His Choice (The Selection)

Chapter Thirty Seven

Wrote by firerose11

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Despite the entertainment that my parents provided for Illéa, I allowed the cameras to follow me around the rest of my time back home. I knew that if I didn't, Celia would use the lack of my presence as proof that I was involved in something shady.

The morning that I was going to leave, I woke to find a piece of paper tidied beneath my pillow. Quietly, as not to alert the camera crew that I was awake, I slid it out.

Embs,

Your brothers are unaware of this, but Tanner is not a political student. At least, he isn't only a student.

Rather, he is the son of a prominent politician vying for a government seat. I won't tell you which because I'm sure that you'll be able to find out yourself.

Know that if you fail to win the prince's hand, it will be more than likely that your father will marry you off to him. You can be sure that there will be no objection on Tanner's part.

Just wanted to give you a heads up. Know that I'm always rooting for you!
Lily

This letter I managed to burn before my mother invaded my room, trailing my camera escort. She sniffed suspiciously but wisely managed to say nothing about the lingering smell of paper.

Instead, she fussed over the fact that I no longer had a maid, and that I had to dress myself. I managed to convince her the very fact that I had properly clothed myself for the past week meant that the gaping vacancy of a maid was not important.

I shooed her and the cameras out of my room, so I could get dressed. Since I would be traveling by afternoon, I dressed comfortable in a pair of worn jeans, something my mother loathed, and a T-shirt.

I had barely finished yanking my shirt on when my door flew open. Blinking at Kingsley in surprise, I struggled to find my voice.

"I'm dressing, you idiot!" I yelled, crossing my arms and glaring at him. "Do you not know what a closed door means! How'd you like for me to barge in on you while you're dressing!"

He clapped a hand over my mouth, and I tried to sink my teeth into his palm, infuriated.

"Ember, the phone's for you. I didn't think you wanted one of our parents picking it up, so Anson distracting them."

I shoved his hand off my face. "Who is it?"

He shrugged. "A girl."

"You're still an idiot. You didn't get a name?"

Not waiting for a reply, I stormed downstairs to the phone, picking it up off the table. "Ember speaking. Who is it?"

"Ember, thank goodness," Abigail's voice streamed out along with a poorly disguised sniffle. "I'm not going back to the palace today."

"What happened, Abigail? Why aren't you coming back?"

She sighed, and I heard her breath hitch. "It's Celia. She told me that if I didn't drop out of the Selection, she was going to publicly announce that my father was a rebel."

"Is it a true accusation?" I asked, mind darting back to those letters that Celia had believed belonged to me. Were they Abigail's from an acquaintance of her father?

"No, it's not, but it's not hard to believe that my family would involved in something like that. We're so poor that people are inclined to believe the worst. I can't go back, Ember. My mother needs every bit of business she can get, and if anyone even caught an inkling that my family was involved in rebel activity, she wouldn't be able to find any kind of job.