Author's Note: A good majority of this book will have events and dialogue straight from The Prince and The Selection. This chapter will follow the first four chapters of The Prince, and then we'll dive into The Selection.
No copyright infringement is intended, this is just my imagination of Maxon's Selection through a different pair of eyes.
I raised my fist to the dark wooden door in front of me and knocked sharply.
"Come in." Dad's voice answered.
I entered and walked over to Connor, who was sitting at one of the priceless antique chairs at the long table. He held a dozing Céline in his arms.
"Did she eat?"
"Gretchen and I could only force five pieces of avocado down her throat."
I chuckled and nodded. "That'll hold her off long enough. Do you have Maxon's gift?"
"I gave it to him this morning, you?"
"He received it at lunch."
I walked over to stand next to Dad, my smokey-gray floor-length skirt swishing around my legs. I dabbed on my red lipstick and straightened my tiara when another sharp knock interrupted me.
"Come in." Maxon entered. Dad's eyes flitted over to see who it was.
"Ah, there you are. Your mother will be along shortly. Are you ready?"
"Of course." He replied stoically.
Maxon's eyes briefly met mine. We both knew that there was no getting out of this. Dad reached into the open top drawer of his desk and set a small silver box onto the top.
"Happy birthday." Connor and I looked at each other from over their shoulders. We knew exactly what it was: Cufflinks.
"Thank you, sir. I'll wear them now." This was a much different reaction to what he had when I gave him my gft, but that was to be expected.
"You'll want to be at your best tonight," Dad replied, finally tearing himself away from the mirror. "The Selection will be on everyone's thoughts."
A thin, tight smile formed on my brother's lips. "Mine included." Even though he tried to hide it, I saw the nerves on his face. Dad did too.
"Be positive, Maxon. This is meant to be exciting."
"It is. I'm just a bit shocked at how fast it's all happening." He replied while putting on the cufflinks.
Dad laughed. "It seems fast to you, but it's been years in the making on my end."
"What do you mean?" He looked up with narrow eyes.
We were saved by the bell- or in this case, Mom. When she walked in, Dad immediately lit up for her.
"Amberly, you look stunning."
She smiled politely, but not too brightly. It's like after all these years she still couldn't believe anyone would notice her. She embraced Dad tightly and he kissed her cheek.
"Not too stunning, I hope. I wouldn't want to steal attention." She let go of him.
"You won't, trust me." I walked over to her.
"Jackie." She embraced me tightly. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired," I replied. "But hey- that's what you get with a seven-month old." My mind flashed back to the amount of color-corrector and concealer my maids had to apply to my face.
"It's just revenge for what you did to me." She laughed lightly and turned to Maxon. "Happy birthday, son."
"Thanks, Mom."
She whispered something into his ear and turned back to Dad. "Are we all ready, then?" I smoothed my dress for the final time.
"Indeed we are."
Dad held out his arm to her and she took it. Connor offered a now-awake Céline to me before giving me his arm. I balanced her on my hip, one of her tiny hands grasping the top of my off-the-shoulder neckline. We walked out behind my parents, Maxon behind us. We were met with cameras.
"Is this-"
"All for the Selection." I replied.
"About how much longer is it, Your Majesty?" One of them asked Maxon.
"The names are drawn this Friday, and the girls will actually arrive the Friday after that." He replied.
"Are you nervous, sir?" A different one called out.
"About marrying a girl I haven't met yet? All in a day's work." Connor and I snickered quietly. He saw it and looked at us with a smirk.
"Doesn't it set you on edge at all, Your Majesty?"
"On the contrary, I'm very excited."
"We know you'll make an excellent choice, sir."
"Hear, hear!" The rest of them cheered.
Maxon shrugged. "I don't know. Any girl who settles for me can't possibly be a sane woman."
"Nonsense!" I yelled to him. The reporters who previously bombarded him turned to me.
