"So Edward, who was your first meeting with the girls?!" Bluebell said in her over enthusiastic voice.
"Um … it was great?" I felt trapped between the door I just exited from the camera that was too close for comfort.
"I hear there was a fight between the selected yesterday that ended in a date already. Can you tell us about it?" She must mean the Game of Thrones debate.
"There was a argument over a TV programme, I suggested that we should all watch it together as a sort of bonding?" I looked at the camera again before leaning towards Bluebell to whisper to her. "Can we sit somewhere?"
"Oh of course! I just got excited!" they cameras turned off whilst we found an empty room to do the interview in. we ended up using the room I met the Selected in yesterday. We waited until the camera was set up again before we continued.
"So the group date, what TV programme was it?" I laughed slightly as I pushed my hair back.
"Game of Thrones. There seems to be a strong fanbase among the Selected."
"Are there any plans for your actual first date?" I let my hand fall to my side as I thought. Was there?
"I haven't thought about it yet, there are so many young and beautiful ladies it will be hard to pick the first one."
"Our little prince Edward is all grown up! And starting to sound like a player. Is this what you have been hiding from us all these years?"
"Me? A player? Only if you mean in video games." She laughed and started flicking through some notes that she had been carrying around all this time.
"Okay, another question. Is there any girls who made a particular impression?"
"My first thought is Kelsey. I had been a fan of hers for years so now I get the chance to meet her is crazy."
"And she must be a fan of your too, to have entered her self in your Selection." I never thought of it like that. That all these girls want a chance to have my hand in marriage. I felt heat rise to my cheeks and Bluebell just laughed at me.
"Okay, next questions," She swapped papers round to find the right notes again, "One of your Selected looks like a Selected from your brothers Selection. Is there a connection?"
I went through as many Selected faces I could remember in my head. One of them looked like one from my brothers Selection? Then I think of Juniper.
"Juniper? I don't think there's a connection. Just a coincidence." She seemed satisfied with the answer. She flicked through the papers quickly before standing up. I followed her lead and stood up aswell.
"Thank you for the interview Prince Edward. Ill see you late on the Report!" with that she left with the camera crew, leaving me alone in the room. I let out a sigh and looked around the room, eventually deciding to head to my room.
When I returned I stripped my clothes that I had been wearing and headed to the bathroom. I relaxed in the bath, filling it mostly with bubbles. I must have taken a nap at one point because I awoke to a knock on the bathroom door.
"Sir, it is time for you to get dressed for dinner." Rysand said on the other side. I rubbed my eyes to get the last of the sleep out before getting out the tub and wrapping a towel around my waist.
"Thanks Rysand. I feel asleep." I said opening the door. He just nodded in return before going to get the suit I will be wearing for the evening. I sat on my bed mostly, watching the light flicker through the trees in my window. It was coming to the end of July so it was still pretty light outside. In a few hours time the room would be awash with golden light from the setting sun. To bad I wouldn't be here to see it, but in a TV studio filming the report.
Rysand left once he set the clothes out so I could get changed in peace. So after getting changed and rubbing my hair dry with the towel I made my way down the the dinning hall. I seemed to be one of the first to arrive so I just took my place at the family table and started playing Angry Bird on my phone. I didn't really use any social media, I mainly had a phone so that my family could contact me and to play games on the go. Would going down to the dinning hall count as on the go?
Before I realised the Hall was nearly full, and only William and Hayley missing. It took them another ten minutes to come in. I watched as they walked in together, hand in hand. They looked like two high schoolers who said 'I love you' for the first time, But they were married. And no longer in high school.
The food wasn't very memorable, probably because I was too busy thinking about the report. And the fact that something felt off with the whole room. I looked around but couldn't place my finger on it. I dismissed this feeling as just part of my nervous. After the meal we all went to the Report room. The selected were told to wait outside so they could walk in on the report for some grand entrance or another.
I sometimes hated this part of the week. Yeah it was part of being Royal but usually I would sit in the back and just listening to what my father was saying. I still seemed to do that now, but I was listening to my own voice.
My parents were sat in their places already even if we had 10 minutes left before it aired. I walked up to take my place but before I could sit down I was swallowed in an embrace.
I looked at mother so let go after a few seconds.
"I know we don't say this enough, but we are proud of you son." she said as she pinched my cheeks.
"Ouch mom." She let go after a few seconds. I rubbed my cheeks here she had pinched. "I'm not a kid any more"
"I know, that's why I did it. My little boy is all grown up."
"If you start crying I will too." she just smiled and dabbed under her eyes. "Come on, lets sit down." I took her hand and led her to her chair again. I glanced over at Father who just gave a stern nod before looking back to where the cameras are.
