Guys! thanks for all your reviews, they make me laugh so much! I really enjoy reading them :)

Y'all have to be kinda patient, I can't make dates for each ones in just two days^^ but I think you'll be happy with this chapter, 'cause we see several of the boys... surprise on who it will be, though ;)

Chapter 10

When I went to bed that night, after my first date with Dylan, I couldn't go to sleep. People usually count sheep when they can't sleep. I didn't. I tried to calculate how much time it would take me to do three dates a week, with twenty-six boys: between eight and nine weeks. And if I did four dates a week, it would take between six and seven weeks. And three months was twelve weeks. Ugh. So many things to do in so little time.

Numbers were so boring that they lulled me to sleep. Judy woke me up the next day by opening the curtains and letting the sun shine into my room. Or should I say into my eyes? That was definitely not my favorite way to wake up. But then, an idea hit me so hard, I felt ridiculous for not thinking of it sooner.

Why couldn't I do some group dates — not with all the boys at the same time, mind you — so I could get to know them faster and show father that I was actually 'trying'? That could work. Only, I'd have to choose them carefully. I did't want fights to start during those group dates.

I snorted under my breath: 'group dates' only happened when you had several boyfriends at once, which was only for Royals who were hosting Selections. I would assume they'd find that funny. But then again, all this Selection situation was awkward and not normal. Boy, I hated to be an oddity and not a normal girl.

Judy made me wear a light blue tea length day dress with spaghetti straps and some midnight blue heels, along with a pearl necklace and earrings, and a natural make-up. I walked out of my room and headed for the stairs.

"Good morning, Princess," I heard Officer Lodge say behind me.

I turned around. "Good morning, Officer. I'm sorry, I'm still a little bit sleepy."

He smiled and nodded and I walked down the stairs. When I hit the second floor, I saw one of the Selected with a tiny girl holding his hand. I frowned. I'd never seen her before.

"Good morning, Sir James." He jumped slightly and turned around, still holding the toddler by one hand. She was the cutest little girl I had ever seen, with long chocolate brown curls and dark brown eyes, and wearing a pink fluffy dress.

"Um, good morning, Your Highness," he said, bowing slightly his head.

I crouched down to be eye level with the little cutie, but she hid behind James' long legs. "Sir James, who is this precious little girl?" I touched her hand, and asked her her name, but she recoiled and hid further away.

"Um, Your Highness, this-"

"Please call me Isodora." I stood up again.

He nodded. "Um, Isodora, this is Lizy, my daughter." He straightened and held his head high. Boy, was he tall.

"Why did you bring your daughter?" His eyes darkened at my question, but otherwise, it didn't seem like my question had affected him.

"I'm her only family left," he said in a soft voice, and picking up the small girl in his arms.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." I internally cringed at my stupidness. She looked just like him. I wonder what had happened to the girl's mother, but that would be a question for another time. "Why don't we just go and eat breakfast?" I said to change the subject.

"Yes please," He smiled and gave me his arm.

"Um, you know, we do have a Nanny here. I'm sure my twin brothers would be happy to share her with Lizy. If you'd like to, of course." I didn't really know what to tell him. A Selected coming to the Palace with his child was totally unheard of.

The young man with messy brown hair and beige — or was that a light green? — eyes simply nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate it. But I think she needs to get used to this place before I can let her go."

I smiled. Before he could let her go, or she could let him go? For some reason, this man's story intrigued me. I would have to plan a date with him, and soon.

"How old is she?"

"Two years old."

When we entered the Dining Room for breakfast, we headed to the buffet table. He filled a huge plate — obviously, he would be sharing with Lizy — and I filled mine with fruit, waffles, pancakes, bacon and scrambled eggs. I walked back to my seat and observed him with his daughter. She was sitting on his lap, but she ate alone, with a fork of her own. Now, if this little girl didn't melt the heart of every single boy here, I didn't know what would.

