The Choice

Ch. 3

"Miss, please get up, we need to get you ready to meet the Illea family." Emma said as I slowly opened my eyes.

"It's not fair, I've already met them!" I pouted as I stretched out on my bed.

Zoe giggled and put out her hand to help me out of bed. I walked to the bathroom where I saw Emma drawing a bath for me and adding little scented, dissolvable crystals. Even after almost a year, I was still getting over the fact of being bathed, at first I was uneasy about it, but I think I have gotten used to it. Key word, I think.

"Miss, your birthday is in a week, what do you think you will do?" Piper asked.

"How many time do I have to tell you-" I said before she finished the sentence for me, "to call you Lily."

"Well I don't know yet, it will be my first birthday where I could go all out. I'm sure they'll want me too like everyone else. I don't even know if I'll just have a party, or if I'll just hang out with the girls of Christian." I told them.

They put my damp hair into an elegant half up half down look and slipped me into the beautiful silver dress. I felt like a pampered princess, I wonder how girls my age would act if they had grown up in a palace. I guess I will know, I mean princess Genna will be her today, the princess of Germany.

They put some silver high heels on my feet and sent me out the door. Saw Loretta walking out her door and went over to hug her.

"I'm going to miss you so much! I'm glad Christian let us stay another week. But then again, I miss home." she said.

"Yeah, I'm going to miss you too, but I bet we will see each other again."I said as we walked down the stairs.

"Who knows maybe if you become the princess we. An see each other all the time."

" Maybe..." I said as I let my voice trail off.

"I wish I could be able to see Sara for longer before we leave." I said as we walked into the Woman's Room.

"Lily!" She called me over and Loretta fell into the line that all the girls were standing in. Cameras and recorders filled the room and the four of us where left to say our goodbyes to our friends.

I first went over to Sara and Loretta.

"I'm going to miss you guys so much!" I said as I hugged them both.

"Girl, stop crying! We will always be there for you when you need us." Sara said as she wiped the imaginary tear that only she could see off my face. I smiled and continued to hug them before Lisa came over and said I had to move on.

I stepped to the right saying a quick goodbye to most of the girls, but I stopped at Riley. All I could do was just stand there and hug her.

"Oh don't be upset, You will still have me to keep you company." She whispered in my ear, her lips covered by my hair.

"What?" I whispered pulling back.

"Christian let me stay, but I would have to help out with interior design. Which I love doing anyway! And so I can stay with Mark."

"The guard?" I asked slyly. She nodded and I moved on to the next girl. Britney. She gave one look at me and and stuck her nose up in the air like she was already royalty. I nodded and then moved on.

By the time I was through with saying my goodbyes with most of the girls, I was pretty sure the Royals had already arrived.

"Bye girls!" I called back to my friends. They waved and turned back to chat as I was ushered out of the crowded room.

Sunlight flooded into the dinning hall through the great windows. I was gently pushed into the entrance room where the Royals have arrived. I looked around for a while trying to find a familiar face. I turned the corner to find that it was also flooded with Reporters and camera men. A pudgy girl in a bright pink dress was talking next to Christian.

"Your majesty." I said dropping down into a low curtsy.

"Oh, know need for that," she said her accent thick, "to me you are already family." she said giving me a gently hug.

"Oh, well, in that case, hello." I said lacing my arm through Christian's. he bent down and pecked my lips with a small kiss and turned back to the girl, who I assumed was Genna.

"Genna, I hope you find comfort in our home, feel free to do anything that comforts you." he said.

"Thank you," she said as walked away down the hallway back towards the reporters.

I turned and looked up at Christian. His dark blue eyes looked like the deep ocean, glinting in the morning light. I smiled to myself. He looked down at me and being about a head taller he was at the perfect position to kiss me. He gently pushed his lips against mine and I could hear the snaps of the cameras, but I didn't care. He pulled back leaving me dizzy but giddy at the same time. Would this happen every time he kissed me? He smiled and we walked out back towards the center of the room again.

"Lily!" I heard someone calling m name. I turned and saw Hannah standing there in a perfect violet dress, and a purple hair bow to adorn her elegant pull up. I rushed over to her and gave her a hug. It felt like only yesterday we were trying to become friends as we danced next to the princes.

She laughed, stepped back and started holding hands with her fiery haired husband. She reached up and fixed his tie. It seems like she has turned into another person, the princess version of herself. When I first met her she, had just won The Selection, and was still wearing high-tops under the floor length dresses, and was still getting used to her new last name.

The Report that night was awful. I had to sit next to Lisa who had on I'd say the biggest, poofiest dress ever. The lights where shinning down on us like miniature suns, lighting (and heating) up the room. Not to mention that the room was packed beyond capacity. The only space that was really open, was the sitting area where Gabe sat reading through his cards and testing his microphone. I reached up and touched my clear microphone around my ear, and leading down to my cheek. The palace would sometimes talk into it, but rarely do they actually say something of importance.

"Five, four." I turned my head just to see the camera man call of the numbers but when he got to three he stopes talking and showed the numbers on his fingers. Gabe turned around in his swivel chair.

"Hello citizens of Italy! Tonight we will be interviewing all the girls left, about them showing the visiting Royals, the amazing palace."