Climbing up the ladder to the balcony that night caused waves of nostalgia to crash over Juliette. It really hadn't been that long since she had snuck up to see the prince, but it felt like eons had passed. Her heart pitter-pattered in her chest, a fine cocktail of excitement, apprehension, and nervousness.
As soon as she breached the cold night air, however, the excitement overwhelmed the other feelings. Her eyes met Adonis' bright smile and she hiked herself up with ease.
"I wasn't sure you'd come." He said, his laughter breathy and thick with the same anxiousness that she felt.
Juliette shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "I don't break my promises."
He gave a brisk nod, before patting the ground next to him. "Come sit with me?"
The blonde sat down, fighting the smile that tugged at her lips. Adonis watched her, almost like he wasn't sure what she was going to say or do. Honestly, Juliette wasn't sure herself. Things never really went to plan when she was with the prince.
Not wasting any time, Adonis pulled a bag that had been sitting beside him to his lap. His smile was infectious, and Juliette couldn't help but laugh at his childlike excitement. "Is that my gift?" She asked, peering curiously at the bag.
"Wait, wait - not so fast." Adonis wiggled his finger, "There is a story that goes along with this gift."
"A story, huh?" Juliette rolled her eyes teasingly, "I should've known it wouldn't be easy."
The prince shook his head, his mess of curls bouncing around with the movement. He took a big breath, preparing for a grand speech, causing Juliette to giggle, "So, I have been doing my best to try and narrow down the girls that I have feelings for and the girls I don't."
"Yes, that is how the Selection works." Juliette prodded him in the side, grateful for how light the tone of the night was. She was tired of being stressed all of the time. Despite her better judgement, she was going to enjoy tonight. Adonis scrunched his face up, feigning annoyance.
"Please don't interrupt my story with your sarcasm, Lady Juliette." Adonis said, swiftly returning to his grandeur voice, "Ahem, as I was saying, I have been thinking a lot about a lot of you. As such, I've decided to dig deep into my heart to give you all gifts."
Juliette nodded, "I've seen some girls with gifts from you already."
"Yes, I'm sure you have." Adonis didn't let her comment ruin his composure. "But! I have saved the best for last."
Juliette tilted her head, raising her eyebrows, "And that would be my gift?"
"Yes."
"Implying that I'm the best girl here?" Juliette pestered.
Adonis laughed. "Don't be too cocky. It is the best gift though. I think you'll really like it."
He pulled out a picture frame and turned it upside down before Juliette could catch a glimpse of what it was, but it definitely managed to pique her curiosity. It was fairly large, bigger than most frames she had seen, but the palace was all about having giant pieces of art hanging on the walls. Was it a painting perhaps? Or a photo collage? "What is it?"
"First - look up at the sky."
It was an odd request, but Juliette followed his finger pointing up at the sky. Stars were painted across the dark night sky, twinkling brightly in the autumn dusk.
"You see Ursa Major up there?"
"You recognize Ursa Major?"
"I've been practicing."
"Okay, yes. I do see Ursa Major."
"Look down a little lower from that one. That really bright star under it."
"Mhmm."
"And the two little stars beside it… And then that one. It's the newest officially recognized constellation." Adonis flipped over his frame, showing a picture of the small star arrangement. Beside the image was a certificate of authenticity. He popped his head beside the large frame with a smile so dazzling that it threatened to outshine the stars, "It's called Philotes. And that big, bright star is Juliette."
For a moment, Juliette didn't say anything. She simply stared at the frame, then the stars, then Adonis. His eyes gleamed with a hopefulness that made her chest ache. Her eyes burned with tears. "You named a star after me?"
"Well, actually I named all four of the stars after you but I didn't want you to think I was trying too hard."
Juliette couldn't keep herself from bursting into tears. He was right. That was a much better gift than a dumb bracelet.
"Hey!" Adonis repositioned to crawl slightly closer to her. "Don't cry. I thought you would like it."
She laughed, rubbing the wetness from her cheeks. "You're so ridiculous."
Adonis gave a dumbfounded shake of his head, "What? Do you not like it?"
"You named it Philotes?"
The prince pursed his lips, "Well, I thought that a Greek theme would be fitting for a constellation. Or since my own name is based on Greek mythology."
