Kit had only been home for two weeks and he'd already eliminated eight girls; I was impressed. The last time I'd seen him in England it had taken him over an hour to decide which movie we should watch. For his sake I was glad he was more decisive when it came to love.

In the time since the eventful brunch, Kit had made it through nearly all the girls. Mila and Crimson were instantaneous rejections, while Ari had two dates before she was sent home. On the more positive side of things, Kit took Massie to a private dinner with his parents, went stargazing with Malia, and took a daytrip–to a destination unknown to me–with Claire.

I told him time and time again to send Ruby home but he simply laughed at my insistence. With two weeks already gone, I decided to take matters into my own hands. After all, I was Ella Lacey, second in line to England, and every once in a while, I needed to exercise some power.

When Ruby opened her mouth to speak after finding me at her door, I held my hand up to silence her. "I know exactly what you're hiding Honey, and I think you've overstayed your welcome."

Ruby arched her eyebrows, taking a step forward. "Are you threatening me?"

I smiled sweetly, "I'm just telling you how it is. I, am a princess, you are nothing. If you think you can get away with what you're doing, then please go right ahead, but know that I always win."

Her laugh was maniacal, and if I wasn't so confident I probably would've blushed. "We'll see Ella."

As the door slammed in my face I considered the job done, her words meant nothing. I turned around and headed quickly to one of the cars waiting out front, knowing I had more important things to be doing. I slid in next to Jules and muttered an apology for my tardiness.

Jules was noticeably pale. "We have a problem." As the car pulled into motion she looked into my eyes. "Margo's here."

"Do Syd and Hannah know?"

Nodding Jules took a deep breath, "Hannah asked her to come. She just never expected that Margo would actually say yes."

"So," I forced myself to stop fiddling with the hem of my dress. Nerves were not what I needed in that moment, I needed a solution. "What do we do?"

"Control Sydney," Jules tried to laugh. "Hannah's worked so hard to get here, she's supposed to be the center of attention."

I now had a mission, something to distract me from my earlier confrontation with Ruby. "I won't let anything ruin her day."

Sighing, Jules gave me a sympathetic pat on my back. "I doubt we can assure that. In this family it's impossible to have a perfect day."

Agreeing to disagree we both relaxed into the leather seats. Jules pulled out her phone and I let the warmness of the sun completely envelop me.

With my eyes closed I had no clue how much time had passed when I felt the car stop and heard the engine turn off. When I opened them I turned to see Jules still typing away, oblivious to the fact that we had arrived.

When the driver opened the door I was out of the car in a blink. I nearly ran over Agnes whose car had arrived first.

"I think I saw Charles over there," Agnes gestured to the northerly part of the park.

"Margo?" I asked, a shiver running through my body.

She nodded. "It's doing no one any good having her here. Charles especially. He refuses to move past her, but he must if he ever truly wants to be happy again."

"Is that another palace car?" Jules squinted in the sunlight as she made her way towards us. I looked over my shoulder and realized that she was right; a palace car had just pulled into the lot.

Before I could get a look at who it was, Hannah came bounding across the park, a huge grin on her face.

"Someone clearly hasn't spoken to Margo yet," I mumbled sarcastically before Hannah was within earshot.

Instead of stopping to speak with us, she merely said a quick "thank you for coming," and then continued on to the other car where two of Kit's Selected had emerged from.

Normally I would have made some remark about being surrounded by the Selection, but in the moment I was frantically looking around to make sure Ruby hadn't come with them. I had said I wouldn't let anything ruin Hannah's day, but I wasn't sure if I could restrain myself if the Brunette Bimbo was nearby.

"Ella!"

I snapped to attention when I heard my name called. "Sydney," I smiled when I saw my cousin coming towards me.

Once she reached me she took my arm and pulled me away to a slightly less populated area of the park. Syd unzipped her purse and pulled out a silver flask. "We're drinking."

I arched my eyebrows at her command but then shrugged. "You don't have to ask me twice."

As I took the flask from her Sydney let out a huge sigh. "I can't stand my mother. I mean she came here acting like the last seventeen years hadn't happened."

I had nothing to say to comfort her so I passed her back the burning liquid. After a few moments Sydney's face lit up and she waved frantically at someone behind me. I turned around to see Ren approaching us.

