Rosalyn Osborne was a criminal, so they called her. Six years in prison changed her. No matter what others thought of her, she always knew her true self. She wasn't a criminal in her mind, but there was a public uproar when she was chosen for the Se...
I got to go to my room again. It was beautiful, just as I had imagined it had been. I recognized my belongings throughout the doors and some even stacked on the nightstand. I didn't remember putting any of it there.
Three girls came into the room after me. They stood there uncomfortably. I didn't know them.
"We are your maids miss Rosalyn. We have to get you ready for your interview later today." The oldest looking girl said quietly. I nod and follow the girls instructions.
It was over an hour before I was cleaned up and dressed. The scar on my head had healed completely but I hadn't finished physical therapy to help my shoulder. I was still in a sling.
I was in a beautiful knee length dress that was a pure white and made up of lace. It reminded me of a wedding dress.
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I loved it. I felt beautiful in it. But, my hair was only growing back in patches. I looked at myself in the mirror. My eyelashes were dark and I only had a little bit of neutral eyeshadow on and red lip stick.
"Miss?" One of my maids ask. I turn around and couldn't keep from smiling when I saw what was in her hand. "It was made of your own hair when it was shaved off."
My blonde hair was only shoulder length when the wig was pinned to my head. There were loose curls that seemed perfect.
But I looked nothing like I ever had before. I wondered if I looked like this during the Selection.
"Thank you." I say quietly.
Before they responded, a knock came at my door.
"Come in." I say and turn to the door. The door opens and the prince stands in the doorway. He smiled when he saw me, with meaning behind the happiness I didn't know if I'd ever understand.
"Can I take you on walk before your interview?" He asks me. My maids hurry into the bathroom so that they didn't interrupt. I nod and slide into the white wedges that my maids had set out for me. I begun to walk, surprisingly finding ease with it. I used to never be able to walk in heels.
I meet the prince at the door and step into the hallway with him. We walk in silence for a while as I admire the palace.
"I try so hard hoping maybe something will ring a bell and I will remember everything. Or maybe at least recognize something." I say and look around. I didn't want to make eye contact with the prince and make it awkward.
"All you remember is the palace from when you were a child?" He asks.
"Yeah. Your highness, where will the interview be?" I ask. I was only told I would be escorted there.
"Call me North, please." He says first. "In the garden. Since it's pretty outside today."
"The gardens sound nice." I note calmly me nos my head slowly.
"You liked it." Was all the prince managed to say. I thought about what he said for a moment.
"How many girls are left?" I ask curiously. I wondered how much the prince really did care for me to keep me around compared to the other thirty five girls.
"Twelve." He answers. "The attack on the palace caused a few girls to want to leave. And I have also eliminated a few."
"I hate the bring this up," I begin and watch him look toward me, nervous. "I heard you talking about one of the selected getting killed during the attack. Did I know them well?"
He was quiet for nearly an entire minute before he answered.
"She was the only one I saw you talking to often. You seemed really fond of her." His breath got caught in his throat and he stopped in the middle of the hallway. I was glad. My chest began to hurt.
"Maybe I don't want to remember that. Maybe it would only make it harder to get on with my life." I mutter and play with the hem of my dress.
"We should get to the gardens now. They should be expecting us soon." He says and stands, offering his hand then quickly changes his mind and just intertwines our arms formally.
"Are they going to be speaking to you too?" I ask.
"They always do." He shrugs.
"How am I supposed to do this? I've never been in this position and I don't want to make a fool of myself." I breathe out.
"Just don't worry about it. I promise there is no need. The press is just a way to embarrass people in the spotlight." He shrugs.
I nod slowly and we are stopping at two huge doors. I suck in a breath.
"It'll Be Fine." He tells me with an attempted smile. I try and smile back but it turns into a grimace.
We walk out and all of the other girls were there. I'd seen some of the selected in the hallway and a few even came to talk to me in the hospital but I didn't remember them.
Everyone watches me and I freeze. My feet stop moving and my fingers involuntarily dig into North's arm. Cameras had immediately captured my face. I wanted to leave. I didn't want to come back.
"I'm right here. I'm not leaving." He says quietly. I was comforted by it so much that it scared me. I barely even knew this boy. I ignore it and let myself calm down enough to walk forward. I hold tightly onto him and try and ignore the others.
"Miss Rosalyn. Follow us this way." A man with a camera tells me. I follow them at the arm of the prince. They sit us in a confining gazebo, them on one end and the prince and I are on the other side.
"So, we all heard about your incident during the attack on the palace." The man begins and four cameras are shooting from different angles. "We were told you lost your memory. Is that true?"
"Yes." I answer vaguely.
"What is the last thing you remember?" The man asks again.
"I remember walking into the palace the first day of the selections. The doors opened and then I was in a hospital bed." I say slowly.
"How has your recovery been?"
"Good. I didn't think I'd get to where I am so soon but I had some really great doctors that helped me." I say with an attempted smile.
The way I was acting, the way I was smiling and not snapping at these people, it wasn't me. And I didn't know who it was.
After a few more random questions, I think they are finally nearing the end.
"So I think the question we all have been dying to ask is, are you going to be staying in the Selection?" The man asks.
I wasn't sure. North had told me I would stay till I got my memory back, but what about after that? What would I do then? Luckily, he came to my rescue.
"Lady Rosalyn will be staying until she regains her memory." Not if. How could he be so sure? "After then is not foreseen."
I just nod slightly to support what he said.
"Thank you for your time Lady Rosalyn." The man finally says. I nod and after they leave I stand and breathe out. My shoulder still hurt.
"Am I allowed to go to my room?" I ask the prince.