"Yes, yes, of course. Adonis, the ever so beautiful." Juliette sputtered slightly, the tears still making their small trails down her cheeks, "Are you familiar with Greek mythology?"
Adonis paused, letting the silence hang for a humorous couple of seconds before responding tentatively. "Philotes is the goddess of friendship, right?"
Juliette almost couldn't contain her laughter. "And also of sex."
"You've got to be kidding me." The dark haired prince groaned loudly, smothering his face in his hands. He plopped back to a sitting position, pulling his face up to speak again, "Do you know how long I've been working on this and nobody bothered to tell me that?"
"Well, in their defense, Philotes is kind of an obscure Greek figure. It takes a bit of a mythology nerd to recognize that one." Juliette patted him on the back. Adonis frowned, but Juliette leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "And I love it anyway. I really do."
"You love it?" Adonis repeated, turning to look at her. His blue orbs hold a tenderness that Juliette finds herself blushing at. "I'm glad."
"What are the names of the other ones?" Juliette tapped the glass of the picture. His gaze is too strong and makes her feel too much.
"Oh, the stars?" He traced the constellation, "Well, the two over here I kind of thought of as being friends with each other, kind of a ying and yang thing. They are Justice and Passion, because I thought those were things I thought of when I thought of you. Then there's this one here that is named Gwen - for your sister. And lastly, this one is The Waltz."
"Waltz, huh. I see you have a sense of humor." Juliette mumbled, resting her head on his shoulder.
"I like to think I'm fairly funny every once in awhile" He replied. "I'm so relieved that I got to show you in time, I-"
Juliette stiffened. She slowly pulled away from the prince, eyeing him. A seed of worry sprouted in her gut. "In time for what?"
Adonis also realized what he had said, and he stammered messily, "Well, um, you know. In time for. Uh. For…"
"For my elimination." Juliette finished curtly. "You think I'm going home."
Adonis' face fell. "I didn't say that. I don't have a say in who she sends home or not. My mother marches to the beat of her own drum."
Saying it out loud brought a whole new seriousness to the predicament she found herself in. The seed in her gut felt like its roots were growing, swirling around her body, closing her throat and tightening her chest. Her hands habitually went to the locket around her neck for comfort, reminding her of the scene during class. "Queen Eadlyn noticed my locket. I think she thought I stole it."
Adonis' eyes widened, "She said that to you?"
"Well, no, but I felt like it was kind of implied. What is it? Why was she so worried about it?"
"It was my sister's."
"Then why did you give it to me?"
"I needed to get the message to you. You were avoiding me and I needed you to know that if you were sent home that it didn't have anything to do with how I felt about you." His tone grew more somber, and he took her hands in his own, taking Juliette by surprise. She met his gaze, which turned her to stone with its intensity. "Juliette, I have to be honest with you."
A wave of heat swept over her body, and Juliette's mouth went dry. She couldn't move her eyes from his. "Honest about what?"
"About us."
The playful tone was gone. Her chest felt tight. She fuddled in her mind over what words to say, but couldn't find anything.
"Juliette, I know that you are worried that I have feelings for some of the other girls, and I want to be honest with you. I do. I can't pretend that I don't feel things for some of the others…" Adonis was the one to move his eyes, blinking quickly and furrowing his brows in thought, "But I know that I have strong feelings for you, too. There are so many things that need to line up to make a good Queen. I need you to understand that situation that I'm in and try to sympathize, because-"
"It's okay." Juliette cut him off, squeezing his hands. She didn't want to have this conversation. Forcing a smile, she said, "Adonis, you're right. There's so much more to being Queen than just being someone that you like. It was selfish of me to overreact like I have been."
Although she said it out loud, she wasn't sure if she meant it one hundred percent. If he had feelings for her - and not just the status that her family brought to the crown - that still wouldn't necessarily be enough for her to win. Even if the Selection was all for show, that didn't make the feelings she had any less real.
"I need a Queen from the Selection. I realize that now. It's not about me. It's about the entire country. I was born to lead my country, not to live a fairy tale romance."
Juliette felt small. She barely mustered the courage to speak. "But don't you ever think you could do both?"
He was silent. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest, the sound ringing through her ears. He looked down at the frame in his lap. "I don't know if I dare dream that I could."