"Good to see I'm not the only one drinking," he laughed, pulling out his own flask and offering it to me.

I gladly accepted, "you're a good man Ren Hart."

"If only the ex-girlfriend thought like you," his tone made it clear that he was joking but I was sober enough to know that he was still hurting from his breakup.

"Looks like it's starting," Sydney wore a frown as she leaned awkwardly to see around the tree we were hiding behind.

"Unless you're dying to sit beside Margo, I suggest we watch from back here."

I grinned at Ren's ingenious idea. "I'll drink to that."

He laughed but Sydney didn't look convinced. "I told Hannah I'd be where she could see me for her speech."

Ren shrugged, "but that's not for a while. We can go sit with the family when they call Han up to the stage."

I took a seat on the grass, not waiting for Sydney's reply. She and Ren joined me just as the ceremony began.

I had never been to a graduation before. Being schooled at the English palace meant that I didn't have my own and I had been on a peacekeeping trip with Christopher when Sydney graduated. I was quite enamored with the whole thing as I sat in the background pulling up tufts of grass. The attraction wore out when I heard Hannah's named called and realized that I had to get up.

As Syd and Ren quickly put away their empty flasks, I began to make my way over to the hordes of people watching the graduation. When I found my family I was relieved to see they had saved us seats. I assumed the one next to Charles was for Sydney and the one between Sage and Jules was for Ren so that left me sitting on the end of the row next to one of the selected, Penelope I believed her name was.

Margo looked disapprovingly at her daughter when Sydney arrived. If it wasn't for the public locale, I would have slapped the woman. She lost the right to reprimand Syd a long time ago.

"Good afternoon," everyone's attention turned to Hannah, except for mine.

My purse was vibrating, and normally I would've ignored it, but for some reason I didn't. I opened my bag and looked at my phone; I saw the number.

I got out of my seat and walked a few paces away from the crowd, trying not to disturb anyone but at the same time not caring. I hit the answer button because I had to, not because I wanted to.

"Hello?" My voice was weak, only once before had I received a call from this number. "This is Robin Elizabeth Beatrice Ella Lacey."

"I regret to inform you," my heart stopped, "that the Crown and the Sceptre have fallen."

I would've broken, right then and there, but in that moment my eyes locked with Hannah's. Her day was going to be perfect, so I smiled and she gave me the purest grin.

When she looked away I was met once again with my crumbling world. "How?" I croaked into the phone.

"There was an accident, the details of which cannot yet be disclosed." A heartbeat was all he gave me before he continued. "Your presence is needed at court immediately. A plane is being prepped as we speak."

Looking around to make sure I wasn't being watched, I headed towards the palace cars. "Tell my dad that I'm on my way."

Dropping my phone into my bag, I quickened my pace until I heard my name being called. I turned around to see Penelope following me, concern etched on her face.

"I've got to go," was all I could manage to say.

When I reached the cars I caught the attention of one of the drivers who was standing in the shade trying to stay cool. "I need to be taken to the airport."

He didn't question me, just held the door open so I could get in. As he shut the door the other side opened revealing Penelope, who clearly wanted an answer for my disappearance.

Sitting beside me she said nothing until the driver had pulled out onto the highway. "Something happened if you're headed to the airport, don't try to deny it."

That's when the tears started, and what I'd just been told sank in; they were gone. Two of the most important people in my life were dead. I would never see them again.

Turning I looked Penelope dead in the eyes. "Go home Penelope, and I don't mean to the castle. Leave this place as fast as you can, and never look back."

She tucked a strand of hair gingerly behind her ear, taking a moment to process what I had just demanded of her. "What if I'm the one?" She raised her eyebrows, "what if I leave and Prince Kit is forced to marry someone who he doesn't love?"

"Then he can die knowing that at least you were safe." Penelope didn't look convinced, causing me to swing my head back in exasperation. "Look at the freaking history books. Everyone dies."

The driver swerved the car as my yelling threw him off guard. In that moment I wanted nothing more than for the car to crash, to take me away from this wretched earth, but instead the driver recovered and it was like that moment had never happened.

