His Choice (The Selection)

Chapter Thirty Four

Wrote by firerose11

§§§

Savannah hugged me tightly, tears streaming down her face. "I'll miss you, Ember. I promise to write only if you promise to do your best to win this thing."

"Agreed," I said, patting her gently on the back. "It's going to be strange without Carmen and you here."

She pulled back, wiping her nose on her sleeve, with a sniffle. "I think she's relieved to be going back to Dominica. She hasn't felt safe since Giselle's death."

"Do you blame her?" I whispered. "She may be the only witness to a murder. Would you feel safe in the same area as the killer?"

"No," she admitted, "I wouldn't.  This is just so weird though.  Leaving and knowing that when I wake up tomorrow, I won't be in the palace.  For some reason, I had this picture in my head that the four of us were going to make it to the end."

"Savannah, it's time to go," Chris called from the entrance, where she was standing with Carmen and a pouting Lana.

Savannah reached over and tugged Abigail into one more hug before joining the other two.  We received waves from all but Lana, who was trying to hide her angry tears.

"I bet we see an angry interview in the tabloids about how unfair the Selection was to her," Abigail muttered.

I snorted.  "Wouldn't surprise me.  Now, how about we go get ready for that extremely important interview the remaining five have on the Report."

Her eyes widened.  "Oh, dear!  I forgot all about that!"

I watched her tear down the hallway in a very unladylike manner, startling a guard who just happened to be turning the corner.  Biting back a laugh, I followed behind her at a safer speed.

§§§

"Do you know what Dad told me the other day?" Aedgar's furious voice was coming through the door to my rooms.  "He said that he couldn't support me becoming a guard.  It's apparently a problem to have me working with him even though the palace hired you!"

"You know that it's a different situation.  I'm not a guard; I'm just a maid.  Besides, you have almost eight years until you have to really worry about that," Connor replied calmly.  "Now, scat.  I have to finish laying out this dress for Ember's interview."

Aedgar stormed out the door, brushing past me.  I sighed, understanding exactly how it felt to not get what you wanted in life.

I seated myself on the bed, sitting almost directly over where I had taken to hiding my father's increasingly demanding letters.  One day, I would just take them all and burn them to ashes.

Connor swept out from the other room, arms full of billowing fabric.  "Ember," she said, stopping short, "I wasn't expecting you back for a while yet."

"Savannah left a few minutes ago, and I figured I needed to come get ready for the Report."

She smiled before raising her left arm to show that her arm was only wrapped in a brace. 

"You got your cast off!" The words passed my lips, and I realized that I had just pointed out the obvious.  "How's your arm doing?"

"Healing perfectly, the doctor said," my maid answered, not seeming to notice my faux pas.  "Now, Maybra is busy elsewhere, so you're going to have to deal with me today."

I didn't have to deal with her.  In fact, for the first time since I had known her, Connor managed to get me ready perfectly.

Spinning in front of the mirror, I admired the soft orange dress that narrowed at my hips before flaring out into a v-shape.  My make-up was flawless, and my hair had been swept up into a chignon.