Disclaimer: I don't think I made this clear enough, so I'm just gonna put this here... I do not own the concept of Lunars, Artemisia, bioelectricity or the fairytale inspirations. In fact, I don't own any of these concepts lol, except for drawing inspiration from The Princess and the Pea, as well as Once Upon A Mattress. Those other ones belong to the ridiculously talented Marissa Meyer (the author of The Lunar Chronicles and Kiera Cass. I'm not trying to take ownership of them in any way. This is essentially a crossover of The Lunar Chronicles and The Selection. I also don't own Levana or Kai. The only people I own are Sid, Remi, Venus and Asteria. Just keep that in mind. On to the chapter!
"I certainly like almost both your parents, Dauntless!"
Sid was, much as he hated it, totally unprepared for the meetings with his Selected. Standing in the cathedral-esque parlor meant for the interviews, he could feel his eyes drooping from lack of sleep the night before, and he was almost certain circles had bloomed beneath them. His breathing was irregular, his heart pounding, and his usual composure sadly lacking.
He didn't quite know what it was that worried him so much about the Selection. Maybe it was that whole spectacle at the stupid dinner, his mother's tirade that had probably ruined any chance that the girls would actually like him. Maybe it was the terrifying notion that he wouldn't be good enough, after all this time and everything he'd tried for. Maybe it was the tremendous amount of pressure put on him, the need to be absolutely perfect for the Selected as well as his mother's ultimatum.
Or, more likely, maybe it was just all three plus a dozen more, multiplying by the day and stacking up like dominoes.
It didn't really matter what was causing his stress, only that he needed to put on a brave face for Levana, who was apparently arriving shortly for who knew what. While he waited, he counted the tapestries adorning the room (six large ones in all) and tried to distract himself with idle thoughts.
The parlor was admittedly very beautiful, nothing short of an Artemisian masterpiece. Two large doors flanked the room, one he'd come through from the hallway and one that probably led to a storage closet or something. The parlor was so vast from wall to wall that, had the floor not been carpeted and the walls not so laden with decoration, any sound would've echoed.
Sid wished that his father were here, if only for moral support. He'd hoped to glean one last piece of advice from Kai, but he didn't think Levana would allow it.
He was right. The door swung open a few seconds later to reveal the perfect vision of his mother, crossing to Sid as if walking on a cloud.
"Obsidian. You look nice. How are you?"
Sid was wearing one of his fancy suits, the fabric crisp and new, with his auburn hair combed and his pale skin no doubt covered with a sheen of sweat. "Nice" about summed it up.
"Oh, just dandy. What do you need?"
Levana clasped her hands. "Why does everyone think I need something from them?"
"Because... you usually do."
She huffed. "I just wanted to see how you looked before you met our future queen."
The future queen. His future wife. Levana's future successor. Whoever it was, he pitied her already.
"Did I pass your examination?" he asked.
"I do hope you'll keep your tongue in check for our guests," said Levana, looking utterly displeased.
"Certainly, My Queen," said Sid, mimicking the guards' serious demeanor.
Levana raised a brow. "Are you mocking me?"
"Nope. Dead serious," he said, even as his lips twitched.
"Best behavior today, my darling. Is that clear?"
He nodded silently, breaking eye contact with his mother. He'd obviously gone too far, but lately it was as though she taunted him intentionally. When he was a teenager, Sid thought he could shroud himself in mystery and hide from his mother forever, and before that, as a child, he'd fought hard to be everything she wanted him to be. But now he realized that neither option would serve him.
He just didn't know how to deal with her. He'd never thought his insecurities were so blatant, so easily used against him. He shouldn't be surprised, though; she toyed with him constantly, even without the assistance of her gift.
She always knew just what would make him angry, just what would make him question his very reality or compel him to please her. He often felt helpless under her pinning gaze, and now was one such occasion as he bowed meekly before his superior.
"Good. Keep smiling, my dear. Goodbye." With that, her presence was gone, and Sid felt like collapsing already. But he had thirty-five meetings to conduct, so he couldn't run away to some far-reaching sector or curl into a ball. He could, at least, sit down, and for that he was grateful.
That's when he noticed the chairs. Both were made of polished mahogany, but the similarity ended there. One was adorned with jewels and designs, high-backed with velvet on the seat and arms for comfort. The other was plain, unimpressive beside the glamorous counterpart.
