The driver there was long and Celeste couldn't help but play with her perfect hair, wincing as she realised that she probably shouldn't have pulled it out of place. When the driver stopped, so did her heart and panic flooded over her. What if she didn't make any friends? Was she meant to make friends there anyway?
It was like starting a new school all over again but like always Noah was there for her. He placed a hand on her knee and gave her a knowing look before exiting the car. The advisers had all been invited as well but were to be in a different room at all times. Sucking up the last of her courage, Celeste exited the car and started to head inside.
They were at the back of the building but there was the loud rumble of the crowd on the other side of the massive building she could only guess as the new white house. They weren't in Australia anymore, that was for sure.
Millions of people had gathered on the side of the building; once the kings and queens all had their little chats they were to present themselves to those who had gathered. The two walked side by side into the building where a tall man bowed at their arrival and led them up two flights of stairs; if she thought her new house was fancy, she didn't know what to call this. Every thing was lined with gold and draped in silver. The hallways were adorned with a red carpet where ever you stepped and the whole atmosphere was slightly foreboding.
The man guiding them stopped and so did Celeste and Noah. With one last hug, her advisor left into another room where he was greeted by laughter and a call of welcome but Celeste knew her room wouldn't be the same.
But she couldn't seem weak. Sucking in a deep breath and forcing a smile onto her face, she gently pressed the door handle open and slipped inside.
She was slightly blown away by the sheer beauty of everyone in the room, even the boys. Celeste stood speechless in the doorway for a second, red stained lips falling open and eyes scanning across everybody in the room. Such a wide array of different dresses and suit, all so obviously expensive.
Celeste caught a few eyes turning her way and everything inside of her screamed at herself, urging her to make herself known while she had the chance but everyone went back to their business and her opportunity had slipped right through her fingers. Cursing inwardly at herself, the Australian representitive went to sit with Annie.
The English girl was deep in quiet conversation with one of the possible future kings but she cut off quickly and looked up at Celeste's arrival. Annie was probably the one who was least dressed up, sporting only a plain blue dress covered in a lighter shade of blue lace with a small pearl broach pinned to her chest and her blonde hair pulled up into a loose bun.
'It's nice to see you Celeste,' Annie said kindly, patting the seat beside her. 'Celeste, this is Dante. Dante, Celeste.'
'Ah mademoiselle,' the man said charmingly with his thick Italian accent, taking hold of her lightly tanned hand and placing a kiss on top. 'It's a pleasure, really.'
Celeste was struck at how charming and nice everyone seemed, the chatter and laughter a real mood booster. Celeste gave a gentle smile and dipped her head in polite greeting before taking a seat.
'We were just talking about what is going to happen after this,' Annie informed her, 'have you heard anything?'
Celeste shook her head; she wasn't prepared to lie and get caught out. All she knew was that they were presenting themselves as leader and only making a brief appearance, just what everyone else knew. Dante shook his head, running his hand through his slick black hair. 'Just as I thought,' he chuckled good naturedly, 'we are all in the same boat, are we not?'
Annie gave a small laugh in agreement but Celeste could easily detect the traces of falseness and she could only guess the act of kindness was all a show from Annie, judging by how she had acted when they first met. But the Australian couldn't help but respect her for that; a good stratergy if she ever saw one.
There was a moment more of small talk where Annie started talking to another guy and Dante excused himself over to another pretty lady on the other side of the room before two tall, intimidating African women made their way over. Both had shaved heads, dark skin and elongated features and both of them were stunning.
They were identical twins, distinguishable by the two different patterns of their other wise identical dresses. 'You looked lonely,' one said in a smooth but kind voice, 'we decided to join you. My name is Siobhan and my twin here is Yvonne.'
Yvonne didn't make much effort to speak at all during their idle chatter but Siobhan was happy to tell about their past; unlike Celeste, the twins had been revered as royalty, as had their ancestors and so on. They told tales of beautiful palaces and tame lions sitting by their thrones, servants even better than the ones supplied here and how the blistering heat only made people worship them more.
Celeste was a little put out; it seemed everyone here had been passed down the family crown except her who had just struggled to live an average life on her own. But she shrugged it off; questions of her past could wait, because everyone elses stories were far more interesting. When asked how her regular life had been she couldn't help but get embarrassed at admitting that she lived on her own in a tiny house, struggling financially to make a living.
Throughout the next two hours Celeste made friends with all of the friendly people in the room; she couldn't help feeling that it was all a show but she ignored the itch of doubt and continued conversing with everyone. There was no use in getting enemies this early.
First there was Troy, the very mysterious Greek and Alexander a very pale looking Norwegian both dressed in ravishing grey suits. Then there was Mei a flawless Chinese girl dressed in the most intricately embroided dress she had ever seen. Dmitri, the rather flirtatious Russian followed by Hayden, a rather boisterous American.
Hayden was one she got along with the easiest and spoke to the most for the rest of their time. His attitude wasn't fake and Celeste could easily smile and laugh with him while all the other forced their conversations; she could only feel like she was hogging the kindest in the bunch but she didn't care.
A bell sounded and everyone fell silent as a small projected timer appeared on the golden wall, with five minutes to start that slowly ticked down. Everyone looked confused and no-one had obviously been informed about it.
The servant that had lead Celeste in before entered and gave a small bow before straightening up and clearing his throat to get every ones attention. 'In a second your name will be announced over the speaker and you will get onto the platform and present yourself to your people for a minute and a half before returning back here into a different room. If you feel nauseous or anything of the sort please press the emergency button and you will be returned.'
With everyones attention still on him, he stepped into the middle of the room and gently picked up a small handle that had been rested in a very inconspicuous groove in the floor, lifting a hatch which had gone completely unnoticed until now.
From the small space, only a meter by a meter, rose a small golden platform, the golden sides spiralling upwards though the standing space itself remained still. Everyone watched in awe as it came to a stop before outside the cheering that had been drowned out to background noise slowed down an a name was called.
Dmitri was up first; the wait seemed like an incredibly long one but everyone watched the new countdown on the timer, unable to see outside to what was happening. They guessed it was all for a good reason; they didn't want to get freaked out before it even started. A whole minute and a half counted down before another voice was called and the minute and a half started again.
When Christa stepped up to the plate in a cold sweat and hands shaking, everyone wasn't surpised when the timer went blank just under a minute and the crowd outside began to boo; it seemed the emergency button had been hit and she was back inside again, rather early.
Celeste was the seventh person to go and calming down her trembling nerves with a few deep breaths, she stepped onto the podium and was immediately whisked away.
