Labeled (A The Selection Fanfiction)

Chapter Two

I walked around my appartement. The bedroom was smaller than mine at home, but still rather large, and everything was white. White walls, white floors, white pillows, white curtains, etc. It felt like one of the ancient science labs I learned about in Sarrione history class. Apparently this was the height of style, but the people who lived here in Fraussen didn't exactly have what I would call a good "sense of style".

The kitchen was nonexistent, I guess we just had other people bake and cook for us. That should be expected, because most of the Prestige didn't know how to cook, but I love cooking and baking.

In the living room I had a starship sized couch wrapping along the room, (also in white) and a large coffee table. Set on the wall of windows looking over the city was a giant television showing me the latest news. In another room, there were movie theatre seats set up in a semi-circle and on the walls was the wrap around screen. We just got it installed at home in our theatre.

I really don't know why they spend all this money giving us the fanciest technology. It could go to helping the Modests and Unlabeled. Our laws really need to change, but King Lamont will not listen to anything about how his poor country is suffering. Only about how the rich are getting richer by the day.

I will definitely enjoy the indoor pool. I like swimming, not competitively, but for fun on a hot day. Are all of our apartements the same? I could ask Beth, but she's busy with the history project on different forms of governments. We have to write an essay with the prompt: Why is the monarchy the best and most well functioning government? Beth and I are partners but we are struggling because we both don't agree with the monarchy.

However, the rest of our class does, acting very arrogant while they're at it. Acting like they own the country, which is partially true because the rich influence the King and Queen.

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I peek over at Beth who is deeply focused on doodling in her notebook.

"Pst!" She looked up alarmed and then saw it was me. I have to hold in laughter because she, unlike me, is terrified of Ms. Sharpe.

"What?!?" She mouthed. I pointed to where Jeffrey was asleep on his desk, set up with a little silk pillow under his chin. She looked back at me opened mouthed and then grinned. She was off the hook for today, and could doodle all she wanted. If Jeff was asleep, than no one else would take punishment - Ms. Sharpe would be so absorbed with punishing him.

Beth is really good at drawing people. She draws them day in, day out, on her history notebook. History is the only class where we can get away with anything, but I pay attention.

Ms. Sharpe teaches us about past forms of government, and I want to make sure I have them memorized and understand the pros and cons of each one. Since the government isn't able to hide the unrest in the Modests and Unlabeled as well anymore, that can only mean it is growing. What if we didn't have the monarchy someday?

I looked over at Beth's drawing. Today, it was her as a princess. Yeah, she also had a dream of becoming royalty. Not for the money or fame, but because she wants to become an attorney. Whoever becomes princess will have a lot of say in what's right and what's wrong. It's funny that she wants to be princess so badly because there is no chance that she could marry the Prince. He chooses who he wants to marry from a list of other Royalty.

However, a half a century ago, when the second generation of Schreaves were in power, they had something called The Selection. All eligible girls from the provinces of Illea, the name for Sarrione at the time, would enter to be picked for The Selection. One girl from each of the 35 provinces would come to the Palace and compete for the Prince's heart. The year of a Prince named Maxon's selection, a girl from Carolina named America Singer won and became Queen. Everyone knows their story. They kept holding The Selection until King Everit put the labels in place and re-named Illea so that it was now Sarrione.