Truly Elected (Book Two of The Next Selection Series)

Chapter 25

The day started as gloomy as we all felt. 

An air of darkness hung around, sucking the joy out of the palace walls, for the days following Queen America's announcement. I watched from afar, peering over balcony railings at her, the moment she returned from Carolina. Queen May had her arm wrapped around Queen America, comforting her through her own sadness. A middle-aged couple and two younger clones of them trailed behind the queens, followed by a man, who seemed in his mid-30s, embracing a raven-haired woman with crazy curls and dark skin. The final entrant of the entourage was a tall man who's hair was rapidly graying.

"I hate being here," he said gruffly, clearing his throat. Queen May shot him a look. 

"Well, maybe if you hadn't been such a spoilt arse in your youth, you wouldn't be in an uncomfortable situation," her eyes narrowed into thin slits. "But that's your own fault."

"Oh, by all means, Your Highness," he rolled his eyes. "Sorry to bring offense into our esteemed rulers' home."

"Will you shut it?" the other, younger man said. "Can't you just be grateful for once."

The older man huffed but stayed silent. It was at that moment when King Maxon, Matthew, and Daniel emerged into the Great Hall.

"Mother," Matthew said, kissing her cheeks. Daniel followed in suit before King Maxon took his wife in his arms. "How was Carolina."

"Oh.. you know..." she gave a watery smile before turning into Kind Maxon's chest and sobbing again. The King rubbed her back and began guiding her away, but not before nodding at the group of people. 

"Lord and Lady Orders," Matthew smiled and embraced the both of them. "It has been too long, although I wish we could meet under normal circumstances."

The lady laughed and embraced Matthew. "I wish you wouldn't be so formal," she shook her head as her husband embraced Daniel. "I will always be your Aunt Kenna."

"I know," Matthew blushed as he slipped off of her and embraced the girl next to her. From my vantage point, and from the conversation I had just witnessed, I knew it had to be Kenna Order's older daughter, Astrid. "Habits I suppose."

"Well, you are your father's son," the younger man, Gerad Singer I now assumed, smiled. The pair locked arms in a tight shake, and his wife curtsied to them both.

"I don't mind the titles."

"You don't have a title, Uncle Kota," Daniel snapped suddenly, distrustful in his stance. Kota was the only family member Daniel hadn't embraced, and from the looks of it, he wasn't about to. "And that is your own fault."

Kota Singer huffed and marched ahead of the group. Queen May followed closely behind him while the rest of the group trickled out of the Great Hall slowly.

"So how's the selection?" Kenna asked. "Found the one yet?"

"I think I have," Matthew laughed, his voice growing quieter with distance. "But we shall see I suppose, it's a somewhat recent development actually....."

I felt my stomach lurch as I ran down the stairs. Other Elite were entering the Women's Room, maintaining our mantra to be out-of-sight until the funeral tomorrow. Elsie was there, as were Phoebe and Harmony.

"Queen America is back," I said breathlessly. Elsie nodded but said nothing. Phoebe was also silent, her usual perk gone in the gloom of the recent news. Harmony, however, seemed interested.

"I heard her entire family was coming," she cocked her head, her glossy strawberry-blonde hair swishing at her back. "Even her estranged brother. Is that true?"

I nodded. "He's here, though Daniel doesn't seem too keen on it."

Harmony clucked her tongue in disbelief. "I'm not surprised that's his reaction," she crossed her arms, her attention turning toward the window. It had begun to downpour. "The things that man did... he basically abandoned the lot of them and decided to re-appear when Queen America was about to win the Selection. No thank you."

I hadn't known that bit of information.

"Where is everyone?" Tressa called when she entered the room. Today she was dressed in a dusty rose day dress and silver heels, and her hair was curled. I felt my ears heat up at the sight of her. 

Since our confrontation at dinner, every time I saw her, I felt horribly. Jealousy, nausea, the whole works. I felt that she had something that was mine, and the freedom of clarity and commitment, something I wanted desperately. I had hardly spoken to Matthew in the last week. Daniel I hadn't spoken to at all.

"Probably in bed," Phoebe suggested. "I know Dylan hasn't gotten up yet." She glanced at her lap briefly before pulling out a piece of paper and began doodling. 

"And the Queen is back?" She questioned excitedly. Harmony and I nodded. 

"She arrived a little while ago," Harmony relayed the message, shooting me a supportive glance. Though our friendship had initially been unlikely at best, we have grown together. And after hearing about Tressa's confrontation of me and Heather from Heather herself, she knew she was the best person to speak up.

Tressa didn't say anything for a moment. "I feel so horribly," she bit her lower lip gently, afraid to chap it. " A mother's love just doesn't compare to anything else in this world."

"Not true love?" I quipped, still harboring lingering resentment. "Seemed important to you a few days ago."

"Oh, it is," she didn't break a sweat. "It's different though, the love of a partner versus that of a parent."

"Then what about the love of a father?" I thought back to my own dad, wondering what he was doing in this exact moment.

"I wouldn't know," she shrugged sadly. "I don't have a father."

I blinked silently. Harmony cleared her throat.

"You have to have a father," she questioned slowly. "Otherwise you wouldn't have been born."

"Well, yes," Tressa laughed sadly. "That is true. Well, I never had a father-figure in my life, he wasn't present I suppose is the best way to put it. I don't know the extent of his relationship with my mother, but I grew up just me and her, and that was all I needed."

I frowned, my resolve falling. "Tressa... I'm so sorry."

She offered a half, tight-lipped smile. "I can't be upset over something I've never had," she said. "My mother is amazing, and I wouldn't trade her for the world, and I don't know what I'd do without her. But this is also why I have such an emphasis on this experience... I want to share my life with someone I love and that loves me for as long as I live, so I don't have to go through what my mother did, nor put my own future children through that heart-ache of feeling unwanted and unloved."

Elsie swallowed loudly. "You have to know that's untrue though," she tilted her head. "You have your mom, and, like Queen America said, you have us forever more. We're your family now, even if we don't always see eye-to-eye."

Tressa and I looked at each other, an understanding seeming to be found.

"I've been meaning to apologize," she started. "Not because I didn't mean what I said, because that is how I feel, but for how it came across. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, if I have."

I shook my head, even though it was a lie. "I'm okay," I paused, contemplating sharing more. "It just opened my eyes to somethings, and made me realize I need to seriously consider where to take what I have forward before I loose it all. And I don't want that... clarity is within my reach."

She nodded and smiled before joining Phoebe at the table. Harmony shrugged before popping small earbuds into her ears and turning away.

That left me to contemplate with my own thoughts.