AN: I know I updated yesterday but I couldn't help myself and then I wrote 2.3k words today. I have no regrets.
Chapter Seventeen
Friday, May Eleventh
Selena Schreave, Legacy of Zeus
Selena walks towards the large conference room, the one used for important business meetings. In all honesty, Selena wasn't expecting it. Their usual meetings are on mondays.
Still, she turns the corner down the hall and makes it to the conference room. Once again, she's the last one to be here, but nobody comments on it. She sits in her usual chair and the meeting starts.
"Thank you all for joining us. Our order of events are Selena's Selection spearheaded by herself, issues inside of Illéa-Olympia will be headed by Advisor Blanchard, issues outside of Illéa-Olympia will be shared with by Advisor Herring, and as a group we will decide what's to be done with the issues arisen." Selena's father, King Tyrell, controls the room. He continues, "Are you ready Lena?"
Selena nods, "Well, we all know about the fiasco earlier today about Mr. Eustace and his less than stellar behaviour. I had him eliminated."
"Yes yes, we all know that much darling." Her mother, Queen Pallas, replies, "but, what are your plans going forward in regards to eliminations. Simply put it, that was unclassy of an elimination, which is what lead to the media's field trip earlier this week. Luckily we have the Report tonight so the focus will shift from the elimination to the footage from the rest of the group date, but there is still a question to be asked: how will you eliminate in the future?"
"Yes Selena," Her mother's advisor, Gideon Blanchard, comments, "the selection is supposed to do two things, find you a spouse, but more importantly, distract the country from the attacks so called 'rebels' are making against Legacies and their families. Which thankfully it's doing both, but we also don't want the palace to be looked upon in a negative way. So, find easier eliminations instead of the stunt you pulled next time."
"Suggestion," Her father replies, "Maybe not do it a) on camera and b) in a group. I know you are fond of letters to get your selected's appearances, so do that, but talk with the selected through their elimination. It's easier to let them down like that."
Selena nods once again, "Yes father."
"Second order of business," King Tyrell says, "Gideon, you're up."
Gideon stands, he has a presentation alongside his work, "So, as I offhandedly remarked, the selection is being used as a distraction from the attacks against Legacies. Thankfully, it's going great over here on the West Coast. However, on the East Coast, there is a different tale to be told."
The slide switches. It shows the statistics of twenty-five attacks. All of them have people injured, most have lives lost.
"These are the twenty-five worst attacks." Gideon replies, "And all of them are on the East Coast."
"We should increase patrols." Queen Pallas notes, "Undercover policeman, but if the situation gets worse, we could bring in the troops."
"Is that really necessary?" Selena asks.
Her mother replies, "Well, we aren't fighting a war at the moment. The troops are sitting ducks."
"Or," King Tyrell says, "We could do a peaceful approach. Maybe have my mother and the twins do some charity work out here on top of Selena's province visits."
"What can I do to help?" Selena asks.
"Your visits and the selection," Gideon remarks, "The Angeles one is up next, isn't it?"
"It's in about a week, yes." Selena replies, "but that's in Angeles. Angeles doesn't have that many attacks."
"We may not have that many attacks, but we certainly can use all the placating we can get Selena." Her father remarks, "I'll talk to my mother and the twins."
"Good, good." Queen Pallas comments, "Anything else, Gideon?"
"Not particularly," Gideon replies, "Nothing major, sans the so called 'rebels' and their attacks. Most of the country can ignore them and most legacies don't fear them. We just need to squash the terrorists before they hold any real power."
"Agreed." King Tyrell claims, "Now, Ms. Herring, do you have anything you'd like to bring to the table."
"My team of ambassadors have been working to keep diplomacy between us and countries internationally. The only issues we have are with a select few New Asian countries." Advisor Herring replies, "My ambassador to Thailand has promising news however. The Thai Royal Family, well, the King, Queen, and Heir Apparent, are willing to come for a visit to discuss with our King, Queen, and Heir Apparent."
