Prince Noah's POV

Today was the day I was to meet all of the girls. The day that I would meet my future wife. Naturally, my palms were sweating and I felt sick. Most of the girls I had ever been around were my sisters and maids, and frankly they didn't really count in my head. I paced the great hall along the long table waiting for the girls to come for breakfast.

My family was seated at the table watching me with either concerned or amused expressions. "Noie, what are you so nervous?" Evelyn piped up in the silence and I chuckled. "I'm nervous about meeting all the girls who came to palace yesterday," I informed her and she looked at me if I was crazy. "Why would you be worried 'bout that? They're all so pretty!"

My father burst out in laughter at that and my mother smiled rubbing his arm. "You'll be fine, son. You may be surprised to find that most of them won't bite." my father told me as soon as he got his laughter back in check. I took a deep breath, "I know, I know. It's just going so fast." "Your telling us. Don't worry though. My advice to you is if you don't feel anything with them, anything at all, send them home. I know it's only the first day but your not going to grow to love someone you don't have feelings for. It will make the number of girls more manageable if you send a decent amount home." I nodded taking heed to his advice, "Thank you, father."

Just then Silvia led all of the girls into the room and assembled them into a line facing me. Silvia gave them a signal and they all dipped into a curtsy. "Your highness, these girls are quite excited to meet you." Silvia addressed while motioning to them with her hand. "And I them. This morning while breakfast is being served I'll be taking each of you to the side one by one to get to know you. You will each get a few minutes. I'll start with Lady Serenity from Allens first."

A tall gorgeous girl with long wavy dark red hair sauntered over to me and it was then I realized the pictures of her didn't do her justice. She was quite the sight and it took everything in me not to stare. I smiled at her and gave her my arm to lead her over to the chairs we had set up across the room. We sat down and she flashed me a beautiful smile.

"So your the lovely Lady Serenity, it's a pleasure to meet you," I greeted her and she giggled a bit. It wasn't a childish giggle though, it was mature yet still flirtatious. "Please, just call me Serenity. No need for the fancy titles," she replied still smiling at me. At this rate I would be absolute mush by the end of this morning.

"Then Serenity, what did you do for a living back at home?" I questioned curiously. She flipped her hair and told me, "I'm an actress, but I'm mostly in chick-flicks and dramas so I'm not so sure you would recognize me." I shook my head, "You've got that right. I'm not really a chick-flick kind of guy." "I figured," she laughed and I joined in. I glanced at my watch and decided to keep things moving. "I'm afraid I have to get to meet the next girl, but it was great meeting you." Serenity stood and curtsied deeply, "You as well, I hope to see you again." She walked back to the table, her hips swaying back and forth. If the introductions went like this, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

The next girl was a petite pale girl with golden blonde hair from Angeles. As she curtsied and sat in front of me I couldn't help but feel as if she was familiar to me. "Hello, Lady Makayla. Your the girl from my favorite province, right?" I chuckled attempting to break the ice. She gave me a timid smile, "That would be me, your highness."

This girl was very different from the first, yet I still wanted to get to know her. I felt as if I knew her, but I knew that I had never heard of anyone with her name. "How is the palace treating you?" I asked her while giving her a what I felt was an encouraging smile. She laughed a little, something I still felt like I'd heard before. "It feels like home." I nodded, "I'm glad, I was afraid for some of these girls it would be too big a transition."

She shook her head, "No, certainly not for me. I'm quite used to this place already." I couldn't quite wrap my head around the fact she's been here one night and spoke of it like home, but I suppose she just had good spirits. "Thank you for your time, Lady Makayla. I will speak with you again soon." I said dismissing her and she gave me a well practices curtsy before returning to the others. Two girls down, thirty-three more to go.

I knew the next girl making her way over to me right away. She was the party planner Claretta Kamari Ellington. I had never spoken to her directly but I had been to some galas that she had been a main planner of. "Lady Claretta, it's a honor to meet you. I'm aware that you're quite the amazing party planner," I greeted her and she beamed at me.

