The Contest

Chapter 11

The King briefed everyone on the war, and then the News ended.
"You're a disgrace." The King muttered to me.
"Father!" Archer exclaimed. "It was a pure accident. Also a sign of intimacy. Isn't that the point of the Contest?" He asked.
"I'll go. I apologize your majesty, your highness." I said, curtsying. I went to Harmonia and Tink and we left.
"What a jerk." Tink said.
"Tink, that's the King." Harmonia said.
"So? It was an accident!" Tink said.
"It's nothing, girls. I don't really want to talk about it." I muttered.
"Sorry." Harmonia apologized. We got to the woman's room, and I was faced by a blonde girl.
"Come to say goodbye?" Evangeline asked, her tone snarky.
"I'm not leaving, so no." I said. "Please let me pass." I said. She didn't listen.
"You're nothing special. You're here because they needed diversity. Same for your little friends over here. You think this one, and all her...spunk, will actually make it far in this competition? No, she's nothing but diversity, something to make the other contestants, the real contestants look better. You three are nothing but pawns for the Prince, to manipulate and throw away."
"Lemme at her." Tink said, as Harmonia held her back.
"Tink don't." I said. "And tell me, why has he taken me on a date and not you?" I asked.
"Simple. Fair competition." She said.
"So you're telling me the Prince can't have feelings for someone?" I shot back.
"Oh sure, just not for a bunch of crap like you three."
"Leave them alone Evangeline!" Shaeleigh shouted.
"You're one of them too, you know." Evangeline said.
"I-I am?" Shaeleigh asked.
"Don't believe a word she says Shae. She just wants to make herself feel better." Harmonia said.
"Let us in Evangeline." I demanded.
"How many times do I have to tell you. You. Don't. Belong here." She said. I stomped my foot.
"Fine! We'll find some place better if you won't let us in here. Anyone who wants to join us can."  I said. Shaeleigh immediately scurried out the door. Kelsey stood, and sauntered over, flicking her hair in Evangeline's face.
"You are siding with them, Kelsey? Out of all the people here who I thought I would have competition with, but it turns out that you're just like the rest of them."
"If not wanting to be a snob to everyone makes me like them, then so be it. I'm not going to stand up for things I don't believe in." Kelsey said. A few other girls stood as well and came to us.
"I too will not be tortured by your endless mockery." Ember said, and came over.
"Whatever. I don't need you all. I have them." Evangeline said, jabbing a thumb over her shoulder.
"I wouldn't count your chickens before they hatch Evangeline." Tink retorted.
"What's that supposed to mean midget?" Evangeline asked, crossing her arms.
"While I take offense to that, all I'm saying is that you may want to check who you have behind your back to see if they've got your back as well. From the looks of things, you have a very small chance of anyone having your back for long." Tink spoke, gesturing to the woman's room. About 3 girls sat there. All blonde, and all from Celebrities. Tink giggled, and we left.
"Garden?" I asked the small group. We all agreed and went. We found a pavilion towards a back corner of the garden, and sat together.
"I cannot stand that girl!" Kelsey said, rolling her eyes.
"I can't believe she said you guys weren't "actual contestants." You're the first one he took out on a date." A tall girl with auburn hair said.
"I'm just as angry as you, if not more." Tink agreed.
"Can we go over names again? I'm terrible with names." Harmonia said.
"Agreed." I said. "I'm Amberlyn Baylock. Performance." I said.
"Eve Hec. Thinking." The tall girl said.
"Tink Starre, Business." Tink said.
"Charlotte Fideles, business." A girl with curly blonde hair said.
"Kelsey Denver. Celebrities." Kelsey introduced.
"Ember Rever. Thinking." Ember spoke.
"Rylan Canson, Business." A girl with orangey red hair and brown eyes introduced.
"Shaeleigh Silver, Thinking!" Shaeleigh announced.
"And I guess I'm last! I'm Jessica Bravora. I'm from Celebrities. I hope that's okay. " A girl with black hair and brown eyes said.
"I'm from Celebrities too honey, we'll accept you as long as you no matter what." Kelsey comforted. Jessica smiled.
