Heyo! Here's your next chapter! Hope you all enjoy it, it's freaking LONG!
Special shout out to my reviewers: XOStarbrightXO, Artemis' hunters (x2), Cookiedoodles168, and JenHen48! Love you guys so much!
Anyways, enjoy chapter eleven!
Avery Caxton clears her throat at least six times before everyone shuts up, and with each grumble she looks more annoyed. She seemed like a person whose buttons were easily pushed, which I found discouraging but I knew I'd have to deal with it anyway. She was the one who the Royal Family picked to be the Selection's advisor, coordinator, and educator, and there was doubt they had their pick of the best.
"Ladies, you have just gotten your first taste of the beautification process you'll go through at least twice a day with the three maids you be meeting soon. Some of you had more work done than others." Her eyes flit around the room. "This process might have been a dream come true for some of you, and for others, it could have been your personal hell. It's almost too easy to differentiate between the two. Work on that." She pulls out her clipboard and examines something. "If you're all ready, please follow me. I'd like to give you each a less abbreviated tour of the palace, and then show each of you to your rooms." And then, assuming that we'd all follow (which we did, of course), she stalks off.
It's hard to see in the shuffle of thirty-five girls, most of who are my height, but I try to absorb every detail. The Makeover Room is also known as the Women's Room, apparently, and the beautification-stuff was being disassembled right now, as we'd need to use it again tonight. The Queen and her daughters, along with some other royal-friends and foreign ladies got to stay there, but apparently we'd spend almost every second there during the competition. As long as we had nothing else to do, anyway.
Parties, banquets, galas, balls, and groups of more than fifty people used the Great Room. Since there were only thirty five of us, we could fit in the dining hall, where the Royal Family was used to taking their meals. The Great Room had ornate thrones of gold and white, and the room matched such a color scheme. It was one of the most immaculate things I had ever seen, actually, and absolutely divine in intricacy. I regret not being able to take meals there, but the dining room is nice too, if not as fancy. The walls are made of mahogany wood, and the flooring is completely veined marble. Darkwood tables form the perimeter of a perfect square. One of the tables will hold the seven royals, all facing one way, and the thirty five of us have three tables (both sides, of course), in a stiff U shape. Our seats are assigned, and Evelyn Clause, the three from Ottaro is on my left, and Thera Ellington, a three from Belcourt, will sit to my right. Across from me is Catalina Alvarez, another three, from Paloma, who may as well me my doppelgänger. Giselle is on Catalina's right, so we'd be close enough to talk (luckily enough, because I didn't know the other girls who surrounded me), and Harper Jones, a six from Panama, is on her left.
After we left, we descended a spiral staircase and took a quick peek at the room where the Report is filmed, then are ushered back upstairs and shown the strictly off-limits Men's Parlor. And speaking of off-limits, we're not allowed on the third floor either. That was where the royal's rooms were, and we "had no purpose there". The Selected would stay on the second floor, which Avery guided us all to, and the first level has most main functions. Also on the first floor are the Gardens, which I saw before. We weren't allowed there on our own, or without express permission. It's a safety precaution, they said. But Avery assured us there hasn't been a rebel breach in nearly two generations. She neglected to mention the international hazard that loomed overhead, and never said anything about us not worrying about that. It makes me feel sick, because it's far more likely that that'd be the real threat to us here.
Once we're on the second floor, Avery stops. "In these two hallways, we have your rooms. You wont have roommates, don't worry, and your set of three maids will work specifically on you. You'll meet them as soon as you get into your room, and try to be kind; they'll be catering to all of your needs for the duration of your stay. If you have any issues with the décor in your room, tell your maids and it'll be remedied as soon as possible. Your suitcases have already been brought to your room, but not touched or put away to protect your privacy, although you can instruct your maids to put away the contents if you'd like, or do it yourself. You have approximately two hours to relax before you have to get ready for dinner, which should take less time than your makeover did, but not by much. You'll meet in the dining hall for dinner, every one of you are expected to be there by five o'clock and not so much as a second later. You have an hour to eat, and please wait until dismissed before leaving. Your presence will be required in the Women's Room for the six o'clock screening of the Report, which you'll be featured on but you will not be there live. Highlight clips of plane rides, makeover interviews, and other things are being put together as we speak, and each of the girls will have a one-minute spot. Crown Prince Cameron hasn't seen these yet, nor the rest of the royal family, but they will along with yourselves and the rest of Illéa tonight. You'll meet him officially in a five-minute interview tomorrow morning, where you'll be expected in the Great Room by seven sharp." My head spins, trying to remember everything. Too much structure, too many events… I try to swallow and digest each of the plans, and figure I have a good idea of them so far.
