Chapter 10: Little Lion Man
Looked in the mirror once more, straightening his black tie for the fiftieth time. His hands shook, no matter how hard he tried to keep them still. He sighed, dropped his tie, and looked himself up and down once more. His eyes fell on the picture of Sigrid on his desk. She was smiling, laughing at something Kat, the one who had taken the photo, had said. He felt tears prickling in his eyes and a lump growing in his throat. No. He couldn't cry. Not tonight. He closed his eyes for a moment, but opened them a moment later. He couldn't close his eyes. If he did, the memories would be too strong, and he would cry. He couldn't do that.
Nils took one last deep breath and turned towards the door. Before he could have second thoughts, he strode out the door, reminding himself to close the door behind him.
The hall was empty, and no noise came from Kat or Gunnar's room. They must already be downstairs. He slowly began walking down the hall towards the ballroom. This was it. He would finally meet his Selected. One of whom would one day be his Prince Consort or Queen. His heart began to race again, and he made himself push those thoughts out of his head. It would be fine. They were just people.
When he got to the Grand Hall, he stopped. Kat, Claudia, Gunnar, and Ian were all standing at the end of the hall, just outside the doors of the ballroom. He took a deep breath and walked down the hall to greet them.
Claudia, whose arm was around Kat's waist, was the first to see him. "Nils, it's good to see you."
"You as well, Claudia. It's been awhile, I hope you are well."
"Very well, thank you." Claudia smiled before turning back to Kat, who smiled at Nils before turning her attention back to her girlfriend.
Nils smiled to himself and felt a strong hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Ian smiling solemnly at him, Gunnar at his side.
"Are you ready for this?"
"Ready as I'll ever be," Nils sighed, smiling weakly at his older brother.
"Alright then," Ian nodded to the page who was standing at the door and caught Kat's eye, signaling her to get ready.
The tall mahogany doors were opened and the page began announcing them.
"Duke Ian Schreave of Angeles."
Ian squeezed Nils's shoulder once more before walking into the ballroom.
"Her Royal Highness, Princess Katrina of Illéa and Lady Claudia von Amsberg."
Kat shot a smile at Nils before following Ian into the ballroom.
"His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Gunnar of Illéa."
Nils looked down at his hands, forcing them down to his sides, and took one last deep breath before the page spoke.
"His Majesty, King Nils of Illéa."
Nils stepped into the ballroom, taking his place beside his siblings. 35 eager eyes stared up at him, each belonging to someone hoping to win his heart. His heart raced. He couldn't do this. Not on his own. Not without Sigrid. He was never supposed to do this. He was never supposed to have a Selection. How could he do this? He couldn't. He-
Gunnar squeezed his hand, bringing him back to the moment at hand. He heard his brother whisper to him.
"You can do this."
Gunnar was right. He could do this.
"Good evening. It is my honor to welcome you to the palace. This evening I will have the pleasure of meeting each and every one of you, but, until then, I urge you to eat, drink, and get to know one another. Please, enjoy yourselves." Nils nodded, indicating they could go back to mingling, and chatter slowly began again.
Nils turned to his siblings and gave them one last smile before they dispersed. Kat and Claudia walked, hand in hand, over to talk to a few young men standing by the refreshments, Gunnar walked over to say hello to a large group standing in the middle of the room, and Ian went to talk to some girls standing in the corner of the room.
Nils bobbed on the balls of his feet a few times, tugged on his fingers, and made his way over to a girl sitting alone at one of the few tables spread around the room. Most of the others were filled with chattery young men and women, but this girl sat alone.
When she saw him walking over, she stood up, brushing some non-existent crumbs off her white dress. She curtsied, a little awkwardly, but it was good for someone who had never curtsied in her life.
"Your Majesty, it is an honor."
"Please, call me Nils. And the honor is mine." He extended a hand, taking hers in his. He brought it to his lips, smiling ever so slightly at the blush it brought to her cheeks. "May I ask your name?"
"Clara. My name is Clara."
"Well, Clara, you look beautiful."
"Thank you, Your...Nils, but I can't take any credit. It was all my maids."
