The Choosing

Chapter 11//: Are you up for a challenge, Lady Madison?

[E D I T E D]

♕✿~♕✿~Chapter 11//: Are you up for a challenge, Lady Madison?♕✿~♕✿~

When I returned to my room, my maids flurried in, rambling about making me wear a dress to dinner to impress Ahren further.

"And why should I impress Ahren?" I ask them as I go to the bathroom to wash my face clean. The sink water turns red. In the mirror, I see my maids pull out a white, floor length evening gown. I put out my hands.

"Woah, woah, woah! That's way too fancy for dinner!" I exclaim as Sam and Lacy push the dress towards me.

"Miss, the other competitors are wearing more extravagant dresses than you are. We saw you and His Highness outside your room! He must be interested in you!" Tiffany exclaims as she starts to do my hair.

I frown at this. "But shouldn't I just dress up like I normally do? I don't want to impress him with a fake version of myself," I murmur.

"Well, yes, so that's why you're going to go without any makeup or things like that," Sam tells me. "Plus, you have to wear dresses to your Lessons tomorrow, anyways, miss," Lacy adds.

I sigh as I begrudgingly take the dress from Sam and Lacy's outstretched hands. I throw it on over my head, and my maids help fit the dress around my frame.

Tiffany continues her work on my hair, and once she's done, my maids lead me to the full-length mirror located by my bed. I suck in a breath at my appearance, a bit startled at how I looked.

My dress made me look like a Silver: beautiful, cold, and graceful. My hair, which was in an updo braided hairstyle, made me look like I could pass as royalty.

I didn't know how to react to my look since I've never been so dressed up in my life. My maids looked at me expectantly, waiting to hear my opinion. I could only stare at my reflection in shock and awe.

"It-it's...amazing. Thank you all so much," I finally murmur. My maids look pleased and then Sam looks at the time.

"Oh! It's practically dinner time! Go! Shoo!" My maids push me out of my room and I chuckle to myself before following the other girls heading to dinner.

A minute in, and I was already feeling a bit uncomfortable in the dress. I have never worn an expensive dress like I am now, so I walk timidly in the dress, feeling like I shouldn't be wearing such a beautiful thing. I see Rose heading out of her room and smile at her and wave her over.

"Hey! You look amazing!" Rose exclaims as she comes over to me.

I smile and shake my head. "I'm already waiting for the moment when I can take this off and wear pants. I love your dress, by the way," I tell her. Rose's dress was a brown with a red undertone. The sleeves hang off of her shoulders, and tighten in at her waist, before the flowing outwards. It really complimented her fire-red hair and bright blue eyes.

"Well, you look like a goddess in your dress, sweetie," Rose tells me. I can't help but scoff at this.

"I'm a long way from a goddess," I snicker at her.

Soon, we reach the dining hall, and all sit down. Ahren is already there with his family. He smiles at me as he sees me, and I can't help but smile back.

But my smile falters as I see one empty chair as all of the girls sit down. I'm slightly confused as I realize it was the chair Fiona sat in.

"Fiona got kicked out of the competition," Rose whispers to me. I feel shocked at this. Ahren was already kicking people out? That's a surprise. I feel worry gnaw at me; what if he kicked me out?