The First Meeting

So this will be the first official elimination, and hopefully you will get to know some of the girls better, PM me or review me and tell me your favourites so that I we can keep them for longer :D

Damons hands were sweating and he was dreading having to hold 35 others. Actually he couldn't decide his emotions on that matter, one minute he was excited, another he was on the brink of tears. His mother had come to his room to set his nerves at ease, she hadn't gone through this experience herself of course, however she did know the pressures of first dates.

"Honey, are you almost ready? The girls are already down there waiting, they will become restless." She almost whispered. Her tone was never harsh but never weak. Her voice was a seamless balance in-between. Perfect for a mother and a Queen.

"Yes mother, but I am just trying to figure out what I will say, how I will act. My first impression is just as important as theirs." Damon said failing to look his mother in the eye.

"I know honey. Just be yourself, present yourself how you wish and I'm sure they will be more than happy. Half those girls are already in love with you, you know?" She half-smiled knowing that this was true.

"Okay. Okay, yes I'm ready."

"Just, please remember who you are when you make some of those girls go home today. But almost as important as that, think about who you want to be. And send the girls home who you know won't fit your future."

They looked at each other for a long time. Queen Adela with her eyebrows creased and Damon looked as though he was having a mental argument with himself. Eventually he broke the silence.

"I guess I should be going then. Don't want to keep them waiting any longer" He said with a half-hearted chuckle.

Once he was downstairs in the hall, the girls stood at awkward times, because they didn't particularly know when to stand, or if they were supposed to. But Damon raised his hand to let them know they should sit.

"Ladies, I would like to get to know each and every one of you better today. Our first official one-on-one meetings. Do not worry, none of them will be televised so there should be no concern of putting on a show for the audience. Just be yourself and that shall be good enough for me."

The girls looked at each other nervously. All of them thinking the same thing: is 'myself' good enough to be a princess?

Damon moved over to an intimate set of coffee-shop style table and chairs, he read the first name off a long list he found on the table. "Allay Verma, could you please come over?"

Allay walked over, checking that her dress was smooth and her shiny black hair was sitting nicely on her shoulders. "Hi, I'm Allay" she said, while he kissed her hand.

"Damon, very pleased to meet you. So Allay I will admit I'm not really sure how to do this. I've never been on a date before you see. And I'm sure you haven't either considering the laws. Sorry, I'm rambling, it's the nerves I guess." He spoke quite quickly with very little pauses.

"It's fine. I think everyone in this room is nervous, in one way or another. I'll start by telling you a bit about me. I am Allay Verma, a 3 from Waverly. I really love music, playing the piano mostly and painting. But I know that being a 3, I won't be able to make that a full time career. But I think I'll teach music. Like my mother"

"I feel like that's exactly what I need from every girl, a little de-brief of who they are." He sighed, knowing that some of the girls wouldn't share anything, and some would share too much. "I am very sorry but these have to be fast and I need to see the next girl. It was very nice to meet you." With that she stood up, holding perfect posture, curtsied and walked back to the other girls.

Some of the other meetings were like this. Mainly because Damon asked to tell him all about themselves in 5 sentences or less.

Eleanor Parks was quite shy when she said hers "I, uhhhh, I'm a 4 from Likely. I come from a large family, 3 um 3 sisters and 2 brothers. That's it, I ah, I think." Others such as Ellie Simons described herself with confidence "My caste is 4. I am from Angeles and I love most things. My family is small, I am an only child. However I do have a lot of cousins as my grandmother had 7 kids. Do you want to have kids Damon?" That question startled him "I, uhhh, I'll have to answer that one later I'm afraid our time is up!"

After the interviews were finished the girls were all beginning to get hungry. They all looked up excitedly as the final meeting ended, and Damon stood as Riley Williams took her seat looking confident. "You girls all did very well today, I will admit I was not expecting such a diverse group of girls. I don't want to hold you up any longer but would Summer, Holly, Courtney, Sadie Josie, Verity, Joanna , Chris, Eleanor, Lydia and Mickey please stay behind. The rest of you, of you could make your way to the dining room that would be excellent."

As the girls shuffled out they looked on edge. Would this be their last meal? Was he already narrowing it down to the top eleven? And one thought that crossed everybody but Damons mind. What did I do wrong? After the door had closed on the last girl Damon crossed the room so he stood in the centre facing the remaining girls. "Now I'm sure you are all wondering why you have been called here. I am very sorry but it is not good news. All of you are going home immediately. You may take your dresses and whatever you would like from your rooms. I am very sorry you all had to go home so soon. Goodbye." With that Damon left very quickly, he didn't want to have to deal with eleven emotional girls. He wanted to see the others, after all one of the remaining 24 would become his wife.