Taken- a Selection FanFiction

Chapter 22

I was standing in front of a camera in my dress. Since this dress was supposed to reflect me, every Elite member designed their own dress. As a requirement, I was a white peony, the state flower for Hampton.

I had to pose for various shots while Kiara was interviewed. After your shoot, you would go and answer questions to be put in Illèa Weekly. Then, we would all see the next issue on Saturday, one day after we were announced.

"Lady Elisa, could you look a bit happier?" The photographer sighed.

I looked at my feet sheepishly. "I'm sorry," I mumbled. Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around my waist and flung me around in a circle. I caught a familiar glimpse of brown hair with red tint. "Aaron, put me down!" I giggled.

He did as I asked and turned me to face him. "Keep doing what you're doing," she requested. I looked back to Aaron with a beam on my face.

"What are you doing here?" I smiled. "I didn't think we were going to see you until ballroom lessons."

"You weren't supposed to," he smiled slyly. "And you haven't seen me," he added with a wink.

"Of course I haven't," I rolled my eyes playfully. He decided to pick me up again by my waist and lift me into the air. My knees kicked back in reflex and I put my hands on his shoulders. "Stop!" I laughed heartily.

He didn't put me back on the ground, but instead held me in his arms bridal-style with my arm around his neck. "I came to tell you that my mother wanted to see you after dinner."

"That sounds fine," I replied. I kissed him on the cheek before he put me down. "I'll see you later, ok?"

"You never saw me," he said in an attempt to be mysterious. I smiled and shook my head before reporting to the journalist waiting to interview me.

She asked me a few simple questions about my old life, my family, Aaron, and basically everything. I told her my inspiration for the dress and went on my way to the ballroom where the other Elite were waiting. I walked over to Jeremy, careful not to trip over the petals represented on my skirt.

"Hey," I greeted. He was in his guard's uniform with disheveled hair.

"How are you? You look amazing," he grinned.

"Thanks, but you don't have to lie straight to my face," I replied with a shake of my head.

The music began an intense waltz. "No, I mean it," he said genuinely.

"Well, thank you," I murmured with a rising blush on my cheeks.

"No problem," he said, his grin growing ever larger.

Aaron was making rounds with us, dancing a waltz here and there. When he danced with me, he snuck in a quick peck on my lips when nobody was looking. In turn, I kissed his cheek at the end.

Brenda paused the music a few dances later. She announced that we would be learning the Illèan Waltz, the most complicated dance I'd ever had the pleasure of learning. She dismissed me, since I was literally the only person in the room who knew it aside from her. The girls would dance without partners.

I went up to my room and changed into a peach dress with white flowers etched onto it. I asked Mary to give me a haircut and sat down in front of my bathroom sink, draped with a black cape.

She washed it first, putting a certain product in it to keep my hair healthy. Then, she put a coloring tint into my hair. She claimed it would look just as good, but I was still hesitant to believe her. I never colored my hair. She cut it to mid back, which was the length I wanted it to be. It was still long, just not as much as it used to be.

She blow dried it and showed my reflection in the mirror. The dye did look nicer than expected, I'll admit. It darkened my hair at the end slightly and gave me dark streaks, so my eyes looked even brighter. I loved it.

"Thank you, Mary," I beamed. "I have to go, but I'll see you girls later, ok?" They nodded their heads and sent me away with a chorus of farewells. My heels clicked against the marble as I made my way to the infirmary.

I went to see Nathan first. I opened the door, and he was reading on his head. He saw me in the doorway and his eyes widened. "You look lovely," he commented.

I felt heat creep up on my neck, despite the fight I put up against it. "Thank you," I said, clearing my throat.

I sat on the foot of his bed, careful to stay a decent distance. He put the book on his nightstand. "Your hair is different," he commented.

"Yeah. One of my maids did it," I explained. "Does it look bad?" I asked worriedly.

"No," he started. "But you looked just as beautiful without it."

I heaved a sigh. "Nathan, you can't say things like that."

He smirked and kissed my lips quickly before staying anything. "Who's going to stop me?" He hopped off of the bed and made his way to the door.

"Where are you going?" I called after him.

"Medical testing," he replied, his voice distant as he walked away.

I went into Harrison's room around dinner time. "Hey, how are you?" I asked.

"I'm good as gold," he smiled, his dimples appearing. He clearly looked healthier.

"Nobody says that," I said with a scrunched up nose. "But you do look better."

"I look good all the time," he said cockily. I rolled my eyes at him. "At least that's what Amberly said."

"Who is this Amberly?" I asked with a curious smile. A nurse came in and delivered Harrison's dinner to him. It was a bowl of soup, an apple, and a pudding cup. She said she'd return with one for me, but before I could tell her I was fine, she was gone.

"She's a girl about my age. She wants to do medical stuff or whatever, but she works at the palace. She's beautiful."

"I've never heard of a girl named Amberly," I remarked. I thought back as far as I could, but to no avail. "What does she look like?"

"Long blonde hair, about your length before you cut it. Her eyes are blue, and she's about as tall as Penelope was," he described. I saw him since slightly as he mentioned Penelope's name, and I also cringed.

"And her name was Amberly?" I asked.

"Well, it was her middle name. She didn't give me her first name, though."

"That's odd," I said, drifting back into my thoughts. I finished my soup and put my napkin on the trey. "I'll see you later. I have to see the Queen."

"Are you having biscuits and tea?" He said in a terrible British accent.

"Please never do that again," I laughed as I walked out of the door.

It was a short walk the Queen's office. When I found it, I opened the doors to see her with a folder at her desk. Her hair was in an elegant bun with a crown on top of her head. I wondered if it was annoying to wear crowns.

"You needed to see me, America?"