Hey guys, sorry for not posting yesterday! I was at a concert and it was so fun and by the time I got back, it was so late I just went to sleep. There will be a chapter tomorrow as well and I hope you enjoy this long one. It took quite some time to write!
- Silver
Austin -
By lunch, the names of the eliminated selected have been printed on most of the magazines that feature the royal family. Speculative theories on why they could've been eliminated and comparisons between my father and I fill the pages. I eat in silence. The girl next to me, Nina, chats eagerly with Dusk. Dusk looks like she finds Nina endearing, which I suppose she must. Nina really is... something. She's very nice, but I'm not getting much else from her.
Apollo elbows me, knocking my fork out of my hand. I manage to catch it before it makes a loud noise, then glare at him.
"What?" I snap.
"You were staring, Stink." He says.
I roll my eyes at the unwanted nickname.
"No I wasn't." I retort.
He smirks at me. "You absolutely were."
I make a face at him. Dusk is still talking to Nina-
"Damn it!" I say.
He grins irritatingly, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms like he's made a point.
"Whatever. You know we still need her-"
He stamps on my foot. Pain shoots up my leg.
"What is wrong with you?" I hiss.
There's no trace of apology on Apollo's face.
"She's literally two people away from you. You cannot be serious." He whispers.
I sigh, because he's right.
After the last course, Dad dismisses the girls, but June, Amber, Apollo and I stay with him and Mom. Dad sighs, and for a moment, he looks to be the forty-year-old man he really is. My heart feels heavier knowing I'll be in his shoes soon.
"We all know Peanu- Amber has three months left." Dad starts.
Mom's bottom lip wobbles. Amber says nothing.
"We are currently searching all of Illéa for a match, but it is difficult without informing them of P- Amber's condition. If worse comes to worst, we may have to make a public announcement."
Apollo glances at me. I shake my head at him. Mom and Dad would hate me for what I'm doing, but it's the only way I can think of. And it requires expecting Dusk to keep Amber's secret even while I'm hiding a bigger one.
"Chase is looking for donors." Berry says quietly.
"You told Chase?" Dad asks.
She nods, looking ashamed. "If I'm going to die, he should know."
"You're not going to die!" Mom shouts.
Everyone looks at her, but unlike Amber, she doesn't balk.
"I don't care if we have to tell the whole world about Pudding's condition, I won't rest until we find a match! This is your sister, and she needs your help so do something about it!"
Maybe Mom wouldn't hate what I'm doing. Dad looks chastened. He reaches for Mom's arm, but she swats him away.
"We're finding a solution together." Mom says.
She sweeps out of the room, Dad hurrying behind her. It would be funny how he's always following her even though he technically outranks her if this wasn't so serious. The rest of us file out, Berry and Junebug heading to the Princesses suite and Apollo and I walking to the Princes suite.
"Don't worry, this will work." I say to him confidently.
I have to believe it will. Dusk signed up for the selection, so that has to mean she's at least attracted to me... right?
-o-
My date with Orchid wasn't bad. There's a good chance she might make it into the elite. Unlike Dusk, she opened up about herself. She's very transparent, which is good in a relationship. Today is Saturday, and I have one more date with... Sofia. She seemed alright during the interview. Hopefully she's pleasant.
I knock on her door and the sound of giggling reaches my ears before one of her maids opens the door for me and curtsies.
"Lady Sofia?" I ask. There's no response.
"She's still getting ready, Your Highness. We weren't expecting you yet." I check my watch, but I'm right on time.
"What time does your clock say?" I ask her.
The maid glances at the wall behind the door.
"Ten minutes to five." She tells me.
"It's five minutes past five." I respond.
The maid blushes, then hurries into the room and comes back with the clock.
"So sorry about that, Your Highness. I'll have it replaced immediately." I grin at her, taking the clock from her hands.
"Don't worry about it." I tell her.
She gives me a small smile, then asks me to wait for a few minutes.
"Good afternoon, Your Highness." Sofia says.
"Lady Sofia." I greet, holding out my arm for her to take.
She does, and her skin is warm, unlike Dusk's which was cold as ice.
"Why are you holding a clock?" She asks, holding back a laugh.
I give her a rueful grin.
"It's yours. It needs to be replaced." I tell her.
Sofia snickers, then takes the clock from me. She pries a panel out of the back and turns a few dials, then puts the panel back. The clock shows the right time again.
"Do you rich people just replace everything?" she jokes.
I stare at her, shocked.
"How did you that?" I ask her.
She smiles at my obvious curiosity.
"I was a Six." she says by way of explanation.
A Six. That means she did housework. I guess that's an appropriate skill to have, then. I wonder if Dusk can do it.
"How do you feel about the selection?" she asks.