"They want me in on their discussion?" Selena asks.
King Tyrell puts his hand on Lena's shoulder, "You are to become Queen eventually. This will be a nice learning activity alongside the potential to be a beneficial partnership. Please arrange the details with me privately before next meeting Advisor Herring."
"Yes sir," Ms. Herring nods, "That's all I have to bring to the table."
"Well, to recap," Queen Pallas notes, "Selena will eliminate more delicately, we'll place strategic events for Princess Consort Ciara Schreave and the twins to go to on the west coast with the backup plan of more undercover patrols on the east coast, and a royal visit from the Thai Royal Family."
"You may all be dismissed." King Tyrell replies, "We shall meet again on Monday."
Darius Elwood, Legacy of Dionysus
"I've grouped you by your Patron god. Solo legacies will be more frequently visited by me, but I will inevitably visit all of you to see how progress is going." Their instructor, Viatrix Vulchanov, states, "Now, get to work."
Darius faces a much shorter girl. They're both legacies of Dionysus. She remarks, "So, what has the ol' drunkard blessed you with?"
"Small time stuff over a wide variety of things." He notes, no need to brag about his abilities. Back when they were tested, Viatrix was impressed with his abilities.
The girl who he can't remember the name of, replies, "I have fermentation and I'm immune to alcohol poisoning. So basically, I'm a one man party."
"Seems like that'd be fun." Darius remarks. He tosses her an apple, "Can you use anything to make alcohol?"
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean it's the greatest of tasting." She laughs.
"Don't I know it."
The two of them go back and forth, showing off when needed be but talking. Darius realizes the girl's name is Caitlyn when one of his maids runs into their classroom.
"Excuse me," Viatrix heads towards to the woman, "What shall you be needing?"
"Sir Elwood, ma'am." His eldest maid, a greying woman with olive skin, replies, "Her Royal Highness has requested him."
Viatrix looks displeased, "Alright. Sir Elwood, you may be dismissed. Lady Mitchell, continue working."
Darius follows the older maid back towards his room. She ushers him into his bathroom whilst telling him, "Shower and change! Her Royal Highness requests you for a date."
He grabs the outfit she laid out for him and does what the older woman said. In his experience, he's learned not to anger older women.
Once he's out of the bathroom, dressed and ready to go on his date with Selena, he walks back into his room to see it cleaned better than he's ever seen it. Everything sparkles, even the giant lion plush he brought with him (which really shouldn't in all honesty).
"Is the date going to be in here?" Darius asks.
A younger maid puts a cheese platter on a table on his balcony. She replies, "Yes. Selena wanted something small for today. I don't believe there will even be cameras for today's events."
"Oh. Oh!" Darius replies. One could claim a slight blush comes on his face, but that might not be entirely true. He continues, "Well should I open a bottle?"
"Yes." The maid replies, "I'll fetch some glasses for the two of you. Just don't spoil your dinner. It's just in an hour."
"Alright." Darius replies.
He sits on his bed, waiting for the maid to return. A knock is placed on the door. He opens it, expecting it to be the maid. Though, on the other side of the door is Princess Selena, his date for the night.
"Come in, come in." Darius replies, holding the door open for her.
Selena comments, "The little lion plush from our group date has a guardian."
"Oh yeah," Darius looks at the gift he got from her and the life size lion plush that he brought with him, "I guess so."
"What are their names?" Selena asks.
"They have none."
"That's a shame." Selena heads out onto the balcony and comments, "I heard you had wine."
"I brought it with me."
"You told me when we first met."
His youngest maid come in, glasses in hand. She goes out to the balcony and asks, "Shall I pour the cups?"
"I'll get it." Darius grabs the cups and hands a filled one to Selena. The maid leaves the room. Selena sits in a chair, taking a drink.
Selena comments, "This is good."
"Oh, thank you." Darius sits and smiles, "I was going to wait until my birthday to open it, but this is just as good of an occasion."
