Hey, everyone. Thank you for being so patient with me! I had a big revision to do this week—finally submitted. Now, I wait for the next round. I hope you enjoy the chapter, because I rewrote the last part about three times. :) SJ
...
Dad appears in my doorway, "It's time, Cal. Are you ready?"
"As ever, I guess." I try to keep the sourness out of my words. I asked for the Selection. I want a Selection. Especially after this morning, I am ready to not give Fae a second thought. I'm ready to find someone to love me completely.
Dad looks at the newspapers on the floor. He picks the Italian one up briefly, then lets it flutter back to the floor. He studies me quietly, then extends his hand and half-lifts me out of my slumping posture. "How long have you been up?"
"Since before dawn," I shrug. That's normal for me. When I have to work through things, I am first up and last to bed. Dad's the same way.
He claps me on the back as we work our way down to the grand staircase to meet the rest of the family. "Have you thought about your strategy for today?"
"Well, I'm listening to both you and Mom."
"Really?" He raises and eyebrow, "Do explain."
"I'll do my first round of eliminations this morning. After breakfast, the women will meet me in the parlor, and I will make it a point to meet each one. The quicker I narrow the field, the better." The after breakfast contingency is specifically for Mom, and the other tactic is Dad's advice.
He laughs, "You make it sound so much easier than it actually is. But, nice of you to make sure they don't leave on an empty stomach." We finally reach our destination, only to see Vara with Mom and the boys.
Vara is the "etiquette police." I guess she truly is a protocol specialist, and she makes sure that we don't make any large faux pas when foreign dignitaries come to visit. The boys still have lessons with her, but I only see her if there is new protocol I don't know. She is not a woman that I missed while away. Her graying hair is twisted in a tight knot at the nape of her neck, and her spare frame is fastidiously attired in a navy dress and coordinating sweater. Her glasses are resting on the edge of her nose, and she looks as if she is biting back a reprimand of Tyrmian's fascination with the bannister while Mom is standing so close. At one time, she might have been a beautiful woman, if she wasn't so intent on perfection. The women behind the door of the grand dining room will have the express pleasure of spending a good part of their stay with Vara. My new wife will need a sense of humor, as her time with Vara will only grow when she wins the competition.
Mom breaks rank to hug me, and then straightens my shirt and tie. "You look handsome, Cal," she murmurs to me. She struggles through the next few words. "I am so proud of you." She touches my cheek, and then hugs me ferociously again.
"Okay, Ames. Give him a little space," Dad touches her back. And she loosens her grip and regains her composure by taking Dad's offered arm.
Vara claps twice to get our attention. "As we planned, Your Majesties, king and queen, then Prince Kort and Prince Tyrmian will walk carefully" she looks pointedly at Tyr "behind them. Then the twins. Then Prince Calix. Remember, Prince Calix. After the king greets the guests, you will do the same. Have you practiced your speech?"
I try not to roll my eyes at Vara. I hate it when she calls Barrett and Griffin "the twins." Like they aren't separate people with unique personalities. "Yes, Miss Vara," I say as graciously as I can manage.
She rewards me with a rare smile. Dad winks at me, and leads Mom down the staircase. My palms are suddenly slick with my own sweat. As Griffin and Barrett pass me, Baer whispers, "You realize, they're the ones that have to be nervous, right?"
Griffin grins, "Yeah, they're already in love with you." He contains his laugh and walks confidently into the dining room. The bright lights of the cameras illuminate the space, and I can't believe I forgot they would be getting footage for The Report. How could I forget that small detail? Constant video footage.
I take a deep breath and follow the rest of my family. I pause slightly inside the door, and see thirty-five heads turn my way. The colors and the smell of the elaborate breakfast almost overpower me. I make sure I am fully composed before allowing a small smile. Baer and Griffin are right, I have nothing to prove to these women. I join my family at the table, and hear Dad invite us to take our seats. After his short introduction, I stand and thank them sincerely for being here and serving their country. I can hardly believe I'm saying the words Vara planned for me. Then I invite them all to join me in the grand parlor when they finish their breakfasts. And I don't feel the least bit guilty that they don't know what is coming next.
