#selectionocnet

[ruby-stones-blog1]

Interview - Moodboard

[niara-aldaine]

goodbye

you guys should probably read this.

It was easy yet not. Simple but complicated. I was terrified of goodbyes: signifying the end of something I didn’t want to finish. Was it really a goodbye though, or more so a “see you later”? I wasn’t quite sure.

I spent the last days in the palace well. I visited the roof more often than I cared to admit, sometimes already finding Felix up there. We spent time together often: eating chocolate croissants, taking pictures, talking until the break of dawn sometimes. I soaked up as much of the palace as I could. I even hugged Baguette (even though he wasn’t the most excited about it). I would miss all the girls so much, especially Naomi. We had another sleepover with tons of chocolate to fill us. And wine. Bottles of alcohol to wipe out all last drops of feelings and consciousness. It seemed idealistic at the time. Who wouldn’t want to erase all pain with some simple drink, leaving a blank slate of a person who just laughed at everything before passing out on the floor?

What hurt most was Haiden. I knew I wasn’t going to be the One afterwards, but that hurt. For a matter of time, I had dreamed of a lavish future: wonderful husband, lovely children, a country to be a fair Queen for. But no, within a simple perhaps 5 minutes, all of that had vanished into the very back part of my mind for shattered hopes and dreams.

I found comfort on the roof, where none of the public and Selected could see my shattered state, see the wreck of a person that I, Niara Aldaine, truly could become. Over a stupid, simple heartbreak. But I was justified in it.

For years and years, I had been left void of something pure and sweet. My parents shared no love, nor did they offer any to the family. It was all cold bitterness at home. Except the palace. For once in my life, I had felt summertime. I had felt warm love, happiness bubbling from every corner of the palace. How many times had I looked up during breakfast at the royal family laughing together at something stupid and wished that could be mine?

I sat on the edge of the roof once more, perhaps my last time before I would be escorted out of the palace and have cameras shoved in my face. Microphones and cameras all asking what it was like to be thrown out of the palace, what it was like to be tossed out of the handful of girls Haiden had brought into the palace. Was it shameful, to be treated as though we were a group of animals, that we could be bought by the palace and be plucked and picked to see who would be future Queen?  I utterly resented him for that.

What would it be like, to just make one wrong move and slip off the edge of the roof? To have a guard find a broken piece of a girl collapsed on the ground, to have a short funeral for people to mourn and cry and throw flowers before moving on with their lives? Because, as always, life goes on. And no one will care, given the time.

“No, you don’t,” a thin pale hand reaches out and grabs my wrist, “What do you think you’re doing?” “I’m not committing suicide over some stupid boy, Felix, if that’s what you’re thinking,” I snarl, already knowing what he’s assuming. “Then what are you doing?” he asks coolly, his eyebrows raised as he lets go of my wrist. “Thinking about circumstances.” “Conversations and croissants again?” Felix smiles thinly. That smile. That stupid damn smile.

“What?” he asks, noticing my expression. “Nothing,” I dismiss him, turning away. “Human emotions are never nothing and they should never feel as though they are nothing,” he states. And suddenly, I’m burying my face in his shoulder because, he knows. Someone finally understands. And I can’t express what a relief it is, to finally have someone who isn’t a girl fighting daggers and knives with me for a prince’s heart or someone who isn’t a prince balancing 34 other girls’ hearts on the line.

Felix taps my shoulder, notifying me of the soon-coming sunset and I sigh, leaning my head on his shoulder as he grips my hand tightly. And as the sun approaches the edge of the horizon, he tips his head and whispers something into my ear. A quiet deadly little secret. And of course, I accept.

It’s 10 minutes until dinner and I stand right before the entrance of the palace doors. Soon the girls will arrive to the dinner table, one last meal before the Eliminated leave and only 3 will remain. But I won’t be attending.

I wonder if any of the girls will even slightly care, or will their eyes simply skim over my empty seat for a minute and return back to the girls who are present? Naomi would notice, but she would understand my absence. The others wouldn’t.

I push the doors open quietly and walk down the extravagant marble steps, my bags with all my belongings behind me. Felix is already there, giving that same quirky, thin smile as he holds his hand out to me. The luggage is fit into the back of the car and I slip in next to Felix.