"Is your mother sending me home?" Juliette asked, her voice barely a whisper
"I don't know." The defeat in his voice caused her eyes to burn once more. He was telling the truth. Her gut told her that much. He sounded so helpless. Juliette felt conflicted. Her father made it seem like Adonis was the villain, but maybe he was just a victim of the monarchy too. Like so many people in their country. "I don't know if I even want to know. There's a possibility that I won't get to see you again after the fireworks show. There's a chance that I won't have your name in an envelope when I call out the final ten girls. But I thought that I could see these stars and remember you. She can send you home, but she can't change how I feel about you."
Juliette shuffled to her knees, moving the frame from his lap to straddle him and cup his face between her hands. She pressed her lips against his. Hard. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, forcing the tears down her cheeks once more.
And he kissed her back. He wrapped one arm around her waist and the other moved to steady himself. He pulled her body closer to his, and Juliette's hand maneuvered to grasp his curls and close the gap between them even further. The fierceness that he kissed her back with shocked her. It was raw. It was the burning of a freshly ignited flame. It was a kiss of a someone sending their lover to war.
She couldn't fight it any longer. It didn't matter what she was here to do. She wanted him. In a visceral, deep, and unfightable way. She couldn't deny the way she felt around him, and there was no way he could make up the fire on his lips, the way he pushed himself closer, as if his mere determination could mold their two bodies into one.
Juliette pulled away with a gasp, breathing heavily. She let her face linger close to his, their noses touching. His chest was heaving with the intensity as well, his face radiating warmth. Her eyelashes fluttered as she watched his lips, unable to meet his eyes. "I don't want to leave."
"I don't want you to go."
"I missed you."
He smiled, and her eyes flicked to his. He drew his brows into a pucker, melancholy dancing in the blues of his irises, "Juliette…"
She ignored his voice, ignored the bleakness, placing small kisses along his jawline, moving up slowly. She felt the goosebumps rise along the back of his neck as she traced the nook with delicate fingers. He exhaled deeply, moving his head to offer more of his neck to the blonde, who chuckled faintly. "Yes?"
"You're having too much fun." He murmured, lips parting slightly as Juliette let her lips explore his neck, breathing in the rugged smell of his cologne through her nose. She felt powerful. He melted under her touch, and time stood still, watching the two as they sealed their unfortunate fate under the velvet cloak of a night sky.
"I'll stop if you ask me to." She breathed, the warmth of her breath against his neck earning another soft sound to escape his lips. "Besides, I may never get the chance again."
"Don't say that." His voice lacked the assertiveness that the demand needed, sounding more like a plea than a demand. Juliette returned her attention to his mouth, claiming his lips once more. She couldn't help herself. She was parched and he was the last drop of water to grace her desert tongue. The Queen was going to send her home. She was going to fail her cause, her people, and, like a cherry on top, she was going to watch him wed some other girl that would probably make him happier than she ever could.
Her kiss became ravenous, and her grip in his hair tightened. No. A voice in her head hissed at her. He let out another sound at her roughness, but it was more of a sound of surprise than a sound of pain, sending tingles down her spine.
This time, Adonis was the one to pull away. His face was cherry red and his entire chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath, "Juliette."
Trying to calm her own heart that was fluttering like a caged bird in her chest, she bit her lip and blinked at him. "Adonis."
The gears and cogs were clearly churning in his head, his mouth starting to open before clamping shut once more. Eternity hung in the air, threatening to suffocate her. He regained his voice, stuttering, "I-I don't know how to say it."
"I'm sorry. I don't want to push you farther than you're comfortable." She offered an apologetic smile. Hell, the boy hadn't even had his first kiss before a month ago. She didn't consider that she was testing her limits. Or his. She pulled herself off of the boy to sit back beside him.
"It's not that, I just, um," His cheeks were bright and flushed, and Juliette took her stray hand to hold his. His eyes flashed momentarily, "I don't know what I'd do if you were eliminated."
Juliette laughed bitterly, "Well, you'd probably marry one of the other girls."
"But what if you were the one I wanted to marry?"
Her chest swelled. For a moment, she was unsure of how to respond. She should be happy, right? A declaration of his feelings would be a good thing. But this wasn't exactly that. There was still an air of uncertainty. The 'if'. If she was the one.