"In that case, give them my praise. However, take credit where credit is due. You are a beautiful young woman."
"Thank you…"
Nils smiled, a real smile this time, as he saw her blush growing. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all.
"Well, this has been a pleasure, but I have several other Selected to meet tonight. I look forward to getting to know you, Lady Clara." He kissed her hand once more before letting it go and bowing his head before turning away to find the next Selected.
It turned out not to be that hard, standing right behind him was a smiling young woman.
"Hello, Your Majesty!"
"Uh...Nils, please, just Nils. And you are?"
"Lugia Board."
"Well, Lugia, it is a pleasure to meet you."
"Please, the pleasure is all mine. I am so excited to be here!"
Nils couldn't keep himself from smiling. "I'm glad to hear it. I hope you are settling in well?"
"Yes, of course! Everyone is so nice! It still doesn't feel real though, I can't believe I'm actually here!"
Nils was about to say he couldn't believe they were here either, but he stopped himself. "I hope you begin to feel at home in the next few days."
"I'm sure I will."
"Wonderful! Now, if you will excuse me, there are approximately 32 of you I have yet to meet."
"Of course! It was a pleasure to meet you." Lugia smiled and turned away to talk to a blonde girl holding two drinks.
Nils looked around the room, trying to find one of his siblings. Kat and Claudia were still talking to the group of boys. It was not lost on him that Kat had a glass of champagne in her hand. Gunnar seemed to have found one girl to talk to. Perhaps he could join them. And maybe send him on a mission to retrieve said glass of champagne.
"Gunnar, would you be so kind as to introduce me to this lovely lady?"
"Of course. This is Lady Elaine." Gunnar gestured to the pretty blonde girl standing next to him. "Lady Elaine, this is my brother, King Nils."
"Nils is fine, please. It is wonderful to meet you, Lady Elaine."
Elaine curtsied low, not looking him in the eye. "Thank you."
"How are you liking the palace so far?"
"It is beautiful, and all the staff are very nice. I also like the libraries." She said, still not looking at him.
Nils shifted on his feet, slightly uncomfortable. "I'm glad to hear it. Please do not hesitate to use any of them. I'm sure Gunnar would be glad to show you around."
Elaine blushed. "Yes, he is very kind."
"He certainly is. If you wouldn't mind, could I steal him away for a moment?"
"Of course, please do. I mean…"
"Thank you," Nils interjected, worrying he had made her uncomfortable. "I'll be sure not to keep him too long."
Nils and Gunnar walked a few feet away to stand next to one of the tall windows.
"Well? How are things going? Anyone standing out yet?"
"No one yet. Which is a good thing I suppose, no one has rubbed me the wrong way."
"That's good. What did you need?"
"I noticed our lovely sister somehow found herself a glass of champagne. I wondered if you might want to go… remedy that situation."
Gunnar craned his neck to see across the room, finding Kat in the crowd. "I see. I would be happy to. And good luck."
Nils nodded once, thanking his brother. He turned to look after him as he walked across the ballroom to their sister. She protested as he gently took the glass from her hand, causing Nils to smile to himself. She had always had a way of getting around the rules. He cleared his throat, bringing himself back to the task at hand. On to the next Selected.
His eyes landed on a girl in a bright red dress. She seemed to have just finished a conversation, smiling as she walked over to the table of refreshments. He strolled over to her, selecting a champagne flute for himself before grabbing a second one and holding it out to her.
"Why thank you," She said, smiling as she took the flute.
"My pleasure."
"Right. And you are?" She asked, completely innocent.
Nils was taken aback, not quite sure how to respond. This was certainly not something he had expected.
"I'm kidding, it's a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty."
Nils laughed, taking a sip of his drink before looking back at her. "I see we have a prankster on our hands. Does she have a name?"
"Lissette Maldonado, but you can call me Mo. All my friends do."
"Mo it is. Does that mean we are friends?"
"I suppose it does. But I doubt your friends call you 'King Nils.' Can I call you Nils?"
"Of course, we are friends after all."
"Indeed we are. It's nice to have a friend around here. Someone to ask for directions. This place is huge; how do you not get lost every day?"
