CHAPTER 12

The last time Cade had felt relaxed his parents had still been alive.

Granted, he wasn't exactly relaxed now either. There were two new bills concerning new highways he had to tell his uncle to veto, a pile of prototype tax forms on his desk, and a chain of emails discussing Andrew and Vivienne's impending nuptials that he was yet to answer.

So yeah. He wasn't relaxed.

But, he was much more relaxed than he had been in recent memory. He supposed that having fun could do that to a person. He owed Andrew both an apology for complaining and a thank-you for forcing him to come along.

Plus it was a Sunday. And aside from emergencies or leftover work, Cade didn't have much to do on Sundays.

"Hey," Cade greeted Lana as he walked down to the tennis courts along the east side of the palace.

"Your Highness," she answered, smiling brightly. Maybe they were both having exceptionally good days.

"Did something happen?" Cade asked, not meaning to phrase the question so negatively but unable to come up with a different sentence.

Lana beamed, going over to her red bag which she had thrown on the side of the court. "Look at this!" She spread a glossy magazine out on the bench. The two-page article had various photos of Lana throughout the years, with the words World #1 across the top.

Cade felt his mouth drop open. "That's amazing," he said looking at it. "When did it happen?"

"Two days ago. Granted, it was only because the previous number one retired and number two sprained her wrist, but whatever. I'm getting a plaque later today!" Lana bubbled with excitement, her face breaking into an even larger smile.

"Oh. What time? Do you have to go?" Cade asked. "Don't miss it on my behalf."

"Your Highness, with all due respect, I would never choose coaching you in tennis over getting my plaque for being the best female tennis player in the world. No offense."

"None taken. I would too. I mean, not the best female tennis player, but…you know what I mean."

"Yeah. The ceremony is at four. Then I have an interview with the Illéan Post at four forty-five. After that, a meeting to design my own tennis racket at six. I'll have one sent to you." Lana wrinkled her nose. "Maybe that'll help with the backhand."

Cade sincerely doubted that any tennis racket, with the possible exception of one that played for him, would be able to improve his backhand. "Maybe."

Lana snapped her fingers once, "Well, I didn't come all this way to stand around and chat. Let's play."

"You just want to win."

"I'll go easy on you today, I promise."

Cade nodded, "Also, um, Lana, do you know when the next…session is?"

Lana paused. Cade could see her thinking. "Not for a while. A month maybe, it's the next time all the top players are in town for a match. Why? Do you want tickets?"

"I think…I think I can get tickets."

Lana's eyes went wide. "What? How?" she yelped before composing herself, glancing around to see if anyone had overheard. Not that anyone was there to overhear. There was a solitary guard stationed at the entrance to the court, but he was far out of earshot.

"I mean, what's your plan to get tickets?"

Cade glanced to the side, feeling uneasy. "I'm going to borrow them. It'll be fine."

"Okay." Lana glanced around one more time, and seeming reassured that nothing incriminating enough was said, she smiled. "You can serve first. Remember, it's more important to hit the ball than for it to go fast."

"I remember."

After another fruitless practice session, Cade packed his things, bidding Lana goodbye. He was in such a good mood and the weather was so nice, that he decided to go for a walk in the gardens instead of wiling his day away in the palace. He didn't usually do that. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he had decided to do something purely for his own enjoyment.

But it was a beautiful day in early July. The sun was beaming down, the flowers were in full bloom, and the only clouds in the sky were perfectly fluffy white ones.

The garden, despite the name, was really just one large patch of the lawn that had been divided into tiny sections with criss-crossing paths. There were large bushes positioned in between each path, so that one could never really see what was in front of them until they got there.

He heard voices as he crossed towards a gurgling fountain. Soft girlish voices. Selected's voices. It was a lovely day. Surely others would want to enjoy the gardens as well.

Jasmine Andilet was the first one he saw. She stopped in her tracks, bobbed a curtsy and murmured, "Your Highness." Her floral sundress was fitting for the setting, although her gold woven heels must have been sinking into the grass. The shoes matched the glittering earrings and thin necklace she wore. It was a striking different look from the practical clothes she had worn at their first meeting.

"Miss Andilet," Cade replied. "It's very nice out today, isn't it?"

