Ever After . . .

Chapter 22

~Maxon~

After a long week of getting ready for Nathan's Selection, all of the letters have arrived. It was also Friday, which meant the winners of the Selection would be announced tonight.

Nathan was jittery as he was sitting in his chair waiting for the Report to come on. I hand let him choose the winning girls from each province yesterday. All of the letters were sitting on his lap, and bouncing up and down with his knee.

I reach over and place my hand on his shoulder. "Hey. It'll be alright," I say trying to calm him.

"I know it will. I'm just nervous, and excited about who I'm going to meet," he says looking back at me.

"Well I'm excited," Alison said coming up to her seat. "Finally some new people here." She sits down next to Ben, and let's her purple dress fan out around her feet.

"I'll be fine."

I smile at him. The cameras come on, and Gavril begins the Report saying, "Good evening Illéa. Tonight is a very special Report. Tonight thirty five girl's lives all across Illéa will change forever. Before we announce the winners, I will be speaking to King Maxon, and Queen Kriss." Gavril moves from his starting spot, and comes over to Kris and I. "King Maxon, you had a wonderful Selection. My favorite to be apart of. Now we are going into your eldest son Nathan's Selection. Any words of advice for him?"

"I have been giving Nathan advice all week. The best I have yet to give him. Just have fun, and don't worry about it. You'll know when you've found the right one," I say half facing the camera, and half facing Nathan.

"Isn't that nice. Now Queen Kriss. You were the lucky Selected girl who won King Maxon's heart. Any advice for those soon to be Selected girls?"

Before Kriss speaks I think to myself that Kriss wasn't the original lucky one. America was. But now look at us.

"Just be yourself. That's the best you can do. Thinking back on it, it seemed a lot more intense than it probably was. Just don't worry about trying to be someone you're not," Kriss says into the camera.

"Very wise words Queen Kriss. Now shall we move onto the winners? Prince Nathan, I will take those letters from you, and read off the winners," Gavril said.

Nathan picked the letters off of his lap, and handed them to Gavril. There was the slightest shake in his hand, but he showed no sign of nervousness. Gavril took the letters and moved swiftly to the podium in the center of the stage. He began with the first one. "From Angeles we have Reagan Lanes, five." There was a slight pause. Reagan's face comes up on a screen just to the right of Gavril. They wanted Nathan to react to the photo of the girl. "From Atlin, Addison Day, seven."

I get shocked. There has never been a seven in the Selection. This is going to get interesting.

Gavril continues, "From Allens, Bella Weaver, two. From Belcourt, Lily Shines, five. From Bankston, Jocelyn Monthei, six." Six's aren't uncommon, just rare. "From Baffin, Leah Long, five. From Bonita, Milla Brown, eight." That gets gasps from the audience. Even Gavril stops to see if he read it right.

There has never in the history of the Selection been an eight. We all just began to think they gave up on entering because of their status. But his was proof that they didn't. Gavril clears his throat and continues. "From Columbia, Gianna Follet, four. From Calgary, Gabriella Havens, five. From Clermont, Arianna Killion, two. From Carolina, Lila Rhodes, two."

Time slows. I didn't know America's daughter very well, but I knew that wasn't her name. I wouldn't get to see America again. This thought consumes me until the end of the Selection winners. I catch the last few names. "From Whites, Callie Stopher, five. From Waverly, Alaina Abbot, six. From Yukon, Brooklyn Brady, two. And finally from Zuni, Claire Finch, two."

There is a long pause. The final photo fades, and Gavril begins again. "Thank you so much for joining us on a very exciting Report tonight. I am afraid that, that is all the time we have for tonight. We'll see you next week!"

The cameras turn off, and so do my emotions. I guess fate wasn't on my side. I am going to lose America forever.