No, we’re not engaged, nor are we married. But we will be running. Running far, far away from the lovely palace full of dangerous secrets and dangerous people.

“Ready?” he asks, squeezing my hand gently. “Always,” I reply airily. I don’t look back the palace. But my mind is buzzing with revenge, secrets, anticipation.

Watch out, royals. You may think I’m gone, but I’ll be back. And this time, with an army behind me and a crown on my head.

[jynsongxvii-blog]

Blondie, Tim & the Flower Girl

A/N: This is challenge #2.5? So I put in my practice challenge this time since I had no time to write the story out...still have no time (GUYS, I’M GONNA DIE. I NEED TO FIGURE OUT COLLEGE THIS WEEK ASDFGYHJK) but anyway, I did manage to write this out (not much editing...so forgive any weird grammar if there is some). If I have time later in the week I’ll write&post the actual story, but idk. I liked Jyn with kids tho. Maybe you will as well.

“There once lived a normal--” 

The oldest kid in the room scoffed with an eye roll before I could say anything else.

“Timothy...” One of the nurses scolded him with a stern look. 

“What? All stories start with ‘there once was...’ or ‘once upon a time...’ Something different would be nice.” It was clear his attitude wasn’t uncommon by the nurse's sigh. The boy was twelve at most and didn’t look sick; not that all the kids looked sick, but he was the only other kid wearing regular clothes besides a five-year-old sitting next to him.

I stopped the nurse before she could say anything else, addressing the boy, “How would you have the story start then?”

Timothy seemed surprised by my question but soon returned to his uninterested look, crossing his arms and staring away. “I don’t know, you’re the one telling the story. You figure it out.” 

I smiled faintly at the way he tried to give me a side-glare. “Alright then, let’s see…” It’s technically not a fictional story, so I can start somewhere else. 

The nurse nodded at me in a silent sign of permission when I hoisted up a blonde girl in my arms. I hoped that would make me relax a little as I walked around the room. Some would think carrying a kid around would make you more nervous, but in my case it made me think of being back home. After all, when I held singing classes for kids in my house, a couple of neighbors left their youngest with me so I could babysit. Sure, that only happened when my dad was going to be around the house, but either way, I usually had a kid in my arms during those classes. 

Maybe I could pretend I was in a class. They're just children, Jyn. You can handle children. The blonde girl I’d decided to carry was soon fascinated with my purple tips and had her fingers around them. 

“It’s purple!” She exclaimed and I chuckled at the amazement in her eyes. 

“Yeah, do you like it?”

She nodded enthusiastically while another girl asked, “Why is it purple?” 

I looked down, finding a girl with a bandana covering her head. I had to remind myself not to let my smile falter. She was as strong as children came. She didn’t deserve my pity; she deserved my respect, so I knelt in front of her, offering the same welcoming smile. “That’s because I dye it purple. You can make hair any color you want with hair dye.”

She tilted her head at the idea, “My hair isn’t flat like yours.”

I imagined the corkscrew locks that probably graced her warm skin before therapy began. Her brown skin more alive back then maybe. Joy. That’s what they need to see more often, Jyn. That’s what you’re here for. Bring some hope and joy. I kept the friendly smile on my face before saying: “That doesn’t matter. I bet purple tips will look amazing on you as well.” Then staring at her bandana, “I love the flowers though. They look lovely on you.” 

I asked for Blondie’s opinion too, not able to imagine how hard it might be to be told you’ll have to get rid of your hair at such a young age. I never dared to cut it when I was young and still I’d barely ever cut it when I grew up. I wanted her to know she looked beautiful like that too. Not only to make her feel better but because it was the truth. She rocked that bandana. “Don’t you think they look pretty?”

Blondie finally looked away from my hair and focused on the bandana, quickly nodding with the same enthusiasm she’d had before, “They look like the flowers my daddy brings!” I was glad Blondie carried so much excitement for everything. 

The second girl brought a hand to her bandana as if remembering it had flowers on it just then, a smile soon revealing dimples. “Thanks! My mom gave it to me a while back.”

“Well, she has a great taste! You should ask her where she got it. I might want one for myself.”