"And how about you, Your Majesty? How are you feeling about this?"
"I am very excited to see this play out," I adjusted Céline on my hip and shielded her face from the blinding flashes. "I'm looking forward to meeting Illéa's daughters and seeing what ideas they'll bring to the table." I turned to Dad, who seemed pleased with my response.
"Forgive me, I have family visiting, and I don't wish to be rude." Maxon said, ending the Q&A session.
We quickly escaped into the Great Room, where we were met with people, midnight-blue tablecloths and sparkling lights. A butler came up to us and we all took a flute of champagne from him. I would need it, especially if I planned on being in long conversations with politicians. Connor went one way with Mom, while I went the other with Dad and Maxon.
"Smile." He ordered for both of us. I saw Maxon catch the eye of Daphne, the princess of France. Maxon gave her a nod, while I used the hand from the arm that was supporting Céline to wave back. She raised her glass to our gestures.
"You can't answer everything so sarcastically. You're the crown prince. They need you to lead." Dad whispered. Oh how different things are for me!
"I'm sorry, sir. It's a party, I thought—"
"Well, you thought wrong. By the Report, I expect to see you taking this seriously." He stopped walking and faced me, his eyes gray and steady.
"Of course, sir. A temporary lapse in judgment."
Dad pulled his glass of champagne to his lips. "You tend to have a lot of those." He's. NINETEEN. I shouted in my head.
Maxon looked at Daphne and I saw him roll his eyes. She laughed, knowing the feeling of a father's pressure- something I didn't share with him. Dad's eyes followed his.
"Always a pretty one, that girl. Too bad she couldn't be in the lottery."
"She's nice. I never had feelings for her, though."
"Good. That would have been extraordinarily stupid of you."
"Besides, I'm looking forward to meeting my true options."
With that statement, Dad jumped aboard. It's about time you made some real choices in your life, Maxon. Some good ones. I'm sure you think my methods are far too harsh, but I need you to see the significance of your position."
"Don't worry, Father. I take the task of choosing a wife quite seriously," I read the tone of his voice as assuring, though I could feel the radiating fear coming from it.
"It's a lot more than finding someone you get along with. For instance, you and Daphne. Very chummy, but she'd be a complete waste." That's what he said to me… I rolled my eyes.
"I should probably make my rounds." He said, looking at me.
"As should I." I agreed.
He shooed us off like flies at a picnic and turned his attention back to his glass. Maxon went in the direction of some of the advisors and wealthy socialites. while I went to the foreign dignitaries. The conversation was bland and typical, like what we discussed in meetings. I didn't want to discuss topics that we discussed in meetings at a party for my brother, but it would be impolite to leave too soon.
Once the conversation came to a halt, I excused myself and traded my near-empty glass of champagne for a full one. Céline fussed in my arms. She was getting hungry; I could tell. At least we agree on something…
My ears caught the sound of a soft yet high-pitched whistle as I stood up to find Connor. I turned to the direction that it came from and saw Mom, her thumb and forefinger in her mouth. She stood beside another dark-haired woman. Aunt Adele. I rushed over to them.
"There's my favorite niece!" She exclaimed. "O-My-God Amberly! She's gotten so big!"
"Me?" I asked. "Or her?"
"Both of you!" She engulfed us in her embrace. Céline squirmed underneath her chiffon-coated arm.
"You're choking us…"
"Oh, sorry." She pulled back and smoothed out her skirts. "So, how's parenting been treating you?"
"Honestly pretty well, with the exceptions of midnight hunger and occasional milk leaking." We found seats at the table where we could sit.
"You were a leaker, right?"
"Adele…" Mom rolled her eyes. I snickered, trying to hide the sound of my stomach rumbling. It didn't do any good as I was now the subject of their attention.
"You want me to take her so you can get some food?"
"Jackie…" Mom tested.