"Alright ladies, this is where I leave you. Lady Montgomery, you're in this room here, Lady Stone, you'll be next to her, and Lady Foster across." Each of the girls is ticked off and shoved into respective rooms. Giselle is smack in the middle of the hallway, next to Ivy, and I'm shoved into a room between Leanore Fleuret and Thera Ellington, and across from Raven Cortez. I haven't met any of those girls, but I'm next to Thera in the dining arrangement, so I figure that might work out ok.
Upon opening the door, I'm immediately swarmed.
So apparently, these are my maids. The first, my head maid, is Arden. She's probably more beautiful than I am, with golden blonde waves and sharp blue eyes and a pearly smile. She seems young, but maybe not young enough to enter the Selection. She designs my dresses, apparently, and was just working on a sketch for next week's Report gown.
The next is Kaia, another blonde, but shorter than Arden and with darker eyes. She's incredibly quiet, or so I've gathered, and will by my hair stylist.
And the last girl is Alexa, a cheerful brunette with clear blue eyes and a sparkly aura. Just based on first impressions, Alexa seems a lot like Persephone: they share a caring attitude and considerate nature. She's my makeup artist, which she informs me of with a smile.
I like them, actually. They're sweet, if shy, but I'm excited that they're here for me.
"Is there anything we can do for you?" Arden ponders pleasantly.
"Um," I'm not sure what to say… "No, I don't think so. Not right now. I'm just going to read; is that ok?" They nod their heads eagerly and begin to straighten the already squeaky-clean bedroom.
The room. I haven't even looked around yet, but I'm floored when I finally take notice.
The hardwood floor is mahogany, and the walls are painted completely alabaster. My bed, complete with a white headboard, sports a white down comforter and eggshell colored pillows. There's a white vanity in the corner, a white shag carpet under the bed, and a pristine white trunk by the foot. It's clean cut and simple, but modern, and it makes my head feel clear, sharp and focused for the first time since I was Selected. Daring to crumple (slightly) my perfectly made bed, I lay down and I pull out my book (Perfectly Flawed by Luna Amber Wilde) to read, but after fifteen minutes I'm sound asleep.
It feels like mere moments before I'm shaken gently awake by Arden. More comfortably before, I let the girls dress me: them seemingly more excited than I am. My maids have made my gown with their own hands, a strapless black floor length garment with a sweetheart neckline and a ruched bodice, a fitted waist, and a tulle skirt. There's bits of white on the sides, in a little angular triangle and making my waist look even slimmer. It's paired with white stilettos and silver and diamond drops dangling from my ears. Kaia fixes my hair, so the curls fall down my back, and Alexa touches up my makeup, but doesn't change anything. Now this is something I could get used to. I feel absolutely beautiful and acutely refined.
The girls stand back smiling, admiring their work. "Wow. Color me impressed." I chuckle, suddenly feeling sentimental. "You guys are absolutely incredible."
"Thank you, miss." Kaia smiles, answering for the rest of them. "It's about four fifty, you have ample time to make your way to the dining hall. Do you remember where it is?"
"Yeah, thank you." I reassure them. They reapply my scent before I head off, finding Ivy a few steps ahead of me, so we walk downstairs together.
The two of us join a stampede just outside the door, probably about twenty six of us with four minutes for the rest to show up. I grab Ivy's hand and pull her around to find Giselle, who's by a window chatting with Evelyn Clause.
