The Six

May 17, 2328

The next day was an absolute blur. From an emotional, and public, sent off to rushing to the airport and heading to the castle, Aleah hardly had two seconds to herself. There was so much going on, but it was good. Being busy meant that she didn't have to think about everything yet, her only focus on the task at hand.

After her seven-hour flight, Aleah was eagerly rushed into the castle. There was still so much to be done in so little time before tomorrow's first meeting with the prince. She went straight to her room and met her three maids, Eva, Amber, and Jenna. Each Selected would have their own maids to help them whenever they needed it. They also did tasks such as laundry and making dresses for certain events. Right away, they began their measurements for tomorrow's dress, knowing that they would need every moment possible to work on it. But Aleah had other plans.

As soon as they got the measurements, she went to go show them her sketchbook full of designs from the past few years. Even though she hadn't had the material to make the designs, that never stopped her from jotting down ideas and patterns. Knowing how important tomorrow was, as it was her first meeting with the prince, Aleah had just the dress in mind.

Quickly, the four got to work, finding the right fabric and starting to cut out the pieces. Although her maids insisted that she unpack and focus on other things while they worked, Aleah begged to help. Keeping her hands busy would help clear her mind and slow down the roadblock of homesickness that was inevitably coming. This was her first time away from home, but sowing helped her feel more relaxed.

If she closed her eyes, it was almost like she was back in her room, working hard on orders with her deadlines approaching quickly. It was a nice feeling.

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All night they worked and talked, getting more familiar with each other. Aleah wanted to know everything about her maids, seeing that she might be spending a lot of her time with them in the next few weeks. In return, they had their own questions, asking about how she was feeling about the Selection and what her life was like back home. Chatting as they worked, progress was easily made and soon, the dress was completed.

As she looked over their handiwork, Aleah saw that it was absolutely perfect. It fit her like a custom-made glove and was better than anything she had ever made by herself. She couldn't wait to wear it tomorrow.

Proud of their work, her maids helped her get ready for bed. They would have time tomorrow to work on Aleah's appearance since she would be one of the last called to meet the prince. Knowing this, they ran her a bath, gave her a fresh set of pajamas, consisting of a silk nightgown and matching robes, and helped her to bed, leaving her into tomorrow.

Aleah fell asleep faster than she expected, but she was too tired to be kept up by thoughts tonight. Tomorrow was going to be big, she knew it.