She blinked. “You would?”

“Of course! Bandanas are great accessories, but it’s not every day you find one as pretty as yours. I doubt it’ll look that good on me though.” I pretended to whisper at the boy sitting next to her but made sure all the kids could hear me. “I have a big head.”

The boy giggled with some of the other kids while others just smiled. Timothy...well, he raised an eyebrow at me, so I called it progress. 

I faked a gasp, “Are you laughing at me?”

Some giggled again, Flower Girl and Blondie included. I could even see the nurse smiling at my dramatics too. The boy I’d whispered to adjusted his glasses and pointed out my head wasn’t that big, I ruffled his hair with a “don’t lie to your elders!”

That time I even got Timothy to roll his eyes with slight amusement. Why do boys roll their eyes at me so much?

I stood up again. “Okay, I’ve taken away enough of your time, let’s get to the story telling.” 

“Take all the time!” Blondie said as she placed her arms around my neck. I laughed a bit, shifting her weight in my arms.

“So let’s begin again.This is actually the story of a friend of mine. His name is…" I'd originally planned to say his name was Jack for the sake of keeping Jason's life secret--even though in our phone call he'd said it was fine if I used his name--but as I eyed Timothy, walking around the room, I changed my mind and said, "Timothy. He was a normal boy like all of you...”

The kid next to him, whom I was starting to believe was his little brother, tugged at his sleeve saying, “Like you!” 

Tim narrowed his eyes at me like he could make me disappear with just a glare. I smiled in victory before going on. 

I was never good with stories. That was the truth. I loved kids, so the thought of coming here with them was comforting. People always said I was good with them, and to an extent, I agreed I wasn’t too bad...but writing a story for children was something else entirely. I was good with talking, attempting dumb jokes, playing, even teaching, but when it came to stories I was blank. The only stories I ever told the kids I babysat were stories about the crazy stuff I did with friends. 

When Jason tried to teach me how to drive, when Johnny got attacked by a bunny and almost broke his leg, that time I messed things up in the washing machine and both my dad and Jason had to wear orange for over a month, how we met Clem when Johnny pretended to work at the beauty parlor I worked in and almost burned her hair with a curling iron… but that was just me fooling around, retelling something I lived. Those were the stories I could tell. 

So that’s what I would tell them. Maybe not something funny, but something I had lived. Something I had gone through with a friend. 

And so I told them about the time Jason's sister got seriously ill. 

The story of the boy that held onto hope even when everyone else lost it. The story of the boy that taught me how to hope.

[jynsongxvii-blog]

                                   ┌──────── ∘°❉°∘ ────────┐

                                                        The Plan

                                   └──────── °∘❉∘° ────────┘

She hummed to herself, unaware of who would listen. Unaware of what the action would bring upon her life. Unaware of the guy casually sitting at the piano in the old music shop.

She hummed. He listened.

She created a melody. He memorized it.

She arranged the notes. He made them music.

With nothing more he started playing and the song echoed around the confined space.

The girl got startled since she’d thought there was no one else in the shop except for her. Still he continued playing each note with precision. She slowly made her way through the room searching for the mystery pianist, a smile spreading across her face as she joined in with her voice again. The mystery boy smiled too as he heard her beautiful voice again.

Some would have called it fate, others a coincidence. They just called it life playing a practical joke.

“I can’t ask you to do that, Becca” He mumbled, staring down at the grass. She gave him a sad look.

“I want to do it.”

“I’m not about to let you sacrifice everything you love and all you know just for me. You have a life, a good life. Both a good caste and the right caste.”

“I could live as a Five no problem.”

“That would be the right caste, not the good one. As a Two you have both. I won’t take that away from you… It’s ridiculous! You shouldn’t have to be turned into a lower caste for marrying a lower caste! Your future shouldn’t be tied to the guy you marry. You should be your own person.”

She cupped his cheek and offered a sad smile. “I know, and I love you for knowing it… but I’m ok with leaving it behind.”

He leaned to kiss her forehead, “I’m not. You deserve the life you have, I don’t want to take it away.”

“But I want to marry you, Ri.”

He looked at her eyes, his own filled with longing. “I want to marry you too.”

