The Crowns Choice

❦ Chapter Seven: Charlotte ❦

I finally brought myself to look over the applications, but I wasn't about to do it alone. I dragged Kaius along with me, practically forcing him to sit beside me as I spread the papers out across the grand oak table in the study. The room was quiet, filled with the muted light of the late afternoon sun filtering through the tall windows. It felt like the calm before a storm.

Kaius leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest, watching me with that infuriatingly amused expression he always wore when he knew I was dreading something. "You know, Lottie, you don't have to make this a death march," he teased, his tone light but with an edge of sincerity underneath.

I rolled my eyes, flipping through the pages with less care than they probably deserved. "It's not a death march," I muttered. "It's just... I don't know, a waste of time."

He shrugged, picking up one of the applications and skimming it. "Maybe. But it's a necessary waste of time, isn't it?"

"Necessary," I repeated, my voice heavy with disdain. "Maybe. But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

Kaius didn't respond immediately, just studied the paper in his hand. His easy going demeanour was a front, I knew that. Beneath it, he was as concerned as I was about what this Selection would mean—for me, for the kingdom, for everything. But unlike me, he had a way of hiding his worries behind a mask of indifference.

"Who's this one?" he asked, finally breaking the silence, holding up an application with a picture clipped to the top corner.

I glanced at it, seeing the face of a young man with dark hair and a serious expression. "Gideon Price," I answered, reading the name from the top of the form. "Stratum Three. His family owns a whole lot of land on the upper west side."

"Looks like he's trying hard to impress," Kaius commented, flipping the page to read more. "All this talk about business acumen and expanding the family empire."

"Sounds like someone who'd get along well with Father," I said dryly, setting aside another application.

"Maybe," Kaius agreed, though there was a note of scepticism in his voice. "Or maybe he's just saying what he thinks we want to hear."

"They're all doing that," I replied, gesturing to the stack of papers in front of us. "They know this isn't just about me. It's about power, influence. They're not interested in who I am, just what I represent."

Kaius chuckled softly, the sound lacking real amusement. "You're probably right. But that doesn't mean you won't find at least one or two who are genuine."

"Genuine?" I echoed, the word tasting bitter on my tongue. "I doubt it. This whole process is a farce."

He put the application down and turned to face me fully. "Lottie, I know you hate this. But you can't write off everyone before you've even given them a chance."

"Why not?" I shot back, feeling the frustration bubbling up inside me. "They've already made up their minds about me, haven't they? They see the crown, the title, and they want it. They don't care about who I really am."

Kaius leaned forward, his voice dropping to a softer tone. "And what if there's someone out there who does care? Someone who sees beyond all of that?"

I met his gaze, searching his eyes for the answer I wanted but didn't believe existed. "You really think that's possible?"

He held my gaze, not backing down. "I think it's possible if you let it be. But you have to be willing to see it."

I looked away, my eyes drifting back to the papers in front of me. I didn't want to admit it, but part of me knew he was right. I couldn't shut everyone out, not if I wanted to find someone who might actually understand me. But the idea of letting someone in, of risking the vulnerability that came with it, was terrifying.