THE THIRD EARTHEN WORLD WAR WAS FOUGHT IN THE SPAN OF-
Obsidian closed his eyes against the glaring words being displayed, his brain aching from trying to read such droll, colorless text. He'd been attempting to fill his hours of time by reading Earthen history, but he'd only managed about five minutes before the words had started to blur and his focus to fray. He didn't read many things, since most of the Lunar decrees were handled in council meetings and not through written documents. But he'd started consulting the accounts as more than just a pastime. Now that he was welcoming a band of Earthens into his home, it would probably be wise to at least learn some of the culture so he didn't make a total fool of himself.
Not that he ever made a fool of himself, but it helped to know.
Sid glanced at the text still being shown, scoffing. Wars between people living in the same planet. Multiple monarchs and styles of government. A whole bunch of smaller countries and cities and oceans dotting the entire thing and belonging to certain parties of people. The entire planet shared between six leaders like a precious toy wanted by multiple children.
Absolutely ridiculous. Luna's way was so much more efficient. They were both just big rocks in space, Earth and Luna, so how was it possible that one was set up so poorly while the other flourished? Maybe the Earthens that had originally colonized Luna were just smarter.
Sid knew that Earth was his dad's birthplace. He had nothing against it, really; he just thought it needed some serious remodeling.
Sid ran a hand through his hair. What was he thinking? He wasn't on Levana's side. He didn't want to dominate Earth and hold its inhabitants like hostages. His brain was just foggy from trying to make sense of the complicated history, that was all.
He was not turning into a tyrant.
"Obsidian, how are you, my darling?"
Speak of the she-devil. Sid jumped, his holograph node clattering off his desk and landing with a sad thud on the floor. He hopped up.
"Oh, Your Maj- My Queen, I'm sorry, I was just..." He needed to get it together. Hiding his startled panic, he flashed a smile and swept into a bow. "Did you need me for something?"
"My dear young prince, you must be a seer!" she said gleefully. "I do, in fact, need you for something, though it is more of an activity we shall do together than something you must do for me."
Sid was instantly on guard. He wasn't in the mood for her games today, but he didn't really have a choice.
"Sounds like a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. What did you have in mind?"
"Ah, I am so glad, because I have selected some of your young ladies, and I'd like for you to see them!" she said, already turning to the door with a graceful sweep of her periwinkle gown.
Sid had to swallow the choking sound as his heart leapt into his throat. She'd chosen some of his Selected? But today was...
Friday. Today was Friday, and the forms were due Sunday. The queen hadn't wasted so much as an hour, as the forms had been sent out on Monday morning, Earthen time. Not all the submissions had come in yet, but she must have been sure of part of his Selected. Just like her, too, to start filling spots before everyone even had the opportunity to enter.
It was a strange feeling. She might've already chosen his future queen.
"Ah, that's uh... that's great! I'd love to see them," he said.
"Marvelous." She smiled. "If you'd come with me..."
Sid followed, an obedient subject in the wake of his better, down the halls he'd traveled a hundred times. He'd explored them as a child with unwavering awe, paced them as a teenager who'd only wanted to be like the queen, and now... Now he walked them as a crown prince, with official errands and real places to be - sometimes. But most of the time, it was only a sham. Only an illusion.
"And here we are." Levana pulled open a door to a room he'd never entered. Sid followed, hesitant to approach that unavoidable moment when he might have to look at his bride. His queen.
The room must have been a tech center of some sort, which explained Sid's ignorance of it. Countless screens lined the walls. They showed holographs of Earth's cycles, footage picked up by cameras in the outer sectors or Earth, useless Capitol propaganda. Young men and women hunkered over the controls, making invisible changes to the machines, all powered by... electricity or raw energy or whatever it was they were powered by.
It freaked Sid out.
He didn't know why, but something about all those inner workings and transmitters and technology that could do theoretically anything just unnerved him. Sure, he could handle a node, but that was simple. This labyrinth of blinking lights and snaking wires and way-too-logical artificial intelligence? It was a whole other story.
"Come sit down, darling," crooned Levana, making her way through the hubbub to a large desk in the corner. It had two spinning chairs, and a large holographic map with ten or so dots across it was being displayed.
His first Selected, marked expertly throughout Earth and Luna.
"Let's get started, then, shall we?" trilled Levana, swirling a finger across the holograph to enlarge it. Names popped up below the dots, and the map honed in on the handful of locations. "Which should I show you first... let's begin with Earth."