Once she catches sight of me, her face lights up and she calls Ivy and I over.
"Aspen, Ivy, this is Evie!" The blonde girl, with her perfect golden hair pulled into a bun and skin tone complimented in a blush-mauve chiffon dress with a criss crossed bodice, smiles and sticks out her hand for me to shake.
"Hey!" I try to offer her my warmest smile, but Ivy looks considerably more timid.
"You're sitting next to me at dinner, right?" Evie clarifies.
"Oh yeah, I guess I am."
She smiles wide. "Ok, cool."
Avery clears her throat another several times and gives us a small, cold pep talk about how we're inexperienced in etiquette but we need to try out hardest not to be "so entirely embarrassing". A few girls, Evie included, chuckle, already not taking our coordinator seriously. But finally, the double doors are thrown open and we're allowed inside the dining hall.
Evie and I split off to take our seats, whispering excitedly as we go. All seven of the royals are already there, taking a second to observe each of us as we walk through the doorway and take our seats. It's so bizarre seeing them up close, but I can't tear my eyes away.
All at once my body flushes and looses any warmth, and my brain feels paralyzed. Prince Cameron looks me –directly- in the eye. His mouth is in the same, unmoving line; his eyes are guarded and glassy, and suddenly I feel absolutely lightheaded. I reach up and pinch myself once on my jawline by my ear and break my eyes off him. As far as I can tell, his stare doesn't linger any longer than that.
Once everyone's seated, dinner is served: a black pepper flank steak and side of grilled vegetables, and a glass of ice water with lemon for everyone who didn't want iced tea (I just wasn't in the mood). My parents, bless their souls, could never have dreamed up such a recipe if they tried. The steak is a bit tough but cooked well and is kicking with flavor, and the zucchini and onions taste sweet and drip with olive oil. I try not to eat the entire contents of my plate, but cant help myself. Evie, Giselle and I discuss the excitement and the food, and other things in easy conversation. It's really nice, actually. More refined than I've ever talked with Blaire and the rest of her friends (who much preferred the topic of gossip, which I've never minded but got a bit petty after a while).
Dessert comes next, berries and vanilla ice cream. It's such a simple dish, but does its part to be one of the best things I've ever tasted: it melts in my mouth, and is light enough not to give me a stomachache.
One by one, the royals pluck up and exit (they have the Report to prepare for), though the rest of the girls aren't allowed to until everyone's finished. At around five forty-five, Avery declares that we're leaving. Thirty-five sets of heels clamor and clack on the marble flooring until we're back in the Women's Room, which is mostly cleaned since the makeovers this morning. We all take our seats around the couches, all pointed towards the flat-screen on the western wall. Though Avery seems troubled by it, we get to talk until the Report finally snaps on at six.
"Hello Illéa and welcome to this week's segment of the Illéan Capital Report!" Brenan is as jubilant and energetic as ever, and it's so weird to think that he's only a floor and a few rooms away. "Today, the thirty five girls of the Selection have come to the palace, and tomorrow they'll meet their prince for the first time. But for now, here's a few things we've gathered about each."
Girls shift around the room and bear smiles. Giselle squeezes my hand supportively, and Evie smiles at the two of us on her other side. Ivy, who sits on the ground in front of the couch, turns back to grin gleefully at me.
"Lady Raven Cortez was quite stark to our idea of a 'lady', but we're satisfied with the risks she took in her makeover. Her dark auburn-brown hair was cut and highlighted, and her tattoos showed from under her bold, black dress. We'll definitely keep an eye on this one, and we're very excited to see what else happens with her throughout this competition." A clip runs of Raven getting made over, and some of the things she said in her mini-interview. Though maybe Brenan's speech, if alone, could have done some damage, the after-makeover interview patches it up. Raven laughs along with her camera crew and seems totally personable and relaxed, and plenty funny, if her interviewer's smile is any indication. I turn to look at Raven, who's high fiving the girls around her and looks satisfied.
