The Selection

🎤The Announcement🎤

That morning, I woke up and decided to fill out the form. Mom had homeschooled me when I was little, so I was easily able to fill it out. When she passed, Tuck took over my schooling while we worked.

The first few lines asked for my name, caste, address, and other contact things. After filling that out, it asked for talents. Talents? Sevens were rarely talented, as they literally manually worked outside all of the time. But I did have one talent. Sometimes, on Saturdays, which is my day off, I go to the library and read all the books on fashion I can. When I get my hands on paper, I can really sketch the designs. And once, a very, very nice two let me inside her house to design her a dress, and it was beautiful. The Two had passed away, but my burning passion didn't.

So instead of leaving it blank, I wrote, Fashion design.

Later in the form, I was able to show that I knew several languages, mainly from listening to other Sevens while working and the Two's nannies.

When I finally got it filled out, I had to get dressed. My work clothes just couldn't do it. I opened a trunk in the corner, filled with things that used to be my mother's. She used to be a Three, but married my father, which was a huge deal. Some of her old things from being a Three were there, one of them being a deep blue blouse, a white pair of shorts, and some red slip-ons. Perfect! I fastened the owl necklace that my dad had given me when I was four on, and delicately braided my hair. I couldn't afford makeup, so I had to live with splashing my face with water.

Grabbing the form, I set off to the postal services office. There was a huge line and I could tell that this could take hours. Not that I was in a hurry.

"Hi, Aria!" I heard a familiar voice. It was Ellie, a six who worked for the same person that I did.

"Hello, Ellie! Trying your luck for the prince?" I asked with a giggle.

"Who wouldn't?" Ellie laughed. "Oh please, you're so pretty, the prince will see you in the pile and try to find your ring size!"

"Oh, please! You have a better chance than anyone!" What I said was true, with Ellie's blonde locks and blue eyes, she was undeniably beautiful.

Ellie shook it off. "You look nice. Was that your mother's?" She asked in a solemn tone.

"It was from when she was a Three." I answered. "I thought my owl necklace would look nice with it."

"Oooh, it does!" Ellie sighed, admiringly, forgetting her serious tone.

Just then, I heard someone scoff. "Look, it's the Seven who thinks she can get the prince!" No doubt, it was Lily.

"I have just as good of a chance as you." I murmured.

Lily looked offended. "Whatever. Even if a tragedy was made and you were picked, Prince Carter would send you home after one glance at your disgusting self." She applied probably her 10000th layer of lipstick.

Ellie stepped in. "Lily, if that was the case, he'd see how tiny your heart is and you'd be sent away within the first day."

Lily scoffed but turned around to some other Twos. "Thanks, Ellie." I said.

"No problem!"

After a few hours of waiting, it was finally my turn. A photographer was there and motioned for me to stand on the white backdrop. I posed in what I hoped was a flattering angle, and he snapped a picture. "Name?" He asked.

"Aria Young."

"Alright, hand your form to this young man right here." The picture of me was printed out and handed to the man he was motioning to.

I handed my form to a professional-looking person, who sealed it, as well as my picture, into an envelope and put a few stamps on it, and then put it in a basket. "You're done." He said.

The week dragged by slower than usual. The heat seemed even worse, the work more brutal, the waiting awful. But after an eternity, Friday rolled around.

"Hey, y'all!" Dena chirped when we walked in. "Excited for the big announcement?"

"Yes, ma'am." I said.

Tuck and I sat down at a booth while Dena brought us some milkshakes, but I was too nervous to drink it.

When the emblem flashed on the screen, I nearly jumped while sitting down. My palms were sweatier than they were while I was working.

"Good evening, Illea!" Aaron Neil excitedly said, all of the royals were up front. A basket of envelopes were in front of them, which all looked like the one at the postal services office. "As you've all been waiting for, we will be announcing the Selected!" A smattering applause came from everyone on the screen.

Clearing his throat, Aaron reached for the first envelope. "Amelia Bay of Columbia, Three." A picture of a blonde with clear skin showed up on the screen, and Prince Carter's reaction was in a small box.

"Olive Hartman of Hudson, Five." A brunette with freckles showed up. "Katie Lee of Sumner, Four." A blonde with a tan took the screen then.

This was all dumb. I wouldn't get picked. Aaron went on reading names. "Lucile Gold of Clermont, Two. Moxie Stone of Likely, Two. Nellie Gray of Honduraga, Four. Paisley Greene of Carolina, Three."

Aaron picked up another envelope. He took his time opening it. He slipped the form from it, unfolding the piece of paper. He cleared his throat. "Aria Young of Midston, Seven."

I fainted.