If you think these are tedious to read, try writing them! Anyway, here is part two of the interviews. If you're wondering about the order, it's alphabetically by last name. These characters are a bit more familiar than the last bunch, so it should be slightly more interesting, although not to say the others aren't! I would love to go more in detail to what the girls wear, but it's Ethan's POV, and boys don't notice that stuff!
If you review, I'll love you forever. I already love these guys forever: zanzibaby, mnbvcx-xx, TheGirlWithTheRainbowTattoo, Fairy not princess, theYAfangirl17, 4Love4Love4, delovlies, Alexina's creator/Guest, Demigod-Gallagher-Selected, EruditeAbnegationMockinjay
Also, this chapter is obscenely long…sorry!
…
After Gracie had fainted, two guards had carried her out, presumably to her room. Sophia assured everyone it was just because of the excitement, and that she was fine. The interviews would continue as scheduled. Ethan tried to hide his disappointment, since he had been really looking forward to meeting Gracie. Nevertheless, the show must go on…or whatever.
"Miss Sirena Mastrano." He announced.
A redhead bombshell in a fitted golden gown strutted over to him. She wore tons of makeup, but it was tastefully applied. Her curled red locks spilled over her shoulders, and she was very, very beautiful. Ethan glanced at her form. He wasn't surprised she was a model. As she sat down across from him, she offered a friendly smile, but even under all the makeup, he noticed her eyes were red, and she looked slightly disheveled. He recalled on the Report last night that Taren said she was sick.
"Lady Sirena, I trust you are feeling better?" Ethan asked. Sirena smiled slightly.
"Yes, much better. Thank you." Sirena smiled gracefully, and crossed her ankles demurely.
"So you're a Two?" Ethan already knew the answer, but he was attempting to make conversation.
"Yes. I'm a model, but I also play volleyball for the Midston University."
"How old are you?" Again, he knew the answer.
"Nineteen. I'll be turning twenty in a few months, though."
"Are you enjoying yourself so far?" Ethan asked. For the first time, Sirena didn't have an answer. She sucked in a breath, and opened her mouth, but didn't say anything. Finally, she put on a pleasant smile.
"Yes. I love getting to meet everyone." She said sweetly. Ethan realized there was more to this girl than what met the eye.
"Well, I've enjoyed talking to you." He said, getting to his feet, and offering her his hand. She gathered her long legs under her, and stood too, refusing his hand.
"Me too." She said, smiling her radiant smile. "It was a pleasure." She curtsied, and walked away. Ethan watched her go. There was something mysterious about her, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it. She seemed like a strong young woman, the kind who didn't need a man, a polite beauty, but something went deeper than that. Somewhat regretfully, he called the next girl.
"Miss Elly Olsen."
He recognized the girl from the photo. Then, either her spray tan or hair dye had been messed up, with olive skin and blonde hair. They both had been balanced out now, and she was considerably prettier, although she was a little plain. She was tiny, lithe and willowy. She wore a sparkly light pink gown, and low heeled light pink flats. She walked with all the grace of a dancer. She sat down across from him, possessing all the grace of a ballerina.
"Hello." She said politely. "It is an honor to be here."
"It is an honor to have you here." Ethan said, in turn. "Tell me about yourself."
"I'm a professional ballerina, of the Company of Bonita. I'm not yet a principal, but I am a prevalent soloist. I understudied for Victoria in "The Red Shoes", and I most recently portrayed Wendy in "Peter Pan".
Elly went on to tell him about things he didn't really care about, like who she was in what production, and how her splits were and something about a straight scorpion. Ethan listened politely, but he wasn't too interested in Elly. She was consumed by ballet. She was sweet, but, well, boring.
"I'm afraid that's all the time we have, Lady Elly. You may take your seat." He said. Elly got up and curtsied. Her heels echoed on the marble flooring as Ethan pondered the list. He just hadn't connected with her.
"Miss Katherine Page?" He called. Unlike Elly, when he had first seen Katherine's picture, Ethan had felt a connection with her. She had set herself apart by wearing white, and she looked like an angel walking towards him. He tried to suppress his smile, so he wouldn't give away his intentions to the others. But he couldn't hide the slight smile. She was so…lovely. Her white gown floated around her, and her dark hair was caught up in a loose bun. She bit her lip, and curtsied, her cheeks tinging pink.
