Chapter One
Dawn -
The condemning letters sit on the table, perfectly untouched. If I was smart, I would've hidden them the moment they came through the post. I should've known none of our friends can afford to send letters. We are Sixes after all. But of course, Mom was in the kitchen when I brought the letters in, and her eyes had grown to the size of saucers. She then proceeded to start a rant about how Austin, the crown prince of Illéa is having a Selection, and Dusk and I are of age. She's forcing us both to enter, and honestly, I don't blame her. We're only two steps up from being dirt poor. We've been hungry. We've gone without electricity most winters because we can't afford to have that and food. But I don't want to enter the Selection. I don't want to be a princess, and I don't need a husband. The Prince has always come across as detached, even though his twin brother Apollo lives in his shadow. Even though Austin and Apollo are twins, they're not identical like Dusk and I are. Dusk and I both have shining silver hair and gray eyes. Combined with our tanned skin-tone and let's just say Dusk and I have been pursued a lot over the years. Both the princes are still incredibly handsome though. Austin's hair is a light blond, his eyes are icy blue, just like Queen America's, and his skin is fair. Apollo's hair is chestnut brown, his eyes are green and has skin a shade darker than Austin's.
"We're going to be royalty!" Astralia sings, entering the small kitchen.
Our house is smaller than small, and it doesn't have floors. That means we must wear shoes inside the house. We have one bathroom, which Mom, Dad, Dusk, Astralia, Lunaris, Winter and I all share.
I wish it didn't have to be this way. The Selection could change our lives. But our Dusk can't leave her boyfriend and I... I can't leave Dusk. Even if we didn't win The Selection, we'd have a new caste and be expected to marry a rich Two. And neither of us can leave our family behind like that, let alone marry someone we barely know.
"I'm sorry, Astra. We're not entering." I say.
Her face falls. Unlike Dusk and I, Astralia's hair is light brown, her skin is lighter, and her eyes are a deep brown. A smattering of freckles dots her nose and cheeks. My younger sister is so pretty she turns heads when she walks out of the house. And poor Astra's face is almost always dirty from constantly working at only thirteen years old.
"Why?" She asks, looking like she really doesn't understand.
"Dusk and I don't want to marry some random guy." I say.
She frowns.
"But he's not some random guy. He's the prince." She points out.
"He may be our prince, but we know virtually nothing about him." I counter.
She pouts.
"You know Mom's gonna force you both to enter." Astra says.
Shoot. She has a point.
"Okay, even if we do enter, we're not going to get drawn. Hundreds of other girls will be entering, especially Twos."
"But there's still a chance?" She asks.
I groan. "Yes." I grumble.
Her face lights up again, and she leaves the kitchen, singing loudly. I watch her go, wishing I could be as carefree as her.
Apollo -
Once again, Austin will be having something I could never dare to dream of.
It isn't like I want thirty-five girls to come here and fight over me like cats. But the media will once again be focused entirely on my eight-minutes-older than me brother and I'll fall into his shadow once again.
Austin has always been the smarter, funnier, quicker, better-looking twin. I'll always be second best next to him. While the shelves in Austin's room are lined with trophies and first-place awards, mine are lined with silver medals and second-place awards, a consolation prize for not winning first.
Mom and Dad try to put me under the spotlight too, but it's like the universe doesn't want me to be noticed because something always happens. Once I got sick right before a press conference they had scheduled so the public could get to know me better. Then, the day I was supposed to have a photoshoot where the professionals take pictures of me to be printed in glossy swoon magazines, I scratched my cornea and had to wear an eyepatch for the rest of the week. Safe to say, my luck isn't the best.
Sitting at the dining table, Austin to my left and Mom to my right, I feel overshadowed again. Everyone here is thinking about The Selection.
June is thrilled of course. She's sixteen and is excited to have another big sister. Amber is less easy to read, but I can still tell she'll be delighted to have another member of our family. Especially because she doesn't have any female figures that are closer to her age. She's seventeen, only two years younger than me and Austin.
"Apollo?" Mom asks.
I stop pushing peas around on my plate and look at Mom. Even though she's thirty-eight now, she still looks the same as she did in the pictures of her wedding day. Not a wrinkle or gray hair to be seen. Her flaming red hair is coiled into a glossy bun, and her ice-blue eyes, just like Austin's, are concerned.
"I'm fine." I say, sensing her next question. She places a warm hand on my shoulder and kisses me on the forehead.
"You're just as good as Austin. Don't ever feel like you're not worthy." She says softly.
The words are meant to be comforting, but the fact that she can read me so easily makes me wonder if everyone else can tell too. Amber eats silently, but she doesn't finish the food on her plate. Her eating disorder means she can't recognize when she's hungry until she starts eating and even then, she doesn't have much of an appetite. Combine that with her fast metabolism and Amber is severely underweight. She has to get physicals from the doctor every month, and we all act like we don't know about it. June's on her second helping, as is Austin. I've barely touched my food. I stand up suddenly, pushing my chair back. Mom and Dad look to me, alarmed.
"I think I'll take dinner to my room." I announce, picking up my plate.
I walk out of the dining room as fast as I can, feeling nauseous.