It felt surreal for Aisling to be back at the palace. The place where ten years ago she watched her parents die. A large stage was constructed just outside of the palace gates where all of the major political families of Illéa were brought to meet their end. As a Daugherty her parents were naturally among them. She shook the memories of being dragged from her cell and brought to the stage from her mind. They were long dead, it did no good to dwell on it. This time she was entering the palace under very different circumstances, she was to be one of Niklaus's Selected, the son of the man who signed her parents' death warrant. Aisling knew nothing about the man, but knew better than to judge him for the sins of his father like she had been. Aisling had arrived with a couple of other women whom she had scarcely talked to on the plane ride to Angeles. Aisling was too nervous about returning to the palace to talk to anyone. They waited in the foyer until an Enforcer with dark brown hair appeared. She was tall and thin and looked rather young. She must be a new one, Aisling thought.
"Thank you, Enforcer Chloe, I'll take it from here." The woman said as her dark blue eyes scanned the new additions to the palace.
"Very well." Enforcer Chloe, the Enforcer who had collected Aisling from the airport said then left the palace. Of course they couldn't go anywhere by themselves. An Enforcer had been with her every step of the way to the palace, and now she was being handed off to yet another one. Aisling was getting tired of them.
"Welcome to Angeles," The woman said with a surprisingly warm smile. "I'm Enforcer Estra Salvatore, as my last name would suggest Niklaus is my dear brother." She continued. "The lot of you, along with several other women are here not only to compete for his hand in marriage, but also to be the future first lady of Illéa. It is a rather daunting role, seeing as we have not had one for the past seven years. I trust you will all put your best foot forward and be good contestants, I do not want to hear of any foul play." She warned.
"Yes ma'am," Aisling, along with her companions said in unison, used to the standard replies to give to an Enforcer.
"I will personally be overseeing the Selection, it is my first assignment as an Enforcer and I will not have any of you messing it up," Estra said. "I expect that you will be respectful of your competition as well as their belongings. You will each be assigned one maid to help you adjust to life in the palace, as that is all we can spare." She took a breath, then continued. "Tomorrow you will be given a tour of the palace, for now you will be shown to your rooms and given an opportunity to rest, I'm sure that you've all had a very taxing day. You will have dinner in your rooms."
"Yes ma'am," Aisling and the others said again, knowing it wasn't up for debate.
"This way." Estra said as she led the girls up a staircase. "You will be residing on the second floor of the palace, I ask that you refrain from going upstairs to the third floor as that is reserved for the Presidential Family. The only time you are permitted up here is if you are escorted by Niklaus himself. Am I understood?"
"Yes, ma'am," The girls said again. Estra wondered why on earth Niklaus would take anyone to his private quarters, then the realization hit her. Surely he wouldn't, even touching a woman was forbidden, how much privacy could he need?
"Very good." Estra said, as they reached the second floor of the palace. Aisling looked around and took mental notes of the changes to the palace as she was escorted through its familiar halls. She wondered how much of the palace would be off limits to herself and her fellow Selected. Surely the libraries along with the right wing where the men would be conducting their work. Not much had changed in the ten years since the Salvatore Administration had taken hold of Illéa, the only change that Aisling could see was that the portraits of the leaders of the past had been replaced with those of religious figures and one portrait of the Salvatore family. It was an old portrait, as First Lady Astrid was in it.
"Miss Aisling, this will be your room." Estra said as she stopped at a door. Estra opened the door and Aisling nodded.
"Thank you, ma'am." Aisling said, then stepped inside. A middle aged woman was waiting inside of the room. She stood the moment Aisling stepped inside and bowed her head respectfully.
"Good afternoon, miss. My name is Rachel, and I will be your maid during your stay here," The woman said.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Rachel," Aisling said with a smile. "I'm sure you'll be a great help to me during my stay here." The room was as nice as Aisling remembered them being when she would hide in them when she played hide and seek with the now deceased prince and princess. There was a large bed in the center of the room with a night stand on either side of it. A large wardrobe was pressed up against a wall and there was a large dresser across from the bed. Near the balcony sat a table with two chairs on either side of it, one of which was formerly occupied by Rachel.
"Do you need any help unpacking your things, miss?" Rachel asked.
"That would be lovely, thank you," Aisling said as she spotted her suitcases sitting in front of the bed. Her last week at Miss Farrow's had been spent making new dresses for the Selection, which she had carefully packed into her suitcase. Tamsin had been allowed to help, they would have made more had they not taken advantage of their time away from chores to socialize and relax, but they had managed to make a sizable collection. Aisling helped Rachel put her dresses away then she laid back on her bed.
"I think I'd like to rest before dinner," Aisling said to Rachel.
"Of course, miss, ring the bell if you need anything." Rachel said with a nod then left the room.
