Percy didn't even dare to breathe as he watched the two figures draw closer and closer to the girl in the black hood. They obviously were in the same group, as they acknowledged each other as companions would. When both figures reached her, the flashlight illuminated the three enough for Percy to make out the details. The two newcomers were male, one with tousled black hair and the other with short, brown hair. The second boy's hair matched the exact same shade of the girl, Missy's, color. The two also had the same eye color.

Siblings, Percy would have bet money on. The boy was obviously much older than his sister, looking to be about Percy's age. However, it was the other boy who addressed the girl. "Any sign of the guards or the royals?' He asked. It was the same voice that had called from earlier.

Percy sucked in a breath. Is this why she had asked him to hide? To make a dramatic reveal later on? Somehow, the Prince doubted it. He inched closer towards the alcove wall just in case, though.

"No." The girl shook her head. "No sign of anyone. I made sure of that. I found the room, though, and I did what you asked." Percy watched the two boys nod. The dark haired boy clapped a hand on Missy's shoulder in affection.

"Good job, girly. Now, as long as Glyph didn't screw up and get lost again, we should be good. Let's go." He started to turn around, but Missy grabbed his shoulder, quickly.

Inventing fast, she whispered, "We should split up again." She was meet with a look of confusion between both of the males. "What?" She adopted an annoyed tone, as if exasperated the boys didn't get it. "It would be less suspicious if three of us are caught." The girl didn't add a "Duh" at the end, but she may as well have. It was clear from her tone.

Luckily, both boys accepted her plan. The dark-haired one, who appeared to do most of the talking, gave her an approving nod. "Good plan, Missy. See," he turned to his fellow. "That's why we bring your sister along, Midas. She's got the brains in the family."

The other boy, Midas, rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything to defend himself. "Let's just get out of here." He told them, with an eye roll, and turned down the hallway. Turning his head slightly, he called over his shoulder, "See you soon, Missy." With a last smile, the other boy turned and followed his companion down the hallway they'd come from.

As soon as they were out of view, the girl dropped some of her composure and heaved a huge sigh of relief. Then, her blue eyes swiveled to focus on the alcove and on the Prince as he rose to his feet, a little apprehensively. As he rose, the girl seemed to lose her nerve and dropped her eyes.

Giving a small curtesy, she whispered, "Your majesty."

Percy almost laughed at the irony. "You don't have to curtesy, you know. I mean, you did kind of just break into the palace. That usually disbands the formalities."

Missy blushed pink, but looked up at him. The most surprising part about her was her eyes, which shown with innocent, adoring admiration. "Oh... Yeah."

Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, the palace was illuminated with the dull lights of the backup generator. Percy was able to see the girl even more. She had freckles scattered all over her cheeks. She might be a little older than what he'd first imagined, as her impossibly blue eyes seemed to have some kind of otherworldliness to them. She was definitely pretty, in a young, girlish way. Her cheek with the paint on it was even more noticeable. A capitalized "A" inside a circle. The girl also had designs up and down her arms, though Percy somehow doubted that it had anything to do with where she came from. These were more doodles, flowers and hearts and words that he couldn't read from where he stood.

As she stood and stared at him like he was a god, Percy found himself squirming. He was acutely aware of the need to return to the girls and find Margo. And then there was his family. His parents, his brother and sisters. Were they alright? Had they been hurt or lost in the dark?

But this girl just kept staring at him like he was an idol to her, and he did not like it. He, Percy, was no one's idol. He was the second twin and he was never supposed to be king.

So why did this girl stare at him as if she put her hopes into him.

Finally, he broke eye contact. Percy couldn't stand it anymore. "Thanks." He said lamely, hoping that if he thanked her, she might take the hint and go.

"Oh," the girl lost her nerve once again. Then, she suddenly beamed at him. "No problem." Shouts echoed down the corridor. Percy recognized the sounds.

"It's the guard." He managed to get out, looking backwards. He was about to tell the girl to run, but then he realized she was already halfway down the hallway. Good Lord, she was fast. Right before she was out of his sight, she paused and blew a kiss in his direction. Then, blushing fuchsia and giggling, she was out of sight down the corridor.

Just in time, too. The guards ran up from behind him and found him staring down the corridor. "Your majesty?" One of them asked him. "Are you alright?"

Shaking his head away from thoughts of the girl, he blinked and looked at the five guards surrounding him. Pull yourself together, he thought. "Yes, I'm fine. Is my family? The girls?"

The guards all nodded at him. The head, a dark skinned man with a shaven head addressed him. "Yes, your majesty. As far as we've found, the rebels did not hurt anyone in the attack. A few members of staff reported minor injuries when the lights went out, dropping things or crashing into walls. But the Royal family has been accounted for, as well as the Ladies in the Selection."

"All of them? There was a lady missing when the blackout happened." Percy asked, heart suddenly beating rapidly in his chest.

