butterflies | ✓

syzygy.

Lexona introduced me to her cousins and that I hadn't gotten to really meet yet—Oliver and Maxon, the oldest and only sons of Alexander and Cassiana. Their wives, Aniya and Eliza, were with them. Michael also showed up, although he couldn't stay long because he had lessons and work. Aniya and Eliza also couldn't stay for very long because they were busy being prepared to be queens. As for Oliver and Maxon, they stayed a while before realizing that their father wouldn't be too happy about them skipping another meeting and hurried off.

Freya's lesson today was still more basic things: proper etiquette for being introduced to someone of equal, lesser, or higher status. The girls that weren't Twos seemed new to this, other than a few Threes, but they quickly caught on. Freya seemed impressed with how quickly we learned.

Three girls were sent home before dinner, I learned: Giselle Haiden of Carolina, Yvette Vaughn of Fennley, and Bronywn D'Angelo of Sonage. After dinner, Gabriel sent two more home, Grecia Sloan of Kent and Leona Graysen of Ottaro. They were the last Fives in the competition.

Waverly, Corinna, Delilah, and I return to our rooms together after dinner. "So," Waverly whispered, "why do you think they got sent home?"

Delilah shrugged. "I heard Giselle and Yvette telling Ulani and Harlyn what happened. Giselle apparently was a little too obvious that she only wanted sex from the prince, and Yvette apparently let it slip near one of the princesses that she wasn't even into guys, but she wanted to be a One."

Corinna gasped. "You're joking."

"I wish." Delilah said.

"What about the other two?" Waverly asked.

It's Corinna that answers this time. "Grecia and Leona both said something nasty about other Selected to the prince. Classic trash-talking. When I went out with Gabriel today, I asked him if they said anything about me or you guys."

"And? What did they say?" I asked, because it seemed to be my turn.

"Nothing about Delilah and something stupid about Waverly and her hair or something," She waved them off. "But they were bitchy about you."

"What did they say?" Waverly demanded before I could even open my mouth. She looked pissed.

"He wouldn't say," Corinna said. "Just that they said some rude things about you and one or two others especially, but he only mentioned your name. And he did not look happy."

"Great," I sighed. "I'm making enemies just by being here."

"You're not just here," Waverly argued. "I mean, you're making friends with Gabriel's cousins and siblings, you're becoming his friend...look at how it turned out with Gabriel's aunt and uncle! They were sort of friends, and now they're married and madly in love!"

"That will not happen," I insisted.

"Maybe not immediately," Delilah said. "But I can see it happening. Why else would Marisole be so angry when we told her that you and him would be cute together? Everyone here just knows that you and Prince Gabriel were meant to be together."

"Lies," I scoffed.

Waverly, Corinna, and Delilah exchanged a look and rolled their eyes at me. We parted ways and went into our rooms, and I barely slept that night, wondering if Corinna was telling the truth.