“Then we’ll have to figure something out.” She whispered, caressing his cheek. “We’ll make a plan.”

Always so stubborn, he thought with a sigh, but for once he wanted to be stubborn with her. “I guess we will.”

"Do you trust the plan?" She asked.

He hesitated because he didn't... Just like he didn't trust much else, but he trusted her, and if she believed in the plan, he would believe in it too.

“I’m going with Marissa on a trip to Europe.”

That had been the cover-up

In reality, Marissa paid for her own things and what had been paid for her by Becca’s family was given to Ri. In the little villa in Tuscany in which they got married Illéan law didn’t apply, castes meant nothing. Becca would stay a Two the same way Ri would stay a Five, and it didn’t matter if they weren’t residents of Italy. Becca had done research for long hours, used as much contacts as she could muster, all to figure out the information she needed.

There they could get married officially, by law, and nothing would change regarding their castes. It could be kind of stupid to the eyes of someone else. They couldn’t really tell people they were married, they still had to meet in secret, and even if her caste didn’t change by marrying him, her father would forever resent her if he found out... yet it was was important to them. They were married. After years of secretly dating they were finally married.

“You can still back down, you know?” He smirked at her, admiring her simple but beautiful white gown.

She rolled her eyes and looked back down at the paper on the desk, writing her signature in black ink. “Do you trust the plan?”

He stared down at the paper with both their signatures and pulled her into a kiss. She laughed mid-kiss and pulled him closer. That laugh. He hoped he would make her laugh like that all his life.

“I do.”

                                           ↬  20 years later  ↫

Jyn threw a pebble at Jason’s window and headed for her bathroom. Cassian, immediately ran behind her from his own little bed, his furry neck covered by an unnecessary scarf Jyn loved to see him wear.

Morning routine was usually the same. Throw a pebble, let Cassian climb on her shoulder, personal hygiene, throw another pebble if Jason doesn’t wake up, yell good morning at dad, go down for lunch after getting dressed. Everything after that could vary, but Jyn liked her morning routine. She liked that the beginning of her day was just established. That morning would be different however.

She threw the second pebble at Jason’s window and still no one replied. Odd. She gave Cassian a look as he stood curiously on her shoulder, sniffing the air. “Maybe he did a night shift?”

She did that a lot. Talk to the ferret. She didn’t really worry about how weird it was, she just liked letting her thoughts into the air. To her talking to the ferret was somehow better than talking to nothing or herself.

Cassian placed his front paws on her head and kept sniffing, Jyn frowned. She was about to take another pebble from her jar to throw at her neighbor’s window when her door slammed open. “TIME FOR AN INTERVENTION!” Jason barged into the room followed by Johnny and Clem. Jyn wasn’t sure if she should be surprised or not.

Jason was her childhood friend, the fellow Five she’d met trying to learn how to play soccer with her dad. The white-black ball had hit him right in the face and they had been friends ever since. Johnny was a Four, he’d befriended Jyn initially, much to Jason’s dismay: How dare he steal his best friend? But eventually they all became friends and turned into the deadly Js, always causing trouble wherever they’d go according to the adults, but no one could deny they loved having the little kids around back in the days.

Clem was the newest of the group, with only a year of knowing them all. She was a Three with ‘a future ahead of her’ according to her parents. They didn’t precisely approve of her hanging out with Jyn or the other guys, but they made it work. Sometimes they even helped her sneak out to join them.

“I don’t need an intervention...” Jyn grumbled as her friends invaded her room.

“Yes you do.” Jason crossed his arms over his chest, taking the same stance as hers, both glaring at each other. Meanwhile, Clem plopped on the bed and Johnny turned around the desk’s chair to join the circle that would soon be formed.

“How did you get in here?”

“Mr. Ri let us in.” Johnny replied, sitting with the backrest of the chair turned in front of him.

Of course dad let them in. Revenge for not cleaning the dishes last night. “Why do I need an intervention?”

“Because I know you’re as stubborn as it gets. I wanted to save time. This way if you decline my suggestion I have Johnny and Clem to back me up.”

“And your suggestion is...”

“You should apply for the Selection.”

Jyn blinked and burst out laughing. Jason narrowed his eyes at her. “It’s not a joke!”