I didn't want to put Céline into the care of anyone else but Connor or Maxon, but Connor was on the other side of the room and Maxon was engaged in a conversation with the leaders of the German Federation. My stomach rumbled again forcing me to reluctantly hand her to Mom.
~~~~...~~~~
I finished my salad and sirloin steak and salad sooner than I expected, realizing that I was hungrier than I originally thought. Mom was right- as always. I requested for some applesauce to be brought to Céline and went over to the bar where I was served with another flute of champagne.
"Jacqueline?" Dad's voice came from behind me.
"Yes?"
"How many of those have you had on an empty stomach?" His tone was a mixture of disapproval and concern.
"I just ate and this is my third. Why?"
"We can't risk… an incident…" He lowered his voice.
"I was fifteen and filled with angst, Dad. I've changed in more ways than one."
"Yes that is true- but we can't risk it with us being this close to the Selection." I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes. All he cared about was our public image. While yes- it is important, there are other elements that need more attention.
"When do they arrive?"
"Next Friday. Have you finished picking out your portion of the girls?" He offered me his arm and we began to walk around.
"I handed them off to Mr. Winslow." He noticed the absence of his granddaughter.
"Where is Céline?"
"Mom's got her."
"Ah." He nodded. "Now back on topic; how many lower casted ladies did you choose?" I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes again. He was so hell-bent on only allowing Twos, Threes, and Fours to participate. Let's hope I don't get crucified for this…
"I actually added two more Fives into the mix." The look in his eyes was displeased. "Now remember; you said that I had control over one-fifth of the thirty-five, and I've already chosen a Two, two Threes and two Fours."
"That still isn't enough, Jacqueline! I said that you had a say in your brother's hand. What I didn't say was to use your seven choices on the lower castes!"
"Well what Mr. Winslow told me to make it appear to be random, so we could keep the lower castes intrigued and the rebels at bay. Now with that logic in hand and with my pickings of the higher castes complete, I selected the Fives. I didn't go lower than a Five though- a Six or a Seven wouldn't stand a chance!" The look on his face was still agitated. I had to pull out the final card…
"I know you're displeased, but what if Maxon finds happiness with one of them? You yourself married a Four."
The look in his eyes softened now that Mom was mentioned. He rubbed his eyes and nodded at my judgment. He straightened his navy linen suit jacket and grabbed another flute of champagne for himself. While he wasn't looking, a smug look crept onto my face. As much as I hated using my mother as a weapon in our conversations, it had to be done in order to achieve my goals and prove a point. Maxon was incredibly jealous, but also relieved, that my trick of using Mom didn't pass with Dad when he tried it.
"Jackie," Connor's voice came from behind us. "There you are. Where is our daughter?"
"I left Céline with Mom. I would've told you, but you were on the other side of the universe." He rolled his eyes.
"I've got to put Céline to bed." I turned to my father. "I'll see you in the morning." He kissed my cheek and let Connor take my arm.
I let out an audible breath of relief once we were far enough away from Dad. My eyes flitted to Connor in order to see if he noticed, but thankfully he didn't. We walked around a little bit, asking how everything was going and accepting gifts that were for Maxon that he might have missed during his rounds around the room.
Speaking of Maxon, where the hell had that boy run off to? We made eye-contact a few times throughout his entire party. Compared to how we usually interacted during these kinds of events, that was extremely low. It's just his nerves about the Selection, Jackie. Nothing too serious…
"Jack?"
"Yes?"
"Do you know what time it is?"
"Didn't bring a watch, why?"
"Because that German dignitary is already wasted…" He subtly pointed to a crazy-eyed man who was dancing in a way that did not match the classical music that the violins were playing.
"I'm getting tired, so that means it's getting late. Also- the amount of guests that are here is decreasing."
"Ah, so probably past eleven?"
"I would think so. Remember when we could be at these things until one?"
"Those were the glory days…" He agreed, sighing.
