Scintillate {The Selection}

Chapter 4

I look between the three girls waiting on the flight, seeing them all studiously ignore each other behind identical magazines with Prince Caxon's face plastered across the front of them. As the door seals shut behind me, the petite brunette looks up at me, her ovular green eyes sparkling as she smiles. 

"Hey!" She exclaims, standing up, "I'm Sophie Tanaka of Kent, and you must be Marie Georges of Carolina. The girl over there with the platinum blonde hair is Tanya Cabot of Montgomery and the other girl is Amalie Hughes-Cavanaugh of Orlando."

"Nice to meet you," I say, trying to rub my head discreetly to get rid of the oncoming migraine. Sophie smiles and pulls me into the seat across from her, settling in for the long flight across the country to Angeles. 

I curl my legs up under me on the cream leather seat, resting my head against the back of the seat as the plane engines start.

"Marie, Marie, wake up!" Someone calls urgently, shaking my shoulders. I try to shake out of their grip, but they hold fast, their fingers digging into my arms, "We're in Angeles. We have to get off the plane."

I stand up quickly, straightening out my dress quickly and hurrying after the other girls off the plane. Amalie descends the steps first, the crowd erupting into cheers as they see the Selected girls arriving at the Palace. 

She waits at the bottom of the stairs for the rest of us, so we can make our way to the car holding hands, as instructed. We take each other's hands, making a chain as we walk along the aisle created through the crowds by barriers and guards. The cameras flash and the signs wave through the air, nearly blinding me but I keep a smile plastered on my face. 

I wave politely to acknowledge the signs for me. One catches my eye, a perfect replica of my face, drawn precisely in pencil, with Marie Georges written in curling script across the top of it. I smile at the girl holding it, then I nearly freeze. The girl is almost identical to Queen Eadhlyn when she was young.

Sophie gently tugs on my hand and pulls me towards the car as Amalie starts to climb in, the chauffeur holding the door open politely for all of us. The car pulls away through the Palace gates, driving efficiently up the long, winding driveway, smooth unlike many of the cars back home. 

We reach the Palace doors and a formidable woman pulls them open, her black hair pulled back precisely in a bun. One hand reaches up to smooth her perfect bun and her other hand holds a clipboard, which she raises as she reaches us. 

"Good afternoon, ladies, come with me. You will meet your maids, who will prep you to appear on the Report tonight. We don't have much time as your flight arrived late, thanks to Lady Georges. Your plane has been the last to arrive so everyone is waiting for you, ladies," She states quickly, her tone clipped and precise, "Please follow me and do not get lost."