I DO NOT OWN THE SELECTION SERIES. WE ARE PAST THE HALFWAY POINT IN THIS STORY. THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED AND SUBMITTED CHARACTERS. SHOUTOUT TO AVA NAVA FOR BETAING THIS STORY. THE IDEA FOR THIS CHAPTER CAME FROM FAIRYSECRET01.

Schreave Royal Golf Course. Province of Angeles. 1 month and 2 weeks into the selection.

King Maxon II felt a surge of pride as he looked over his prized golden golf clubs. He had one more selected to get rid of before the elites could be decided and the King also had not been golfing in a spell, so Benvolio had come up with the idea of a golf tournament for the remaining 11 selected. The King could put some time in on his golden golf clubs and whichever selected scored the highest would be eliminated. Everyone had been provided with golfing equipment by the palace and were driven out to the the royal family's private golf course. Once everyone was assembled, King Maxon took the first swing and actually managed a hole in one. Everyone clapped as Maxon took this opportunity to revel in his skill. Queen Jessamine sat in one of the golf carts as she was attended to by one of her ladies in waiting. She didn't really care for the sport at all. Melody had been willing to learn how to golf, even if her skills on the green were mediocre at best.

As the selected began to play the game, Maxon pulled Benvolio aside to talk.

"Do I need to be worried about Monroe?" The King asked.

"No, I spoke with his father. He says that while Romeo is no Tiger Woods, he can do very well on the green." His personal secretary replied.

"Good, at some point, you and I will need to discuss the next phase of this plan." Maxon insisted. "It was easy to thin out the herd, but now we are down to the Elites and things will get complicated."

"How do you figure, my King?" Benvolio inquired.

"Because if they have survived this long, it means that they have a genuine chance." The King snapped. "My daughter might develop feeling a for one of these peasants and unless she develops the same feelings for Romeo, that will be a problem."

"From what I've seen, the princess had a good rapport with Mr. Monroe and he is optimistic that he can win her heart." Benvolio assured his monarch.

"He had better, because the last thing I want is for a same sex couple to rule Illèa. It would be a disgrace to the crown and to the country." Maxon spat as he took a practice swing with this golden 9 iron club.

Princess Melody had never been very good at the game of golf, but at least she knew how to play. The golf tournament went on for a good majority of the day and wrapped up around dinner time. Except for Romeo, no one had really stood out as a great golf player, but most of them had managed to hold their own. In the end, the lowest score belonged to Claude Harrison, the non binary person from Baffin. They were saddened, but took it in stride.

Once the limos returned to the palace, everyone went to the dining hall to have supper, except for Claude who was escorted to her room in order to pack their bags and catch their flight. The selected ate their dinner, but the crown princess was not among them. Melody Schreave was watching the remaining selected eat their Luxurious meal from a balcony above the dining room. As she watched them, she did not notice that her nanny had come up behind her to join her in the act of people watching.

"Having fun?" Alma inquired as Melody turned to her with a weak smile.

"I suppose." She replied as she kept gazing at the selected below.

"Just think of it Melody, your future husband or wife is down there!" The nanny remarked as she gently touched Melody's arm. The touch was comforting, but the princess was still forlorn.

"I know, but I'm just worried." She admitted.

"About what?" Alma asked.

"It's just that...I'm so inexperienced when it comes to dating and romance and that kind of thing." Princess Melody explained. "I've kissed a couple people, but that's about it."

"I understand what you mean Melody." Nanny Alma replied as she squeezed her hand tightly. "You have all of this freedom to explore who you like and what you like and it is so overwhelming."

"It is." Melody insisted as she returned the hand squeeze.

"Just try to look at the positives of this situation." Alma said as she turned Melody's head to face her. "You are surrounded by beautiful boys and girls that you can...have fun with."

"Nanny Alma!" Melody exclaimed with an awkward giggle as she saw the twinkle in Alma's eye and knew full good and well what her nanny was hinting at.

"All that I am saying is...theses boys and girls are here for you and you can go as far as you want to with them." She insisted as Melody blushed bright red. Her mother and father had never even bothered to discuss these things with her. Now that Melody had freedom to explore that she liked, the prospect was daunting .

WILL MELODY BECOME AN EXPLORER? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.