She beamed and zoomed in on Los Angeles, America.
"Their Capitol, you know. Earth actually has six Capitols, but this one is the center of America," said Levana. "You won't believe this, but the queen consort's sister actually entered."
Sid was vaguely reminded of a giddy schoolgirl from a net drama as he looked at his mother, hands fluttering over the screen. He figured she was just trying to get him excited.
"Why would she do that? She's already a royal," he said.
"Mmm. That king has a strange reputation. Quite the tyranny at the moment, America is. Very strange rumors surrounding it. I don't blame her for wanting to experience something fairer."
"Wow, you're laying it on thick today," murmured Sid.
"What was that?"
She'd probably heard him, so Sid didn't bother thinking of an excuse. "I just said that you're laying it on a little thick today, My Queen. But such is the way in Artemisia. Can I see her file?"
Levana's eyes narrowed, but she pulled up the girl's records. Cursing his too-quick tongue, Sid silently examined the Selected.
Danya Kader, a cyborg. She was pretty in a way that Sid had never seen. He was used to glamorous, eye-catching beauty; elegant tattoos and color-changing eyes and hair that danced. But Danya's beauty was calmer, realer. Not perfect, like the Lunars, but not artificial.
Much like his father's naturally, imperfectly handsome looks. Perhaps they were like his, too, since he never changed his looks in the glamours - just his countenance on occasion. That way, it would be far less embarrassing if his concentration broke.
Sid hadn't ever seen an Earthen girl, and he supposed they must all look this way. Her long chestnut hair was in waves, grazing her rose beige skin and tumbling down her figure. Her eyes were deep brown and soulful, like she'd opened them wide and put her inner emotions on full display. Sid had never seen those sort of eyes - every person he knew, including him, had an extra layer of protection around their minds, their hearts. But even from the flickering holograph, he saw that this girl was different.
She wore gloves, though he wasn't quite sure why. Her file said she was cyborg? He didn't see any parts anywhere.
Oh. The gloves.
"She's a promising candidate. She has connections to the queen consort, and she's pretty enough," mused Levana.
"Ah," said Sid. He didn't have an opinion. He probably wouldn't, for any of these girls, save the occasional thought about their appearances. But that was all he knew about them, for now.
"I haven't Selected everyone from America yet, so we'll move on to the UK. The girl I'll show you is one of the less promising candidates, an Earthen throwaway."
Sid thought that was pretty harsh, to categorize the girls like that. They should all start on equal footing, shouldn't they? Wasn't that the way this worked?
Well. Whatever his mother thought, Sid was going to try to at least see them as equals. Maybe he'd be wary around the Earthens and shells. But he wasn't going to eliminate them just because of something silly like... oh, the celestial body they lived on or their genes or whether they wanted to murder him or not.
Minor eccentricities, that was all they were.
Sid sighed, pushing away his silly attempt at nobility. He was just like her. Just like the queen, with all the same prejudices and tendencies. It sickened him.
"Something the matter?" said Levana.
"No, I'm fine, I want to see her," he said quickly.
"Alright. Here we are. A Miss Adalyn Johann, not particularly famous or well-off. Not particularly anything, really." She laughed lightly.
Sid bit his tongue, ignoring the flow of remarks that filled his mind. He was composed and happy and charming. He was a willing subject, ready to let his mom choose his future for him.
Sid was taken aback when Danya's holograph faded and Adalyn's popped up. While Danya had been bright and soulful, Adalyn was the definition of sweet. Her blonde hair was short, framing her heart-shaped face and matching well with her sea green eyes and olive skin. She smiled shyly from the picture, but her eyes were keen with excitement or curiosity, Sid couldn't tell which.
If he didn't know better, he'd think it was fake. But with his knowledge of Earthen capabilities - or lack of - he knew it must be real.
"What's wrong with her?" he asked. "She seems very... sincere."
"Indeed," said Levana, shaking her head and swiping a finger through the holograph.
Sid didn't think it fair that sincerity was a weakness in Artemisia, that kindness was a fault. It wasn't right. But that was how it was.
"Let's move on. Which one should I show you next..." She trailed a finger along the screen and a new holograph appeared. "You'll know this one. Ilyzaelle Helianthas, daughter of some of our ambassadors on Earth. She's a shell, but her parents are both very respected Lunars."
