"I think they should be pink. Pink is very fairy tale."

"That's a stupid idea. It should be regal. White and gold is the way to go." Elsa snapped, her pen poised above the paper. Willow 's lip trembled, looking like a puppy that got kicked out of the way.

"I think pink is a good, feminine color. It would suit such an event." Abigail eyed Elsa as she tapped Willow's hand reassuringly.

"We don't want it to look like a five year old's birthday party." Elsa replied, flipping her long chestnut hair over her shoulder. Juliette watched the arguing, detached from the entire project. It felt odd trying to plan a celebration when her world felt like it was falling apart at the seams.

"Why don't we just do all three?" Kiara suggested. "Like, pink can go good with white and gold."

Elsa pursed her lips. Juliette assumed that she just didn't like compromise, but the idea was a good one.

"I agree. A champagne color would go perfectly." Juliette's voice sounded as tired as she felt, but none of the other girls seemed to notice.

"I'm thinking enchanted forest vibes." Elsa argued. "So I think it should be green. And green doesn't go with pink."

"Well, maybe we should wait until we get swatches of fabrics to decide on exact colors. We're just brainstorming now anyway." Kiara said. She grabbed a pen from the center of the table to add the word green in a large block letter to Elsa's list.

Elsa snatched her notebook with a hiss, "Mark your own paper, this one's mine."

Kiara rolled her eyes, "What? You afraid I'm gonna ruin your paper?"

"You people ruin everything else, so I wouldn't be surprised." Elsa muttered.

Kiara sat higher in her chair. "I didn't hear that one. You wanna say that to my face?"

Juliette's eyes darted to Queen Eadlyn, who was standing over one of the other groups. She didn't seem to notice the two, but that wouldn't last if it got any more out of hand.

"Please don't fight. It's okay." Willow whimpered and stood from her chair. She had a forced smile on her face, clearly uncomfortable, "I'll get more paper."

Willow made her way to Allegra's desk, which had an array of stationary and writing utensils. Juliette sighed softly through her nose. The group she had managed to end up had the worst synergy going on. Nobody could agree on anything - they couldn't even pick what part of their event to brainstorm over first. It was practically a miracle to finally start talking about a color scheme instead of bickering about where to start. When Willow returned to the table, she set a small stack of blank paper in the middle of the table and a small assortment of pens.

"We should split things up. We obviously aren't making any progress together." Kiara said, plucking a piece of paper from the stack.

"Then you can do the snacks. I can handle the decor stuff by myself." Elsa folded her arms across her chest defiantly.

"But it's a group project." Willow's voice was soft and nervous, as if she thought bringing it up would cause her to be the target of Kiara or Elsa's anger.

"It doesn't matter. It just matters that we get the event planned and that it goes well." Elsa said. "You can work on the music."

"But-"

"What? Can you not handle music?" Elsa narrowed her eyes at Willow, who clamped her mouth shut. Her eyes glittered like she might cry, but she didn't say anything. Juliette shook her head to herself. This was a disaster. If their performance in this task had the possibility of sending them home, then she needed her group to do well. She needed to make it to the Elite.

"Hello ladies."

The whole group froze as the Queen approached their table. Elsa quickly recovered, finding her composure with a sweet smile. "Hello Your Majesty."

"Which group are you guys?" The queen pulled a chair to sit, placing herself between Abigail and Juliette. The proximity made Juliette's skin prickle. The puppet master herself, Juliette thought to herself in distaste.

"Pink." Abigail answered, her smile much more demure than Elsa's radiant glow.

"Ah, yes! The party for Kerttu!" Queen Eadlyn beamed eagerly, "I'm looking forward to it. Kerttu is always so hard to plan parties for. It had to be a surprise so she wouldn't refuse it."

Juliette couldn't help but feel bad for the princess. Being married off to another country had to be one of the worst things that you could be forced into as a royal. Juliette doubted that Kerttu had any choice in the subject. As if that weren't bad enough, a big display to show off the marriage for someone who had always been more into peace and quiet was objectionable at best.

"She'll love it." Kiara asserted. Eadlyn smiled broadly at Kiara, who seemed uneasy at the attention with an awkward smile.

