The Contest

Chapter 14

At breakfast in the morning the Prince stood up.
"Good morning everyone! Congratulations, you have all made it past the first 10 eliminations. Today we will be starting a challenge. Challenge one is to plan a party. I found this idea recently and thought it was a great thing to start off with. As a Queen you'll have to plan parties for big groups of people and most times for guests of honor. Each party will have a guest of honor. You all have a week to plan, and then you will have a date for the party. I'm giving each of you a folder with the date the party is on, the theme for your party, and a small paper on your guest of honor. There are 4 different themes for the parties. Birthday Party, Formal Dinner Party, Baby Shower, and Wedding Reception." The girls whispered and looked excited.
"Here are your folders. You have an entire week to plan your parties and then all of your work will be confiscated as to prevent any further work. At the end of the all the parties I will eliminate a girl from each theme." Everyone gasped. "So plan carefully. Now that you all have your folders you may open them and begin." He said, and everyone grabbed the folders. I opened mine. A brightly colored paper faced up at me.
'BIRTHDAY PARTY!' It read. I smiled, and moved it. I saw a familiar face smiling back up at me. I was throwing a birthday party for Prince Archer. I pushed my chair back and walked out of
The dining room, trying not to look excited. I saw the Prince grin as I left. I wiggled the folder at him, hoping he got my hint to come see me later. I went to the library. A few days ago I had been wandering around the library trying to find somewhere quiet to read, when I stumbled across a door hidden in the bookshelves. It was quiet and secluded, and no one knew it existed. Perfect for me to start planning. I stopped by my room and got a notebook and pen, and then went to the room. I read over the informational sheet. Most everything I already knew. His favorite color was blue, he liked chocolate and peanut butter, and he liked to dance. I started to write in my notebook.
•Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter frosting
•Party music
•slow dances
•dinner, 4 course meal
•best dresses and suits
I heard the door open.
"I thought I'd find you in here." Archer said. I got up and hugged him.
"You're making me plan your birthday party?!" I asked, my arms around his neck.
"Well I mean I had to choose someone and why not choose the best?" He asked.
"They're going to think you like me more than them." I said.
"Well I do." He replied simply.
"Yeah but the other girls can't know that." I said.
"What about Harmonia? She would understand, right?" He asked.
"Well I think so-"
"Then let's go tell her." He said.
"Wait what?" Archer pulled me out of the room. "Archer wait, she's going to be so disappointed-"
"She will understand right?" He asked, slowing down and taking both my hands. We were in front of her door.
"I think so. She was so happy when she got this opportunity. You can't have her leave." I said.
"She won't leave, she will just know that I like you."
"I'm pretty sure she's known since I told her about the time we met in the hallway." I said.
"That sounds like a metaphor for something." He said. I laughed.
"Well it's not, even if no one believes it." I looked down at his hands holding mine.
"Okay fine. We can tell her." I said. Archer knocked. We got no answer.
"Harmonia it's Amberlyn." I said. I heard shuffling. A door shut. A few moments later Harmonia opened her door.
"Hey, can this be quick?" She asked. I heard a small clatter.
"Harmonia who's in there with you?" I asked.
"Probably just my maid cleaning up." She said.
"The maids are off until this afternoon." Archer said.
"Shoot." She muttered. Another clatter came from the room.
"I'm coming in." I said.
"No no don't-" as I walked in I saw Jaxon sitting on the bed.
"Jaxon?" Archer asked.
"Hey." He waved gingerly.
"Harmonia?" I asked.
"Yeah?" She asked.
"Explain." I demanded. She sighed and sank onto the couch.
"You know that night where we all had tea and then when it was time to go, Jaxon walked me to my room. Well we were having such a good conversation that he just came in and we talked for a long while, and then he said goodnight and that was that. Well we have been hanging out more, and I got the folder to plan his birthday party and-"
"I got the one to plan Archers." I said.
"See I wanted to know a bit more about him, and well he came in and...something happened." She said.
"What exactly "happened?" Archer asked using air quotes. Harmonia looked at Jaxon.