Sid stared at Ilyzaelle's picture. The map had zoomed in on Iceland, in the European Federation. But while the country's name didn't ring a bell, his Selected certainly did. He recognized her icy pale hair that fell over her shoulders, those light blue eyes and the snowflake necklace hanging around her neck. He couldn't place from where, but he knew he'd seen her before.
There was something fundamentally different, though. The look in her eyes? The clothes she was wearing?
But that wasn't right. He couldn't have seen her. She lived on Earth with her rich parents. He must've seen a glamour like hers somewhere.
"She's a very nice girl, I've heard, and a wonderful opportunity to show our kindness. One of the few shells in your Selection," Levana mused. "And I do miss her parents so. Perhaps she can catch me up on how they are doing."
Sid nodded wordlessly.
"You seem rather out of sorts today, Obsidian. Should we continue this later? Perhaps you are tired from that meeting yesterday - I know how it wearies you when you have to keep your glamour-"
"Don't be silly. I was only taking her in," he said dismissively. Something occurred to him suddenly. "Where's Da- the king?"
"Oh, I didn't want to trouble him with these proceedings," said Levana. "He will see them soon enough."
Obsidian sighed. It would be so much easier with Kai there, but it wouldn't be long. For the first time, he was glad that he didn't have to see all thirty-five of his girls today.
"Fortunately, I've picked all the girls in the European Federation, so that takes care of that. Our next Selected is from St. Petersburg, Russia. A Lunar fugitive - inhabitant of Earth, do forgive me."
Sid couldn't help but smirk, though it was more at Levana's 'mistake' than anything. But it was all forgotten as the girl's likeness appeared and his eyes widened.
Snezhana Sokolova was a Lunar, but her glamour could not be seen, thanks to technology. That was another thing that scared him about the screens; they never hid the truth. Focusing back on Snezhana, Sid had to marvel at the amount of tattoos inked all over her. All up her arms, on her shoulder blades, encircling her ear. The roses and snakes and seemingly random depictions were at odds with the rest of her appearance, because she looked very sweet - to him, at least.
Her smile was wide and welcoming, her skin tanned, her hair wavy and dirty brown. But that look was offset by her tattoos and, of course, her lacy black dress. He didn't know at all what to think of her.
"That's... quite an image," he said.
She nodded. "Indeed. Not something you see every day. I like her."
Sid was floored. "Seriously?"
She laughed. "What's so unbelievable about that?"
"I don't know, she just seems... I mean, she's a fugitive."
"Inhabitant of Earth," she said.
"Right."
Levana smiled. "My, you are naive. I'm trying to broaden my horizons, and she seems like an interesting candidate, that's all."
"Alright," he said, holding up his hands in a placating sign of peace. "Who's next?"
Levana smiled. "This one is another throwaway. An Earthen from Denmark who lives on the streets. Sells... some sort of Earthen tool, I believe."
Sid immediately decided that he was going to like her, for the sole reason that Levana didn't. But then... he liked Snezhana, and so did Levana. He shouldn't just base it off his mother's preferences.
Clenching a fist beneath the table in helpless frustration, Sid watched as Fia Gillian came into existence before him. The girl was pretty, he would give her that. But mostly, she looked fragile and cautious, as if she'd been cornered in her picture. She had clear pale skin, light brown hair and sparkling brown eyes, the most lively thing about her appearance. They looked as if they could burn right through the picture, they were so bright and shining.
They appeared glamour-made, but like with Danya, he knew they were not. Everything about these Earthens was 100% genuine, and Fia was no exception. He could tell that everything about her was real, right down to the soot on her face and the disheveled state of her hair.
"Your Majesty?"
"Yes?" she said sweetly.
"You don't..." He clamped his mouth shut, playing with words in his head. "I would like to choose who I eliminate and when it happens."
"Oh?" said the queen, eyebrows dancing up.
"Yes. You got to pick my wife, I get to find her on my own. I mean no disrespect, obviously, but you know - it's kinda my life."
"It's also my successor," said Levana. "Don't tell me you're thinking about choosing this?" She gestured wildly at the stationary image in the air.
"Well, not her specifically. Mom- My Queen," he said between gritted teeth. "you haven't even met them yet."
She sighed, leaning back against her chair. "My dear, sweet young prince. I see the way you struggle with your glamour. I see how you pretend to be above it all, but you're not. Your gift is a joke."
