A/N: Hello wonderful readers! I just wanted to let you know that if you submitted a character and have yet to complete the form, please do so as soon as possible. The next chapter is Delia's, hence Selection things will start to happen and I need these boys! If you don't have your stuff in to me by the post of the next chapter, then unfortunately I will not be able to include them in the story.

The Thing About Arranged Marriages

The thing about arranged marriages is that sometimes they're wanted.

Asked for, even. Requested at the behest of a usually reserved, quiet younger daughter on a normal, uneventful day. And yes, maybe there was something strange about willingly signing one's life away to a total stranger, but what was life with out a couple risks?

Auden had centered her whole life around carefully crafted to-do lists. 'Risk' was not a word in her vocabulary. Yet, there she was, sitting on the royal jet half way across the Atlantic, on her way to meet her mysterious Prince Charming.

Prince Dorian, Auden repeated mentally. At least her Prince Charming had a name. A name she had committed to memory along with the entire Portuguese language. She may or may not have brought flashcards and insisted Hayden quiz her. It was a twelve hour flight to Portugal, not including stops to refuel. They had to pass the time somehow.

"I swear, Kase is an animal!" Hayden whined as she exited the restroom, making a show of stomping to her seat across from Auden's. "He left the toilet seat up and I almost fell in! And did he replace the roll? Noooooo."

"I suppose we can only be grateful he gave the jet back in a timely manner," Auden replied evenly, though she was fighting down a laugh.

Hayden remained disgusted as she reclined in her seat, wrinkling her nose as she gingerly patted down the leather armrests. "I don't even want to think about the number of girls he's brought back on this jet."

"For your brother's own good, that number better be zero."

Auden had almost forgotten that her mother was with them on this trip. Auden had originally insisted on going alone, but Mom shut that down very quickly. Like, instantaneously. There was rarely a time that Queen Finnley pitched a fuss, but this was absolutely one of those times. And once Mom was going, Hayden was quick to jump on the bandwagon. Hence the entourage Auden did not want but ended up grateful for.

Mostly.

"Of course it is, Mom. Kasey is nothing but a ray of virginal sunshine," Hayden said sweetly, a sly smile on her lips for Auden that she knew their mother could not see.

Mom looked up from what she was doing and fixed Hayden with the most unimpressed stare. In the glare of the light through the window, her blue eye sparkled and her brown eye glowed golden. Auden never understood why her mother was so self-conscious about her eyes, especially when all Auden got from those killer eye genes was a steely grey-blue color which made her appear closed-off and unapproachable. Finnley's eyes, in comparison, were goddess-like, especially when she was aggravated. Like now.

Mom had brought her own work with her: a collection of different colored folders stuffed with papers. Each folder had a tab at the top with a name scribbled across, and a picture paper-clipped to the front. Auden recognized none of the people in the photos, all of them young men around her age. There was only one reason for Mom to have multiple folders containing debriefs on the lives of strange young men.

Auden was going to keep her mouth shut, stay out of business that was no her own. Hayden, however, was not past sticking her nose in the thick of things.

"Are those the candidates for Delia's Selection?"

"You know your sister," Mom sighed and shut the file she had open. "She wants to do something and then refuses to put in the work. I told her that she would have to have a public choosing ceremony, or at least a public announcement, but she just wants your father and I to do it all."

"And look at you, doing it."

"Don't start with me Hayden," Mom warned, though there was little heat to it. "You know I would do the same for you. Besides, this is the first thing Delia has shown genuine interest in since...well I can't even remember. She's been so down lately. Surely you girls have noticed."

"Down is not the word I would use," Hayden replied with a bit of snark, rolling her eyes. "More like the opposite."

Auden discreetly kicked Hayden in the shin and jumped to comment before their mother could process what Hayden was implying. "I think she's nineteen and trying to find her way in the world. It's a confusing time for everyone."

"Like you've ever been confused about anything Aud," Hayden countered with a bit of a scoff under her breath. But there was something personal there, something jealous yet defensive in the way Hayden's eyes kept sliding from her nails to the wall to the ground. Anywhere but Auden's face. Like she couldn't look her twin in the eye. "You're the most sure person I know. Always known what you want. Always."

Auden flushed and looked away. She never knew what to do with compliments. And she knew she had a reputation amongst her siblings for being the most put together -even more so than Elodie. But that didn't always feel true, especially now when her palms were sweating and her anxiety was ratcheting up with each passing mile to Portugal. Right now, Auden felt like an imposter.

So, to push the attention off of herself, she reached for the nearest file.

"Can I see them?"

