Scarlett Selected

FOUR

The palace was giant. Like...anxiety inducing huge.

Pearl was jittered and dancing around when I glanced over at her. The red carpet was rolled out and photographers and paprazi lined the railings. I hesitantly approach it with Pearl after a few Selected girls already walked it.

I watched as some of the girls signed autographs. I shifted from foot to foot as someone shoved Pearl into me and strutted past us.

"Hey." Pearl snaps. I look at the girl and narrow my eyes, lifting a brow. She had walked to far through the crowd of other girls for me to see. I felt someone grab my wrist, and quickly I jerked it away, turning.

A girl held out a paper with a pen with a beaming smile. I blinked in surprise and glanced at Pearl, who's smile had returned. I plaster on a small smile and sign the paper before quickly hurrying to the center of the carpet.

"Whoa~ you signed an autograph!" Pearl exclaims.

"Yeah...thats cool I guess." I mumble.

"Are you kidding? Thats awesome! " a girl behind me exclaims. I turn my head over my shoulder and see a mid-height girl with short brown hair grinning at me as she signed a paper. She turns back to Pearl and I and walks up between us. "Sorry to butt in on you ladies conversation." She laughs weakly. "Im Skylar."

"Dajavona..."

"Hi Skylar, I'm Pearl!"

"You ladies ready for the rest of your lives? After this, even if we don't make it-we'll be Caste 3! Isnt that insane?" Skylar exclaims. I can't help but smile at the thought.

Either way...I pretty much would never have to deal with Silica again...

"Yeah, sounds great." I tell Skylar as we enter into a large room through some doors. Pearl opened her mouth to say something, but it fell slack. I looked around and had to take a doubletake.

There was so many mirrors and vanities lining the walls, I was confused for a moment. I stare at the vanities and look to a group of maids standing in front of our group.

A taller woman, holding a wooden spoon for some odd reason, stood in feont of them.

"Hello. Welcome to the Palace, I am Pandora." She tells us, "these maids are going to show you to your rooms and prepare you for the night ahead. Tonight, a meet and greet will occur and with that, you will meet the Royal Family. Be on your best behavior, the first elimination will occur tomorrow morning." And with that, Pandora, left.

"An elimination so soon...?" Pearl asks quietly.

"Well, the King did say he wanted to rush this along." Skylar says. "With the Queen sick at the moment, he is suspecting the worse."

Ah, yes. I almost forgot.

We were dragged into the midst of the Royal Family Feud. Allow me to catch you up to date. The Queen was picked from the Selection based purely upon the previous King and Queen's bias. She was a Caste 2 Actress who was stunning to the eye. The King hated her, and wanted her gone from the very start of his Selection-but it grew so tense between the King, Queen and Prince of the time, that the King had the girl he loved assassinated since he refused to eliminate her.

Since his Selection, King Taylor has seemingly lost his damn mind. He and Queen Helena, had bad blood. They were only seen together on TV, never in person. Now after the constant threats, Helena was poisoned and was peobably dying. Nobody could prove the King did it but it was assumed.

See? Family feud. And I thought I had it bad, the Princes have to live through that regularly. Though I'm sure the King and Queen had never laid a finger on their sons...

"Lady Dajavona?" A meek voice inquiers. I turn a little and see a young maid with bright red hair and striking green eyes smiling at me.

"Oh...um..." I stammer, looking at Pearl and Skylar who both grin at me. "Hi."

"I'm Bella, your maid for you stay here. Can you come with me, I'll show you to your room." Pearl places a hand on my shoulder and squeezes it tight, smiling.

"Go ahead! We'll see you tonight in a little while!" Skylar exclaims as Pearl nodded.

"Okay...see ya I guess." I twll my new friends before following after Bella. We walked down a long hallway, lined with chandeliers dancing across its ceiling. Bella opened a large door and the dress that was laying on the bed in the bedroom-left me stunned for a moment.

A long, elegant scarlet colored gown.