Talking about weather? Come on, Cade, do better than that! Did he always have to sound so hopelessly boring around people?

"Yes, it is. I went for a walk with some others, but I guess I lost my way."

"Oh, do you need help finding them?" Cade asked, walking over to her.

Jasmine gave a prolonged sigh, her cheeks puffing with resignation. "No, it's fine. I'm sure I'll see them at dinner if they manage to find their way out of this maze."

"There's a map at the beginning," Cade added quietly.

"I didn't see it."

"You changed your clothes," Cade said, nodding towards her dress.

She looked up at him, confusion etched in her features. "Excuse me?"

"I just meant, you used to wear those blouses and skirts. The dress is different. It's a pretty color."

Jasmine looked down at it, suddenly self-conscious. "It's not really me, is it?"

Truthfully, Cade didn't know Jasmine well enough to know whether or not the dress was her. So, like he always did when he was in doubt, he agreed. "I guess not."

Jasmine huffed, crossing her arms. "My maids told me I had to start dressing less like I was going to an office. They said that princesses wear florals and pink and glittery jewelry. I'm not really a pink type of a girl."

"What type are you then?"

Jasmine thought for a few moments. "Probably a plaid. Or a red."

"You know, people aren't going to care if you wear plaid or red instead of pastels. I mean, actually they might care, but usually there aren't cameras in the palace, so they wouldn't see. You probably only have to wear stuff like this when you go out."

Jasmine shrugged, "I guess that's better. Marginally."

Cade looked at her face. It was filled with frustration, the corners of her mouth thigh and her eyelids creased. "I'm sorry. People like to judge. There's nothing that'll change that."

Jasmine shook her head, "I know, I'm being a huge hypocrite. Believe me, before I was in the selection, I used to judge you all a lot. And now I'm just fussy that I'm on the receiving end of it. That's not kind of me, I suppose."

"Well- it's…not great," Cade intoned quietly.

"I know, I know. It's just aggravating to constantly be told what to wear and where to go."

Cade coughed. "Yeah."

He wasn't sure what to say. On one hand, Jasmine's feelings were definitely amplified due to the selection. Cade had meetings to attend and paperwork he had to submit, but the deadlines all revolved around him. The council could grumble, but if Cade couldn't attend something, it didn't happen. The same would hold true for Jasmine after the selection; her appointments would all be scheduled around her, not whatever was happening now.

But, she would always have acceptable clothes to wear and places she had to be for the sake of appearances. Royal life consisted of sacrifice. Autonomy wasn't worth much compared to a stable country.

"-act as if we're stupid. The history teacher speaks to us as if we were kindergartners, and when Madam Crishell said we were starting with the basics for politics she really meant it," Jasmine continued, snapping Cade from his thoughts.

"I think it's just to get everyone up to speed," Cade whispered. "Uh, Miss Andilet, I don't think these things will improve much after the selection. Especially, uh, being told what to wear."

Jasmine kept her face composed, though her eyes flashed with annoyance. "Right, I figured as much. It does seem just a little depressing though."

"I…I know."

Jasmine's name was high on the list of potential queen's Cade had made after the first meetings. She was intelligent and determined, excellent qualities for his wife to have, considering Cade's lack thereof. So he shouldn't disqualify her at least until he got through all of the no's and weeded out the maybe's.

But Jasmine wasn't happy.

And Cade didn't think he could be married to someone so distraught over royal life. His future already looked bleak, he didn't need to ensure it.

So the right thing to do for both of them was to eliminate her.

"Miss Andilet, I'm really sorry you feel like that. If you want to go home, that's always an option. No one needs to stay against their will," Cade offered, hoping she would take it so that he would be spared the humiliation of a personal elimination.

"No, I don't. It's only been a few weeks. It's unlikely, but perhaps it'll grow on me."

Great. "Um, well, it might not. It can be pretty bad at times," Cade stumbled, hoping he didn't have to actually say the words aloud. It would be so much less awkward if Jasmine self-eliminated rather than having Cade dismiss her.

"Yes, I see that. Most times seem bad, but such is life. We have to work through it.

"Well, I just want you to know it doesn't really get that much better. Sometimes it does, but not much. And if you hate it, I don't want you to be unhappy, so uh, if you want to go home…"

Jasmine's eyes narrowed. "Are you eliminating me?"

