Disclaimer: All characters belong to Kiera Cass. Storyline belongs to us.

Chapter 2

The morning of the arrival of all of the selected, the palace is in a whirl. The former Women's Room has been converted into a 'man cave' of sorts. Complete with a flat screen TV, a pool table, a bar, and an array of couches and chairs. The wing that contains all of their rooms has been cleaned and redecorated.

I'm just a big ball of nerves and caffeine. My parents are the picture of calm and collected, my mother floating like there isn't a bunch of guys moving in with us today. I'm expected to meet all of them tomorrow and dismiss at least 4 of them. As if I would recognize my soulmate after five minutes of talking to them.

My mother orders Mary to escort me to my room and keep me there while all of the selected settle into their new lifestyle, but at least four would have to pack up their things before their belongings even find their place.

So here I am, stretching out in my little dance studio, trying to keep my nerves at bay. Barre exercises are tedious, but they are mindless and I find a weird kind of calm doing them. After I have done every single barre combination possible, I move to the center. I play a shuffle of random music, just trying to piece together random choreography.

Once I've sweat through my clothes, I decide it's quitting time, and I try to sneak through the corridors without any confrontation.

And of course, with my luck, while turning a corner, I hit a solid mass that turns out to be a person. His hands immediately grab my upper arms and prevent me from falling right on my ass. Not for the first time today. His blue eyes bore into my questioningly, and he looks kind of scared.

"Shit- I mean, uh, shoot. I'm so sorry." I stare at him with my mouth open, and it dawns on me that I'm still drenched in sweat. My grey top is a few shades darker than it should be and my black capris are sticking to my legs awkwardly. I take a hasty step back.

"Amberly?" he asks, disbelieving. I nod my head, kind of petrified and not able to move my feet. He offers a hand and I almost place mine in it, before realizing that even my hands are sweaty.

"I'm Alec," he says with an attempt at a confident smile. It ends up looking more like a grimace.

I smile back at him nervously, as I desperately look around for a surface to wipe my hands off on, at one point I'm seriously considering the wall. He looks at me, understanding my dilemma and withdrawing his hand, sticking in his jacket pocket.

"I, uh, I should like go," I say, gesturing to the corridor behind his shoulder. He laughs uncomfortably and moves out of my way. I rush past him, but briefly turn back to face him. "By the way, it was nice to meet you." At that, I turn and sprint to my room.

I open it right as Mary is coming out and collapse to the floor, bracing my fall with my hands.

"Oh dear, is everything okay, Miss Amberly," Mary says from the doorway.

"I wish to be alone for the rest of my life, Mary," I mumble into the carpet. I can feel her rolling her eyes at me.

"Amberly, I was hoping your teenage angst wouldn't set in, but here it is."

I groan and flip onto my back so I can see her. "I think I'm entitled to at least a little bit of angst, given my situation."

"I guess you're right. Want to tell me what happened?" she asks

"Not yet, I want to let the humiliation sit for a while before I recount the gory details."

"Okay then, I will let you stew in your humiliation while I go get some fresh towels if you're sure. I'll make sure no one comes in to bother you." Mary says as she closes the door.

I decide to do something that will probably increase today's embarrassment but hey, go big or go home. I head to my bathroom and thirty minutes later I'm bounding down the stairs in a dress, determined to spy (for lack of a better word) on the guys of the selection.

The guards open the door for me, and I step out into the garden. The warm Angeles air greets me as I navigate around, trying to find the right window. When I finally find it, I'm faced with the problem of a plant right in front of it.

I just can't…. like I'm done, I can't. I finally just mutter "screw it," under my breath and stomp on the poor, unsuspecting plant. I look over the window ledge.

Bingo. The guys are all lounging around the couches, laughing and watching a soccer game on TV.

I don't know all of their names, and some of them aren't facing me. I immediately recognize Alec, and I involuntarily blush, shaking my head at how absolutely smooth I was.

As if I willed the thoughts into their brains, the one I recognize as Ryder says, "Has anyone met her yet?"

Alec, no. Do not. Don't you dare tell them anything.

I almost cry from relief when he shakes his head with everyone else. He has a terrible poker face, but I doubt anyone noticed. The guys sitting in the U-shaped couch all laugh and bump each other.

"The best part is, Amberly is really easy on the eyes," says Kaidan. I'm surprised at how easily their names come to mind.

"Definitely. Girls like her definitely don't need an actual personality." My mouth drops open and I stop myself from crawling through the window and bitch slapping this guy.

I'm pleased to see that most of the guys share disbelieving looks and eye rolls at Jack Edwards' statement. 1 down, 3 to go. He just made my job way easier.

"According to some research, she's got one of the highest IQ's in Illéa, and is very talented in many areas," says Grayson matter-of-a-factly. I feel a smile creep on my face.

I hear a guy scoff and say, "Yeah because that really matters."

A bunch of them laugh and Grayson cheeks flare up in the cutest way possible. I feel bad, but it's nice to see that side of him.

"If only she wasn't flat as wall," says a guy I can't see, and I immediately look down, scowling.

"Well, at least her back matches her front," Jack says with a grin that I wish I could punch off his face. "She obviously doesn't take after America. The queen is a total MILF."

At that, Kaidan stands up, and I can see the vein popping out in his neck. "Okay that was more than enough. You crossed a line."

Let's just say I'd be scared if I was Jack.

"Personally, I think both Lady Amberley and Queen America are perfect as they are," Ryder says, looking directly at me. Then he winks. He. Winks. At. Me. His grin is too wide and I can see the smugness in his eyes.

My cheeks are flaming red as I scramble out of the shrubbery and back into the castle. I rush back to my room and collapse onto my bed, hoping that my interactions with the selected will be better than they were today.

The Selection is kicking my ass.

A/N: Don't be mad at lack of updates. Please. We have not been on the same level lately and we finally got our crap together, and Sugar (our nickname for Sugar, You're Going Down. You should check it out if you like Percabeth) will be updated sometime today or tomorrow. Clarity will hopefully be updated tomorrow too. I hope you liked this chapter, we will update more often I promise!