I DO NOT OWN THE SELECTION SERIES. SHOUT OUT TO RUBY CASABLANCA, AVA NAVA, AND ABIZEAU FOR MAKING THESE CHARACTERS. THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A TORTURE SCENE, READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. ALSO THE FACE CLAIM FOR THE ROYAL INTERROGATER/TORTURER/EXECUTIONER: ESCALUS HARDING IS IWAN RHEON.

Schreave Palace. Province of Angeles. The next day.

The morning after her first solo date with the crown princess, Yesenia Avalos was taking breakfast with the 9 remaining selected in the dining room. She was thinking of her cake flavored make out session with Princess Melody Schreave when 3 royal guards burst into the room and glared daggers at her.

"Yesenia Avalos, I arrest you in the name of his majesty: King Maxon, second of his name for charges of defrauding the crown and the murder of Everly Smallwood, take her!" The head guard commanded as the other two made a beeline for the maid from Fennley. Yesenia tried to run, but it was too late, the guards cornered her and drug her away from the other selected who were shocked at this recent turn of events.

"Eat shit, you stupid gringos!" She yelled as she was hauled out of the dining room. As the guards took her through the palace, she searched desperately for Melody or anyone who might be sympathetic to her, but she found no one.

Later that afternoon.

Princess Melody paced about in her room anxiously. She had been instructed to stay in her room until further notice, but the guards would not give her a reason as to why. She laid back on her bed, staring at the ceiling as she grew worried that her father had done something new to upset the people of Illèa. After a couple hours, there was a knock at her door. Melody went to answer it and there stood Romeo Monroe.

"Romeo!" She exclaimed as she embraced him.

"I'm sorry to surprise you like this, I wanted to make sure that you were all right." He said as he caressed her cheek.

"What's going on?" Melody asked as she closed the door.

"You mean you don't know?" Romeo asked with a look of surprise on his face.

"The guards wouldn't tell me anything!" the princess replied as the blue blood heaved a sigh.

"Everly Smallwood was arrested at breakfast this morning." He said which earned a gasp from Melody.

"Seriously, for what?" She asked in shock.

"Fraud and Murder." Romeo continued. "What I heard was that her name is really Yesenia Avalos. She was the maid for the Smallwoods. She poisoned the real Everly and hid her body so the dowager Smallwood wouldn't know. Then, Edithe Smallwood conspired with Yesenia to enter the selection and pretend to be Everly!"

"Oh my God..." Melody groaned as she collapsed onto her bed while Romeo sat next to her and held her hands.

"I had a solo date with her yesterday...I can't believe that she would do this." She whined as tears began to fall.

"You couldn't have known." Romeo assured her as he gently rubbed her back. "People like that...they are liars Melody. They will say and do anything to get what they want...no matter who it hurts." The heir to the Illèan throne leaned over and buried her face in Romeo's chest as he tried to comfort her the best he could. He felt a tad guilty that Benvolio had fed him all the information about Yesenia in the hopes that he could steal a tender moment with Melody.

Later that evening.

Yesenia Avalos languished in one of the cells in the royal dungeon for a few hours. Eventually, she was taken out of her cell by a royal guard and was taken to a room that was filled with instruments of torture. Inside was a scary looking man. With curly back hair and piercing grey eyes. He was Escalus Harding: the royal interrogator and torturer and executioner.

"Sir her in the chair." He commanded as the guard strapped her into a chair with belts on it. Yesenia struggled, but was strapped in. Escalus put a brass knuckles on his right hand as he moved towards her.

"Miss Avalos, I'm gonna give you a chance to avoid this." He said with a grin. "All his majesty wants is for you to confess your crimes. Let us start with something simple: tell me your name."

"I am Everly Smallwood, granddaughter of..." she started to say before he decked her in the face with the brass knuckles. She spit out blood as she groaned in pain.

"Your name is Yesenia Avalos, now tell me your name." Harding said.

"I am Everly Smallwood." the maid spat as he hit her once again.

"That's not your name!" The torturer insisted. "Yesenia Avalos is your name. Now, what is your name; say it!"

"Everly Smallwood." She insisted as he hit her for a third time.

"Yesenia Avalos is your name." Escalus snapped as he threw the brass knuckles aside and picked up a baton. "Now, I'll ask you again. Tell me your name...say it! Say it! Say it!" He preceded to beat her with the stick as she yelped in pain at each strike.

"I did, you stupid gringo!" She yelled.

"Yesenia! It's Yesenia! Now say it!" He roared as he began to slap her over and over. She refused to yield to this gringo.

"Everly!"

"Damn you, you bitch!"

"I'm...Everly..." she stuttered as he stopped.

"You will not move from here till you say your name, not if night falls or a new day dawns." Escalus insisted as he removed his belt. "Now, you will say Yesenia. Say it. Say it!" Even as he beat her with the leather belt, the brace and strong woman refused to give in.

WILL YESENIA SURVIVE? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.