Sid shook his head, a little stunned at the lengths his mother had gone to. It was especially clear, after Levana's debut at the dinner, that these Selected were going to be treated like lessers. Ignoring the temptation to take the more comfortable chair, Sid chose the plain one like a gentleman, thoughts reeling. Suddenly it seemed that everything was crashing down around him, every obligation being pushed onto him at once.
He needed to find a queen. He needed to make the Selected feel welcome. He needed to do something about Levana. He definitely needed to get his act together.
"Your Highness! Hi!"
Sid almost jumped out of his skin, standing quickly. The high-pitched call was coming from the other door, the one he thought let to a janitorial closet of some sort. But the figure in the doorway didn't seem at all to be a servant.
In fact, he didn't have a clue who she was, since she was largely hidden from view. She wore a floor-length dress that was a pretty pink, with plentiful roses dotting the skirt and a lacy neckline. Her hands were clothed in gloves up to the elbows, and a veil cloaked her face. Despite this last item of attire, Sid would never compare her to Levana. She walked with a carefree bounce, so unlike the queen's regal gait, and he also didn't think Levana would be caught dead in the frilly dress this girl was wearing, queenly as she was.
"Hi," said Sid, trying to glance past her and into the room, but unable to see around her full skirt.
"Your Highness," she breathed again, performing a theatrical curtsey. "You look amazing. It's so nice to finally meet you."
Sid bit his lip. She obviously wasn't a regular palace attendee. In fact, Sid was surprised she'd even gotten in on Levana's watch.
"And you are...?"
"Iko-" Her eyes widened as though she'd said something wrong. "By Andrina! I go by Andrina, is what I meant. Andrina Bleu is my name. Andrina. That's my name. Ah, forming words is such a chore." She laughed nervously.
He eyed her. "Are you... a Selected?"
She sighed. "I wish. I'm just the coordinator, though. I handle events, etiquette lessons, that kind of thing. But I just came in to tell you that the Selected are ready for you when you are. They're just in that adjoining parlor." She gestured with a sweep of an arm. "I'll comm you the list."
He nodded. "Yeah, okay. I'm ready if they are."
"Good! I guess I should go now." She pulled the door open wider, then turned her face back in his direction. He couldn't see her eyes, but he was guessing they were filled with the usual dreamy glaze that some of the young nobles wore. Judging by her height and voice, she probably wasn't much older than him, but definitely not one of his candidates, which was probably a good thing.
He nodded. "Thanks."
"Bye!" She waved a gloved hand and went skipping away through the door, calling, "he's ready!" to the waiting Selected.
Sid closed the door behind her, chuckling softly. She'd been unexpected, to say the least. But now that she was gone, his time for stalling was just about over. Sid steeled himself, pulling out his node to consult the newly-sent list. He recognized about a quarter of the names and he'd seen each Selected, but he hadn't the faintest idea who to confer with first.
In the end, he decided to randomize the order and trust to luck that his first meeting was a pleasant one.
"Crystal Ond?" he asked, returning to his lackluster seat as he waited for his first Selected. The door swung open in record time, as though she'd been waiting beside it, and Sid's heart sank when he saw her.
He remembered her from the dinner. And he didn't have a single good memory associated with that particular event. Sid hadn't met Miss Ond, but the recollection of her appearance and Levana's approval of her chilled him. It was no wonder. The girl was practically an exact copy of the queen.
It wasn't really her appearance that made him think of Levana - in fact, she was about as different from the queen as one could get with her cool blue eyes, bright white hair that was almost certainly glamour-made and smooth, pale skin. Her dress, like a great number of outfits in the Capitol, was something he'd never seen before. It was incredibly shiny, sparkling as though infused with a hundred ice crystals, with a jagged collar and a long cape that enveloped her in snowy fabric. No, it was not her appearance that sent a shiver down his spine, but rather the way she carried herself with that effortless regality that his mother possessed. Like a swan.
Sid smiled shakily, trying to ignore the forming of one of his greatest worries before him - that there would be girls like Levana in his Selection.
"Good morning, Your Highness," said Crystal, and her voice, holding no emotion but overflowing with cold sophistication, just made her resemblance with Levana even stronger. "I see you saved the throne for me. How fitting."
Well, he definitely hadn't done it for her in question, but he nodded along anyway. "Yep."
She pursed her lips. "I think, if we are to get acquainted, I should shed the formalities and just call you Sid, don't you?"
