Scintillate {The Selection}

Chapter 17

Caxon looks up from Sophie and sees me. His eyes register shock and embarrassment and he pulls away from Sophie. Too late. I turn and run back along the corridor, finally finding the right corridor and slamming the door to my room shut.

My maids turn around and see me slumped against the door, out of breath and slightly hysterical. May sits me down at my dressing table and undoes my falling apart braid.

Then it comes. The thing that I've been dreading since I saw them. The knock from Caxon. I nod to Rosie to open the door.

She dips a curtsey, "Your highness, what a surprise!"

"I was wondering if Lady Marie was in so I could talk to her?" He says politely.

Rosie looks across at me and I shake my head frantically.

"I'm sorry, your highness, but Lady Marie is in the bath."

"Oh, very well, tell her I'll see her tomorrow then..." He says as Rosie closes the door.

I slump at the table, worried and curious. Then I decide.

"May, will you put my hair back up, there's someone I need to see?"

"Of course, Marie, but what are you going to do?" She asks.

"I just need to go see Cerys... That's all."

She nods and Rosie opens the door kindly for me. I smile as she looks comically up and down the corridor, "He's gone, my lady!"

I rush out and knock on Cerys' door.

A startled maid opens the door, "My Lady," she curtsies then leaves as Cerys waves a hand at her.

"Cerys, it's Sophie..." I cry out, "She was kissing Caxon..."

"Well, obviously, it's a competition in case you hadn't noticed," Sophie says as she steps in off the balcony, "Oh, sorry but you didn't expect me to not kiss him because you like him!"

Cerys looks torn, "Sophie's right, Marie, it is a competition," Sophie looks happy, "But, Sophie, you could have done it somewhere else, like not up against a wall."

"Okay, I'm sorry, it was a really slutty thing to do, unzipping my dress and pushing him up against the wall. But, he took part too, he was really into it... I'm sorry..."

I hug her and she relaxes.

"Next time I do it, I'll do it in private!" She jokes and I punch her arm gently.

Cerys envelopes us in a three way hug and we all giggle, instantly friends again.

But, as I leave Cerys' room, I realize that it won't be the same again... Sophie and I won't be as close as we were.

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The next morning, I dress in a beautiful, floor length gown for Anna-Maria's birthday celebration. It's lime green and as I look in the mirror, I realise I look sickly.

"May, take it off, it's awful on me. Do we have anything else?"

May helps me take it off as Masy dashes into our freshly restocked walk in wardrobe. She has slight shadows under her eyes so I can tell she was making them all night.

"I'm sorry, my Lady, we haven't got any more dresses that are smart enough for this occasion," she says, "The only other ball gown we have is this one, one from Queen America's Selection..."