...
Breakfast seems to pass in a blink and practically before I can comprehend what I am doing, I am moving alphabetically through the list of women. I sit down with "Bennington, Elizabeth" and prepare to smile when I realize that she's a slight brunette. In a picture, it doesn't seem to bother me. But now, face to face? There's no use mincing words. I can barely stand to look at her and abruptly ask, "Is that your real hair color?"
She looks surprised, but answers softly, "Yes, Prince Calix."
I remain seated, and gesture to the door. "Please, return to your room and prepare to leave the palace. A driver will be called." She doesn't argue and I ignore how her face crumples as she follows my command. The next few women I meet are smiling, and quiet. And not brunette. I allow them to stay.
I look up as an athletic-looking blonde curtsies. Charlotte Everly, according to the list. Her picture doesn't do her justice. "Miss Charlotte Everly?" I ask and she smiles wide, tucking a lock of curly dishwater blonde hair behind her ear.
"Call me Charlie, please," she insists and her eyes shine a bit brighter as she takes her seat. In our interesting, though short, conversation I discover that she's a competitive skier from Dakota, and has traveled almost as much as I have. Her grey eyes catch my attention, and I find myself staring for a moment until she looks down, her long lashes making a shadow on her cheeks.
I recover a little. "Charlie, I'm sorry to do this, but I need to meet everyone within the next hour or so. May l see you later this afternoon?"
She nods, and replies, "Of course." She curtsies and exits, throwing a smile over her shoulder for me.
I don't even look at the next name, because she's a brunette. She's going home. And so are the rest of the brunettes.
I feel a sense of satisfaction. I make short work of the list, asking some women to stay and dismissing others. I would have released more, but I was worried how that would translate in the newspaper the next morning. Damn Stephen. I didn't use to worry about those types of things.
Another woman approaches, and accepts my offer to sit. She's a short brunette. I doubt she's much taller than Kort. I don't bother to glance at her name before I say, "Is that your real hair color?"
"Yes, is blonde yours?"
Startled, I meet the gaze of a pair of warm brown eyes. Her response is sharp, and I notice she crosses her arms across the front of her dark pink dress as she raises an eyebrow and waits for my response. Viviana Soledad is barely keeping herself from laughing aloud. But I answer her, "You've seen my family on the report, what do you think?"
She finally laughs, and it is infectious. "I've noticed quite a few women with my hair color have left crying, Prince Calix. And, many were much more beautiful than me. Should I go collect my things?" Her tone is teasing.
"I think not," I grin back. "I think you can stay. That way," I say conspiratorially, "The reporters can't say I cut all the brunettes."
She winks, "Then I'll be seeing you for dinner?" Before I can answer, she hops up laughing, and heads for the door. She blows me a kiss as she exits the room.
I sit a little dazed. What just happened? I don't think I'll have any excuse for boredom with her in the palace. I only have a second to wonder before it's time to meet the next person.
An hour later, I take the back staircase to the third floor. There are several women who will be coming down the front that I don't want to have to explain anything to, seeing as I don't think I owe them anything more than the cordial breakfast they received. I think about the standouts besides Charlie and Viviana. There are just a few other women that I anticipate staying longer than just a few weeks. And I toy with the idea of moving straight to the Elite. I'd love to see Stephen's face if I would have been strong enough to eliminate twenty-nine women this morning. I grin as I take steps two at a time. I don't know why I was so worried before.
I go straight to my study and sit at my desk with the Selection applications in front of me.
Claire Harper, of Likely, is the only girl who asked me about how I am adjusting to being back home. Seems like a heavy question right after breakfast, but I like that her mind is on something besides marrying me. She's only a few inches shorter than I and willowy with white blonde hair and blue-green eyes. She blinks like someone unused to their contact lenses. She is a recent graduate from the University of Likely. I look forward to sharing our library with her.
