I sit in the Women's Room with Emilia and tell her why they called me over there.
"You're expected to WHAT?" Emilia asks.
"I'm expected to train and lead a group of soldiers to attack the Southern Rebel base in Eady's place," I reply.
"What? How?" Eadlyn asks, walking over.
"You have a Selection and Ahren has France, so I'm supposed to lead the attacks in your place," I say.
"What attacks?" Eadlyn wonders.
"On the Southern Rebel base," I clarify.
"How long?"
"I'll have a few weeks to train them, and the attack will be two days long. Anyways, let's change the subject. The Selection is ending soon. Are you picking anyone?" I ask.
"I don't know. Maybe I should draw it out longer," Eadlyn says.
"Are you actually going to find someone?" Emilia asks before looking down at her phone. Somebody's calling her. "Hang on, I have to go. But tell me later!"
"Well? You can tell me, Eady, I won't tell anyone else," I say.
"I think I actually might pick someone. But I kind of want to prolong the Selection. What do you think?"
"Well, if you're picking someone, then I don't see why not."
"After Ahren left, I swore I would pick a Selected to marry. But I don't even know what real love IS. Like Mom and Dad's love."
"Well, don't ask me. I've never even been in a relationship, let alone been in love."
"I wish we could know what it was immediately. Dad said that he knew Mom was going to be the One the first time he saw her."
"It definitely would make people's lives much easier, but, Eady, true love is the most inconvenient kind. Besides, you are Eadlyn Schreave, for goodness sakes! Since when is anything more powerful than you?"
"Kile keeps saying that. I used to believe it, but now, I just don't know."
"Kile keeps saying that? Eady, I'm no expert, but that sounds a whole lot like love if he takes the time to reassure you like that and you believe it."
"How would you know if he even cares? You can't read his mind."
It's right then when I realize that I've said too much. Well, Kile won't get mad if I tell Eadlyn this late in the competition, will he? I guess I could insinuate it. No. I will NOT meddle with my sister's love life.
"Well, I've lived in this palace with Mom and Dad long enough to know what it looks like when two people are in love," I say instead.
"What if I choose him, and he doesn't even want me to?" Eadlyn asks.
Oh, shoot. There's no way out of this one unless I tell her that Kaden and I keep walkin in on them kissing. Whoops. Well, might as well go the whole hog and hope she doesn't punch me.
"Uhh, we might have walked into a hallway and seen you kissing?"
"What? How many times?"
"Umm... Lots."
"How?"
"You kiss in open hallways, and Kile is always running to meet you or something."
Eadlyn buries her face in her hands. "Great. Just great."
"Eady, we won't yell it from the rooftops or anything."
"Good. Now let's talk about YOUR love life."
"That's physically impossible. I don't have one."
"Okay, well what about Emilia?"
"Not that I know of."
"Kaden?"
"Not a clue."
"Arthur?"
"He would have told me."
"Okay, you guys are hopeless. Not even a crush?"
"No..."
"Okay, well, now what do we talk about?"
"Well, we could try to find Emilia," I suggest.
"Okay," Eadlyn agrees.
We walk around the palace looking for Emilia. When we can't find her, we just decide to go to the secret library to find something cool from Illéan history. And end up finding something completely different.
Author's Note
Ooh, what did they find?
-Nom Nom
