The Choosing

Chapter 28//: Remembrance Gathering

[ E D I T E D ]

♕✿~♕✿~Chapter 28//: Remembrance Gathering ♕✿~♕✿~

The next morning, breakfast is probably the most awkward thing ever.

I eat my food quietly, the food for once tasting bland. Besides me, Rose and Addaline are just as silent. Rose has avoided looking at me after what I said yesterday, and Addaline didn't bother saying anything because it was obvious there was a tight tension between Rose and I. To make it more awkward, none of the other girls were their chatty selves. We all ate in solemn silence, the memories of the night of the ball still fresh in our minds.

All of a sudden, Ahren stands up from his chair. Thank goodness for the distraction, I think as all the girls pin their eyes on him. He stares straight ahead, not making eye contact with any of the girls. As I stare at him, I notice him swallow slightly and see the small purse of his lips. Is he nervous about something?

"Ladies, I do not mean to disrupt your breakfast. However, I am forced to take actions because of the Rogue Dawn," Ahren starts saying. I feel the gears turn in my head, like it is in the other girls, at his words. Then it hit me. Taking actions because of the Rogue Dawn? An elimination?

It looked like some of the other girls suspected this too because there were whispers around us and the widening of eyes. Ahren waited for a couple of seconds for the whispers to die down before speaking again.

"Will these ladies stay here after breakfast while the rest of you go to the Women's Room for your day off? Lady Bailey, Lady Lilly, Lady Hannah..." As Ahren started listing names, most of which I have never heard of, girls started getting teary-eyed. These tears either came from the girls whose names were called or the girls whose friend's name was called. I found myself silently counting in my head as each name was listed off one by one. 8....9....10....11.

That was it. I felt myself sigh in relief as Ahren excused us from the table and the eleven girls whose names were called went up to him. I distractedly got up from my seat but stopped when I noticed Rose still sitting in her seat, looking thoughtful. Worry creeps through me. She wasn't called up, right? She couldn't have been eliminated. I rack my memories to try to remember if Ahren called her name. I don't think he called Rose up...

"Rose?" I call out to her tentatively. It was still awkward to talk to her after what happened. She looks like she's ignoring me for a second before her head snaps up to look up at me.

"Hm? What?" She asks in confusion. I feel myself get a bit nervous for some unknown reason.

"Are you...you know, going to come to the Women's Room?" I ask her. She's silent for a bit, her eyes dropping to the fancy plates in front of us, before looking up back at me.

She shakes her head. "No, I have to ask Prince Ahren something. It'll only take a minute. I'll join you and Addaline in the Women's Room later," Rose tells me with a determined look in her eyes. I feel myself falter in confusion as I nod at her and turn to leave the room.

I'm still stuck in my thoughts as I exit the dining hall when I hear someone hiss my name.

"Madison!"

A bit startled, I look up and notice the remaining girls in the competition huddled in a corner. I realize that it was Alexis who called out to me. Bewildered, I look around and then point to myself, mouthing 'me?' Alexis rolls her eyes and nods her head, beckoning me over to the girls.

I feel suspicion rise up in me. Don't blame me, Alexis is known to be evil. For a couple of days, there was a rumor going around that she put glass in another contestant's shoes and some people were saying it was Tara who was the victim of this prank. I really didn't know, but I had a feeling that wasn't just a rumor.