The Lost Princess - A 'Selection' spinoff

CHAPTER 11

What surprised her the most was that Kate's arm was slung around Adelaide's shoulder.

Wow.

Just wow.

"Um... Hi?" she said.

"How did the date go?" Kate asked.

"Was it romantic?" Adelaide asked.

There was a flurry of questions before Aurora became impatient and irritated and shouted, "STOP!".

Everyone became silent at once.

She exhaled. 

"Okay," she began. "He took me to a secluded gazebo where roses and carnations grew-".

Adelaide squealed.

Aurora gave her a look.

"He remembered they're your favorite flowers?" Kate asked.

Aurora nodded.

"So romantic," Andrea sighed.

"He's so dreamy," Julia added.

"Hey! Get your own prince!" Kate said nudging her Mentor.

"Okay, next?" Adelaide prodded.

"We talked and decided we're gonna be nothing more than friends," Aurora said shortly.

"WHAT?".

Aurora flinched at the loudness.

"It was mutual," Aurora explained. "No spark. Nothing".

"Wow," Grace said. "You basically rejected a Prince. You're my new role model".

"I didn't reject him!" Aurora said, knowing she was doing a bad job of explaining things.

"What did you do for so long, then? And what is that on your face?" Kate asked.

"We talked," Aurora said, and then pointed to her face before answering, "He threw chocolate at me".

It was true, right?

They did talk.

And even though Eric didn't tell her to hide what he had told her, Aurora felt she had a duty to not reveal it.

It wasn't her story to tell.

Eliza hurried to her with a wet towel and dabbed her face.

"Thank you," Aurora said. 

The chocolate was getting really sticky.

She flopped onto the bed, and decided to reveal some other common information.

"Did you know Queen Elora has an identical twin?" she asked the girls.

"No. Way," Kate said.

"There are two of them now?" Adelaide asked, groaning and falling dramatically on a pillow.

"Exactly my reaction," Aurora said. "And guess who she is?".

Beth and Estelle looked at each other and smiled. They knew who she was talking about.

"Who?" Kate and Adelaide asked.

"Elena. The Queen of Italy," she said.

"Oh. My. God," Kate said.

"Apparently she's coming in a few weeks," Aurora continued.

"Oh yeah, right. For the anniversary ball," Adelaide said nonchalantly.

"What ball?" Kate asked.

Adelaide gave her a stink eye. "You two have been holed up in this room for quite a while, you know. They announced the ball a few days back during supper. Other girls have already begun giving measurements to the seamstresses and designing their dresses".

"What are we going to do?" Kate asked Julia, almost in despair.

"Why fear when we're here, darlin'? We gave your measurements long ago. Your dresses are almost done," Julia said, winking at her ward.

"Unfair!" Adelaide complained. 

"Hey, all mentors knew about this much before you girls did. I'm sure Daniella already gave yours too," Andrea said, looking at Adelaide's Mentor.

"I did," Daniella said quietly.

"Coming to the topic of the ball, girls. I'm not worried about the dancing part - you people are quite good at that, but there's something else you need to know about," Andrea said, looking at the girls' blank faces.

"It's an old Illean tradition to give the King and the Queen a gift," Julia said.

"WHAT?".

"You heard her," Daniella said sadly.

"It's probably the most challenging thing you guys are going to do in your entire stay over here," Andrea said.

"Why?" Aurora asked, feeling stupid.

"What can you give a couple who have everything?" Daniella asked her.

"Good Lord," Adelaide said, looking as though she would burst into tears any moment.

But Aurora had an idea. 

She smiled brightly, and pulled the girls to their feet.

"Come on," she said. "I have a plan".