The Elite ✓

one | getting used to

Welcome back, everyone.

A gentle reminder to those of stubborn sorts. If you haven't read book one (completely revamped and available on my profile) I do not recommend skipping to book two immediately. But, do as you please. Who am I to stop you.

Enjoy.

---

The palace goes through great lengths to make my life so different in so many ways, and no matter how many times I try to say that I've fully adjusted to my new surroundings, a curveball is simply thrown in my direction. 

So, therefore, I have to admit, the royal life takes getting used to.  And, it's a lot harder than it seems. Pushed to your limits, might I add. 

Today's obstacle was none other than the unfamiliar quarrel of the infamous maids of mine. Though these series of problematic events are now a usual routine of mine. You know, finish a meal, head to training sessions then return to find screamings that don't belong to you erupting from your doorway. Imagine the scare.

That exact scenario played before my eyes, as I stared in nothing but pure horror at the elaborate wooden carvings that surrounded my plain door engraved with nothing but a number. 

"Scary, isn't it." A voice behind me spoke. Denise.

I smiled, "Hey, Denise."

"Don't act all, hey and et cetera. I know we haven't hung out much since the Elite announcements which were over a week ago, but don't act like we're strangers." she scolded, nudging me lightly. I reciprocated the action, offering only a silly expression that treaded the lines between our definition of friendship.

Sending a wink in her direction, I slowly slipped the door off its frame, pushing it open in a slow and daunting manner. My maids instantly froze. I observed their actions, as they desperately tried to restore the order from my rooms' premises. Starting by dropping anything in their arms and beginning to dust their mess.

Chauntelle held in her grasp a pair of silver gladiator heels, while Cassie carried, and by now dropped at least five dresses. Jane held the second load of dresses. I didn't even want to know what the occasion was, but Chauntelle had beat me to it.

"The report," she nodded, picking up scraps left and right. Denise and I exchanged glances before she began to elaborate. "I've been meaning to discuss it with you."

Another surprising thing today. Denise gave me a curt nod before leaving, "Gardens after dinner?" she asked.

By the time I had managed to turn around, the entire mess had been cleared up. Completely. Instead, only saw Cassie carrying a stack of papers bound together by a single metallic ring stringing the pages from the middle. 

I gawked at the sight, "What is that."

They ignored my oblivious matter, clearly wanting to tend to the more important matters on the opposite side of the spectrum. No beating around bushes anymore, I thought. "These," she placed them on my desk, "Are your Elite obligations. Failure of completion will result in instant elimination." she sighs.

"What is it?" I asked, "A test? Worksheet? They're giving us written homework now?"

"I was getting to that." Chauntelle side, offering me a seat on my desk. I shook my head, taking a seat on my bed instead, "It's more of an information booklet. Poise, how to act, history, public appearances. Despite Sylvia's classes, there is still a ton to learn." she shrugs, "A tip from me to you, no one will ever know if you've read the entire thing from cover to cover, but your actions reflect how worthy you are. If you know everything in this booklet, you need not read it."

"I see," I say, taking a peak of the pages. As I flip through it, I notice a piece of loose paper falling to my fingers. I catch it. "What's this."

Jane sent me a wink, "A gift from the Queen, who requested this copy specifically be sent to you. The only copy with a distinct page unattached."

I skimmed the paper, not understanding anything. I'll have to pay her a visit sometime today. You see, the Elite life was no breeze no matter how much anyone had tried to undermine the circumstances. I was expected to know this.

In the running for one of the most eligible bachelors in Illea has its fallbacks.

I sighed, my shoulders shrugging. A visit to the Women's room it was. 

***

America had a satisfied smile positioned at the center of her face which I noticed as soon as I decided to slip through the doors of the Women's room. She looked gleeful as I continued my routine order of falling back on one of the couches positioned in the room. The competition was stress in it's purest form.

"A Queen." she nodded, her voices bouncing off the empty surroundings of the room. Not all the girls found their most relaxed selves in the confinement of this room. But I did.  "Mustn't let the stress get to her. She represents her country, and therefore, must do it justice."

My face was already halfway buried through the booklet. Judging by the intensity of these words, our lessons with Sylvia have barely scratched the surface, and given the amount of time we'd already spent on her lessons actually learning more than we could, I finally understood the reason for distributing these booklets.

"This is a lot, though." I muttered through the pages, "The can't possibly expect us to digest all of this and manage to fall in love with the Prince."

Let alone two.

I shook my head, "This is going to be impossible."

But America only smiled, one that never faltered since my sloppy entrance, "I think you've got that covered, already." My cheeks could not get any redder. I was probably a blushing tomato which caused her to erupt in hysterics.

"But, that's why I inserted that paper in your booklet. So you're not too overwhelmed. Courtesy of the Queen, I suppose." she nodded, "It's not against the rules or anything, I just gave you the dates of every deadline to come. Specifically the dreaded proposal for the benefit of Illea."

I forgot about that. That was certainly going to be a problem.

"Thanks, America."

"Anytime." she nodded, rising from her seat, "I'll leave you to it. After all, it looks like you're going to take a while."

Yeah, it really was going to take 'a while' for sure. Perhaps even longer. Was this really worth it? Was the Elite really worth all the hype it had come with? 

It really wasn't. But the Prince was, without his title we'd be perfect. Or so I thought.