"Amberlyn, Eve, Tink, Charlotte, Kelsey, Ember, Rylan, Shaeleigh, and Jessica." I said. "I'd say that's a pretty good group to stand up to Evangeline." I said.
"Can we have a name?!" Shaeleigh asked, excited.
"That sounds fun!" Charlotte said.
"Like something we use when trying to recruit new members." Rylan said.
"Are we allowed to do that?" Tink asked.
"As long as they aren't spies or anything for Evangeline, I see no problem with it." Kelsey said.
"Okay, how about Secret Sisters?" Eve asked.
"Too cliche. Something a bit more original." Tink said.
"Gossip girls?" Shaeleigh asked.
"Sounds more like a name for Evangeline's group." Jessica answered.
"They're more like Dressed Up Disasters." I retorted. All of us laughed.
"Power Protecters?" Harmonia asked. "Eh never mind." She said.
"No no, you're on to something there." Kelsey said.
"Powdered Protecters." Ember said robotically.
"Closer..." Tink said.
"The Powders?" I asked.
"I like that!" Jessica said.
"Yeah it's doesn't have to start with the same letters." Harmonia said.
"Yeah, that's probably what was making them sound cliche anyways." Tink said.
"Then I guess we have our new name." I said.
"Would you mind if I joined The Powders?" A small voice with a think French accent asked. We all turned to see a short girl with mouse brown hair and pretty blue eyes.
"As long as you hate Evangeline as much as we do." Tink said.
"She told me eating too many strawberries at dinner would make me fat. I'm pretty sure strawberries are the least of my worries, oui?" She asked.
"Girl, come on up here." Jessica said. The girl smiled, and joined up in the pavilion.
"What's your name Frenchie?" Tink asked.
"Marlowe Swift." She answered, her accent clear but still there.
"Nice to meet you Marlowe! Where are you from?" Shaeleigh asked.
"Bonjour, I am from Paris." She dropped the S, like most natives of the country did.
"That's so cool!" Eve said.
"My parents sent me here to participate in hopes of...erm...combining our countries?"
"Uniting them?" I asked.
"Ah Oui Oui!" She answered.
"Hey Frenchie, what's your favorite kind of tea-?" Tink asked.
"Tink, that's Britain." Shaeleigh said.
"And chocolate?" She continued.
"Germany..." Jessica corrected.
"Oh no, it is fine. Mariage Frères is a French tea. The kitchen had it when I came and I was very happy. I like chocolate macrons more than regular chocolate, but I do like anything. Why do you ask?"
"Tea party reasons, duh. Kitchen door is right over there." Tink said.
"Oh my gosh, yes!" Harmonia exclaimed.
"I'm getting everything they have!" Eve said.
"Party under the stars?" Kelsey said.
"Mind if we join you ladies?" A familiar voice said. We all turned to see the twin Princes, standing there looking as dashing as ever.
"Can't say no to royalty can we?" Tink said.
"She means yes." Harmonia said, rolling her eyes. The Princes laughed, and walked into the pavilion.
"Tea and dessert, on it." Harmonia said.
"May I help?" Jaxon offered.
"I would love the help!" She said, and the two went off. The girls didn't crowd Prince Archer, but in fact started a pleasant conversation with him. When Jaxon and Harmonia came back with a cart of food and tea, I stood to help Harmonia serve. Everyone wanted something different. Eve wanted Chai, Tink and Jaxon wanted Black, Charlotte wanted Blackberry, Kelsey and Jessica wanted Green, Shaeleigh and Harmonia chose Hot chocolate, Rylan wanted Oolong, Marlowe wanted her French tea, which I cot the life of me could not pronounce, Archer and Ember chose Herbal, and I chose Jasmine. We all began to go back to our rooms at a pretty late hour. Kelsey and Jessica went together talking about the war and how they were never notified about things seeing as their section was considered the "ditsy" section, and that annoyed them. Tink got into a conversation somehow with Ember about robotics, which didn't surprise me too much, and they left. Charlotte and Shaeleigh left talking to Marlowe about Paris. Rylan and Eve wandered off at some point. Harmonia and I were left with the Princes.