Mom and Aunt Adele came into our field of vision shortly after. Even from far away, I could tell that both of them were tired- although my aunt could've been mildly drunk. She lay her head on Mom's shoulder, and Mom returned the act by laying the top of her head on Adele's. Céline was curled up in her lap. I hated to leave her on babysitting duty for so long… When Mom saw us, she managed to weakly wave us over. Connor and I immediately rushed over when we saw that.
"Mom, I am so sorry! I didn't mean to just dump her off with you two!" I hastily but gently pried a sleeping Céline from her lap.
"It's fine," She stifled a yawn. "Adele loved catching up with her."
"Besides, it saved us from interacting with them." My aunt said sleepily. She gestured to the French king and queen. I began to wonder where Daphne was.
"Well, we're going up to bed." I told them.
"Goodnight." Mom yawned. "I'll probably join you soon."
I gingerly bent down and kissed her cheek and hugged Aunt Adele one more time. Connor wrapped his arm around me and led us upstairs.
The next morning I surprised myself by managing to get out of bed at my usual time. The loud alarm had its place, but it was mostly my husband kicking me. Not the most pleasant way to start the morning but it was a better way to wake up compared to when I was actively breastfeeding.
My maids Esme, Lily, and Beth were also a big help. Even though the ladies tried to be their quietest, I always heard them coming by the sound of their patent leather shoes tapping against the marble floors. They didn't come to play today. The moment I walked into the bathroom, they immediately stripped me of my thin nightgown and practically tossed me into the shower.
Post-shower, they blow-dried, brushed and styled my hair into a practical ponytail with a few tendrils framing my face. They applied light makeup to my face, concealer being the product they used the most heavy hand on. I helped by doing my mascara and lips while they went to fetch the blouse and skirt that I requested.
I pulled on a white silk button-down blouse that perfectly complimented my black leather pencil mini-skirt. The maids had fetched my snakeskin peep-toe stilettos and star pendant necklace and earrings while I pulled those on. In just a little while, I'd have to start wearing dresses like Mom wore. Not that I didn't like them- they just weren't practical for caring for a baby.
"Thank you ladies," I told them. "Now I've got to wake up the prince."
Mom had positioned us to have our chambers in the same corridor of the palace, with a few rooms between them to form sort of a blockade. One of those rooms just-so-happened to be hers. She wanted it that way so that when we were young, we could run to her room just in case of a nightmare or big thunderstorm. Now, my nightmares no longer consisted of monsters, but a crying baby. She was quite handy with that as well.
I walked out of my room and down the hall. Due to not knowing if Mom was still asleep or not, I did my best to keep the clomping from my heels at a minimum. I knocked on Maxon's door three times and heard a groan from the other side. He came out looking tired.
"I was talking with everyone- basically what you were doing."
"No not that! You disappeared for a while there around the time I went to bed."
He caught on and groaned. "I don't want to talk about it, Jackie."
"Well I don't want to talk about my conversation with the French king, so there's something we agree on. It's either this or the Selection; you pick your poison."
He groaned once more and ran his hands through his hair. "Daphne and I talked a little."
"Oh!" I remembered when the two met eyes last night. "What'd she say?"
"It's complicated…"
"I'm a woman who will understand a woman," I almost ran into an advisor who was carrying a thick stack of Selection applications. "You can tell me."
After a little bit of silence, he caved. "Daphne said that her father's got another potential suitor for her- Frederick. She doesn't want to marry him."
"I know the feeling, continue."
"She begged me to not go through with the Selection, but I told her that it's a tradition that I must carry on. Then she started crying…"
Oh boy… "And?"
"She told me that I was the only one who actually knows her and to postpone the Selection. Then she went on to beg me to have Father postpone the Selection…"
Just from this, I already knew that he was going to be a mess next week. The girls would for a variety of reasons; a sad movie, a sappy love story, being eliminated… Damn it! I should've shed more tears so he could've learned how to deal with crying women!
