Another Selected (Book 1 of Selection fanfics)

Chapter 18

Derek wasn't at breakfast in the morning, as well as Genevieve. Both Liana and I were disappointed to see their empty seats; we had both been looking forward to hearing the story of Genevieve's prank. For a brief moment we considered asking Marlee, but quickly decided against it. Neither of us had ever spoken a word to the youngest princess, and the fact that we had known about the prank would probably not have looked good in the King and Queen's eyes.

Liana frowned as she picked at her food. "I really wanted to know what happened."

I nodded slowly. "Me too. I guess we'll have to find Genevieve later."

The other girls hadn't let Derek's absence stop them from chattering, choosing to speculate over what Celia had planned for us. Most girls thought it would be a lesson about the history of Illéa, while others thought it would be yet another lesson on how proper princesses should act. Personally, I could care less, as long as it didn't involve any dancing.

We had a couple of hours in between breakfast and Celia's lesson, so we decided to go back to Liana's room while we waited. Her maids were similar to mine, and chatted with us while we waited. One of them had lived in the palace since she was a young girl, and entertained us with stories of when Derek, Genevieve, and even Princess Everly were younger. Too soon, Liana and I were forced to leave and go back down to the Great Room for our lesson.

Six small tables were scattered around the Great Room, but a large space was cleared in the center. Each table had four seats with name cards set in front of plates and silverware. Looking at the amount of tables, I realized that there weren't enough seats for all twenty-seven girls; suddenly I remembered there had been three empty seats at breakfast this morning.

It took me a moment, but I remembered Layla, Brooklyn, and Merritt all being sent home after the Report. I hadn't really spoken to any of them, the reason as to why I'd forgotten them. It didn't feel strange without them here, but knowing that the number had dropped from twenty-seven to twenty-five this quickly was definitely wreaking havoc on my nerves.

"Ladies! Please, find your seats quickly so we may start the lesson!" Celia exclaimed over the whispers of confused girls.

Everyone rushed to find their name on a card, and I was disappointed to find that Liana was on the other side of the room. I was seated at a table with Henley, Elodie, and, unfortunately, Audrey. I shared small smiles with Henley and Elodie, but Audrey was the queen of glares. I was pretty sure her face would be stuck in a sneer forever, considering she did it so much.

"Attention! Listen up!" Celia cleared her throat from the center of the room. "Now, I know you're all wondering what it is we're doing here. Today we will be talking about the proper way to act in front of guests of the Royal family, and how to act during a Royal party. The Royal family has guests quite often, so it is vital that you understand this.

"We are preparing you girls for when those guests begin to arrive, which they will at some point in the near future. Preparing you early is key, so that we don't have any unfortunate, ah, mishaps."

I swore that she made eye contact with me, and I remembered how I had tripped right in front of her on my first night at the palace. I guess Celia isn't  the type to forget things easily.

"Over the next few lessons with me, we will practice your manners, how you should act with Royal families from other countries, as well as your skills on the dance floor." Celia smiled with amusement, and I felt my stomach drop.