"I don't think that's the best idea," Mom said hesitantly, pulling the files out of reach. "The Selection is strictly confidential. I shouldn't even have these with me, and these boys don't even know they've been Selected yet..."

"Please, Mom? I won't be there to see any of the Selection in person, and I want to know about the guys my little sister wants to fall in love with."

Auden very rarely asked for anything, so that combined with her wide-eyed gaze was enough to break down Mom's waffling defenses. Mom bit down on her lower lip, conflicted, but Auden knew she had won the moment her mother let out a long sigh.

"Not a word to anyone, promise?"

"Cross my heart."

Mom had that look like she was going to regret her decision later, but handed the files over regardless. Hayden was quick to snatch them, greedy hands taking as many as she could. One fell from her grip, papers spilling into the aisle. Auden reached down to gather them up.

They belonged to a rather attractive man who looked like had come straight from a lumberjack fantasy: flannel shirt rolled up at the elbow and a tee shirt underneath, dark beard grown just a tad wild, his dark hair falling into his dark eyes. The name on the folder said Teo Fernandez. He was from Belcourt, and he clearly liked to spend a lot of time outside if his job navigating trails at the national park was anything to go by. An interesting candidate to say the least.

"Andre Thompson, what an interesting face!" Hayden gasped, pulling out his picture to show. He was black, but there was patches of white scattered across his face, his arms, his neck. They probably covered his whole body. However, they didn't keep him from being pretty damn attractive.

"He's got vitiligo, Hay. Lots of people have it," Auden said, setting Teo aside and focusing on Andre. She skimmed his file for something more than just surface level looks. "Says here he's a student. Studies social work at Bonita University."

"How much do you wanna bet he entered because he's a sucker for charity cases?"

"Hayden, that's terrible!" Mom scolded, though Hayden hardly looked remorseful. She shrugged her shoulders and went back to perusing.

Auden had yet to open her own files. She had a stack of four, the first three unremarkable to the point where she knew that they would be short-lived faces in the palace. It was the fourth that stood out to her.

"Jaesung Kim..." Auden read, the name sounding bells somewhere deep in her subconscious. "Wait, isn't he the son of some New Asian diplomat? I thought the Selected had to be Illéan."

"Jaesung Kim has Illéan citizenship," Mom replied, though she seemed a little skeptical. "It's a little bit out of the ordinary, but you know how your father gets."

"In love with New Asia, you mean?" Hayden quipped. "If the Empress was a little more progressive, Dad would've had you married to Princess Han Soon-Mae in a heartbeat."

Auden wanted to laugh, but they all knew it was true. Kaden had spent his whole reign making sure Illéa's peace with New Asia was long lasting. He would have done anything to ensure that nothing ever broke that peace again.

"Oooh, he looks promising," Mom moved to the next one, holding up the picture in her current file. The Selected in question was a rather good looking white guy with dark brown hair and eyes, his smile bright and contagious. "His name is Ezra and he is an oncology nurse from Sota."

"Seems a little too pure for Delia, I think," Hayden wrinkled her nose, turning her attention back to her own file. "She would chew him up and spit him out in a day."

"Sorry, Mom, but I have to agree," Auden said apologetically. There was no way that guy even stood a chance. Why someone like him - someone clean-cut with good morals - had entered the Selction was beyond Auden. Didn't any of these guys understand what they were getting into?

"Well, I think it's good that he is doing such wonderful things. Delia could use a little bit of direction."

There was no denying that. Delia was about as lost as a weathervane in a thunderstorm. The only question that no one could answer was: why? It was like she had woken up one day and decided to be out of control. Before that, Delia was tame...well, tamer than she was now. There was definitely none of this trash the town nonsense. That was one year ago. One year, and still no one could figure out why.

"See, like this young man here," Mom continued, pulling out another file, this one with a special sticky note on it. Obviously it wasn't too early to start picking favorites. "Dante Wallace-Chavaria, medical resident from Carolina. He clearly has goals and aspirations."

"And yet he's giving them up for the chance to win Delia," Hayden countered, flipping her hair over one shoulder, unimpressed. "He's got to have some hidden crazy to do that."

"You need to stop being so harsh on your sister, Hayden," Mom said, a frown pulling at her lips. "You girls used to be so close when you were younger."

"Yeah, when we were younger. People change."

Before things got nasty, Auden took control of the situation.

"So, when do they start rolling in?" she asked, shutting her files. She had had her fill of snooping for now.

"Your father has arranged for Delia to make an appearance on The Report this Friday night to announce the Selected and then they should be moving into the palace the following Monday morning."

