Welcome to my second fanfiction! This was created when I was rereading The Selection by Kiera Cass. I was thinking about what it would be like if the Riverdale characters had a Selection of their own. But, there is no knowledge of The Selection, or Riverdale for that matter, needed to enjoy this story. I think it just might make it more fun if you enjoyed both! I have taken Riverdale and turned that into a country, using various places, names or locations around or in Riverdale as provinces, such as Andrews, SoDale, Thornhill, Whyte Wyrm, Pembrooke, Stonewall, and so on. Each province has a mayor that leads it and each mayor is a part of a council at the palace. The Coopers are the Royal family, but Hal is no longer king (we will explore that later on), and Polly isn't a princess (also will be explored). The Blossom's are related to them, but Alice despises them. That will be more relevant in the second chapter. In this one, the Andrews family is a big part. Fred is like a father to Betty, much like in the show. He is such an important part of their country, one of the provinces was re-named Andrews and Fred was made mayor. He works closely with Alice to run the country. And Toni is Betty's main-maid/best friend. Toni came to the palace three years ago and started working as a maid to Betty. Although Betty tries to make it as easy a job for her as possible, Alice is still Alice.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Feel free to follow to know what happens next, and I would love to hear feedback in the reviews! I guess I'll continue doing a 3? For those of you that haven't read my other fanfiction, in the beginning, I hadn't realized that I couldn't use a 'less than' sign to make a heart, so it was just a 3. I now just do that for fun.
Hope you enjoy! 3
"Elizabeth, what are you doing?" My mother stood and made her way towards me.
"I thought I was to come to this meeting?"
"No. I thought I made it clear."
"Mother, I'm going to be queen one day unless Polly magically decides to come back. Me. Betty."
"Elizabeth, your sister isn't coming back. We've been over this."
"Mr. Andrews told me-"
"Alice, I did tell her it might be a good idea for her to come to this meeting." Fred Andrews stood from the table and came over to us. Fred was a representative mayor of a province in the Northside, and one of the heads on the council.
"Lower your voice, Elizabeth." My mother hissed.
"Alice," Fred began.
"Fred. I can raise my own child."
"I suggested it because of the thing we were going to be discussing. I thought Bet- I mean Elizabeth, should be involved."
"It's not her decision to make." My mother fired back.
"But it should be. It's her life, Alice."
"I know that!"
"What are you talking about?" I cut in, confused.
My mother sighed. "Elizabeth, we were going to discuss your marriage."
"Mom, I'm not going to marry Prince Glen! That's an arranged marriage!"
"That is why we were having this meeting. Since you're being so stubborn, there are options other than marrying Prince Glen."
"Like what?"
"We'll discuss this in private later." Mother put emphasis on later.
"Fine." I turned on my heel and walked out of the meeting room. As I turned a corner, I crashed into another person.
"Oh! I'm so sorry." I righted myself and looked up at the victim.
"I'm alright." It was a boy that looked to be about my age, maybe a little older. He was tall with bright red/orange hair, soft brown eyes and bushy brown eyebrows with a little scar between them. As he looked up at me he seemed to take in who I was.
"Oh! Your Highness." He bowed. "What about you? Are you alright?"
"Yes. I think so."
"You seemed to be in a hurry. Is everything alright?"
"I'll be okay, thanks. I'm terribly sorry, but who are you?"
"My apologies. I'm Archibald Andrews. Everyone just calls me Archie."
"Princess Elizabeth Cooper." He took my hand and pressed it to his lips as I paused and took in his name. "Andrews? Is your father Fred Andrews?" I questioned Archie.
"Yes. You've met?"
"Fred has basically been a stand-in father for me since my own… well. I'm sure you've heard."
"Yes. I'm sorry."
"He made his bed. Now he can lay in it." I said simply, maybe harsher than I intended to. But it was true.
"Of course. But I get the feeling that that's not what is bothering you now."
"No. It's not."
"Would you like to take me to the garden and talk about it?" I thought about it for a moment. It was probably a bad idea to spill my guts to a complete stranger, but it was easier than spilling my guts to someone I did know.
"Alright." He held out his arm and I looped mine through it, smoothing my dress with my free hand.
A couple minutes later we were out in the garden.
"What's on your mind?" Archie asked.
"My mother is getting on my last nerve."
"Mmm. Isn't that what they're for?" He chuckled slightly. A guard tried to follow us, but I shook my head at him and he left.
"If so, there should be a law against marrying your child off." I grumbled.
"Ah. So that's why you're upset."
"Of course I'm upset!" I pulled my arm away and turned to face him. "My mother is trying to get me to marry someone I don't love. I'm no expert, but I think you should at least be able to tolerate someone in order to marry them. Plus, he's a prince. It would mean giving up the throne to my cousins, which my mother also doesn't want. She's so conflicted and taking it out on me by making me work twice as hard. She's constantly pushing for past perfection."
"That's enough to drive anyone mad, that's for sure." We started walking again.
"At this point, I'm considering pulling a Polly and making a run from the throne."
"This might be a silly question, but who are your cousins? I've never heard them mentioned."
"You wouldn't have. My mother has done everything in her power to make sure it never gets out that we're related to them. I didn't even know myself until the whole thing with my father happened. It's also why my sister ran away." We were silent for a moment while I realized what I had been telling him. If my mother ever found out, she would kill me. "I'm sorry for putting this all on you. I really shouldn't and my mother might kill both of us if she ever finds out."