"I think we're all a bit surprised to find that we've never heard of Lady Drew Montgomery before. She had a natural stage presence at her sendoff and carried herself like a natural-born two. Confident and strong, Lady Drew doesn't look like one to back down an we're interested to see how she reacts with the other girls in the competition." As Brenan speaks, a clip of Drew (one of the most beautiful fives I've ever seen) reels, waving across the stage like a movie star as the crowd cheered at her feet. She didn't look smug, exactly, but definitely confident, and didn't seem to share my nerves upon being on stage.
"Miss Leanore Fleuret had trouble breaking away from her mother, father, and younger brothers before she left for the airport." The Polynesian girl looks like she's near tears on the tape, stopping to give long hugs to her relatives and have a conversation with each. My heart pangs towards my own family, and though it's only been a day, I miss them like crazy. "Though she remained cool and collected through the rest of our interviews and makeovers, she certainly let her emotions show when it came to her family."
"Lady Adriana Foster, though seemingly out of her element, has clearly had a great time so far." Adriana's interview from her makeover comes on screen, and cuts to her talking about her changes. Like Raven, she seems charming and funny, making her interviewer laugh a little, while maintaining a happy smile. "We were all touched at her sendoff, when she said goodbye to her foster family, and you could tell how close a relationship she's formed with each of them." If not for the last name, I could have sworn that Adriana was biologically related to those she said such a sorrowful goodbye to. Each have their ginger hair and easy smiles, and she seems to fit in with them so well.
"Lady Giselle Knight made a splash at her sendoff in Denbeigh, and then later the airport. Her enthusiasm was obvious, and she embraced this opportunity very easily. She had to be torn away from her admirers, and seemed very bubbly and animated while conversing with them. She's an immediate crowd favorite and clearly such a sweetheart." Giselle makes a small squeak next to me, and the other two girls and I embrace her in congratulations. She's a natural with the people, and everyone she talks to loves her immediately. I'm almost jealous, but I'm too busy being happy for my friend.
"Lady Pepper Hearst was reserved and clearly shocked today, seemingly unable to take in everything at once. But during our interview after her makeover, she seemed much more adjusted and lively. And once her interviewer brought up the topic of fashion, she couldn't stop talking!" Pepper's clip comes up, where she describes her makeover in vivid detail that only someone with experience in the field could have had, and she gave a detailed recounting of how she got her job and how much she loved it. The blonde, who stood by herself behind some of the couches, smiles in pride as she stares at her feet.
"After overcoming a few nerves, Lady Clio really got into the spirit of the Selection. Though there may have been a bit of tension between her parents and step-mom, Miss Smirnov-Athans recovered quickly and let herself becomes immersed in her fans. She stopped several times at the airport to sign autographs, and jokes how her hand actually hurt afterwards, in her interviews." I smile to myself, happy for the kind girl from my plane, who shares a small celebration from the girls she's sitting with. Her interview makes her seem mature and kind.
"Miss Ivy Dupree seemed rather timid all day." Brenan remarks lamely. Ivy takes a sharp inhale, and I squeeze her hand in front of me, trying to support her. "At her sendoff, the lady was reserved and didn't stop to say goodbye to anyone, and almost seemed as if she'd prefer to be anywhere else than on stage. She didn't stop many times at the airport, but fans went wild, trying to support her. And finally, during her interview, she seemed a bit more than tense as she tried to answer each of the questions as quickly as she could. She was incredibly kind, and seemed to really support the other girls, but we can tell she's going to be the one with a private life she might not wish to divulge… We're not sure what it might take to get her out of her shell, but we cant wait until the day." My heart courses pain for the girl in front of me. But what the clips don't capture is how kind she was on the plane, and how accepting she was of me before we'd even met. Or her calmness while we flew, or her generosity towards everyone, besides the fact that she had the most authority of anyone I had ever met, besides the royals. It didn't show how pretty she looked tonight, or how she encouraged Giselle before she came on. It's not fair.