"It's so thoughtful of you to do that for her." Elsa said, still smiling. The butt kissing was obvious and obnoxious, but Juliette was sure it would work. She didn't personally have the energy to do it herself, although Juliette knew it was in her best interest to make a good impression.

"We're trying to make it something she will enjoy, since parties don't seem like her cup of tea." Juliette hoped that the wording wouldn't offend the Queen, but when she spoke, the Eadlyn's hazel eyes scanned her. It was almost a robotic movement. Her smile momentarily froze, with the wheels turned behind her eyes.

The look lasted barely a moment before she nodded, her eyes closed, "That would be the goal."

Juliette moved her eyes away, heat washing over her like a thick tidal wave. Elsa exhaled from her nose loudly, trying not to laugh.

"We're thinking fairy tale themed." Abigail spoke on, but Juliette wasn't listening. She was slightly surprised at Queen Eadlyn's curtness, and part of her wanted to flare up and stand up for herself. She knew, however, that it would be useless. Arguing with the Queen wouldn't get her farther into the competition. Juliette kept her mouth tightly shut until the dark haired royal, seemingly satisfied with the conversation, stood to leave them.

"I look forward to seeing how your event goes. Good luck ladies."

"Thank you, your highness." Willow waved her off before smiling contentedly to herself. "That went well, don't you guys think?"

Juliette laughed, the sound sullen. "It was fantastic."

"Lookie what he got me!"

Maisie burst with excitement as soon as she made it to the women's room. Hallee 'ooh'ed excitedly at the redhead's extended hand. Adorning her wrist was a silver bracelet. It was thin and wound around her wrist with small red gems.

Juliette blinked at the gift for a moment. "The prince got this for you?"

Maisie nodded, her curls bouncing around her head with the motion. "Yes! Isn't it the prettiest thing you ever did see?"

"It's stunning, Maisie. That's so exciting that he got you a gift." Lillianna said, a soft genuine smile on her face.

"Ooooh I'm so jealous!" Hallee said with a laugh. Juliette forced a fake smile to her face for her friend, but echoed the sentiment. Adonis had got her a gift.. That's the first gift that she had heard about - and most of the other girls wouldn't hesitate to flaunt such an item.

"I'm still a lil' shaken, if we're being honest." Maisie said, taking her usual seat at their table. "Ain't it sweet of him? He brought it on our date this morning." Hallee, who was sitting beside her, continued to admire the bracelet. Juliette eyed the two, her thoughts swimming in her head. Last night, she had received a note from the prince to meet him at their spot. She had sent a note back with her refusal, telling him that it wasn't fair to the other girls for them to secretly meet like this. Was he taking that as a suggestion to move on? It seemed like it was a bit too coincidental for him to be buying someone a gift right after her refusal.

She struck the thoughts from her head. Surely if he had a date with Maisie, then he had it planned for a couple of days. He wouldn't have rebounded from late last night to buying a gift this morning. She was overthinking it. Why couldn't she just be happy for her friend?

"Enough 'bout me! How are y'all?" Maisie rested her elbow on the arm of her chair, her chocolatey eyes sparkling with their natural cheeriness.

"Tired." Lillianna answered. She brushed her bangs behind an ear. "Planning events of this size is exhausting."

"Yeah, I agree. My group is getting along pretty good though." Hallee hiked her legs into a criss-cross on the chair. "I think that Amy and Elise are just enjoying pulling most of the strings. They've attended a few balls in their time, so it's probably for the best."

"Fireworks doesn't give you much to plan, so our group is prolly the easiest." Maisie admitted. "But it's fun! I've never seen real fireworks before."

"Never?"

"Farm animals and loud noises ain't a good mix."

Juliette nodded. "Ah, I see."

There was a knock at the door, and a slight pause before it opened. An officer peeped his head in. "Ladies, it's time to prepare for the Report."

Hallee stood. "Yay! I'm excited."

The other girls rose as well. Lillianna flattened her baby pink skirt with her hands, "It feels like it's been ages since I've been on the Report."

"It seems a little early…" Juliette said, her eyes darting to the clock. It was still early afternoon.

"Yeah, I think they decided to prerecord the next couple of episodes instead of doing them live." Hallee said. "After the, um… Incident last week."