Yes.

"No, no. I was just saying, it might be best if you went home, if you don't like it here."

Her eyes narrowed more, laced with equal parts of suspicion and anger. "So you are."

"Uhm, if you want me to?"

"No, I don't want to be eliminated!" Jasmine exclaimed, throwing her hair back, "But if you're eliminating me, I'll go."

"I mean, I'm just not sure that this is the right place."

"Your Highness, please just end this. Should I go home?"

Cade couldn't meet her eyes. "I think…I think that would be best."

Jasmine drew herself up to her full height before letting out a huff of breath. Her lips were pushed together, red blotches discoloring her face. "Okay. Okay. I see. So what do I do? Tell my maids I've been eliminated and wait for them to figure something out?" Her words were icy, each syllable punctuated with annoyance.

Oh. As if this couldn't get any more uncomfortable, Cade didn't know the answer. He wasn't sure how a girl got home once he had dismissed her. It must have been an arduous process; flights to book, security to coordinate, an aide to help them adjust to life as a three.

"I think so?"

"Well then. Okay. I guess this is goodbye then," she rolled her eyes, bobbing an imperfect curtsy.

"Jasmine, I don't mean to offend you," Cade said quickly, his use of her first name stopping her. "Maybe you can teach cooking. You'll be happier as a three than as the Queen. It's a job no one really wants."

Jasmine crossed her arms, "I'm sure plenty of girls here want the job. The exit is that way?" She asked, tipping her head towards a pebble-lined path.

"No, it's over there. I'll walk you," Cade offered.

Neither of them spoke as they walked along the path. Cade kept his eyes firmly planted on the ground. He wasn't sure what Jasmine was doing. Either way, when they reached the end of the path, back on the cusp of lawn that separated the palace from the gardens, it was with an awkward air that they bid each other goodbye.

Jasmine walked back to the palace stiffly, obviously filled with barely hidden fury. Cade watched her for a few seconds kicking at the ground, before a much happier voice than Jasmine's startled him.

"Is she okay?" Nora Louise piped, her eyebrows knitted in concern.

"Oh, she's uh, she's okay. I…eliminated her a few minutes ago so…" Cade hated the way the word eliminated sounded. So final, so absolute, for someone he had barely known.

Nora Louise made an awww sound, fixing the skirt of her vibrant pink dress. It was a thin, flowy material to accommodate the beaming sun. The pink matched her sandals, and Cade vaguely noted it was the first time he had seen her without the heavy combat boots she preferred.

"Well, if it was the right decision for both of you, I guess I'm in support of it."

"I think it's the right decision."

Nora Louise swatted his hand, "What's done is done. No use worrying about it now. There are still a lot of us left, right? What is it, twenty or so?"

Cade nodded. It was twenty-one actually, but he didn't need to correct her. "I guess you're right."

"I know I am." Suddenly, Nora Louise went very pink in the face. "Uh, what else are you doing today? Are you busy?"

Some people might have considered his schedule for the beautiful day busy, but Cade disagreed. He could finish his work after dinner. Nothing was so pressing right now, and it was very nice out. He supposed he should take the opportunity when he got it.

"No, actually, I'm not. I don't have much to do today, do you?"

Nora Louise shook her head quickly, "Nope! That's why I came out to the gardens. I wanted to just enjoy the sun, you know?"

"Yes, I know." Cade answered stiffly, "Uh, do you want to do something together?"

Nora Louise's whole face brightened. "Yes! Sorry, that was loud. I mean, yes, I would love to."

"Okay, what do you want to do then?"

Nora Louise scrunched her nose in thought, "I don't know. What is there to do? I haven't explored much past the tour we were given on the first day."

"There's a theater room in the basement, if you want to watch a movie. There are the stables. There's a pool, but we're really supposed to make an appointment before so they can get a lifeguard there. Oh, there's a playground, if you want to go there."

"A playground?" Nora Louise asked, her eyes wide. "Like with slides and monkey bars?"

Cade started backtracking, "It's not that big, it's okay. It's mostly for children of diplomats when they visit for state dinners, so the kids aren't just running around."

"It sounds like a lot of fun!" Nora Louise answered, making up her mind. "I want to do that."