“It’s still very funny.”

“I told you the intervention would be needed!”

“You’re an idiot.” She smirked and he scowled.

“I have legit reasons too-”

She scratched Cassian’s neck with an eye roll. “I already submitted my application.”

Jason stopped mid sentence and frowned, sparing Johnny a glance to see if he’d heard her right. His friend shrugged back and he looked back at Jyn “You applied?”

“Yep.”

“But- I thought- You never-”

“I talked with dad. If I do this and actually get Selected I get to become a Three— which makes becoming a Two a lot easier— I get to go to Angeles, I meet the royal family, I see the palace, I meet people from all over the country and I possibly meet a new guy that could or could not be a good date. Why wouldn’t I apply?”

Jason stared at her dumbfounded. Jyn could only smirk while Clem laughed, “Can’t argue with that logic.” 

“I thought you’d be harder to convince.”

“Even if we take everything else out of the list I get to be a Three, Jason. That would mean two steps closer to being a recognized singer and being able to give myself a nice life. Help dad out. Being one step away is a lot better than being three steps away.”

“That was reason number 2 in our list.” He grumbled, dissatisfied with not being able to do one of their famous interventions.

“What was number one?”

This time Johnny answered with a grin. “The food.”

A/N: CONGRATS! You have read my whole fic and hopefully it didn’t suck :) please forgive typos it is super late and tests where being ugh and also lack of inspiration, but...well, here it is. Enjoy.(sorry if it’s confusing??)

[niara-aldaine]

challenge 3

special thank yous to @e--jun with mentions of  @haidenschreave @lady-naomi-lafleur @aliyatyson @lizzy-matthews

the dress 

the shoes

the hair pin 

I can do this, I mentally prepared myself, I can do this. In a matter of minutes, I would be descending downstairs to greet all the foreign diplomats, ranging from an ambassador from New Asia to the princess of Italy. 

Celestia zipped up the back of my gown. It was gorgeously hand-beaded, the color of dusty rose, as if the ethereal goddess of the dawn had skimmed her fingers along it. It looked as though it was spun from gossamer and silk, something only a fairy wore. Celestia squeezed my shoulders comfortingly and Aurora brought over my shoes, a pair of rose gold heels that had elegant spirals of ivy climbing up. 

I could already hear Heather coming around, making sure we would all be on time. I tried to elegantly descend but failed when I almost fell and instead tried to discreetly enter the room. Some of the girls were already talking to diplomats, others hoarding the platter of chocolates, so naturally I drifted towards the chocolates. 

I joined Naomi, who looked absolutely dazzling in her gown. We exchanged greetings and struck up a conversation briefly before Aliya joined us. I ended up exchanging words with Lizzy before I decided to talk with E-Jun, the ambassador from New Asia.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I smiled, “I’m Niara Aldaine.”

“So how are you feeling now that it’s a step away from the Elite?” she had asked. “A bit nervous, I suppose, I'd be surprised if anyone's not,” I laughed, “It's just another step closer to finding out the next true Queen of Illéa.”

“I have complete faith in him as well, he isn't one to regret what he's done,” I explained, ”I think all the countries' rulers and leaders are waiting to see the new Queen of Illéa. It'd change a lot of things, no matter who takes the position.”

She nodded. “New Asia is looking forward to continue working side by side with this country for many years toward, so we are excited to meet the future queen. I'm glad you mentioned the changes that will we have in consequence of all this. May I ask which changes would you make in case you win the competition?”

I had known the subject would come up and I hadn’t mentally prepared an answer beforehand although I knew what I would want to change if I had a position of power. I had often contemplated this when I was younger, playing pretend with my sisters that I could change everything.

“As Queen,” I had started out, “I'd reaffirm the ties Illéa has to other countries in order to strengthen allies and also create new bonds by perhaps increasing trade of resources and more diplomats. Also, I'd try to rewrite the caste system because of the large amount of discrimination and unfairness people face due to a status they were born into. I would also try my best to have the people have more of a say in the monarchy's decision, seeing as sometimes how decisions made by the monarchy either doesn't agree with the people or isn't benefiting them very much. Oh, and also opening new opportunities to those who need jobs or ones who can benefit our economy. And of course, adding more women into government positions. We need more women in administrative positions and although we do have some, I think we should increase that number. Women are just as capable as men to handle these positions and the only reason they aren't receiving these positions are lack of opportunities simply because of their gender.”

