The Choosing

Chapter 34//: Family Reunions

[ E D I T E D ]

♕✿~♕✿~Chapter 34//: Family Reunions♕✿~♕✿~

I smooth my hands over the plain white dress I first wore when I came to the palace. For some reason, the thought of seeing my family again after so long made me nervous. Would they see me in a different way? Would they think I had changed?

My maids notice my nervous twitching but don't comment on it. They smooth back my hair once more before Sam smiles at my reflection in the mirror. I feebly smile back.

"You look lovely, miss," Sam comments. Tiffany snorts. "Of course she looks lovely. We did prepare her for today after all." Some of the tension leaves me as I laugh a little at Tiffany's words. I was grateful for this small distraction.

But it wasn't long enough as a knock came at the door. When Lacy went to open it, I saw the dark hair of Caroline Iral.

"The families have arrived. Lady Madison is to report in the foyer immediately, along with the other girls."

A murmuring from Lacy, and she turns to look back at me. She beckons me over, and I inhale and exhale before standing up on numb legs to go meet my family.

I follow Caroline down to the first floor, the atmosphere around us tense with awkward silence. After trying to find a way to start a small conversation with her, in an attempt to do something, I finally give up.

When we reach the bottom of the stairs, I see that the other girls are already there. Alexis is dressed in a navy blue and white dress, representing her family's House colors. Emily stands next to her, quiet in her simple blue and green dress. Penelope, in a blue and gray garb, is chatting with Nina. Olivia stands alone in a black and white dress that represents the simple yet powerful ability her family wields.

I feel like I did when I first arrived at the palace. The girls take note of my arrival, and most of their looks turn calculating. Although I might've felt like i was growing closer to them, it all disappeared with the competitiveness of the Choosing expanding.

A presence comes to stand next to me, and I start as I see who it is. Ahren smiles at me warmly, making my already nervous heart beat even faster. He was dressed in a simple black shirt and black slacks with red stripes going down each pant leg. It resembled his training clothes.

"Nervous?" He asks me. I shake my head a bit.

"That, but excited. It's been more than a month since I've last seen my family."

One side of Ahren's mouth quirks up in an encouraging smile. "I bet your family will be ecstatic to see you again."

I'm about to answer him when the front doors of the palace are opened. The chatters between Penelope and Nina silence immediately. I look up in anticipation as families start to come in the door, passing by the silent guards.

Blue, green, grey, black, white. It's all I see from the people who enter. Alexis rushes to a man with graying brown hair and a woman who looks like an older version of her. I assume they're her parents. To my surprise, there's a small girl of maybe 10 who has shoulder-length brown hair sandwiched between the adults. She rushes to Alexis, smiling wildly, as Alexis smiles back and picks her up, playfully tossing her in the air. The little girl screeches in delight. I'm surprised at the behavior of this hidden side of Alexis.

Next, Emily moves to gently hug a man and woman, and an elderly woman. She smiles tenderly as she sparks up a conversation with them immediately, looking animated as she updates her family on everything that has happened. Her parents smile warmly at her, which makes me feel shocked; I've never seen Silvers smile so...gently. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised. All parents have a caring side to them reserved just for their children.