"It is an honor, your highness." She whispered, before sitting down. Ethan felt his dumb ears heat up again, and tried to make his hair cover them, but it was too short.
"Lady Katherine, I've been looking forward to meeting you." Ethan said. Katherine's cheeks flushed from light pink to dark pink. She looked how, fiddling with the tiny pearls on her gown. After a moment, she spoke.
"Really? Or have you said that to every other girl who has come by?" She bit her lip again, her face now red. Wow. That caught Ethan by surprise. He didn't expect that from this sweet, innocent looking girl. Still, her blush told him she wasn't thrilled with her choice of words, but still had to know the truth.
"Um, no. I mean, I've greeted them all nicely, but seriously, I've been looking forward to meeting you." Ethan felt his face copy Katherine's and heat up. He awkwardly cleared his throat. "You see, you caught my attention when I first saw you."
"Oh." Katherine said, slightly surprised. She laughed a little, a musical sound. Ethan couldn't wait to hear it again. "Sorry about that, then. I just don't like people who are shallow." She looked over at the chattering girls. A few had their eyes glued to the action. "Alana Harowski acted as sweet as pie to me and Elvira yesterday at dinner, but after you talked to Elvira so long, she started saying all these mean things, and she wouldn't stop."
"Really? She's mean?" Ethan was surprised. She had seemed…okay. Just a little…insane?
"Yeah, you couldn't tell though could you?"
"No, she was too busy trying to kiss me." Ethan said seriously. Katherine laughed loudly, before clapping her hand over her mouth at Sophia's glare.
"Sorry." She said. Ethan shrugged.
"She's going home anyway. I don't know where she got all her ideas about her and me." He felt himself relaxing more around Katherine. Her reference about pie, though, jarred him back to the task at hand. "So, what do you do? For a living, you know."
Kathrine giggled a little. "I'm a Four, and my parent's own a bakery. We don't usually do a lot of cake and stuff, more like specialty breads and muffins and things." She fingered a small songbird charm on her bracelet. "I could care less about baking, though. I love music. But, I'm not a Five, and ever since my sister-" She stopped suddenly. "Well, I'm expected to take on the family business, but now that I'm a Three, I don't know."
Ethan wondered about her sister, and why she had stopped so abruptly. He glanced at his watch, and realized he had spent much to long with Katherine. Darn.
"Well, Lady Kathrine, I fear our time is up. I have enjoyed talking to you. Maybe we could do it again some time." He said. Katherine did that cute giggle again.
"I'd like that." She said, standing up. She threw him a smile over her shoulder, and headed back to her seat. Ethan caught himself sighing. Oh well. No rest for the weary. He looked at the next name on his list.
"Miss Mackenzie Parker." He announced. He knew who she was. Everyone did, even if they lived in a cave. Well, maybe not, but still. The host of the Angeles News stood up. She smiled fakily at Katherine as Katherine passed her, and gave her celebrity friends-Rory and Cordelia- a smug smile, before propping one hand on her hip, and walking towards him. Unlike Sirena's walk, Mackenzie's was intentionally seductive. She tossed her silky strawberry blonde tresses over her shoulder, and gave Ethan a sexy smirk. She curtsied to him, making sure he got a good look at the slit in her dress. It was red, of course, and fitted to her thighs before flaring out, like a trumpet. It was strapless, and her breasts were barely covered enough. Mackenzie sat down, and sucked in a breath, making her 'neckline' inch further down. Ethan could help but notice her leg, in the shadows of the slit up the side. He was only human. He felt his blood go hot. He wasn't immune to these things even if he was a prince.
"Lady Mackenzie." He said, feeling his heart rate pick up. "It's nice to meet you."
"Oh, I assure you, the pleasure is all mine. Is Lady Gracelyn alright?" She tried to look concerned, but the haughty gleam in her eyes told him otherwise.
"Um, I believe so." He told her, feeling oddly protective of her.
"Oh good. I was so worried about her."
Ethan was pretty sure she wasn't.
"So, Lady Mackenzie, you're a Two?"
"Yes, I'm the host of Angeles News. Surely you've heard of me?"
"Um, yes." Ethan said. Wow, way to blunder around a hot girl. His father had specifically told him not to eliminate any Twos yet, and he was already going to get hell for Elly. Also, Wesley and Andrew would kill him for eliminating Mackenzie.