He hated the way she sounded maternal, the way her hands were clasped in pleading.
"Mom, this isn't about-"
"Oh, but it is. This is your throne we're talking about. There's no way you'd be able to handle this alone. You need a wife with a strong gift and good connections. This isn't a silly game of love."
Sid's heart sank to his toes and he took a shaky breath. He'd never heard her shun him so blatantly. It was going to come eventually, but... he hadn't been ready for the burst of pain he'd felt upon hearing the words.
"That's literally what this is about. Love," he said.
She laughed bitterly. "Love. As my dearest sister always said, love is a conquest. It is fleeting. The important thing is your people. Your throne. It's something to... to put first. A throne is far more important than love. Do you understand me?"
Sid stared, stunned to silence. What did she mean? She'd known love. From her parents, right? Or her 'dearest' sister? Or... or Kai? There must've been a time...
Was he a child for thinking that? For thinking that love was something people found? Obviously not in the Capitol, people never stayed on one relationship for long. But on Earth, maybe?
He'd have to ask his father. But no, that would be silly. He was silly. Silly for ever thinking he'd be able to take this throne.
Levana would never allow it.
"From the look on your face, it appears that you do," she said. "Now. Let's continue."
Breathless and reeling, Sid didn't even listen to Levana's proclamation about his newest candidate. He didn't need to know, anyway. He might actually be able to look at this Selected through his own eyes, without his perception being warped by the queen.
The girl in question was Ariella Eun-hye Song, an investigative journalist in training. She was from The Eastern Commonwealth; Seoul, specifically, with light skin, almond eyes and long black hair. She looked incredibly confident in her picture, smiling defiantly. She was exotic, in his opinion, though all the girls were to him. Her lips were full, her jaw sharp.
She was practically screaming fashionable rebelliousness.
"A daughter of a very influential family in The Eastern Commonwealth. She means nothing here, but people know her on Earth. It will look good."
"Will people be able to watch this on Earth with their... netscreens?" he said, already shivering.
"No, but they'll know who has been Selected. When the queen is chosen, I'll make a video and announce it to the world."
Good. At least his life wouldn't be on full display for the Earthens to twist and theorise on. They probably did that now, but he didn't know about it, at least.
"Last girl from Earth for now, and then we'll move on to Luna," sang Levana, working her magic on the screen. "This one is from Cape Town, South Africa."
Sid flinched. Even he, so clueless and closed off from his country, knew about the horrors that had taken place in Cape Town. Even in Artemisia, the man who had taken all those children was thought as despicable. Sid knew that many of the thaumaturges were capable of such doings, and maybe their disgust for the stray Lunar was just a show. Everything was.
But Sid remembered his young self shivering and being very glad he wasn't an Earthen in a world of Lunars.
"Why would you do that?"
"I intend to personally apologize. Selling Earthen children on the black market is a terrible offense, and I want to do my best to right his wrongs. Besides, she's nice enough."
Sid wasn't sure how the girl would react to an apology from the his cynical mother - she had no experience with sentimentality whatsoever - but he didn't speak. He was starting to find it pointless.
The girl, Zaire Princew appeared promptly, and Sid gasped.
"You didn't say she was a cyborg."
"That too," said Levana, smiling. "An apology and a show of inclusiveness in one fell swoop!"
Sid didn't see anything cyborg about Zaire, but the one thing that he noticed right away was her smile. It was big, bright and warm. He wondered if her cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
But her smile was unlike any he'd seen. While his father's was modest and his mother's unnatural, Zaire's smile seemed to be uncontrollable. It stretched across her face like she just might burst if she didn't let it.
The next thing he noticed was her hair. It was dark brown and dancing around her face like an afro. Her skin was espresso, her build lithe and muscular like a ballerina.
Like Snezhana, she was something he didn't see every day.
"She seems like she's recovered well," he said, and then cringed at his own words. "I mean, she's... um, she doesn't look like she's..."
"Not to worry, I know what you mean," said Levana, eyes warm and certain. She always knew what to say. She always said the right thing. And she was so confident. So unattainably good at what she did.
"I want to apologize to her," said Sid. "Once I get to know her a little. It's not going to come off the right way from you - with all due respect," he added quickly.
She smiled. "How utterly romantic. You're absolutely right."