"Oh, yeah." Juliette felt her cheeks warm. The whole waltzing incident seemed so long ago. Everything in the palace seemed to happen so quickly, yet the days were always so full that it was hard to conceptualize the fact that it was a week ago. Maybe it was the head injury jumbling her thoughts. "Well then, I'll see you guys on the stage."

Maisie smiled brightly. "See y'all in a bit!"

"Hello Illea! I hope everyone has been having a wonderful week!"

Gavril's grin shined over the bright studio lights. The audience - which was noticeably smaller than usual - cheered feverishly. Juliette felt hot in her dress - which was a deep, navy color with a high neck. It was practically suffocating her, but Chantel had assured her that she looked amazing and it would be worth it for the short time she had to wear it.

She tried to keep a pleasant look on her face as Gavril made the general announcements. He ended his list by applauding the efforts of local law enforcement, showing clips of the rebel forces being quelled from an uprising that had happened farther north. Juliette figured that it was reassuring for the nationalist public to see the opposing side be shot down. She wasn't too concerned. Lulling the public into a false sense of security would be beneficial.

"Now, our lovely Queen Eadlyn and Crown Prince Adonis are here to say a few words."

The crowd clapped again, and Adonis escorted his mother to the stage, and they took a seat. Eadlyn smiled, her look pristine and elegant. Adonis looked more visibly uncomfortable, but had a smile plastered on his face.

"I hope you will all be as excited as we are to know that Princess Kerttu will be coming back home to celebrate her engagement with our people. We are so happy to see her coming back." The Queen genuinely looked excited to see her daughter, which was nice in a way. Juliette wasn't nearly as excited as she was. The Princess coming home only meant that there'd be more to do. "My son also has something he would like to say."

Adonis cleared his throat, shifting in his seat. "Yes… As many of you saw, there was a bit of an issue within my Selection last week. I'm embarrassed to say that I did not handle myself with the dignity and compassion that a leader should display and I would like to formally apologize for my outburst. I've seen many stories and rumors running around, and I feel that it is my responsibility to explain what happened and hopefully eliminate any confusion."

Juliette's eyes darted away from him as he spoke, the heat washing over her. Now the whole country was going to see her fall like an idiot? Maybe this is what he wanted to tell her the night before, when she had ignored his request to meet on the balcony. She clasped her hands tightly together in her lap as the prince continued.

"The Selected have been hard at work preparing for the upcoming ball to celebrate my sister's homecoming. During one of the dance rehearsals, Lady Dion undid Lady Juliette's shoe before her turn to dance, causing her to injure herself. In the aftermath, the doctors were worried about permanent damage to her head, and I will admit that I was taking the news very personally. I will not tolerate any such actions. Lady Dion has been dismissed from the Selection and is being reprimanded appropriately. It was unprofessional and unnecessary for me to have responded as I did. Lady Juliette has made a full recovery and we are very grateful."

Juliette dared to move her eyes back to Adonis, only to find his eyes on her. They held a soft sadness, but he looked away quickly, as if looking at her only made it worse.

"We apologize that you all had to see the drama. Everything is taken care of and the Selection will continue as normal." Eadlyn said, her tone curt but still holding a pleasantness that she always seemed to radiate. Adonis seemed to appreciate that he didn't have to speak any more, and Gavril gave a hearty laugh.

"We do have some of the beautiful young ladies here with us tonight - I know that Illea has been dying to dive deeper into our Selection now that the numbers are starting to dwindle." The lights on the Selected harshened. Juliette took a deep breath, trying to rid her cheeks of some color before the cameras caught a look. "Let's look at some of the latest things our girls and our King to be have been up to!"

The screen flashed, showing a short montage of Adonis' dates. There was a clip of when he took Juliette to see the stars, but the images just made her heart ache. Not knowing where his intentions were was devastating, and it ate at her heart as she watched. There were also scenes of many of the other girls; a movie date with Harper, Shaleigh showing him crystals, a picnic with Willow, and a candlelit dinner with Eden to name a few. Juliette hated every moment of watching him. None of the shots seemed to show the same smile that she was used to. It wasn't that he looked unhappy. But there was so much missing. The lopsided, goofy smile was replaced by a different smile. It looked artificial. As if he knew the cameras were on.