Oh. That nickname, the one only Kai used, felt wrong coming out of her mouth. All the same, his apprehension made him guilty. He hadn't even considered that his Selected would want to address him as anything but his title, and he wouldn't have asked them to, but now that she mentioned it... that was the civil thing to do, was it not? And he was trying to be less like Levana and more like... more like other people, wasn't he?
"Of course," he said quickly. "And do you have any nicknames?"
"Just refer to me as Crystal for now," she said. "I don't believe you've earned that right yet."
How funny, since he was the prince and she called him by a nickname, and he wasn't permitted to. But he ignored it, trying to push those unwelcome thoughts from his mind.
"Um..."
"Are you always like this around new people? I'd assumed, since you are the prince, that you'd at least be fluent in your own language, if not very good with words."
Unsure of how to respond, Sid just nodded and said the first thing that came to mind. "I guess it just depends on the person..."
"I hope you're not ill," said Crystal, casually leaning away from him. "I'd hate that."
"Oh, I'm fine, but thanks for your... concern."
"Oh, I wasn't concerned, just unimpressed," she said lightly. "You were not as put-together as I'd expected."
Sid had to swallow a gasp, any remnant of his smile abandoning him. Nonetheless, after dealing with these kind of people his whole life, he had to say he was amused. Crystal had a tactic quite unusual for someone of her upbringing, and something that set her apart from his mother.
Levana enjoyed sugar-coating, making things more complicated then they were. Playing with people's heads was all part of the daily routine for her. But Crystal... she said things straight and as they were, even if they were harsh. That alone kept him from running away or eliminating her on the spot. He felt that it would be cruel to send her away without fully understanding who she was, and he could manage a bit of bluntness much easier than manipulation.
"Knock knock!" said the chipper voice of Andrina from the other side of the door, but the request was unnecessary as she promptly let herself in. "Your time's up. Actually, you can just set the timer from now on - they're supposed to last three minutes."
He nodded, halfway between being glad that the meeting was over and wishing it could go on. He wanted to know more about her, but she scared him at the same time.
"Uh... nice to meet you," he said quickly.
She nodded curtly. "Have an enjoyable day." Without a moment for pleasantries or a curtsey of farewell, she was off into the adjacent room. Andrina followed her, waving another goodbye to Sid before passing from view.
Sid fell back into the hard chair, glad to find that the next girl on the list was an Earthen. Harder to trust, unfamiliar territory, but easier to handle.
"Ariella Song?" he called. This time, it took a second for the door to open, but when it did, Sid smiled at the new arrival, finding it easier than before.
Ariella was just as he remembered. Perfect makeup, full lips, long, wavy hair and dark eyes with thick eyebrows. Though her style was minimalistic, she seemed to possess a sort of effortless confidence and beauty, the kind she probably didn't know she had. It was so unlike the glamours he'd seen, each one painstakingly crafted. The fitted white dress was the perfect compliment to her appearance.
"Hello!" said Sid, steering his thoughts in the correct direction. "Nice to meet you."
She grinned, but it seemed almost distracted as she was taking in the chairs. "Did you pick those?" she asked, gesturing.
"Oh." Sid grimaced. "No, that was the queen."
"Considerate," she murmured, taking her seat. A hint of suspicion was coloring her tone, probably just confused about the whole chair situation, so he ignored it.
"So. You're from the Eastern Commonwealth, right? That's where my dad was from."
She nodded. "Good old Seoul." The way she was half-grimacing suggested otherwise.
"You're a Socialite, if I recall correctly?"
"Yeah. I guess we both have experience with high society."
He shuddered. "I think the aristocrats are a lot worse up here than down there."
She quirked an eyebrow. "Really?" The question came out like a challenge.
He nodded, realizing how much trouble he was bound to get in if he openly discussed it. "You would think, being royalty, I'd be guarded from all the stress, but usually I'm the one who has to deal with them."
Ariella nodded empathetically. "I'm in a different situation, but I see where you're coming from."
The timer dinged on Sid's node before he could inquire further.
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Your Highness," she said, dipping into a nonchalant curtsey.
"You too." He nodded as she left the room, leaving the door open behind her for the next Selected.
Sid felt his smile widen as she strolled off, soon fading into the crowd. It had actually been refreshing talking with someone who wasn't outwardly trying to steal his crown or accomplish something. Obviously, he didn't know anything about her background or her motives, but they'd had a casual conversation that actually felt... easy. He hoped it was like this for other Earthens too, and that she wasn't a unique case.