He blinked twice in the silence that occurred after her words, but he shook away the confusion. He didn't know this girl. He didn't know any of these girls. But he felt it was wrong to objectify them by the place they lived and the things that happened to them. They were not ways to get ahead in the game of politics.
They were people.
"How many more?" he asked.
"Just two," she said brightly. "One from Artemisia and one from the outer sectors. Of course, there'll be many more, once I've decided."
"Have you already picked my queen?" he asked.
She chuckled. "I thought you wanted to pick your own, Obsidian. But if you've changed your mind-"
"No, no, obviously not, keep on going," he drawled, tired of all the speculations and the stereotypes and everything that had happened today. But mostly, he was tired of the mind games.
"Perfect. You'll like this one, I'm sure of it."
"Oh, good stars above," he murmured. "Let me guess: it's that girl I met the other day. That would be priceless."
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," she said. "It's actually someone from the outer sectors."
When the holograph changed, Sid raised his eyebrows. "You're doing sector girls? Are you serious?"
"Obsidian, this is the matter of my crown being taken from me and given to an amateur girl. I wish I was not serious, but alas, such is our circumstances at present."
Sid didn't feel the need to mention that this was her idea in the first place. He tuned her out and focused on the face projected. He didn't know why Levana bothered with the grand showing of kindness. If they were going to be eliminated, why did she even do this to them?
Pangea Probert had acne scars and splotches on her face, though he was sure she usually hid them beneath her glamour. No Lunar ever passed up that chance. It made him guilty to see her in her truest form.
The queen had records of every Lunar, to ensure she knew where they were at all times. She'd started doing it after the fiasco with Linh Cinder, to keep track of fugitives and people she found suspicious. Fugitives were still a problem, obviously, since there was always the option of removing ID chips. But it was the one thing from Earth she'd found useful.
Sid twisted his thoughts in the right direction. He was looking at his Selected, not thinking about convicts. Tall, red-haired, dark-eyed and wearing a superior smirk, Pangea was the embodiment of confident charisma. She was muscular and built like many were in the outer sectors, probably from the amount of labor she did.
"Well? Do you like her? You look a lot like her, when you smirk and act as if you were above everyone else." She smiled, and had she been the maternal sort, the jab would've sounded like a loving observation.
But no. Levana definitely wasn't the motherly type.
"I mean... yeah, I like her." He gave a reassuring smile. And he did like her. He liked her confidence, the way she stood, as if resilient and oblivious to her own hardships. But, like every other girl, he didn't have a real opinion.
"Good. Last one, and then you can go back to... whatever it was you were doing."
Sid resisted a wince. The next girl was one of his Artemisians. He hoped that she was a servant's daughter, or someone decent, at least.
Unfortunately, Artemis didn't seem to be on his side today, because he was met with the file of Lady Asteria Luster, age 20, daughter of Marina and Jorgan Luster. Unlike every other girl he'd seen, her file did not have a picture. He supposed it was because she was from one of the most legendary families on Luna. She was given the privilege of keeping her beauty. Not even the royal family knew what lied beneath the glamour.
"Of course," he groaned. "Why would you put her in?"
"She's beautiful-"
"She belongs in a candy store."
"She's rich, and she'd be a good queen."
"Mother, have you heard her talk? As always, no disrespect intended. But she's brainless!"
"Don't be a child, my dear. She is in your Selection. Were you not just defending every other girl?"
He sighed. "Yes, I was. And... I believe she should be given a fair chance, because she's a person too. Is that good enough, Your Majesty?" And there was that handy little talent he had of disguising his annoyance. It was working better today, since he wasn't mentally exhausted. Still, keeping his respectful smile was rigorous.
"It is," she said, smiling. "You are free to go now. I will select the rest of the girls come Sunday, and they'll be here by Wednesday."
Sid swallowed his panic. Wednesday. Okay, he could handle that. He wasn't a baby; a few girls didn't stress him out.
It was just... the Earthens. He was nervous about using the wrong lingo. And he was worried that his mom wouldn't approve of his choice, or wouldn't let him make the choice at all. Those worries he could handle. Anything but having to realize that he was actually freaking out over some girls that were probably sweet - minus Asteria.
"See you soon, My Queen," he said and stood from the table, sending his chair into a wild orbit around its supporting base.
He hurried out of the congested room without hearing a response. He was going to talk to his dad again.
...
