The Archeress

𝕋he 𝔸pplication

" Jenna, wake up! We have a busy day today! "

I slowly awoke from my sleep to see my mother standing at the edge of my bed, holding an outfit she put together herself.  White dress, jean jacket, and my white shoes. I rubbed my eyes and sat up.

" What do you mean 'busy day' it's Sunday ", I asked, my voice slightly raspy.

My mother gave me a confused face, as though it were obvious " Really? They announced all this week!  "

Wait. She doesn't mean- " No, not that stupid competition. We literally talked about this the other day. "

Just a few days ago, our King announced that five girls ages, seventeen to nineteen, from each province {forty in total} will be 'randomly' chosen to attend a grand ball, where the prince will then choose twenty girls to compete in the competition.

Now, everyone is sending in their applications, in the hopes of being chosen. My mother was absolutely thrilled when she heard this, and so were my friends. Practically every girl from my school had been anticipating it, all talking about their plans to steal the prince's heart. 

" Honey, you have such a great chance. You're dazzlingly beautiful, you have a great personality, and you're one of the only people who can say they are a Sagittarius. That gives you a better chance than any girl in our whole province, maybe in the whole kingdom. "

Her eyes shined brightly, like a child. I couldn't say no, it'd break her heart.

" Hm, fine, but that doesn't mean I'll get chosen . . . ", I told her.

" Nonsense! You will most certainly get picked, just watch! "

She told me to get ready and presented the outfit she got me. Not gonna lie, I loved it! She knew me so well. I slid the dress and jacket on and put on my shoes. I lightly did my makeup, nothing too drastic. I also straightened my fluffy hair, making sure everything was in its place.

After finishing the last touches of my outfit, I headed downstairs. My mother was already dressed, and making my favorite thing to eat in the morning. Chicken and waffles, with hash browns. Very unhealthy, but good. 

" The outfit you got me looks good, Ma ", I told her, trying to break the silence.

She smiled, her dimples I had inherited, showing " Thanks, I thought you'd like it"

We quickly finished our breakfast and headed out to the car. We played our favorite songs as we drove near the city hall, where the applications would be filled out and pictures would be taken. When we got there, we saw a huge line of people waiting just outside the entrance. 

I recognized many faces, though they were hidden by lush clothing and caked on makeup. I worried a bit that I dressed too simply, but then again, why'd I care. My mom finally found a parking spot, and we walked to the long line. 

As I did, I felt a little gust of wind hit my face, and I turned to see a girl, my senior by two years, having a bit of a tantrum. I could see her hair beginning to rise a bit because of the wind she kept exerting.

" Hana, please darling, calm yourself. It's not so bad, it's just water", I heard her father say to her.

I turned to my own mother, rolling my eyes as I turned my head to what I was looking at. From what I got from the girl's, Hana, screaming was that she was trying to drink her water without ruining her makeup, but got surprised by a loud sound and ended up spilling it on her expensive-as-heck outfit.

My mother turned to me and said, " I'm so glad me and your father raised you to be better than that "

We both giggled and continued to walk ahead as the line got shorter. My mother made small talk with the woman around us also accompanying their excited daughters. I made sure to be as polite as I could, not wanting to be like that 'Hana' girl.

As soon as we had arrived, we were at the front of the line, walking inside the enormous building. There were many tables where the staff were seated to hand out the papers and help those who had any questions. We sat at one of the tables and started answering the questions on the sheet.

. . .

{Place Photo Here}

Full Name: Jeanette Evergreen

Age: 17

Birthday: December 20th

Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

Birth Country: Aurelia (Present-Day America)

 . . .

[Not gonna put the whole thing there, it'd take the whole chapter]

There were so many questions, from how many languages I could speak, which I proudly put three, including English and Korean, to my grades in school. It also asked my medical history overall, and any allergies I had. 

To be honest, I kinda got a bit excited. I mean, attending a fancy party wouldn't be all that bad, right? Even if I did get picked to attend it, the prince would most likely choose the most beautiful and wealthy girls, whom I was not.

After writing for what seemed like forever, we were finally done. All we needed was a picture to pin at the top of the application. We finally found the photographer, who was a nice middle-aged lady. She complimented my eyes, as do most people.

She fixed my hair a bit so it could be just right, and took a couple of photos. I didn't get to see them, however, which was a bit of a bummer. She told me I looked great though, which was good. Finally, we were finished! I couldn't wait to go home, away from all the eyes that usually landed on me when in public. 

My mother chattered non-stop the minute we entered the car. " Jenna, this is so exciting! Imagine next friday they pull your name! "

" Ma, don't get your hopes too high, you might rub off on me. "

When we got home, my Ma called my Dad to tell him the news. I was tired, so I went to my room and decided to go to sleep early. I did have school tomorrow.