"Good. You'd be surprised, but some people haven't. Everyone has heard of you, though." She leaned forward slightly in her chair, showing off her attributes even more. "I'm so glad I finally have gotten to meet you."
"Yes, me too." He said, attempting a smile. Her nearness was intoxicating. "But I'm afraid I have twelve more girls to talk to and you are all probably very hungry."
"Whoever thinks about food at a time like this is an idiot." She breathed. "But very well. I hope to see you again later." She smiled suggestively, and stood up, before strutting back to her chair, her hips swaying. Ethan cleared his throat, and wished he had something to drink. He decided not to dwell on it, and call the next girl over.
"Miss Hana Piper?" He inquired. A tall, willowy brunette dressed in a lavender ball gown stood up, and began walking confidently towards him. Right before she reached the chair across from him, though, she tripped over high heels, and stumbled to the ground, half catching herself on the chair. Immediately, Ethan heard the sound of laughter. He reached down to help Hana, briefly glancing over to catch Alana, Audra, and Saskia doubled over in laughter. Yep, that settled it. Hana looked up at him, blushing furiously. She blinked quickly, and he took her hand and helped her to her feet.
"I'm so sorry, your highness." She said, her voice now shaky and her earlier confidence gone.
"Don't apologize, you did nothing wrong." Ethan tried to comfort her, but he couldn't find the right words to say. Hana smoothed her hair back into place.
"I'm just so clumsy." She said miserably, blinking back tears.
"Don't worry about it, Lady Hana." Ethan said, patting her knee in an attempt to comfort her.
"Can you just call me Hana? All the lady stuff makes me feel weird."
"Only if you agree to call me just Ethan. I may be a prince, but sometimes it's nice just to feel normal, for once." Ethan found himself opening up more around girls who were upset.
"Okay…Ethan." Hana cracked a small smile. "What do you talk about over here? None of the girls near me would talk about it."
"Um, mostly just try to get a feel for you guys."
"Okay. Well, my name's Hana…wait you knew that…I'm 18, and I'm a Three. My mom owns a chain of cafés centered in Belcourt, but we're expanding. I work there."
"Why did you sign up?" Ethan asked, He hadn't asked any of them yet, and he wished he had.
"My best friend Diana wanted to. I never thought I would be chosen over her, but I was. The minute I was, though, she hated me…"
"So you don't want to be here?"
"No, I do, I mean, yes I do, but at first I didn't." Hana blushed again at her tripping over words. "Sorry."
"It's quite alright." Ethan said. "I've enjoyed talking to you, and I look forward to talking with you again."
"Oh, yeah. Me too." Hana blushed, and stood up, executing a careful curtsey, and walking carefully back to her seat. Ethan looked at the next girl on the list. The twins were next. He was terribly worried he would mix them up, or they would mix him up. He looked over to where they were sitting, right next to each other. One of them had dyed her hair lighter, so that was good. Still, the one with lighter hair wore light pink, and the one with darker hair wore pink and black. He still didn't know who was Nicole or Natalia, though. I guess it's time to find out, then.
"Miss Natalia Rosalyn." He announced. The girl with darker hair dressed in stood up, darting a quick glance at her sister, who gave her a reassuring smile. Natalia made her way through the maze of couches, chairs and tables dominating the room, and sat down across from him, rearranging her skirt.
"Good morning, your highness."
"Good morning, Lady Natalia. You are Natalia, right?"
"Yes, of course. But please, call me Nat. You wouldn't think we would dare to switch places, would you?" Nat's eyes took on a mischievous gleam as she pretended to be shocked. Ethan smiled a little.
"Not in front of a prince, no." Ethan found himself teasing her back, and was surprised at his boldness. "So, I'm a prince for a living. What about you?" He had meant to be funny, but it came out sounding stupid and snobbish.
"I'm a Four. I live in an apartment in the capital of Kent, but I work on a big farm on the outside."
"What do you do there?"
"The farm? Well, it mostly grows corn and wheat, but the owner also breeds Thoroughbreds, and I'm an exercise rider."
"So you ride?" Ethan perked up a little.
"No, I'm just an exercise rider." Nat said sarcastically, grinning. "Of course."
"Maybe we could go riding some time."
"That would be fun. I miss the horses I ride dearly. Do you race them?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you ever race against someone else?" Nat pressed, her eyes sparkling.
