The Selected: A Stydia/Selection Fanfiction

Chapter Two

(A/N: hi all!! It's been awhile. How are you? If there's any mistakes or errors than pls just ignore them.)

Lydia tossed and turned in her head for the rest of the night. The sound of the gunshots wouldn't leave her head and her encounter with the soldier kept circling through her mind. She barely got any sleep and knew she would regret it the next day.

When Lydia woke, it was because her mother was screaming. But it wasn't the scared kind, it was the excited kind. She could hear her mother jumping around the house in excitement, her dad cheering, and her brother making sarcastic comments. Lydia managed to drag herself out of bed and wrapped a silk robe around her as she walked into the living room.

"What in the world is going on?"

"THE SELECTION!" Lydia's mother screamed even louder and threw an envelope at her daughter.

Lydia knelt down to pick up the cream colored envelope with the Illea stamp on it. She opened the envelope, seeing a form and immediately knew it was for The Selection. As Lydia opened the envelope, the Illea news was on the television and the reporter said that Prince Stiles Stilinski was going to hold a Selection to find his wife, who would also be the next Queen of Illea.

"Isn't this amazing?" Her mother asked, "It's for girls who are sixteen through nineteen and you're seventeen. Lydia, this is perfect."

"I agree, that is a once in a lifetime opportunity." Lydia's father counterclaimed, making her mother vigorously nod.

"It would make our family name even more marvelous. Oh, I have to make calls and tell people. This must go on the news!" Lydia's mother was already making plans and all Lydia could do was nod and smile.

She glanced at Joseph, who gave her a sympathetic look. Per usual, Lydia never had a choice of what she wanted. It was always just about improving the family name. Did she want to be take part in this Selection? No. She didn't want any part of Selections but that wasn't up to her.

Lydia walked back to her room to get ready for the rest of the day and could hear her mother already making phone calls to numerous people. Lydia could almost bet that her mother would be scheduling some photoshoot and book Lydia on the front page of a magazine with headlines like 'LYDIA MARTIN: NEXT QUEEN OF ILLEA?'

The Selection was something Lydia wasn't expecting to happen. Prince Stiles Stilinski was heir to the Illea throne and Lydia was sure that he would be married to a woman from another country to make an alliance. But, plans had obviously changed.

The Selection happened once every few decades for a Prince or Princess. Millions of people around Illea would enter, but only thirty five were chosen to participate. With the thirty five, everyone fought to win the Prince or Princess' heart. Though it wasn't an actual fight, it was filthy and filled with backstabbing, lies, and cheating. Lydia always heard myths about The Selection. Most of the time, the chosen person would fall in love with the Royal, but it takes a lot of mental toughness to make it to the end. Whoever participated would be away from home for months on end, and be surrounded by people who were willing to lie to get what they want.

"Yes, Lydia is applying and I already know that she will be one of the chosen." Lydia's mom chirped and Lydia rolled her eyes. She never got a choice in life, and she especially wouldn't get a choice with this. If Lydia didn't apply for The Selection, then it would surely be on The Report. She was part of one of the most watched families in Illea, and that meant that nothing was ever a secret.