Chosen- A Selection Fanfiction

Chapter 4

The week had gone by without any hitches. Nothing bad in the tabloids, no encounters with Aaron, and I didn't have to cry myself to sleep over anything. And as a bonus, today was my day off.

I decided to go to the dressmaking room, and I took all of my maid's dresses. Janet had taught me how to follow designs and measure people, and I've taken advantage of that. I was tired of the plain black uniform, and I was going to add my own style to it.

I didn't do anything huge to most of them, but I got different types of shoes, added collars and buttons, and customized my cap after I got the coffee out of it. When I was dressed in a newer outfit, I decided to go see Harrison.

I kept my gaze low to the ground as I walked around the infirmary staff. They knew me far too well; I visited here a lot, so they could've recognized me. I eventually got through all of the paperwork, saying I was a family friend of Harrison. They put my name in a file.

I went up and down the familiar hallways, and I glanced at Nathan's old room, which was right next to Harrison's. I let out a small smile and looked in the door of Harrison's room.

I froze when I saw Aaron in there. Harrison caught my gaze, and his eyes widened. He shook his head, and when I saw Aaron begin to turn, I ducked out of the way. I heard the doorknob jiggle and I darted into Nathan's old room and shut the door.

"Is anyone there?" I heard Aaron ask loudly. I looked at him through a corner. He looked around, but when he saw nothing, he looked back into Harrison's room. "I have to go. Tell me if you hear from her, ok?"

He left the infirmary, and I waited until he went through the swinging doors to come out of my hiding place. I sighed and took off my cap, so I could run my fingers through my hair. I went into Harrison's room.

"Hey," I smiled. "It's been a little while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah. I was really surprised when you didn't come see me on your birthday," he raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry," I said sheepishly. "I have a lot of work to do now that I have a job."

"How's that going? I hardly recognized you in that costume."

"It's a uniform, Harry," I rolled my eyes. "It's a lot better than expected. Nobody recognized me, so that's good."

"I guess. When are you going to tell everyone who you are?"

"I'm not," I replied simply.

"Elisa, you're going to have to spill eventually," Harrison reasoned.

"When America thinks the time is right, I'll stop dying my hair and take out my contacts. Maybe I'll go to college, try to work back up the caste system. I don't know, Harrison. It's probably better this way, even if I am a six."

"You can't be doing everything America says, Elisa."

"She's the Queen. We kinda have to," I said playfully.

"You know what I meant, Elisa."

"Whatever. I have to go, but I'll see you later, ok?"

"When is later?" Harrison asked.

"Probably my next night off," I responded. "Later, Harry."

"Bye, El," he called after me. I closed the door and came face to face with Landon. My face went red as I took a step back.

"Hi," I said with a chuckle. "How long were you standing there?"

"Not long. I just came to re-stock the first-aid kit. Chef Chan burned his arm and used up the last of that balm you used last week," he said casually with a shrug of his shoulder. Flour was on the shoulder of his blue t-shirt. "Why did he cal you 'El'?"

"L, for Lia," I lied smoothly. I was going to hell with all of the lying I was doing.

"Oh," he said, nodding his head like he understood. "Will you be making a coffee run tonight?"

"No, not tonight," I smiled. "It's my day off. Tell Charlie I said hey, alright?" Charlie was his younger brother that also worked in the kitchens. He was sixteen and washed the dishes.

"Will do," he grinned. His Irish accent almost made me laugh. "See ya later, Lia."

"Bye," I said as I walked away, putting up a hand as a backward wave.

I found myself going to the stables to visit Ira. I stuffed my hair into the cap, not bothering with the hair that wouldn't fit into the front. I grabbed a brush so that I wouldn't look suspicious.

I went to Ira's stall and opened the door to reveal the beautiful white mare. She seemed uneasy, but that was probably because she didn't recognize me. I let her sniff my hand, the way you would with a horse, and she calmed immediately. She recognized my scent.

"How have you been, girl?" I cooed. "I haven't seen you in a long while."

I ran my hand along her neck until I got to her flank. I groomed it with the brush, humming a song under my breath. I longed to ride her out in the open plains, but I couldn't since she was Elisa's horse, not Lia Kane's.

"I'm sorry, but you're not allowed in here," somebody said gruffly behind me.

I leaned my head on Ira's back and sighed. "Can I have a few minutes, please?" I pleaded softly. This was the one piece of Aaron I could still have to myself, and she was a piece of my old life I wasn't ready to give up.

"No," they said sharply. I snapped my eyes open to see Aaron in the door of the stall, possessiveness haunting his beautiful blue eyes. He had on a simple white shirt and dress pants, but I could tell it was his casual wear.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness. Ira's a very beautiful horse," I said, attempting to explain myself.

"How do you know her name?" He asked skeptically. I froze in a mid-panic.

"The stable man told me," I said hastily. He didn't look convinced with his eyebrow raised. "His name was Thomas. He had a southern accent," I said, describing my riding teacher.

He still didn't seem entirely sure, cautious to believe my tale. Damn it, who could blame him? I was lying, after all. "Alright," he said unsurely. "Just be sure not to come in here again, ok? This one means a lot to me."

"Yes, your highness," I said with a bow of my head. My gaze held the ground once again as I went by him.

It took so much of me not to cry as I raced up the palace steps, crying over the love I had lost.