Kai sat in his office, drumming a finger on the screen of a node. He much preferred the Earthen portscreens, since he'd used them half his life, but he'd been forced to settle for these Lunar inventions in the past years. He wondered what his son was up to, and the queen. He wondered what the people in the outer sectors were feeling now. Their workday must be coming to a close.
"Hey, Dad?"
Kai flinched, glancing up to see his son lingering in the doorway.
"What is it?" said Kai, standing.
"Oh, not much," said Sid, closing the door. "I just saw part of my Selected, Mom gave me a lecture on my throne and how love was fictional, and the most annoying girl I've ever met is in my Selection, so..."
Kai laughed. "Just a normal day, then?"
Sid nodded and Kai sighed. He remembered the days when he was a prince. He, of course, had a loving family back then, so his situation had been a little different. But he remembered his responsibilities, his intimidation when he'd realized it was his turn to be emperor. He also hadn't been forced to choose from thirty-five handpicked chess pieces, though, so maybe they weren't so similar.
"Do you like some of your Selected, at least?" he asked.
Sid plopped into his chair, looking utterly helpless. "Not really, no. Do you wanna have this Selection for me?"
Kai suppressed a smirk. "First of all: gross. Did you think about the age gap there?"
Sid chuckled. "No, not at the time."
"Second of all: I'm already married. And third..." He thought about his words, his face growing somber. "This is your throne. Levana is letting you be king. I don't think you realize how huge that is."
"I know, I know, she's got power issues, but-"
"This will be your kingdom soon." It wouldn't be his, because he'd probably be killed, but he didn't tell Sid that. He liked to avoid those kinds of thoughts. "You get to do what you want with it. You can make whatever changes you think will help your country. And you get to choose who will be at your side through that - to some degree. You've got the power. It's not out of your control."
Kai didn't know everything about his son by any means. He didn't know have the things that went on in his head. But he knew how he hated things out of his control.
Sid nodded. "I know, I just- Dad, did you ever love Levana?"
Kai almost laughed, but he saw the gravity in the prince's eyes. He opened his mouth and closed it again. How did he word this?
"No," he whispered. "No, not really. But I did love someone else."
Sid, whose face had fallen seconds ago, looked a tad brighter. "Who? Someone from Artemisia?"
"Stars, no." Kai chuckled. He didn't know if it was physically possible for him to fall in love with an Artemisian aristocrat, not after what they'd done.
"Then who?"
"A cyborg," Kai closed his eyes, taking a breath. "She's dead now. But just because... just because I or your mother couldn't find a happy marriage, it doesn't mean you can't. Not at all. It's not a Lunar gene. I once knew a Lunar and a guard who loved each other more than anything."
He smiled at the thought of Jacin and Winter, but it was a very sad smile. They'd lost so much, their little crew. He wished, more than anything, that he could turn back time and do something differently. But he had Sid now. The only person holding him together.
Sid seemed to be thinking too, and he finally opened his mouth to speak. "Thanks," he murmured. "Sorry. I feel stupid for asking."
"No," said Kai. "I'm sorry you were raised in Artemisia. But that's already happened. I guess we'll have to make the best of it." He smirked.
Sid gasped. "Father! You love Artemisia, don't deny it."
Kai chuckled. "No, I really don't."
"But I'm your favorite Artemisian, right?" asked Sid, a gleam in his eye.
It was funny. Sid was like a bridge, the halfway point. He wasn't entirely sadistic or lavish like the rest of the Artemisians. And yet, he wasn't at all like Kai either. He seemed to like Artemisia, to want the approval of the court. It was strange, and a little unsettling.
"Well..." Kai pretended to think. "I'd like you better as an Earthen, but I suppose being a Lunar is nice, too."
...
Holy cow, that was long! I hope it wasn't hard to get through, and if it was, please let me know and I'll avoid these in the future. Thank you to my wonderful reviewers, y'all are amazing. Thank you to Sylea and Marie, as always, for being my betas.
Now, this is important, so please read. I'm sorry if your girl didn't get featured in the chapter, but don't worry! You still have lots of time! Submissions close on July 15, so the SYOC is still wide open! I have one girl in there, Asteria, and I guarantee she won't win. That would be a nightmare. But anyway, we still have plenty of time before the prince intros and I promise I'll get as many girls in before then as I can. I still have lots of spots open, so don't be shy.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed how I did the Selecting, and please let me know how I did! See you real soon :)
Miri
