The Royal Picking

I opened my closet to try to find something nice to wear, but even I knew nothing would be perfect to wear today. Fortunately for me, someone knocks on my door.

"Who is it?" I ask, turning around to see Hollee in my doorway with her hands behind her back.

"What's going on?" I ask, confused as to why her smile was so big today, I chucked it up to the fact that today is The Royal Picking.

"Have you decided what you wanted to wear to the Picking?" She asks, coming into the room, I shake my head though by the smile on her face, she already knew this. I watched her move her hands from her back to right in front of me, in them was a long black dress with straps, bedazzled with pearls around the neckline, and embroidered designs at the bottom of the dress. She pushes the dress further towards me when I don't immediately grab it. I take it from her hands, admiring the beautiful dress. I don't even have to ask, I know it's for me, she knows me so well all the way down to the color and design.

"Thank you," I say, not knowing how to show her how appreciative I am. She nods and smiles, leaving the room and I can't help, but wonder when she made this dress and how long it took her. Before I can even try it on, she comes back seconds later arms filled with hair products.

"What are you doing, now?"

"You're hair."

"Hollee, no," I decline, "My hair is fine."

"It will be, when I'm done," she says, cheerfully, not taking no for an answer. She takes a seat on my bed, pointing me towards the floor between her legs. I take a seat and she unties the piece of yarn around my hair. She pours water on my hair and it trickles down my head, onto the towel she placed under my neck. Years seem to pass as she brushes out my tangles, putting products I knew nothing about on my hair, she hums the whole time. I find myself drifting off to sleep and drifting into a time where my mother would do the same thing when she did my hair, that was probably the last time anyone ever touched my hair.

When I wake from my nap, she's just almost done and I know it hasn't been that long because the sun's still out and I can hear someone using the shower, so I know father and Kai have finally woken up. She nudges me to stand up when she's done and my head feels tighter.

"Put on your dress, but be careful of your hair, don't look at it until you're all dressed," she says, as she goes to leave bringing all her stuff to her room so she can finally get ready.

"Thank you, Hollee," I say, as she closes my room, she smiles back at me, putting an even bigger smile on my face. I take a deep breath as I turn to the dress; reality has finally set in. I don't know how to feel now that there's only moments until the Royal Picking. Moments until the whole world could change.

After I put on the dress, I wait until they leave the bathroom so I can use the mirror. I hear footsteps as whoever it is walks to their room, I open my door walking to the bathroom quickly, nervous of anyone seeing me. I close the door behind me and look into the mirror and I barely recognize myself. My curls, for once, are defined and fall to the middle of my back, in the front of head, at the edge of my hair it is braided across into a braided crown. The dress fits perfectly showing my arms, I feel almost naked in it, not used to wearing something without sleeves. I didn't want to spend long in the bathroom in case someone came, so I saved the image of beauty I never saw in myself until now into my head to keep close. I go to open the door, but it goes flying open and I see Ermes in a black suit and tie. I guess everyone's getting dressed up for the Picking. His mouth flies open trying to find his words, but I find mine first.

"You clean up nice," I say, surprised to see him in anything other than slacks.

"I could say the same thing about you," he snaps back, "You look beautiful." I nod, exiting the bathroom so he can enter, I quickly walk to my room, praying I don't run into anyone else and hoping the eyes behind me stop staring. I open my closet, putting on a black jacket to wear over the dress. There's only so much change I can accept, I think to myself, as I put on the soft shoes I wore yesterday. I grab my bag slipping that on, now ready to leave, I walk down the stairs. Kailan bumps into me at the end of the staircase, dressed in a similar suit Ermes has on, but in dark brown, complimenting his almond skin. An even bigger surprised look appears on his face as he sees me and I feel myself wanting to disappear.