E-Jun raised her eyebrows, a small smile on her face. She was so elegantly composed but I could tell she would speak her own opinions if she felt the need. It was no wonder she received the job of ambassador. She was perfect for it. 

“What do you like the most of being born here? Do you wish you were born anywhere else?”

I thought this over in my head slowly before shaking my head. 

“I don't think I would want to be born anywhere else. I know Illéa has its flaws but I love Illéa. Hopefully the future Queen will make it an even better Illéa. And I'd love to travel to other countries though! My favorite part would just be the people itself. Illéa is full of so much hope and possibility, I don't think I could have that bond to any other place.”

We then moved the topic to hobbies of ours and traveling to other countries. E-Jun wistfully described the beautiful scenery and delicious food in New Asia.

“Of course there are amazing benefits but also the workload and stress are parts of your position, so you have to be able to handle it,” I brought up a point.

“Talking about jobs, why do you think you deserve to be the future queen? What qualities do you think you have that will serve you well for the job?” she inquired curiously. And I could tell by looking at her that she truly wanted to know. Haiden’s choice would change not only Illéa but all the other countries as well.

“Well of course I think we all view ourselves differently than others see us, so I hope I’m not being vain. But I believe that I have the patience and determination to do my best for all of the country so although I wouldn’t be the perfect Queen, I think I could be a likely candidate for deserving this position. I also think I have the mix of a logical and creative mind, seeing as I like inventing but also art, thus I will be able to both reason and debate while having compassion for my country. And I think I would also be able to stand for my opinion, even if it went against what others thought. The hard part is sometimes being a good person but also being a good Queen, and I hope I can be that as well as a wife and best friend,” I sighed.

“I agree with you in that too, sometimes is kind of hard to find the balance between using the head and the heart when it comes to ruling a country, you certainly need both... and when it comes to love relationships too,” she winked at me. 

E-Jun described how some families had arranged marriages but her parents gave her the freedom to choose. According to her, all of them ended in the man becoming upset over how her job seemed more important than them although I knew that her job was simply time-consuming and needed focus. She laughed and said, “I wonder if it was better to let my parents choose for me.”

“Well then that's good you didn't choose those men,” I spoke up, “The one for you would understand and I don't think it would have been better for your parents to choose, I think the one for you will come along with time,” which had earned a grateful smile from her.

Later I was strolling down the halls of the palace, clutching my heels in my hand. I saw E-Jun hurrying down the hall towards me, relief on her face.

“Oh wait, I almost forgot again! I brought you a little detail, hope you like it!” she extended a case towards me. I opened it to see a gorgeous flower hair pin. “Oh my goodness,” I squealed, “thank you so much, I love it! It’s absolutely gorgeous.”

I held it to my chest and thanked her endlessly. I don’t think she quite knew how much it meant to me that I had received a gift. 

a couple hours later

I collapsed on the neatly made bed with a pounding head and aching feet. My mind was throbbing with the conversations I had with almost all the foreign diplomats. 

I could feel a migraine coming on and I suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe. 

This was really it. We were already half way from the original pool of 30 and soon Haiden would be choosing his life-long partner, the future Queen. One of us, out of the 15 left, would be crowned. 

This was my life now: part of the pool that would be chosen from for the next Queen. I could face that later but for now, I didn’t want to think about the Selection.

So I went down to the kitchen and requested for a bottle of alcohol and 2 glasses before heading back upstairs. I knocked on the door and it opened, revealing surprise written across Haiden’s face.

“Lady Niara.”

“Haiden. What do you say to a drink in the gardens?”

[niara-aldaine]

challenge 1

sorry if it’s not great, i’m finishing this at 3 am since i was busy earlier haha

special thank yous to @haidenschreave @britain--mason

Life in the palace is lavishly extravagant if not repetitive. We all are drunk on the luxuries of this palace, swept away by the sights of the royal family, the elegant gowns, the jewels. Some are already used to this life, but nonetheless we all are in awe of at least one thing.

