The Selection: Prince Nathaniel

Big News

"Ready for the meeting today Nathaniel?" Dad asks me as I close the door to my bedroom.

"I guess so." I reply quietly.

"What's wrong?" my dad asks in a concerned voice.

"I'm...I'm." I stutter.

"Oh come on Nathaniel, you can tell me!"

"I'm nervous for tonight." I say quickly. Tonight on the Report, they are announcing the girls who are to be in the Selection. I just turned nineteen yesterday, so I am now of age to have a Selection. In other words, they are announcing who will be my future wife, and I'm scared! I mean, what if they are not who they say they are? What if I can't find one who is right for me? What if I have to marry someone who I don't truly love?

"I know exactly how you feel. I was nervous for my selection too. Don't worry Nathaniel, I'm sure that it will be fine."

I sigh. "Okay." My brother Ellis steps out of his room and joins us. We walk to the meeting, staying quiet most of the time. Once we arrive, everyone in the room stands, and we head to our seats. Dad sits at the head of the long table. I sit to his right, and Ellis sits to his left. The meeting starts, and the first official presents his ideas. I know I should, but I don't pay attention at all; I stare off into space and tap my pencil on the table. I can't stop thinking about this stupid selection thing. I'm sure that the girls will be nice and all, but it is just so overwhelming! Dating thirty-five girls at once is going to be kind of complicated. From what I know about dating, which is very, very, very, limited; I am going to fail at this. I seriously do not get how my little sister Guinevere can handle dating. She has dated so many guys, I can't even count all them on both hands!

"Nathaniel!" Dad shouts. I jump up, sending all my papers flying around me and onto the floor.

"I have said your name five times now! Pay attention!" Dad shouts.

"Sorry, sorry." I apologize scrambling to pick my papers up off the floor. Some of them also fell under the table, so I have to climb under and get them. To make matters worse, I bump my head against the top of the table, really hard. "Ouch!" I exclaim. I stand up quickly, and I can see a few officials trying to cover their smiles and laughter. And then there's Ellis and Dad, who are both doubling over with laughter. Ugh. I move up to the front quickly, my papers in one hand and my other rubbing my head. Then Ellis holds up my pencil, waving it around in his hand; which flew across the table when I got up. I walk over and take it out of his hand, glaring at him. That just makes him laugh more, and I sigh and walk up to the front again.

"Um... Hello everybody. My presentation today is on a way we could improve some of the areas of Illea that used to be National Parks when the land was known as The United States of America." Then I go on and explain my idea, which no one is going to take seriously anyway. No one ever takes me seriously.

After I present the meeting finishes. I get out of there as quickly as I can, almost running back to my room, trying to avoid anyone who was there. When I get back to my room, I start to get ready for dinner. I look in the mirror and see that my hair is messed up from where I was rubbing my head. Great. So I sounded and looked completely stupid during my presentation. Then again, what else is new. I frown at my reflection before turning away. A maid walks in to start cleaning while I'm at dinner.

"Oh my! Let me fix that for you Your Highness!" she says referring to my hair with a chuckle. She grabs a comb and has me sit down. She then brushes out my hair, and makes it look better than before.

"Thank you," I say. I look at her name tag. "Thank you Shelby."

She then blushes. "No problem Your Majesty!" Then she scurries out of the room, probably to go tell her friends what just happened. I walk down to dinner, and see that I am the last one to arrive. I plop down in my chair. Ellis and Dad glance at each other, and then burst into laughter. I sigh, roll my eyes, and rest my head in my hand and then just glare at them. Mom looks back and forth between the three of us with a confused expression on her face.