The Contest

Chapter 34

I looked at the first page. A letter.

Dear Steven,
Every day I miss you. More and more. Every day I think of you, and Andrew has no idea. He wants to have another child. Amethyst is almost two years old now. I don't want to have another child yet. I hear you and Fawna are expecting your first child! That's exciting. I wonder what you'll name it. If it's a boy maybe I can have a child compete in the next Contest. I can make up for what I did. I hear Andrew coming. I love you my dear.
Allison

I flipped through the book, looking at each page quickly. They were all letters for The King. I pulled the pictures out of the carpet bag. Each had a date on it which corresponded with a date in the book. There was also a single newspaper clipping.
"Prince Found after run away. Contestant of Contest responsible." I gasped. My mom was on the page. I read the article.

"Prince Steven was found hiding out in a forest outside of Section 5 earlier today. He was found with contestant Allison. What we know about the run away is that he did not want to marry contestant Fawna, but instead Allison, whom was kicked out of the palace by the King. Allison was kicked out due to her pregnancy. With whom we are unsure, but she's too far along for it to be the Prince's."

I stopped reading. They really loved each other.

~~~

Sitting in my seat, waiting for the News, I held the book in my lap. Each picture was tucked into its respective page. I looked around. Each girl had on a nice dress and their hair and makeup done perfect. As did I, but I was coming to realize how repetitive this whole game was. You fight and fight just like you would for any other guy, but you do it in a pretty dress. It was tiring. Or maybe I was just tired. I spotted Tink come in and she waved. I lifted my hand back, and she sat next to me.
"Ember looks stunning. Hair is all down and curled and her dress-"
"She's going to come. I'm going to see it myself, don't ruin the surprise." I said to Tink. She smiled big.
"You're going to love her." She said. I watched as Kelsey stepped into the room, and caught my eye. She smiled and wiggled her eyebrows. Then ember stepped in. Her hair was gently curled so it would flow down her back. Her dress was formfitting, sleeves falling off the shoulders. It was a deep red color.
"She looks stunning." I said, a small smile coming to my lips.
"Doesn't she? I mean she almost beats you!" Tink exclaimed. I looked at her, a small questioning looks rising to my face. "Well Archer loves you, and it's not like everyone doesn't know. So if we are going to make him even interested in her..."
"I understand. I don't really want him interested in me anyways." I said. Tink looked shocked.
"W-why not? What happened?" She asked.
"Just...things." I said, not wanting to explain.
"Oh." Tink replied, clearly not satisfied with my answer. Kelsey and Ember came and sat down in front of us. Ember looked over her shoulder and smiled at me.
"How do I look?" She asked, a hint of nervousness in her newfound emotional voice.
"As lovely as ever. You know there's a saying my..." I paused, wondering if saying it would cause me to cry. I mustered up the courage. "mother used to tell me. What was it..." I mumbled. I heard her voice in the back of my head. "A girl without freckles is like a sky without stars." I said, repeating what I had always been told.
"I love that." Ember smiled. Kelsey tapped her shoulder.
"We're starting." She whispered. Ember turned back to the front. The King stepped up to the microphone.
"Good Evening everyone. I have some urgent news on the war. Two nights ago, a man was caught by the castle guards. This man, Andrew Baylock, was working for an unknown source, to infiltrate and take over the kingdom for the rebels. This man was reported to the authorities by none other than our own Marlowe Swift, a Contestant from France. How she found out about this man's alliance, we are unsure, but we are thankful for it." The audience cheered, and Marlowe smiled. How did she find out about my Father? This question had been in the back of my mind ever since the ball.
"Thank you, and now, my son. Prince Archer." The King introduced. The girls clapped and the audience roared. I kept my hands on the book in my lap.
"Good Evening!" Archer said, and the audience clapped and cheered. Archer smiled like he wasn't about to share bad news with the entire kingdom. Like he wasn't about to break my heart even more. "Before I delve into any of the interesting details I'm sure you have all been waiting for, I would like to say congratulations. My brother Jaxon and former contestant Harmonia Nuonce have gotten engaged!" The crowd roared furiously. The couple stood, and beamed. Harmonia smiled from ear to ear. She had grown up so much in these past few months, and I was so proud of her. "Congrats you two." Archer said, smiling. The two sat down.
"This week has been one week. You've been seeing many things in the papers, and I'm sure you all have questions about what was going on. First of all, yes, Andrew Baylock was arrested at the costume ball four nights ago. This costume ball lead to many things playing out over the course of the next few days.
"While what you may have seen in the papers made it look like Taylor Demi and I were sleeping together, this was not the case. She came to me in the middle of the night, scared from what had happened at the ball. Of course, things did take a different turn, but we did not, I repeat, NOT, take it that far. But as this is what most people were made to believe, I will be taking some necessary precautions. Taylor, Summer, and Joy, if you three would see me after the broadcast please." The three girls nodded. Summer took Joy's hand, and Joy rubbed it with her thumb. That was an odd behavior, but she was nervous.
"Now, Evangeline Greenway did come into my room on the same night, but for different reasons, which shall remain unannounced. Many people have written Evangeline as a sort of villain in papers and magazines. I would like to put an end to this now. All of the girls in this competition, wether they be here or back at their home, are exemplary women. Each one of them have done nothing but please me, my family, the castle staff, and the other girls during their stays, and none of them will be written as a villain." My eyes widened at the tone in his voice. Had there been things said about other girls too? Is this what he wanted to talk about with me? I bit my bottom lip and kept listening.
