Feel my blood runnin', swear the sky's fallin'
I keep on breathin'
Time goes by and I can't control my mind
I keep on breathin', mmm, yeah

-Breathin by Ariana Grande

Theadosa was laying in her room on her bead. Her head was spinning with the news.

She was going to have a Selection.

It had been about twelve hours since her dad announced it and she still couldn't come to terms with the fact. She had fallen into a restless sleep last night, her dreams filled with clips of old Selections her and Eva had watched when they were little.

Back then, it seemed like a fairy tale. A few days ago, it seemed like a nightmare. Now, it was reality.

Someone knocked on her door. Theadosa sat up, sighing.

"Come in," she said wearily. A servant walked into the room and wrung her hands nervously.

"Your father requests your presence in his office," she said, looking down. Thea snorted and nodded, dismissing the maid. Thea was mad the coward couldn't come get her himself. He was probably too scared she'd yell at him again, but he knew she wouldn't do it in his office where other people could hear.

Illea's king was a coward, too scared to face his own daughter in her room.

Thea sat up and got changed, trying to take as long as possible to get ready to piss him off. She took a while to choose her outfit, deciding on ripped skinny jeans and a plain black t-shirt. She put her hair into a bun, deciding to enjoy the chance to dress casually while she could. During the Selection, she would have to wear dresses all the time, which was a concept she was not used to and not welcome. She was always free to dress however she wanted off camera. Now, she would have to dress nice on the chance one of the Selected might see her.

Thea finally made it to dad's office, walking in uninvited. As expected, her stepmother was there, as well as Diane Waters, the women who planned all big events, beside her stepmother.

"What do you want," Thea said crossly, leaning up against the door frame. There was an open seat for her, but she didn't want to take it. "I was very busy and you interrupted very important work."

"Sulking in your bedroom does not count as very important work," her father snapped. Thea glared at him, and crossed her arms, clearly waiting for him to answer. He cleared his throat. "We brought you here to discuss some of the Selection's details. Your stepmother and Diane have been planning it, and-"

"Nope." Thea interrupted. She didn't say anything else, and the three adults just stared at her.

"I'm sorry?" Diane asked, clearly shocked. Thea shot her a reassuring look. Diane was one of the few people Thea actually liked. Diane always told the king what she thought, and she treated Thea's stepmother with such vile hatred Thea couldn't help but admire her. Mabel was always so surprised that Diane got away with it, which made it ten times better.

"No, no. Mabel is not going to be planning my Selection. I don't care what you say, Dad." Thea said. "This is my Selection and I get to decide who plans it." Johnson looked torn, like he wanted to say no but he really couldn't. He was the one forcing her to do it. He should let her choose who plans it, and he knew it. Thea smirked as she recognized an argument well won. "I do, however," Thea continued, walking over to the open seat and sitting down in a very unladylike position which made her stepmother frown, "want Diane to plan it."

Diane smiled widely and nodded, shooting Mabel a triumphant look. Diane would make sure that the Selection was planned nicely, and wasn't going to screw things up for Thea like Mabel would have.

Thea leaned back in her chair. "I also don't want anyone younger than me." Johnson shook his head. "Fine. Nineteen through twenty-four." Thea was making her demands now, before she could.

Her heart sunk, thinking about what she was going to have to do. Who's heart she was going to have to break...

She stood up and took a deep breath. "That's all for now," she nodded at the adults and stepped out of the room. She walked unsteadily to her room, opening the door and closing it behind her.

She wanted to be alone when she fell apart.

Princesses Theadosa and Evangelina entered the room together, looking around. The two were often inseparable, spending almost all of their time together. The only time they were apart was when Evangelina was out partying and Theadosa was in meetings that Evangelina couldn't attend. In the Report, Theadosa and Evangelina sat together.

So it was a shock when they sat on opposite sides. Theadosa took her new spot at the right hand of the king and Evangelina took her spot next to Mabel. It didn't take long for everyone to realize Theadosa was flaunting her power to the kingdom. She was the heir to the throne, but seated at the right hand of the king it became more real.

The Report started, and Theadosa listened out of one ear to what was being said. She already knew all about this, and besides, they were leaving out the most important parts, like the confirmed rebels in Whites and how the mayor of Whites had been attacked. However, the crown didn't want the public to know about that; they wanted their rule to seem strong.

And they definitely didn't want people to know Veronica, the ex-queen, was the one leading the rebels.

Thea had spaced out, thinking about the growing support of the rebels and thinking about how to end a rebellion before it started. A war would cost so much money, plus the invaluable human lives...

So she was shocked when she heard her name. She automatically fixed a smile and looked at the camera. Diane, who was also the Report host, was looking at Thea expectantly. Thea quickly recalled the events of the last few minutes.

"Yes," Thea smiled, sounding happy even though that was far from what she felt. "I do have big news. Some of you know and others have probably heard it and thought it was a rumor. But indeed, I am having a Selection."

She paused for dramatic effects, letting the live audience gasp and scream and clap before she continued to speak.

"Forms will be sent out to any eligible boy from ages nineteen to twenty-four. They will have two weeks to send them in before I will draw the Selected in three weeks." She had three more weeks of freedom. Her head was spinning. Suddenly she wished she had gone clubbing more often with Eva... She had lived so little, and all the sudden, all of that freedom was going to be taken away from her...

Her father took over, giving the details.

Then the Report was over, and Thea stood up shakily. Eva was at her side in an instant, looking at her with a question in her eyes. Thea nodded, letting herself do something she almost never did.

Eva and Thea left the Report room quickly, heading to Eva's room to get changed.

Eva threw a black miniskirt and silver tube top at Thea while Eva dove deeper into her closet to pick out a new outfit for herself.

Thea quickly got changed and put on some silvery heels as Eva emerged with a matching silver miniskirt and black tube top with black heels.

"We match-" Thea started before Eva quickly waved her off. Eva new this and had done it on purpose. Eva quickly led Thea threw some tunnels that lead to outside the palace walls. Thea stopped for a minute, staring at Angeles in the dark. It was beautiful, with all the lights and things. She never saw Angeles in the dark and thought she had to get out more often-

Eva grabbed her hand and pulled her along before she could get too distracted.

Before Thea knew it, they were in a club, drinking and partying. Eva was wild, wild in a way Thea had only seen a few times and still couldn't get over it. She was surprised people didn't recognize Eva at first, before realizing they did but this was a normal party for them.

Thea was observing in a corner, a whiskey in hand. She wasn't sure this was a good idea anymore. She didn't want to get recognized, but everyone seemed pretty drunk...

Thea downed her whiskey, (she immediately regretted that it made her throat burn) and joined Eva, dancing. Drink after drink, dance after dance, until Thea was entirely drunk.

Everything seemed to be going well until a guy came behind her, getting to close for her personal comfort. She shoved him away, and Eva, somehow still sober, immediately noticed. She yelled at some security and the security came and took the guy away, and Thea tried to shrink into the back corner, but it was too late. Phones were out and people were recording her, finally realizing this was the crown princess.

Thea thought 'this isn't a good way to start the Selection' and then promptly passed out.