The first days are wonderful: almost all the girls are curious of this new place, milling around and exploring. You can hardly go anywhere without discovering something new and mostly likely one of the Selected gazing at it. 

It is a newfound happiness and I am almost intoxicated by this freedom. And I think that all of us are enjoying the sensation of being here, having full meals and luxurious clothing with tons of time to do what we please.

So I suppose it wasn’t surprising that a couple of us were a bit unprepared when Prince Haiden announced out of the blue one day at breakfast, that we would be all going on our first dates.

Later that day, precisely an hour before my date, chaos was reigning in my bedroom within the palace.

“Lady Niara, you’re fine,” my head maid Lily said firmly for the third time. “I know,” I sighed, “it’s not that I’m worried he won’t like me, well maybe that too, but it’s that he won’t like the date.” Celestia and Aurora hurried around the room, but there wasn’t much to clean up. I was impeccably clean, though I knew I did tend to annoy some people with it.

“He will,” Lily answered, “and if even he doesn’t, he kind of has to anyways.” I gasped and she laughed. There was a knock on the door. I put my shoulders down and head up as he appeared in my doorway. Lily gave me one last smile as I was whisked out of my room. Well, here goes.

approximately 1 and a half hours later

Without fail, all 3 of my maids were there in my room after my date, eagerly awaiting the details. Prince Haiden looked simply amused as we approached my room, both of us laughing with flushed embarrassed faces (actually, it was only me with a red face). We had completely finished the escape room within 3 minutes to spare when we tried to open the door and it was locked. The staff had completely forgotten that we were locked in and didn’t let us out until a passing-by maid heard our pounding on the doors.

As soon as the prince left, they all ushered me into the room and sat around me. “So?” Lily asked, “how’d it go?” Aurora, the sweetheart, brought in a cup of chamomile tea for me to soothe me and get me ready for the night. Celestia was quiet but I saw her listening as well, a small smile on her face.

“Interesting,” I said, laughing at the expressions on their faces. There wasn’t so much as a knock on the door as Britain Mason, whom I had befriended shortly after we all arrived at the palace, whooshed in and settled in on the bed like we were old friends. “How’d it go?” she beamed, smoothing out the wrinkles in her practically perfect dress.

“Well, for starters, I planned an escape room. I told the staff, who were so kind and set it all up earlier in the day. Since I like inventing and architecture, I gave them a blueprint so it’d be easier to finish the process,” I smiled as I thought back to the night I was up, with cups and cups of tea and coffee littering my desk, exhausted while sketching the blueprint. Lily laughed too, remembering how I kept going down to the kitchens, secretly trying to snitch some food from Baguette’s impeccable kitchen. She instead just brought me an entire tray of sugary foods to keep me awake. Britain looked amused as she twisted a ring around her finger. Her date had went well according to her; they had went ice skating, which sounded wonderful.

“What did he say?” Britain inquired, snapping me out of my trance.

I thought back to little snippets of our conversation. It wasn’t what I’d call light or flirtatiously fun, but I had gained so much out of a simple conversation with our future sovereign. A lifetime with him certainly would never be boring. Speaking from the heart as a friend for the time being that I had known him, I truly cared that he found someone opinionated, someone passionate and could forever be his lover, wife, and best friend. And when he did, I wanted to meet her.

“Even if I don't find someone who I'm in love with, I can find someone I just love.” “That's a brave thing to do. You've got more potential than I thought, Haiden Schreave.”

“I don't believe that 'you don't know what you’re looking for' because you don't seem like that type of person.” “You caught me there. I imagine me with someone strong, someone with opinions, someone who knows how to say no, someone I can trust. Hopefully someone I'm friendly enough with that I can confide in them.”

It felt untrue, almost wrong, to repeat those words, Haiden’s words, aloud. It felt like a secret, something that he had confided in me, but then again, it was likely that he would’ve spoke the exact same words to the rest of the Selected. At this point, I was unsure in the Selection. I didn’t really know Haiden, where I stood and where the others stood. I was on unstable ground, never knowing whether the ground underneath me would crumble and break and I would be eliminated. But until then, I supposed I would have to trust Haiden. 

I just hoped he knew that, and that he trusted me too.