The Truly Divine

Chapter 10: Lost In Daylilies

Author's Note: Just to remind those of you reading Kate is the girl that Eliza met when she was 14 and Arroya is the middle class city that I may have forgotten about hahaha. The ranking goes as followed: Golden Grove, Silver City, Arroya and Balmer.
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I sit and listen to the idle chat, knowing I have no choice but to engage. A dinner party at the Richmond house, the closest to the Prince, where the 16 year old Brady lives. Tomorrow I will join him to the palace to meet the Prince and Princess in hopes to snoop around and find out more information, but first I have to make sure non-royalties admire me.

"So is there a gentleman who has your heart Miss Harold?" Asks one of the older women at the long dining table. My heart and mind races to the night that Matt said I love you, a long seven days ago. I mentally slap myself for having said nothing...we haven't spoken since.

"I...um...it's-" I stutter before a couple of the girls laugh, "Oh Eliza we all know better than to think you have a suitor," Catherine Archibald snorts. I cringe slightly at the sound of her voice, practically feeling the nasally sarcasm hit my face.

There are 5 families within the Truly Divine: Montgomery, Richmond, Archibald, Fallbrook, and of course Harold. Unfortunately that means that the five families are supposed to be close but I most definitely am not close to Catherine; I suppose her loathing from me stems from jealousy, seeing as she was never personally asked to any ball.. Her biggest annoyance with me is probably the fact that I have never cared for the attention that is thrown at me from the opposite sex, or from the same for that matter. Being led to live a wealthy founding family life, where I marry someone from equal or of more money, has never held my interest and it's something that everyone has always known.

I've stood at arms reach from this fabricated life for 18 years until the goal was bigger than me...bigger than all of us.

"Cat has your tongue Eliza?" Catherine smirks.

"No, but another creature of equal annoyance. Just add six letters to the end." I coyly brush a couple of blonde tendrils from my face and smirk while the others at the table snicker away. Daggers are thrown my way from Catherine's icy cold stare, but I ignore her and turn my silken wrapped shoulder to the others.

My smart remark seems to have won over the audience at the dinner table, as everyone flocks to me for the reset of the meal. My body is swallowed with exhaustion once the night is done and I stand outside in the warm night air allowing it to soothe my nerves.

"You did great tonight." The voice startles me before recognizing the soft tone.

"Thanks Anna. I guess I have no choice but to get these people to like me, it's all about the long hall now." I stare up at the sky, envying the bright stars so far away and shining brilliantly on their own.

"Speaking of long hall, have you spoken to Matthew?" She coyly fails to ask.

I smile bleakly at her failed attempt to be discreet but soon feel embarrassed that she must know.

"How do you know?" I turn to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"We spoke this morning and he told me. Eliza, he didn't say specifics but he's all messed up about what happened between you two."

I hear a soft whistle and see that my car has arrived, "When will he be back in Golden Grove?"

"Tomorrow night. He should be in the meadows behind the city...please go see him Eliza."

"Goodnight Anna," I turn awkwardly and slide into the back seat of the long black car.

The darkness is overwhelming and I find myself silently sobbing as we drive through the busy streets of the city nightlife. Not before long, I arrive in front of the big bird fountain establishing my housing complex. I thank the driver absent mindlessly and head upstairs in a hurry. I thank my lucky stars that my parents are sound asleep and slip out of my dress and into the shower in a desperate attempt to escape my mind.