Selected: Part 3 - Love and Lace

16. THE FAMILIES

THERE WOULD BE A BALL to celebrate the final three and the Selection nearing its end. The royal family had invited each of us' families to meet with them, which was exciting for Gwen and Agatha. If they won, their family would become Ones, and never long for anything. I couldn't help but feel left out, having no family of my own to invite. The next few days, I focused on my new family; Grace­, Maya, and Piper, who poured their heart and soul into making a new dress for me for the coming event. We had a lot of time though, as the preparations were taking much longer than usual, what with the King being unwell still and the Queen being indisposed. Moreover, there was a lot of preparation going into the families being flown in and the accommodations for their arrival.

Gwen had a small family which consisted of her parents and younger brother. She looked just like her mother, I noted, and though I had not gotten to speak to her beyond polite small talk, I could tell they also had their serious demeanor and regal composure in common. Agatha's family on the other hand was loud and rambunctious. Her single father came along with her 3 younger sisters and older brother. It was common for the lower castes to have larger families, an I felt a tinge of jealousy that I had never had any siblings of my own, though it was better no one else had to endure the abuse I had from the parental figures in my life. 

Since the families had arrived to the palace, I barely saw any of the last two girls, who spent every waking moment with their respective families, away from our common spaces. I felt a mixture of sadness, loneliness, and jealousy, even though I had mentally prepared myself for this. It was harder than I thought, as I felt completely out of place. With Ethan being preoccupied, I could think of only one thing which could make me feel better. 

I spent nearly every day up until the celebration in the stables, with Mabel the funny-looking horse. I had of course a guard or two watching over me as I read, sketched, or brushed through my girl's long mane. If by some miracle I was made a princess, I'd decided she'd be my official royal horse, and if there was no such title, I would create it. I wondered if Ethan would let me have more animals. It was common for the upper castes to have domesticated pets such as cats and dogs. At this point, I longed for any sort of companionship or family I could have. 

Even though it had taken a lot of time to prepare, the ball was on a smaller scale, less grand than usual. Only the Selected, their families, and the closest friends and relations of the royal family were invited for dancing and mingling. While Gwen and Agatha seemed to be spending their time speaking amongst each other and their families, I took the time to meet almost every guest in attendance, as I supposed they'd all be important people to know were I to spend my life here as I so desired. I was especially pleased to meet prince Ethan's younger cousins, the most adorable pair of twins, and his very friendly maternal aunt. Unlike the quiet and reserved Queen Cordelia, her sister Camila was bubbly and warm.

I'd been completely preoccupied with conversation that I felt a jolt when I heard the sound of someone crying. I whipped around to find Gwen, to my surprise, sobbing in prince Ethan's arms before she noticed everyone was looking at her and ran out the room, her mother trailing her not far behind, visibly distraught. I couldn't imagine what had caused the sudden outburst. What could she have been talking about with Ethan during their dance? It would now be my turn to dance with him, but even with all the awkwardness and silence that had settled between us, I felt my heart ache for my friend. I headed out the ballroom after her, needing to be there for whatever she was going through.

I found Gwen in her room. The door was left slightly open, and she was on the sofa, crying as her mother patted her back. When she saw me, she stood up and excused herself, giving Gwen and I space to talk. Gwen had always been so serious and composed, all I could let out was "What's wrong?" as I sat besides her. She could barely look at me, her voice meek as she said "I just had to know". I looked at her, confused, taking her hand to hopefully encourage her to continue. "I really loved him, you know? But I felt deep in my soul the feeling wasn't mutual. All this time, he's loved someone else." She declared between sobs. "What do you mean?" I prodded further. 

"I confronted Ethan about his feelings for me. I thought there might be some, considering he's kept me around for so long, but I couldn't ignore anymore the fact that his affections lie elsewhere." She took a deep breath. "I see the way he looks at you. It doesn't take a psychological analysis to see how deeply he cares for you. I feel its always been you. What I don't get is why he doesn't just end all this charade." I was a bit taken aback. "Me?" I let out softly, fearing I've misunderstood. She nodded. "I asked him if he's loved only you since the start, if he had any romantic love for the rest of us at all; he couldn't deny it."

She sighed, and wiped away her tears. "Oh Luna, I'm so sorry I've been such a bad friend. I should be happy for you, and I am, really. I just felt so jealous, and played. I thought if I ignored you, then maybe what I'd been seeing between you and him would just go away." I was a bit overwhelmed, but I couldn't deny it. Though he hadn't really said it, in every touch, in every word between us, I felt Ethan really loved me. If it was true, I'd assumed, though it pained me to think, that he was only continuing on with the Selection because he felt the same about the other girls as well, but now I knew it was not the case with Gwen. "What about Agatha...?" I whispered, almost not wanting to hear the answer. Gwen shook her head. "I'm not sure, but I have a feeling you're the one, Luna, whether he's fully realized it or not."

She suddenly stood up, and put herself together. "Enough of that." She declared. "It's useless to cry endlessly for things you can't change, right?" She gave a weak smile. "I hope I'm still invited to the wedding." I stood up just as quickly, and took her hands. "I've never been angry with you, Gwen. No matter what you or Ethan feels, I hope you know we've never stopped being friends." We hugged, and a few tears escaped my eyes, too. In the end, I never returned to the ballroom, instead helping Gwen pack her belongings and being there to say goodbye as she and her family left the palace.

All too quickly, it dawned on me I was part of the final two girls, and as per the rules of the Selection, prince Ethan now only had 14 days to make his decision.