The Dress (The Selection Series Fan Book 6)

Chapter 1

Before you start reading, WAIT! This is the continuation of the Selection Series published by Keira Cass! If you have not finished all of the books in that series, including The Heir and The Crown, please do not read this yet! Unless you want to. I can't stop you ;)

Chapter 1

Osten Schreave POV

I roamed the halls impatiently, waiting for everyone to be called for dinner. I nearly drooled, wondering what the kitchen had prepared for dinner this evening. I had skipped lunch to attend a meeting, and I had no idea how much I would regret that. Footsteps echoed down the corridor in front of me and I paused. Kerttu ran down the hall in a pink lace dress with a bright smile across her face.

"Uncle Osten!" she exclaimed. I noticed a little black box in her hand.

"Queen Kerttu, Your Majesty," I bent down on one knee and she giggled.

"I lost a tooth!" She pointed to the gaping hole in her smile. It was pretty hard to miss.

"That's incredible!"

"Mama says that if I keep it under my pillow tonight, I'll get money under my pillow in the morning."

"My darling, you already have all the money in the world."

She beamed, then suddenly her expression changed, "I'm hungry."

"Me too, we just have to wait a couple more minutes, sweetie,"

She looked towards the picture on the wall of my grandmother and grandfather, Former Queen Amberly and King Clarkson on their wedding day.

"Uncle Osten?" She began.

"Yes, Kerttu?"

"Why aren't you married like Daddy, Mama, Uncle Kaden and Uncle Ahren?"

I froze. I hadn't expected that. I almost felt offended. As I thought about it, her words slowly sunk in and I felt a wave of loneliness. She was right. I was the youngest of my siblings, but I was turning 19. That meant I was around the same age as Eadlyn when she began her Selection. Maybe it was time for me to find someone to spend the rest of my life with. Someone I could love. Someone who would love me. Kerttu was looking up at me expectantly and I opened my mouth to reply, but someone interrupted my thoughts.

"There you two are! Dinner was served a couple of minutes ago," Mom said.

I sighed in relief and made my way to the Dining Hall. I was so thankful that Kerttu didn't bring that up again in front of everybody. Luckily it wasn't mentioned for the rest of the evening.

***

I dried off from my shower and lay on my bed, exhausted from a full day of work.

I thought about what Kerttu had said to me. I had always dismissed the thought of getting married. I am the youngest of four siblings, so I knew I would not host a Selection and I definitely didn't want to move away from my beloved country. But now I started to think, what if I had a selection? 

I went over to my desk and brushed the thousands of papers out of the way. I ripped out a page from an unused notebook and sat down, thinking of what to write. I could definitely convince my parents, but what about Eadlyn? I quickly jotted down a compelling argument and tucked myself under my covers, imagining what it would be like to have thirty-five girls try to win me over. Soon, my eyes closed, and I drifted into sleep.