"Oh! I wouldn't got that far!" she brushed me off while giving the quickest of curtsies. "I've been to some parties you've planned and they were some of the best!" I continued and she laughed. "Oh stop! You're making me blush!" I felt so comfortable talking to her, I could truly relax. It was as if I'd known her my entire life.

"So I know you can plan a wicked party, tell me something I don't know." I wondered resting my chin on my hand. Claretta leaned back and thought for a moment twirling a strand of her straight black hair around her finger. "I like pink lemonade, apple pie with ice cream, and margaritas." I burst out in laughter, "I should have expected it from the party girl. Well, I'll be sure to get you a margarita at some point. I have to meet the next girl but I can't wait to see you again."

A girl with thick black hair and yellow-peach skin was next. I read her name tag to see that she was Lasy Skye Gallagher. She gave a very low curtsy giving me plain view down her bosom. I was already feeling uncomfortable and then she had to proceed with her antics. Rather than sitting in the chair provided to her she draped herself across me on my lap leaving completely and utterly shocked. I heard Imogene beginning to chortle across the room probably earning glares from our parents.

I had no clue what to do. My hands were braced on the edges of my chair and my eyes were probably wide in confusion or maybe perhaps fear. She traced her finger up and down my chest slowly and my heart was pounding. I cleared my throat, "Ehem, uh, there's a, uh, another chair for you." She put a finger to my lips shushing me. "Hush now, you know you like it."

I'd had just about enough of her at this point. I pushed her off me and she only just managed to catch herself before falling to the ground. "Lady Skye, I'm going to ask you to pack your stuff and leave immediately. You are not quite the girl I am looking for." She stood up straight with a disbelieving face, "Excuse me?" I stood up so I was taller than her, "You've been eliminated." She gave a huff of annoyance and strutted out of the great hall with her heels clicking alway. The room was silent for a moment until I just started laughing a bit under my breath, "Next up please."

I recognized the next girl as Lady Elissa. Her jet black hair with almost a bluish tint was hard to forget. She bobbed a curtsy like all of the girls before her and took her own seat. "How are you, Lady Elissa?"

She glanced up at me with her blue eyes but shyly looked back down at her lap while responding, "I'm well." I was expecting a bit more elaboration but when I didn't get it I decided to power the conversation along.

"Do you have a large family?" I asked and she seemed to fold into herself. "No." she murmured and I decided not to press. Despite her shy and closed off manner I found myself curious about her. "Do you have any siblings?" I questioned in a gentle tone and she nodded. "I have a younger sister." I took a breath, "What's her name?" Elissa managed to look up at me again and replied, "Her names Maia. She's thirteen."

"Are you two close? I'm close with my sister." I stated trying to initiate a conversation. She shrugged, "No not really." I had to hide my frustrations "Oh, well that's a shame. I do have to see the other girls, so I will see you soon." As she walked away I put a hand through my hair, hopefully more girls than not not would be easier to have a conversation with.

Lady Riva was a short and lithe girl with shoulder length blonde hair. I must admit even if she wasn't flat out gorgeous there was something just very pretty about her. She took her seat after curtsying and before I could say anything she spoke. "How az your day been going?" she said in an entirely charming French accent. She was the first girl to ask about me and I found it very sweet. "Well, it's been eventful that's for sure." She laughed, a beautiful laugh, that made me join in.

"I could imagine," she responded tilting her head to the side, smiling. "Where are you from?" I asked her for I wondered where she got her accent from. "I'm from a French speaking tribe. We live on a large preserve in Belcourt." she informed me and my mouth formed an o. That wasn't something you heard often. "So have you seen much of Illéa then?"

Riva shook her head, "This is my first time away from the tribe. My first time at seeing the world, to be honest." At first I was shocked to hear that, but then I realized that to be honest I hadn't seen much of the world outside of the palace either. I was born and raised here. Sure, I'd been to Italy but even when I was there we only stayed at the palace. "I suppose I can understand that. I don't get out of the palace much."

