The Selection - Aarmau

Chapter Sixteen

The Elite were picked two days before Christmas. Among them was Aphmau, and Sylvannah grew more and more confused by her daughter's actions by the day.

"Aphmau isn't in her room, I, I don't know where she is. She's not in the Women's Room, or the library."

Sylvannah stormed into Terrence's room, where he was playing cards with his son.

They had also been outfitted with new clothes, fresh dress pants and button up shirts.

"Syl, relax. Take a breath." Terrence says calmly, putting down a card, causing Travis to gasp.

"Yeah, she's probably hanging out with her Selected friends, or something. This place is huge, just chill."

Sylvannah nodded. "I'm going to find her."

Travis refrained from rolling his eyes, and Terrence put his hand of cards down. "Sylvannah."

"I'm going to find her! She's my daughter!" she says, hurriedly.

"Alright, but if you catch her with the prince and embarrass her, you won't hear the end of it."

She hadn't even thought of that when she stormed back out of the room and down the stairs, and sure enough, Terrence had been right about who she was with.

She had her arm laced around the princes, and they were just coming in from the garden.

"I cannot believe you think that is cold. You're such a baby."

Aaron's mouth gaped open. "Can't believe you have the guts to say that to the," he clears his throat and sticks his chin up mockingly, "future king of Illea."

She scoffs. "It's true! You cannot prosecute me for telling the truth, Your Majesty." she says, receiving a dirty look by the title.

Aphmau smirks, and seems to wrap her arm around his more tightly.

"Still, I think you have to see a winter in Calgary before you can call a winter in Angeles cold."

"Perhaps I'll hold you to that."

"Oh? What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, maybe I'll come see a Calgary winter for myself one year."

She grinned brightly at that, and Sylvannah noticed her pupils dilate. "I would like that." she looked down, away.

Sylvannah had never seen her daughter so flustered.

Sylvannah crept around the banister, essentially spying on her daughter, when Aphmau let go of Aaron's arm. They stood quietly in front of one another for a moment.

"Well, I'm afraid I have to get going. Melissa has enlisted my help to work on decor for the big Christmas Banquet and Ball." she held her hands in his. "Will I see you tonight?"

"Of course."

"Excellent. I look forward to it. Until later, My Lady," he chuckled, kissing her on the cheek, ever so delicately. After, he began to walk down the corridor, past the Great Room and into a different, office space.

Aphmau had a hand on her cheek, and she blushed profusely, taking off up the stairs to her bedroom.

...

"I am telling you, she is up to something with the prince."

"What do you mean?" Terrence huffs, having dealt her into their intense game of cards.

"I mean, he asked her if he'd see her tonight, and she said yes. He kissed her on the cheek and walked away."

"And you're surprised that they're getting along? Sylvannah, didn't she tell you in her letter that she's content with life here? And she's supposed to be seeing the prince."

"As are 9 other girls. It's just, odd. I've never seen her so, so," she couldn't grasp it.

"She's in love, Syl."

"No. No, there is no way. My girl is smarter than that, there is no way. There's still 9 other girls there is no way. And she said she wouldn't." she repeated.

"Why are you so freaked out by this? She wrote you a letter home." he reiterated.

"I know, I know, but, but feeling love like that is dangerous. Look where it got me."

"You're being pessimistic."

"I'm being realistic. Aphmau was born a 6. Her life will never be that simple. It's going to be hard, and this story book happily ever after idea in her head is dangerous."

"Sylvannah." Terrence said, his voice getting stern.

"No! You don't know her like I do. She's my daughter. I'm going to go talk to her."

Terrence and Travis watched her storm out of the room.

...

The knock on Aphmau's door was urgent, and Daisy opened it, to which Aphmau saw her mother, standing there with her arms crossed, a stern look on her face.

"Mom! I'm glad to see you. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Aphmau. We need to talk."

Aphmau looked at her in concern, before turning to her maids. "You're dismissed."

"Very well, Lady Aphmau."

"What do we need to talk about?"

"Your relationship with the prince."

Aphmau rolled her eyes. "Seriously? Mom, look, I-"

"No. It's my turn to talk." she lets herself in, sitting on the bed. "These feelings are, they're dangerous. Aphmau. I don't trust it."

"It is not that simple. This is not the fairy tale that you think it is. There are 9 other girls here, in higher castes, better connections. They are going to have an easier time with the prince. You aren't. You have been raised up as a 6. The whole world knows that, and so does he."

"You don't know him." Aphmau said quietly.

"And you do? Tell me honestly, honey, do any of the girls here really know all that much about him?"

"I can't believe you right now." Aphmau said, arms folded.

"What?"

"It's my life! It's my life, Mom. Why are you so upset that I'm happy here?"

"Because I am afraid that you are being blinded by love, and that it'll be too late before you realize that he doesn't feel the same about you."

"What?!" Aphmau asked, mouth hanging open. "What on Earth led you to believe he doesn't feel the same about me?"

"Your caste!" she cried. "You should hear the things I hear on the daily about you being in this competition. You have to wake up."

"How could you say that? Mom, so what if I love him? He makes me happy!" and then Aphmau had realized that she had dropped the word that she had tried so hard to shy away from to begin with.

"I'm only trying to warn you, before you get hurt." Sylvannah said, her voice getting quiet.

"Thank you for your insights, Mom. If you'll excuse me," she says, walking over to the bathroom in her room and shutting the door behind her, locking it.