aurora | 1952

12

November 16th, 1952

I lightly knock on the wooden door as I step into a small office. A brunette woman sits, cigarette in hand, scribbling on a paper. She looks up at me, and I can't tell if the disgust on her face is genuine. I gulp, still wondering why this woman is so feared. She looks me up and down quickly, making me realize how long I've been standing here blankly. I stammer.

"Em, hi. I'm Aurora." I reach my hand for her to shake, and the look on her face barely changes as she nods without a word. Confidence, Aurora. Confidence. I take a seat in the worn leather chair across from her desk, crossing my legs. "I'm speaking to you on behalf of," I blink, trying not to laugh at myself. I never got her name. "The um, the giggly blonde?" I nervously scrunch my nose in an awkward laugh.

"Yeah. Margaret. What about her?" She takes a drag from her cigarette while smoke fills the room. "I was wondering if her employment was certain?" I shake my head at myself, dying to know what about this woman is so intimidating to everyone, including myself. She merely nods her head again. "Who's asking, and why?" Her tone is flat, monotone. She looks up at me, and her eyes are empty and emotionless. I gulp. "Well, the palace was willing to hire her as a maid, so I just was, uh, checking how essential she would be to the operation here." I nervously chuckle, but she just shrugs. "She's not going." I feel my eyebrows furrow. "Excuse me?" I ask, while exhaling a pathetic laugh.

"She's not going. She might not work hard, but she won't be leaving." She takes another long drag, looking down at the paperwork she's filing through. "I'm sorry, I'm gonna need you to explain a little more."

"Maggie might not do much, but I've got power here, and I'm not going to just let her get away to some castle." She keeps her eyes on the paper, and my lips part as I search her expression. She flips another page, but before she can continue, I snag the clipboard from beneath her arm, tucking it under my own. She slowly lifts her head up, and I give an amused scoff, shaking my head at her bitchy expression. "Just let her go. It's quite obvious the environment here isn't meant for Margaret. I'll have guards pick up her things tomorrow." Without waiting for her to further entertain me, I slide the chair away from me, tossing the clipboard on her desk as I turn on my heel.

In the hall, I meet Margaret, and she tells me to wait while she says goodbye to her boss. Why, I wouldn't know. But she doesn't take too long. A minute of muffled shouting later, she walks out of the office, and I just barely notice a tear on her cheek before she wipes it, her lively smile returning. I give her an empathetic smile and have her follow me through the door.

꧁꧂

Maggie looks just as fascinated by the palace as I still am. Even her dainty room is like a gold mine to her.

"So, Ms. Margaret," Before I can continue, she turns. "Please, Maggie will do." She turns back to arrange her things. "Maggie, your tasks are really as simple as you'd like. There's no pressure whatsoever, please don't worry about me taking care of myself. Alright?" She enthusiastically nods, bowing as I head out of her room.

Walking through the halls is gradually getting easier. The intricate carpets aren't as foreign as they were two days ago, and the guards aren't as shocked by my, strange behavior. Maybe they'll just think I'm sick.

After dinner, I lay on my back, the mattress of my bed practically swallowing me. I shut my eyes and imagine the possibilities of how wrong tomorrow could go. Prince after Prince is on his way right now, just waiting to meet me. The girl who's entire life right now is nothing but a fraud. I cross my legs, letting my thoughts drift on throughout the night.

A few minutes later, I look over to a knock on the door. "It's open," I say, my voice a lot more hoarse than I had expected. I sit up on my elbows and clear my throat. Margaret walks in.

"Good morning!" She says with a chipper smile, carrying a tray of what looks like teas and biscuits over to me.

"Good morn-" I stifle a gasp as I see the time. 8:15 in the morning, which now makes sense, given the sun flooding in through my windows. I was up all night, the night before The Selection. I'm suddenly aware that my eyelids are drooping and I probably look a mess. I attempt to flatten my hair as I thank Maggie for sliding the tray onto my bedside table. "Would you mind getting my, um.. dress, please?" I nod over to my closet, and she shuffles over to the armoire, scanning through the dresses. At least she's happy to be here, I think, as I pull my hair into a sloppy half-up bun. Maggie offers me a sage dress, not too intricate but fancy enough to work. I grab some heels from the bottom of the closet as I thank her, and she almost bounces away, eager for her next task. I grin as I slip into the bathroom, dismissing her from my room.

I slide my legs through the dress, so many thoughts running through my mind that I can't even chose one to focus on. I slip my feet into the brown heels, and quickly brush my hair out of it's bun, the knots testing my scalp. I look up at myself in the mirror, studying my eye bags and tired skin. I shake it off, and work on my makeup.

꧁꧂

I wince as the strong, scalding caffeine burns my tongue. I guess it wasn't tea on the tray, but given by the prominent taste of espresso, it's what I can imagine Maggie drinks every morning. I gulp it down anyway, chasing it with a biscuit so buttery it tops the funky taste of coffee. I leave the tray and head for the door.

I stop to look at a clock that reads 9:36am. The suitors are supposed to be here by ten. I exhale through my nose, ignoring the negative thoughts. I try not to get too lost as I make my way through the maze-like hallways, breathing through my thoughts. What's been four days now seems like a year, and I still can't believe what brought my here. Or how the hell I fit in. I turn a corner to see the doors I walked through the first time in this palace, open and ready, the sunlight persevering through the entire entrance hall. I turn back to the wall, fixing myself before I turn back the corner, and there they are. My family, and the suitors.