"That's quick!" Hayden said, her eyes bugging out of her head. "Lord, if I had known all that I would have stuck around to enjoy the last few days of silence."

"Since when has the palace ever been silent?" Auden teased, and the plane filled with laughter.

Situation successfully diffused.

.o.O.o.

They landed some hours later on a private air strip just outside of Lisbon. Auden expected that there would be chauffeur waiting to spirit her off to Sintra Palace in the heart of the city. However, when she deplaned and walked along the tarmac, luggage in tow, the chauffeur told her that there was different destination in mind. It turned out the royal family was currently lodged in Pena Palace in the mountains, and therefore she had yet another leg of journey ahead of her.

Auden had not been told about this. She had been told by a royal currier that she would be received at Sintra Palace, not Pena Palace. But that was fine. No need to fly off the handle. A palace was a palace no matter the location. She just hoped that her powder pink pantsuit and black heels could withstand the mountain terrain without making a fool of herself.

Hayden was more vocal about her displeasure at more travel. She was already jet lagged, and the added prospect of ruining her new pink Chanel skirt and jacket did nothing to improve her mood. Auden bit the inside of her cheek and tried not to lose her cool. As much as she loved her twin, Hayden could be beyond annoying at times, and this was one of them. Mom remained cool, but did not revisit her file folders, instead choosing to watch the scenery roll by out the window as they wound their way through the mountains.

They weren't really mountains, per say, more like large hills. The trees were starting to change colors, tips of the leaves starting to bronze in anticipation of autumn. Autumn was Auden's favorite season. Perhaps, if she were to stay in Pena Palace, she would learn to love it even more than if she were in the city. Even if this palace in the mountains seemed very far from civilization, nothing but the marvel of nature sprawling out around her. She hoped she would not grow bored. Perhaps Pena Palace had a large library she could sift through to occupy her time...

And then, atop a distant hill, she saw it.

"Whoa," Hayden gasped, now exceedingly interested in this trip, her body thrown across Auden's so that she could get a better look.

Whoa was right.

Pena Palace was a masterpiece. The exterior was colorfully splashed in yellows and reds and cool blues, gilded towers and domes shining in the afternoon sun, the architecture a testament to centuries long past. Even from far off, the structure was enormous, large enough to make Auden's jaw drop.

Perhaps this was why the location was changed, Auden thought. A show of power and wealth. Illéa may have had vast lands and a high population of subjects compared to Portugal, but Illéa had nothing to rival this.

"You think Dorian has a brother?" Hayden asked with a nonchalance that made Auden suspicious. At the prolonged silence, Hayden cast her head back, one brow arched as she took in Auden's skeptical look. "I'm just joking!"

Auden wasn't convinced. Or maybe she was. It was hard to believe Hayden these days when she was sneaking out as frequently as Delia. Hayden didn't know that Auden knew, and Auden was going to keep it that way. It wasn't Hayden's fault that Auden was a light sleeper, and Hayden was entitled to her own secrets, just as Auden was entitled to hers. Besides, Hayden had the room to herself now. No more need to sneak.

But that didn't stop the secrets from hurting. With so much distance between them, Auden wondered how many more secrets would accumulate between them. Would they be strangers the next time they met? Only time would tell...

The car wound up a private road headed by two men in suits, the first of many security stops. It was obscene, the amount of security patrolling the place. Auden had heard rumors that the current queen was the paranoid sort, but this was excessive.

Finally, they parked under a set of arches, the driver coming over to open their doors. Auden exited the vehicle, enjoying the crisp air on her face and the chance to stretch her legs. They were stood in the drive, a wide space that tapered off into an equally colorful walking path lined with white stone that led up to the palace. Up close, the palace was even more opulent, the structure shining bright and welcoming, showing off its proud history and upkeeping.

"This way, Your Highnesses," a member of the staff said, beckoning them up the path.

Auden led the way, feigning confidence as she journeyed forward. It was a bit of an incline to make it all the way to the top, her feet aching in her heels and a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead. Looking side to side was disorienting, as she could see just how high up they were, and the moat - they had a moat! - that lied far down below.

Eventually the path gave way to a courtyard. Inside this open-air courtyard, there were ways to access the yellow and blue parts. High-arching windows capped in white designs lined the exterior wall, giving a spectacular view of the hills and surrounding towns. And there was a grand stairway leading up to the main building of red brick. A grand stairway where a singular woman in black stood at the foot, surrounded by staff and guards.

Auden had done research on her family-to-be. Extensive research with a heavy focus on Queen Amantia herself.

