Hey guys!
This chapter was hard, omg. xD
Anyways, I hope you enjoy.
Chapter ten.
Estrella inhaled deeply as the next boy walked up. She seriously hoped that the time would fly and she would be able to go check on her father instead of talking to the boys.
He smiled smugly at her. "Your Highness." He said as he sat down, his posture straight and his shoulders square. "I'm Charles Trumble The Third." He told her. He spoke with a thick, stuffy English accent. Estrella had been certain those had died out after World War III.
Estrella flashed a fake smile while he looked her up and down. "Princess Estrella Arlynn Schreave." She said, then cleared her throat. "So, tell me something about you that I would never guess."
He scoffed, then crossed his arms as he leaned back. Estrella fought against the urge to glare at him. "We don't need any of this small talk, Princess." He said, the name coming off as almost mockery. She raised an eyebrow. "Just tell me what I want to hear."
She tilted her head. She had no idea what was going on in this boy's head. Was this whole rude attitude due to nerves. "Oh?" She asked as she played with a handful of her skirt. "And what is that?"
He grinned. "Tell me that I've won." He said, then gestured to the other selected. "I'm better than all of them could ever try to be." He gloated, and Estrella had no idea what to think about that.
"I'm sorry, but what caste were you?" She asked, leaning forward so that her arms were on her knees. She knew that a lot of the selected came from lower castes, and she was almost certain that he was one of the higher castes.
He frowned at her, then cleared his throat as he shifted in his seat "I'm a 6." He told her, his voice soft.
Estrella forced back a laugh. This boy had walked in like he owned the place, then admitted that he was at the lower end of the system. "You are very proud for a 6."
•••.
Three boys later, Estrella found herself tired, nauseous, and with a migraine forming behind her eyes. But she had to keep the image up.
She just hoped the next boy would be interesting.
The next boy walked up with chestnut curls and a tattered book in his hands. He bowed gracefully. "Your Highness." He said, then met her eyes and smiled. "I am Mr. Edmund Jenkins." He introduced himself, then sat beside her.
She smiled, then cleared her throat. "Princess Estrella." She said as she held out her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jenkins."
Edmund began playing with the cover of the book in his hands. "The pleasure is mine, Your Highness." He said as he shook her hand. His hand was soft and warm, despite the protruding veins.
"What book are you reading?" She asked, hoping that she would be able to get some idea of his character by his reading choices. "What's it about?"
He looked down at the book in his hand, then up at her. "It's nothing special." He said with a shrug, but that didn't mean that Estrella wasn't interested. "Just a boring romance."
Estrella found herself moving closer to him. "Tell me?" She asked, manipulating her voice to sound sweet and innocent. "I never have time to read."
Edmund's hazel eyes softened, then he sighed. "Of course, Your Highness." He said. "But it really is quite annoying, this girl can't choose who to have a romance with at this point. She is trying to choose between the boy who left her and the boy who would do anything for her. Not to mention, the author is horrible at foreshadowing."
Estrella wrinkled her nose. The book sounded awful. "Is it really that hard to choose between the two?" She asked. Why would you choose someone who had left you?
Edmund shrugged. "I don't know, Your Highness." He said, then smiled. "This is my first romantic endeavor. So, I guess I will keep you updated on that."
Estrella chuckled. "Okay, I have a question." She said, then after Edmund nodded she continued. "What would you like to be known as after you die?" She asked.
Edmund's eyes widened, and Estrella laughed at what she had said. "I'm sorry, that's so dark." She apologized as she blushed. "I guess I'm not very good at small talk."
Edmund began laughing. "It's fine, Your Highness." He told her, gently placing his hands on hers. "I hope to be known as prince consort after this is over. But if you decide I'm not the one, I hope I can be known as the best lawyer Illéa has ever known."
She smiled, then nodded. "I hope you fulfill your dream." She told him. "We could always use more lawyers."
Edmund blushed, then looked away. "Th-thanks, Your Highness." He said, then after a moment, he spoke again. "Can I request something?" He asked hesitantly.
Estrella leaned back, then nodded. "Ask away." She said, allowing him to speak.
"Umm... I was wondering if my dog could come to the castle?" He asked, wringing his hands nervously as he did. "I really miss him and I know he misses me, but I didn't know if he would be allowed in otherwise I would have brought him."
She smiled as Edmund adjusted his glasses. She couldn't think of the last time she had seen a dog. "I'll make arrangements for his arrival as soon as I am done here."
Edmund grinned, his big eyes sparkling with excitement. "Thank you, Princess Estrella." He thanked, then stood up and bowed.
She stood up and curtsied, happy that she had met someone who she could have a conversation with. "Of course, Mr. Jenkins."
•••
After the next twelve boys, Estrella finally asked for a cup of tea. Her head mimicked volcanoes erupting and she was just waiting for her head to explode. But she was almost done. This was boy number seventeen.
The boy who walked up was one of the taller boys of the group, and Estrella couldn't help but notice how thin he was. His sandy blond hair was brushed to the right and he wore a smile that went to his eyes. "Princess Estrella!" He exclaimed, then fell to his knees in a low bow. "It's such an honor to meet you. I'm Finn."
Estrella watched him, lost for words. What was going on? She shook her head, then smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Finn." She said, the words coming out slowly as she watched him. She felt awkward calling him Finn when she was supposed to call him by his last name, but he hasn't given her one.
He grinned, his eyes squeezed shut from the smile. "Thanks, Princess! It's so crazy to be here, I didn't think I would actually get in!" He rambled, causing Estrella to smile. She found him adorable in the way a small animal was.
He stood up, then sat beside her, like, right beside her. Estrella could swear this boy didn't know what personal space was. "So, where are you from, Mr. Finn?" She asked as she scooted away from him. She didn't mean to be rude, but he was literally pressed against her.
"Waverly." He said, and when she nodded, he continued. "Towards New York City, in the lower, more industrial area. I worked in one of the manufacturing factories making airplane parts." He explained, flinging his hands around as he did.
"Waverly is nice." She said, thinking back to the few times she had visited on royal business. "A bit cold though..." She added, remembering the amount of layers she had worn the last time she had been there.
He nodded. "Freezing. Plus, Aunt Gabby and Uncle Neil's place isn't very warm." He said, then coughed for a second. Estrella scooted farther away. She couldn't risk getting sick. "In the winter, my sisters and I would all curl up together at night because of how cold it would get."
Estrella thought back to her previous winter. Angeles was never really cold, but she did remember staying comfortable with the fireplaces on and warm drinks in her hands. She knew that she had it better than the rest of her country, but it had never occurred to her that it could be that bad in the winter. "I'm sorry." She said. "What caste were you?" She asked. She needed to know, because this has to be addressed. If families were freezing, she had to do everything in her power to stop that from happening.
Finn coughed again, then cleared his throat and smiled. "I'm a 4." He told her, his voice as light and bouncy as a butterfly.
Estrella felt sick. If this was what winter was like for 4s, then her country needed serious help.
She smiled, then stood up. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Finn."
So, there's three more meetings! I hope you liked them! Please follow, fave, and review! Let me know your thoughts!
Thanks for reading!