𝑹𝒆𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 [𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧]

3- Selected

25 June, 2396

I applied for the Selection the day that the team from the Palace had arrived. Come Friday evening, me and my parents were sitting in the small living room, watching the Report, as we always did, minus the anxiousness we felt today. I could feel the sweat in palms as the announcer began to tell the news. Helen was biting her nails and my dad was wearing a completely expressionless face.

The host and King Gabriel were taking longer to complete their updates today, or it was my nerves. I hated that I was nervous about the Selection, I still didn't particularly enjoy the thought of the process, but something about it seemed intriguing. Something kept attracting me to the competition, but I didn't know what it was.

I gulped as the announcer began to read the names of the Selected. I was nervous, and wasn't hearing much, but I caught a few names. Reyna Avila Ramiŕez Allerano, whose whereabouts were left unknown. Piper McLean, from Angeles, a two. Calypso, from Whites, a four. Drew Tanaka, a popular model, from Angeles, two. The moment I heard her name, I knew this competition was done. There was no way Drew was going to lose.

The announcer got to the fives after what felt like hours. "Amanda Collins, from Belcourt, five." He said, reading the large piece of paper Queen Sally had previous handed to him.

My eyes sought the Prince. He was sitting to the left of the King. For a Prince, his hair was quite messy, but it looked good nonetheless. He was handsome, I would give him that. All the more reason for being cocky about it, I thought. He had a sharp a jaw and cheekbones that popped out at all the right angles. He had beautiful sea green eyes, churning and lapping, but still and calm all the same, matching with the neutral expression on his face.

"Annabeth Chase of Carolina. Five." The announcer's voice distracted me from my thoughts. My heart skipped a beat and my stomach begun to do backflips. Helen let out and excited squeal and my dad's face broke out into a grin.

I didn't watch the rest of the show.

•○°○°○°○°○°○°○°•

29 June, 2396

The next few days passed in a blur, like a time lapse. I had people from the Royal staff storming my house and bringing wads of paperwork, which my father excitedly signed.

The Selection was set to begin tomorrow as I flopped down on my bed and looked at the ceiling.

I couldn't belive I had been selected. Scratch that, I could belive it. I couldn't belive I would like it. I'd always envisioned a future with Luke, but now, I could see myself again. Maybe a doctor, or better yet, an architect. I could see a window of possibilities.

But there was one that refused to leave to my head.

A Princess.

It was crazy, to think I could be that one day, that there was even a sliver of a possibility. And I loved that thought. I wanted to cause change, in a good way obviously. I wanted to change the way our society was run, I yearned for it. I wanted to make sure Illéa was just and based of justice and righteousness.
I wanted every person in my county to prosper. To have a decent education, a decent job and reasonable living standards.

But for that, I would need to marry the Prince, and for that I would need to be The One.

"Stop daydreaming, Annabeth. You know you're coming home first day. You're just another ordinary girl, you're not going to change the way things are in this country." I told myself, to jolt me back to reality.

You're irrelevant. A voice in the back of my head kept reminding me. So much so that Luke left you.

I took a shaky breath and bit my lip to prevent myself from crying to sleep.

I failed.