"Okay. It's this way," Cade agreed, leading them towards it.

"Did you go when you were a kid?"

Cade stopped, tucking his hands into his pockets. "Sometimes I would. My mother used to take my sister and I after dinner."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Nora Louise professed. "I didn't mean to bring anything bad up."

He shook his head. "It's not bad. Just…bittersweet."

Nora Louise probably believed that was because of his parents' untimely deaths. Everyone would. To Cade though, the memories weren't twinged purely with grief

"Where are you going?" Garrison snapped, surveying Elizabeth leading Cade and Julianna out of the dining room. Most of the plates had been cleared, it was empty except for a few servants and the stationed guard.

"The playground," Elizabeth answered evenly. "You know that I've told you before."

Garrison sighed, his eyes landing on Cade. "Did you know that he's failing the fifth grade?"

"I-"

"That's ridiculous Garrison. Cade is doing fine, I'm sure. I've seen his tests," as she said it, Elizabeth glanced towards Cade, silently asking if it was true, Cade's face turned red, even at that age he was a horrible liar, but he didn't answer. Julianna, always small for her age, tried to disappear, hoping she too wouldn't get in trouble tonight.

It wasn't his fault. His father had given him a stack of papers every night to look over for the past month, preparation for his reign, his father had claimed, and not finishing them wasn't an option. Cade knew what would happen. His only choice was to forgo his schoolwork. His teachers would never yell at him as badly as his father did.

"He hasn't handed in any work for three weeks. Apparently, he's done obscenely on the last few tests. He doesn't need to be coddled on the playground."

Elizabeth let go of Cade's hand, facing him. "Cade, why not? You know that's important. You cannot get bad grades, we talked about this when we enrolled you."

"I know. I just…I haven't had time," Cade admitted quietly. "I'm sorry, Father. I'll do it all."

"Well, what have you been doing instead?" Elizabeth pressed.

"He's been at the playground," Garrison scoffed. "If you cannot handle a few extra pieces of work, perhaps you're not fit to take the crown. You could spend all the time you wanted at the playground if you didn't have any responsibilities. Consider that Cadence."

Cade felt his eyes well up but willed himself not to cry. "I'll do it. I promise. I don't want to go to the playground anyway, Mother. I'm too old for that. I have too many things to do."

Elizabeth nodded, composed. "If you had told me that, I wouldn't have taken them," she said to Garrison.

"How was I supposed to know he was slacking off all his work? The boy obviously doesn't feel it's worth discussing with anyone. He rather embarrass the monarchy."

Elizabeth frowned, "Cade, please just do it. Come, Julianna." With that, she left, Julianna trailing after her.

Cade turned to his father, who was still seated at the table. He was like a condemned about to beg for his life in front of a firing squad. "I'm sorry Father, I didn't mean to."

"I don't know what I expected. It's my own fault. Children need guidance. I've been letting you run amok for years with your childish behavior. What's next, I enroll you in tennis lessons?"

"I don't want to do that."

"You won't be doing anything but your work. I don't care if it takes you until dawn, Cade, this is a disgusting practice. How do you expect to rule a country when you cannot handle a few extra pieces of work? Go to your room, and I expect to see both history essays at my door by ten o'clock. I don't think you want to test me on this one, Cadence."

Cade nodded, slipping away as quickly as he could. He worked until four in the morning that day, and none of it was good. Mediocre at best; but enough that his grades would be fixed. Enough that his father wouldn't continue to take away anything he enjoyed doing.

He hadn't been to the playground since.

"Awww, it's so cute," Nora Louise chirped looking at the brightly painted structure. It was a condensed version of an actual park, but it had all the essentials; monkey bars, a swing set, two slides, and some climbing walls. The whole thing was cased in a wooden box filled with small rubber pieces.

Cade nodded. "It's pretty old. It gets painted every once in a while, but these monkey bars have probably been here since my grandfather."

"I don't mind," Nora Louise said softly, her eyes wide. She walked to the swings, and Cade sat next to her, kicking his legs back and forth. "Your house has so many nice things. I love where I live, and I know I'm pretty well-off, but this is just amazing."

He coughed, not sure how to respond to that. "Most of it is for public use. The offices and screening room and everything. What's your house like?"

