For centuries, the royal family of Aridia has hosted The Choice, the competition where the eligible daughters of the Nobles of Aridia, come together to vie for the hand of the heir to the throne. This year, Prince Carlos is the heir to the throne a...
That night, I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned in my bed, the same thoughts running through my head over and over again. How did Carlos manage to keep me in the competition? Why did Queen Amelia 'come to my defense' when Esme questioned my position in the competition? After about an hour of thinking, I finally fell into a deep sleep.
***
"Lady Madeline!" Lucy's high pitched voice cut through my sleep.
Disoriented, I slowly opened my eyes, to see Lucy and Imogen looking down at me. It was barely one day into the start of the second half of the competition, I hoped this wasn't their way of informing me about another event. All I wanted to do was sleep for another week, at least.
"What is it?" I yawned, blinking my eyes clear. "Don't tell me I have another event today."
Lucy and Imogen exchanged nervous looks. "A really important one at that."
I stuffed my face into my pillow and let out a long groan. "Can't I just get one day of rest?"
"Sorry to burst your bubble, Lady Madeline. But this part of the competition will be harder than the last. There will be hardly any time for you to 'rest'," Imogen sighed.
I let out an annoyed breath. "Fine. What do I have to do today?"
"Today, the six remaining Ladies will have a press conference with the Aridian journalists," Lucy explained.
I couldn't say I knew what a press conference was so I stared back quizzically.
"What Lucy means to say is, today you introduce yourself to the citizens of Aridia. The journalists will ask you all sorts of questions. This is a chance for Aridia to get to know their future queen. As well as the fact that the Aridian citizens' opinion has a major role in who stays in the competition or not," Imogen elucidated.
I couldn't help but dread the press conference. I was horrible at making speeches and talking to people. I doubted the Aridian citizens would like me, as I didn't have Esme's charisma or Fiona's charm.
Shortly, Imogen and Lucy had me cleaned up and dressed in a light blue, puffed sleeve day dress, fancier than the ones I normally wore. I didn't bother complaining about how tight the corset was, as I was already becoming accustomed to the strangling feeling it brought.
"Just remember, be yourself. The Aridian citizens love honesty and someone they can relate to," Lucy said, as soon as she'd finished applying the lip balm to my lips.
My palms were sweaty and my heart was pounding. I hadn't even touched my breakfast, despite the hungry growling from my stomach. Public speaking and communication wasn't something I enjoyed.
"I hope I don't say something stupid," I muttered, wringing my wrists.
"You'll be fine!" Imogen rolled her eyes, practically pushing me out the door.
***
"I can't believe we're down to the final 6," Fiona squealed, squeezing my hand. "I'm so excited for the press conference."
"Of course you would be," I sighed. "You actually know how to speak."
"You'll do great, Maddie. It's just a few questions."
"It's not just a few questions," Katherine piped up. "This is the part of the competition where Aridia gets to know you. This is Aridia's choice as well as Prince Carlos'. If Aridia doesn't like you, then the chance of you winning is extremely low."
"And we can't forget the Citizens' Vote. Normally, it's the citizens' favorite that ends up winning the competition," Isadora spoke, for the first time that day.
"Apparently the citizens already have their favorites," Ashley added.
"It's quite obvious that is me," Esme flipped her hair over her shoulder, flashing me a devious wink.
"Trust me Esme, if Aridians wanted a rock as a Queen they'd have just held a competition for rocks," I gave her a sweet smile.
"I don't even know why you're here, Madeline. You obviously don't have the elegance or the beauty to be a Queen. You're probably present as a sign of Prince Carlos' empathy. Aridians want a Queen, not a sorry excuse for a Lady," Esme retorted.
I bit back a reply and turned away, I wasn't in the mood to start a fight with Esme. I still worried about the press conference. Was I at least going to pretend to be a Lady? Or be myself and show Aridia that a girl didn't have to be prissy and perfect to be a Lady?
As we walked into the grand hall, my heart threatened to burst out of my chest. Why did I ever agree to stay through The Cut? It was apparent that I wasn't ready to be a Lady just yet.
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Last chapter for the day guys! Don't forget to vote, comment and share. What do you think of Madeline making The Cut? What do you think of the characters so far and the book in general? I would love some feedback.
Stay safe guys, Chapter 29 and 30 out tomorrow so stay tuned!
