The Lost Princess - A 'Selection' spinoff

CHAPTER 4

Two of them looked as young as Aurora, but the other two looked older.

One of them chuckled. "You must be wondering why Beth and Estelle look old enough to be your Gran, Lady Aurora".

"Mostly to act as chaperones. In case the Prince decided to visit you in your rooms sometimes," the older woman, Estelle said, winking at them.

Aurora laughed, not noticing Kate flush deeply.

Andrea clapped her hand twice, and a holographic screen opened up.

"This is the live telecast of the Report," she said. "You may want to listen to the others and see how they reply, and what questions Grigori asks".

"Each Selected is given about fifteen to twenty minutes to impress the Prince, and you will mainly be conversing with him and Grigori. As you can see, the King and Queen will be seated near the Prince, and they won't really speak, but they will be listening to everything you say. Oh, and there will be a small audience as well," Julia said.

"Remember to be polite. However prodded, do not lose your patience. It is all a test," Andrea said.

"And Kate - no swearing please. The royal family will be scandalized if they hear you curse," Julia added.

"Now that we've briefed you on that, it's time to discuss your looks for the Selection," Andrea said. "As discussed, Aurora will have the normal Girl-Next-Door vibe, while you, Kate... Well, Julia and I decided to give you the image of the 'sunny' person".

"Cool. Sunny side up. Just the way I like my eggs," she called out from the bed.

"So your closets have been updated with suitable clothes, and we'll choose from them-".

"Before that," Aurora began, "I just wanted to set a few conditions".

"Conditions?" her maids asked, frowning at her.

"Yes," Aurora said. "Conditions.  First of all, call me Aurora. No Lady Aurora. No 'miss'. Just Aurora, or any other nickname".

"Is Lady Aurora considered as a nickname?" Eliza asked cheekily.

"No," Aurora said. "And my next condition is that I bathe, and don myself in my clothes alone. You can do my make up and my hair, but I dress up and bathe on my own".

The four maids looked at the mentors.

"The conditions do sound reasonable," Julia said at last, shrugging and beckoning Kate to get up from the bed.

"How long will it take for us to go on stage?" Aurora asked, unmuting the telecast that played silently on the screen.

"Most likely a few hours," Julia called out from the next room, trying to pull her ward to her feet. 

"You're number 20, Aurora," Andrea explained. "It'll take a while for them to finish the first twenty. They usually rush through the ones at the end, but I have a feeling you'll be just fine".

Andrea rummaged through the large closet, and pulled out a blue, flowy tunic and dark, black pants.

The look in Andrea's face confirmed Aurora's suspicions - she knew that she was abused. She had somehow figured it out in the short time they'd been together.

That was why she'd given her an outfit that covered her body completely.

"Thank you," she muttered, not waiting to see Andrea's slight nod.

She took her clothes, and walked into the large bathroom. She flinched as she took off her clothes, and stared at her naked self on the mirror.

Bruised and in shades of purple and blue in every place except her face and neck. She slowly washed her face, and put on her clothes.

The minute she walked out, Estelle and Grace hurried to her, powdering her face, applying slight make up, latching simple silver earrings to her ear.

"How do you want us to do her hair, Miss Andrea?" they asked her mentor.

Aurora took this moment to crane her neck and see Kate. She was dressed in a summery floral yellow dress, and her hair was in the process of being curled. It would most probably be bunched with a ribbon.

Kate's makeup hadn't been done yet, but she looked absolutely stunning.

Like a beautiful, yet expensive doll.

"Eyes, here, Aurora," Estelle said, forcing Aurora to look at herself in the mirror.

"Put her hair in a pony tail. Leave a few tendrils free, and curl them," Andrea said.

"Her hair is too thick, Miss Andrea," Grace said.

"Gel it?" Andrea half asked. 

The maids nodded, and squeezed a bottle from with purple gel, and applied it on Aurora's scalp and hair.

"I look like a zombie," she said.

"You'll look fabulous once we're done," Estelle assured her while massaging her scalp.

Aurora smiled gratefully and turned her attention to the screen, trying to absorb what questions the host - Grigori - asked. He made a few inappropriate jokes, and the contestants did their best to answer them smoothly. 

The King and Queen sat in icy silence, and Aurora resisted the urge to shudder. If they stared at her the same way they did with the others, she would definitely fumble over her words.

The Prince seemed friendly enough, his pale hair falling over his eyes as he smiled.

Nope.

Still not attracted to him.

All the other Selected ones looked different - all were dressed in elegant skirts and dresses, and their limbs glittered with jewels. Most of them were polite, they spoke well, and joked too. 

But a few acted outlandishly desperate.

The only things they talked about were the Prince and the Crown.

"I bet a hundred bucks that these girls will be eliminated by tomorrow," Kate called out from the next room.

"You read my mind," Aurora said, forcing a smile, despite knowing she couldn't see it.

She forced herself to breathe evenly - would she also be the same way in front of the camera?