For centuries, the royal family of Aridia has hosted The Choice, the competition where the eligible daughters of the Nobles of Aridia, come together to vie for the hand of the heir to the throne. This year, Prince Carlos is the heir to the throne a...
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"I'm so glad you're here," Fiona linked her arm through mine as we walked towards the table set for breakfast.
"Where would I go?" I laughed.
Fiona shrugged, "Maybe a vampire stole you away at night."
As we took our seats, I noticed Esme's eyes on me.
"I'm sure Esme would want that," I muttered.
"I don't think she hates you," Fiona shrugged.
"Trust me, Fiona, I think she despises me," I shook my head, my heart leaping as the servants brought in breakfast.
"Who do you think is going to last through The Cut?" Fiona asked, as a platter of fruits was set in front of her. I hardly knew a lot of the girls' names but there were those of them who stood out to me.
"Obviously not me," I laughed. "Obviously Esme- and Ashley." Ashley was turning out to be Esme's right hand woman. They whispered to each other, giggled together and you could feel almost every girl wishing they were just like Esme and Ashley. Ashley was gorgeous, with dark long hair and a foreign face one couldn't quite place.
"I think Katherine as well- she has a very...outstanding bosom," Fiona giggled.
As we looked around the table, I noticed how similar the Ladies were. They were all beautiful in their own right, with perfect manners, giggling and chatting. They all seemed like the same programmed person- the Prince would have a hard time choosing between them.
"I personally think dresses from Paris are so overrated. This summer my family went to Milan and the fashion there is impeccable," Esme bragged, earning her 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the girls.
"I've been to Milan- the fashion isn't all that," Fiona rolled her eyes.
I wondered how the Ladies managed to travel outside Aridia for the holidays. My mother was extremely lazy and any sort of traveling 'wore her out'. Caroline normally didn't care where we were, as long as she had a suitable list of suitors pining after her. The main reason I didn't think my father liked to travel was because he was an extreme cheapskate and despite him being a Viscount, he liked to hoard his money.
Breakfast was absolutely splendid. I stuffed myself with toast, eggs, fruits and juice until I felt my stomach would burst. The girls showed me no mercy, giving me disgusted stares here and there as I 'occasionally' popped an omelet in my mouth.
"Look at the amount of food on Isadora's plate," Fiona whispered, wide eyed.
Isadora's plate was virtually empty save for a piece of sausage and a berry. It did explain why she was so skinny, and looked like she could break at any moment. But her weight didn't make her any less beautiful. In fact, it accentuated her high cheekbones and structural face.
"Magdalene, what finishing school did you attend?" Esme asked, turning to me.
Now, all the girls' eyes were on me, waiting for my response. I wasn't going to ignore the fact that Esme had 'forgotten' my name.
