Chapter 2

The next week was a total blur to me. The calls I got regarding my stay at the place, the documents I had to sign, and the rules I had to go through and overall the hateful glances I had to endure. My mother made sure I learned everything about my competition.

The day came quicker than I would have wanted to say goodbye to my family. I packed the few things I possessed in a bag and went downstairs. My mother and Roy were waiting there for me. She looked at me with pride in her eyes.

"I am so proud of you, honey."

She pulled something out of her pocket

. "This is a family heirloom. My mother gave it to me on my wedding day; she got it from her mother on her wedding day. I know you may not gonna win, but I want you to have something to remember us by, something to remind you of your roots and to never change who you are."

It was a pendant in a shape of an owl. I threw my arms around her.

"Thank you, mom"

Then I turned around and let her put it around my neck.

"Beautiful"

She said on the verge of crying.

"Don't cry, Mom"

I pleaded "You know if you start crying, I will, too."

She nodded.

"I try"

Roy rolled his eyes.

I sat in the entrance terminal, waiting for the private jet, which would bring me to Star City, and the other contestants, which would fly with me. From the Allen's, I bid my goodbye the day before. The goodbye from my family had been a hard one, my mother had cried in spite of her promise, but I couldn't hold it against her. So we both cried. Roy had whispered in my ear that if the prince hurt me that I should report it to him.

In order to get my mind off the goodbyes, I didn't want to cry again, I grabbed a newspaper. Unsurprisingly the first few pages were about the Selection. This part I skipped and opened directly to the local news. And then I threw it as far away as possible. There was an article about a pair, caught having sex and they weren't married. In Illéa it was only allowed to have sex when you were married and then just with your spouse. If you break this rule, you face the death penalty.

"Ouch"

My head snapped up. In front of me stood a tall blonde, which I had hit apparently with the newspaper.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry. I swear I didn't mean to hit you. It was just the newspaper attacked me"

She looked at me bewildered, and then she outright started laughing.

"You're cute"

I blushed.

"I am Sara Lance"

"I know. My mother had me memorized the whole competition, not that I am much competition for you, because you are so much prettier than me. "

I blushed harder.

"What I meant to say was. Hi I am Felicity. Nice to meet you"

"We are going to be best friends"

I was stunned.

While we waited to board the plane, we started talking. We talked about our families. She lived with her father, Captain Quentin Lance, a high ranking police officer. He was a little bit overprotective. In exchange I told her about my mother, how she drove me to insanity, sometimes, and about my older brother Roy. From overbearing family, we got to our dreams.

"I want to travel the world"

Sara said.

"I want to go to Europe, to Africa, simply everywhere."

She smiled. I looked longingly into the distance. To see the world would be great. Sara could eventually fulfill her dreams, but I'd be stuck here forever. She noticed my mood swing.

"Everything alright?"

She asked concerned.

"It's okay. You just reminded me that I can't ever reach my dream of becoming an Inventor. I will always be a lowly Six."

"That isn't correct"

A voice said from behind us. We spun around. There stood a tall brunette before us.

"Hey, Laurel."

Sara greeted the newcomer, but Laurel eyes bored right into my eyes.

"You've been selected. The Rules say; that the contestant's caste number is automatically raised to a Three, unless she was already a Three or higher prior to being Selected."

I looked at her in astonishment, before I jumped up and threw my arms around her. Behind me I heard Sara say.

"Laurel Lance; always trying to save the world."

It was already evening, when we landed in Star City, the capital. We were led outside towards a town car they had said, but outside a big crowd was cheering for us. I stopped in my tracks at the sight of so many people. Sara and Laurel were already ahead of me. The people were screaming for them, but with a pang to my heart I heard no one screaming for me or holding up a sign with my name. Crestfallen and with my head bowed down I wanted to escape this humiliation as fast as possible. So I hurried down the red carpet to the car. I was almost at the car when I was stopped by a small voice. A little girl, very thin and dirty, was standing near the barrier that separated me from the crowd.

"Can I have your autograph?"

She asked me shyly. I starred perplexed at her.

"You want my autograph?"

I asked just to be sure. She nodded.

"O-Okay"

I stammered totally surprised. I searched in my satchel for a pen, before I kneeled down before her.

"Do you have a piece of paper?"

She shook sadly her head.

"It's okay"

I pulled a writing pad, a gift from my brother, from my satchel and pulled out a piece of paper. I folded it carefully into an owl. I sometimes had to fold the napkins into specific form in the restaurants where I worked.

"What's your name?"

I asked her.

"Jane"

I signed my name on the back side of the owl under her name and gave it to her. She whooped for joy, thanked me and left. I would never forget her.

We were welcomed by Miss Danforth. She introduced herself as the royal Planner and she was the one who would be teaching us. She shooed us immediately into a large room, which was divided into sixteen areas by partition walls. In each of these areas there was a dresser, mirror and chair, just like a hair salon. They pushed me to a free area, where the stylists immediately pounced on me. I was scrubbed, rubbed with lotions, my nails were filed and painted, and my eyebrows were plucked, my hair washed, dyed and cut. They applied make up on me and put me in a floor-length purple dress. The dress had a sweetheart neckline. The corset was frilled and decorated with beads; before it ended up in an ocean of gathered tulle. The picture, which I glanced at in the mirror, was foreign to me. Not only that, they had my glasses replaced by contact lenses, they also dyed my hair blond. If I was honest with myself, I looked pretty, almost like a princess. I sighed. On my new appearance, I had to get used to.

I was sitting in the library and reading. Mrs. Danforth had us immediately sent to bed after dinner, so we were well rested for tomorrow's first meeting with the prince. But I could not sleep. I had met my maids. Lyla was a middle-aged woman with mocha-colored skin, Iris also dark-skinned, was my age. I had got along straight away with both. I mean we were after all in the same caste. After they helped me out of the dress, I had sent them away, and had slipped in one of Roy T-shirts and in a pair of shorts for me to feel at least a bit at home. After that I had some time been lying awake before I decided to explore the castle. In doing so I discovered the library. So I was engrossed in a book, when I heard a soft sob. I listened carefully. There it was again. I put the book aside and followed the sound. Behind the shelf sat a little girl.

"Everything alright?"

I asked her. She raised her head and looked at me out of her tear-stained eyes, before she sobbed.

"My Teddy's broken."

And indeed her teddy, which she held tightly clasped, had a ripped off arm. I looked at the damage.

"You can re-sew it."

I could sew, although not particularly good, but it should be enough. I held out my hand.

"Let's go to my room and get your teddy back intact."

She wiped the tears from her face.

"You can do that?"

I nodded.

"Okay"

She grabbed my hand and walked with me into the corridor.

"What's your name?"

She asked me with curious eyes.

"I'm Felicity."

Her eyes began to glow.

"My mom is one of your maids. I'm Sara."

"Very pleased to be able to meet your acquaintance, Sara"

She giggled.

After a while, the palace was huge and I thought we had lost our way, Sara became quiet and she could hardly keep her eyes open. I decided to lift her up and to carry her rest of the way. In my arms she snuggled closer to me. She was sweet. I was fully concentrated on not letting her fall. Focused on not to drop her, I was walking around the corner and into somebody. I looked up and my heart leapt into my throat. ,