"When is your birthday, Darius?"
"The 25th."
"That's close." Selena notes, "Any plans?"
"Not really."
"A shame."
"Not really. I'll be twenty-three. It's not a noteworthy age." Darius replies, "but it's always a good excuse for a party, isn't it?"
"Been to many good parties?"
"Have you?"
"Not really, no." Selena notes, "I assume you have. You're a legacy of Dionysus and his parties are legendary."
"I've been to a few." Darius takes his first drink of the night, "I'd get totally wasted and it would become an out of body experience. I couldn't tell you about it due to the possession."
"Possession?" Selena sits up, "What do you mean possession?"
"Dionysus like to inhabit his legacies who are drunk."
"Wicked."
Darius laughs, "If you say so."
"I mean yeah," Selena replies, "You got to meet your patron."
"It isn't really meeting."
"Well at least he acknowledges you." Selena notes, "but today isn't a day for woes. We're here to have fun!"
She takes out her phone and sets her glass down. Selena gets out the selfie camera and takes a picture of the two. She looks back at it.
"Do you think it's good enough to go online?" Selena asks.
Darius smiles, "Every picture of you looks good."
"You look good to Darry." Selena replies, posting it, "This'll placate the masses."
"Because there is no camera crew?" Darius asks.
"I didn't think you'd want the country seeing your entire room."
"I guess so." Darius replies, "I'm glad you're here though."
"I'm always glad to be good company."
The two of them enter a light conversation. Selena talks about parties held in the palace and Darius recounts as much as he could remember from The Cult of Dionysus' parties.
"So you're telling me that at your first year of college, you found your professor at a CoD party?" Selena's laughing hard enough to bring tears to her eyes.
Darius continues with his tale, "HIs tie was wrapped around his waist and there was nothing else. I had the luck of having him for all four years, but never again did I see him at one of the parties."
"Knock knock," the eldest maid Darius has interrupts the two, "I'm sorry to be a bother Your Highness, but dinner is to start soon and I don't think you all should be late."
"Could you get our dinner served up here?" Selena asks, "I'm not ready to end this just yet. If that's okay with you, Darius?"
"Perfectly fine with me." He replies.
"Yes ma'am." The maid replies before leaving, "I can do that."
"So…" Selena replies, "Where were we?"
"I think I was telling the tale or Professor Tie, but I have a question to ask."
"Shoot."
"Why have a selection?" Darius replies, "You're young, only nineteen. You have a while to find love, so why rush it?"
"It's something I've looked for my entire life. It's something I've known about my entire life." Selena replies, "It's my destiny. Just like ruling, this is an aspect I knew was going to happen. Luckily, I've looked forward to it."
"That's an interesting notion to have."
"Well then, Sir Elwood," Selena asks, "Why did you join my selection?"
"Personally, I'm not into the temporary physical relationships I'd see at college parties and was told about throughout highschool and college." Darius answers, "I guess I've always been looking for a soulmate."
"And you're trying to find it with me, huh?"
"Aren't all of the selected?"
"I'd hope so." Selena replies.
The maid comes back with their dinner, placing in front of the duo.
"I've never noticed how high in the sky, the sun still is at six pm." Darius comments, "It's a little bright."
It instantly gets darker as Selena makes it cloudier, "Is that better?"
"I just usually expect it to be sunset." Darius remarks, "but yes, the sun isn't shining in my eyes anymore."
"I could've fixed that an hour ago!" Selena notes, "You should've said something."
"It didn't inhibit me having fun with you Selena."
"Call me Sel," Selena replies, "All of my friends do."
"You consider me a friend?"
"Why not?" Selena replies, "I consider all of my selected friends at least."
"At least huh?"
"Well, I did come here for my third real date out of thirty-four people so that's got to count for something."
"I guess it does." Darius smiles.
The two wrap up dinner shortly after and Selena heads out, not before saying her goodbyes for the night.