The Selection

Return to the Village

Jason's Pov

I am going to the same village where I met her and today I am going to make things right.

As I was in my royal car, a question popped up in my head, do I really love her? Obviously, I am doing all these things for her even if I know that they are going in vain because I know she will never have the same feeling I have for her. Sometimes I think about why I have a dual personality. Why not tell her the truth? But then if I told her she would never forgive me, she would hate me much less love me, after all, I am the person responsible for her being in a situation like this.

I shrugged the thoughts out. I have work to do. My car stopped in front of her house. Like all the structures there, the house was also in a bad state. But her house was worse than the other houses in the vicinity. Why?

I rechecked the address again from my file containing the information of the selected girls. I was at the correct place.

I stopped the guards from entering the house as I wanted to be alone with the man inside, her dad. I, along with Leo, entered the house. There was a bed on which a man, I expected to be Piper's father, was laying. But there was someone else too. I recognized the young man as the doctor. He was giving medicines to the man and telling him about the general instructions.
His eyes met mine and gave a bewildered look.

"Umm... Hello, I am... Pri-" Before I could continue, the doctor started.
"Sparky, right? I saw you with Piper. " He said.
"I am Jason Grace. I came to-" I started but was again cut by him.
"Like the 'Prince Jason Grace'? " He asked.
"Yes. Is there any problem?Let him continue. " Leo said. I mouthed a thanks to him.
"So yeah I am the prince of Illea. I changed my name so that no one could make out that I was the prince. I  wanted to know about the village and that's why I took a fake identity. But today I am here to tell you something regarding Piper-"

"Piper! What are you saying? What happened to Pipes? Is she alright?" her dad asked, weakly and anxiously.

"No, she is fine. I wanted to inform you that she is a participant of the selection now. So she won't be here for awhile. She-" I started but was again interrupted. I tried to repress my irritation.

"To become your wife? " her dad said, raising an eye brow. His question made my heart skip a beat.

"Well yeah." I tried to supress the butterflies that were dancing in my stomach. Then something struck me why Piper's dad knows about selection but not Piper.I shrugged the question away.

Piper's dad heaved a sign. I don't know whether that sign was of sadness, relief or happiness.

"Anyways, I came here to inform you about that." I turned my gaze to the doctor, "Can I talk to you? "

"Sure." He said

We went out of the house and started walking towards his clinic.

"Umm..what is your name?" I asked.

"Austin, Austin Lake "he said rolling his eyes.

"Well, I want to see Mr. McLean's reports about his health. Since Piper is not here someone has to take care of her father. "

"Right, your majesty"

We entered the hospital. He showed me a file and told me about Piper's dad's conditions. He told me that her dad was hit by a trauma  after the death of his wife which affected his his body, especially his heart.

"Mcleans were one of the richest people in our village. Our village was like a really beautiful and lively place. But then, your father died, the ministers turned a blind eye to our village. Piper's parents used to help us with the financial burdens but then, Piper's mother died. I don't know the reason of her death. Piper was around three when this happened."he signed.