"I didn't react, and then she accused me of being emotionless."
"I thought that I was the emotionless one!" He laughed and continued. "Then she tried to get me to kiss her. I refused and then she called me an idiot."
"Again: I thought that calling you an idiot was my job." And Dad's… Unlike me, he actually meant it.
"That's not all she said however. She also said: 'Your parents have completely sabotaged you. You could have a thousand girls set before you, and it wouldn't matter. You're too stupid to see love when it stands right in front of you.' "
"Huh, so no mention of me, eh?"
"I think that Daphne's quite fond of you. Although, we both agree that you're more of a marble statue than a human." I rolled my eyes. "I tried to apologize, but she didn't take it. She said: 'Feel sorry for yourself. You'll find a wife because you have to, but you've already known love and let it go.' What does that mean, Jackie?" The look in his brown eyes was similar to a puppy pleading for food.
I closed my eyes and thought. Daphne was clearly hurt by his words. Her emotions must have been driving her words. From what I could recall, she was level-headed and intriguing. When we would talk, we always steered away from sensitive topics and kept the conversation going about light-hearted things. Images of Daphne and Maxon as children flashed in my mind and I remembered some strange events that could've been potential foreshadowing to last night.
"Daphne was hurt by your rejection, Maxon." I chose my words carefully. "Now you might not have seen it, but she's been in love with you for a while."
"She's just a friend, Jackie."
"I understand that. A one-sided love." I sighed. "The way that a woman acts and reacts depends on her current mood. Mom and I certainly do it, we're just good at hiding it."
He sighed and we continued walking to the meeting room. The moment we entered, I was requested to view reports on our current situation with New Asia, while Maxon was pulled to the financial reports. More advisors continued to flood in with similar stacks of applications.
"Today's batch is very promising," One said to me.
"You're a lucky man." Another said to him.
Judging by the piles and piles of papers on the table, they weren't wrong. My eyes flitted to Maxon, who was studying Dad. As the secretary of war started speaking to me, I began to wonder what Maxon was thinking.
"Snap out of it, Maxon." Dad's voice cut through the chaos like a knife.
"Sir?"
"How many times do I have to tell you? The Selection is about making a solid, rational choice, not another opportunity for you to daydream." That quote was borrowed from when he was trying to find me a suitable husband.
One of the messengers walked in and handed a letter to Dad. Maxon straightened the stack of papers in front of him and replied, "Yes, sir."
I went back to reading my own papers when I heard him say, "Damn rebels."
"What now?" I asked the advisors while detangling my necklace from a loose strand from my ponytail.
"Another attack in Whites." They continued to explain the new plan for the next battle in the war. My eyes never left Maxon's anxious face.
~~~~...~~~~
After today's big meeting, we went down for breakfast. After breakfast, Mom went to her office and Maxon and I were requested to be seen in Dad's. Neither Maxon or I knew why he wanted to see me. We stepped into his office, me trailing him by a few steps.
"You called for me?" My brother asked.
"There you are," Dad replied. "And Jacqueline- glad that you're here." He rubbed his hands together. "Tomorrow's the day."
"Yes. Do we need to go over the format for the Report?"
"No, no." He drew Maxon closer with a hand. I saw my brother's posture become stiffer. "It'll be simple enough. Introduction, a little chat with Gavril, and then we'll broadcast the names and faces of the girls."
"Sounds… easy." I looked over their shoulders and at his desk. There sat a big chuck of tan file folders. The Selected…
Dad and I made eye contact for a moment. "These are them." He announced proudly. Will he tell him that I picked some?
"Now, about twenty-five or so have rather obvious qualities that would be perfect for a new princess. Excellent families, ties to other countries that might be very valuable. Some of them are just extraordinarily beautiful." He wasn't lying about the latter part. "Sadly, not all of the provinces offered up anyone worth note. So, to make it all appear a bit more random, we used those areas to add in a bit more diversity. You'll see we got a few Fives in the mix. Nothing below that, though. We have to have some standards."
