I DO NOT OWN THE SELECTION SERIES. SHOUTOUT TO ABIZEAU, BRADILAIN, AND THE MUSES OF FANFICTION FOR CREATING THESE CHARACTERS.

Schreave Palace. Sacramento, Province of Angeles. 1 week into the selection.

When the first payday for the selected finally rolled around, only twenty three of them were around to collect. The girls from Columbia, Dakota, and Denbeigh had all been eliminated after Claude Marie reported to the Queen that she had found drugs amongst their personal possessions. The girls in question had denied it vehemently, but the Queen refused to hear it. Instead she offered to give the weekly fee if they would just shut up and go quietly. Not having much option, they agreed. This was the 2nd time that the mercenary from Atlin had directly gotten someone eliminated and now there were rumors flying that Claurie was getting people eliminated on purpose.

For the next group date, Crown Princess Sybil and the remaining selected decided to take a trip to the royal beach. It was a private beach that was about a mile away from Schreave Palace. Sybil, the selected, and a number of servants and bodyguards drove in jeeps down to the beach. After the towels were laid out and the drinks and snacks were set out, everyone began to have fun. Sybil took her time to hang out with a few selected one on one. The first one she reached out to was Caleb Newton. She found the florist from Sonage at the first place that you would expect to find him: kneeling by a patch of wildflowers that were growing on a patch of grass near the sands.

"They look awfully pretty." Sybil said as she walked up to Caleb and surprised him.

"Your majesty, I didn't expect you to leave the group." Caleb said awkwardly as she knelt down beside him.

"Taking time to stop and smell the flowers?" She asked playfully.

"Smell the flowers every chance you get. That's always been my motto." He admitted as he held up one of the wildflowers for the princess of Illèa to smell. She inhaled deeply and the smile on her face confirmed her approval.

"They smell wonderful!" Sybil exclaimed with delight, earning a smile from Caleb.

"Flowers often do." Caleb replied with an awkward grin as he began to tell Sybil all about the particular type of wildflower, growing more comfortable as he talked about what he knew best. Unbeknownst to the pair, they were being observed.


While Caleb was going on and on about everything wildflowers, Sybil saw out of the corner of her eye that Eulalia Marquez was watching the pair. She quickly excused herself and strolled over to the waitress from Midston.

"Hey Dia, enjoying the view?" Sybil asked playfully as she shrugged.

"Yeah, looks like you and Caleb are having fun together." Laia remarked as she kept her eyes upon him.

"Not really, a lot of that flower stuff just goes in 1 ear and out the other." Sybil joked as she couldn't help but feel guilty. "I shouldn't joke, but it just seems boring."

"I have no right to judge." Dia replied as Sybil got an idea.

"Maybe you should go talk to him, you look like a mature loving girl." The heiress to the Illèan throne offered.

"You think so?" The waitress from Midston asked with a smile.

"Go on!" Syb encouraged as Dia made her way over to where Caleb was. As Sybil smiled to herself, she was put off to see Irradia Poder sunbathing nearby. The 2 ladies had not spoken since Sybil had offered her virginity and Irradia had refused it. Nevertheless, Sybil didn't want to be in bad terms with her idol, so she slowly walked over to where Irradia was. When the singer from Paloma saw the princess of Illèa, she broke out in a huge grin.

"Hey Irradia…how are you?" Syb asked quietly.

"I'm doing good, your highness!" Irradia answered with a smile.

"I'm sorry I haven't seen you in a few days…I just didn't know if you wanted to hang out after, everything." Sybil chuckled nervously.

"Of course I would love to hang out with you!" Irradia chuckled in return.

"I'm glad." Sybil replied, seeing that she wanted to avoid the subject of their last meeting and decided to do likewise. "I know it's against the rules…but I want to go on a solo date with you."

"Of course! I would love to go on a solo date with you!" Irradia exclaimed.

"What should we do?" The princess asked.

"Anything you want to! I'm totally down for anything." The singer asked in return.

"How about dinner later this week?" Sybil offered.

"I like that idea." Irradia accepted as Sybil was relived that this offer hadn't been rejected.


The beach party turned a bit sour when the boys from Hansport, Honduragua, and Hudson got into a big brawl when the Hudson boy accused the Hansport boy of making a pass at him. The Honduragua boy had tried to break it up but got pulled in. They were all promptly sent home.

Meanwhile, Sybil was swimming in the water with Carlisle Martimus. He knew how to have fun and he was pleasant to her, but as much as it made her sound like a bitch, Lyle just seemed a little too sweet for her taste. As they splashed about, Sybil saw Selene Moore going into a grotto near the main body of water.

"I'll be right back, don't go anywhere." The princess of Illèa commanded as she swam off.

"You got it princess!" The massage therapist from Fennley exclaimed as she swam off to join Selene.

"This is a good place to come and brood." Sybil spoke from experience as she had swam here many times when the Queen was being a cunt.

"Syb...I didn't see you swim in." Selene remarked with a chuckle. "Is there something you need to brood about?"

"I figured that when the selection started…I'd be having romance around every corner, but it's been a week and all I have to show for it are a couple Cheek kisses. It's like most of the selected are worried about getting close to me." Sybil whined as she swam around Selene in the grotto.

Selene smiled, amused. "It's only been a week, give it time."

"Yeah…but I've been waiting so long for this." Sybil griped as she floated in the water. "Everyone was always telling me that when you host a selection, that you're the center of attention and everyone's gonna be drooling over you; but that hasn't quite panned out yet."

Selene thought for a moment. "Sybil, this is only the 2nd group date, and it's not exactly like we can seek you out."

"I don't like those stupid selection rules. Besides, you're the one who said I should make my own rules." Sybil replied, wading in the water

"They aren't just Selection rules, it's royal protocol, you of all people should know that." The political science student from Belcourt remarked.

"Well, maybe I'm tired of being a royal." Sybil snapped as she swam out of the grotto. Selene quickly swam in front of the Illèan princess and blocked her way.

"Look Syb, I know it's disappointing when things don't work out the way we want them to, but, you have to understand that we all just left our lives and are still adjusting to being here." Selene said, trying to be the voice of reason. "Not to mention the fact that your mother's already trying to scare people off."

"To Hell with my mother, I'm so sick of her getting her way on everything!" Sybil exclaimed angrily. "I know that this new way of living is hard for people…but, for once…I'm not alone anymore and I want to stay that way."

"Syb...the Selection isn't forever," Selene said, giving her a dose of reality. "Eventually all of these people will dwindle down to one. Instead of worrying about being fawned over, maybe you should worry about making the right choice?"

"But…how do I know who's the right choice if it's hard to get close to anyone?" Sybil asked nervously. "I'm not even supposed to have any 1 on 1 time with anyone until I've selected my elites."

"You'll know who the right person is, you'll feel it in your heart." Selene assured her.

"Selene? For what it's worth…I'm glad you're here." Sybil said with a small smile.

"So am I." Selene replied with a smile of her own.

"Hey Selene...I want to go on a solo date with you." Sybil insisted.

"OK, what were you thinking?" She inquired eagerly.

"How about a slumber party later this week, just us?" Sybil offered.

"Sounds awesome." Selene accepted as the 2 ladies swam out of the grotto.

REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED