The Selection

Chapter 10: The first "date"

"Oh, Lady Ember!" Alice exclaimed as I walked in my door with puffy eyes.

"Whatever you can do to cover up this mess, do it. The King and Queen can't see this at dinner time," If they seen that I was weak then they might want Gabriel to send me home early.

Alice began searching through the Snow White vanities drawers, no doubt trying to find something to cover up my blotchy eyes. I was such an ugly crier that my entire face would puff up with red.

"On the bright side, Lady Ember, this was left for you," Kayla handed me a small paper folded in two, "Prince Gabriel left it."

I took the paper and unfolded it: 'Tonight, under the moonlight. 9 o'clock sharp' It read in fine cursive. So technically, it was a date. How was I suppose to deny a date if he left a note? I couldn't deny the date even if I wanted to though. Not if I wanted to stay here. Guilt overtook me and I wished so badly that I could talk to Madden.

"Did he ask you on a date?" Dina asked, clapping her hands and I nodded trying my best to look excited. The girls squealed and Alice began to work hard, spreading liquid underneath my eyes, cheeks and neck. I told you I got red everywhere.

"You have to look perfect tonight!" Alice said and took out powder and dabbed at the parts she had just covered. "Don't worry this will hide it."

When the clock showed 4, I left my room feeling confident that there wasn't a hint of red to be shown. I put on a dress suitable for dinner. It was a soft yellow and reached just below my knees.

I ran into Farrah leaving her room at the same time. She paid me no attention but I noticed right away she changed into a day time dress like the rest of us. Apparently, Gabriel didn't take notice of her dress because he didn't ask her on a date. I giggled as I walked behind her but then felt another pang of guilt for a totally different reason other then Madden.

Gabriel could've asked any of these girls and pursued them with their undivided attention. But he hadn't. He'd chosen me. While my heart was already taken. I was wasting his time. Soon he would start sending girls home and keeping someone like me who could never give him her undivided attention. That wasn't very fair for him.

When we were all seated at a very large, extraordinary dining table, men entered with trays of wine. Heidi sat to my left but wasn't her bubbly self.

"Hey, are you okay?" I turned and asked.

"Yeah, it's just... Some of the girls are getting under my skin," she answered, looking towards her hands.

"Don't show them it effects you, look happy Heidi. It will kill them," I shot daggers at Farrah who was already looking to me. "And thank you for standing up for me. I owe you one."

Just then, King Anderson and Queen Olivianna entered with Gabriel right behind them. We all stood curtsying.

"Thank you, ladies. Thank you, you can be seated," King Anderson said looking flattered. We took our seats again. The dinner was supposed to consist of 8 different courses. As a child, I was never starving. I never went days without eating, but this luxury was never offered either. Stuffed Turkey, deviled eggs and a huge cake with sprinklers on it was far from anything I had ever seen before. Some of us girls found ourselves excited when the cake was brought out many of us cheered, including King Anderson.

I locked eyes with Gabe momentarily but I looked away shyly and finished my plate in front of me. Most of dinner had been quiet besides the King asking some of the girls questions about their homestead.

"Lady Ember, you don't see food like this much in Carolina, do you?" King Anderson asked.

"No, Your Highness. If so, it would be a gift," I answered. It's hard to imagine that my mother was supposed to be with him. Had they kissed? Of course they had. They'd loved each other. I wish I would've asked her the reasoning for her leaving. I couldn't help but realize the only reason Queen Olivianna is here is because my mother did leave, same with Gabe.