Dad ran his thumb through the stack. "Do you want a peek?"
"You chose them?" Maxon looked at us.
"Yes."
"All of them?"
"All but seven." He replied.
"Who chose those seven?"
"Your sister." Maxon looked at me with betrayal in his eyes.
"You!" I held up my hands in defense.
"I made a deal with Dad five years ago when I was dating," I told him calmly. "I allowed him, you, and Mom to have a say in my pool of suitors if I got something in return. I asked for a hand of one-fifth of the Selected."
"She drives quite a hard bargain, Maxon, so I had to oblige." Dad replied stiffly. "Like I said, there are a few there for the sake of the show, but I think you've got a very promising lot. Far better than mine."
"Did your father choose for you?"
"Some. Why do you ask?"
"This is what you meant, wasn't it? When you said it was years of work on your end?"
"Well, we had to make sure certain girls would be of age, and in some provinces we had several options."
"But, trust me, you're going to love them."
"Am I?
Dad sighed. "Don't mope. I thought you'd be excited. Don't you even want to look?"
"As you've said, this is nothing to daydream over. I'll see them when everyone else does. If you'll excuse me, I need to finish reading the amendment you drafted." Maxon shut the door behind him.
"I'd thought he'd be happier." I turned to my father.
"It's just the nerves," Dad straightened the collar of my blouse. "He'll be appreciative eventually."
"I wasn't like this, was I?"
"You were more stubborn and irritable- claiming you didn't need a man. You fell for one anyway."
I twisted my wedding band around my finger. "And then we'll be celebrating three years in November."
"Exactly. If you can fall in love, then he can fall in love. Now go help your mother and Silvia with the arrangements for the Selection."
"Yes Sir." I turned on my heels and walked out of the room.
"Look up, Your Majesty." My makeup artist, Irina, instructed.
"Five minutes!" Someone called.
"They never give us enough time…" Mom's makeup artist mumbled from beside me.
While Irina continued to apply makeup to my face, I reviewed the events of the past couple of days in my head. Yesterday flew by sooner than expected. One moment I was helping Mom and Silvia create the "seating chart" for the girls' rooms and where they would sit at the dinner table when they arrived and the next I was being shuffled to the Women's Room to examine the set-up for the makeovers the girls would all get.
But today just seemed to drag on. Well, up until now at least. I turned to Maxon, who looked like he was going to puke.
"Are you all right, sir?" Another makeup artist dabbed sweat off his brow. I could only imagine how scared he was beneath the mask he was putting on.
"I was just lamenting that with all the lipstick you have over there, not one appears to be my shade." I had to resist snickering due to Irina lining my lips with a creamy matte red lipstick. Mom snickered for us both.
"I think I'm good, thank you." He said after more silence. Irina dusted my face with setting powder once more time and gave me a thumbs up. I stood up.
"Me too." Our makeup artists walked away. Mom went to talk to Maxon. I granted them privacy and walked over to our and Connor were already there waiting, the latter holding Céline.
"Isn't Mama pretty?" My husband asked her once he saw me.
"Mama." She reached for my necklace and the top of my dress. I heard Dad chuckle at the scene.
"Céline, we're not going to take Mommy's dress today. Although I would like to." Connor winked.
"Really? With my father sitting right there?" I sat took my seat beside him. Connor removed Céline's hand from the silk and let her play with his finger.
"Yes really." He pecked my cheek. I turned to see Maxon walk on stage, looking more nervous than he did from behind the scenes. This didn't please Dad, who said:
"Get it together. You look like hell." My thoughts exactly.
"How did you do this?" He asked both of us.
"I faced it with confidence because I was the prince. As will you. Need I remind you that you're the prize? They're competing for you, not the other way around. Your life isn't changing at all, except you'll have to deal with a couple of overly excited females for a few weeks."