"Well, yeah. My brothers."
"I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but I used to ride in races."
"But you're a Four." Ethan pointed out. Wow, way to state the obvious.
"I know." Nat giggled. "I'm done, though, so you don't have to arrest me or whatever." She smirked.
"What happened? Did you fall off?"
"Um, no. The guy who drove me there and got me it…it's a long story."
"Well, you'll have to tell me when we go riding. But now I must talk to your sister and see which one of you I like better." Ethan joked. Nat laughed, and stood up.
"It's no contest!" She said as she turned to leave. Ethan smiled as she left. She was nice. He didn't feel like he did around Katherine, but more like his sister Michelle. Maybe he and Nat could be friends. He made a check mark by her name, noticing he only had ten more to go.
"Miss Nicole Rosalyn." He summoned forth the lighter haired twin. She wore significantly more makeup than her sister, but it made them easier to tell apart. She sat down across from him, smiling nervously.
"It is truly an honor to be here, your highness." She said softly.
"An honor to have you here. Do you like being with your sister?"
"Oh, yes. It makes it so much fun. Plus, I already had a friend." Nicole looked up just long enough to make eye contact, before a blush crept over her cheeks.
"So, do you work on a farm too?"
"No, a clothing factory, with my mom." Nicole fidgeted with her ruffled skirt.
"So why did you enter?" He asked her. Nicole looked nervous, and she seemed trying to think of an appropriate answer.
"Um…well, I thought I would be a good opportunity…and Nat wanted me to go with her, and she convinced me too." Nicole finished quickly, and looked away.
"Is it just you and Nat at home, then?"
"No, we have an older brother and two younger sisters." Nicole told him. Ethan waited for her to say more, since she wasn't being very elaborate on her answers.
"So, what do you like to do?"
"Um… I don't really like to work. It's too noisy and chaotic. I like to…I like to dance when I can." She finished the words off quickly and in a whisper.
"Oh. That's cool." Ethan didn't really know what else to say. Pair two quiet people together, and you get a lot of awkward silences.
"Well, my time's probably up now." Nicole said after a moment. "I've enjoyed talking with you, though."
"Yes…it was nice." Ethan stood as she did. She gave a quick, graceful curtsey, and walked back to her seat, not turning to look back. She was nice, and he liked her enough to keep her around for a while. He sighed, seeing he still had several girls to speak with. There were so many of them!
"Miss Ava Rotham?" He inquired. A girl in light pink, with her hair obviously dyed cinnamon stood up. Like Audra, she wasn't very pretty, and she was only a Four.
"Prince Ethan, hi." She said, sitting down without bothering to curtsey. She checked a little piece of paper in her hand, and seemed to focus on the task at hand. "I'm Ava."
"Hi, Ava. Lovely to meet you. I'm Ethan."
"You're not just Ethan. You're Prince Ethan." Ava corrected in a nagging voice. She tossed her hair.
"Oh. Yes…sorry?" Ethan wasn't used to people like this. Ava gave him a confident smile.
"Should I tell you about myself?"
"Um…sure."
"My name is Ava, I am a Four. I work in a factory, but I aspire to become a professional athlete."
"How do you propose to do that?" Ethan asked her.
"Well, I'm a Three now. I figure if I make it into the Elite, I'll be good."
"Oh. Okay." Ethan felt somewhat bewildered by her words. "Um, it was good to meet you."
"Oh, yeah. You too." Ava gave him a confident smile, and left. Ethan wrinkled his brow. Might as well move on.
"Miss Erin Rusk?" He announced. A handsome girl with rich dark skin, looking very uncomfortable in a simple black dress stood up. She approached Ethan, stumbling over the hem of her gown. She executed a somewhat awkward curtsey, and sat down.
"Hey…um, your highness." She said, slightly awkwardly.
"Hello, Lady Erin."
"Actually, could you not call me that? I'm not a lady."
"It's sort of a title, but sure."
"Are you like this to everyone? Doesn't it get annoying to be called Prince all the time?" Erin tucked back a strand of hair into her pinned up hair.
"Um, not really."
"Well, I hate being called Lady Erin, so please make a note or something." She shook her head. "Sorry."
"Um, that's fine. I want to start off thanking you for your service in the Illean Military Academy."
"You're welcome. It's a lot different here."