"Archer would you mind if I walked this lovely lady to her room?" Jaxon asked, gesturing to Harmonia.
"Of course, as long as she's okay with it." Archer said.
"Yes! I mean, that would be fine with me." Harmonia said. I stifled a giggle and Harmonia glared at me. I smiled, batting my eyelashes.
"I hate you." She hissed. I blew her a kiss. Jaxon and Archer laughed.
"You two grew up together huh?" Jaxon asked Harmonia.
"Yup!" She said standing up. "Our mothers just kind of introduced us at a young age and we latched on to each other, I guess!" She said, her voice fading as they walked away. I smiled, and looked around the messy garden.
"Do we have to clean this up?" I asked.
"The castle staff will take care of it." Archer asked.
"It's late, why don't we make their night a little easier." I said, and stood up. I started collecting cups and saucers, putting them on the silver cart they were brought on. Archer stood, and started bringing each plate over individually. I watched for a second, and started to laugh.
"What, am I doing something wrong?" He asked.
"You can tell you've been raised in the palace, and not just raised, but if someone watched you right now they would be able to tell you were the Prince." I said, between laughs.
"How so?" He asked.
"Well you can stack plates." I said, and started to do so.
"Huh." He said, and tried it out. I brought my stack of about five to the cart, and turned to see Archer trying to pick up about 8 or 9.
"Woah watch out!" I cried, and pushed my hands against the side of his stack of plates. It had almost fallen over.
"Not that many, or that will happen."
"Dishes are hard!" Archer complained. I burst out laughing, as I took the first few plates from his stack.
"Not if you know how to do them!" I said, grabbing the last of the plates and setting them on the cart. "Come on, let's drop this off." I said, and we walked to the kitchen.
"How do you know how to do these chores so well?" He asked.
"We fend for ourselves in Performance, if you can even call it that. It's more like learning basic life skills." I said.
"For me they were just always done for me." Archer confessed.
"I can tell." I giggled.
"Hey, it's not funny! I feel...helpless sometimes." He said.
"Archer you're learning to run a whole kingdom, I think the fact that you don't clean for yourself can be excused."
"Well yeah, but you guys in Performance and even lower have it so bad, and you have to learn all those things for yourself, and then you see me, and the Celebrities just getting things handed to them on a silver platter. Not having to work for them. I think that's what makes the lower sections so mad sometimes." He said. We rolled the cart into the empty kitchen.
"Walk me to my room?" I asked.
"Of course." He said. "May I hold your hand this time without you kicking my shin?" He asked. I giggled.
"Yes." I answered and he took it, intertwining out fingers. I blushed. He walked me to my room.
"I want to get to know you better. You're something special." 
"Evangeline doesn't think so." I said.
"Evangeline?" He asked.
"She told me and some of my friends that we weren't actual contestants, that we were just so the Contest had variety. She told us that we were nobodies."
"Say the word and she's out of here tomorrow." He said.
"No, I'm not like that. I'm not going to be the revengeful type. Plus, we kinda have a contest going on."
"A contest within the Contest?" He asked.
"Basically we're trying to see how many people we can round up to join our group."
"Who's winning?" He asked.
"Me. She's got three or four girls, and I've got at least eight." I said, and he laughed.
"I shouldn't be interested in this seeing as I should think of you all fairly, but I hope you win."
"I don't intend to loose." I said.
"In your mini competition with Evangeline, or over-all?" He asked. I bit my lip.
"I meant with Evangeline." I said quietly.
"Oh." He answered.
"What you actually like me?" I joked.
"I was thinking about it." He joked back. The mood lightened.
"Oh come on, tell me you don't think Marlowe is the prettiest girl you've ever seen? Plus she's French." I said.
"Marlowe is gorgeous." He said. I looked up at him. He was smiling to himself.
"She is." I agreed quietly. We walked in silence the rest of the way. When we reached my door I dropped his hand like it was on fire.
"Goodnight Amberlyn." He said. He went inwards, looking like he meant to kiss my cheek, but I turned my head.
"Goodnight...your highness."