Florence Lannister had her whole life planned, but the letters for the selection came through the post and ruined all of that. Prince Maxon is looking for 35 woman from all of the States would have the opportunity to participate. Florence Knew that...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
When I got the letter, my family went crazy, they all knew before I even got up so you know I was rudely awaken by their screaming. "FLORENCE!!" My little sister Amie yelled at me. "COMING!" I yell back and head downstairs, ready to be told I missed a gig for sleeping in. "Florence you'll never guess what!" Mom says as soon as I come down the stairs. "What?" I say rubbing my eyes, it's too early to be dealing with whatever they have found. "The prince of Illea, Maxon shreave has decided to follow in his fathers footsteps and start a selection, 35 lucky young ladies between the ages of 17 and 21 will get the chance to compete in this event! If you have received a letter in the post, you have a daughter who is able to compete, you have two weeks to fill in your application and see if you were eligible to enter the selection." Mom reads out and I finally pay attention. "The selection? That's like a huge deal!" I say and my mother hugs me. "Your a beautiful girl Florence, the prince would be lucky to have you! We must submit our application tomorrow! Oh I can't wait I love the selection!" My mother says rustling through the cupboard for a pen. "What do I even write? I paint and speak like two languages? Other girls have miles more to write!" I call as she finds a pen. "You play Piano, you had good schooling, you speak French and Italian, you Paint, everything you use day to day that eights can't do." Mom says sitting next to me as I write my application.
It's just past curfew. Nobody is out, nobody is awake, but I can't sleep, the selection is keeping me awake, I have no reason not do to it, I have always craved more, but I don't want to be a One, I'm too used to being a Five, I have friends here too, friends I don't think I could cope without, plus I don't want to be around Twos and Threes, I see enough of them in my gigs to know that they have no regard for fives. But my family needs this, they need the hope that I might win, my brothers are growing tired, they hate art and music and preforming, they want to be actors, and my sister she wants to be a teacher, no hope for any of them as fives. And there's the Prince, I might not even like him! He might be a total dick or maybe just boring, he seems boring on the report, he doesn't say much, or do much, he just always looks bored. He is gorgeous though. There's also the 34 other girls, they might hate me and gang up, I might not make any friends at all, that's worse than anything, being alone. I drift off to sleep, thoughts still in my head, wondering what luck I possess for tomorrow.
"Flo!! The baths ready!" My mom calls and I hop in, I actually got in first too! For the fives, we're one of the poorer fives. We have two portion meals for 6 of us and we start work at the young age of 5, we have to marry up, can't marry down no matter the cost. "Are you ready to submit it?" Mom says as I get out of the bathroom. "Yeah, I guess, are you sure I put everything down?" I say and she nods. "Look you best, the word got out that there taking pictures so the prince can get a good look at you, you'll be fine! You look gorgeous all the time so with a bit of makeup and some nice clothes you will look amazing!" My mom says going through my clothes drawer. "What about this?" She says pulling out a white dress, it isn't anything special, but it's my best dress. It has lace arms, it doesn't look like a wedding dress, more of a formal, I use it when I go to art museums to present my work, none of them have gone famous yet, I remember when another fives work went famous in the same museum as me, Koda Singer, he was my friend but he changed after that, he never spoke to me again, like I was below him, if I ever went famous I would never act like that.
As we got to the City Centre, we see every girl in the province lining up, this is going to be a long queue. "Florence! Maria!" Someone calls out from in the crowd, I turn around and see my best friend and her mother. My best friend is called Hermione, she is the most beautiful girl in the whole province, it would be crazy if she didn't get selected, she looked like she was born for royalty. She's a four, one caste above me, she's a chef and she's the best cook in the world. "Hermione! You look gorgeous! I'm guessing you got the memo too?" I say as we embrace. "Yes! I can't be seem photographed looking like I just walked out of the kitchen!" She says as our moms chat. "You look gorgeous either way!" I say and she teasingly pats me on the shoulder. "Oh stop it one more word and I'll have to marry you!" She jokes getting a giggle out of both of us. "Oh please if you could you would." I say and she rolls her eyes. "Oh please my brother has long beaten me to it! He's been planning you wedding since you were five!" She says laughing. "Oh don't! Your brother is old enough to be married already! No matter how many times I tell him to move on!" I say laughing too, her brother is 5 years older than me, Renley Starch, he's a four as-well, he works as an insurance broker, he's really good as-well, he has always loved me, he used to bring me flowers after his days work in the kitchen, he used to steal them off the table centrepieces, I would never accept. Then as we got older he would bring me desserts and meals from the restaurant, I always accepted them, god knows I needed them, I always invited him to stay for dinner when he done that, but he always knew I wouldn't marry him. He had asked for my hand twice already, twice I have declined.
As we progress further in the line, I realise that there is one person in-front of us. It's almost time. "Hermione Starch?" A guard calls. "Good luck!" I say squeezing her hands. "Oh I do hope she gets it!" Her mother says and i nod. "She deserves it more than anyone I know." I say and her mother looks at me happily. "Okay darling, I just want you to do your best, get your good angles and show off your hair bow okay!" Mom says as we prepare for my name to be called. "Florence Lannister?" A guard declares as I make my way into the office and put on the best face I know, the face of confidence.
