The Selection

Chapter 22: Yes

The next couple of days I took it easy, only leaving my room for meals. Gabriel had sent 5 girls home after I returned leaving me, Farrah, Opal, two blonde girls I was told named Ivy and Bellamy, Grace, a girl who looked almost identical to me but with green eyes named Dahlia and a short girl named Mina. This left us as the Elite 8 which meant this weekend would be a ball in congratulations to us.

On the third day I decided it would probably be a good idea to listen in on Laurie's classes about etiquette a balls so I didn't totally screw that up.

"Can you try to cover this up?" I asked Kayla who had just finished dressing me in an ankle length grey slimming tank dress. It was mid summer in Illeá and I prayed the King would find it in himself to allow us shorts but that definitely wasn't going to happen.

"Of course, Miss," she said, pulling out some powder. My eye had turned a shade of dark brown, all blood behind it settling. It was truly disgusting. Kayla does wonders though, covering it as though it were never there and then adding mascara on top of that. After sliding on some heels, I made my way down to The Lady's room.

The girls were sitting in a circle and Laurie was going over appropriate topics to talk about during the ball. Laurie then caught sight of me and welcomed me in.

"Hm, look who decided to join us," Farrah scoffed. Opal laughed in return and I sat as far away from them both as possible.

"Ladies, please," Laurie directed at them and then continued on how to politely talk about international politics. I tried really hard to pay attention, I really did but Laurie's voice was so monotone it literally hurt to listen to.

While she talked I began to think about my time spent in the south. Particularly on the parts about my mother. Had they taken her the way they'd taken me? No, there's no way. I knew virtually nothing about my mother's selection though so I couldn't completely rule it out.

Suddenly, something hit me. The dream I had. Gabriel had made me focus on what the man had directly said about my mother.

"It was no hard feelings. Lila wasn't suited for the job."

But then who was? If my mother was taken out of the running for not being suitable then someone had to win who was suitable. That's when it me, hard. Queen Olivianna. They'd talked so much about needing someone in power that was on their side. My mom wouldn't oblige so that means someone had to, leaving Gabriel's mother. The Queen of our country.

Just then a butler came in to announce lunch. We filed out to the dining hall. I sat next to Grace, the only person left in ladies that I was comfortable enough to sit in silence with.

"Anything happen while I was... subdued?" I asked Grace.

"Nope. Well, maybe a couple dates. I think Gabriel spent the day with Farrah yesterday. I seen him for awhile this morning," she admitted. "He's been very distant. I think I'll go home next."

"Don't say that Grace," I told her, encouragingly, "I think he has a lot on his plate right now."

"I hope it doesn't happen to me," she said quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"How you got taken... I hope that doesn't happen to me," she said.

"That won't happen to you Grace," I told her but I couldn't tell her why I was so positive that she wouldn't be taken. The south had no use for her. She wasn't Queen material and they wouldn't put up with her fidgety, nervous self. I looked up from my lap directly at Farrah who had been glaring at me and refused to look away even when I'd caught her. I could definitely see why she was angry. So much attention and none of it wasted on her.