"I suppose you just get used to it."
"I suppose so," Mo smiled, taking another sip of her champagne.
"Well, Mo, it has been wonderful to make a new friend, but I should be going."
"Of course, I don't want to keep you."
"I look forward to talking to you again."
Mo smiled and gave a slight wave as she walked away to talk to a few of the other Selected standing at the other end of the refreshments table.
This was getting easier. He had just made a friend! He had talked to four girls! That was an accomplishment! Now just 31 more to go. He could do this.
He scanned the room, looking for the next Selected to talk to. One girl stood out. She was tall, very tall, and had pale pink hair. That was interesting. Interesting hair probably is attached to interesting people, right? Only one way to find out.
Nils handed his champagne flute to a nearby footman and walked over to meet the pink-haired girl, who was looking out the window. She was wearing a pale gray dress, one that went perfectly with her hair. He would have to remind himself to give his compliments to the maids. They were truly talented.
"Hello," He said, moving to stand next to her.
She turned to him and smiled. "Hello, Your Majesty."
"Please, call me Nils. And you are?"
"Xiu," she said, turning back to look out the window.
"That's a beautiful name."
"Thank you." Xiu paused for a moment before turning back to face him. "Is it hard? Having us all here, I mean?"
Nils was taken aback. These girls certainly liked surprising him. He looked out the window, thinking for a moment.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overstep."
"No, no, don't worry." Nils looked back over at her. "It is hard. I never thought I would be doing this. Si—my sister… we always knew she would have a Selection. I just never thought it would be me."
Xiu was quiet for a moment. "That makes sense."
"I'm glad you're here though. It is hard, but I'm happy to have you all here," he smiled, looking her in the eye.
She smiled back before looking back out the window.
"That's good."
"Yes, well. I, uh, I should go. I look forward to seeing you again though, Lady Xiu."
"Likewise," she said, not looking back at him.
Nils smiled, looking down at his hands before taking his leave. This night was certainly not going the way he expected. He grabbed another champagne flute from a footman and walked over to the nearest Selected. She was a tall girl, not nearly as tall as Xiu, but still taller than many of the other Selected.
When she saw him looking at her, the girl walked over, smiling all the way.
"My lady," Nils said, bowing his head.
She curtsied in turn, looking back up at him with a bright smile. "Your Majesty, how wonderful to meet you."
"You as well, Lady…?"
"Aurora, Your Majesty."
"Please, call me Nils. Your dress is breathtaking."
It was a sky blue dress, with a boned bodice and full skirt. Delicate flowers over mesh covered her shoulders.
"Thank you, Nils. I agree. My maids are so talented!"
"Indeed they are. It seems we have a palace full of incredible seemstresses."
"It seems you do. It is a beautiful place by the way, especially the gardens."
"I'm glad you think so; I like to think it is. My mother… She loved the gardens. You could find her there most nights."
"I'm sure she was a wonderful woman," Aurora said, putting a hand on his arm.
"Yes, she was. She really was."
Aurora smiled.
"Enough of that, how are you enjoying the night?"
"Oh, it's splendid. All the Selected are so nice! I am excited to get to know them all."
"As am I. You all seem like interesting people. Speaking of which, I hate to cut our time short, but I must be going."
"Of course, thank you for your time."
Nils smiled and nodded. He turned to find a girl standing behind him.
"Oh, hello." How does that happen twice?
"Hello, Your Majesty," the girl smiled, giving a little wave.
"Nils, please, and you are?"
"Katherine, Katherine Bower."
"Well, Katherine, it's nice to meet you. How has your evening been so far?"
"It's been really nice! The food is delicious, the people are nice, and I've made a few friends."
"That's great! I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. I'm looking for some friends myself, anyone you would recommend?"
"Well, Lugia is really nice. I just met Kesa, you should go say 'hi' to her." Katherine pointed to a tall girl standing at one of the tall tables. She seemed to be alone, drinking a glass of red wine.
"I did meet Lugia, she certainly seems fun. I'll have to meet...Kesa you said?"
"Yes, she is wonderful."
"Great, thank you." Nils nodded his thanks to Katherine and walked over to say hello to Kesa.