Juliette watched the footage for a moment longer before turning her gaze to the Prince. His mother's lips were moving, but Juliette couldn't quite make out what she was saying. Adonis looked to the floor, nodding ever so slightly as she spoke. His head rose to look her in the eye, and whatever he said to her, she must not have liked. She frowned. Whatever she said was curt, and she turned her attention back to the camera.

"Thank you for your time Illea. We'll see you next week!"

"Annnnnnnnd we're out."

I need to speak with you. Alone. Tonight? -Adonis

Juliette ripped the paper in half. Then again before tossing it into the trash.

Chantel put her hands on her hips, shaking her head. "Glad I went to the effort to get the note to you so quickly."

"I don't want to see him." Juliette answered, shaking her head before turning back to the vanity to continue wiping the makeup off of her face. Lexie set a new basin of clean water in front of her.

"Mhmm, I'm sure. Nobody understands you, your life is rough." Chantel plucked the dirty towel from the floor next to Juliette's chair. "I have laundry to do. Lexie and Phoenix can listen to your troubles."

She made her exit and Juliette sighed.

"She means well." Phoenix said, a soft apologetic look in her eyes as she watched at Juliette through the mirror.

"Chantel just doesn't really enjoy drama." Lexie added.

"Well, I don't enjoy drama either." Juliette wiped her lips, not even trying to hide her annoyance. "It wouldn't be hard for her to pretend to care."

"I don't know why you're avoiding him, he is clearly into you." Phoenix pulled the blonde hair back and started to brush the hairspray out of Juliette's curls.

"It's complicated."

"It doesn't have to be." Phoenix said with a shrug.

"It feels wrong to be sneaking around. If he wants to see me, he should want to see me no matter who can see."

Lexie giggled. "But what if he just wants to, you knowwww."

Phoenix covered her eyes as she let out a laugh. Lexie made kissy noises, and Juliette swatted at her maid. "Lexie! It was just a little kiss."

"Yeah, I'm sure." Lexie kept the smile on her face. "The nurses haven't been able to shut up about it."

"I think the whole staff knows by now." Phoenix laughed even harder as Juliette pushed her face into the towel she was using to dry it.

"You guys are the worst. It's supposed to be on the down low."

"Is that why you don't want to see him? Is he bad?"

"No, he wasn't bad.I just feel like it's not fair to be secretly meeting."

"I mean, it's not really that secret."

"It is to the public. To the King and Queen. To Allegra."

Phoenix, finished brushing Juliette's hair, ran her hands over the smoothened blonde locks. Her voice was suddenly hushed, "Nothing is a secret in these walls. Be careful."

Juliette's hand knocked into the basin from her surprised jerk. The way that she said it felt darker than her normal demeanor. The water splashed onto the floor, and Juliette stared at it for a moment.

"Oh, goodness." Lexie picked up the basin and flopped a towel onto the wet carpet. She seemed to have not noticed Phoenix's words, which only made Juliette more uncomfortable. "I'm going to need another towel."

"Sorry." Juliette stood from her spot, moving back to her bed. Unease slithered up her throat, like a snake coiling it's way up a vine.

"It's okay! We'll get it cleaned up." Phoenix smiled, as if nothing had happened. "You get some rest."

The two ladies didn't waste any time getting the mess straightened out, and Lexie offered her quick 'Goodnight' before they left. Juliette smothered her face into her pillow. What did Phoenix know that she didn't? What kind of secrets did she manage to uncover and who else knew what she knew?

It felt like every time things felt like they were going wrong, Juliette would make her way to the same large tree in the garden to collect her thoughts. As she approached, she saw a familiar face, sitting with a book in her lap.

"Helena."

Helena looked up from her novel, her dark eyes adjusting in the sunlight before smiling. "Hello Juliette."

Though the look on her face was pleasant, Juliette couldn't help but find herself feeling antsy. She knew that she needed to know for certain if Helena was a part of her rebellion or not. Having a second person that she didn't know about was not a part of the plan, and if they went for their goal in different ways it could destroy their chances of success.

"We should talk."

Helena nodded, and Juliette sat on the bench with her. Biting her lip, Juliette tried to calm her beating heart. How should she even word it? After a second of decision, she decided to go for curtness. "You're a rebel."

"We are rebels." Helena corrected with a small chuckle. It was an immediate relief that Helena didn't have any anger in her voice. Being on good terms would be essential.

