Royal (A Selection Fan Fiction) (Book One in my Selection Series)

Chapter 8

I woke up to nothing but a note on my nightstand. Wendy had drawn back the curtains to let the sun peek into my room.

"Morning miss." Summer smiles as she passed my bed.

"Good morning." I say trying to be cheerful. I know my eyes must be red and puffy, but none of them questioned me.

I reach over and grab the note off my nightstand. It's just a scrap of paper folded in half.

"Hey Tailor." I say. "Can you read this to me but no words about it alright

Dear, Charlie

Sorry I had to go get ready for breakfast. Hope you can make it, but if you still aren't feeling well just tell your maids you feel sick.

~Alex

I can't skip out now. I shouldn't have said anything last night I should've refused.

"Ladies." I say and all my maids hop in front of me. "So what's my dress for today?"

It turned out after my bath of rose petals, I'm dressed in a light grey dress with sleeves that are Doreen with jewels and reach my elbows. The whole top is speckled with diamonds while a silk belt separates the bottom from top. The bottom is a silky fabric sort of like the belt but a slightly darker shade.

Wendy put my hair into a French fishtail with small grey flowers scattering around it.

"It's lovely ladies thank you so much." I say turning from the mirror to my maids.

"Your welcome miss." They all curtsy. I walk out of my room and drift down the staircase.

"Wait! Wait up, Char!" I turn near the bottom of the staircase and I see Rae rushing to get down to me.

"Don't fall!" I say, not wanting to be responsible for that.

"Yeah your probably right." She says and slows down a bit.

"I love your dress." I tell her. She seems to be able to pull off any color with her dark hair and average colored skin. This dress was a pink at the top and near the bottom flowed closer to orange/yellow.

"Thanks." She smiles. "Yours is pretty too."

"Thanks. How did your talk with the prince go?" I ask.

"Well he laughed about my stumble once again. It was terrible in telling you, Char! I was on the verge of tears, but once he realized that, he stopped." She says shaking her head letting her curled hair sway back and forth.

"Oh Rae." I sigh with a laugh. "I need to tell you something after breakfast. Meet me in the women's room."

"Is everything okay?" She asks me.

"It's perfect." No it wasn't. I shouldn't have said any of that.

"Okay then I'll be in the women's room after breakfast." She says and smiled. We both enter the Great Room and curtsy to the royal family before taking our seats.

"Attention please." The Queen says her voice full of authority. "Today lunch will be held in the women's room."

A few girls don't seem to excited about the idea, and others see it as time to talk one on one with the queen.

"Except for one of you, who will accompany the prince on his first date." The Queen says. Voices start to get louder as they guess who it'll be.

"One letter will be sent out to the women's room and one of you will read it aloud. Whoever the letter is directed to will meet me immediately outside in the gardens." Alex says.

I didn't know if I wanted it to be me or not. I didn't want to speak about anything that happened last night. I'd rather go back home with Paisley and Jason and dad. I wanted to go out and steal with Henry and Tayloe.

"I wonder if it's going to be me." Rae whispers. "Usually there's been an elimination the first few days. I'm scared without more time to explain myself, then I'll be gone."

"You'll be fine." I tell her.

Later that day in the women's room, everyone is dressed in date material with silky long dresses with the necks hanging to low.

"The letter is here!" Jubilee screeches as she comes back to all the couches and seats. I sit with my feet tucked under my legs in the corner with Rae beside of me sipping at her tea.

"It says, Dear Lady Tina... That's all it says. No note or anything." Jubilee says honestly. "Here Tina." She hands the paper over. She doesn't seem too happy about it either.

Tina's face lights up and she stands. As she's walking out, the queen and princess walks in.

"Your Highnesses." Tina curtseys.

"Keep eating or drinking your tea don't mind us." Princess Adeline says cheerfully with her slight accent which is more than Alex has.

The Queen looks sharply down at her as if to scold her but Adeline only shrugs. Surprisingly she walks over to the couch where all of us minus Tina sit.

"Hello." She says. Adeline looks like a child that was only dressed up for one day to be a princess. Her hair had two best Dutch braid that led into a neat twist near the back of her head with a small tiara that matched her pastel purple dress.

"Your majesty." We stand to curtsey.

"No need. No need." She waves her hand and walks back to where I sit. She sits beside of me, which is one of the only open spots. "Hello. I remember you and your brother in the magazines. Wish he was my age." She said. "Charlie right?"

"That's me." I nod and smile, trying to hold back a laugh. Even the princess of Illea fancies my brother.

"I'm Adeline, but you can call me Addy. That's what Alex calls me." She says smiling. Some of the girls look at her like she is a tool to get to know the prince better.

"So Addy." Emerald says. "Tell us about the prince."

"It's Princess Adeline to you." Adeline says. "I only told Charlie that she could call me that." She seemed so innocent like she didn't know how you could possibly mistake what she'd said.

Emerald glares at me along with Catastrophe and a few other girls too.

"Well I better be off now." Addy says and stands with her dress bouncing. As soon as she's out accusing voices start.

"What game are you playing at?" Emerald turns from a talkative and annoying girl to accusing.

"I don't know what your talking about. We all have an equally fair chance of relations with the royal family. I've never even spoken to Adeline yet."

"Apparently." Catastrophe rolls her eyes. "Have you made a deal with her? She'll now run off and tell the prince all about you. No doubt."

"Rubbish." I say standing. "I've never spoken privately with any member of the Royal family except for the prince once. The same as the rest of us."

"It's not like I didn't see him leaving your room this morning." Catastrophe rolls her eyes. I'm surprised they didn't get stuck.

"He just had a question. I answered it and he left." I shrug like it wasn't a big deal but I'm sure my pale face disagrees.

"Did it take all night for that question?" She smirked. Does she not care at all that I'm her competition? "Maybe Tina shouldn't be considered the first date."

"This competition is completely fair. Maybe for you more so than I. If the prince wishes to seek me out then so be it!" I say harsher than I intended.

I hear a small cough in the corner mostly to attract our attention. I turn to see the Queen. My stay in the palace will be much shorter than I previously thought.

I nearly choke on my last breath. "Your highness." I curtsy and flee the room.