Kai

Many guards accompanied the prince to the Royal's Safety Room, quickly ushering them forward. Screams and gunshots echoed from outside the tunnels. To distract himself, Kai decided to chat with Torin.

"What, Torin?" Kai asked immediately, once they were out of the room.

"I would like to give you a lesson in Politics and Society, Your Highness,"

Torin answered without stopping his walk down the hall. "First, you must know by now that we are under attack by rebels. What do you think they are opposed to this time, Your Highness?"

Kai sighed in relief, glad that Torin knew exactly how to distract him. So he put his mind to think about this.

"I would assume that the rebels are opposed to the visiting Lunars." He thought to when the rebels jumped over the wall, screaming bloody murder about the Lunars. He shivered. "I myself am still wondering why the Lunars are here, though Father told me they were here for a treaty. As far as I can see, they're doing nothing but lounging about in their quarters all day and enjoying our hospitality. At the rate they're going, our royal treasury is going to be drained by the end of the year. Normally, when diplomats come for a treaty, they stay only for two nights since most things get done on their first morning."

Torin cut him off, quite bored by the Prince's ramblings. Still, he was polite.

"Yes, Kai. Your observations are correct. To answer your question, Queen Levana does want to sign a treaty. But this treaty might be somewhat different to what you are expecting."

"Different?" Kai asked. He could feel something like dread clawing up at his heart. Torin almost slapped himself at how naive the young prince was.

"A marriage alliance, Prince. She has been wanting this since you were ten." Kai's face turned pale, all of the blood draining out. He gulped nervously. Just the thought of marrying that… monstrosity was enough to make him want to jump off of a cliff.

"But- Father is holding a Selection for me! I knew she wanted to do that, but the whole point of the Selection is for me to find a wife!" Kai protested.

"That was just something to keep the public interested in us," Torin replied. He glanced over at Kai's downcast expression. "Although if you do find love, I'm sure the Emperor would not force you to."

Kai snorted as they turned a corner, the guards typing in a code to enter the safe room. Luckily, the Emperor was not in yet. They shut the heavy metal door behind them.

"If I don't find a wife I like or one that Father approves of, I have to marry-" Kai shivered. "Queen Levana." Torin could sense another one of the prince's useless ramblings coming on, so he quickly made his move.

"Second," said Torin, effectively cutting off Kai's speech, "unless you were picking some girl with no manners, I don't see why picking a girl of your father's approval is a difficult task." Kai sighed.

"You just don't get it. Father wants me to marry someone of high class, which basically means nobody lower than a three."

"And you," Torin continued, quite sure of what the prince meant now, "are interested in a certain pretty Six." At that, Kai froze. He glared sideways at Torin, who only gave him a tight lipped smile.

"Is it not true?" Torin asked, knowing that he had won. Kai groaned and held a hand to his forehead, mentally chastising himself. How could he be so obvious?

"If you know, does that mean everyone knows?" Kai asked, hope painted all over his expression. Torin hesitated, not wanting to tell the truth, but not wanting to give the Prince false hope. However, he was able to deduce the answer from his advisor's silence. Kai lost his posture, shoulders slumping.

"I've been meaning to ask you, why are you so sure that His Majesty wouldn't approve of the girl? Surely, though he cares about advantages, he knows what it's like to be in love? He was in love with your mother."

"Mother was a Three, Torin. That's already the lowest class possible that I can marry. Miss Linh is very, very far from a Three. And Father doesn't seem to have taken a liking to her anyways." Torin frowned.

"How can you tell that?" Kai shrugged.

"Basically, the first time I laid eyes on her, I was already amazed. And guess what, Father had to come up behind me and squish my dreams under his hand in one second. He told me to stay away from her, and the disgust in his tone was so evident, it was startling."

"What could she had done to upset the Emperor in just one sitting?" Torin frowned. He was finding this entire situation a little fishy. Kai shrugged once more. His advisor's eyes softened at how hopeless he looked. Putting a hand on Kai's shoulder, he tried his hand in comforting him.

"What would your father rather have you do? Marry Queen Levana, or Miss Linh?" Kai let out a sigh.

"Honestly, Torin, I really don't know."

Pearl

How in the world is it fair? The prince has had three dates, and none of them were with her. Her, a respectable Four. And the first was with Cinder. Hideous, worthless Cinder who couldn't possibly have caught the prince's attention. Not for his first date. Kai probably just chose Cinder first to get the bad things over with. The third was with little miss Benoit, a Seven, even worse than Cinder. Chiyoko, she didn't particularly mind. She was a gorgeous Two. And anyway, if she complained about Chiyoko, she would have to risk her temper, and lose the only person who was decent to her in this Selection.

"He kissed my hand," Chiyoko said, interrupting Pearl's train of thought. She said this very phrase as if it were no big deal, as if the prince came over and kissed her hand everyday.

A few of the girls were currently sitting in yet another hall, the one they nicknamed the Lady's Room since only the feminine population would entertain themselves in it. Chiyoko plopped herself into the puffiest, comfiest armchair at the center of the room.

Mirella Masi, a Five, looked up from her book at Chiyoko disgustingly, with her brown curls bouncing around. Pearl couldn't help but put on the slightest of smiles. Mirella was jealous. Dozens of other girls were sitting around Chiyoko, listening with glittering and envious eyes as they listened to her talk about her date.

"What did you guys do?" Pearl asked, leaning forward. Chiyoko sighed, as if she were bothered that the other girls would even be interested in her date. Pearl bristled.

"We walked around the palace. Kaito showed me different rooms. Really, it wasn't that interesting. He didn't talk much either, except to explain the different purposes of rooms. Oh, if you wanted to know," Chiyoko couldn't suppress her smirk any longer, "I was on his arm the whole time we were together. I was even leaning against him at times. He couldn't let go." All the girls squealed.

