The Prince or the Crown

chapter ten

I had tried my very best to go back to sleep, but my interaction with the prince had my mind reeling. Will this be what they eliminate me for? Will I be eliminated before I even get a chance to compete in the competition?

The fancy alarm clock beside my bed started going off at 6:00AM, and a few moments later the three maids came into my room. 

“Ms. Adere,” Kea said in surprise as she walked into my bedroom. “You’re already up.”

I had spent the morning getting ready in every way I knew how; pilates, stretching, skincare, a bath, and by the time the maids had come I felt almost ready for anything. 

“I had trouble sleeping,” I supplied as the three maids moved to make my bed, only to realize I’d already done so. “Do you all know what I’ll be doing today?” I asked them.

Malea shook her head, seeming quite unsatisfied with the fact that I had made my own bed. “Your personal dresser and makeup artist will be back in half an hour to tell you the details,” she explained.

“Okay,” I said unconvincingly. “I’ll just dry my hair, then.”

Just as I suspected, Marko showed up at exactly 6:30, walking into my bedroom as if he had all the time in the world. 

“Good morning, Ms. Adere,” he said with a sigh. “Breakfast is in thirty minutes, but today the only important events are private meetings with the king and queen. Yours is not until Wednesday at 3:45 PM.”

I sighed. “So I basically do nothing the whole week?”

“The entire palace is open to you, with the exception of locked rooms, of course. I do advise you to explore it, because they will be paying special attention to those who stay in their room all day. It is very unqueenlike.”

“Is the actual Matching going to be this slow?” I asked, pursing my lips in annoyance. 

Marko paused. “Ms. Adere, they usually eliminate half the suitors by the second day,” he said. “Most people never truly get to experience the Matching because they slip up on the first day. You could be eliminated for saying someone’s name wrong. They’re just trying to narrow it down as fast as possible. Once they cut the pool down to 30, now that’s when things get interesting.” Marko grinned. “But you’re right, it is boring when it’s this slow.” 

My heartbeat pulsed in my throat as fear prickled on the back of my neck. I wasn’t going to make it, was I?

—

The pattern the king and queen had adopted was eliminating four people from their private meetings that day and announcing each unlucky soul at dinner. There was usually a lot of tears, questions, and arguing that always made for a lovely end of the day. 

Chloe had vented to me on Tuesday night about how the system was rigged. She claimed she did terribly in her meeting but they still hadn’t eliminated her. 

I wanted to comfort her, but I was still too busy worrying about my own private meeting with the royal parents. My mind couldn’t help circling back to the thought that I was going to mess something up and have to go back and marry Joshua. Or worse, live on the streets. 

That same thought was circling in my head as I waited outside the king and queen’s private office, trying to take deep breaths as my heart attempted to leap out of my chest. 

Suddenly, a slim, strawberry blonde-haired girl peeked out from behind the heavy doors. She walked out of the room as fast as she could, averting eye contact as she hurried away. 

“Ms. Bella Adere?” I heard Yanae’s voice call from inside. 

This was it. I took one last deep breath before walking inside.