"You're still up?" came a soft voice from Eli's door. He looked up from the array of papers and photos in front of him to see his mother standing on the threshold between the hallway and his room.
He sighed, throwing up his hands. "I've been awake the past two days. The Elite are supposed to be picked by tomorrow, but I can't make any decisions." A single strand of dark brown hair flopped into his face, and he blew at it angrily.
The Queen approached him and put her arms around his shoulder. "If you want," she said soothingly, "we can bring your dad in here. He would probably know how to help you. Remember, he went through all the same things you have."
"I know, I know," Eli said. He stared back down at the sheet of paper. "I just feel like I need to do this by myself." When he heard his mother let out a snort, he looked up with a bashful expression. "And maybe with a little bit of input from you. You're older and wiser than me. Which girls do you like?"
Georgianna took a deep breath. "Well," she said carefully, "I like most of them. They're all very kind, smart, capable people. Otherwise they wouldn't be here." She shot Eli a knowing look. "But there are a few who have a sort of….special something. Who do you have on the list?"
"Reina, Ana, Vela, Gigi, Ava, and Lia," Eli said. "They're all the girls who stood out to me within the first few days, and I know that I want them to move on. The trouble is filling the other four slots."
"Who says you have to do that?" his mother asked with a slight frown. "Do you remember reading about King Maxon in your history books?"
"Yeah," Eli said, "he only chose six girls for his Elite. But I don't want that, mother. I want to hang on to as many of these girls as long as I can. They mean the world to me. Plus, I don't really trust the judgement of a 21 year old at the peak of his decision making slump."
Closing her eyes, Georgianna took on a pensive expression. She placed a hand on Eli's. "Then I'll tell you what I think. Viviana Ebony is smart, resourceful, and a daydreamer. She has a vision. She has spirit. That's the type of girl that changes the world, you know."
Eli nodded. "I think I'll add her, then."
"Good thinking. I don't think you'll regret it. Another that's stood out to me is Sofie. On the surface, I know she looks like just another two. But I can tell there's something about her. Bring her to the Elite. You don't have to marry her, but she'd be a good candidate to bring into the limelight," his mother recommended.
"That leaves two spots."
Standing, Queen Georgianna brushed a hand through her son's hair. "I'm going to leave that up to you. It's your Selection, and eventually you'll have to make decisions on your own." She placed a kiss on top of his head. "I love you, Eli. I'll see you tomorrow."
"I love you, Mom," Eli said with a sleepy grin.
She had helped, certainly. But there were still choices to be made, perspectives to be considered, hearts to be broken. Just how many dreams could he crush in one night? Surely this would be a record.
15 girls. So many would be heading home tomorrow. So many would be broken and confused and hurt. How was it that Eli was supposed to do that to them?
For the first time in all four months that the girls had been at the castle, he wished that he could have chosen his wife in the normal way. Maybe in a year or two, after Starr had calmed down a little, they could have been married. Or he could have gotten to know Princess Colette of New France and formed an alliance. Maybe he would have fallen head over heels in love with that cute maid that always blushed when he walked past.
In any case, he'd never know now. There was no choice but to make the choice. And the choice, while difficult, had to be made. He had to choice the make. He choice make the had…
The next thing he knew, Eli was bolting awake. The sun was streaming through his window, and his button down shirt he'd worn the day before was wrinkled. The array of names and faces shone beneath him, and suddenly, everything was clear. He knew exactly who to choose.
Grabbing a hairbrush and straightening his clothes, Eli dashed out of his room. There was an announcement to be announced, and according to his watch, he had negative two and a half minutes to make it down to the Great Room. The sleepiness still clung to his eyes, but the exhilaration of the decision was keeping him mostly awake and coherent.
As he bolted into the Great Room, the anxious chattering that had filled it came to a halt. Every girl turned to stare at him. He smiled awkwardly, then went and stood at the podium at the front of the room.
"Ladies, it is my great pleasure and sorrow to be standing here before you today," he said, still breathless from his sprint down to the room. As he suspected, his family was looking at him disapprovingly and glancing at their watches. He sighed. "As you all are very aware of, I have made the choice of who will stay at the castle and become my Elite, and who will be returning home to their families.
Tense muttering. Eli reached up and wiped his brow. This was so much more intimidating when it wasn't a rehearsal in his brain. Now there were actual people, people that he cared about, people that he was going to hurt.
"I will read out the names of those staying. If yours is not on the list, that means that unfortunately, you will not be staying with us. I will be open and available to talk with you if that's what you wish. The Elite will be escorted to new chambers in the East Wing. Your families will be visiting next week."
He gulped. This was the big moment. Did he dare say the first name?
His mother gave him one of her rare smiles, and he felt a surge of courage.
"Ana Alvarado."
Out in the crowd, he saw Ana practically melt with relief. Vela was standing next to her, hands gripping her friend's arm tightly.
"Vela Elliot. Gigi Edwards. Luava Qappik. Dahlia Ramirez. Reina Yeres. Viviana Ebony. Sofie LaFierre."
He watched as each girl shed their anxious skin as he called their name. Ava practically sank into a dead faint, and had to be supported by Viv, Tricia, and Lia. Eli chuckled, trying miserably to cover it up with a cough.
There were only two spots left, and the girls knew it. They were looking at their friends worriedly, glaring at others with suspicion in their eyes, crossing their fingers and crossing themselves and crossing anything they could find.
Eli continued, "Tricia Beaumont. And Sage Marson."
It had come to him that morning that those two were going to the Elite. He could sense Tricia's passion beneath her uninterested facade. And there was something about her that made him desperate to unearth that and see it manifested in something other than her paintings. Something useful and productive. He was positive that if she could do that, she could be an incredibly influential person someday. Maybe not the Queen, but a name almost as well known.
As for Sage, well, Eli had been seeing her every day down in the stables when he came for his daily surveillance of the grounds. She was always there, sweeping the floor or brushing the horses or filling the troughs. After about a week of crossing paths, Eli started asking if she wanted to go on rides with him. It was delightful, and he'd gotten to know her very well. He had to be careful with her, though. She had been broken before, and was being held together by nothing but sheer determination. She deserved to become an Elite.
It was almost too difficult for Eli to bear watching the other girls. Some sank into the floor out of sheer desperation and exhaustion. One of them, Jasmine, was shrieking and throwing a tantrum that the maids would talk about for years.
But for some reason, Eli didn't focus on that. Instead, he watched the smiles of the Elite as they were escorted by maids out of the room. All of them were positively glowing, though Reina had a glint in her eye that made Eli just a little bit nervous.
"Thank you, everybody," he said hoarsely.
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HERE WE GO! I'm so happy to be at this point, and I'm so grateful to y'all. I have almost all of the UN country submission, thanks to all of you who answered so quickly! We're just missing one person (cough The Cruel Pringle, get called out cough), but after that it's go time! I'm so pumped for the Elite, there's going to be murder, drama, romance, everything that there was in the first half, but more. And just to spice things up, our old friend Starr is going to be showing up a lot more. I've missed her and her infuriating antics. Anyway, that's all, please leave a review letting me know what you guys want to see in the Elite!