Aisling sighed as she squeezed her eyes shut and finally allowed a couple of tears to escape. The memories of her time at the palace were catching up to her, and it was more than she could bear. She remembered playing hide and seek with the royal children, having tea parties with the princess, and playing tag in the gardens. Then there was her parents, her sweet loving parents. Fresh tears came to her eyes which she viciously wiped away. Stop it, you'll get nowhere in this competition if you keep falling apart, she told herself. Aisling forced back tears and forced the memory of her parents away, now wasn't the time to think about it. Now was the time to focus on her future and to see whether or not it would include Niklaus. Though she knew that the President would be the one pulling the strings and that it would be a cold day in hell before he let a Daugherty win, she still wanted to give it a chance. Maybe she could restore her family name to its former glory through a marriage to Niklaus.
Daniel and Freya were the last to arrive at dinner, Freya had been sneaking glances at the Selected as they had arrived, curious and apprehensive at the same time. Daniel had caught her and admonished her for her behavior, which she promised never to do again, though he had reason to believe that she was lying.
"Your Selected have arrived today." Daniel said as he and Freya took their seats. "I caught someone spying."
Niklaus smiled, amused, "And what do you think of them, Freya?"
"They're very pretty," Freya said with a small smile. "I didn't talk to any of them, though. They were too busy with Estra."
Estra sighed, annoyed, "I thought you were told to stay out of the way."
"Sorry," Freya said quietly, glancing at the table.
"Not to worry, Estra, I handled the matter," Daniel said.
"Thank you, sir." Estra said, then gave her sister a sharp look. She wasn't really mad, but she needed to keep up appearances. It was only natural that Freya would be curious about the guests entering her home, and guests that she could actually talk to.
"I'm glad to hear they're pretty." Niklaus said as he took a bite of his food.
"Looks aren't what truly matter, Niklaus," Daniel said sternly. "You're choosing the future first lady of Illéa, that comes first and foremost above their looks or your feelings."
"Of course, sir," Niklaus said.
"I trust that with my guidance, you will make the right decision." Daniel said as he reached for his glass of wine. "Tomorrow before breakfast you will meet them then confer with me about who to eliminate. I warn you now, one of them is a Daugherty."
Niklaus gave his father a confused look, "Are you sure that's safe?"
"It is." Daniel said with a nod. "She attended Miss Farrow's and I can assure you that she has been completely transformed into an exemplary young lady who embodies our nation's ideals, according to Enforcer Farrow. If seeing her parents die didn't break her then I'm sure Miss Farrow's did."
"What's Miss Farrow's?" Freya asked, knowing better than to ask what a Daugherty was or why her parents had to die. She felt bad about it, remembering how sad she had been when her own mother died.
"What have I told you about questions, Freya?" Daniel scolded.
"Sorry, sir. " Freya said as she glanced at the table.
Poor girl, Niklaus thought. Reform schools were known for the abuses that their students had to endure, and Miss Farrow's had a notorious and sinister reputation. He wondered what horrors the poor girl had to endure to become what his father considered an appropriate young lady, and founds himself pitying the poor girl.
Niklaus nodded, "She sounds...interesting. I'm excited to meet them all."
"As you should be," Daniel said. "Freya you will be meeting them as well, I imagine they will be spending lots of time with you in the Women's Room."
Freya nodded and Daniel could tell his daughter was nervous from the way she bit her lip, "What's the matter?" He asked.
"It's just...that's a lot of girls. I've never been around that many people," Freya said quietly.
"They aren't girls, Freya, they're women," Daniel corrected. "I'm sure they'll be perfectly nice to you, and if they aren't you will tell your sister."
"Yes, sir." Freya said, reaching for her glass of water.
"They know how to behave themselves, Freya, otherwise they wouldn't be here," Estra assured her.
Freya nodded once more as she picked at her food.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Estra or Aunt Cara will be with you the entire time you're with them." Niklaus said with a smile.
Freya returned the smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"I'm counting on you girls to give us information about the Selected that we wouldn't otherwise obtain, do you understand?" Daniel said. He assumed that the girls would have their guard up at first, but as soon as they connected with Freya and her sweet, naïve, innocent nature they might open up to her at least. Plus they would be spending most of their time in the women's room with Freya, who knows what the girl might overhear? He didn't expect them to open up to Estra, she was an Enforcer, they had no reason to trust her.
"Yes, sir," Freya and Estra said at the same time.
"Good." Daniel said as he leaned back in his chair. "Freya, I expect you to be on your best behavior. That means not pestering them with your incessant questions. Am I understood?"
Freya nodded, "I'll behave, sir."
"I'd hate to have to call the Enforcers on you again." Danie threatened.
What's wrong with questions? Niklaus thought, but said nothing. He didn't understand why his father was being so harsh on his sister lately but knew better than to bring up the matter. He sighed, realizing that he would have very little say in his Selection and that like everything else in his life this would be a decision for his father and the Council to make. He suddenly wasn't looking forward to the Selection as much as he had been. It should be about him finding love, instead it was going to be about what and who his father wanted him to marry.