Selected: Part 1 - Rags to Gowns

4. THE WAIT

THE REST OF MY VACATION week, I spent helping out Bea and Lydia on cleaning jobs. They wanted me to keep some of the money we made but, of course, I let them keep all of it. Before leaving, I explained to Lydia that if by any chance I was selected, we needed to switch places at 4 am the following Saturday morning. That because palace officials would be coming to her house, perhaps early, expecting to find me there. I was relieved that she seemed excited rather than sad.

A guard came to get me and I parted ways with this warm, loving family, crossing my fingers that I would see them again. I was convinced that I wouldn't get any sleep until they announced the Selected, and I didn't. I spent all my time sewing gowns and suits for the royal family and their friends, and found that the manual work did wonders for my nerves. Maria and the other seamstresses were excited for me. In the four years I've been working here, I had not made any close friends. The seamstresses were all my friends, but I can't say I've felt any special bond with any of them. They were happy not because I was their best friend, but because one of us might get the chance to be up there instead of down here.

Luckily, I had been away long enough after they announced the Selection to not have been assigned as one of the maids for the selected. Each of the 35 selected women are paired to three maids and/or seamstresses. It seemed a little bit excessive, but these maids would have to make every one of their Lady's gowns as well as tend to her every need. In actuality, it was a huge honor for a maid to be chosen for a Selected girl, although this job had no specific time frame. It was an honor because for a maid, it meant she was competent and pretty enough to tend to a possible future princess. But I could never do it. How could I serve properly a girl who was exactly where I wanted to be? How could I listen to her brag about her dates with the prince? How could I help her look pretty for him? Surely, it would hurt too much.

Friday night, we all gathered in one of the few staff rooms to watch the report. I had chosen to go, along with two of the other seamstresses, including Maria, to the furthest staff room from the workshop, just in case my picture appeared on screen. This way, I didn't really know any of the staff around me, and if I kept my head down, no one would notice. The national anthem rolled in and I felt my heartbeat quicken. Thankfully, the general announcements were brief: in a few months, there would be a draft to recruit soldiers into the army or as guards. The rebels were being relatively quiet, which was good. And then, finally, the 35 Daughters of Illéa were to be announced.

"Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for..." Milo Ren said dramatically. "Let us congratulate the Ladies of the Selection!" Everyone in the staff room cheered, then inched closer to the TV. On the screen, you could see the prince's live reaction on the top left, and they would show the pictures of the selected girls in a large space in the middle. I froze, holding my breath.

"Miss Hazel Davis of Allens, Two!"

A breathtaking dark-skinned girl's picture showed up on screen. Some of the men whistled. I felt a pang in my chest. Even if I was selected, how would I stand out against girls like her?

"Miss Evelyn Macey of Sumner, Three!"

She seemed very cute. The prince smiled.

"Miss Shannon Faber of Bonita, Seven!"

I was surprised that they had let in a Seven, beautiful as she was, with her long, vibrant red hair. As it turns out, there was a few Fives and Sixes too, so I felt a little calmer.

"Miss Agatha Rainor of Labrador, Five!"

"Miss Violet Bethel of Columbia, Five!"

It felt like they had kept Angeles for last. I was so anxious I was starting to feel dizzy. 

"Miss Taylor Fox of Kent, Two!"

The staff cheered. Everybody knows Tay, world-famous pop star. On screen was the beautiful, tanned girl, with short, stylish platinum blonde hair that had ruled the top of the music charts for two years. Prince Ethan smiled and winked playfully, knowing far too well who she was. It was then that I was convinced that the Selection was not random at all, and I didn't know whether to feel comforted or mortified by the thought. I rubbed my hands together, not knowing what to do with them.

"Miss Audrey Atkins of Sota, Four!"

My heart sank, so many girls had passed already. It felt like my chances were becoming lesser and lesser.

"Miss Claire Evans of Hudson, Tree!"

"Miss Luna Atwood of Angeles, Six!"

My eyes widened as my picture occupied the screen. The prince's eyes had widened too, though it might just have been my imagination. He definitely smiled, and I had to hold back not to scream out of joy. I silently looked at my two friends, eyes practically bulging, and they seemed ecstatic. I didn't hear any of the other names. Instead, I excused myself from the staff room and went to my shared bedroom. Thankfully, my roommates were not inside, so I could cry freely. I felt so overwhelmed with emotion that I thought I might explode. I was a Lady of the Selection. This was my one shot.