Juliette gave a small shrug. "Then I suppose you'll find a way to keep me around."
Adonis closed his eyes and sighed. "I won't let her send you home. I don't know how. But I won't sit around and let her control my life."
"Good."
"I probably should get some sleep… I have so much to do in preparation for the dignitaries…" Adonis trailed off.
Juliette kissed his forehead before standing, brushing her nightgown with her hands. "Then I'll see you soon?"
He smiled. "Hopefully."
Juliette made her way back to the hatch, throwing a sly grin over her shoulder. "You know where to find me."
"Goodnight, Juliette."
"Goodnight, Your Highness."
The next afternoon, Juliette was puzzled to see that the room they've been having class in was empty. Confused, the blonde made her way down the hall, trying to find any other Selected. She was late - but only maybe fifteen minutes or so. She had slept like a rock. Chantel could hardly get her up that morning. Juliette opened the heavy door to the library, grateful to see Helena sitting at one of the large wooden tables.
"Where is everybody? The classroom is empty." Juliette took a place beside her friend, who closed her book gently with a smile.
"There's no class today, Allegra said everyone can take the day off since all of the planning is over." Helena replied. "Maybe if you would've been there on time you would've known. Stay up late?"
Juliette blushed and averted her gaze. "Yes, it was a rather late night for me."
Helena nodded, "Me too. I finished the novella I was reading. Which reminds me-" Helena bent over the chair, digging in a small rucksack beside her before rising victoriously with a tattered book in hand. She set it on the table and slid it over to Juliette. "I finished Jane Eyre once more. It's my annotated copy, so don't mind the tabs and the marks."
"Thank you." Juliette started to flip through the pages but Helena set her hand on the cover to keep it closed.
"I left a few notes at the end for you." She said, her voice hushed. Her eyes buzzed eagerly. "Towards the end. Just for you."
Juliette gave a swift bow of her head. Rebellion matters, she was sure. "I will try to read it in my room then."
"It's one of my favorites. I guess you could say it's a bit of a character study piece, so it's not exactly super exciting but it draws you in with Jane's struggle."
"Hopefully it's exciting enough to keep me interested. I think that's why I've never been super big on reading. I get too distracted." Juliette admitted. She could remember all of the books assigned to read in school and how poorly she did with those. They always managed to choose books that she couldn't relate to the characters or the stories weren't entertaining. It was always a drag to get through them for her.
"I would finish it before the ball - although, I find it an enjoyable read so hopefully you can finish it fairly quickly." Helena said. "There's a specific scene that I want you to read before we watch the fireworks."
"There's going to be so much going on in the next couple of days." Juliette mused, "I'll try to get through it, though." She wasn't sure what sort of secret messages would be annotated into the book, especially not what things would be urgent enough for her to know so soon. Helena interrupted her thoughts to speak again.
"It will be busy, but it will end with a bang." Helena laughed.
Juliette didn't understand for a moment, but then let out a chuckle, "Oh, because of the fireworks." Helena had mentioned that she was in the group planning the fireworks, so it made sense that she'd be looking forward to the display.
"Yes, the fireworks. They're going to blow the prince away." Helena winked. At the mention of him, Juliette felt her cheeks warm once more.
"Of course." She replied, looking back at the book in front of her. "Well, if we have the day off, then maybe we can do something? I think there's a movie theatre somewhere in the palace."
"As long as we watch something good. I'm not much into mindless romcoms or big budget action movies."
Juliette laughed, "I'll let you pick then. Let's go."
Helena had not lied about the novel sucking its readers in. Juliette had spent that evening, after watching a movie that was honestly too high brow for her to enjoy with Helena, with her nose stuck in the worn pages of Jane Eyre. Even though Helena had advised her to read it somewhere secretly, she had chosen her favorite spot under the willow tree in the gardens to read. She was pulled back to reality by a voice saying her name.
"Juliette. I thought I might find you here."
Shaleigh stood in front of her, arms wrapped around a holographic knapsack that she held in front of her. Juliette shut her book and set it beside her, "I do enjoy the spot. It's a beautiful day out, don't you think?"
"May I have a word?" Juliette raised a brow, but scooted a bit to the side to let the brunette sit beside her. She knew Shaleigh was usually slightly erratic - she had the demeanor of an old witchy woman - but there was something off. Something felt wrong. "I had to give you your final card."