"Now for our last topic of discussion. Two nights ago, Amberlyn Baylock had her mother Allison pass away due to a severe heart attack." The crowd gasped and awed, but it didn't make me feel any better to know that now the entire country knew my mother died. I slid further into my seat, feeling all eyes on me.
"While originally my idea was to send Miss Baylock home with her siblings, I realized they needed a better place to stay, as now they have no adults to look after them. Of course the older siblings don't need this, for they are all responsible, I want Amberlyn and her family to be safe. With all the rebels and attacks going on in the lower sections, there's no telling what could happen to her. The rest of Amberlyn's family, her brother, sister and brother-in-law, will be arriving tomorrow morning for the funeral. Her sister and brother-in-law will be leaving afterwards to go home, but her brother and three sisters will be staying at my home, wether Amberlyn wins the Contest." Tink hugged my shoulders, and I hugged her back.
"Thank you all for tuning into the News tonight! Have a great night." Archer said. The cameras turned off and the chatter rose. Taylor, Joy, and Summer went to see Archer. I watched closely. Archer said something to Taylor. Her mouth dropped open. He finished his sentence, and she slapped him. My hand clapped over my mouth. I watched Taylor stomp away, and Archer shook his head. He spoke to Joy and Summer, and the two girls nodded, still holding hands. He shrugged and nodded. They hugged each other, and ran off together. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the King get up. I quickly rose, and went to him.
"Your majesty." I said, stopping him in his tracks.
"Miss Baylock. May I help you?" He asked.
"May I speak with you in private?" I asked. He blinked.
"You may." He said, and we stepped out of the room.
"Your Majesty, I have something that...may be of interest to you." I said.
"Why do you think that?" He asked, skeptically.
"Well, it was written for you." I told him.
"Get to the point Baylock." He said.
"My mother. She wrote this for you." I said. He stiffened slightly.
"How do you know?" He asked.
"It's a book of letters. They're all addressed to you." I said. "Pictures for every one of the letters as well." I told him. I held the book outwards, and the King took it hesitantly. He opened it, and viewed the first picture. A picture of my older sister at barely two years old that belonged with the first letter I read. I watched the King read the first page, and watched his eyes and face soften as he read further. He slid the picture back in the page, and flipped to the next one. A congratulations letter, with a picture of an ultrasound. My ultrasound.
I had read each letter as I was going through. This letter talked about how my mother wished that they could have shared the news together. She wished that they were having the children together, but knew that could never be. She was pregnant again, and he had the twins now. There was nothing they could do.
"W-why would you show this to me?" He asked, looking up for the ultrasound picture.
"I thought you would want it. I know how close you two were." I said.
"More than just close. We were in love. You don't know how that feels, but knowing that she's gone...having to deal with the grief that if I had just fought my father a little harder, she would still be here today. She lived with the stress of your Father her whole life. This was just building up. I love Fawna, I do, but your mother..."
"Was different." I said. "I know." I said simply. The King sat down on the bench that was pushed against the wall.
"I never wrote her. I regret that. I thought she would never want to see me again." He said.
"She missed you." I said. He nodded, leaning forward onto his knees. He sighed.
"Thank you." He said to me. I nodded.
"Do you want to keep it?" I asked, looking at the little leather bound journal in his hands.
"I'll read it. I may not keep it, but I'll read it." He said.
"Okay." I said, looking at my hands.
"Sit, please." He said, patting the seat next to him. I sat. "I'm sorry for what you're going through." He said.
"It's okay." I said.
"I know it's not, but that's alright. Its not going to be for a while." He said. I nodded.
"That's what everyone keeps telling me." I said.
"It's true. Many people loose family at such a young age. It's such a terrible fate." He said.
"My mother believed everything happened for a reason." I said.
"She was a Christian, wasn't she?" He asked. I nodded. "Then she's in good hands if she was right." He said. I felt a small smile light up my lips.
"You're right." I said.

~~~

There was a small knock on my door. I opened it, and there stood Tink.
"I think I'm in love." She said, her voice tiny.
"Oh really?" I asked, letting her in. I shut the door.
"How do you know?" She asked.
"Well...I don't know if I've ever been in love, but I've heard it starts by just a look. You know when you first see them. Wether you met in the rain, and shared a look, or you know, kicked them in the shin and ran away, I think you just know." I recalled all the things I had read in the notebook full of letters I had given the King earlier. "They will just be...different." I said. She sighed.
"Then yeah...I think I might be." She muttered.
"With who?" I asked.
"Oh, no one. I think he may be my Romeo, but I'm just not his Juliet." She said.
"Well that means you survive the play." I said, pulling out a book from a stack on my desk. Tink giggled.
"I guess you're right." She said.
"Read this. It will help you get your mind off of things, and things don't really work out for the main character until at least the last book of the series." I said. She took it.
"Thanks Amberlyn." She said. "Did you hear Joy and Summer got sent home together?" She asked.
"Together?" I asked, realizing what she was meaning.
"They met and well...he sent them home after they talked to Archer about it." She said.
"Good for them." I said, my tone pleasant.
"I mean, no one is getting past you anyways." She said, and left my room. No one except Evangeline, I guess