"Jackie?"
"I also had the luxury of having the entire damn country watching me date for the first time. Don't worry, you'll get used to it, I promise." I added. He shook his head.
"What if I don't like any of them?"
"Then pick the one you hate the least. Preferably one that's useful. Don't worry about that count, though; I'll help." Or I will. I narrowed my eyes at Dad.
"Ten seconds!" One of the camera men called. Mom walked swiftly and took her seat next to me, putting her hand on top of mine and squeezed it. She gave Maxon a comforting wink.
"Remember to smile." The anthem began to play. I inhaled a breath and closed my eyes. I squeezed Mom's hand again and opened. Gavril had arrived during that time and he began to speak.
"Good evening, Your Majesty."
"Gavril, always good to see you."
"Looking forward to the announcement?"
"Ah, yes. I was in the room yesterday as a few were drawn; all very lovely girls." Complete lie. Complete lie. I thought while I squeezed Connor's hand. I looked at him.
"It's a complete lie isn't it?" He whispered low enough so Mom couldn't hear.
"Completely." I replied, recalling the conversation that we'd had at Maxon's party.
"So you know who they are already?" I didn't know who he was talking to; me or Dad.
"Just a few, just a few."
"Did he happen to share any of this information with you?" He looked at both me and Maxon.
"Not at all. I'll see them when everyone else does." Maxon replied. Gavril looked at me.
"What about you?"
"I've only seen seven." I replied curtly. Because I selected them…
Gavril nodded and turned his attention to Mom "Your Majesty, any advice for the Selected?"
With a shy tilt of her head and a flutter of her lashes, she won everyone over. She was good at that. "Enjoy your last night as an average girl. Tomorrow, no matter what, your life will be different forever. And it's old advice, but it's good: be yourself."
"Wise words, my queen, wise words." Gavril nodded and turned his attention to me. "And what about you, Your Highness? What advice do you have for the Selected?"
"Well Gavril," I sighed, leaning back. I tried to appear casual, though I was probably failing. Connor squeezed my hand again. "I know an old song that goes 'Look into his angel eyes, One look and you're hypnotized, He'll take your heart and you must pay the price'. Now, you may be thinking why I bring that up? It's because he's the exact opposite of the man described. Ladies of Illéa, Maxon Schreave is one of the most sweet and compassionate men I know. Whichever one of you ends up with him is a lucky woman."
I glanced at Maxon, and he was blushing. Gavril nodded. "A fitting tribute, Your Highness." He turned to the cameras. "And with that, let us reveal the thirty-five young ladies chosen for the Selection. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in congratulating the following Daughters of Illéa."
It's happening. This is really happening! I sucked in a breath.
"Miss Elayna Stoles of Hansport, Three." A picture of a girl with dark skin and curly hair flashed on the screen. Her teeth were beautiful.
Gavril kept reading off his card. "Miss Tuesday Keeper of Waverly, Four." A blonde girl with freckles was shown next. I recognized her from the stack Dad had given me. She was the daughter of business owners, so I though she'd be a good fit. I looked at my brother and saw that Maxon looked a little green in the gills. I sighed. He should've looked when he had the damn choice!
"Miss Fiona Castley of Paloma, Three." A girl who had my same coloring flashed onto the screen.
"Very pretty." Mom whispered to us both.
"Miss America Singer of Carolina, Five."
Oh shit! Did he just say-? I only got a glance at the redhead before the next girl showed up. She was in my stack of Fours and Fives, so I recognized the name. But I didn't choose her…
"Miss Mia Blue of Ottaro, Three."
"Miss Celeste Newsome of Clermont, Two.".
"Clarissa Kelley of Belcourt, Two."
Another familiar face appeared on screen. "Tiny Lee of Dakota, Three."
After Tiny's name had been called, I stopped paying attention. Seven girls had been called already. That was one-fifth of the extremely tiny pool that Maxon had for his future wife. As Gavril ticked off more names, a realization dawned on me.