"What do you do in the tribe?" I inquired and she seemed very willing to talk about her life there. "I'm a healer. So like the nurse or the doctor of the tribe. We used modern day remedies but also home remedies from herbs and such to heal. You would be surprised to find that it is actually very effective to mix both ways." I nodded listening to her, I was truly intrigued by her.

I wanted to learn more from her and continue talking but I looked at the watch on my wrist and knew that I really ought to keep moving things along. "I'm so sorry, but I have to keep things moving. I will most definitely talk to you again soon, Lady Riva." She wished me luck and then joined the other selected. Some of these girls were quite easy to talk to.

I saw the girl from Bonita making her way over from the corner of my eye. She wore a modest burnt orange dress that went nicely with her honey colored hair and hazel eyes. She was a bit more tan than the other girls probably because her province was one of much sun.

"Your highness, it's so great to make your acquaintance," she told me formerly while dipping her head. I smiled, "You have such good manners, but please feel free to just talk to me as you would a friend." She giggled a bit, "I'm sorry, I'm still trying to figure al of this out." I chuckled now too, "Don't worry, I know you've only been here for a day." "Yes, but some of the girls act as if they already know exact what they're doing."

I waved a hand, "They're probably just acting." She smiled, a pretty smile a might add, and I smiled back. She was a proper and traditional girl, but she was sweet. I wouldn't mind her presence at all for she was easy enough to talk to. "What do you like to do, Lady Oliveria?" She didn't have to think long before answering, "I love dancing. I know many Hispanic dances as well." I arched an eyebrow, "You do? Like what?" "Oh like the salsa or the bachata."

I had no clue what the latter was. "What's the bachata?" She swayed a bit as if imagining the dance, "It's a bit of a slow dance. Perhaps I could show you some time?" I nodded, "That would be nice. Thank you Lady Oliveria."

"Lady Hazel, it's so great to finally meet you." She gave me a polite smile, "Please just call me Luna. It's my middle name but that's what I prefer." I nodded as a response, "Then Lady Luna it is. That has a pretty ring to it. So you're from my mother's old province, correct?" Talking about her home made her open up some, "Oh yes. I'm from Carolina."

I shifted my position and asked, "What's it like there? I'm afraid to say I've never been." She gave me a look widening her Hazel eyes as if she couldn't believe I'd never been there. "I know, I know. Even thought it's my mother's former province I have yet to see it." She laughed, "Well I think it's great. It's quite beautiful in some areas actually. You should see all of the trees in autumn."

"Yes we don't have that pretty of an autumn here in Angeles. It pretty much stays the same." I told her and she sighed. "That's a shame, it's really quite the sight to see." "I'll have to see it sometime. For now though, I have to speak with the other girls. It was night meeting you Lady Haz- I mean Luna."

A girl with curly dark brown hair dipped into a deep curtsy. Lady Alissa took her seat and greeted me, "Good morning, Prince Noah." I flashed a smile at her, "Good morning. How are you?" "I'm well, thank you. And you?" I nodded, "I'm good. Adjusting." I couldn't believe how polite she was. She was almost overly polite.

"Having all of us girls here must be strange, I'd assume." she guessed. I chuckled under my breath, "You have no idea." She tilted her head and smile at me in response. I had no idea which way to push this conversation. I decided to just go with the simplest question I could. "What do you like to do in your spare time?"

"I love to go stargazing. I'm a bit of a night owl." she told me and I felt immense relief at getting somewhere. "So do you know many of the constellations?" She folded her hands while telling me, "I know some." I waited a moment for some elaboration and took a deep breath when I didn't get one. "Well Alissa, I must move on but enjoy the rest of your breakfast."

There's your update...finally. I wanted to write more of the girls but I really wanted to get this up now. I'll get the others up as soon as possible. Thanks for reading and for reviewing!