Truly Selected (Book One of The Next Selection Series)

Chapter 11

A/N: Just so everyone knows, I pictured this dress as the one Sol is wearing :D

"Come on, come on people. We have more girls arriving," A sophisticated, older-looking women called out as two grand doors were opened for Willow, Harmony, and myself.

"Welcome, welcome young ladies. My name is Silvia."

The woman smiled and held her clipboard to her chest. Suddenly, a look of confusion took form on her face and she looked at her clipboard. I watched her fingers skim across papers that were clipped onto it, and she looked back up at the three of us with more confusion in her eyes.

"There are only three of you. Where's the fourth one?" She asked looking each of us in the eye.

Considering Sam was from my home province, and my former bast friend, I felt that it was my duty to speak up.

"Lady Samantha did not survive the trip. Unfortunately she was killed by rebels that ambushed us after our plane landed," I choked on my words and Silvia nodded her head sympathetically. I just couldn't believe she was actually dead, even if I was mad at her.

"I see. Very well then. Ladies, come with me."

Silvia gestured us into the room behind her and I could now see how busy it truly was in here. Several stations of makeup, hair, and nail polish were spread throughout the large room. In the left back corner were small changing rooms. To our right were a few couches so the girls who were done could sit down and possibly make small talk to one another.

"Let's see," Silvia glanced down at her clipboard again, looking for each of our names.

"Lady Harmony, go to station nine. Lady Willow, go to station three, and Lady Sol," Silvia paused and looked up at me, a small smile forming on her face. "Please go to station six"

The three of us dispersed to our stations and I got the weird feeling that Silvia knew something that I didn't. Or maybe, she just really liked the number six.

I shrugged off my thoughts and headed toward my station.

"Hello," I said when I got to the station.

A man who seemed to be in his mid 40's looked up at me and had a pair of scissors in his left hand.

"Hello darling."

The man smiled and patted a cushioned seat for me to sit down. I did and he began to shake my hand.

"My name is Jeremy Cosado. Which Daughter of Illéa are you?" He asked with wonder.

I chuckled at him. "My name is Sol Soble. I came from Kent," I paused and took a deep breath in.

"Actually, I'm the only Daughter from Kent."

Jeremy's brown eyes were looking at me with sympathy, and I guess he could tell that whatever had happened was something I didn't want to talk about. He simply snipped his scissors to make sure they weren't stuck before speaking to me again.

"Well Miss Soble, what kind of look do you want?"

I looked at him and debated what I wanted. But honestly, I didn't want to be fake. I wanted to be myself, and the Palace wouldn't change who I was. A Four.

"Actually Jeremy, I was thinking of not changing anything. I like the way I look and who I am, and this competition isn't going to change me." I said rather proudly.

Jeremy smiled and nodded his head. He spun my chair around and began to snip all the dead ends of my hair. After about an hour or so of the cutting and the washing, with a nice vanilla scented shampoo, and my hair looked better than it ever had.