"I won't tell anyone. You have my word."
"Thank you."
"If I could make a suggestion, your Highness,"
"Please. Just Betty. It's what your father calls me."
"Alright then. Betty, have you tried dating other men?"
"No. It's kind of hard being who I am. Everyone is either an ass, fake, or doesn't actually want me, just the crown."
"That's rough."
"Yes. Yes it is. I should just be thankful she hasn't tried to force a Selection on me yet."
"A Selection?"
"You've never heard of it?" Archie shook his head. "It's when an eligible bachelor, in every other case, or in my case, a bachelorette, from each province is selected and comes to the castle. Think The Bachelor with royalty." I smiled. "Since it's always been a prince, he dates each girl and works his way down to the Elite, which is the top ten. They are the ones he feels the most…"
"In love with?" Archie suggested.
"Yeah. And eventually, he finds his one true love in the group. Or he doesn't and goes with the most logical option to rule beside him."
"Let me guess, you think it's an arranged marriage with options."
"Is that not what it is?!" I cried out.
"Calm down, your Highness."
"Please. Betty."
"Alright. Calm down, Betty." He teased me.
"Thank you."
"Your Highness?" We turned to see a maid coming towards us.
"Yes?"
The maid curtsied as she approached us. "The queen requests that you meet her in your bedroom right away."
"Most likely to tell me my future." I muttered under my breath as I rolled my eyes. I spoke up as I answered the maid. "Thank you." She curtsied again and left.
"Shall I walk you in?"
"Did you just say 'shall'?" I asked incredulously. I only knew a couple people that worked in the palace that could say that and didn't sound odd. A teenage boy definitely didn't fall into that category.
"Um, no?" I laughed.
"I'm just kidding. And no, I don't think that'll be necessary. Your father is coming our way." I motioned to where Fred Andrews was walking to us.
"There you are. I see you've met my son, Archie."
"Yes. He's almost as good company as you, Mr. Andrews." I teased him. He laughed.
"Please, Betty. It's Fred." I nodded. "I raised him well." Fred clapped Archie on the shoulder.
"Yes. Anyway, I should see what my mother wants and get it over with as quickly as possible. Thank you for the walk, Archie."
"The pleasure was all mine, your Highness." I shot him a look. "I mean, Betty." He bowed and I curtsied.
"Mr. An- I mean, Fred. It was lovely seeing you. Will you be in again this week?"
"I'm sure your mother is going to bring me in as damage control."
"For what?"
"You."
"Of course she is. Well then, until you get to hold me back, screaming." I gave him a hug and then left them in the garden and went up to my room.
As I entered my room, my mother motioned at my maid, Toni.
"You're dismissed." She said,
"Thank you, Toni. I'll call for you when she leaves?" I suggested. Toni had been with me for a couple of years and we were pretty close. She was basically my best friend.
"Of course." She turned and curtsied to my mother. "Your Majesty." With that, she left the room.
"I don't know why you are so close with her."
"I see her more often than I see my own mother, so…"
"That's not fair, Elizabeth." My mother sighed and motioned for me to sit next to her on my bed.
"Oh yeah? Why did you need to talk to me?"
"The council was going over possible ideas on what to do. With your sister gone," She never referred to Polly as Polly. Just 'your sister'. "You're going to become queen. You need someone to lead beside you. Or, you need to marry someone with ties that could help our country. Riverdale is falling apart with just me leading it."
"I'm not marrying Glen. Mother, he's despicable. Plus, if I marry him, Riverdale falls to the leadership of the Blossoms. You don't want that, do you?"
"No, of course not. But he's a solid option, Elizabeth. It just makes sense."
"Making sense isn't love, Mom."
"And love isn't ruling a country."
"So what do you propose I do? I won't marry Prince Glen."
"We've decided that a Selection is the most logical solution." My mother straightened her dress and folded her hands in her lap.
"What? No! No! Mom, I won't."
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice, Elizabeth. The council's mind is made up. A Selection is the best way to stall the country and the riots."
"Or give them cause to get even worse!" I cried. "Is Riverdale going to appreciate their princess running around with a bunch of boys while they sit in poverty?"
"It gives them something to root for, Elizabeth."
"It's my life!" I tried another approach.
"You're Princess Elizabeth Cooper. The people love you."
"Who on the council thinks this is a good idea? I know for a fact that Mr. Andrews would take my side." I played my last card on the table.
"He disagreed at first but after listening to the full idea, he agreed that it's what's best for Riverdale. And for you. It's a lot of work and pressure running an entire country, but it's even harder without someone to help shoulder the burden."
"You're doing it!" I cried.
"I had no choice Elizabeth!" We were both standing at this point, and I'm sure our voices were raised. "Your father was an awful man."
"He's the one that started the riots! Isn't it his mess? And besides! If you and dad could have been together since you were my age, and he turned out to be who he was without you realizing it, how can I be sure that that's not what's going to happen to me?"
"There are plenty of people out there who are genuine people, Elizabeth. You should give them a chance!"
"Leave!"
"What?"
"Leave! I'll have dinner in my room."
"Think it over."
"Go." With that, my mother swept out of my room.