Ivy is frozen in place. Though the three of us each give her a tight hug, you can see her distress. She excuses herself quickly and heads to the bathroom, and I assume that she'd like her space for a bit before having to brave anyone. It's horrible that that's what the cameras chose to show, while everyone else got nice highlight reels. I wince sharply, my head hurting in empathy.
But Brenan moves on. "Lady Emberly Saffron was nothing like the dainty presence we all expected. Her sendoff was rowdy and showed her spunk, and she had much more of a modern family dynamic, with twelve adolescent boys, none of whom she seemed to be biologically related to, practically rioting in her wake." A feminine laugh appears a few girls to my right, where Emberly sits clutching her sides in a state of hilarity. "Not only did she have countless well wishers at her sendoff, though! At the airport, Miss Saffron was one of the girls with the most supporters, and she's made a really lasting impression on all of us. We're excited to see where the Selection takes her."
"That is absolute gold." Emberly, who's sitting alone, and is the first girl to comment on her spot, declares.
"Yeah?" Evie asks, practically shouting just so the girl could hear her over the noise of the Report, which welcomes plenty of angry shushing. "Why's that?"
"These 'boys', part of my 'modern family dynamic': not exactly cousins, or part of some group home. I'm just trying to imagine how hard they're laughing, back at home." She smiles sadly. "Their own Ember: one of the people's favorites."
"I'm sure they're really happy for you." Giselle offers.
"Undoubtedly. But if I was with them, I wouldn't hear the end of it."
"We thought Lady Evelyn Clause was more of a somber girl, before her makeover. Easy going, casual, and cool, she's made a great impression on all of us." I squeeze Evie's hand and we share an excited look. "This three, who betrayed our stereotypes of the caste, carried herself with the attitude of a two and the intelligence of someone we suspected her to be. She was a vision in her makeover, and we're excited to see where the Selection takes her."
"Lady Harper seemed… nervous, at least until we got her alone. We never can tell exactly how being Selected affects one's relationships at home, but Miss Jones spent a good deal of time searching the crowd at her sendoff. Could this mean a feud with a friend? A former flame? Whatever it was, her agitatedness didn't waver at the airport, where she was on edge constantly. But, in her makeover interview, she really seemed to calm down and become herself. She didn't address her public appearances, instead skirting the question when asked about it, but she seemed charming and her business is her own."
"Lady Audrey Matlock was the image of a princess with the nobility of a queen. She carried herself in a way where we're shocked she isn't a long lost member of our royal family, but this two has assured us her relationships at home aren't falsified. Lady Matlock bears a strong resemblance to her mother, who seemed to burst with pride in a very sincere sendoff, and both of her parents seemed to know that their daughter will flourish. We certainly hope so, because Miss Audrey is a lady we'll be watching as the competition wears on."
"Lady Aspen," Oh my god, "was a marvelous presence. Though a bit shy, the lady proved that she's willing to try new things, from being one of the only girls to speak at her sendoff, to stopping to talk to almost the entire airport crowd, to making a few changes in her makeover. She showed maturity and care with her family and another girl who we believe to be a close friend, and she stopped to talk to each individually before leaving, through she seemed heartbroken to be apart from them. However, the lady didn't let that stop her from entertaining the airport, of which she was clearly one of the crowd favorites, and leaving lasting impressions on each of the makeover attendants and interview crew. We're especially excited about this girl, and even more excited to see what Prince Cameron thinks of her."
My insides are swimming. There wasn't a single negative comment about me (besides the casual mention of shyness I hadn't even realized I had), and my highlights all seemed sincere and genuine. I'm not sure exactly how they can do that with the little they had. I mean, I didn't even do anything all day, and they make me look like the future freaking queen. I feel practically faint, with the happy squeezes of Evie and Giselle barely helping to keep me grounded.
"Lady Bonita Stone put on quite a show. She certainly showed that she knew how to keep a focused crowd, and she had a natural stage presence. Though a bit sassy in her interview, miss Bonita looked absolutely radiant. We're intrigued to see where this beauty, true to her name, winds up."
A few more girls still get their features, all positive, before the Report is concluded and Avery snaps the television off.
