The Selection of Prince Creed

CASEY

We surprised my maid. When my door flew open she'd been standing at the vanity, her hair half down. She jumped with a startled squeak and looked at us with stunned eyes, frozen for a moment. When her senses finally caught up with her, she dipped into a small curtsy and stammered out an apology, "P-please forgive me. I-I wasn't expecting you just yet."

My escort only grunted in annoyance before filling her in on my humiliation and leaving with a quick nod of his head. As soon as the door closed behind him, my maid's demeanor changed completely. She marched right up to me and held out her hand, "I'm Danielle."

"Oh, um, Casey," I mumble as I shake her hand, thrown off by her change.

"Yeah, I know," Danielle gave me a small smile. She returned to the vanity mirror and continued pinning her hair up in a simple chignon. When she caught me staring at her in the mirror her smile grew, "Have to keep up appearances, but I'm going to assume you don't want to be curtsied to and called 'miss' in your own room."

"I hadn't even thought about it," I mumbled, a slight blush climbing into my cheeks.

Danielle laughed and something in her laugh made me relax. It wasn't a laugh that made you feel like she was laughing at you, it was more like she found the humor in everything and it was comforting. Once Danielle pushed the final bobby pin into place, she smoothed the sides and with a final nod of approval to herself she turned and really took me in.

"What are we going to do with you?" She put her hands on her hips and tsked before checking her watch. I had a sudden flash of my mother when she was evaluating me. When I gave her no reply her lips tipped up in a wry smile and stepped forward taking my arm. "We still have twenty minutes before Atticus is supposed to be here, so why don't we start with a shower huh?"

"Who's Atticus?" I ask as she leads me into a bathroom that probably held more space than my meager one bedroom apartment.

"Did they tell you nothing?" Danielle asks with a shake of her head. She reached into the glass stalled shower and started twisting the three knobs. "He's the royal stylist. He will be in charge of designing all of your clothes."

I nod my head like it all makes perfect sense but I can't help but worry a little. A stranger was going to be making my clothes? I hadn't really put much thought on what I would be wearing around the palace, but I never thought it would all come from just one man.

"Well, hurry along. You don't have too much time," Danielle shut the mahogany door behind her with a definitive click and I finally released a long sigh. This was all becoming too much. I had no idea what I was going to do, or how to do anything. But if nothing else, a shower was always a good place to start.

____

"Oh good, you've already showered, but what did you do to your arm?"

My hair was still wet and I hadn't re wrapped my arm yet when the bustling, hurried man entered my room with barely a knock. I guess he was in a rush. I guess this is Atticus Grant. It took me a moment to realize he was actually asking the question and expecting an answer, "Oh. Sorry! I uh, I tripped getting out of the van."

He chuckled lightly, "What did his royal highness say about it?"

"I uh- haven't actually met him yet," I admit and feel my cheeks flush when his chuckle turns into a full laugh.

"Well then, tonight's festivities will be extra important for you then," He says these words more to himself as he takes a seat in one of the sitting chairs and crosses his leg comfortably. He flips through the notebook he'd been holding and glances down, "Now, you are Casey Reynolds, a Six from Allens, yes?"