The Selection - Aarmau

Chapter Eighteen

Aaron had his plan set out.

There was everything in mind. Everything.

In a couple days, the ring that he'd gotten custom made from the royal jewelers would be ready, and it would probably become the most expensive thing in his possession.

He was ready to sell off everything to have as much money as he could, so that he could run away.

Run away, with Aphmau.

He knew that it was wishful thinking that his father would permit him to marry Aphmau, even if he pleaded just how in love he was with her.

Not to mention the fact that he was beginning to grow suspicious.

The only people who knew all of this, were, well, Melissa and his mother. They had been sworn to secrecy, and were prepared to help, even.

As New Years came, Derek expected Aaron to narrow it down to three, and he had. He knew that Katelyn King had become good friends with Aphmau, and kept her in, along with Michi Santos, to appease his father, and Aphmau herself.

It was the plan to begin with, but now it had been turned on its head. Aaron planned to marry the one his father wanted him to eliminate.

If she'd have him, of course.

Aaron stared at the ceiling, leaning back in his seat in the dining room. He was alone, eating breakfast late.

"Aaron."

He sat up straight, and looked up at the stern and strict voice his father had.

"Sir. Good morning."

"You've been acting strange." Derek says.

"Have I? Perhaps it's just, the anxiousness about the competition being nearly over."

"True. You've made your pick, correct?"

"You made me make it at the start, sir."

His voice came off snappy and annoyed, and it aggravated his father. "Don't pin this on me. I guided you in the right direction to being a liked and well regarded ruler. You need that in this country, Aaron."

"Yes, sir."

"What about the 6 girl? Have you decided when she's going?"

"After Lady Katelyn goes." Aaron says, hurriedly, wanting the conversation to end.

"Excellent. Lady Santos gets us in with some of the most world renowned celebrities this country has ever had, they will make our reputation immaculate." he smirked.

Aaron looked away. In truth, he wanted nothing to do with Michi Santos.

Every time he had been on a date with her, she was extremely flirtatious, voice sweet, but he knew it was a facade, based off of what he'd seen and heard from the other girls and even his own sister.

In truth, Michi was what Melissa called 'extremely snotty' and a spoiled brat. She expected the crown to be handed to her. And that's all she really wanted. The title of queen.

"I heard you had a ring commissioned."

Fuck.

"Yes, sir, I did. For Lady Michi."

"Lovely. I look forward to seeing it."

...

"King Derek, you rang?"

The head nobleman of Derek's cabinet, stood at his side.

"Yes, I require the presence of Lady Michi of Angeles. Immediately."

"Yes, sir."

In less than five minutes, Michi was up there, and she curtsied.

"How has Aaron been acting around you?" he asks, treating her like a close confidante.

"That's just it, Your Majesty. He hasn't. He hasn't called on me for a date in weeks. He seems to spend all his time with the Calgary girl." she says sourly.

"Does he?"

"Yes. I fear that my days here are numbered, and that I'm going to be gone next."

"Not possible. You are supposed to be the queen. That's what we had planned to begin with." Derek explained. "Unless..."

"Unless what?"

They stepped out into the hallway, and stared over the staircase banister, at the bottom was Aphmau, walking with Katelyn. She was fiddling with a necklace.

"How on Earth did she get something like that?" Michi asks, frantic.

"That's not the jewelry provided by the palace, nor is there any way she could have gotten it at home."

"I believe that the prince may have gone rogue." Michi says, sucking her teeth nervously.

Derek's expression turned from angry to livid in a moment, and he turned around again. "You're dismissed, Santos. One last thing, though. We're going to show Aaron that messing with his destiny only does him wrong."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Try to get under Ms. Shalashaska's skin. She has gotten too cocky. I have the thing to trump it all, in truth, though."

"What is it?"

"Ah ah. That's for me to know, and you to find out. Perhaps."

...

"Oh gosh, he just is the sweetest. Really. Don't you think, Aphmau?"

Michi was being uncharacteristically sweet to her, and of course the he she was mentioning was Aaron.

"Yes, he really is." Aphmau says, absentmindedly flipping a page in the book she was reading.

"Yesterday we went out on a date, it was so nice," she used it to her advantage, the fact that Aphmau had spent all of yesterday saying goodbye to her family, and hadn't seen Aaron at all.

"He kissed me, and I could feel the connection. He must be crazy about me, to act that way."

"What did you two do?"

"Well, we went and watched a movie, but ended up spending a lot of the time just chatting, kissing, and what not."

"Mhm." Aphmau says.

"Ugh." Michi says. "You must think he likes you so much, don't you, Aphmau. You are such a bitch."

She looked up at her in shock, closing her book. "I'm sorry?"

"You heard me! You think he's so in love with you, well, here's a wakeup call. You're a 6, and that's all you'll ever be. You really think he'd ever want to marry you?"

And then, Michi reached out and grabbed a hold of the diamond necklace around Aphmau's neck, and yanked at it until the clasp broke.

When Katelyn walked through the door, her expression melted away, and she threw it to the floor. "Oops. Oh my gosh, I'm sorry."

Aphmau looked her in the eyes with anger, eyes flooding with tears. She picked up the necklace and rushed out of the room, leaving her book on the sofa.

...

7:00 PM

"Lady Aphmau?"

"Daisy? What's up?"

"Uhm, your presence has been requested by the king."

"What? Whatever for?" she asks, feeling a sudden pit in her stomach.

"Just that he wants to play a game of chess, supposedly."

Aphmau nodded wearily, bowing to Daisy before walking the trek to the kings room, where he always sat with his council.

She knocked on the door, and from inside, could hear a low voice. "Come in."