"History isn't about the living." Penelope appeared to be quite hung up on my outburst. "It's about the heroes who fell fighting–literally or metaphorically–for what they believed in. It's about Kennedy Schreave who ridded Illéa of the caste system, and Emma Hart who took an English girl and made her into the strongest, most benevolent queen this country has ever seen."

I shook my head, "you can find good in anything."

"Give me the bad then, tell me what I'm missing."

I turned my head forward, I couldn't handle Penelope's stony gaze for a moment longer. "It's about my mother," I took a breath. "Someone who had the crown forced upon her at a very young age and has been dealing with the consequences ever since. It's about her sister who although the second child, was born to be queen. Who did amazing things for England and who was forced to abdicate when her parents' secret came out."

Penelope looked like she was going to explode. "Beatrice stole from the people. The taxes she put in place nearly bankrupted thousands."

I laughed as I felt a single tear roll down my cheek. "No my Darling, that's what history told you happened. Beatrice had already been ousted when the taxes were put in place, she was used purely as a scapegoat."

Struggling for words, she fidgeted in her seat, "but why?"

"The royal advisors saw it as a way to not only pay for Mum's coronation, but also to win the people over to her side. They knew once she ascended she wouldn't waste a second before decreasing the tax."

Penelope snorted, "and that's all it took to make her the beloved queen that she is today?"

I faltered at her words, but like the driver, I recovered quickly. "There was a little more to it than that." The distraction this conversation was meant to be was no longer as efficient now that the topic was my mother, but I forced myself to continue. "She was legitimate, she was married to a nobleman, that nobleman wasn't previously divorced. Mainly though, the people trusted her in a way that they never trusted any of her siblings. Elizabeth was trained to be queen, Beatrice was trained to be the spare, and her brothers spent a good share of their time at boarding school, they were quite removed from the monarchy. Jane was different."

Penelope waited for more, but that was all I had. My mother wasn't your typical princess, and at the time of her ascension, she was what the people needed.

As we neared the airport I finally faced why we were in the car to begin with. "I'm being called back to England. That's what you tell Kit, or Liv, or anyone who asks."

She nodded solemnly, "how bad is it?"

I fought off the tears as best I could but in a matter of seconds they overtook me. That was all the answer Penelope needed so once I regained myself I pleaded with her. "Don't say anything about this, please. They'll know soon enough, just not today, today is Hannah's day."

As we pulled to a stop on the tarmac the driver hopped out of the car and pulled open my door. Penelope grabbed my hand before I could get out. "Whatever it is, I am so sorry. You deserve better than this."

Her words meant more to me than I would ever let on. I really should have thanked her but I just didn't have the strength.

Stepping out of the car I turned back one last time, "tell Hannah I'm sorry."

A/N

You all deserved this back in June but I just couldn't bring myself to finish it. It's a really important chapter to me because Ella's whole world falls to pieces and I wanted to get it right. Every time I read through it I changed something but I finally just had to force myself to leave it. Really I don't think there is a way to get loss right but hopefully the next few chapters will help to capture it.

If you guys have any questions please let me know! I'll clarify a few things right now. Ruby isn't gone, once she finds out Ella is back in England she no longer has a reason to leave. A lot went down between Margo and Charles that you'll just have to wait to find out, but the family is justified in not liking her. Ella's name isn't actually Ella. All her names are tribute names except for Ella so even though it is officially her middle name it's the name she's always been called. The Crown and the Sceptre are two important people in Ella's life, feel free to guess, you'll find out more in the coming chapters. Kennedy Schreave's selection was the original story I intended to publish but I instead chose to write this one. Really all you need to know is that he was a king of Illéa, and like Penelope says, he was the one who abolished the castes. Emma Hart (I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before) is the mother of the wonderful Jules, Ren, and Sage, more about her will be coming later. There was a lot of scandal surrounding the English royals a couple decades ago which is what resulted in Jane becoming queen.

I'm off travelling for the next couple of weeks so the next chapter won't be posted for quite some time. I'm still waiting on some of the details of the selected but I would like to start doing some selected POVs so it would be lovely if you guys sent me the rest of your characters. The full list of the girls is now up on my profile and although you don't know them very well I would love to hear who you want to see more of.

I hope you're all having a lovely summer

Shaelynn