approaching him. Aideen of Yukon.
"Your Highness? I think I want to go home."
Louis blinked in surprise. "Why do you think that?"
She was playing with her hands. "I know it sounds crazy, but I am not going to be able to cope with these attacks."
Adrian watched as his brother nodded in acceptance. "Okay, if you wish to go home, I will make it as soon as I can." Louis walked away with the girl, a comforting hand placed on her back.
Penelope blinked. "Already down to 23, it's almost like he wants us out of here."
"He does," Adrian blurted, before realizing what he had said, and clapping a hand over his mouth, an amused Adara looking up at him. Penelope looked over at him. "That's not what I mean, but I guess." He paused unsure of what to say.
Penelope smiled. "It's alright. If I had thirty-five people I didn't know in my house, I'd want to get rid of them too."
Adrian nodded, happy he hadn't insulted the petite blonde. "Do you have any siblings?" He asked, trying to distract from the noises outside.
She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Five older brothers."
Adrian blinked. "Wow. I only have three older siblings, and that's a lot."
Penelope laughed. "It's even worse because we are all really close in age. I'm 19, Michael is 20, James, Thomas, and Henry are 21, and Charlie is 22. My mother had a set of triplets."
Adara smiled. "I would rather have older siblings than younger. Then I wouldn't have to inherit."
"You don't want to be Queen of France one day?"
"Not with this idiot by my side." She insulted Adrian.
Adrian looked at her in mock hurt, before laughing. "How do your parents manage you all?"
A shadow crossed Penelope's face. "My father died when I was eight and my mother ran off when I was eleven."
Adrian paused. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."
She smiled. "It's okay, you didn't know. What's it like being a royal?"
Adara and Adrian replied in unison. "Boring,"
Penelope laughed. "How is it boring?"
"Politics, board games, and rebel attacks, that's pretty much our life." Adrian told her.
"Don't forget family drama!" Adara laughed.
Penelope shook her head incredulously. "I can't believe it."
Adrian laughed and looked around the room as Adara and Penelope continued talking. Most of the selected were milling around talking with Louis. His mother and father were talking with a couple of guards. His sister was talking with a selected named Lian from Hudson, but where was Nicholas?
He looked around once more, and couldn't seem to find him, and at another glance, he noticed that Summer Flanagan was missing too. He shook his head. He had no clue what was going on between those two, but they better stop before Louis caught them.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the threat has been cleared. You are all free to go, we will try to have another report next week." His father shouted.
The ladies began filing out, Adrian starting to follow them, before his father called him back. Adrian froze, feeling dread fill him. What did he do this time? He gestured for Adara to carry on without him and he turned back to his mother and father, worry filling him even more as he watched his mother kiss his father on the cheek and leave as well. His father waited until the room was empty, before turning to his youngest son.
"Buddy-" His father started, only to get cut off by Adrian.
"Don't call me that," His father only called him that when he had done something wrong, or when he was trying to approach a subject they both didn't want to talk about. "What did you do?"
His father rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, a habit Adrian found himself doing sometimes on accident.
"What did you do?" His voice coming out far more angry than Adrian had intended.
His father sighed. "How would you feel about living in France?"
"What?" Adrian asked, feeling too stunned to say anything as his father continued.
"Well after the wedding on July 3rd, you would be prince consort to France, and it is expected of you to live in France with her."
Adrian clenched his fists, trying to keep a grip on his anger. He would not blow up. "I'm glad you are planning my life and when the wedding is going to be, but I'm quite alright to wait right now."
Adrian spun on his heel and marched away, ignoring his father's shouts of protests. He walked out of the door and nearly bumped into Adara.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
"Did you know they have already chosen a date for the wedding?" He asked.
"What? They chose a date? When?" She asked, confused. She obviously had no clue what he was talking about.
"My parents and your parents have decided that we are getting married in four months."
"Really?"
"Yes."
A/N - I think I'm going to do a bit of a time skip in the next chapter, move it forwards to June-ish.