Reading about the woman and seeing her in person were two completely different things.

Auden knew that the queen had a reputation for being reclusive, for being overly conservative, for wearing nothing but black since her husband's passing over a decade ago. What Auden did not know was how cold those blue eyes were, how austere the purse of those lips was, how many lines were carved into that pale skin despite being younger than her mother.

"Your Majesty, it is an honor to meet you."

Auden curtseyed as tradition dictated, and Queen Amantia was a woman of tradition. However, she didn't look impressed, her lips remaining in a firm line as she surveyed Auden from head to toe. Everything about Queen Amantia screamed displeasure, from the flare of her nostrils to the ram-rod straight quality of her spine.

"You must be her then: my son's future bride."

The queen's accent was thick, but understandable enough to hear the disapproval. Auden had no clue what the queen would have to disapprove of; she had agreed to the marriage contract months ago. She gave her blessing in the form of her official seal. Besides, Auden was brilliant, an A plus student who could play multiple instruments and speak multiple languages. She wasn't vain, but she knew she was pretty. Not as pretty as Hayden perhaps, but not unfortunate looking. What did Queen Amantia have to judge?

But maybe Auden was being too hard on the queen. It must be difficult, giving away her only son to a girl she had never met. Auden had no idea what Queen Amantia must be feeling, and tried to give her the benefit of the doubt.

"I am," Auden said, her head held high despite the scrutiny of those cold blue eyes. "I was hoping he would be here to meet us."

"Dorian is inside, focusing on his studies. He is a bright boy, my Dorian. He is afforded no distractions."

Auden tried not to flinch at the slight of being called a 'distraction'. Hayden bristled at it as well, but Auden discreetly held a hand to steady her sister's temper. Hayden was always so quick to rise where Auden could hold her tongue, play the long game. Instead, Auden put on her best smile and turned her steadying hand into an introductory one. It was clear that she was forging no ground with the prickly queen, so she stepped aside to put her family on display.

"I have brought my sister and my mother with me."

The queen gave them a cursory glance. "We were not expecting guests."

"Yes, but they wanted to see me off properly."

The queen said nothing, simply sliding her gaze from Auden to Hayden and Mom. Clearly, none of them were expecting such a stiff greeting, but it was always Mom who took things in stride. She put on her kindest smile and took control.

"Queen Amantia, we meet at last. I am surprised it has taken us this long to become acquainted. Being women in power is still such a rare thing these days."

"And yet, the number of queens rises by the year," Queen Amantia replied, a flash of a smile on her thin lips, though Auden was not so sure it was kind. The woman respectfully inclined her head to Mom. "Queen Finnley, a pleasure."

Not missing a beat, Hayden stepped up, ready to dazzle. "Hayden, Your Majesty. Auden's twin."

Hayden's curtsey was pure grace and sophistication but not enough to garner praise from the tough crowd. Queen Amantia hummed and nodded once, her eyes darting back down the drive to where her accompanying staff had lined themselves on the steps.

"You must forgive me, it has been so long since I've entertained guests," she said dryly, turning towards the palace. "Do come inside."

A clap of the queen's hands and the staff was rushing to grab their bags and heft them up the stairs.

Oh great, more walking, Auden moaned internally, already feeling the pinch in her feet where blisters had started to form. She would need a long soak in the tub after this, that was for sure.

The interior of the palace was even more impressive than the exterior. The ceilings were masterpieces in their own right, decorated with frescoes and murals, inlaid with gold and carved in the most intricate patterns. No two halls were the same. Auden felt like she could wander for ages and still never notice every detail.

From behind her, Auden heard Hayden let out another 'wow'.

What an understatement.

Their gawking was cut short when the queen stopped at the end of the foyer. From where she stood under the crystal chandelier, the hallway split on either side, and there was also an ascending staircase to her right.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable," Queen Amantia instructed, though she herself was clearly still uncomfortable if the stiff set of her shoulders was any sign. "You must be exhausted from your travels. We shall discuss more important matters in the morning when everyone has settled. Dinner is served promptly as seven in the dining pavilion, breakfast at seven in the morning. Someone will be around to show you the way."

"Will you be joining us, Your Majesty?" Auden asked, confused.

"I take my meals alone," Queen Amantia replied shortly, tilting her chin further upward. "A member of the staff shall take you to your rooms. That is all. Good day."

Another curt nod of her head and the queen took off down the hall, not giving a single look back.

"What an odd woman," Mom remarked, Hayden silently agreeing.