"Oh! Yes, I'm sorry about that. I overreacted to the whole reading, I know it's supposed to be fun and I took it too seriously."
Shaleigh swept away the words with a wave of her hand, "Don't worry - the cards know more than we are willing to accept sometimes. But I've been reading danger in the cards lately. I want you to have the best insight to avoid danger."
Juliette sucked in the corner of her lips, trying not to say anything rude. The cards saw danger. They're just plain old playing cards. If they meant more than that to Shaleigh, though, there was no talking her out of it. "I appreciate the help."
"Your final card keeps coming to me. You remember? The card to help you avoid a perilous end." Shaleigh pulled the single card out of a pocket of the bag. Juliette inspected the card. There was a man on a horse, holding a single chalice in his hand. At the bottom read the card name; The Knight of Cups. "Follow your heart. That's what you should do."
It almost felt like a weight was lifted off of her shoulders. After trying so hard to drown out the part of her yearning for the Prince… She had been wrong to ignore her heart. She needed both her heart and her head.
"But you aren't out of the woods yet. Here. Take this." Shaleigh put the card back in her bag and whisked out a small crystal, about the size of a small ping pong ball. It was smooth and round, colored beautifully with layers of purples, blues, and greens.
"It's beautiful." Juliette took the stone and twisted it in her hands, trying to fully appreciate the rock.
"It's fluorite. For protection." Shaleigh said, "I won't be needing it, since I won't be staying long."
"You're leaving?" Juliette asked, slipping the fluorite into her pocket.
"The cards reveal that I will have a change in my path." She answered with a shake of her head. "But I worry about you… You're in danger."
Juliette tried not to take her words too seriously. After all, she was talking to someone that believed that a rock would keep her safe and that a deck of cards could tell the future. But Shaleigh's sincerity in her own belief made Juliette's skepticism falter slightly. What kind of danger could she be in? It was a pretty broad term.
"I don't know what to do with this information." Juliette said slowly.
"Just be careful. Keep your eyes open."
Juliette felt a shiver crawl down her back. That was the same thing the Prime Minister had said to her just the other day. "Note taken." Juliette stood from her spot, grabbing her book. "I'll probably continue my reading in my room. Will I see you again?"
"I'm going to leave tomorrow morning. There's no reason to risk staying a moment longer."
"Well, I suppose this is goodbye then."
"Goodbye, Lady Juliette. I will keep you in my thoughts."
"Thanks, Shaleigh."
Juliette headed back to her room, her pace brisk with the small panic that was starting to grow in her chest. Nothing in the palace ever seemed to go her way. Just when everything seemed like it couldn't get worse, something always happened. In spite of her rational mind, Juliette knew she would get little sleep that night.
The next few days flew by so quickly that Juliette had trouble wrapping her head around everything. Allegra had the group spend all day - a full eight hours straight - learning how to properly interact with the people of each country. What they could and couldn't say, what things were considered disrespectful, and who they were allowed to speak with in general. There were so many rules and nuances that it made her head spin, but luckily for her she wasn't the only one struggling.
The blonde decided that she would spend her evening in the bath in the hopes that it would help her soak up some of the information that they had been given. She stretched her legs out, wiggling each of her toes above the bubbles. She had ran the bath herself, which was a bad idea. The bubbles created mountains above the water, and Juliette had a hard time keeping her book out of reach of the sudsy mess as she read and lounged.
Juliette had noticed at the class that Shaleigh, true to her word, was nowhere to be seen. She kind of missed the odd girl. They didn't speak often, but the more their numbers dwindled, the emptier the classroom seemed. Along with Shaleigh, Breck and Harmony were also gone, which caused a pang in her chest the entire day. They hadn't even said goodbye.
The day that the dignitaries arrived, there was little worth mentioning. The girls simply stood in a long line, looking like well dressed prisoners before an execution. They were told to smile and curtsy. No talking, no stepping out of line. Juliette tried to make a mental note of everyone that came in.
