Chapter 9
Two days after that unforgettable day, two smartly dressed women with the Illéan Royal emblem sewn to the side of their dresses arrived at my house. The first was a tall woman with black skin and stylish puff of frizzy black hair. She seemed to be the one in charge. Her assistant was a shy, quiet girl, wearing a blue dress with sparkling rhinestones adorning the collar.
"Congratulations, Miss Salvatierra. My name is Mayzie and this is Jennifer. I'm here to make sure you don't make a fool of yourself, and Jenny is here to make you stunning." She explained. Looking around, she noticed Taci and Halian peeking through the kitchen door. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask everyone but Mrs. Salvatierra and Lady Paxton to stay out of this room. Mom shooed my siblings out of the room. Jennifer instructed me to stand up so she could measure me for a dress. While she was measuring, Mayzie handed me a sheet of paper with basic rule of the Selection on them. I studied each one carefully, knowing that one slip-up could be the end of me.
"The contestant cannot leave the palace on her own accord. She can only be dismissed by the prince himself." That made sense. Security issues, most likely.
"The contestant cannot arrange her/his times with the prince. If in a large social setting, this rule does not apply. The contestant can only have a romantic relationship with the prince. If the contestant is caught in a relationship with someone else, it is considered treason and punishable by death. If the contestant is found breaking any of Illéa's written laws, her punishment will be tied to that offense." Although these were reasonable, I wondered about the later. It didn't seem fair that the prince would be able to date thirty-five girls at once, but the girls were not. I knew I wouldn't have a problem with that though. In my opinion, no one was more handsome than Prince Kian.
"If the prince invites the contestant to do something with him, it is advised she/he shouldn't refuse — regardless if it's dinner, outings, kissing, and even more than kissing" The last one was the most concerning. I hoped that Prince Kian was as gentlemanly as he seemed on the Report, but one would never know. Even though I didn't tell Mayzie, I promised myself that that was one rule I might have to break, no matter the consequence. As I handed the paper back to Mayzie, she added one more.
"You may date the prince that selected you, and only that prince, no matter what. It's a new rule, because of the double selection. Anyways, tomorrow…" My mind trailed away in though as Mayzie continued with her talking. The plans for tomorrow seemed straightforward, but I was still nervous.
The day of my departure came much too quickly. That morning, Mayzie and Jenny arrived at eight to get me ready. My dress was the most gorgeous thing I had ever seen. Sleek, soft fabric was decorated with twinkling rhinestones, cascading down the lavender colored skirt. The bodice had a strip of the lavender fabric as the shoulder straps. Heavier than I thought, I couldn't stop spinning in the mirror. My hair was done in an elaborate braid, with the Zuni Province flower, a Saguaro Cactus Blossom, tucked into the base of the braid.
As a car pulled up to the house, I hugged my family tearfully, and waved goodbye as we left. As my house faded into the distance, I could hardly feel my fingers, numb with the realization that I was on my own now. The car sped past Claridad Mesa and all the rocks and cacti and vast desert landscapes that I had ever know until we arrived at an airport at the edge of Fennley.
"You'll be joining the girls from Sumner, Sonage, Tammins, and Fennley on the plane to Angeles. It should be a short flight." I nodded, looking around as the city we were approaching became larger and larger, the traffic more dense, and the noise more exciting. When I stepped out, I was blinded by camera flashes, and the banter of the crowd was deafening. I couldn't believe they were cheering for me, but scattered among the crowd were a couple signs with my name written on them. "Princess Paxton," or "Win for Zuni!" Mayzie pat my shoulder and gestured towards the walkway between the crowds.
"It's time for me to say goodbye. Just follow the path to the plane, and say hello to some of your fans if you want." She held out a hand for a farewell shake, but I couldn't resist hugging her.
"Thanks for everything, Mayzie," I said gratefully. She seemed surprised, but hugged me back. Then she entered the car and disappeared. The other girls were just arriving, and I recognized a few. I recalled one girl from Sumner, Cierra Fleet, and the other girl from Zuni, Emmaline Zhou. Cierra was dressed in a flowy gown with a golden yellow color matching her province's flower, Goldenrod. Her hair was a light blonde, and the yellow made her skin look becomingly pale. Emmaline Zhou was tall and slender with a radiant yet reticent smile. Her almond shaped eyes were a dramatic, deep brown and her hair was smooth and silky, hanging naturally across her shoulder. As she walked over to introduce herself, I wondered if I should be intimidated or friendly.
"Hi, I'm Emmaline, but you probably know that already."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Paxton," I introduced as we started to walk forward. As the walkway gradually became narrower, there was no chance that I could evade the crowd. I didn't expect to actually have fun taking pictures and signing autographs. I was the first one to arrive at the plane, while the other girls were still signing autographs. A reporter gestured over to me and a camera turned its lenses in my direction. I recognized "The Report" on the side and knew this would be streaming live. A reporter with dirty blond hair and an enchanting smile walked over.
"And here we have Lady Paxton Salvatierra from a small town in Northeast Zuni. Lady Paxton, what's it like being so far away from home already?"
I waited for words to come, hoping I looked as excited as I felt. "It's been overwhelming and incomparable. This morning I was surrounded by the desert and the mountains and this evening I'll be at the Palace. I really have no words to explain it!" I replied, clenching my hands to keep away the jitters.
"And what do you think of your competitors?" Competitors? I hadn't thought of them that way until now. I had only met one of them.
"They're all lovely ladies. I can't wait to get to know them more personally!" I hoped that was good enough. I didn't have very much information. Thankfully, three of the other girls arrived and the reporter left to meet them. "And here we have ladies Teagan McKechan from Fennley, Paisley Draydon from Sumner, and Cierra Fleet from Sumner. Cierra, you came from the prestigious Academie d' Jolie, so why did you give up your studies for the Selection?" Everyone in west Illea knew about the Academie d'Jolie, one of the best schools in the country.
"First of all, I did not give up my studies, rather, suspended them. If the Prince sends me home, I will most definitely return to my education. As for why I left, the answer is simple. I want to live my life to the fullest, and to waste this opportunity would be like murder to the soul." I found her language fascinating, the way she spoke was so articulate and captivating, like she was already the queen. I wanted to speak like her and walk like her and have her finesse and prestige.
But she was Two, and I was a Six. She was brought up under the safe wing of wealthy parents, an impeccable education, and opportunities as far as the eye could see. My mother cleaned houses when she could, and my father was a herder. My education was what my poor, unqualified teachers could pass on. While I had the entire Sonoran Desert in my backyard, that was all I had. Until now.
"Lady Paxton," Someone said. "Are you ready to board?" Yes, I thought. I'm ready.
