My Selection | JENO

Chapter 3

The next two were filled with planning for the Selection. Designers, chefs, decorators, you name it, they were all asking Nara for her approval.

"The current rooms for the Selected are pink since they were meant for girls, should we change it to blue or green?" The designer asked her, holding up a few swatches.

"Neither, go with beige. It will create less problems in the future." Nara told her. The designer nodded, taking notes before leaving. Next was a florist.

"These are our options for centerpieces." The florist said, showing Nara the pictures. She eyed each of them for a brief moment before selecting one.

"This one, elegant but not too feminine." Nara said.

"Good choice, your highness." The florist said before walking away. Luckily, no one else was behind her.

"You have an hour before the food tasting begins." Heeyoung told her.

"Good, I can use a break." Nara said, getting up from her seat. She exited the room, making her way to her favourite place of the palace, the garden.

Nara took a deep breath of fresh air, making her way to the maze, although by now, she already knew which way to go that would take her to the centre, where a beautiful fountain surrounded by flowers would be.

When she got there, she saw a boy, camera in hand as he snapped pictures of the flowers. He turned around as he heard her footsteps approaching.

"You seem tired." Jaemin said as Nara approached him.

"Do you blame me? I've been chosing items for the Selected for days now." Nara responded, taking a seat on a stone bench across from the fountain. Jaemin let out a small chuckle before sitting beside her.

"Are you excited?" Jaemin asked her. Nara shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm not particularly eager but I'm not dreading it either." She admitted.

"Do you really think you can find your soulmate through a competition like this. What if your real soulmate isn't one of the Selected?" Jaemin said.

"Why are you asking such deep and thoughtful questions?" Nara questioned back, turning to face the boy. She watched as the corners of his lips twitched upwards, forming a small smile.

"Can I not be deep and thoughtful?" Jaemin said, staring back at her. Nara let out a chuckle, shaking her head.

"I don't know. I guess if my soulmate really was out there, they would be selected to be part of my Selection." Nara said, holding the bench as she swung her feet.

"I guess that's true." Jaemin said. They sat in silence taking in the warmth of the sun as they watched as the birds come and leave, an occaisional squirrel running by. After a while, Nara checked the time on her watch.

"I need to get back now." Nara said, getting up on her feet.

"Have fun with your princess duties." Jaemin said with a smirk. Nara rolled her eyes before smiling back, giving Jaemin one last wave before heading back to the castle.

...

In front of Nara was thirty-five baskets, each full of envelopes. Inside each one was a name, a name that might belong to the next Prince of Illea.

"You're lucky that I'm letting you choose." The King said as Nara made her way to the first one. She looked at the label. Yukon.

"What do you mean?" Nara said, glancing at her father.

"In previous years, the royals chose based on looks and status. Lower castes are just thrown in to throw people off." The King told her.

"But mother was a Five." Nara pointed out. Her mother nodded.