The Six

May 1, 2328

When she first received the package from the castle, Aleah had absolutely no idea what to do with it. She didn't want to enter, nor did she think that she had a chance of being Selected. Waverly was one of the most populated Illéan provinces and the possibility of being chosen was... well, a lot to a little really. Either way, leaving her family was not an option. Even if the castle did provide compensation, she wasn't ready to leave her mother and little sister.

But, it was her mother that made her fill out the application. "What's the harm in submitting it? If you're not chosen, life continues like normal, and if you are... well, we'll figure it out as we go along, won't we?"

So, here she was, filling out an application that she didn't even believe would be seen by the prince or whoever looked through them and decided. Aleah still didn't understand why Mama was being so pushy about her at least trying, but maybe it was just a gut feeling? A missed opportunity or a girlish fantasy that she wanted to live out through her daughter? Whatever it was, she sure was happy when it was completed, eagerly taking it from the table to read over it even if it was things that she already knew about her daughter.

Name, age, date of birth, height, they really weren't asking difficult questions on the form, but maybe that was because they wanted to save the difficult topics for when the girls were chosen or to make it easier for every girl between 16 and 20 to enter.

Looking over her form, Aleah felt quite plain. She was average when it came to looks, at least on paper, and she wouldn't be surprised if they easily dismissed her because she didn't exactly finish school as most children did. She was just as smart as anyone else though, having taught herself most concepts since her mother couldn't afford to send her to school after her father passed. Sure, she couldn't understand certain complex math theories but at the end of the day, she was a good person, kind and generous, and that was all that mattered to her.

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A few days later, Aleah and her mother headed to the closest post office, Aleah wearing her nicest clothes, which was a dark blue dress that she had made out of some spare fabric she had left over from one of her jobs. It was required that every girl had their photo taken that it could be submitted with their application.

While looking around the crowded building, she tried not to focus on the other girls around her, but it was difficult. So many of them were beautiful, wearing new dresses and having their makeup done, high heels adorning their feet to make them look taller, even if the photo was only from the shoulders up. Aleah played with her curls which were styled the same way they were every day. Her dress and shoes were worn out from multiple wears and her face was plain as makeup was too expensive. But, according to her mother, she looked beautiful naturally and that was all that mattered.

Aleah wasn't used to her picture being taken professionally. Her family wasn't as big on photography and the other arts as they were with music. Any photos in their house were taken had been taken on her father's old camera, which was well past broken by now, and had been taken during special occasions only. So, when she got to the front of the very long line, she just did whatever was instructed of her.

"SIT UP STRAIGHT"

"SHOULDERS BACK"

"COCK YOUR HEAD TO THE RIGHT"

"NO, TO THE LEFT"

"CHIN UP"

"LOOSEN UP, YOU'RE TOO STIFF"

"ACT AS NATURAL AS POSSIBLE"

"SMILE"

For a picture that was going to best represent her to the prince, there was quite a bit that went into it. The position that she was in was difficult to hold but in the end, the photographer had done a pretty good job. She actually looked presentable, beautiful even, but it didn't matter what she and her family thought about her. It was all up to the prince now, all of this was in his hands.

So, she and her mother headed home, made dinner like usual, and watched the Illéa Capital Report with her little sister, Olivia. During the entirety of the eight o'clock program, Aleah's eyes were glued to the television screen, to the prince. Even though she wasn't even rooting for herself to be Selected, she couldn't help but lose herself in a moment of scenarios.

What if she did become one of the thirty-five Selected, a Daughter of Illéa? What would that mean for her mother, for Olivia? Would the castle's compensation be enough to cover her usual weekly salary? Could it be more?

All these questions swirled in her mind that night as she went to be under the starry Waverlian sky, keeping her awake for just a little longer. So much would change if she was Selected. Would she be okay with that change? Maybe she was just overacting, worrying herself for nothing, but being the eldest she couldn't help but think about her family.

Of course, Olivia would love it. Having a princess for a sister would fulfill her wildest fantasies, plus she would love to live in the palace. She'd be able to go to school, not have to worry about not having anything for dinner, about times getting tough and other things that a seven-year-old shouldn't have to deal with.

She could take care of her mother and not have to have her worry about the stresses of life ever again. Life could be good again, like it had been before. Maybe there was something to root for.