Scintillate {The Selection}

Chapter 5

The women - Katherine - leads us through the Palace, pointing out each room distractedly, as she weaves down the long corridors. Eventually, we reach a set of double doors, which the guards in front of push open and Katherine leads the way into the room. 

"Lady Sophie, over there, if you please. Lady Amalie, the third on the left. Lady Tanya, the one next to her. Lady Marie, the one just to your right," She lists off, barely checking her clipboard, "Quickly please."

She points me towards a group of three girls in maid's uniforms, who curtsy as I approach. 

"Lady Marie, please sit down," The first girl says, pressing me towards the chair in front of a vanity, "My name is Hero, and these girls are May and Rosie." She indicates the girl with a sleek black bob and the girl next to her with russet hair. 

Rosie steps forwards, "I think we should amplify your natural features, my lady, but keep it simple."

"The Prince prefers girls who don't have too much makeup on," May says with a wink, "Is natural okay with you?"

I nod mutely, trying to take it all in through the fug of hairspray and perfume. Rosie leads me over to a set of hairdressers' chairs and washes my hair efficiently, twisting it up on top of my head when she's finished. 

Rosie trims the ends of my hair, as May begins to apply my makeup, her hands moving nimbly across my face. Hero hands Rosie the hairdryer as she hangs a dress bag up on the corner of the mirror. 

I relax as they somehow manage to do a thousand tasks at the same time, without colliding. Rosie curls my hair and pins parts of it back, whilst May works on my eye makeup, as Hero paints my fingernails a delicate pink colour. 

Eventually, they remove my silver robe and help me quickly into a dove grey floor length dress with a golden name pin on it. Hero pins some silver earrings into my ears, and May lifts  my hair out from under my dress as she zips it up. Finally, Rosie helps me into a pair of towering silver heels. 

I twirl shyly in the mirror, trying to reconcile the beautiful woman in the mirror with the awkward girl I was this morning. The dress flows beautiful to the floor in graceful layers of tulle that whisper as I walk. 

"Marie! You look amazing!" Sophie exclaims, appearing behind me in the mirror, "Your maids have done such a great job!"

Hero and the others curtsy respectfully, then melt away into the crowd. May leads me over to some of the couches in the centre of the room and I sit down delicately, trying not to crush my dress.

The girl next to us smiles, "You guys look beautiful."

"Thanks," I say, my smile almost stretched to breaking point, "Your dress is phenomenal!"

She nods in return, gesturing to her gold name badge, "I'm Cherry Selfors, and you two must be Sophie and Marie?"

Sophie grins, "Nice to meet-"

Katherine cuts her off, clapping her hands imperiously, "Ladies, you all look beautiful after your makeovers. Now, it's time for you to meet the Prince - and the country of Illea. If you'll follow me, please."

"Is it just me or is she just reciting this by rote?" Cherry whispers, and I giggle behind my hand.

"No, I think she rehearsed it in her mirror every day for the past twenty years," Sophie whispers back, her eyes sparkling with laughter. We stand up, instinctively linking arms to stick together through the winding Palace corridors. 

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"And here we have the lovely ladies of Prince Caxon's Selection! Aren't they beautiful, Illea?" Anmin announces and the camera pans across to where we are arranged on the staged seating, our gowns shining like flowers in a shop.

I smile and wave like the others, imagining Mom and my sisters watching this from the couch at home. Tears sting at the back of my eyes and Sophie nudges me slightly, reminding me that I'm on camera. 

"Well, I'm sure that Illea agrees that the ladies are gorgeous, but what does Prince Caxon think? After all, it is his decision?" Anmin says, grinning at the camera again and walking across to stand next to the prince.

"I agree, Anmin, they are especially beautiful. It is going to be a tough decision for me, but I trust that the people of Illea will support these ladies along the way," Prince Caxon says, shooting a charming smile at us. I clap instinctively, feeling awkward as my hands ring out in the studio, the only sound. Sophie looks at me briefly, then joins in, her eyes wide.

"Well, Illea, that's all for today. Tune in tomorrow afternoon for the first eliminations!" Anmin announces, and the red light blinks off. 

Prince Caxon and his family exit the studio quickly, and Katherine claps her hands to get our attention. 

"There will be a meal provided in the Singer Library for all of you to meet Prince Caxon. Need I remind you that this meeting will dictate the eliminations tomorrow, so I would recommend that you watch your manners," Katherine announces, then abruptly spins around, leading us out of the room. 

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I help myself to food whilst I wait for my turn, perching on the edge of my seat as I eat. 

"Marie, you're literally shaking," Cherry points out, one of her eyebrows raising, "Are you okay?"

I drop my cutlery onto the table, "I'm just jittery about the eliminations, I guess. I really need to be here for my family. I want to make them proud."

Sophie squeezes my hand, "You'll be fine - the prince would have to be mad to not choose you."

I knot my hands together, forcing myself to breathe. Sophie stands up as her name is called and she grins at me, weaving off towards the door to the sitting room.

I take another bite of my dinner, trying to get rid of the roiling nerves in my stomach. Cherry giggles nervously and takes a large sip of her drink, "What happens if you're the first to be sent home?"

"I think your life goes on as normal?" I shrug, trying not to think of Mom's disappointed face if I returned home so soon. 

"Lady Marie Georges," Katherine calls from the other side of the room as Sophie sits down nervously next to me. 

I push my chair back and force my hands down by my sides as I approach the door leading to the sitting room.

A guard opens the door for me, announcing into the lamp-lit room, "Lady Marie Georges, your highness."

The prince stands as I approach and bows neatly, "It's a pleasure to meet you Lady Marie."

I curtsy, trying to remember what Katherine told us about etiquette. The panic must have shown in my face as he laughs. 

"Please, my dear, calm down - etiquette doesn't matter to me as much as it does to Katherine," He smiles at me, taking a seat and gesturing to the one opposite him.

I force myself to breathe and try to imagine that I know him well, "I bet you say that to all the girls. We're clearly not all your 'dears.'"

"Of course you are - it is simply a matter of finding my dearest, Lady Marie," He laughs, "Honestly, I don't know how to talk to a girl. I mean, of course I talk to my sisters and my mother, or foreign monarch's daughters, but I've never talked to a girl separate of that."

"And now you have to talk to thirty-five of them, your highness. What a hardship your life must be!" I joke, almost feeling like I'm talking to Max or Alex. 

"It isn't as easy as it looks," the prince says softly, "I do have to choose a wife at the end."

"It's almost as if you need an adviser, Your Royal Highness, and you're lucky enough to have a volunteer?" I suggest shyly, "I could help you if you want."

"That would be lovely, Lady Marie," Prince Caxon says, standing up and taking my hand, "But, if you are to be my first adviser I insist that you call me Caxon."