Scintillate {The Selection}

Chapter 2

I curl up against Mom's legs on Thursday night, Georgia leaning against me like a cat. Esmay sits in the other chair, her back perfectly straight as she texts Carter, completely ignorant towards the Selection as it plays on the TV screen in front of us. 

Anmin Faydaye appears on the screen, his blindingly white smile plastered against his tanned skin. Mom giggles as he cracks a joke, but I can see the nerves in the familiar structure of her face. The camera pans over to the tall king, his broad shoulders confident as he holds the hand of Queen Eadhlyn as they describe the current affairs of the country. The camera spins back to Anmin, who's stood next to a series of baskets, each filled with the names of each girl in Illea.

"And now we announce the lovely ladies of Prince Caxon's Selection!" Anmin announces, with a bright smile directly at the camera, placing his hand into the first basket. He announces a series of names, showing the prince's reaction to each of their photos on the screen. 

Mom grips my hand as Anmin reaches the basket labelled 'Carolina'. He reaches his hand in and makes a show of digging around, before pulling out a small slip of paper. 

"Miss Marie Georges of Carolina!" He announces, and the picture of me, taken in the town hall, with tired eyes and limp hair after work appears on the screen. 

Mom screams and pulls me up, "My little girl! The future Queen of Illea!"

Esmay rolls her eyes and returns to her phone, as Georgia grabs my hand and smiles up at me, "Good luck!"

I hang my head in relief, silently sending up a prayer of relief for the fact that I can finally give Mom money that she will have to accept. The claustrophobia hits me with the worry about Mom and I whisper excuses as I run out of the house and out onto the street, grabbing my bike as I run. 

I swing my leg across it and cycle as fast as I can to the only place I've ever felt safe - with my twin brother. 

I pull up outside the military bunkers that the town's officers live in and run in to find my brother. Alex grabs me as I run into the bunkers, past the room with the TVs for the officers to watch the Selection on. 

"Well done, Marie! I'm so proud," Alex says, squeezing my hand, before he sees my face and pulls me in for a hug, "What's wrong?"

"I'm worried about Mom," I whisper against his familiar uniform, "What will happen to her when I'm gone?"

"She'll be fine, don't worry, little sis," Alex murmurs, swaying me softly from side to side. 

"Will you look after her?" I plead, stepping back slightly. 

Alex bites his lip, mussing his hair, "I can't - I've just got the message that I'm going to be transferred to the Palace Guard as extra security for the Selection. Don't worry, she'll still have our darling half sister."

"What do you mean, half-sister?" I demand, glaring up at him.

Alex smacks his forehead, "I forgot that you didn't know - Esmay's father isn't our father, he was some officer that Mom dated for a while when she was 19. He left when Mom got pregnant."