Dawn -

The next Report is in two weeks, so I don't have to worry about it. No, my primary concern is the Italians coming to visit tomorrow. Nadia has been giving us lessons on etiquette, especially those from lower castes. I would brag, but Nina is too sweet, and I don't really know anyone else. I'm definitely Nadia's favorite. It's probably because I'm one of the only girls from a lower caste that doesn't struggle to hold a teacup without worrying that I'll break it, but I'll still take it as a good sign. Wait. That's not good. I still have to go home. There's no way I'm actually getting invested in the selection... am I?

"Can anyone tell me how many years after King Maxon married Queen America, the truce with New Asia was made?" Nadia asks.

It's one of the lessons all the selected girls must go to. Not even the higher castes can opt out. My hands goes up, but Nadia calls on Genevieve instead.

"That's a trick question. The treaty with New Asia was established two months after the king and queen were married, with the help of Ambassador Elise Whisks, who was also part of the elite during the last selection." Genevieve answers.

My nose wrinkles at her 'I'm better than everyone' tone.

"Excellent, Lady Night." Nadia says approvingly.

Genevieve's smug smile makes me want to slap her.

"Of course she knows the answer. She's a Two." Nina whispers in my ear.

I snicker at her comment, but sadly, Nadia hears it.

"Lady Willow? Lady Lincoln? Something you'd like to share with the rest of us?" she asks.

I swallow, but Sofia saves me.

"With all due respect, Miss, we all had a rough night. We're probably not all at our best right now." she says.

I give her a small smile in thanks, and she winks at me. Shoot. Now I kind of like her.

"I suppose you are correct, Lady Li." Nadia sighs.

Sofia winks at me when Nadia looks away. I don't miss the jealous look that crosses Nina's face, but it's gone so fast I wonder whether I imagined it was even there. Why are we even doing history right now? We should be learning about how to make conversation with the Italians.

As if she can read my mind, Nadia ends the history lesson, moving on to simple Italian phrases.

"Ladies, please raise your hands if you are already fluent in Italian. Knowing multiple languages is an essential skill for a queen. Queen America herself speaks French and Spanish, as well as Italian, not counting English." I raise my hand.

Mom moved here from Italy when she was younger and Dad's mom and dad are from France and Germany respectively, so I speak French, German and Italian. I've always wanted to speak Spanish, but no one could teach me because no one in my family knew how. Nadia raises a brow at me. I'm the only one that raised my hand.

"Well, Lady Willow. It seems this lesson will not be particularly useful to you. You may leave if you wish." she says.

I stand up.

"Thank you, Ma'am. I can help any girls that need it if they get stuck." I tell her.

She smiles at me and lets me leave.

"Lucky," Nina whispers as I go.

-o-

I now have an hour of downtime while the other selected learn basic phrases. Exploring the palace has kind of lost its appeal. I want to talk to my family. Suddenly remembering I can write letters to them; I stop a nearby maid and ask for seven pieces of paper. There's one for each member of the family. I sit down on a chaise lounge with a table next to it and start with writing to Dusk.

Dear Starry,

You might be the only one that understands how much I miss you. Things here are alright, but I don't think I'll be able to come home for a least another few weeks because the people have somehow decided I'm their favorite just because I said hi to you on TV. I swear, when I got to the airport, your name wasn't on a single poster, at least not that I noticed. It's funny how one moment can define everything for you. I'm not sure what to think about the prince. Yesterday there was a rebel attack (don't worry we're all fine) and afterwards I was hungry and this other girl, Sofia, took me to the kitchen. Then Austin came in and acted all lovey-dovey with her, but I wasn't seeing much personality from either of them. It seemed kind of like he was just trying to speed along and find someone to marry. My maids are the sweetest darlings ever. First there's Iana. She's always curious and loves bringing me good news. Then there's Violet. She's quiet, a bit like Luna, but I don't think Violet bottles her emotions. She has a younger sister, my last maid, named Lilac. Lilac reminds me exactly of Astra. I miss all of you so much. I found "Snow White" in the palace library. Remember Ky used to read it to us?

P.S.

Remember when we would pretend to be each other and the only person who wasn't fooled was Kyle? I miss him. Visit his grave for me. I'll send another letter along with this in a different envelope for you. I trust you won't open it.

Love, Sunny.

I fold up the letter and place it into the envelope, then work on writing my other letters to Luna, Astra, and even Winter. My letter to Winter is mainly just me describing the palace to her, but my letter to Luna is more serious. She's always been closer to me than Astra, who's closer to Dusk, and I know without me there to vent to, she might have trouble keeping all her emotions together. My letter to Astra tells her some gossip about the royal family and reminds her to look after Luna. My letters to my parents are short and to the point. I told them both I love them and included a brief description of what's happened so far. I signed them all with a nickname so if anyone reads them they won't realize I'm not Dusk. Then there's the last letter. The one to Kyle. I can feel the tears welling up, and I quickly brush them away. His death shouldn't still be hurting me, but it is.

