The Lost Princess - A 'Selection' spinoff

CHAPTER 21

Pain.

Pain beyond description.

Followed by darkness.

A darkness that seemed like it would never end.

And then light.

So bright that it nearly blinded her eyes.

She opened her eyes, shutting it back, unable to keep it open due to the brightness.

"She's awake!" she heard a voice say.

Someone forcibly opened her eyelids, and brought a small torch close to her.

She immediately closed it back.

"Lady Clarkson. Can you hear us?" a new voice said.

"Yes," she croaked, surprised at how hoarse her voice was. 

"Switch off the lights!" someone else said.

Aurora slowly peeped her eyes open, when someone flung themselves on her.

"Oh I thought you would die!" she heard Kate cry.

"How long?" she croaked.

"Five days," Adelaide said, sitting near her leg, looking as glamorous as she looked on the television.

Kate moved back and helped Aurora sit up.

"What did I miss?" she asked, clearing her throat, as Adelaide helped her slowly drink water out of a transparent cup.

"Ten girls were eliminated," Adelaide said. "Not too sorry to let them go".

Aurora looked around.

"Don't worry, we kicked the doctors out as soon as they made sure you were fine," Kate said.

Aurora could vaguely remember a pair of tear filled blue eyes, of sharp excruciating pain.

"What about the Report?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing interesting. Andrea had to do some damage control - she attended the interview instead of you," Kate said.

"Boy, remind me to never get on her bad side again," Adelaide said, whistling.

"Grigori was speechless when she finished screaming at him," Kate said, after seeing Aurora's questioning look.

"Wow," she said, noticing Kate and Adelaide stare at each other. "Do I want to see the recording?".

"Definitely," Adelaide said, nodding enthusiastically. "If only I had a PR person like her, my life would be set".

Aurora giggled before she noticed her two friends exchange glances again.

"What is it?" she asked, growing worried.

"You know how as part of the Selection you're supposed to plan a certain event?" Adelaide asked.

"Yes, what about that?".

"Well, the three of us were allotted as a team, and the Queen gave us the choice to pick which event we wanted," Kate said slowly.

"Which one did you pick?" Aurora asked, getting excited. "Tea party? Garden picnic? Club night?".

"Halloween Ball," Kate said.

"You chose the hardest of the five?" Aurora shrieked.

Her heart rate machine beeped dangerously, and she began breathing deeply.

"Okay," she said, calming down. "O-kay. We'll do our best".

"Atta girl," Kate said, while Aurora simply shook her head, still unable to cope with the fact that they had to organize a Ball.