I guess that was a sign he also agreed?
The first part of the report went on as usual. Father gave some updates to some projects that the Palace were working on and some new budgets. Then Bluebell popped up.
"Well Illea I guess its the time you have all waited for! In just a few seconds you will get your first LIVE glimpses at your Selected!" cameras panned to the door, where the Selected started walking in. the report room had made room for benches where the Selected would sit for the reports. They must have been instructed by someone because there was no fuss between when they came in and sat down.
The same feeling of something being off came back to me when I saw them all seated together, and this time I knew what it was. They were all wearing white. It must have been planned for the First report, give them a blank canvas or just to have them all uniform I don't know. But it brought all the attention to their face. No one seemed to be wearing over the top make-up either. They all look beautiful in their own way.
"Just after we see a few clips of the interview I gave his Highness earlier we will have a live Q&A! So don't forget to Chrip at the official palace Chirper account with the hashtag #AskEdward !"
What? A live Q&A? And no one bothered to tell me this? I slummed in my chair as soon as the interview I had with Bluebell came on. Wasn't the one earlier enough?! I glanced up slightly at the monitor to notice that there was also a live comment feed. It was mostly people saying 'Hi' but there was an occasional comment like 'Cant wait for the Selection' or 'Date me Edward' then I caught a glimpse of one that read ' Y'ALL GET OFF YOUR PHONE WE ARE IN THE SELECTION. ' followed by a bunch of No comments. I glanced at the selected to see that most of them were on their phone, frantically typing. I caught the eye of Kelsey who glanced up. I looked at her with a 'what are you all doing?' look but all she did was wink at me before looking back down on her phone. One of the only Selected not on their phone was Hayden, who was sitting at the back, in a white suit to match the rest of the Selected.
The interview came to an end, I glanced at the monitor for a second whilst the images transitioned before glancing back at the Selected to find that there was no phone in sight and they were all looking forward. Did I just imagine that they were on their phones?
Bluebell was stood in front of a camera again but now with a tablet.
"Now its time to get into your questions! The first one is by WinterIsComing and they asked, is the glass half full or half empty?" I took a quick glance at Winter, who only did a slight smile before turning away. I have a feeling most of these questions will be from the Selected.
"I would have to say its half full"
"An optimist. Next question! This one also from WinterIsComing. If you could be a fruit, what would you be?"
This didn't take long to think of an answer.
"An orange, that way I could be fat and just roll everywhere."
"I have never heard that one before! Do you like oranges then?"
"I like the taste, but orange isn't my favourite colour."
"And what is your favourite colour?" the tablet was forgotten, hanging limply at her side whilst she tried to probe deeper into my likes. She was also getting closer and closer to me again.
"The colour of ice and snow when the morning sun hits it."
The questions from Chirper started again after that. I couldn't remember most of them as they only needed simple one word answers but one, who seemed to be from Kelsey as I spotted her trying not to laugh, was 'Do you sparkle?'
"Do you sparkle? I guess not?" Even bluebell seemed to laugh at the question. I felt like I was missing something that everyone else knew. Note to self: ask Rysand later.
The report ended after that, with Bluebell doing her usual report closure and the cameras turning off. The Selected had gathered to talk to themselves after they were allowed to do what they wanted. A few had left already but the most stuck around.
"I see everyone had fun on their first report?" I seemed to have sneaked up behind a few, making a few them jump when I asked the question. Amaya seemed to jump when she answered.
"I didn't know there would be a live Q&A. Or that our comments would pop up live. Sorry about that but yes, I think we can gladly say it was fun."
"Don't get to used to it, we are here to win Edwards hand in marriage and become Princess. You cant expect every week to be happy fun time." Rhiannon warned. Amaya dropped her smile and went back to where she was before. Would she be like this all the time? Is it too early to eliminate someone?
"Isn't that right Edward? Its a competition and the prize is you. We cant just sit around and giggle the whole time." I adjusted my jacket under her gaze. I'm going to give her a chance because its the first week, everyone is nervous right? I know I am.
"Please enjoy your stay ladies. I will... visit you tomorrow." I said before I walked away from the group.
This was already hard and its only the second day!
A/N: Hey! So hopefully I am back on track. And it will stay like this when I'm back at uni. (please pray for me) but the first report is out the way. Phew. Now on to Mario Kart!
I would like to thank the discord alliance for the Mario Kart idea and the Live Q&A! Also the questions being asked to ed. This group is honestly helping me so much for this SYOC.
Ill see you next week!