Royal (A Selection Fan Fiction) (Book One in my Selection Series)

Chapter 4

My first night in the palace seemed lonely and unbearable. I wished to be able to curl into dad or hold Paisley as I slept while watched the rise and fall of her chest.

My maids told me they'd stay if I wanted them, so I stayed up later into the night getting to know each of them.

Summer was bright and had a good eye for fashion. Her hair was a golden color. It was a shame she had to keep it back in a cap all the time.

Tailor was the one with a natural skill for sewing which I guess followed her name perfectly. She had brown hair that was more of an almond color than your normal brown.

Wendy had creamy hair with braids running all through it. She helped with whatever she could to make the clothes, but the others said her skill was mainly focused on hair or makeup, but mostly makeup. Wendy disagreed saying she was no good at it all but the other maids seemed so sure and genuine.

"You need to get some rest miss. Tomorrow will be a big day. Do you wish for us to stay?" Wendy says.

"Go get some rest yourselves you must be exhausted." I tell her and place a hand on her own.

"Thank you miss." Summer slides off the bed and curtsies first as the rest do the same and follow her out the door.

As soon as they were gone I pull open the curtains to the balcony and look out the glass doors. I push the handle slightly as I turn it. A small flow of air starts to circulate my room letting the falling sun gleam for a moment longer.

I stepped outside onto the cool marble. Why would you make a balcony out of marble? Was that even necessary? My toes curled under my feet and a small tremble ran through my body.

My hair was in a loose braid down my back but fly-away framed my face in frizz. When I was a kid I had beautiful spiral curls but I never used any kind of conditioner so it all turned into frizz.

I look around at the other balconies. There weren't thirty four so some of the other girls must have rooms in different hallways or side of the palace. Some you could see a thin sliver of light still gleaming through the curtains. I blink and look upward, searching for the moon.

I may not have found the moon, but instead I looked right at a familiar face. The story above me was where all the royal families rooms were.

It was Prince Alex looking right back down at me with a sly grin on his face. I knew that when he looked at me he'd see nothing of the sort. My eyes scorched with panic. The first time when the prince would meet the other girls, they would be in their best dressed and caked with makeup while I was in a night gown and still had black around my eyes from the photo shoot.

I don't know what else to do but stare until he holds up one finger to his lip.

I'm an idiot. I'm such an idiot. I turn on my heels and cross the few feet back into my room and slam the door, no doubt waking someone in my path.

This is absolutely horrible.

•••

I look at myself in the mirror.

"Ladies you have outdone yourselves!" I nearly screech. The dress was absolutely beautiful no doubt done by an artist.

It had off the shoulder sleeves and flowed down to my feet. While the fabric was white, deep blue jewels covered my torso in different sizes and spaced out around the edges white more they were evenly spaced. The same color gems decorated the bottom like waved kissing the sand. The back was a corset with the same deep blue ribbon. The top fitted tight while from my waist out it flowed out by some sort of imaginary force.

"Thank you miss. Our pleasure." Wendy curtsies with the others. She did beautiful with me makeup too. I had a wing of thin black eyeliner and sparkles on top of that. Just like the day of the photo shoot I had blue gems on the ends of my eyeliner. My hair was simple with only small waves and a few pieces pinned to the side.

There was a knock at my door that Summer jumped up to answer. A guard stood outside the door and said something in a quiet voice to Summer.

"Officer William will walk you and the other girls in your hall to the Great Room, miss." She tells me. I nod and as gracefully as I can walk to the door. One girl I vaguely recognize is at the door with him along with Tina.

"Thank you girls." I tell all my maids before they close the door.

"Hi." The new girl says. "I'm Raelle." She holds out a hand. "You can call me Rae though."

"I'm Charlie." I easily took her hand and shook it. Raelle had dark, maybe even black, hair but pale skin with a few faint freckles running across her nose. She wore a deep purple dress with one strap and diamonds spotting the top.

"Your dress is absolutely beautiful." She tells me scanning my body.

"Yours too." I smile. I think I like her.

"Let's try and sit together at the table. We should be placed beside each other if we walk in back to back." Raelle tells me.

"Okay." I smile.

The palace walls are climbing with different paintings and pictures. Outside the Great Room, I can see all of the other girls and I'm sure we are the last to arrive. I don't see the prince anywhere but walk down the steps anyway.