The man nodded. "Yes. Lady Margoret was found in a corridor fairly close to the Women's Room, where she'd apparently run to. She was a little shaken up, but not hurt. She is resting in her room now. The other ladies are waiting in the Women's Room for you. I'm sure they would appreciate it if you came to relieve them of concern. The majority were very worried when you ran off, I am told."

Percy wasn't really listening to what he was saying. He knew the girls would be worried. They had barely been in the palace for a day before the first rebel attack, or at least what he took to be a rebel attack. He'd never paid that much attention in history, let alone to the history of the Selection, but Percy was pretty sure that was some kind of a record. It was his job to console them. They were his girlfriends after.

And yet, there was something he needed to do first.

Turning to the guard, he ordered, "Please tell the ladies that I will be with them shortly. There's something I have to do, first." The men all bowed curtly before turning on their heels and making their way to relay the message. As soon as they left, Percy made his way down to the hallway where the Selected girls had their bedrooms.

A maid, young and blond, was carrying a laundry basket in her arms as she passed Percy. "Excuse me." He called politely, making the maid jump and turn around, eyes wide. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Can you tell me which one of these rooms belongs to Lady Margoret, please?"

The maid calmed down at the simple question and pointed down the hallway. "It's four doors down, your majesty, on the left. I believe it has a pot of red flowers next to the door on an end table."

"Thank you very much!" Percy smiled at her and she curtsied, and they both parted ways in opposite directions. He continued walking a few more steps before he reached the door on the left with the red flowers, poppies he believed, standing in an ornate vase on the end table, just as the maid had said. Taking a deep breath, he held his hand on the door, preparing himself to knock on the door of the one girl in the Selection that openly hated his hugs. At least, the one he had met so far.

I am going to die, he thought bitterly to himself. But he owed her an apology... He was pretty sure. She hadn't exactly said why she hated him, but Percy couldn't stand anyone being mad at him, much less one of the 35 girls he was supposed to marry. "Here we go." He whispered to himself before he let his knuckles rap smartly on the three times.

There was no answer for a moment. A heartbeat. Enough of a pause that Percy's insides froze, the butterflies in his stomach suddenly falling like bricks. Had he gotten the room wrong? Was she not there? Had she already packed her things and gone home?

And then the door was pulled open and another maid, this one slightly older than the last, opened the door. "Your majesty!" She breathed in shock, dropping instantly into a low curtesy. "What brings you here?"

"Uhhh..." Percy suddenly lost his train of thought. He had looked past the maid into the room and seen Margo's back, her choppy, blond hair cascading around her shoulders as she lay on her bed. She hadn't appeared to have noticed him yet. "Uh, yes. This is Lady Margo's room, correct?" He asked, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. To be honest, Percy wasn't exactly sure why he had come to see Margo. He knew it was almost certainly going to end in disaster. But yet, like an idiot, here he was.

The maid beamed at him brightly, but her ambery eyes held a hint of surprise. "Why yes, your highness! This is Lady Margo's room." The woman cleared her throat, causing Margo to look up at him from her spot on the bed. "Miss, the Prince is here to see you."

It looked like it took some restraint for the girl to not roll her eyes. "Thanks, Iris. I can see that, somehow."

The maid, Iris, flushed slightly before curtsying and excusing herself from the room. Percy almost wished she hadn't left. Without her, it was just himself and Margo... Alone. From the look on her face, she wasn't as pleased as Iris had been. In the back of his mind, he wondered if he'd emerge from the room with a broken nose, or worse. He hoped not. It would be a shame to spend yet another night in the hospital wing. His stomach growled. He'd almost forgotten he still hadn't eaten.

"Well?" Margo asked, sliding up into a sitting position. Percy noted that it wasn't the most regal of all time, with her legs crossed. She'd abandoned her heels. Her blue dress hugged her body, displaying her formation very nicely, Percy noticed before mentally kicking himself for noticing. As if Margo didn't seem to have enough reasons to hate him. "What do you want, your majesty?" She drew the last two words out in a sarcastic tone that sounded like a knife might feel.

Please, he begged himself. Don't pass out. He had never been good at talking to women, at least not one on one. Percy was fine speaking to crowds, but as soon as he could see individual faces, he tended to lose his nerve. "Um," the Prince started, "I just wanted to make sure you were alright." Stupid, stupid, stupid. "After the rebel attack, I mean."

The girl raised an eyebrow at him. "You call that an attack?" She questioned him, tone telling him that he hadn't needed to worry. "They turned off the lights for four and a half minutes before the guards had eliminated the threat. What was I going to do? Go crying to my mother or run away home? I don't think so. So, if you want a girl who's going to be afraid of the dark or want a big, strong man to protect her, you're wasting your time here with me." The blonde stood up at this line and strutted up to him. Even barefoot, she was still fairly tall, coming up to his eyes. Her grey eyes bored into him and if looks could kill, Percy would be a dead man.

