Truly Elected (Book Two of The Next Selection Series)

Chapter 8

I awoke to the sound of Juliana lightly humming. Light spilled in through my window as she pulled the curtains aside. I sat up fast, moaning as blood rushed to my head. My hand flew to my temples, massaging them, as I heard Cassia chuckle. 

"Well, good morning to you Lady Sol." 

I opened one of my eyes to her, seeing that in her hands was a dress bag. "A new dress?" I rubbed my eyes sitting up. "What's the occasion?" Cassia snorted, hanging the bag up. 

"Seriously?" She asked incredulously. "Did you really forget what day today is?" My eyebrows knit together in confusion and Cassia sighed. "Let me remind you than: today is August 21st, in other words, King Maxon's birthday." 

My mouth formed the shape of an O and I ripped the blankets off of me, jumping out of bed. I saw Starlet smiling at me from my bathroom. "And," she added to Cassia's list. "Tonight is his birthday ball!" I faced Juliana, who had been smiling the whole time, and we burst out giggling.

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"Sol, you look stunning." Daniel commented as he latched his arm through mine. I felt a blush spreading like a wildfire through my cheeks as I looked down at my day dress. 

After my legs had been displayed for a few days, ankles free from bandages, my maids had grown sick of the short gowns again and went back to the long ones. Today, they dressed me in a mint green gown. The top furled into a sweetheart neckline. Pearls dotted the dress down to my waist, where yellow-green roses greeted them in a belt like formation. The skirt, made of buttercream yellow and mint green tulle, billowed around me, sweeping the floor as I walked. On the lower half of the skirt, more roses and pearls bedecked the fabric. My heels were silver, small light yellow roses clasping the heel around my ankle. A white corsage sat on my right wrist. 

"Thank you Daniel." I looked up to him, staring at his freshly cut hair. It was the same length his hair was at the beginning of all of this, and it was strange to see it shorter again. It was like starting over again, a blank slate; just like my feelings. 

"But I love this little thing the most." Daniel's hand flew to the side of my head, his fingers brushing against a mint green flower. I smiled. My maids had left my hair down, curling it in beach waves and tossing it over my left shoulder. A flower clip sat on the right side of my head, holding the hair back. 

I looked away from him, back to the hallway in front of me and held my head high as he squeezed my arm. 

"How have you been doing?" He said, his voice like a whisper against my ear. I knew what he meant; about Matthew and Blake. And truth be told, I was holding up. 

"I'm hanging in there," my voice was a mixture of happiness and sadness. "But this isn't about them, or me. Thank you for being so considerate though, but we are going to have fun today. Let them do what they please. Right now, it's just you and me." Daniel chuckled beside me. 

"Yeah..." he paused, and I felt my stomach drop as we rounded a corner, coming upon two massive doors. "About that.." Daniel's hand clutched the handle and he pressed down, the door opening wide in his wake. I heard masculine laughter floating out of the room. Soon, Daniel grabbed my hand and lightly pulled me into the room. I gasped at the faces smiling at me. Shane was here, and so was Presley and Bradley. 

Slowly, I raised a shaking pointed finger. "What?" I stuttered pointing at them. "What are they doing here?"

 Presley cocked an eyebrow. "What? Not happy to see me sunshine?" his accent was as thick as ever. 

"Not necessarily, no." 

"Well, I missed you a whole lot, me amo." 

I rolled my eyes. "Of course you did."