Dear Kyle,

We all miss you more than you could've ever known. Especially me. It hurts writing these letters to you, knowing you'll never read them. I hope one day I see you again. Winter misses you too. She doesn't have many memories of you, but those she does have are enough for her to remember you. I'm sure you already know this, but on your birthday this year, we visited your grave. I won't lie; we all cried more than a few tears. We miss you. I miss you, Ky. I wish you would come back, though I know you can't. I want to see you so badly, but I'm not ready to leave our sisters behind. I love you more than I ever had the chance to tell you. I miss you every day when I wake up and every night when I go to sleep. I'm glad you'll never have to know what it's like to lose someone you love, because it hurts like hell. I wish so many things had gone differently. I wish you were never drafted, I wish you were never stationed in Whites, I wish you had come back home safe and sound. But none of those things happened. You're gone, and nothing will bring you back. And I'm just a lost little girl writing letters to her dead brother.

Love, Dishwasher.

P.S., remember when I used to call you Kylie? It was our thing, just me and you. God, my throat is closing up just thinking about everything we've lost. There's so much I want to tell you that I'll never get to say, but I still have Starry to talk to. I've told you this before, but she's the reason I'm not with you right now. She still needs me here. I so badly wish you had never left us, but here I am, in a place I don't think I can ever call home, seeing reminders of you in every hall, every time I see those damn uniforms. If you're watching from up there, please don't feel like any of this is your fault.

Love, Button

I have to stop again to wipe the tears from my eyes before I fold this letter too and gently place it into its envelope. I write his name on the back in flourishing script, then seal it forever. My heart physically hurts knowing he'll never get to open it. Before I can start bawling right outside the Women's Room, I gather the rest of the letters. I've never been to the mail room, but I manage to find it thanks to the constant stream of palace staff bustling in and out. I walk up to one of the guards and tap him on the shoulder. "Excuse me?" I ask. He turns around, and I avoid looking at his uniform. I hold out the letters to him, and he takes them, flipping each envelope in what I assume must be a standard check, then drops them down a chute. "They'll be sent." He says simply. "Thank you, Officer." I say. He just shrugs and turns around again.

Austin -

I don't know why seeing Dusk and Sofia in the kitchen yesterday made me stop and watch them. I could've just told them to get out, but there was something about the beautiful grin on Dusk's face that drew me in like a magnet. Then I saw Sofia stuffing her face with my cherry pie and I absolutely lost it. Is there actually a possibility that I could find a wife? Dusk is the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, but she's so emotionally distant it's almost impossible to imagine a future with her. But Sofia... Sofia is amazing. She's honest with me, she doesn't try to impress me or dance around sensitive topics. She tells me the truth; she answers any questions I ask her. She asks me about myself, makes me feel heard. So what's stopping me from falling in love with her? Maybe it's the fact that I still need Dusk to save Amber. Maybe it's because even though Sofia seems perfect, I don't want to live so comfortably. I want someone passionate, and Sofia just seems to soft for that. I shake my head. Why am I looking for qualities I consider attractive? The goal is to find someone I can tolerate. Sofia would be a good choice, but I should keep looking.

-o-

I've finally managed to get at least one date with all of the selected girls. Seven more are gone, so twenty-one are left for when the Italian royal family comes to visit. Apollo thinks the way to Dusk's heart is through her family, so maybe once I narrow them down to the elite, I can bring the selected families in. She does seem happiest when she's talking about them. I can tell when she's thinking about them because her eyes look sad, and I can see how much she loves her family in them. I can see how much she misses the brother she lost. As nervous as the girls might be, I'm arguably more nervous because the opinions of the Italians can potentially shape who I marry. They're our very powerful allies and became our allies in the first place because Dad chose Mom and that's who they wanted on the throne. I feel like I've been complaining a lot recently, so I decide to visit Amber. I knock on her door, and she tells me to come in in her soft voice. "Hey, Berry." I say. She smiles at me and gestures for me to come closer, shutting her book. "Haven't you read that one already?" I ask, sitting on the bed next to her. She just shrugs. "How's the selection going? Anyone you're interested in yet?" she asks. My heart sinks. Other than Apollo, Amber is who I would tell most of my emotional problems too because of how intelligent she is. June is really smart, but she doesn't really have much of a filter; at least, not that I've seen. "There's this girl..." I start. Berry's face lights up, and it makes me smile. "Her name is Sofia." I tell her. "I thought you were interested in that girl named Dusk." Berry says. "Did Mom tell you that?" I ask her. She nods sheepishly. "Well, I have to keep my options open. Did Mom say anything other than that I was interested in her?" She shakes her head. So Mom didn't tell her why I'm keeping Dusk around. I sigh in mock annoyance. "How could she disclose my personal information to you like that?" I tease. Amber giggles, covering her mouth as she does so. It makes me want to grab her hand and pull it away. I hate it when she does that, like she doesn't think she's pretty enough. I keep my mouth shut, though. "I think you should talk to her more. You know she tries." Berry tells me. "I know. I will." I lie. She drops her head into my lap, an effortless position we've gone into so many times it's second nature for both of us. "Please tell me you'll be okay, Berry." I plead. She smiles sadly. "I can't lie to you, Ace. I love you too much to let you go through that grief." I grip her hands tightly, squeezing. "Don't talk like that. I promise you; I'm doing everything I can to save you." I tell her. She just smiles again and doesn't say anything. "I promise." I say again.