"I just thought..." Percy held up his hands in defense. "I thought maybe if I apologized to you, you might not hate me as much. I'm sorry you don't like me! I'm sorry you're here, if you don't want to be. I wish I could make you happy, I do. I don't want to make anyone unhappier. I don't know the true reason that you dislike me, Margo, but I swear to God, I am sorry for whatever I did." By the time he finished, he felt much more solid and grounded, sure of himself.

Margo had frozen in front of him, anger mixed with confusion displayed across her face. Then, she turned away from him and stormed back to the bed. "Go." She yelled, not looking back at him.

"Wait, what?" Percy was incredibly confused. He'd expected to be punched in the jaw. Now Margo looked like the fight and the resolve had all been washed away. She refused to turn back to face him.

"You heard me! I said go!" The girl yelled, arms folded across her chest and back still turned to him.

Making a stupid move, Percy moved forward and tried to grab her arm. He wanted her to look at him. Furiously, Margo ripped her arm away from him, flipped around, and pushed him backwards off of her. Surprisingly, her eyes were swimming with tears that hadn't yet fallen. "I said go!" She hissed. "Why can't you just leave me alone? You have thirty four other beautiful, normal girls to go fall in love with. And yet you come here and try to apologize. You're a Prince, for God's sake. You could have any girl in Illéa that you wanted. And yet you're so God damn... Good I don't even know what the hell to think anymore." She almost broke down at the last part before giving him a watery glare. "Go!" She yelled again, and this time Percy listened.

As he walked down the hall, away from her room, he was almost in shock. That wasn't how he was expected the conversation to go at all. Then again, he wasn't sure that was entirely a bad thing. He hadn't meant to make her cry, but she at least thought he was 'Good'. That had to count for something, right.

He needed to talk to someone, right away. Usually, his go to was Ciara when she was in the palace, and Callie when his best friend was back in Ireland. But, at this moment, Percy didn't want to be around either. He had other options, now, anyway. There were 35 girls in the palace and one of them was going to be his future wife. He'd only interviewed a few before the rebels, but he had two options in his mind out of those few girls he knew. Now, it was just a matter of choosing who.

Percy wasn't exactly sure how long he'd wandered, but he found himself passing another servant, this time a butler. He called out to the man and received directions to both girls rooms. Turning back around the way he'd come, he came to a dead end past Margo's door, with the girl's rooms on both sides. Now, it was just a matter of which way he was going to go. Left. Or right.

He decided to go left. Something in his gut told him the girl he wanted to see would be there. The butler had also told him the girls had already been sent back to their rooms and given breakfast. Hopefully, he wouldn't be interrupting her.

He passed five doors and then turned to the door at the very end of the left hall. Again, just as he had done at Margo's door, he paused and took a breath. Then, Percy knocked on the door.

When the door opened only a moment after he'd knocked, Percy knew he'd made the right choice. The blonde herself answered the door. Her eyes widened and she gave a small, hesitant curtesy. "Your majesty." She breathed, giving him a smile. "What can I do for you?" She asked cheerfully. "I certainly hope this isn't bad news." Her tone was teasing, but Percy could hear worry in her voice.

Quickly, the Prince put her nerves to rest. "Not at all, I assure you. I do have a question for you, however. Would you care to accompany me for a walk? We could go around the gardens or the Butterfly Pavilion, or anywhere you'd like."

The smile he got in return from the girl set Percy's heart aglow. "Right now?" She asked eagerly, beaming like a child on Christmas.

Percy couldn't help chuckling. The Lady's enthusiasm was infectious. "Whenever you're ready, but perhaps we should wait a few minutes. I should check with the guards to make sure it's safe to be outside in certain parts."

"Ok!" The girl had a slight flush in her cheeks from her sudden smiling. "I-" she looked down at her heels and long dress. "I should probably change, or risk falling on my face in front of the Prince of Illéa."

"Oh, I doubt you would. How about I meet you back here in say, half an hour?" Percy asked, just as excited as she was, now. He finally felt confident he'd made the right choice.

Lady Riley nodded. "Half an hour." She confirmed, before giving him one last smile and closing the door.

There we go, ladies and gentleman (mainly just ladies, though, I'm pretty sure). The first date. As you might of guessed, I did have two girls I had a hard time choosing between, which is where the whole right or left thing came from. Originally, I was going to give it to the other, but when I went back and read reviews from the interview chapter, Riley was by far one of the favorites and most people said they wanted to see more of her. So, hopefully I made the right choice. It was also potentially going to be Margo, but I felt like she and Percy weren't quite there, yet.

I might die from AP testing and studying, but I'll hopefully update soonish. Sorry, this wasn't the longest chapter of all time, but it needed to be written. Next chapter will be the date, and then Percy might be doing some catch-up interviews, musical chairs at dinner.

Also, Missy is probably one of my favorite characters so far, or my own characters. She's like so cute and like Percy's personal fangirl. And, don't worry. There will be more of Gideon and Callie, don't worry. :)

Until next time!

~Sora