Glancing at the list with an optimistic outlook, Sid was sorely disappointed to see the next name winking up at him. "Asteria Luster," he called, steadying his breath and summoning his smile.
A flurry of footsteps and the girl that haunted his nightmares was through the door, somehow topping her last outfit with an even more ridiculous dress - simple and pure white, her bubblegum hair pinned up to encircle her head. Add a pair of gaudy wings, and she'd be set for a costume ball.
"Prince Obsidian!" she trilled, tiptoeing across the floor in her little white heels. "How's your day?"
"Great," he said, trying to put some level of energy into his voice, but getting distracted when she curtseyed so low her skirt skimmed the ground.
"That's great!" she said, standing with some effort and alighting gracefully into her seat. "Such a shame about the dinner."
"Oh, that." Sid nodded. "Poor girl."
She stared at him, shocked. "Poor us for having to deal with it! She totally interrupted our meal with.." She cut off with a shiver, "that mirror. Honestly, someone must've manipulated her, no one could've been that stupid."
Sid nodded, drawing a breath so he wouldn't yell at her. "Mm-hmm," he said.
"So! When are you planning on picking your wife? After the meetings?"
He shook his head quickly. "No."
"Tomorrow, then?"
"No. Probably in a few months."
Asteria sighed woefully, but nodded. "I understand. Drawing it out and ramping up the anticipation? Very tactful."
That was when the timer went off, and thank the stars. He didn't think he could hold his smile for another second.
"Well, it was great seeing you, thanks for your time, have a great day," he said quickly.
"Already?" she asked, her voice about five octaves above that of an average human. "Well, I'll see you soon!"
"Totally," he drawled, but she was already gone.
Sid blew out a breath. Okay. That was over, and his eardrums had miraculously survived the encounter. Asteria was certainly not good company, but Sid... he didn't think she was a threat. She reminded him of a hyperactive cheerleader, though he'd only seen them on the net dramas - annoying, overbearing, but definitely not dangerous.
For that, he was grateful.
The feeling didn't linger, for the next girl on the list was a topic he'd been avoiding ever since he'd learned about her. Zaire Princew, the Selected from Cape Town. His mother had intended to apologize for what that Lunar had done, but he, desperate with the need to spare this girl the torture of meeting his mother, had asked to do it. But what did he know about the whole ordeal? How did one apologize for something they didn't do?
He'd deal with that later. For now, he'd avoid the subject like it was the queen and try to keep it light. With luck, she wouldn't hate him on sight.
Three deep breaths, and he'd found sufficient courage to call her name.
Zaire danced inside, the door whispering shut behind her. Just as he'd remembered from her picture, she had a natural joy encompassing her, something that surprised him. Her face and ears glittered with jewelry, sparkling right along with her large eyes. Her mass of curly, unrestricted hair and her mile-long, loose-fitting dress only furthered her carefree nature.
Sid tried to ignore how the air felt thick in his lungs and the room felt frigid. It was just him feeling awkward. It was his problem. He just had to pretend Zaire was just another Selected without a complicated past that he'd taken the blame for. She was just another candidate and he only needed to make small talk.
As Zaire approached, she broke into a blinding smile, so large it might've been fake, though the simplicity of it and the way her eyes gleamed said otherwise. It was infectious, and Sid found the corners of his mouth lifting too.
Zaire was the first to speak, her tone bright and bouncy. "Hi! What would you prefer I call you?"
Oh, right. That. He'd completely forgotten about that. "Just call me Sid," he said. "Should I just call you Zaire?"
"Yep, just Zaire." She studied him. "Is there something wrong? You seem tense."
"Oh, no, nothing," he said quickly, trying to get himself together.
Her gaze lingered on him for a brief second, but she let it go, focusing instead on the two chairs. Her eyebrows lifted slightly.
"Do they not have matching furniture on Luna?"
Sid laughed, something he hardly ever did except with his father or out of derision. "Usually we do. I guess the queen was just feeling extra royal today."
She laughed, a sound that bubbled up from the depths of her soul, leaving a trail of merriment in its wake. "Are you two close?"
"Who, me and Levana?"
"I guess if you're calling her by her name, that answers it."
Zaire's query felt different than the usual way people asked questions in Artemisia - posed sweetly but always with some intention behind it. But she almost sounded... sympathetic, which was something he rarely heard. After all, who in their right mind would ever feel sympathy for a prince?
Still, it felt weird to answer, even if Zaire probably meant well.
"You could say we don't have the normal mother-son dynamic," he said.
