Selected: Part 3 - Love and Lace

18. THE END

A MEETING OF URGENT NATURE was to take place in my bedroom. As I was reading in the library, Piper was the one to request I join Grace, Maya and her back at my room for something they wished to discuss. I obliged, of course, concerned for my dearest friends. They had been so supportive throughout this entire whirlwind of an experience and I was greatly indebted to them. I sat, bracing myself for whatever this was about, and hoping everyone was fine. "I don't know how to say this, so I'll just say it." Grace begun, Maya and Piper hovering behind her. "The end of the Selection is near, and when Ethan makes his choice, the new Queen will be choosing the maids to keep at her side. Now, anyone with common sense knows it will be you." I had to laugh at their certainty, but inside, I felt quite nervous at the implications of it all. "But this got me thinking." She continued. "I cannot stay here any longer." 

"You're leaving the palace?" I realized. "I have to." Grace looked sad. She came closer and took my hands. "If you are to become queen, as we all suspect, and were to ask me to stay by your side, I don't know how I could refuse." She said in a soft voice. "How could I leave you if you wished me to stay? You are so precious to all of us, Lady Luna." In unison, Piper and Maya nodded, tears welling in their eyes. "But why must you go?" I still didn't understand. "My father is getting older." Grace sighed. "He needs someone to take care of him in his old age, so it's time for me to go back home. I'm comfortable here at the palace, but this is what I need to do, and now is the time to do it before I become duty-bound to stay." I shook my head. "If you wished to leave later on, you know I would never force you to stay." She smiled. "I know." It felt genuine, but I understood that this was still something she had to do.

I got up and went to my dresser, and got out an envelope from the top drawer. "Well, if you really must go, please take this." I handed her the envelope. This was the most recent monthly compensation check I had gotten for being part of the Selection. I had been sending them to Bea, but this one needed to go to Grace to help start her new life back home. Curious, she opened it, and immediately closed it and passed it back towards me. "My lady, I cannot!" I gently pushed it back towards her. "You must. I refuse to let my friend go without help. Without you three, I never would have made it through to the end of this competition. Your support and care has been more precious than anything to me, and if I do become Queen, I intend to repay every bit of it."

Piper was the first to come hug me, until we were all huddled together. I looked at Piper and Maya, concerned. "You two aren't leaving too, aren't you?" Maya laughed, breaking the sad atmosphere that had settled. "Not yet, my Lady!" I sighed. "Thank goodness." As they all helped me get ready for bed, Grace's last act as a maid of the Selected, I wondered if they still would have been my friends, had they not been essentially forced to. I really hoped so. We said our goodbyes to Grace, and wished her well for her trip back home. I was glad she would get to be reunited with her father, as I remembered she said they were very close, but we all felt sad to see her go. That night, both girls slept in my room, needing to be close.

We kept busy designing new dresses. As the competition was nearing its end, I needed to look my best. Our most recent creation was a lovely shade of pastel pink, and I would be wearing it for this week's Report. I had never really gotten close to Agatha, as our personalities differed quite a bit I supposed, but I offered to design a dress for her, hoping to get closer to her. She declined, stating she did not enjoy dresses all that much. I made a mental note to ask about things she did like, such as painting, the next time we spoke. She was a nice person, and had so many great qualities about her, but the air between us felt so tense and awkward with us being the last two Selected girls here. Moreover, it felt so empty in the palace with so many gone.

With the lessons being over, there was a lot of free time. I spent most of my time studying at the library, as there was still so much to learn, even though it was not what I preferred doing. In the time I kept for myself, I was working on something I couldn't share with anyone else: A wedding dress design. I hoped I would get to wear it, and avoided thinking how crushed I would be if I would never see this design come to life. One extravagant dress we had made that I would get to wear soon though was the dress we had designed for Ethan's coronation, which was coming up the very next day following the Report. It was more serious, a dark blue shade rather than my usual pastels, but surely the most regal thing I will have ever worn in my time here. We had not seen much of Ethan in the past days as he was getting prepared for his coronation, and I was anxious for him, but mostly, I missed him terribly.

Considering its timing, everyone would be tuning into this particular Report. Most of it was taken up by details about the upcoming coronation event, and with the remaining time, Ethan took the opportunity to make a statement as our future King, and through his words, it was conveyed how deeply he cared for Illéa and would do all in his power to make it a better place. Cordelia, who had been so withdrawn, was beaming with pride for a moment, and I was moved. However, in the final moments of the Report, he took the opportunity to make another declaration. "In the two days following my coronation tomorrow, I will be making my final decision and announcing our new Queen." He declared. There was gasps, but I stood still, my heart tight in my chest. This was it. This was the end.