The Selection

Chapter 5: Selected

I lay awake the night before the Selection announcement, a week after the photo shoot. Madden never showed up at my house apologizing, he never showed initiative that our relationship was intact. He did nothing. So many thoughts already were running through my head. Many about the Selection in general but I couldn't shake what was happening between me and Madden. He'd been so distant from me since I decided to do this. And flirting with other girls in front of me? Madden would never do that. He was compassionate. He was loving and he was very protective of me but he hadn't show that at all since the day I decided to fill out an application. If anything, the message 'I'm done' should be ringing loud in clear. On that thought, my window opened.

I could smell his cologne as he lay next to me. His arms wound around my waist, as he turned my body so I could face him.

"I meant it, when I said I'm proud of you," he said before claiming my mouth with his. Our lips moved in synchronization. We kept a slow moving pace and I imagined how wonderful a life would be with him. We could do this all day and never have to stop. No worries in the world. I moved my hands under his shirt. His stomach felt hard and strong. He was a sturdy man who would stop at nothing for what he wanted. He's determined. What am I doing? Why am I torturing myself? I can't allow him to make feel so low one week and on top of the world for one night. It would ruin me.

He stopped abruptly, "If you leave, I'll wait."

"I'm not even guaranteed to go, Madden. Why is everyone freaking out?"

"You seriously don't know?" He asked. I gave him a questioning look and frowned.

"Tell me." I pleaded

"It's not my place," he said. So there was a reason everyone kept saying that. I had recalled my mom saying 'if only you knew' to me the day she allowed me to where her mysteriously stunning dress. What don't I know that everyone else does? And why was it being kept from me?

"Madden, if you loved me you would tell me," I said, trying to guilt my way in.

He gave me a heavy sigh, "Be patient. You'll figure it out soon. You're smart. I'll be here to congratulate you tomorrow." He said, getting up to leave, "Goodnight sweetheart."

What is it in my life that could guarantee me a spot in the Selection? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. My mom and dad were such a monotone couple, nothing special. All of the girls who are chosen will have connections to royalty in other countries. They'll be able to cook with five star chefs and have a black belt in karate. They'll be 5'10" with long legs and know how to walk in 6" heels. I'm Ember from Carolina. I'm 5'4", with no experience walking in heels or dresses. I've never even left the country. I can't cook toast and would be in serious danger if anyone tried karate on me. I was as normal and uninteresting as it got.

Eventually, I had begun to think too hard about the if's and why's, I forced myself to close my eyes and and sing myself to sleep.

I awoke the next day debating on whether I should ask my mother about what Madden let on. But instead, I kept to myself and went to see Caroline.

The medical building was packed with more people then it had been the last couple of times I've checked on Caroline. Cold weather is coming soon and I shudder at the thought of what will happen to these people.My sister was relocated in a special room with other babies who need extra help instead of mixed in with the healthy babies. The walls and floors were white and there was a small TV in the corner only used for reports.

Caroline laid in her clear, plastic incubator. She had two metals pads on each side of her chest and one single tube that ran up through her nose which looked a lot better then how many she had before. My dad was already sitting next to her.

"Where's mom?" I asked. He didn't answer so I guess, "In bed?"

"I can seem to get her out of it."

"Is she okay?"

He nodded his head without taking his eyes off of Caroline. I moved closer to lay my hand on it when the Report flashed on.

"We are here today from the Kingdom to spread exciting news!" said Hughs the host of the Report, "Now, now I'm not going to speak that long, for all you excited young women, but I would like to inform that last nights attack on the palace had no effect at all and was distinguished in minutes." An attack? I hadn't even heard about the attack. I was too caught up in my own problems.

There has been an ongoing... confrontation, I guess you could say, between the North and South Illeá. Unfortunately, I could see both sides of the fight. The South were made up of 7's and 8's. Practically starved and jobless. In the beginning, I laughed it off. They'd be over it in a day or two. But then it became months and then it became attack's. Then attacks with actual weapons. They began recruiting people whom I'm guessing are funding their weapons because they'd never be able to afford them, or the training to use them. Attacks have been happening so often.

"Now, to Prince Gabriel," Hughs announced and the camera turned to the Prince. His tanned skin brought out his hazel green eyes. They reminded me so dimly of Maddens' and I shook the thought out of my head quickly. He was gorgeous, of course. He was a Prince after all. I could tell his cockiness would kill the whole looks thing, though. Cockiness was unattractive. His brown hair fell just above his brow and he looked completely bored with the whole thing.

"Prince Gabriel, are you excited for all the girls attention?" Hughs asked, excited again.

"Well, who wouldn't be? I'm more then honored to share my home with the 35 women coming in a few days," he said with a fake smile. He didn't even want to do this. Well, that makes two of us.

"Well get ready because here comes the names and pictures of the 35 young ladies! Are you ready to see your future wife?" Hughs asked.

"I'm more then ready," he says. It's a script. He really is a built machine like me and Madden joke about. What if the women going were chosen by hand? What if it was all a well oiled machine, hacked to play the way the Royalty want.

"The first young lady is... Ember Rose Eckerson," Hughs said and my picture flashed on the screen. My fake smile didn't show in my eyes. I looked almost sad but Gabe smiled. In fact, his wasn't a fake smile. He seemed actually into it.

I turned to my father, my eyes questioned. He didn't look surprised at all that Hughs just said my name. Everyone expected me to be called and then I was. Even more suspicious my name was the first to be called.

"Tell me," I said sternly and he knew exactly what I was asking for.

He sighed and motioned for me to take a seat, "Your mother... was in King Anderson's Selection when she was 16..."