"How did you find out?"

"I mean, your father is one of the biggest names of the rebellion. I only assumed that his family was in on it too."

Juliette felt herself start to relax slightly, the tenseness in her shoulders easing. "Only my father and me. I wasn't supposed to know. It's too dangerous."

"I understand. My parents have no idea either. They think I'm running off to mess around with the neighbor boys." Helena said, her voice playful. "Which was only partially true."

Juliette laughed. "I wouldn't have guessed that about you."

"Which part? Joining a rebellion or sneaking around with the neighbors?"

"Either, I suppose."

"Well, when his family refuses to let him propose to a girl because she is a lower caste, you've got to improvise. His parents think that we split up."

Juliette watched as Helena's smile faltered, but it stayed on her face. "That's awful of them."

"When the monarchy falls, I think that we can be together." Helena said firmly. "The castes are gone, but their legacy stands as long as the royal family is in power."

Juliette nodded. It felt bizarre to be talking about a rebellion so openly with someone who agreed. It was hard to find people to talk about the injustice of the nation with without fear of being caught. But it didn't sit right, instead the discomfort stirring in Juliette's stomach like a stew. She didn't want to talk about the rebellion so openly. It was too risky. She changed the subject, "What's his name?"

Helena's features softened and her lips turned into a smile. "Tristan."

"Is he cute?"

"He's the most wonderful person I've ever had the pleasure of knowing."

Juliette tapped her fingers along her lap, "It's safe to assume that you didn't apply to the Selection looking for true love then."

"No, actually. I applied for the money. Farmers don't exactly live in the laps of luxury. But when I saw you were here, I knew that we were farther ahead than I thought." Helena shut her book, turning her attention excitedly to Juliette. "I've been dying to find out why you're here. Heaven knows you don't need the money. News doesn't travel very quickly to our end of the rebellion - I think they're frightened that information will fall in the wrong hands. What are you here to do?"

Juliette's eyes flashed, and she turned her gaze away. Should she tell the truth? Should she tell Helena that she's here to murder the crown prince? It was something that she didn't know if the whole rebellion knew. Instead, she chose a safer route. "I've been sending information of the castle for an attack."

"An attack." Helena repeated. There was a fire in her eyes that made Juliette shift uncomfortably. Her usual laid-back nature was gone, replaced by a ferocity that seemed unlike her.

"Yes. I don't know all the details, though. You know how it is - it's unsafe for anybody to know everything." Juliette examined the book in Helena's lap. It was still Jane Eyre.

"Of course. You're doing a better job than me, then. The prince isn't very interested in me." Helena admitted, moving her hands back to rest her weight on them. "Probably because just being here feels like I'm being unfaithful."

"What did you tell Tristan when you left?" Juliette asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"I told him I'd come back as a three and his family could finally accept me." Helena sighed. "Although, I'm worried about making it to the elite. Prince Adonis hasn't seemed very interested in me."

"I think he's just overwhelmed." Juliette responded, looking away as to not have to look Helena in the eye. After what her father had said, it didn't seem likely that a girl that worked as a farm hand would be someone that the monarchy would want to keep around. "I mean, you're here at all, which usually lands you a proposal as soon as you're home."

"You're right... " Helena laughed, bringing her hands back to her book. "Jane knows my struggle though. Her love life was messy too, but I won't spoil it for you."

"It'll be nice not to be the one having the messy love life for a moment." Juliette said, shaking her head.

Helena stood, wrapping her arms around her book. "Well, it was good speaking with you, Juliette. I have a few things to attend to, but don't be a stranger."

"We could be palace pen pals." Juliette joked.

"Of course." She laughed. Her face quickly darkened, though, surprising Juliette. "You'll let me know if you need anything. I am at your service."

With that said, Helena left, leaving Juliette alone with her thoughts.

A/N : I know this chapter was super late, guys, but guess what gal got a promotion at work! Don't worry, I'll be getting back to writing more once my schedule dies down - I've got lots of training I've had to do. This chapter was kinda all over the place too, but I've got a lot of different subplots going on for this engagement ball that I hope you guys are excited about! Don't forget to leave me a review if there are any faces you want to see more of (or less of). Thanks for reading and I'll see y'all on Monday!