She nodded, still standing and bouncing from foot to foot like she just couldn't contain her energy. Sid stood with her, suddenly feeling bad to be seated.
"I wouldn't think so, since she's a queen and a tyrant." After she spoke, Zaire's eyes widened at the exact moment Sid's did, but she recovered quickly. "I'm sorry, but it's true."
Sid laughed, shock winning over the little voice that said Levana would kill him for this later. "Don't worry, I think she's a tyrant too."
She looked entirely relieved. "Good. Speaking of tyranny, are you using glamour? I just wondered because I know lots of people do here and-"
"No, actually. Do I have something on my face? I didn't check my reflection." Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Sid ran a hand through his hair. The truth was, he couldn't muster the energy to use his gift, and after the effort a couple nights ago, he'd probably end up making a fool of himself.
She smirked at some hidden joke and shook her head, but there was clear ease in her eyes. "No, nothing."
The timer filled the empty air between him, and he reset it, finding himself able to smile. "It was great meeting you, Zaire."
She grinned wider, which he hadn't thought possible. "You, too. Good luck!" She gave a goofy little wave before leaving the room.
Sid exhaled. That had actually went a lot better than he'd expected. He almost felt excited for his next Selected, which he didn't know was possible, but he welcomed it.
This time, he was given a blessed break, as the next girl on the list was another Earthen, but without any strings attached.
"Adalyn Johann?" he called, reclaiming his seat as the door opened.
He'd never imagined that a simple action such as opening a door could be performed so hesitantly, but it seemed Miss Johann had proven him wrong as she practically tiptoed into the room. She was pretty in a sweet way with her heart-shaped face and blonde hair, dressed in a short, poofy gown that suited her perfectly. She smiled shyly before giving a dainty curtsey.
"Hi, Your Highness," she said quietly.
Sid immediately knew he'd need some serious icebreakers for this particular Selected. It was no fault of hers that she was bashful, but these kind of people always made him feel strange, even if he was shy himself by many standards, at least outwardly.
"You can call me Sid, if you want," he said quickly. "I hope your day has been alright?"
She quickly took her seat, eyes rising to meet his. "Yes, thank you. What about you?"
He smiled slightly. "It's definitely been interesting."
She nodded, seeming to relax a little. "Mine, too."
"So, what are some of your hobbies?" he asked, knowing it would probably lead to her asking him about his, but that was a problem for later.
"I like to write," she said. "I'm actually a teaching assistant. "I also really love ice cream."
"That's amazing, about the teaching assistant part. Please don't kill me, but... what's ice cream?"
Her eyes seemed to double in size, and Sid had thought they were wide before. "What? No."
"I'm sorry," he said, resisting the urge to facepalm.
"You don't have ice cream on Luna?"
All previous signs of hesitance were gone as she stared at him aghast.
"They probably do. I just might not have heard of it."
"If you did have it, you definitely would've heard of it. Oh, I have to show you sometime! It's this smooth, delicious-"
The ringing of his node cut her off, and he smiled apologetically.
"Well, you'll definitely need to educate me on this ice cream you speak of, but I guess that'll have to be for later."
She nodded sadly. "Well, thanks for talking to me. See you soon!"
He smiled, still curious about the ice cream. He'd definitely have to ask her about it sometime. "See you soon."
...
Eyyo! Say what? A 4k chapter? That definitely has NEVER happened before, not even a little bit. But at least I had a little more self-control this time, haha. But it's still Monday! I wrote like I was running out of time and here is the chapter. On schedule! Can I get a hallelujah? I'm very tired, this week has not been kind to me, but it feels so good to finish.
I hope you enjoyed it because it was actually super fun for me to write, against what I expected since it had a rough start (I deleted it halfway through and started again lol.) The others have been fun but this one was so much easier than I expected. That being said, I hope that I've done accurate portrayals, thank you SO much to these creators! You rock!
I did NOT choose these girls out of favoritism or because they're gonna win, in fact, I haven't even chosen the winner. These were randomly generated, actually, since I thought that would be easier. I'm sorry if these meetings weren't the exact sake length, but their length doesn't mean anything. I tried to make them equal but if one seemed longer or shorter I'm sorry, it was not intentional.
So, what did you think? I love seeing your opinions and responses. On that topic, THANK YOU for the reviews! You guys are the bomb diddly. Okay, I've said one too many cheesy things in this author's note, so ciao for now, until we meet again! :)