"I told her there was one way she could get to know me better and-"
"We kissed! Okay there. I said it."
"You did what!?" Archer asked, pulling his brother off the bed by his arm.
"Archer calm down." I said.
"Jaxon this goes against the rules of the Contest and the rules of being a brother."
"Archer you have twenty one other girls to choose from, and from what I can see you already have your eyes fixed on that one." He said.
"Um, I have a name." I said.
"There are rules and restrictions set down for these girls! If they are found with another man they could be sent to die! Jaxon you put this girls life in huge danger! If anyone found out-"
"No one was going to-"
"BUT IF THEY DID! Jaxon think about this! What if she died?"
"I wouldn't let it happen." He said.
"You might not, but you're not running the kingdom, Dad is. Whatever he says goes, and we can't do anything to change that. You could have killed her." Archer said quietly. I clung to Harmonia who had hugged me when Archer yelled. She began to cry softly and I hugged her tightly."
"But she didn't archer and that's what matters. Father can't do anything. I won't let him." He said.
"Jaxon I might have to make a rash decision here-"
"P-please don't make me leave." Harmonia said, crying in my arms. Archer looked at her, and then to his brother.
"I can't believe I'm going to do this. Fine. You can stay. Jaxon, I forbid you from having contact with her."
"You can't do that!" Jaxon argued.
"I can and I'm going to. Jaxon I can not, CAN NOT, have a girl get hurt. I will not allow it."
"Archer please.." 
"No. I care about all of these girls. I won't allow it. Say your goodbyes now." He said. Harmonia broke free of my arms and went to Jaxon. She began to cry. He shushed her gently and held her.
"It's going to be okay. You're going to compete in this competition and then when you have to leave you can come to me. We will be okay. Okay?" He asked. She nodded sobbing. He pulled her into his chest, stroking her hair. Archer left the room and I followed.
"Why'd you let her stay?" I asked.
"I don't have an excuse for her leaving. I also can't have her leave before the challenge is over. It will raise too many questions. I want her to be safe. I want all of you to be safe, including you. Especially you." He said. I looked up at him.
"Why me?" I asked.
"I feel like we shouldn't be meeting like this. We shouldn't exist like this. You mother and my father should be married. I want to combine our families like they should have been many years ago." He explained. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you." I said. He smiled and nodded. He looked down at me and bit his lip.
"Amberlyn?" He asked.
"Yes?"
"I know you don't love me, you made that very clear...but do you think I could...still...kiss you?" He asked. I sucked in a quick breath.
"What?" I asked.
"Nevermind, it was a stupid question." He said.
"No...it wasn't." I replied. I stood on my toes ever so slightly and pressed my lips against his very quickly, for I heard a group of laughter coming from around the corner. As the group of girls came from around the corner, Archer and I separated.
"Your Highness!" Evangeline said.
"Evangeline." He greeted.
"Oh, she's here." She sneered at me.
"You're about to see a lot more of her." Archer said. That's when I spotted the camera in a corner of the hall.
"I hope you see more of me soon." Evangeline said, flipping her hair. The other girls giggled.
"I have to go, maybe later." Archer said, and pulled me into my room.
"This is better." He said. I looked at him. He looked so annoyed. I began to laugh. I laughed and laughed.
"H-hey! It's not funny! She's a royal pain, and she's not even royalty yet." He moaned. I laughed harder, falling onto my bed. He began to laugh with me. We were laying down laughing and I laid my head on his chest as the laughter died down. He played with the ends of my hair.
"Your hair is so pretty." He said.
"Thank you." I replied. He sat me up.
"Do you think we could...continue?" He asked.
"If you want." I replied. He leaned down a little and kissed me. The door opened.
"Oh!" Emma said. "I can go!" She said.
"No no, you're fine. I was just leaving. I'll see you later tonight Amberlyn."
"There's food in the dining hall at five. You'll see me later. He laughed, and smiled shyly at me. He left. Emma made little kissing noises.
"Emma!" I squealed. She giggled.
"So...you're his first kiss. How does that feel?" She asked. I thought.
"Special."