"It's on the beach," Nora Louise started. "One of those traditional coastal houses, you know, flowered curtains and white balconies. There's a pool and everything. My room is on the second floor, and I can see the water when I wake up. I think that's my favorite part."

"That sounds really nice. My aunt doesn't like the uh, old styled things that much. You would think there would be more of it in a palace."

"There's some!"

Cade nodded. "I think those were ones she couldn't throw out because of historical importance."

Nora Louise shrugged, pumping her legs on the swing. "It is a little ugly," she said thoughtfully. "But it's ugly in a cute way. Like cinnamon rolls."

"What do you mean? Aren't cinnamon rolls supposed to be cute?"

"When you take them out of the oven, they are never cute. But they're always tasty, so it balances out for me."

"Oh," Cade went a little red in the face. "I don't know if I've ever baked them."

"What?" Nora Louise spun around, causing her swing to twist around itself. She yelped, yanking her hand away.

"Are you okay?" Cade asked, getting up quickly. Maybe he was cursed to be a romantic failure, but he hoped the universe would take pity on the poor girl who had gotten wrapped up in it.

Nora Louise shook her hand. "Yes, I think so. Ow, maybe not. The bigger issue here is that you've never baked cinnamon rolls."

"Are you sure? Do you want to go to the doctor?"

She flexed her hand twice. "I'm fine. The mark's already fading. Back to the cinnamon roll issue, you never baked them with your mom around the holidays?"

"I don't think my mother knew where the kitchen was," Cade admitted.

Nora Louise tutted, her warm eyes filled with excitement, "I think one day, we'll have to remedy that." She cleared her throat, suddenly becoming a little self-conscious, "I mean, if you don't…you know."

Cade sighed, relieved that she was okay and not threatening to file a lawsuit. He was no great hand in the kitchen, but maybe it would be a good experience. He should learn how to cook things that didn't come prepackaged. And Nora Louise was sweet, and she liked him enough to want to go on a second date.

"I think that would be fun."

Nora Louise giggled a little. "My second date with a prince! Well, does this count as a date?"

"Do you want it to? I don't…it can."

"I think so," she answered decisively.

"Okay, well, then, this was a lovely date," Cade stated. "Really, this has been one of the best days I've had in a while. Thank you." The memories of Jasmine's awkward elimination had mostly faded, and Nora Louise was very nice company. She was kind, inquisitive, she cared about him.

Well, she probably cared about everyone, but Cade would take what he could get.

"It has been a great day. Thank you," Nora Louise looked down, her cheeks turning red. "Um, is this…I mean, I've never…do we kiss now?"

Cade froze for a second.

He wanted to kiss her at that moment. There were no cameras, no one around to make it awkward. Wasn't this a perfect spot for his first kiss; a playground under the Angeles sun? That's how it was in all the movies. Besides, he liked Nora Louise.

Yesterday, Cade wouldn't have done it. He would have been too scared, second-guessing himself. He would have made up some bumbling excuse and walked away before she could see how red his face had become.

Today, he still lacked confidence. He was hesitant as he kissed her, unsure of himself. But he did it; he pressed his lips to hers softly. She tasted vaguely of vanilla.

Nora Louise kissed him back, obviously just as nervous as he was. Cade wondered, as he slid an arm around her waist, if it was her first kiss too. If she was just as scared as he was. Maybe that would be better; no judgment, no annoyance at the awkwardness.

Nora Louise pulled away first, smiling brightly. "Wow," was all she said.

Cade nodded, (silently) echoing her sentiments. "That was really nice, thank you." He shocked his head quickly, "I'm sorry, I suck at this."

Nora Louise laughed, "Honestly, me too. But it's okay. I think you're right, it was really nice."

"Okay." Cade cleared his throat, "Do you want to go back? I know you probably need to get ready for dinner."

"Oh, sure, yes," Nora Louise answered, loo[ing her arm in Cade's as they walked her back towards the palace.

A/N Hello everyone we are back and better than ever (Insert superhero punch) So in this chapter we bid farewell to our first selected. I loved Jasmine but she was just not cut out for the palace lolz. Also...Cade making moves :gasp: I know, I was debating...hmm, should he kiss her should he not, but the boy needed a win lol. See you next time, whenever next time might be!