I DO NOT OWN THE SELECTION SERIES. SHOUT OUT TO RUBY CASABLANCA AND AVA NAVA FOR CREATING THESE CHARACTERS.

Schreave Palace. Province Of Angeles. The Next day.

King Maxon II sat in his office with his personal secretary Benvolio Jackson on one side and his prime minister Tybalt Tyler on the other.

"Your Majesty, I am happy to report that both Theodore Madden and Ranamaya Bhattachan have confessed to the crime of adultery." Benvolio reported to the King and the prime minister. "They admitted that they had carnal knowledge of each other by means of kissing and oral sex."

"Good, and what of the Avalos issue?" Maxon inquired.

"Edithe Smallwood was brought before a judge and she found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect." Benvolio answered as he looked over the files. "She has been committed indefinitely to a mental hospital in Fennley."

"That is good, the people might not have approved of the execution of an elderly woman who is not only legally blind, but also mentally ill." Tybalt pointed out as Maxon ignored him.

"I have decided...after an endless amount of crying by my daughter, to commit the sentences of Madden and Bhattachan to a public beating. One lash for each year they have lived." The King decided as the prime minister nodded his approval.

"That is merciful of you, my king." Jackson replied as Maxon downed a shot of wine.

"I make this vow to you both: any pleasure that fuckboy and his wicked bitch got from their promiscuity shall be nothing, NOTHING, compared to the pain that they shall feel at the hand of my torturer!" Maxon exclaimed with a look of blood lust in his eyes.

Royal Dungeon. Later that evening.

Crown Princess Melody Schreave was trying desperately and failing miserably to calm her nerves as she snuck through the palace. She had wanted to get out of her room, but the guards had been out at all times. The opportunity came after a visit from Nanny Alma. Melody had been in her bedroom, looking at a series of snapshots that had been taken of her by Lily St. James after their solo date. They had given her much comfort before Nanny Alma had shown up to see her. Except this time was different, after she left, Melody's nanny had forgotten to lock the door on purpose. This gave Melody an opportunity to escape her bedroom. She knew that there was a guard change at 6 PM and at 9 PM, so she could see d a few hours around at the palace and there would be a couple windows of time for her to leave and return hopefully unnoticed. Melody had spent some time in the kitchen sneaking dessert and playing chess by herself in the game room. It had been her hope to possibly steal a few moments with one of the remaining 6 selected, but the fact that every single one had guards posted close to their bedrooms made that impossible. Eventually, the heir to the Illèan throne decided that there was one place she had to go.

Melody snuck down into the dungeons and when she came across the guards, she bribed them with some jewelry that she was wearing. As she entered the gloomy place, she saw that only one Cage was occupied. Melody assumed that Teddy and Rana must be having another torture session with Escalus Harding. The guard unlocked the cell that Yesenia Avalos was in and she was shocked at what she found. The beauty from Fennley was covered in bruises, her eyes were both blackened, and she looked to be in a great deal of pain.

"Yesenia..." Melody said as she sat down next to her, unaware of what to say.

"I didn't expect to see you again." She replied softly as Melody took her hand and held it.

"I snuck into my dad's office...I know what everything that happened to you." The princess said as the former maid looked away.

"Big whoop." She replied as Melody squeezed her hand.

"Do you...do you want to talk about it?" She asked as Yesenia jerked herself hand away.

"Don't ask personal questions," she warned, a flash of something dark flickering in those brown eyes. "If I wanted to depress myself, I would have asked you to kick a puppy…not that I care for puppies either…whatever, you get the meaning." Melody nodded as she cleared her throat.

"I just...I wanted to say that I'm sorry about everything that happened to you. Maybe if I hadn't held a selection, no one would have found out about you" she replied as she wept.

"Look Melody, I made the choice, I wanted to rise above my station and I would have, whether you held a selection or not." Yesenia insisted as she squeezed Melody's hand tightly.

"Yesenia...maybe I don't have the right...but I would like to kiss you goodbye." Melody said as miss Avalos was silent for a few moments before nodding.

"If this is going to be the last kiss of my life, I better make it good." she remarked as Melody leaned in and kissed her deeply on the lips. The two women wrapped their arms around each other for a few minutes before Melody pulled away and stood to her feet.

"Please...promise me that...you won't let my father break you." she pleaded as Yesenia looked her straight in the eye.

"I promise." she said with rare sincerity as Melody left the dungeon and braced herself for tomorrow's horrors.

TOMORROW IS THE PUBLIC EXECUTION AND BEATING. REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.