The Star

Chapter 1

My name is Amberly Station, and my father's life long goal for me is to get me working in his factory. I have other plans, of course, but he has no interest for them. He wants me to make a sturdy income. I want to find true love. 

My older brother, Aaron, was plenty happy to begin working in the factories. He wanted to help the family, which was sweet, but he was twenty one and still living with us. My parents kept telling him to keep working hard. I told him to get married.

I have two older sisters,  Ainsley and Adele. I own basically all of their hand me downs. I would actually be surprised if I found one article of clothing that was just mine in my closet. Ainsley and Adele keep my supply of clothes and shoes at an all time high. I wish our supplies of money and food were that high, but I just have to keep wishing.

I hopped down off the wooden swing that hung from the high, twisting branches of the oak tree that grew in our backyard. Ainsley was calling me for dinner; Adele was setting the table, Aaron was still at the factory and my mother and father had just each gotten home from their jobs at the factory.

"Coming!" I called, hurrying across the brown lawn.

My mother and father were sitting at the table.

"Amberly, darling, how was your day?" My mother asked in her formal voice.

"It was fine, mum." I said, pulling up a chair and settling in. Since Aaron was the oldest and a man, he sat closest to dad. Adele was next, and then Ainsley, and then me.

"How was the farming today?" Adele asked my father with her carefree voice, digging into her food.

"It was fine- dear?" My mother raised her eyebrows, a clear reprimand stated. "We haven't even said grace yet."

"Forry mom." She muttered with her mouth full of corn.

Aaron suddenly burst through the door, hanging his work jacket on the hook, kissing mom on the cheek and patting dad on the back. "Sorry I'm late."

"Good to see you're working hard" My father praised. "Girls, I was thinking; you three need to start working. We have two secretaries retiring on us at the end of the month, and we're running low on help these days. It's just about harvest season, and we're going to need all the help we can get."

Adele dropped her fork. Ainsley stopped chewing. I spit some corn out onto my plate.

"Work? Dad, we're still young-" Ainsley began.

"No, Aaron started when he was twenty, and Adele, you're nineteen. Ainsley, you're eighteen, and there's no pointing in waiting until you're nineteen, and Amberly-"

"I'm seventeen Dad, and you know I'd help if I could, but I'm not really cut out for secretary work." I said slowly.

"C'mon, girls, I need your help here. We need to pitch together. We can make a real steady income, and maybe upgrade to a better house!"

"If Adele's lucky, she'll be bringing in a 'real steady income'." I muttered.

"Pardon?" My mother asked, whisking her head around to look at me.

"Prince Clarkson has come of age." I said as if this was obvious.

"Come of... what?" My brother asked, looking from me to Adele to my parents.

"Someone is eligible to compete in the Selection." I said in a sing song voice. "She's eighteen. She's totally perfect for it."

"Shut up!" Adele shouted. "I'm not going."

"What!" My mother spluttered, "darling you're perfect! Imagine the income! Imagine the fame!"

"I don't care about that stuff, mom, you do! And I have a boyfriend!" Adele snapped.

We all fell silent.

"A what?" My father asked disbelievingly.

"A... a boyfriend." Adele muttered quietly.

"Adele, how could you?"

"I- I didn't know that I was- that I was eligible!" Adele protested.

"Who is it?" My father asked in his quiet anger.

"Yes, who!" Ainsley leaned forward excitedly. She loved romance, I think she lived for it. 

"Augustus." Adele lowered her head.

"Augustus Weller? From down the street?" My mother stood. "I need to have a word with his mother."

"We didn't- we didn't do anything, mother!" Adele protested. "And besides, his mom already knows."

"Oh, for goodness sake!" My mother threw her hands in the air. "You tell someone else's mother before you tell your own!"

"No, mom, it was an accident. She found us-"

"Doing what?" My mom shrieked.

"Walking! Walking! Walking in the field!" Adele shouted. "She thinks we're good together! She thinks we should get married!"

We all fell silent to this. Adele and a boyfriend was one thing, but marriage...

"How long has it been going on?" Ainsley asked curiously.

"A couple months." Adele seemed ashamed.

"You could have had it all. You could have been a princess." My father murmured, looking at her with a disappointed look on his face.

"Augustus treats me like a princess." Adele muttered. 

"You could go." Ainsley nudged my side.

"Ains, I'm only seventeen. The prince is eighteen, don't you have to be eighteen to-"

"Didn't you hear? More people are going to be eligible, the age group is sixteen to eighteen." Ainsley said with a grin.

My heart stopped just then as my mother turned to face me, a wild smile on her face. 

"If Adele won't go, you'll have to." She said firmly.

I froze. How on earth would I be able to say no?