Truly Elected (Book Two of The Next Selection Series)

Chapter 11

It's been about four days since I've spoken to Matthew. To be honest, it has been one of the hardest things I have ever done in my entire life.

Every meal, he would stare at me, trying to catch my attention until Queen America would elbow him in the ribs to get him to stop. I noticed him hushing his lips repeatedly on the last Report, but I didn't respond. He'd stopped by my room every day, but my maids either told him I wasn't feeling well or I was out. Truthfully, I had always been hidden right behind the door, silent as a mouse as I would hear his disappointed sighs.

With King Maxon's birthday having come and gone, the palace was growing quieter. The Italian and English royal families both had left yesterday, leaving only Prince Presley behind. I haven't seen him, but my maids told me that he is staying in Illéa with the intent of furthering Spain's business relationship with Illéa; word spreads fast among the staff. Of course I didn't by into that at all, but I would never inform them that I thought otherwise.

The day was nice as autumn was fully kicking in, the Angeles temperature dropping a measly seven degrees. A breeze rustled my loose straight hair and I smiled as Phoebe waved to me from the bench her back was leaning against. Both Elsie and Darling were on the bench, notes in their hands and books at their sides.

"Nice to see you showed up." Darling commented, her eyes never leaving the book as the skimmed over sentences. Phoebe rolled her eyes and did a talking motion with her hands.

"Sorry to be such an inconvenience for you." I said back, my sarcasm indicating that I wasn't sorry.

"That's okay Sol. We were just getting started." Elsie said, closing her notebook on top of her periwinkle dress. I stared at her wide-eyed. Her voice was soft, as if it hadn't been utilized in years, yet it suited her perfectly. 

Phoebe patted the grassy space beside her and I sat down without complaint, my pale yellow day dress making a wide circle around my legs as I sat crisscrossed. "What have we got?"

"Well," Darling began, hanging her notebook down to me. My eyes glanced down at her neat cursive writing as she continued speaking. "From what we know, the Spain-Illéa alliance is very new. So, Elsie and I were thinking that, while a traditional ball with authentic Spainish food, colors, and music would be very nice, we could add a spin of Illéa to it." I nodded my head, finding those points on paper. Phoebe huffed beside me.

"I was here too."

"You've just been playing with the grass." Darling pointed out, nodding her head at the grass stains on Phoebe's dress. Elsie nodded shyly beside her, not liking to pick sides but clearly doing so.

"So? I was here?"

"I think you're idea is great." I said loudly, halting the argument before it could further itself. "A ball fusing two cultures into one shows that we as a country really wish to further our relations with the Spanish monarchy. However, isn't this very risky? I just don't want to see this blow up in our faces and embarrass ourselves."

Phoebe laid back, her had falling into my lap. I jumped a little, surprised was an understatement. "Sometimes you've got to take risks in life. If there's a chance for something great, go for it." She winked, a playful smirk on her lips. My face burned wildly with a blush and I looked up at Darling, who's eyebrows were scrunched together in anger at Phoebe squashing her notebook in my lap. She pulled it out from under her head, chuckled, and threw the book with all of her strength. Darling shot up immediately, following the book soaring across the sky in a run.

"Why would you--"

"She was getting on my nerves." Phoebe said, her eyes turning to Elsie. "Now, what are your ideas? Because I know for certain that all of that came from Darling."