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I wake up to Allie shaking me awake the next morning. "Wake up Iris! You're going to be late." "What?" I ask groggily, very confused for a second.
I lift my head and look around. "Ok, I'm up." I groan, sitting up and getting out of bed. Allie slips super soft slippers onto my feet and I stand up and stretch.
I move around in a haze, getting dressed, letting Ariel do my make-up, and then going down to the ladies room.
"Good morning ladies!" Crystal all but shouts. I snap out of my haze and sit down on one of the couches. Charlotte takes a seat next to me and immediately starts talking. I nod along to what she's saying until she stops when Crystal starts talking.
"As you all fabulous ladies know, you are here to win Prince Liam's heart." A picture flashes on the screen behind her of the prince. "But the question is, are you worthy of his heart? During your stay here, you will learn how to act like a princess, because one of you girls might actually be the princess. As you all know, winning the Selection is a very big thing, and you all must take this seriously. This is NOT a game." Crystal looks at us, and lands on me.
"If you have not read the handbook immediately, please do so. Now!" Crystal snaps. "You will treat each other like equals. The minute you stepped a foot inside the palace, you all became Three's. Your family's at home are given money every week that you are here. Most of you here are in this for money to be sent home to your families. Yes, I know this. There will be no fighting of any sort, and no jealousy. If Prince Liam falls in love with you, or your friend, or the girl you hate, then he falls in love with them or you and that is that." The screen turns off and Crystal walks to the doors and looks back at us and says, "If you don't want to meet Prince Liam then I shall tell the royal family that you girls are not willing to go through with the Selection."
Everyone jumps up and pushes to the front, but Claire succeeds and pushes everyone away. Charlotte and I are in the back of the pack, and Prince Liam is in one of the way to many 'breakfast rooms.'
Like most things here, of course its going to go in alphabetical order. Not with names, provinces.
Before Angeles, there's Allen, which means I'm going to be the second Selected to see Prince Liam.
I patiently wait my turn - even though its not that long - smug inside at the thought of Claire Dovins, from Whites, has to wait for at least 20+ other girls before her.
The Selected from Allens walks out and I walk in.
"And you are the infamous Lady Iris." Prince Liam says as way of greeting. "Your highness." I curtsy. He rolls his eyes.
"I honestly don't care. I'm already dead inside. Now, anyway, tell me more about you." Prince Liam leans forward as I take a seat.
"Honestly, that's a weird question." I state.
Prince Liam grins and claps. "I like it!" He shouts. My calmness is leaving me quickly now. "You. I'm supposed to learn about you, but that's boring stuff. I basically know everything about you and your family, due to Mom and Dad."
"Great to know." I roll my eyes at him. "Oooo nerve she has! Lydia is going to be soooo pissed when I tell her that I met you first. We have a bet you know, who gets to meet you first. When Mom saw that you entered the Selection, she screamed so loud, hugged Lydia, hugged me, hugged Dad, and then shouted, 'If she isn't Angeles chosen, so help me God, I will disown you lot!'" He chuckles at that.
"So it is true." I mutter, then repeat it louder. "Do you really only pick girls of higher castes and throw in a few other girls from lower castes?" I ask. "What? No. We all get to pick our own, then we have the lottery. Its picked randomly. Lydia and Mom picked you, Dad picked Charlotte Brown, and I just picked someone random. I can't remember who I picked. That's not good." Prince Liam shrugs.
I raise an eyebrow.
"I'm pretty sure that it'll be fine." Prince Liam puts his feet up on the table when Queen Paige comes bustling in.
"Lady Iris! I didn't know that you were here!" She exclaims. "Mom, you're the one who's been insisting that it be the provinces in alphabetical order!" Prince Liam exclaims.
"Really, I had no idea!" Queen Paige gushes. "Oh look at the time, I really must go. Bye for now!" And with that she left the room, leaving me with Prince Liam.
"And now, you have met my mother. But who won the bet? Me!" Prince Liam exclaimed. "Good to know, your highness." I say, standing.
"Has it been 5 minutes already?" He asks. "Umm, yes?" I ask. "I hate this. I want to talk with you until we both die." He states. "Well, I would rather live." I slip out of the room and can't catch what Prince Liam says next.
I walk to the dining hall, where the Selected from Allens girl is sitting alone. I wave and take a seat a bit further down and wait for Charlotte. She's from Waverly, which is before Whites, so I get to wait. And wait. And wait.
Finally all of the Selected are seated, and Prince Liam walks in. "If I told you to meet me in the hall, please stand and meet me in the hall."
12 girls stand and look proud at having accomplished this.
They all follow Prince Liam out and when Prince Liam walks back in, he's alone. "What happened?" Charlotte whispers to me. "Didn't you hear?" Claire, who's sitting across from me, (Again), asks.
"No, what?" Charlotte leans forward. "There gone. They must have done something that the prince didn't like, and so they left."