Only Dusk has asked me anything about myself, and it feels good to have someone I could actually be interested in ask me what I think.
"I think it's a fantastic opportunity." I lie.
Sofia snorts. "You can't be serious."
I grin at her.
"Of course I'm not. I'm just hoping to find love like everyone who put their name in." I offer.
Her playful expression turns serious.
"I am here for love, but I can't deny that my family needs the money." She admits.
Her brown eyes are glassy. I tilt her chin up and brush away the tear that escapes her eye. I can feel her warm breath on my hand.
"Your Highness?" she asks.
I let go of her chin, and oddly enough, I feel a little disappointed.
"Nothing." I say.
Dawn -
Roaming around the palace is has become a hobby. It's so big, I don't think I'll have enough time to explore the whole thing before I leave. Astra would love it here, and Luna goes wherever Astra does. I smile just thinking about them. It's been five days since the Report, and there are no signs that the media is going to calm down soon.
I walk to the library, opening the doors. Huge is an understatement. I knew the palace was big, but the library seems majestic somehow. I know it's my new favorite place in here. Grinning, I sprint to the shelves, opening books and reading random pages, then rushing to other bookcases and doing the same thing. I squeal with excitement when I find a book with a fairytale I know. It's called, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves". Kyle used to read it to me and Dusk when we were kids.
Too late, I realize Apollo is leaning against the doorframe of the library. I almost drop the book in my hurry to curtsy.
"Your Highness." I manage to say.
He smiles at me, then walks closer.
"Snow White?" He asks.
"Huh?" I ask.
Then I remember the book in my hands.
"Oh, yeah."
He chuckles, and I hope he doesn't think I'm stupid.
"It's one of my favorites." He tells me.
"Really? I don't think it's very interesting." I say.
I clap a hand over my mouth before I can say anything else, but he just laughs again.
"Don't stop yourself from saying something if it's true." He says.
I blush with embarrassment.
"You're the prince." I say.
His face darkens.
"Yes. I suppose I am." Confusion fogs my head. Did I say anything wrong?
"You seem lovely, Lady Dusk." He says, then walks away, leaving me wondering what in the world just happened.
-o-
Out of pure luck, I happen to run into Princess June on my way out of the library. Quickly, I curtsy and she smiles ruefully.
"Lady Dusk, is it?" She asks.
"Yes, Your Highness." I reply.
She grins at me, and I'm struck by how much she looks like Apollo. They both smile a lot. Maybe I should too.
"Call me June." She tells me.
Then she walks into the library. What is it with royals saying confusing things and leaving me to figure out what the hell it means?
I meant what I said in the library. Snow White is a painfully boring story. But it's a piece of Kyle. I clutch the book harder, overwhelmed by a wave of grief. We all mourned Ky but losing him almost killed me. Mom had Dad. Winter was too young. Luna and Astra had each other. But I couldn't tell Dusk anything; I couldn't say anything to anyone. It took so long to get out of that dark place. I can't even remember a lot of it.
The walk back to my room is short because the library is on the same floor. None of my maids is in my room when I get there, so I set the book on the side table and plop down on the bed. I'm exhausted, but I can't sleep. Eventually, I stand up and smooth down my dress, checking the time. It's almost time for dinner. The sound of giggling comes from behind my doors just seconds before Lilac and Iana burst in, faces red and clutching a dress. Violet runs behind them and shuts the doors before glancing at me.
"You two will be the death of me." She remarks.
I laugh, deciding that this time, I won't stop myself. Lilac holds up the dress, holding her chin up.
"What's it for?" I ask her.
She beams at me, and I'm glad someone like her still has all the happiness of youth. Mine was cut short by Kyle being drafted when I was Astra and Luna's age.
"It's Summer, My Lady." She says, by way of explanation.
I cock a brow at her.
"Oh, for heaven's sake, Lilac. Let me tell her." Violet interrupts. "Every Summer, the king and queen throw a huge party because it marks the day Illéa formed an official alliance with Italy. Their royal family comes and visits and there's always a lot of media coverage."
"That sounds interesting. When is it?" I ask Violet.
"This weekend!" Iana squeals.
"What?" I ask.
"The Italian royal family is very fashionable. They might like you more if your dress is the most gorgeous one there." She says.
She might be right, but I wonder how rich you have to be to judge someone's character based on their style. I point at the dress.
"I'm assuming this is where that comes in."
Lilac shakes her head.
"No. This is for something else." she says secretively.
"Then what I am going to wear?"
Iana makes a lip-zipping motion, and when I look at Violet and Lilac, they copy her.
"Okay. I trust you girls." I tell them.
Lilac squeals and hugs me before letting go with a sharp look from Violet. Oh shit. Am I seriously getting attached to these girls?