Aubrey Knoll is a recent graduate of Columbia, too. Our paths must never have crossed, because I would have remembered those green eyes. Elodie Landry manages a dress shop in Kent. She's the only woman who grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. It was a bold move that could have backfired, but I didn't dislike it.
Norah Washington of Whites surprises me. Her family raises horses and she helps to manage the farm. She seems honest to a fault, and though she is quiet, I can tell she misses nothing. She is also kind, and was the first to ask me about how I was faring this morning and then listen to my response. I have never seen darker hair, it is more than black, and falls in soft waves down her back. I make a mental note to visit the stables. Ana Wright, daughter of philanthropist Xavier Wright of Paloma, is the final girl I meet. She's sweet, with dark red hair and brown eyes. Something about her manner encourages me to talk about myself, even as she's sharing details about her own life with me. She seems to forget that there is anyone else in the room during our short conversation, and I am the center of her attention. Unlike the others, she doesn't seem the slightest bit nervous.
I look down at my desk and realize I had inadvertently sorted the stack. The seven women I enjoyed meeting this morning were in alphabetical order on the right side of the desk. And the released women were in a stack all the way to the left. The others were in the middle.
A quick look at the clock tells me it is close to lunch time. I could go back downstairs, but I have a better idea. I scribble a quick note and pass it to a guard in the hallway, instructing him on his next steps before rushing off to my room to change.
...
Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, everyone. It's so great, and believe it or not, helped me to push to get this written and rewritten and rewritten this week… I've already started on CH 14 tonight, so hopefully you'll have another installment sooner. XOXO SJ
meeraratani: Thank you so much. I managed to get your over 2000 words this time, but it took awhile. I'm not sure I'm completely happy with it, even now. But, I am so flattered that you like the story and even look forward to updates. :)
soccerlurve: Thanks for stopping by! I read your story. :)
dolly123: You're welcome. Sorry that I can't do it more often right now. Life so gets in the way of writing sometimes. I love Ethan and Beth together, let's see if it is destiny? What do you think about the girls so far? We have more meeting to do, don't we? :) And regarding Delirium, I enjoyed the book. But it has been a while. (I read it last winter.)
luv2read4reading: Got it! :)
AcademicGirl: My goodness, girl (AcademicGirl, hahaha), you have been updating so much this weekend! Back away from the computer. You are making me look bad! ;) And, the Selection has commenced! That's what took me so long. This chapter has been rewritten three times and I have the real world to deal with, too. Barrett, btw, is 15. And, of course he looks like the rest of the Schreave boys. Noted, regarding Alex. I haven't had a chance to see the pilot yet. Now I am going to waste some time doing that… :)
jthornestudent: Yay! Thanks for reading. What do you think of the girls? :)
guest: Got it. :)
azure blue espeon: Got your vote. Thanks so much for your chapter love. Hopefully this one didn't disappoint. :)
Selection Fan: So glad you like it! Here's the update for you! :)
Happyfaces501kim: I am so glad you are enjoying the fic. Sorry you had to wait so long for the update. And, Peeta is such a sweetie…
Flam3nco: Aw, Fae is such a hard one to read isn't she. So, the Selection started…though a little anticlimactically… Sorry about that. *fist bump* regarding Divergent… I will read the first book again and again, but I won't ruin the experience by reading Allegiant again…
username1096: I love your username. ;) Glad you are enjoying the story. How do you like the start of the Selection?
The Devil Wears Westwood: *wipes hand across forehead* Phew. Update accomplished. Cal can be a bit of a jerk sometimes…as this chapter attests. He just gets a little awkward… :)
CashmereHerondale: I love Ethan and Beth together, too—stupid palace keeping true loves apart…We'll see if they can overcome their past.
...BRACKET...
And, the bracket winner: Peeta (by one vote, literally, it was close enough I had to keep a tally!) Very cool…
So, the next bracket standoff: Gale (Hunger Games) VS Adam (Shatter Me) Will this one be as close?