I would be on the back-burner from now on. Other than Mom, I would no longer be the leading lady of his life. I knew that Maxon would always love us, but his future love would be his number one. Eventually, one of these women on the screen would be his new confidante; his new person to keep secrets with; his new guide for advice.
Next week, thirty-five other women would be here to replace me.
A single tear slipped out of my eye and onto my face. As the last name- Natalie Luca of Bankston, was called, I wiped more tears away. Stop it Jackie, you're being unreasonable.
"And there you have it! Those are our beautiful Selection candidates. Over the next week they will be prepared for their trip to the palace, and we will eagerly await their arrival. Tune in next Friday for a special edition of the Report devoted exclusively to getting to know these spectacular women."
He turned to Maxon. "Prince Maxon, I congratulate you, sir. Such a stunning group of young women."
"I'm quite speechless." Another tear slipped out of my eye.
"Don't worry, sir, I'm sure the girls will do most of the talking once they arrive next Friday. And to you, don't forget to stay tuned for all the latest Selection updates right here on the Public Access Channel. Good night, Illéa!"
The anthem played to close us out. The camera shut off and the lights went down. I hastily wiped a few tears out of my eyes and walked to my family, putting on a brave face.
"Well done. That was a vast deal better than I thought you'd fare."
"I have no clue what just happened."
"Same." A fake smile crept on my lips. I laughed along with them.
"I told you, son, you're the prize. There's no need to be stressed. Don't you agree, Amberly?"
"I assure you, Maxon, the ladies have much more to worry about than you do." And so do I…
"Exactly, now, I'm starving. Let's enjoy our last few peaceful meals together." Dad walked ahead of us along with Connor and Céline.
"That was a blur." Maxon said.
"I have to agree." I agreed robotically.
"We'll get the photos and applications to you so you can study them at your leisure. It's just like getting to know anyone. Treat it like spending time with any of your other friends. Or your sister."
"I don't have very many friends, Mom."
"Yes, it's confining here. Well, think about Daphne."
"What about her?"
"She's a girl, and you two have always been friendly. Pretend it's just like that." Maxon and I shared a knowing look. "But if all else fails, pretend that she's Jackie."
"Emotionless and robotic? Okay!" I snickered and blinked back more tears.
Mom chuckled along with us, but from the look in her eyes I could tell that she saw that something was wrong with me. Maxon nodded at her advice and went ahead to catch up with Dad and Connor. I tried to catch up to him in order to avoid Mom's prying eyes, but the layers of tulle swirling around my feet prevented that from happening.
"Jackie?" She asked in a concerned tone.
"I'm fine, just tired."
"That's not it, Sweetheart." She patted my arm and took my hand. "What's really on your mind?"
I sighed. "It's just my crazy thoughts, Mom. Nothing too important." I didn't realize that more tears were slipping out of my eyes until Mom stopped us and used her newly-manicured nails to wipe them away.
"Well it's clearly affecting you if your mascara is running." She laughed softly. Maybe later I would tell her the truth, but now was not the time.
"He's just grown up so fast... One moment I was holding him on your lap and now he's finding a wife..." I turned to her. "It's silly, I know."
"No, it's not," She replied seriously. "You both have grown up so fast, Jackie. You only think that Maxon's grown up quickly because you're six and a half years older than he is. But you have too."
"Yeah... I guess..." I sighed as she wrapped her arm around my shoulder. "Mom?"
"Yes."
"He's still our baby boy, right?"
She scoffed as if I was an idiot. "Of course! He's going to need all the help he can get with those ladies next week, and you're the one to do it!"
"Great... I somehow I have to manage giving girl advice and stopping a war. Thanks Mom..."
"I'll take on some of your work. For now. Now come on, I'm starving!"
AN: So? How'd you like it? Please review if you would like!
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