It was early in the day to be dismissed, but Auden was grateful for it. After a long day of traveling, and after that tense introduction, she wasn't sure she was up to talking politics. Though her feet hurt and her mind was whirling with all the work she would have to do to make up for bad first impressions, Auden did not feel like retiring to her room either.

"Auden, you coming?" Hayden asked, already half way up the staircase. Mom was still moving after the butler, wasting no time.

"No, you go ahead. I'm going to take a look around."

"Suit yourself," Hayden shrugged and bounced up the steps, surely to claim the bathtub for the next four hours.

Perhaps Auden had gotten ahead of herself when she said she wanted to go exploring. The layout of this palace made little sense to her. The palace in Angeles was easy to navigate: the staircase was at the center, living spaces to the immediate left on each floor and rooms off on the wings. Easy peasy. This palace seemed to wind through sitting rooms, living rooms, dens, a whole manner of odd showcases, and so much more. Each one was as different and as extravagant as the next.

She wasn't even going to pretend she wasn't lost. But that was fine. This was to be her home now. She would have to learn her way around.

For a palace so large, it sure was empty. A place like this was meant to be filled to the brim, to hold family and friends and as many parties as there were days in the year. The palace in Angeles was only a fraction of the size, and it was always full of people, love, and laughter. Instead, these halls echoed under Auden's heels, not a soul in sight except for the occasional maid that scampered off as soon as Auden came near. It was like they were not allowed to be seen or heard, a silent task force.

She could not imagine growing up in a place like this, so quiet and lonely. What would that have made Dorian? Sheltered by his mother, held captive in a home high in the hills, no easy way to leave. What would he be like...?

Her travels emptied her out in another courtyard. This one was smaller than the others, surrounded on all sides by the arched walkways of the many floors of the palace, but still open air. It reminded her of the winter gardens in her own home, or the balconies that overlooked the library or the great dining hall. There was a fountain in the center, a fountain surrounded by greenery blooming with pink and red flowers that poured onto the blue stone ground. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

She stepped closer to admire the flowers, leaning in and smelling their sweet scent. This might just have been her favorite place in the palace so far. She sat on the edge of the fountain, staring at the petals rippling in the water, when she noticed another shadowy figure in the reflection.

The reflection of a man.

Auden snapped her head up, and there he was. Just around the curve of the fountain where she previously could not see was the man in the reflection. He must have been near her age, his head buried in a book, one leg propped up on the ledge as he read. He pushed his wire-rimmed glasses up his nose, completely absorbed.

He had not seen her. Not yet. Not until her surprise had her stumbling, losing balance, and shouting her protest as she tried not to fall.

"Careful!" He warned, reaching out to balance her. But Auden was floundering too much, and she pulled too hard on his arm.

She pulled him forward off the edge and into the water. He fell in with a splash, sending some of the water slopping up over the side of the basin and on to the stone. It was not a deep fountain, just enough to reach his waist when he sat at the bottom. But he had fallen in sideways, half his button down clinging to his torso, his hair falling limp and wet across his forehead.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Auden apologized, mortified. She rushed over and stuck her hand in the fountain, fishing his glasses out. She dried them off on her jacket, the fabric be damed, and handed them back to him. He pushed his hair back and placed the glasses back on his nose. Despite being so rudely displaced, he was actually smiling at her.

"It is alright," he said, his voice kind and soft though thick with an accent. "This is my fault. I am very clumsy."

That was not the truth, not at all, but Auden was not going to argue when he offered her such a gracious out. Auden offered her hand and he accepted it as he climbed out of the fountain. Standing, he was very tall, somewhere over six feet, and thin as well. He patted himself down, as if to assure himself he was all in one piece. It was only after he checked his pockets that Auden realized he was looking for something.

Peering back into the fountain, Auden saw something else at the bottom: the book he had been reading before she scared him half to death. She reached in and fished that out as well, however there would be no saving the water-logged pages. She felt even worse.

"I'm sorry about your book," she apologized again, handing it over. He, however, did not look too concerned about the lost work. "I'm afraid this is not my day for first impressions."

"What do you mean?" he asked, cocking his head in the most adorable manner. And yes, adorable was the word to use when he looked like a wet puppy dog, floppy hair and wide brown eyes and all. "You are the most exciting thing that has happened to me all day."

Auden felt a blush burn through her cheeks, bright red and hot. Though that could be because their hands still lingered on each other's, as he had yet to take the book.

"You're her, aren't you?" he asked, still not moving his hand. "Auden."

"And you're him, Dorian."

His smile grew even wider, if that were possible. Auden had never seen someone look so happy to see her.

Perhaps she had nothing to worry about after all.