The Lost Princess - A 'Selection' spinoff

CHAPTER 7

Aurora woke up to a bucket of ice cold water poured on her face. 

She sat up with a start, and saw Andrea grinning at her.

"Okay you've got your revenge. You happy now?" she asked, pushing the wet hair away from her cold face.

"Immensely," Andrea replied, shooing her to brush her teeth and take a bath.

Even closed doors couldn't deter Andrea from scolding her.

Aurora should have known that Andrea wouldn't stop so easily, with something as simple as a bucket of cold water.

Aurora stuck her hand out of the bathroom once she had taken a bath for her clothes, and it was only then that Andrea stopped her tirade and began praising her.

"Your interview was good, Aurora. Not the best, but I'm positive that you won't be eliminated for now," she said. "Especially not now, when both the King and the Queen defended you on live television".

"But we don't know that for sure since many more interviews need to take place today afternoon as well," Julia added, seemingly in Kate's room.

"Kate has been ranked first by the public, with you following behind her. Your speech on generosity seemed to have stirred quite a few hearts, Aurora," Andrea called out, for her to here from the bathroom.

"I still have no clue how I was ranked first," Kate mumbled.

"You're viral," Julia said, evidently showing her a video. "You screaming at Adelaide was uploaded by someone in the lounge. The people loved it".

Aurora came out of the bathroom, wearing tight pants, and a formal long sleeved shirt.

"Bit fancy for breakfast, don't you think?" Kate asked, coming from her room, dressed similar to Aurora.

"Breakfast?" Grace shrieked. "You're dining with the royal family!".

"Calm down, Grace," Beth chided. "You need to forgive her. She's just a bit... excited".

"And you two aren't dressed fancily," Julia said, as she handed the two of them pearl strands to wear on their neck. "However modern we are, royals still don't really appreciate ladies wearing more... ah, masculine clothing".

"The other girls are sure to be in silk dresses and gowns," Andrea added, rummaging through a large jewelry box to give her ward suitable earrings.

"That's so sexist," Aurora said, frowning.

Julia gave her a look.

"Here," Andrea said suddenly, tossing her and Kate of them identical jeweled brooches to clasp on their shirt.

"I think I know better than to complain," Kate said, answering Aurora's statement, shrugging as she struggled to pin the brooch to her shirt.

Once she was done, she stood along with Aurora in front of the floor length mirror.

"Wow-," she said.

"We look like twins," Aurora completed.

She had never really noticed it before, but the two of them were of the same height and body structure. Of course every other feature was different, but in near identical clothes, one could mistake them for relatives.

"By any chance did your mother lost a child of hers eighteen years ago?" Aurora joked.

"I'll make sure to write to her tonight," Kate said, laughing.

But how much ever Aurora joked, she couldn't shake off her longing.

Her wish to finally have an actual, non abusive family.