"Not fair…" I can hear Raven mutter. "I totally wanted to watch something. There's no TV in my room."
Avery looked so annoyed she'd punch Raven in the face. "Our apologies, Lady Cortez. If there's anything we can do to remedy this, please tell us."
"Well, you could give me a TV for-"
"Alright Ladies, if you'll please follow me back to your rooms." Avery interrupts. Evie and Ember exchange a glance, and look like they're on the verge of laughter.
But we followed Avery anyway.
Before we've stepped on the first stair to the second floor, Giselle pulls my arm away.
"What? What's wrong Giselle?"
"Ivy still hasn't come back yet." She whispers fiercely, not wanting Avery to hear us. "Do you think we could go look for her? I'm worried, I just want to make sure she's safe."
"Good idea." I agree. The two of us swim against the current of girls and take off our shoes so that we don't make any noise on the marble. We get a bit lost at times, but we find our way to the bathroom eventually.
"Ivy?" Giselle pipes, her voice sounding worried and gentle.
We get no response. I look over, a bit nervous, at Giselle, who looks exactly how I feel.
"Ummm… Ivy?" I take my turn to announce. She still doesn't respond, or even give any indication that she's in the bathroom. "Ivy, we're going to come in now."
I jiggle toe doorknob, only to find it locked.
Giselle laughs scornfully. "Any chance you know how to pick a lock?"
"Duh." I pull out two of the bobby pins securing my hair back and stretch the first one, biting off the plastic head, I fold the other in half and insert it into the lock. Using the straightened pin, I gently probe each of the binders until each is elevated and I hear a click.
I open the door and let Giselle in first to look for a light switch.
"Aspen, that was legitimately one of the coolest things I've ever seen. You're, like, out of a freaking movie or something. Tell me, were you an international spy in your past life or something?"
"No, I actually think I might have been persecuted as a witch in Europe in the nineteenth century."
"Specific." Giselle flips the lights on. There's no sign of our redheaded friend. "Do you think maybe she went up to her room or something?"
"Yeah, maybe." I say, looking around.
Something's off here. One of the silver handles on the row of sinks is loose (so slightly you can only really tell if you push the entire thing back a bit) and the lower left angle of the mirror is cracked in the very corner. Something dark brown is streaked on the floor of the caving stall behind us (almost matching the stone of the ground), and it flakes off like it's been there for a bit. A small half-moon window is open, and a small breeze sends the cream chiffon curtains (the left of which is snagged by it's brass rod) drifting. My breath hitches.
"She's not here." I say quickly, practically pushing Giselle out of the bathroom. "She's obviously in her room, there's nowhere else she could possibly be, and we'll see her in the morning." I try to let out a casual laugh. "We really need our beauty sleep, beauty queen. Gotta be rested for Prince Cameron tomorrow."
Giselle smiles at me and laughs. "Ah, the white knight of our dreams!" I smile, trying to fight (or even hide) the feeling of darkness in my gut. "Get it? It's a pun: my last name, silly!"
"You're hilarious." I say, stampeding up the stairs. My shoes are still off, but I take off any rattling jewelry as well, making the excuse that they're uncomfortable, and bless the royals for choosing carpeted marble staircases as supposed to wood.
"Sweet dreams, my dear friend." Giselle says sarcastically, closing her door behind her and speaking loud enough to where I can hear a muffled conversation with her maids.
I look both ways before practically running to my own room. I open it as loudly as humanly possible, giving my Arden, Kaia, and Alexa a second to gather to greet me (as they seemed to like to do) so I can count them quickly, and then close it as carefully and quietly as I physically can. I turn the lock, and when Kaia asks about it, I tell her I've always slept with my door locked and it's just more comfortable for me. None of the three bat an eyelash.
They get me ready for bed as gently and quickly as they can, and I'm in bed by eight. However, it's still hours before I can get even a wink, and by the morning, you can hardly call me rested.
There's a chance that none of us here are safe at all.
Sweet dreams indeed.
Remember to review….