"I can imagine."
"Back home, my best friend and I were tight. But now that we're competing, since I used to live in Carolina before being stationed in Labrador, she hates my guts or something." Erin fussed her hair again, blinking at the thick stripe of liquid black eye shadow on her eyelid. Ethan briefly remembered Erin getting a scolding by Amelia on the Report last night.
"Amelia?"
"Yup. I sure hate drama, though."
"Yes, well I'm afraid that's all the time we have left."
"Okay…um, thank you." Erin didn't really seem to know what to say. She got up, and went calmly back to her seat. Ethan counted down the list. Seven left.
"Miss Tatiana Sarvex?"
A light red head in a pink dress stood up, grinning broadly. She sunk into a quick curtsey, and then took her seat.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Ethan."
"Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Tatiana." Ethan said. "Tell me about yourself."
"Well, I'm a Three. I'm studying history, primarily, but I'm still in high school. I help tutor kids. I also have a huge family."
"Tell me a little about them."
"Well, we're all girls. There's my older sister Tia, she's married; then Lolita and Loreli, the twins. Lolita's engaged, but Lora's not. Then there's me, and then my little sister Selah."
"That sounds fun. Are you guys close?"
"Yeah. I'm pretty close to all of them."
"So, why did you sign up?"
"Um, well…" Tatiana's cheeks turned pink. "I wanted to see if you really were all that your cracked up to be."
"And?"
"Well, I expected stuck up, and you're pretty nice, but I hardly know you."
"Well, hopefully we can remedy that soon, Lady Tatiana. But not right now. I have six girls left, and I'm sure you all are probably starving."
"Now that you mention it, and I'm not so nervous anymore, I am!" Tatiana said, standing. She gave him a cute little wave and left. Ethan smiled after her. She was very friendly, and made him feel at ease.
"Miss Meagan Stewart?" He called. A petite blonde in a dark teal ball gown with her hair up in a French twist stood up, her deadpan face saying "who me?" She walked with a bounce in her step towards him, and bobbed her knees in a quick curtsey before sitting down, and crossing her knees.
"Lady Meagan, a pleasure to meet you." Ethan said.
Meagan smiled brightly. "Thank you, Prince Ethan. I'm overjoyed to be here." She spoke with slightly loud voice.
"Are you enjoying your stay here at the palace so far?"
"Yes! It's so much fun here! I'm only a Six, so I never have ever worn such beautiful things and eaten such wonderful food. I feel like…well, a princess!" She spoke her words with infectious happiness. "Does it ever get boring for you?"
Ethan was caught off guard by the question. "Um, well it's all I've ever known. I think it would be interesting to see how the rest of the world lives, though. I get sort of bored here, and I feel spoiled rotten."
"Well I think you could be a lot worse. You seem pretty polite to me…well, you are a prince." Megan pointed out.
"Oh, um…thank you?"
"It's true!" Even though she was complementing him, Ethan didn't feel like she was sucking up to him. She fiddled with her earring. "So am I supposed to tell you about myself now?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Okay, well I'm a Six, and I'm a seamstress. I used to be a Five, but my parents died in a car accident when I was twelve. I was adopted by my aunt and uncle, but they were Sixes. I don't mind though."
"So why did you sign up?"
"Oh, well, mostly for the money, I guess." Meagan looked down, twisting her hands in the fabric of her dress. "My family really needs it. But now that I'm here, I hope I get to stay a while." Meagan admitted, blushing.
"That's nothing to be ashamed off…well, I've enjoyed talking to you." Ethan told her. "But I'm sure you all are eager for breakfast."
"Maybe a little." Meagan said, smiling. Her stomach growled loudly. They laughed, and Meagan stood and curtsied. "Good luck with the others!" She told him, before returning excitedly to her seat. Ethan sighed, and mentally checked her name off the list. Five more.
"Miss Adele Warren." He announced, feeling a rumble of hunger of his own. Better make these girls quick. Adele stood up, dressed in a sky blue dress. It showed off her…attributes very nicely. Ethan felt his ears heat up. Why did girls always do this to him? Adele was skinny and a little short. She wore her short blonde streaked hair in curls, and bright red lipstick. She smiled flirtatiously at him after curtseying, and sat across from him.
"Good morning, your highness." She said sweetly.
"Good morning, Lady Adele."
