Chapter 11

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"Now we're all here."

"What's going on?" The girl wearing the yellow dress says. "Yeah why are we all here?" Lin asks.

"We were about to explain that, Briar and Lin," Jay says with a chuckle in his voice.

"Congratulations, to all of you. You passed the test." The Prince, Jake, says.

"Our parents have been pressuring us to get married." Sunghoon says.

"That's what this ball was for!" Sunoo exclaims.

"To find suitors." Jungwon explains.

"And you seven are the ones chosen." Ni-ki says.

"But the person you came in with might not be the person you marry." Heesung clarifies.

"WHAT!?" All the girls, except Arabella and I, scream. I guess Ni-ki told her.

"So what happens now?" The girl with the blue dress asks.

"We'll bring you to the New Castle, Violet." Heesung tells her. "If you don't want to come, then that is fine as well." All of us shook our heads. "Then I will go announce that the ball is over." Jake walks out the door. "Once everyone leaves we will take the carriages to the New Castle." Sunoo says. I jump a little because I didn't know he was right next to me.

Ni-ki starts talking to Arabella and Jay is talking to Briar. Heeseung is talking to Lin and Violet. Alexia and the girl with the purple dress are talking to Sunghoon and Jungwon. Well, Jungwon and the girl with the purple dress are talking. Sunghoon and Alexia are just standing there.

"How was the ball?" Sunoo asks me.

"It was good. I didn't get to try most of the food, though. They all looked delicious."

"But you danced with the Prince."

"Yeah. Still hungry, though."

He laughs at my statement. I lightly hit him. "Hey, I was being serious." He nods his head and tries to stop laughing. A little bit later, Jake comes in and says everyone is gone now. He starts walking with me and Sunoo, out the door. We get to the carriages and Ni-ki, Arabella, Lin, and Sunoo share one carriage, Sunghoon, Alexia, Jay, and Briar share another, Jungwon, the girl with the purple dress, that I now know as Kate from a conversation I accidentally overheard, Heeseung, and Violet share another. Jake leads me over to the last carriage. It's not as big as the others but it still could hold four people.

"Just us?" I question. He nods his head and opens the door for me. After I get in, he climbs up the steps and into the carriage.

The carriage ride is silent. Not an uncomfortable silence, though. We soon arrive at the New Palace.

 We soon arrive at the New Palace

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"Welcome to your new home. The New Palace." Jake announces as we pull up to the castle.

"Are we able to go home and pack our stuff?" I ask. My mice are still at home. He nods and opens the door, stepping out first. He holds out his hand for me as I walk down the carriage steps. I decided to surprise him though.

I jump out of the carriage, and even surprising myself  a bit, I land on my feet. I lost a slipper though. I look back and see Jake holding it.

"I realized I never learned your name." He says.

"Ela." I respond as I take my slipper from his hand and put it back on.

"Ela." He repeats in a whisper. I start walking towards the castle doors and jumps, startled, and starts to run after me. The rest are walking behind us, carrying out their own conversations.

"You walk fast, Ela."

"No, you were just daydreaming for too long." I say laughing. He starts laughing with me. A servant opens the door to the castle for us and I step inside.

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