A maid walked by to refill our cups of coffee.

"Mary?"

"Yes, Your Highness," she said, filling my cup.

"Do you think you could find a toddler's chair for the little girl?" I whispered. "And please get Sir James whatever he needs for her."

She smiled. "Of course, Your Highness."

"Thank you." I resumed eating my waffles. Okay, so now I needed to choose my next date. I looked at the boys. Max, I already knew; Dylan, too. That was two off the twenty-six long list. I really wanted to get to know James better, but his daughter needed some time to get accustomed to this place, and I assumed she needed to do this with her father. I could wait.

My gaze stopped on two of them: Sir Leander, and Sir Hades. Why not a group date? I could choose those two, plus one or two others. I didn't really know them so far, so I chose two others randomly.

After breakfast, I headed to father's office to do a semblance of work. Father wanted me to focus solely on my Selection and entertaining the country, but I needed to do other things, too, in order to stay sane. I read a report on a new school that had opened in Bonita for children from Caste Six, Seven and Eight, and I applauded the action. I was happy the Mayor of Bonita actually did things like that. I had met him a couple times during conferences, and he was really kind.

Then it was lunch already, and I headed down stairs.

"So, I heard you already went on a date, yesterday?" I heard Max say next to me.

We walked down the stairs. "Yes. I don't really know now to have a date, but it turned out well enough."

"So I've heard," he said with a sly smile, and his hands behind his back.

I rolled my eyes and chuckled just as we entered the Dining Room. My gaze kept going back to little Lizy, and I noticed Wesley making her laugh. He seemed to be used to kids, too. It made me smile, and I was happy no one was looking at me. They were all looking at her, and I think she had already claimed all their hearts.

When everyone was gone either in their rooms or the Men's Parlor, I went to look for the four boys I wanted with me that afternoon. Thanks to Sybil, I had a copy of the boys' rooms. I knocked on the door of room 2.

"Come in," he said.

I opened the door and peeked inside. "Hello, Eric," I said, just staying on the threshold.

"Princess! What an honor," he said smiling and bowing.

"I'm not sure about that. Um, well, first of all, my name is Isodora, not 'Princess', and secondly, I was wondering if you were free this afternoon?"

His grin widened. "Sure, I am."

"Good. Meet me at two o'clock by the garden doors. If you're lost, just ask your way to a maid or someone. I'll see you later, then." I smiled and walked away, off to — I checked my paper — room 13. Again, I knocked on the door.

A few seconds later, the honey-blond young man with hazel eyes opened.

"Yes? Oh, The Princess, herself," he said with a flirtous grin. He leaned on the gatepost and crossed his arms, then he chuckled and extended his hand to me. "Hi, I'm Hades. But don't worry, I'm not the god of the dead."

I chuckled and shook his hand. "I know who you are, but thanks for reminding me, though."

He shrugged and laughed. "I say that to everyone I meet. What can I do for you?"

"Um, I was wondering if you were free this afternoon?"

"Yeah, I think I am." He smiled and I chuckled.

"Good. I'll meet you at two o'clock by the garden doors, okay?"

"I'll be there," he said, slightly bowing his head in a polite nod. I smiled back and walked off to look for room 34.

I knocked and a valet I didn't know — must be one we had hired for the occasion — opened.

"Your Highness." He bowed and called for Sir Parker.

Parker came. "Ah, Your Highness." He winked and kissed the back of my hand. "What owes me the pleasure of your presence?"

Ugh, if he was going to be the wordy one, I don't know how long I could suffer it. "Um, I was wondering if you hand any plans for this afternoon?"

"Apart from spending time with the most esteemed woman in Illéa? No, I don't have any other plans." His unctuous voice reminded me a little of Liam. Ugh. I rolled my eyes playfully at him. Two could play at this game, right?

"Excellent. Why don't you meet me at two o'clock near the garden doors?"