She looked up as he got to the table, putting down her wine glass.
"Lady Kesa, isn't it?"
"Yes, nice to meet you."
"Likewise. How is the wine?
"It tastes fine to me, not that I would know the good from the bad," she laughed a bit, putting him at ease.
"I may be a king, but I certainly know what you mean. If you want someone who knows wine, you should talk to my brother, Gunnar. I think he knows wine better than our butler."
"I'll keep that in mind. If I ever need a wine connoisseur, that is."
"Please do, I can't stand to hear anymore about the differences between a merlot and a cabernet."
They both laughed.
"Well, Kesa, it has been great meeting you. I hope to talk with you more in the coming weeks."
Nils gave her one last smile and turned back to the ballroom. He was about to go see if he could find Ian or Kat when his eyes fell on a girl leaning against one of the windows, casually holding a shot glass in her hand. While most of the girls wore brightly colored dresses, this girl was wearing an elegant ebony gown. The bodice clung to her body beautifully and the tulle skirt flared out just enough. She looked breathtaking.
"What was in the glass?"
She looked up, seemingly surprised to see him, "Oh, uh, vodka. Everyone else seems to prefer the champagne, but I could use something stronger."
Nils leaned up against the window next to her and looked over. "I know the feeling. I've been considering it myself."
"Vodka not regal enough for a king?"
"I suppose not. It's a shame, really."
She looked over at him and pushed herself off the window. "Here, I'll go get you one."
"Really?"
"Of course. What's your poison?"
"I'd actually go for a vodka too, now that you mention it."
"Two vodkas it is. I'll be right back."
Nils smiled after her. He liked this one. He turned around to look out the window. It was dark, dark enough that, besides the faint lights of the city below, all he could see was his own reflection. He looked at himself, really looked at himself, something he hadn't done since the accident. Sure, he had looked in mirrors a million times, but he had never been able to bring himself to look himself in the eyes. Because they weren't just his eyes. They were her eyes too. He couldn't look at them without seeing her.
"Hey, you okay?"
Nils looked up, pulled out of his thoughts. He turned around and saw the beautiful girl standing in front of him, this time holding two shot glasses.
"Ya, I'm good."
She leaned up against the window next to him and handed him one of the shot glasses she was holding.
"Here, follow me."
She looked a little confused, but followed him anyway. He took them along the perimeter of the room to a simple glass door that led outside.
"Can't have the media see me throwing back shots, can we?"
"I suppose not."
She followed him outside, smiling.
They sat on the ground, just outside the door. Nils leaned his head back against the cool wall, breathing in the cold night air.
"To defying expectations."
Nils looked over at the girl, who had her shot glass raised. He smiled. "Here, here." He threw back the shot, wincing as it burned on the way down. "So, does the beautiful vodka-drinker have a name?"
She looked at him, seemingly considering her answer. She looked down at the shot glass in her hands before looking back up at him and answering. "Joan."
"Joan. What a pretty name."
"Nils isn't so bad either."
Nils smiled. Nils. Just Nils.
They were both startled by a rapping on the window. Kat was standing above them, looking furious.
"Shit. I have to go. I have other Selected to talk to." Nils stood up quickly, stretching out a hand to Joan.
"Right, right. I'm so sorry for taking up so much of your time."
"No, no, please, don't apologize."
Joan smiled. "Okay then."
"Right, well, I have to go." Nils smiled awkwardly and ducked back into the ballroom.
"What do you think you were doing?" Kat hissed, grabbing his arm and pulling him to the side as soon as he stepped into the room. "You have other Selected you know!"
"I know, I know."
"You can't just go off with one girl, Nils."
"I said, I know." Nils shot her a glare.
Kat sighed, rolled her eyes, and turned on her heel to find her girlfriend, clearly fed up with her older brother.
Nils looked back over his shoulder at Joan, who had wandered off to find some other Selected to talk to. Maybe the Selection wouldn't be so bad after all.
Chapter 10! Nils finally got to meet the lovely Selected! I love all of them, and I am really excited to write their stories. Also, the drinking age is 18, so everyone is legal.