"It definitely is." Her smiled grew. "So, um, what do I say?"
"Just tell me a little about yourself."
"Okay, well I'm a Five, and I act in live theatre. I'm usually just a featured dancer or one liner. I love movies, too." Her voice trailed off, and she bit her lip coquettishly. "What else?"
"Just out of curiosity, why did you sign up?"
"Well, you probably wouldn't think this…but I have these dreams. They're kind of dumb, but I've always wanted to be a princess. Plus, the money and everything. And just for fun."
"It's not dumb. Ask most any girl in here, and they'll say something like that, I'm sure."
Adele looked up, biting her lip again. "Really?"
"Yeah."
"So what else do you want to talk about?"
Ethan though about it. He was somewhat absorbed by her red lips, though. "Have you ever kissed someone?" He blurted out, before thinking. He immediately felt his ears go hot.
"Stage kiss, but those don't count, so now. Why, do all non virgin kissers get kicked out?" She attempted to joke, but Ethan was too embarrassed to laugh.
"No, sorry. That was a personal question. Um, it's been nice speaking to you. Thank you."
"Oh, sure. Anytime." Adele stood up, and curtsied again, before walking elegantly back to her seat.
Ethan waited for his embarrassment to go away before calling up the next girl. "Miss Felicity Weaver."
The girl sitting next to Adele stood, wearing a delicate ivory gown. Her auburn hair was braided in tiny braids that kept her hair out of her eyes. She smiled nervously, and scurried over, curtseying quickly and sitting down.
"Good morning." She said softly, her ever-present smile never fading.
"Good morning, Lady Felicity. I heard you know Adele last night on the Report."
"Oh, yes! We tour together in the same acting troupe. We're from different provinces, though."
"So you're a live theatre actress too, then?" He asked.
Felicity nodded eagerly. "Mm-hmm. I love it. I couldn't imagine doing anything else!"
"Is there any particular reason you signed up?"
"Well, Adele and I are hopeless romantics, and why not, you know? So what about you? What do you do? I mean, besides being the prince and stuff…" She trailed off, giggling nervously.
Ethan was surprised. None of the girls, barring Meagan, had asked him about himself. "Well…I like riding…and this Selection is way too much."
"Like horseback riding? I've never been."
"Yeah…horseback riding. I like hunting too, even though my mom won't let me kill anything real. My brothers and I just go to the shooting range in the woods."
Felicity laughed. "Well, I guess all moms are the same, whether you're a prince or a Five."
Ethan relaxed a little. Felicity was very nice, and she was fun to be around. Still, if he didn't finish the interviews soon, he was going to die of starvation. He said goodbye to Felicity, and called the next girl.
"Miss Cordelia Whitney." Cordelia was about average height, and had a rounded face, giving her a somewhat girlish appearance. She wore a dark red ball gown, and had her dark brown hair swept upward. She curtsied, and sat down, quiet.
"Hello, Lady Cordelia. You look very lovely."
"Hello." Cordelia said, smiling a little, her eyes sparkling. She obviously enjoyed the compliment.
"How do you like the palace?"
"It's not so different from my own home."
"Oh, right. You're a Two."
"Yes, surely, you've heard of me!" Cordelia's lower lip pouted.
"Um, yes. I've never seen your movies though. They're all sort of chick flicks…"
"True. I don't blame you. Isabella Hamilton ruined Deep River, and Jackie Marion gave Under the Sea such a bad rap."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault." Cordelia said. "So, what do we talk about?"
"Actually, I'll just ask you a few questions. How old are you?"
"Eighteen. Most people think I'm younger, but I never get older roles."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Listen, I've enjoyed talking to you, but I'm afraid we're out of time."
"That's alright. See you later." She stood up, and walked away, not saying anything else. Ethan didn't care much for her, but he cared even less for Elly, and his father would have a hissy fit if he eliminated two Twos. At least there were only two girls left.
"Miss Amelia Wilde?" He inquired. A pretty girl with tanned skin and dark brown hair dressed in a cream colored gown stood up. Ethan wondered if she really did hate Erin's guts. She looked pretty nice. She gave a polite smile and curtsey, spreading the delicate fabric of her skirt over her ankles.
"Lady Amelia, it's nice to meet you. I've, um, heard a lot about you."
