Royal 2 (Book two in my Selection series)

Chapter 35

"I will be taking three girls out on dates today and if you were not picked for a date then you will be going on a group date sort of later tonight." Will says in front of the group of girls.

He stands confidently in front of the couches and checks the small round watch on his wrist.

"I have three individual dates tonight and I'd like to get ready for those while they do so and I'll leave the names here." Will smiles and drops an envelope on the table in front of us. The girls wait till he leaves the room to jump up and take hold of the envelope.

"Josie, Violet, and Autumn. You all have dates today and the rest of us are on a group date." Eden says with a smile and sets the envelope down.

"Is it in that order?" Violet asks.

"I'm assuming. I guess you should just be ready whenever he is." Josie shrugs and stands up to get ready for her date whenever it may be.

I follow her out of the room and into my own room. I wasn't planning on changing much of my appearance for my date, so I sit on my window seat and stare out into the beach and decide I could wait any longer.

I slide on a pair of sandals and walk out onto the patio behind the house. There were lounges and tables, but one thing that caught my attention was a comfy looking hanging chair at the end of the porch. I make my way to it and sit and stare out at the Ocean.

"Miss, would you like a drink?" A middle aged man asks me with a slight accent.

"No it's fine." I tell him with a smile.

"I really insist you try something. It's all very good and different than what you usually have." The man smiles and keeps on. I couldn't help but return it genuinely and give in.

"Sure. Anything without alcohol." I answer. "But surprise me otherwise. Just give me whatever you like best."

"Coming right up." The man smiles and leaves me. I wait for less than five minutes before he returns with a coconut with a spice sprinkled across the top and leaves perched on the top with a long straw coming from the top.

"Thank you so much." I say to him. The man smiles and walks away and I'm left there with the drink in silence.

The drink tasted like a sort of fresh eggnog mixed with sweet berries and mint leaves. I smiled and looked out to the beach and turned in the chair slightly to look out at the beach.

I see to figures close to the ocean, knee deep in the water and there he was. Will. Already starting his first date with Josie by locking lips.

I pulled my eyes away from Will kissing her by the water and stood up from my seat. I understood what type of competition I was competing in, but he told me he loved me and I just didn't understand why this would have to happen.

I walk inside and in my room and sit on my window seat. I would stare out this window all day until I was interrupted. There was a soft knock at my door and I turn my head quickly.

"You Ready?" Will asks and attempts a smile. I grin back somehow automatically happier once I saw him.

"Yeah lets go." I say and stand up to follow him outside. He takes me hand in his and leads me to the living room and out the front doors. I wished we hadn't been by the living room since there were a few girls sitting there and they all stared at me disbelievingly. I hold my breathe and put my head down and ignore the rest.

"Is there anywhere you really want to go?" He asks me.

"No, not really." I reply honestly. "I was outside earlier and the people that work here are very nice."

"Yes, they really are." Will smiles and takes me out to the porch and then down to the sand. "Do you like the ring?"

I nod and look down at it with a smile. I hadn't taken it off for anything but to sleep and shower.

"I do." I answer simply and follow him in the direction of the rocks we had been to earlier where he had given me the ring.

"Look," He begins and sits on a short rock. "I want this selection to be over before Christmas. I think my father will be content with that amount of time and it will be easy enough, but I don't want to do it if you aren't ready."

I sit beside him and look down at the rock beneath my and push the loose sand from the rock into a small circle.

"I'm ready." I mutter. "I'm nervous because I don't actually know if I'll be any good at this type of life."

"Don't worry about that part of it. My mother always said she never thought she'd be good, but now she's an amazing queen- quite possible the best we've had in years." He smiles.

I return the smile and lean against him. Everything about this experience was never expected.

"I didn't expect to fall in love with you." I mutter quietly.

"Yeah, me neither. I didn't think I'd even find love." Will kissed my head and I feel him smile against my hair. "Good thing it happened though, right?"

I look up and grin happily. "I guess so." I lean against a rock behind us and stare at the calm waves in front of me.

"Do you want kids?" Will asks. My eyes widen and I turn to look at him, but he wasn't looking at me.

"Later. Maybe in five or so years." I shrug.

"Well yeah, of course not now. Your barely eighteen and I don't feel ready for that either. Honestly I don't think I'm ready to be king yet. That is a lot of responsibility and pressure with so many eyes on you." Will sneaks an arm around me and pulls me close enough to him that our sides touched.

"If I don't have doubts about you being king than you shouldn't either." I tell him confidently. "Remember we promised each other we wouldn't be scared."

"Yeah. I guess we did." Will sighs.

"You're still scared though, aren't you?" I ask him without looking to him.

"Yeah." Will answers shortly.

"Well I am too."