Writer Games: Royals

TASK TWO: Male Entries

ARIAN LANCASTER

When I was younger, I used to dream about visiting the castle. It looked so big from afar, with towers that seemed to reach the sky and a moat bridge that seemed to hold the key to a million hidden mysteries. The water in said moat flowed with the speed of a river current and was as blue as the sky itself. And the gardens... I could never see them, but I'd heard stories of a beautiful place full of every flower you could imagine and water fountains so beautiful that they resembled a fairy tale creation.

So far, my stay at the castle has been a tad disappointing. I've been being rushed from station to station, going through everything that the Selected go through - thankfully, men have much less invasive makeovers. Mine consisted of a new haircut, though a few others were also made to shave their cheeks. I've never seen the appeal in beards, and clearly, neither does Jessamine. Viola looks fairly similar to how she looked before entering the Selection, and she should have a decent chance. She's nice enough sand doesn't pry - great friend material. Some of the lower Castes, however, require a lot of work.

Irritated by my wandering mind, I decide I may as well walk around and soothe my curiosity if I'm not going to get any sleep. It must be around midnight and I doubt that many people are still awake, so I don't feel the need to be too silent; most of the men I know are heavy sleeper. My suspicions are confirmed when nobody comes out of their room despite my bumping into a wall corner. Either everybody else is asleep, or they don't think it a good idea to leave their rooms and see what's happening.

Eventually, I stop in front of a frame in the hall right outside a closed door. I'm not sure where said door leads - if I'm honest, I think I might be lost, though I'd never admit that to anyone - but it doesn't matter half as much as the picture in the frame. It focuses on Prince Calix and Princess Jessamine, both of which can't look to be older than seven, though King Milton stands between them, two ice cream cones in his hands. The kids are sat at the opposite end of the room, crying. Their backs are turned to the king and he doesn't look pleased.

A gust of wind through an open window slams a door down the hall and I jump, accidentally knocking the picture off the wall. It's intact, but I still feel like I have to run - probably because Sierra warned us not to leave our rooms at night no matter what - and I turn around to leave when the door opens. On the other side is a face I know all too well, with firm features, jade eyes, and blonde hair just a tad darker than mine. He doesn't look angry, but I still begin to panic and lose my composure as I stare into the eyes of Prince Calix Kingsley.

Without even needing to think about it, I bow. "Prince Kingsley," I stutter. My cheeks have grown red and it's quite obvious that he's noticed due to the teasing smile on his face. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to knock the picture off; a door slammed and I got scared and jumped and accidentally hit it and I'm sorry."

Prince Calix smiles. "Don't worry. My father has been wanting to get that picture down for years, but it was stuck and we were worried

"Really? Why? It's a nice picture, and it's original - less formal. Seems like a perfect fit for a home."

"This isn't the best place; hallways are so public. How about we go to the garden, and I'll explain then. Nobody will stumble upon us there."

I blink. The gardens are a pretty romantic place; it's where King Maxon and Queen America had their first date. But to mention that would be a bad idea. "Do you even know who I am?"

"Arian Lancaster, from Clermont." I try to hide the blush and simply nod. He pokes his head in the door and yells: "Jess, I'm going for a walk! I need fresh air. Don't worry, I'm not getting raped and murdered out here." Laughter can be heard coming from the door and Prince Calix walks back towards me, and we walk towards the garden together in an awkward yet comfortable silence.