Swendway seemed to bring a lot of people, but that was just because there were so many of them. Juliette remembered reading in some newspaper about the Queen and her fertility issues when she was young. Once she got a little assistance, however, she had quite a few children. Her oldest was a set of triplets - boys maybe two or three years older than Juliette herself. They were masterpieces to look at - inheriting their beautiful mother's icy blue gray eyes and strongly structured jaw as well as their father's perfect complexion. They were also lively and chatty, trying to stop and kiss the hands of every Selected before they continued down the corridor, scolded only by their jovial father, who bellowed with hearty laughter at their flirting.
France also brought quite a group, with Illea's one and only Ahren Schreave and his wife Camille bringing all four of their children. Juliette couldn't quite remember their names, but the youngest two caught her eye as they giggled. They couldn't be older than four or five, but the pair walked down the hallway with their heads held high. It reminded Juliette slightly of how Ahren and Eadlyn used to be as children in the images she had seen. How long before their innocence would be shattered?
The German Federation only brought their King and Queen, accompanied by an unreasonable amount of guards. They were so demure that Juliette couldn't tell which ones were the royals themselves, everyone dressed in drab dresses in even more depression shades of greys. Juliette crossed her fingers that she wouldn't be seated next to any of them during the festivities.
The New Asian group was, unsurprisingly, the biggest of the bunch. They were incredibly polite, but curt. Perhaps tired from their traveling. They brought multiple families of different statuses and nobility. Kerttu and her fiance were the last to enter. One of the people in the room must've started to clap, because soon there was a roar of applause to welcome their princess back home. She wore the color of faint pink peonies on her cheeks and gave a shy wave to her people. The cameras were all on her, and the couple walked gracefully, like they were gliding on clouds the entire way.
Last to arrive was the Italians. They seemed to take the entire thing less seriously, with their demeanor almost more like family seeing each other at a reunion. They gave hugs and shook hands, and the princess, with bright almost golden hazel eyes caught Juliette's attention immediately. She kissed cheeks with each of the Selected - some being more taken aback by the action than others - and introduced herself. She was the heir to the crown, and since the castes had been abolished, the relationship between Illea and Italy had honestly never been better. When she got to Juliettte, she tapped the blonde on the nose teasingly, "I hope you are doing well! We were so worried about your fall." Juliette had opened her mouth to respond, but remembering they were specifically instructed to stay quiet, kept it curt.
"I appreciate the concern. I'm well, thank you." It felt odd to think that other countries also tuned in to the drama of the Selection. As long as she was still making a good impression, though, she tried to pay it no mind.
"I am Bambalina. It is so wonderful to meet you." With her introduction finished, the beautiful monarch had continued her way down the line. Juliette wondered if she had spoken with any of the other girls more than just a general greeting.
Juliette shut her book and set it on the counter beside the tub. She wasn't paying enough attention to take in anything she was reading anyway. Sinking lower into the warm water, she let out a deep sigh. It blew bubbles out in front of her. There was a loud slamming that caused her to jerk upright. Was that the door to her room? Voices could be heard in the bedroom area.
"I'm so worried about her, Lexie. I just don't think she even understands what she's getting into. What if she gets hurt?"
Juliette strained her ears to hear a little better. The voice belonged to Phoenix, that much she could tell. But what could the two maids possibly be talking about? Did they know she was in the room?
"Don't worry, she's in good hands. He wouldn't hurt her."
"I'm not so sure."
A million questions swam through Juliette's head. Who could they possibly be talking about? Were they talking about her? Who would be hurting her?
"Why would you say that? Do you not trust him? He's done so much for us. For the country. That's why he's going to be in charge."
The prince. They were definitely talking about the prince. But who would the prince be hurting?
"Then where is she? She should be here."
Juliette's eyes widened. They were talking about her.
"Maybe she's in the gardens. You know how she loves the gardens."
Pheonix's voice sounded defeated. "Maybe. I guess I'll go check there. But if she's with him, I think that'll prove my point."
"I'll help you find her. I'm sure she's fine."
The door creaked open once more and shut with a loud thud. Juliette rose from the bath, drying herself off and redressing quickly. Her stomach was tied in knots. Why would Phoenix be so worried about her? Why would the prince hurt her? Even more bewilderingly, how would Phoenix and Lexie have any idea about it?
Juliette found her eyes falling on the piece of fluorite she had left sitting on the nightstand. She grabbed it, clutching the stone tightly in her hand and slipped into bed. Maybe she needed some protection after all.
