The Selected | ✓

Chapter 27

My maids are lacing up the back of a long, strapless corsetted black dress when there's a knock on the door. Taylora and Maria continue to tug at the lacings, while Alexis opens the door. She speaks with someone for a minute before shutting the door. She approaches me with a cream colored envelope.

"From Prince Alexander, miss." She hands me the envelope. It's heavier than it looks, made from the same stuff as the Selection forms.

"Thank you." I tear open the paper and pull out the letter, the shreds of paper floating to the ground.

Cassiana-

Meet me in my room whenever you're available. I'd like to see you.

-Alexander

"What does it say, miss?" Maria asks.

I feel myself smiling, still looking down at the letter. "He just wants to meet me is all."

Taylora finishes the lacings. I glance up in the mirror. The dress is so tight that my breasts are coming out of the top a bit. My mom would be torn between being happy that I'm wearing something that doesn't hide my figure and being horrified that her daughter is actually dressed the way I am. If I wasn't so used to palace life and how they dress by now, I'd be ripping it off or covering up.

Alexis slides some heels in front of me. I step into them and let her finish brushing my hair. After that they send me off. "Just don't do anything too inappropriate." Alexis giggles. "Taylora worked hard to lace that dress up. No prince could relace that dress."

Maria covers her mouth to smother a giggle, and Taylora looks horrified. "Alexis! Don't you dare talk like that again!"

I shake my head, trying not to laugh. "No, no, Taylora. It's fine. It was funny."

"Are you sure, miss?"

"Yes. Now if you'll excuse me..."

"Of course, miss." They chime in unison.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

My dress is so tight I can barely breathe. When I get to Alexander's room, I knock twice. "Come in." He calls.

I turn the knob and enter the room. I walk through a doorway and find him sitting at a desk in his bedroom, his hands knotted in his hair. I walk over and press one hand against the edge of the desk, resting the other on his back. "What are you doing?"

He reaches up and wraps an arm around my waist. "Nothing." He sighs. "Just military stuff. I'm working on the Draft and ways to improve it." He leans his head against my side.

"At least it's productive. Why did you want to see me?"

"Can't I just want to see you?"

"No. You need a reason."

"Fine. I needed a good distraction. And I wanted to tell you something."

"And that is?"

He pulls away from me and stands up. "Come here." He walks over to a side table next to his bed and opens the drawer. He removes a cream colored envelope, dropping it onto the mahoghany table. It hits the wood with a slap. "See this?"

I nod.

"If something happens to me, like I'm killed in a rebel attack...this is in case I die. My parents made me write it. It's a written letter stating who I would want to marry in the Selection, so that they get rights to come to my funeral and some money. Almost like a widow, but not quite."

"What does this have to do with me?"

He opens his mouth to reply, but there's a pounding on the door. He grabs me and pulls me into his closet. We go as far back behind some hangers as we can, until we hit a wall. Alexander pulls me into the corner, holding me against his chest.

"Rebels." He breathes into my ear. "Don't. Move."

I go still. There's the sound of a door breaking, and I flinch. Alexander's arms tighten around my waist. "Find him!" Someone shouts. "I want him and I want him dead!"

My hand curls into a fist, gripping the fabric of his shirt tightly. He holds me closer to him.

"When I get my hands on that little bitch that he's always with..." The man sounds almost gleeful.

"I can help you with that one." The two men laugh.

I bite my lower lip, my eyes burning. Alexander kisses my cheek, as if to remind me that he's here and he'll kill them before they touch me.

"Come out, come out where ever you are..." The first man taunts.

"Come here little prince." Says another.

"We just want to kill you." The second man calls.

"And to steal your little whore." They all start laughing. I'm guessing there are about ten of them.

"Now...where could they be?"

"Check the closet." A deep-voiced man orders. "You dumbasses didn't look there yet."

Alexander pushes me behind him, pinning me between him and the wall. The door opens, and light floods in from what I can see through some clothes.

They look around, but no one checks back here.

"Ah, forget it. He's probably bangin' his slut in a corner in the gardens or something." They all cackle maniacally, their heavy footsteps leaving the room.

Alexander turns and presses me into the wall, his mouth covering mine. I throw my arms around his neck, kissing him back. His hands pin my hips against the wall.

"Those bastards will never touch you." He says, breathing heavily. "They'll be dead before they can get within ten feet of you." Fury burns in his voice. He kisses me again, as if convincing himself that I'm okay.

He kisses my neck, my shoulders. Our moment is cut off by Mason yelling for us. "Alexander! Where are you?"

He kisses me one last time before taking my hand and pulling me out of the closet. "Right here. We're fine." His things are still intact, except for the door, which has a bit of a crack down the front..

"Thank god." Mason breathes. "I thought you two were dead."

"They wanted me dead." Alexander grumbles. He keeps an arm around my waist.

Mason ignores the comment. "I'll get people working on your door right away. You two can stay in here...or whatever." He casts us a strange look before leaving the room and shutting the door.

Alexander takes my face in his hands and kisses me again. "You are mine, got it? No one else can claim you."

I nod, my heart pounding and my stomach fluttering. He takes my hand again and pulls me over to the nightstand, with the still-intact and unopened envelope. He drops it back into the drawer and shuts it. "This is important for you, got it? Very important. Nothing can happen to it."

"Why?"

"Because, your name is in it. And do you know what that means? You'll get money every month. They'll make you a Two. You won't have to work. You get some of my things. That means that you will technically be my widow."

I stare up at him in amazement. "But...why me?"

He smiles. "I figured that since we'll probably be getting married, you might as well have the right to be considered my widow."

A/N: Since you're probably curious, here are the Elite:

Lady Cassiana Lowes of Kent

Lady Aquia Dashnell of Sonage

Lady Celine LeWhote of Columbia

Lady Tania le Marmot of Sota

Lady Blossom Monello of Waverly

Lady Cala Odio of Ottaro

Lady Odette Puttana of Dakota

Lady Ever Nuit of Carolina

Lady Camila Hassen of Likely

Lady Emmana Buio of Allens