"Everett, fetch me my silver hoops from the jewelry box on the dresser." Emaline Aldrich stood in front a full length mirror while she tied her hair up into a messy high pony.
"A simple 'please' would be appreciated," said Everett who reluctantly followed his younger sister's order. "I didn't invite you to be my companion for the Selection to be bossed around into being your servant, Ema."
Ema laughed at her brother as she continued to look at herself in the mirror. The two were getting ready for the party later in the evening for the officials and politicians of llléa. Everett had been one of the first people in the palace to get ready, but Ema had spent four hours trying on dresses with Everett handing her all of her outfits. "Face it, big bro, you can't say no to me. Also, you need me to boss you around because how else would you get things done."
Everett groaned as he massaged his temples, "If you weren't my sister, I swear that I would not be so lenient."
"Ahh, come on, I know you love me. Anyhow, how do I look?" Ema gave a spin for her brother as she had done eight times before.
Ema was dressed in black, lace paneled dress that revealed a small amount of her midriff. Ema tugged at the long sleeves of her dress as she walked over to Everett who was already heading out the door.
"You already know you look great. You should learn to stop fishing for compliments." Everett adjusted his maroon tie as they walked down the halls of the palace to Banquet Room.
Ema rolled her eyes as she waved at one of the guards guarding the outside of the banquet room. "You should learn to relax, Everett. Your shoulders look tense and that's not what a future leader should look like," said Ema as she gave her brother a side kiss on the cheek, "I'm going to go socialize. I suggest you do the same."
Ema walked across the room to her cousin who was in a conversation with a young man with glasses and a navy blue vest over a white button up. "Alistair, how is my favorite cousin?"
Alistair gave his cousin a side hug as he questioned, "Am I really your favorite cousin?"
"Not really. I prefer your sister, but I just wanted to be nice." Ema turned her attention to the unknown stranger with a flute of champagne is his hand. "And who might this be?"
"I apologize. The name is Damien Lambert, and I like to consider myself Alistair's best friend. It's a pleasure to meet you…"
"Emaline Aldrich, but most people call me Ema." Ema held out her hand to Damien as she gave him a wink.
"No, no, no." Alistair looked towards his friend as he place a shoulder on his hand. "Don't be tricked by her charms, Damien. She is literally the worst person to be with romantically. No offense, Ema."
"None taken. Have you talked to the twins?" Ema looked around the room trying to search for Connor and Parker who were located next to the Queen. "Nevermind, found them. It was nice talking to you guys, but I'm gonna leave you."
Without anymore words, Ema walked over to her twin cousins and her aunt who were talking in the corner of the room. "Auntie Vannah, you look beautiful in that dress. How are you doing?"
The Queen was dressed in a light yellow tea-length dress, and her hair down up in a french twist. "Perfectly fine, thank you. Emaline, I heard you were in Waverly last week for a runshow, the Cyrena Haines gown was especially pretty with the flower embellishments."
"The dress was even more impressive in person, but it weighed so much. However, he is now one of my favorite designers and will be buying from him for now on." Ema turned towards the two identical twins right next to the Queen. "Connor, Parker."
The twin wearing a dark blue blazer raised his eyebrows at Ema and said, "You can't tell who is who, can you?"
"You know me too well. At least this time one of you has a small amount of stubble and the other is freshly shaven." Ema grabbed a champagne flute off one of the plates a server was holding as they walked by. "So, are you gonna tell me which one is which?"
The one with the dark blue blazer and the slight stubble took the champagne flute out of her hand and said, "I'm Parker. Thanks for the drink."
"And I'm Connor, the nicer twin as you remember," said Connor who was dressed in a grey suit and a dark blue tie the color of his twin brother's suit.
Before anybody could say anything else, King Orion called everybody to take a seat at the long tables where place settings and silverware were.
The room was filled with most of the mayors of the 35 provinces excluding the mayors from Sonage, Hudson, and Fennley. The King and Queen were seated at the head of the table as King Orion held his wife's hand. The three princes then sat on opposite sides of the table by the King and Queen with their respective guests at the Palace.
On the other side of the end of the table was Prime Minister Debroux who had her emotionless face present as she talked to Mayor Maureen Carter of Zuni and Mayor Tomas Russey of Carolina.
"So, Madam, what do think of the three new Princes? Do you have a favorite contender yet?" asked Mayor Carter as she placed a folded napkin on her lap.
"I've only met them briefly and talked to them a small amount, but I don't have a preference or guess as to who will be the better ruler. Everett seems to comprehend the tasks and priorities of the job, but he doesn't have the social skills to maintain a positive image. Alistair has the charisma and the likeability, but he doesn't take the serious and more important tasks of the throne very well. Connor is mediocre in both fields, but he doesn't seem to have the determination."
The Mayor of Carolina chuckled as he placed his champagne flute back onto the table. "It seems that you learned a good amount from just talking to them briefly."
"I'm just a good judge of character," said the Prime Minister as a peach, pancetta, and mozzarella salad was placed in front of everyone at the table.
"Well, what do you think of the Selection happening in a month? Afterall, you were a part of a Selection as well."
"I'm interested to see the outcome and the new Selected. I remember my Selection as if it were just yesterday. Back then it was chaos and lots of backstabbing among the girls. However, I did find a friend in Annika and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for the silly little competition."
Prime Minister Debroux cleared her throat as she stood up from her seat with the champagne in her hand, "Thank you all for joining me at this dinner, and I would also like to thank the King and Queen for opening up there home for us. Let us toast to the future of llléa and the many surprises it holds!"
"To llléa!"
I'm so excited to post this new chapter! You get to meet some new characters and see who the princes choose as their guests at the palace. Let me know in the reviews what you thought of this chapter or for what you would like to see next.
I would also like to thank everyone who has submitted a character for the story so far. It is highly appreciated and gives me more motivation to write this story.
The next chapter will have to come out as soon as I have most of the characters that I need since the Selection will begin. So until then I hope to have more great submissions.