The Selection + SGE

Agatha

When I woke up it all felt like a bad dream. A nightmare. But my mother's smile that awoke me was enough to see I was living through hell. Alone. 

As I got up Reaper hissed, judging me for what I had done.

My mother wouldn't stop talking to the man in our hallway, he seemed to be an old aquaintence. He wore a green suit and had a kindly face. I wondered what he was doing here. But then the reality came crashing down.

"Good morning, Lady Agatha," said the man, smiling down at me. He looked over to my mother and said, "You were right." I took in his lack of disgust at me, my cat and my house and discovered that this man was an idiot.

I sat down and my mother placed some toast and a glass of orange juice in front of me. Obviously, the first payments had come in and she was going to make the most of it.

"Lady Agatha," he addressed me, " I have several forms here for you to sign to become a part of the selection. Any failure to comply on your part will result in your immediate removal from the selection. Do you understand."

"Yes," I said groggily.

"First of all, you are now considered the property of Illéa. You must remain an upstanding member of society from here on out. Next, while in the palace, you must not maintain a romantic relationship with anyone else. You cannot leave the palace at your own accord, Prince Tedros will dismiss you. He will arrange meeting between you if and when he sees necessary. You are not to fight with other candidates and are not above the law."

I had to wrap my head around all this. If I were Sophie, she would be able to meet the Prince and knock him off his feet. He would be charmed by her. And I got in the way of all that. I couldn't even leave if I wanted to.

"Now, I must confirm that you are in fact a ... virgin."

The orange juice I had began to drink to calm my nerves went flying all over the man's nice suit and on Reaper. Who hissed. Not the man - Reaper.

I couldn't believe they had just asked me if - no, not going to think about it. It was against the law, anyone found would be thrown into jail. I immediately though back to Belle, the girl who had been saved by the Northern rebels, and couldn't help but wonder what made the rules like this.

I must have been in so much shock lost in my thoughts until my mother pulled me out of my daydream by saying, "Agatha, you haven't answered the nice man's question."

"I know the law, sir. I'm not stupid. I've never even had a boyfriend." And have no intention to get one, I added silently in my head. Dumb Tedros with his palace and Sophie-charming smile and damned good looks. He hasn't worked a day in his life but acts like it's his god-given right to look down on others.

"Well that's most of the paper work sorted. I just need you to sign a few things Lady Agatha before we get on our way to the marketplace to the aeroplane which will take you to Camelot." He began shuffling his papers and thrust one or two into my face for me to sign. "One word of advice, it may do you well that when on a date with the prince you do not refuse him. Not for anything else either," and with a knowing glance, he was off as suddenly as he had appeared.

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His words didn't truly sink in till I was at the market. Mom sent me off with a smile and a promise to last as long as I could, for the money of course. I had no interest in the prince. Maybe i could get him to like me enough to keep me for a bit. But who would want to keep the never girl around while I certainly didn't want to spend too long with the prince. After what the man said about not refusing him 'not for anything' I felt sick to my stomach.