"Will do." He bowed low and winked — again — when he came back up. I smiled and almost ran away as fast as I could, looking for the last room on my list for this afternoon.

I knocked on room 9, and waited.

The door cracked opened, and two hazel eyes stared back at me. He opened the door wider.

"Ah, Princess Isodora," he said enthusiastically.

"Hello, Leander. Please drop the 'Princess', though." I chuckled. Was he really shorter than me? I wondered if he'd still be shorted if I took my heels off. Oh. well, that was an inquiry for some other time.

"Very well, Isodora." He smiled but just stared at me, waiting for me to talk first.

"Um, are you free this afternoon?" Let's just get right to the point, shall we?

"Yep. I mean, yes." He chuckled awkwardly.

"Yep is fine, don't worry. Okay, then meet me at two o'clock by the garden doors." He nodded and I walked up to the third floor to get ready. Not that I was going to change or anything, but just to collect myself somewhat before the most awkward group date of the century. I wondered if I should have told them this was going to be a group date? Oh, well. Too late for that now. I had twenty more minutes to take my mind off things.

I opened my shoe closet and found a much more comfortable pair — still heels — to wear for this afternoon, and then went to the Game Room I used to go to a lot with my brothers. We used to have boardgames nights sometimes, when we were younger, but somehow, this habit just slowly went away. I picked a few boardgames from the mahogany closet and walked down the stairs to meet my dates.

When I arrived, they were already there, looking awkwardly at each other. Oops. Maybe I should have told them it was a group date.

"Hi," I said, smiling. "I hope you like board games." Ugh. This was so lame.

"Um, a group date, seriously?" Parker asked.

"Yep. I thought it would be nice to get to know several of you at the same time, and maybe get to know yourselves, too." I shrugged.

"Sounds good," Eric shrugged.

"Good." I walked past them and opened the garden doors with my elbow — since my hands were full of game boxes — and Hades swiftly came to my rescue to open the door.

"Thank you, Hades."

He nodded and we went outside, in the garden, where a table had been set under a huge tree, so we were in the shade. I put the three boxes on the table and asked them what they wanted to play with, and Monopoly was almost unanimously chosen — Parker hated that game, but I guess the majority wins, right?

We started playing and I was certainly not winning, but I was not the poorest either. Parker, on the other hand, was loosing. And he hated it. When Hades took his last fake 20 dollar bill, Parker exploded in a monstrous rage and flipped the table over, making me fall backwards on the ground and all the fake bills flying around us.

Eric helped me get up. "Isoroda, are you all right?"

"Yes. Thank you." I sighed and smoothed the skirt of my dress. "Parker. Thanks for coming, but you can go home, now. Goodbye."

He just glared at me and shook his head. "You're such a scum, you know that?" And he stomped away, not glancing back at us.

"That was awkward," I simply said… "Okay, who want's ice cream?" I tried to change the subject and the mood. They all said yes, and I called for a maid who brought a large choice of ice cream cones to choose from.

"Huh, my ice cream smells weird." Eric said, bringing it to his nose, and then handed it to me. "Here, smell it."
I smelled his ice cream, and Hades and Leander just chuckled. But before I realized what was happening, Eric stuffed the cold thing in my face, and they all burst out laughing.

"Ha, ha, ha. Smooth. Very funny." I wiped my face with a napkin and decided to just laugh it off. Last time someone did that to me, it was my twin brothers. I actually liked being pranked. It helped being a normal girl.

We ate two cones each, and laughed and talked, and it turned out to be a great afternoon — if you don't count Parker's explosion.

Okay, hope you liked this chapter, too. Who was your favorite boy, here? ;) (Oh, and Parker was just a filler character, your Characters are not being eliminated already, don't worry ;P )

One more spot left for Characters! :) (And I'm still waiting on the 3 reserved spots to be filled, btw)

Oh, and I love when you guys don't take 'chill pills' to write your reviews, it cracks me up so much ;D