Amelia blushed, tucking a curl behind her ear. "Prince Ethan, I apologize for my behavior yesterday towards Erin. I would try to explain, but I really have no excuse for my behavior, although the two of us have a complicated history." She refused to meet his gaze, and Ethan couldn't tell if she was lying or telling the truth.
"Since you don't strike me as the type who would intentionally hurt her…I wouldn't mind hearing you explain your side of the story." Ethan decided it was better than anything. "Just tell it honestly. I appreciate honesty." Her apology had indicated that she was somewhat truthful, anyway.
"There really isn't an excuse for me going off like that, but I'll try to explain anyway. You see, before Erin left our province to military school, we were best friends. Right before she left, I caught her on a date with my current boyfriend. As you might have guessed, both relationships were pretty much over after that. Then, I was provoked when I saw her again. She said some things, but seeing her again was so surprising that I can't remember for the life of me what it was. My anger overtook me, and I said some things I shouldn't have. I meant to apologize last night, and this morning, but I couldn't work up the courage." Amelia's face reddened, and she avoided his eye contact. Ethan pondered her words. She hadn't really put herself into a better light, and she seemed to speak the truth.
"When I get a chance, I will speak to Erin about the matter. Still, however, if you still wish to apologize, may I suggest you write her a note?"
Amelia giggled slightly. "You really do speak like a prince." She tittered. "But that's a good idea. Thank you."
Ethan felt the tips of his ears go red again. "I speak like a prince? What does that mean?"
"It means you speak very well educated." Amelia said seriously. "And it shows."
"Well, you, Lady Amelia, speak like a writer."
"That's because I am." Amelia teased. Ethan smirked.
"I meant it as a joke…I liked getting to hear your side of the story, though."
"I suppose this is my cue to leave, then." Amelia rose and curtsied. "I'll see you at breakfast, unless you decide to kick me out."
"I already have quite a list of those, and you're not on it. You may rest assured…or whatever."
"Thank you, your highness." Amelia curtsied again, and left.
By this time, the volume of the chatter of the other girls had increased significantly. It was time for the last girl.
"Miss Michaela Williams?" A beach blonde in a dark lavender ball gown stood up. Her gown was lively, betraying the mature appearance of her face. She seemed nervous, but not overly so.
"Prince Ethan." She acknowledged in a murmur, sinking into a curtsey. She took her seat. "I bet you're just as ready to go to breakfast as me, so if you make this quick, I don't mind."
Ethan liked this girl's easy manner already. "I'm sorry you had to be the last, Lady Michaela."
"Oh, I don't mind. It gave me some time to figure out my true identity." Michaela's word were sarcastic, but her tone didn't even have a hint of it. "I finally know who I really am." A little smirk gave away her sarcasm this time.
"Care to share, then?" Ethan tried to imitate her humor, but he wasn't the funniest.
"Well, I was sort of joking, but I'll tell you some things anyway. I own my grandmother's bakery, I'm a Four, and I live with my sister. I love to bake, obviously. We have a lot of cakes and pie and cookies and stuff. I also like to swim, since I live near the beach."
"So why did you sign up?"
"Mostly for the money and stuff. My sister June convinced me."
"Is she in charge of the bakery while you're gone?"
"Sort of. She's only twelve, so we reduced the hours and stuff. Our employee Kellie is helping her."
"Did you say it's your grandmother's bakery?"
"Yes, after my parent's died, we lived with her until she died, and I took over the business."
"So you're an orphan?"
"Yeah…I'd rather not talk about it." She looked away, and Ethan felt embarrassed. Of course she wouldn't.
"Yeah, yeah. Sorry, that's fine. Um, I'm sure you're starving too, so I'll go ahead and end this. I know you well enough to keep you around a little longer." He tried to joke, but realized it wasn't that funny. "Er, sorry."
"That's fine! It was nice to meet you!" She left, and Ethan suddenly felt very nervous. It was time to tell the girls who were being eliminated. Sophia scurried over to him.
"Is that all?"
"Yes, but tell the girls to stay for a few minutes. I'll handle the rest." He looked down at his list as Sophia shouted instructions. Even though the girls kept whispering, Ethan could hardly bear the heavy silence. There was no turning back, no calling the girls and asking them to come back. Still, there were some he already knew would never work. Finally, he arrived at his conclusion. Eleven of them were going. Now he just had to tell them.
…
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-Shades