I DO NOT OWN THE SELECTION SERIES. SHOUTOUT TO RUBY CASABLANCA, NIKT WANZY, AND LOGAN MCDONNELL.
Schreve Palace. Sacremento. Province of Angeles. 1 week into the selection.
Yesenia Avalos was not thrilled at the idea of having to dance in front of so many people. She didn't really have too much of a choice in the matter, seeing as all of the 33 remaining selected were requested and required to attend a ball that evening in honor of Princess Melody. Everyone was required to have yet another makeover to prepare them for the ball and the last few days had been spent having them prepare for the dancing that was to come. The King had sent for the best dance instructor in Illèa to come and teach the selected how to ballroom dance properly. Some, like the actress from Waverly were adequately skilled while others, like the mechanic from Midston needed more help.
The night of the ball, as everyone congregated know the ballroom, Benvolio got on his soapbox to make an announcement.
"Attention selected, you will be pleased to know that you all have survived the first week and as such, the survival fee has already been sent to your families." The slimy servant reported. Yesenia didn't really care much for the weekly fee. The dowager Smallwood was rich enough as it was and with luck, a good deal of that fortune would be in her hands after the old hag kicked off; so money wasn't a huge concern. After that announcement, everyone was led into the ballroom where a 10 piece orchestra began to play classical waltz music. Yesenia stood off to the side as everyone began pairing up. She had no desire to dance in front of these people. Unfortunately, one of the selected came up to her. Yesenia recognized him as the boy from Columbia.
"Hey hot stuff, wanna dance?" He asked with a smirk.
"You have two seconds to get out of my face before I make you get out of my face." Yesenia replied.
"Screw you bitch." The guy spat as he stormed off. Yesenia took the cupcake she had been nibbling on and threw it at the back of the guy's head. The guy turned red as he stormed over to Yesenia. At that moment, Benvolio rushed over.
"What is going on here?" He asked as Yesenia held her face and began to shed crocodile tears.
"He struck me because I would not dance with him." She lied.
"That's a god damn lie!" The guy from Columbia exclaimed as Benvolio gave him a hard slap on the ear.
"You strike a woman and then lie about it?" He asked as he motioned for the royal guards. "You are eliminated from this selection."
"No, that's not fair." He said as he threw a punch only for the guards to come and strike him their nightsticks.
"Guards, see this man to his room and that he packs his bags. I want him off the palace grounds within the hour and on the first flight to Columbia." Benvolio demanded as the guy was dragged off. Yesenia meanwhile, was quite pleased with herself.
Lucrezia Bellincioni was enjoying the limelight that the ball afforded her. She was rebuking offers to dance in the hopes that Princess Melody herself might ask her. Luckily for her, the time finally came when the princess walked over and offered her hand.
"You are Lucrezia Bellincioni, are you not?" Melody asked as the actress curtsied.
"Your highness." Lucrezia replied with dignity.
"I just wanted to say that you are an amazing actress." She gushed as Lucrezia let out a blush.
"Oh, that's so kind of you to say! I am amazing indeed." miss Bellincioni said with a small chuckle.
"Would you care to dance?" Melody asked as Lucrezia nodded.
"I would love to!" she exclaimed as she led the princess onto the dance floor. The two curtsied to each other before they began to dance.
"Your highness, did you hear that the girl from Denbeigh got sent home?" Lucrezia asked as Melody shook her head.
"What happened?" the princess inquired.
"Well, after the man from Columbia was sent home for striking that socialite from Fennley, he said that the Denbeigh girl put him up to it. Benvolio called her out for sabotaging him and they were both sent home." the actress explained.
"That's sad."
"Don't feel bad, they just weren't right for you." Melody could pick up on what Lucrezia was hinting at, but ignored it as she kept dancing the waltz with the beautiful actress.
Rosalyn Quinton, on the other hand, was not having the best time. She had only been asked to dance by one person and he had made some sexist remarks that were off putting. She consigned herself to sitting out the rest of the dance until to her shock and awe, Princess Melody Schreve walked up to her.
"Rosalyn, right?" The princess asked as she curtsied.
"You can call me Rosa...your highness."
"Only if you call me Melody."
"All right." Rosa agreed with a giggle.
"I saw you sitting by yourself and thought you might like to dance with me." Melody offered as Rosa eagerly took her hand as the two women went into the ballroom floor. They both gingerly reposed their arms around each other as they began to dance to a slow waltz.
"This is nice." Rosa said as Melody nodded.
"You're good at this." She remarked as Miss Quinton rolled her eyes.
"We had to take dance lessons before the ball." She admitted as Melody laughed.
"Lucky me." She replied as Rosa instinctively pulled her closer.
"I'm sorry...it's just insticnt." Rosa replied as she realized how close they were.
"It's all right, I like it." Melody assured her as Rosa smiled widely. The two kept dancing as for a short while, they felt like the only ones in the dance floor.
TWO MORE SELECTED ARE GONE. REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.