Five Years Later

Louise was in the bathroom of the plane, zipping up her dress. It was a simple dark floral dress with a low cut neckline. Sure, she could have dressed up a bit more, but she found she didn't particularly care. She was tired from the day of travelling, and just wanted to get home and go to bed. It felt weird, returning home after so long. But the war came to its inevitable end. Illéa was victorious, with help from the German Federation. She slipped her black heels on and stepped out of the bathroom, and found her younger brother seated in a black suit, reading a book.

"I can't believe we're finally going home," Louise commented as she sat beside him.

Justin shrugged as he flipped the page. "It had to happen eventually," he said nonchalantly. "I'm just dreading the crowds."

Louise nodded, they had lived so isolated in the German Federation, that she nearly forgot how chaotic it was. It was actually kind of nice once she adjusted. Sure, she snuck out a lot, but still, no one bothered her the way they would have had she snuck out of the Illéan Royal Palace.

"Buckle up, Your Highnesses, we'll be landing soon," the captain said over the intercom.

"About time," Louise said as she did up her seatbelt. Justin followed suit, then returned to reading his book. Left with little else to do, Louise grabbed a magazine from the table and started reading.

Their parents had briefed them on what to expect for their arrival, but nothing could prepare them for the crowds. They could hear the cheering before the plane door even opened. Justin, as the heir stepped out first. He gave a half smile for the cameras, but otherwise ignored them. Louise, on the other hand, smiled and waved as she stood atop the steps of the plane. She gripped the railing as she carefully walked down the steps. At the end of a red carpet, as if it were some sort of movie premiere, stood their parents. Queen Scarlett had her hand on her husband's arm, and grinned from ear to ear. King Eric smiled, though his was much more reserved. The siblings made their way to their parents, and Justin waited until Louise caught up to bow, and Louise dipped a curtsy. Then her mother enveloped her daughter in an embrace, and Eric placed a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Welcome home," Eric said, his smile widening.

Justin nodded and Louise smiled at her father, who pulled her into a hug the second her mother was done hugging her. Scarlett then hugged her youngest, who pulled away after two seconds.

"It's good to be back." Louise said as she looked around. She knew they were expected to interact with the public, which honestly sounded draining.

"Come, let's greet the crowds, the people have been impatiently waiting for this day," Scarlett said, as Eric offered her his arm.

"I think they're a little more excited about the war ending," Justin said bluntly.

Eric shot his youngest a warning look, then plastered a smile on his face.

Justin gave his signature half-smile as he and his younger sister made his way to the gathered crowd, obviously ignoring the reporters. They shook hands and made small talk, before their parents decided that they had enough.

Justin slept horribly that night, as he had the first night in the German Federation. Everything felt foreign to him, and he spent most of the night tossing and turning. Eventually, he did fall into a fitful sleep. He woke to a servant telling him it was breakfast soon, and that he had better get ready. He found himself missing his time in the German Federation, where breakfast was whenever he wanted it and he didn't have to adhere to a strict schedule. Regardless, he pushed himself out of bed and took a quick shower. He pulled on a pair of blue slacks and a black dress shirt, with the top three buttons left undone. He ran his hands through his hair quickly, then made his way downstairs. He took his seat at the dining table, where his sister was already sitting. She looked well rested, and he was a little jealous. She wore a pink day dress, and he couldn't help but feel irked about the fact that they both had to dress up now that they were suddenly back at the palace. He much preferred the casual clothes he wore during his time away. His parents finally entered the room and took their seats at the heads of the table.

"It's so great to have you two home." Scarlett said, then smiled at each child in turn.

Justin couldn't help but feel like he was sitting with strangers, with the exception of his sister. The phone calls and letters had become more and more infrequent, sure Justin was mostly to blame, but his parents could have at least tried more. Butlers served their breakfast, and Justin picked at his food while his parents and sister caught up.

"Justin I need to speak with you," Eric said as breakfast came to an end.

Justin's ears perked up at this. What could his father possibly want? He merely nodded and stood from the table, following behind his father on the way to his office.

"What is it?" Justin asked, staying by the door. He didn't really want to be around his father, who in his opinion unnecessarily shipped him off. Not once in the span of the war had there been an actual attack on the palace, sure they got close, but never quite close enough.

"Now that you're home, it's time for you to resume royal duties," Eric said simply. He glanced at his son and stepped closer to him. "You will begin to shadow me, and most importantly, you will be holding a Selection."

Justin raised a brow at this. "A Selection? We just ended a war, do we even have the funds for this?"

"And what do you know of our financial situation? Had you bothered to keep in touched you'd know-"

Justin scoffed. Of course he cut off contact with his father, all he did was talk business, what son wanted to talk about nothing but politics with his father who was half a world away?

"Watch it," Eric warned harshly.

Justin rolled his eyes, he couldn't remember why he was upset about leaving. "I'm only nineteen, surely this can wait."

"It's happening, our nation needs to heal from the trauma of war, and what better way than a love story?" Eric reasoned, though his tone remained firm.

Of course, I'm just a distraction, Justin thought bitterly. "Fine, but I want it co-ed."

This time, Eric's eyebrows raised. "Excuse me?" He questioned.

"If you had bothered to keep tabs on me, you'd know I had my fair share of boyfriends and girlfriends while I was away," Justin said as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "It's co-ed or I'm not doing it."

Eric gritted his teeth, it was a small concession to make. "Fine," he relented. "You will be announcing it on the Report this Friday, it will be your first major public appearance since returning home, our publicist will talk you through it."

Justin nodded, he hated addressing the public, something he had rarely done. They were too nosey for his tastes, and he hated how his life, up until he went away, was always on display.

"Let me make one thing clear to you, you are not just finding a partner, but a future consort of this country. You haven't been here in five years, you do not know what is best for the people, I will guide you through this process." Eric said firmly as he placed a hand on his son's shoulder, in a tight, warning grip.

"I think I'm a pretty good judge of character," Justin said, refusing to back down.

Eric scoffed. "How would you know? You've been sheltered your whole life. The Selection is more than just you, it's about putting on a show, giving the people what they want and finding someone strong enough to stand by your side through everything."

"But it's my Selection," Justin protested.

"And you belong to Illéa, which means you put your country first, which means you will do as I say." Eric sternly, giving the boy's shoulder a harsh squeeze.

Justin scowled and nodded. He tried to shrug his shoulder free, but his father merely tightened his grip.

"That's much better," Eric commented. He released his grip on his son, and went to his desk. "You will begin to shadow me next week, you may go."

Justin exhaled a sigh and left the room without another word. He closed the door behind him and went to his room. With little else to do, he decided to unpack his things. He was already dreading Friday and the Report, but knew that was just the beginning, soon strangers from across the country would be coming to fight for his hand in marriage, and he was not looking forward to that.