Pearl reveled in their reactions, as if she were the one that all of this had happened to. Her eyes glanced to the corner of the room.

There. In another corner, Cinder and Scarlet Benoit sat by themselves, but they were listening to Chiyoko, alright. But instead of fascinated and envious looks, those two had amusement flickering in their eyes. Pearl narrowed hers at them.

Pearl nudged her arm at the Two, whose calculating eyes also turned to the two lone figures in the corner. Her lips curled, finding her chance.

"Perhaps," Chiyoko drawled, noticing the two in their corner, "the other two who got to go on a date would like to share their their experience with the rest of us?" Contempt and dislike was now brewing in her large, beautiful eyes.

She was hoping that their dates weren't nearly as interesting, so that she would be able to brag all about it. Her smirk widened because she saw the slightly panicked look in Cinder's eyes.

Looks like somebody doesn't want to share about their date, Pearl mused.

She almost wanted to laugh. Chiyoko, the perfect Two, was worried about the prince being stolen by a Six or Seven? And really, just an hour ago, she had been worried about her life. They all were. Anyone can tell they were chatting to release their minds from the terror of the rebel attack.

Scarlet got up and pulled Cinder out of her chair towards the large circle. Cinder dragged her heels across the carpet, but the red headed girl was simply too strong. Now they were the center of attention, which Chiyoko simply hated.

"Sure. What do you want to know?" Scarlet said almost proudly. Pearl leaned back lazily in her chair and shrugged.

"Where you went, what you did, how long you were there, what the prince said and did," Mirella listed, going on forever, glaring at them like Chiyoko.

"Hmm, let's see." Scarlet tapped her finger against her lips just to tease the others.

"Prince Kaito took me to the archery fields." They all gasped while Cinder smiled and Scarlet smirked. "What on earth were you doing in the archery fields?" Pearl exclaimed. Scarlet rolled her eyes.

"Practicing archery? I actually beat him, though."

Chiyoko sneered. "Well, now, I suppose the prince wasn't very pleased with that, was he? But answer the rest of the questions. How long were you there?"

"Half an hour, I think? We had to end our competition because of the attack."

"Well," retorted Jacqueline Olivier, a Three, sourly, "I think it's safe to say the prince was relieved when there was a rebel attack." Scarlet shrugged.

"He said he was a better shot with a gun." She grinned. "But I'm good at that too. Maybe we'll go to the shooting range next time."

"Enough with that. I don't think she'll be here for long anyway. What about the other one? Cinder, I think it was? How was your date? We all know you got the first one." Chiyoko' eyes were now burning with hatred. She was obviously used to being first, not second.

"We went to the gardens," said Cinder slowly.

"What did you do?" Pearl prompted.

"We, uh... talked?"

"We all saw that you came back with flowers. Whatever was that for?"

"They were peonies for Peony, Pearl," said Cinder quietly.

Pearl sneered. "Trying to get on the prince's good side, are you? But we all saw the rose he gave you at lunch-" A knock at the door startled them all. A page boy poked his head in.

"His Imperial Highness the prince has requested the company of Miss Linh."

Glares and groans went throughout the room.

"Why her?" Chiyoko snarled. The page boy shrugged.

"I only do as I'm told, Miss. I apologize for the trouble it may cost you. Miss Linh?" Cinder nodded and looked back at Scarlet one last time before going out the door. Scarlet shrugged and gave her a smirk.

"What is it, Your Highness?" Cinder asked, slipping into the hallway.

"Again, it's Kai. Please. Anyways, I wanted to press two fingers to my brows, but I couldn't even see you." Kai tugged at her hand. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" They started to walk in the direction of wherever it is Kai is taking them.

"Uh, my quarters? My sitting room, actually. Or would you prefer the library? I wanted to go to the gardens, but with that attack an hour ago the guards won't let us out."

"The library, then," Cinder decided. "But why did you want to see me in the first place?" Kai made a show of scrunching his face together.

"I wanted to have some time with you? I haven't seen you since lunch."

Cinder laughed. "And it's been what, three hours?"

Kai glared at her. "Four."

She poked his ribs. "Whatever you say, Your Highness."

"But there was something else, too." Kai leaned closer to Cinder. His breath tickled her ear. "I've been on two other dates. I kept my promise. You said two other girls. So I went with Chiyoko and Scarlet." He made a face. "Needless to say, I couldn't wait to get rid of Chiyoko."

Cinder blushed and laughed nervously. "Kai, I- are you sure about this? You must know by now that I'm just a plain Six, a mechanic. What would you achieve by doing this?"

Kai came closer now. "Happiness," he whispered. "Please? I really don't care about the social hierarchy. I wish to ban the castes when I'm king. But I can't do it without another by my side, supportive and loving through all the struggles."

He was even closer now. Cinder was finding it difficult to breathe. She struggled to hold her gaze with Kai's intense eyes. "Okay," she said softly. Kai moved towards her again. "But only for the kiss. I can't make you throw away perfectly good choices for Princess this early. We don't even know each other that much yet."

Kai grinned at her. "Good."

In an instant, his arms were around her again, and his soft lips on hers. Cinder gasped, then slowly wrapped her arms around his neck. Kai groaned and leaned into her more.

They were both flushed when they stood right again a minute later.

"Library?" Kai asked with pink ears and a smirk.

Cinder smiled shyly at him and took his hand. "Sure."

Alright, so we're going to be replying to the users that we can't PM. Guest, here is your chapter! sleepingAsAsheep, thank you! You have no idea how much that review meant to us! To know that one'sstory can make another person's day is a wonderful feeling.

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