TONIGHT WAS THE NIGHT. The Illea capital report was tonight and I couldn't be more prepared. Nicole was giving me speed questionsHow was I enjoying the palace? What was the most romantic thing Maxon had done for me? Did I miss my family? Had I kissed Maxon yet? I eyed Nicole when she asked me that one. I'd been throwing out answers to the questions, trying not to think too hard. But I could tell she'd asked that one out of genuine curiosity. The smile on her face proved it.
"No! For goodness' sake." I tried to sound mad, but it was too funny to be upset about. I ended up smirking. And that made Mary giggle. "Oh, just ... why don't you clean something!" She laughed outright, and before I could tell her to stop, Grace and Poppy burst through the doors with a garment bag. Poppy was looking more excited than I'd seen her since the moment I'd walked in the first day, and Grace seemed quietly devious. "What's this about?" I asked as Poppy stopped in front of me to give a buoyant curtsy. "We finished your dress for the Report, miss," she replied. My brow wrinkled together. "A new one? Why not the blue one in the closet? Didn't you just finish that one? I love it." The three of them exchanged looks. "What did you do?" I asked, pointing at the bag Grace was hanging up on the hook near the mirror. "Lady Janelle was booted because she spoke bad about America. All of the maids have taken than on board as the prince loves her. Every girl is going to be wearing blue. That means you will stand out in this!" Grace says revealing the dress. It was bright pink. That would be perfect.
Sure enough, the room was full of dresses in every shade of blue. Some of them fell closer to green, others closer to purple, but it was clear there was a theme. I felt immediately uncomfortable. I caught Celeste's eye right away and decided to just stay away from her until I absolutely had to go over to the seats. Kriss and Natalie walked past, having just checked their makeup one last time. They both looked a little unhappy, though sometimes it was hard to tell with Natalie. Kriss at least looked somewhat different from the crowd as well. Her blue dress was melting into white, like delicate strands of ice were weaving their way to the floor. The one person my maids were wrong sbout was America, she got the memo, she was wearing a deep red, she looked amazing in comparison. Now the two of us would stick out the most. "America!" Celeste calls out and I watch as she lures her into a corner and rips her dress. I couldn't help but smirk. I saved Celeste a seat in the front row. "I knew I liked you for a reason." I whispered to her as she sat down. It's official. Celeste is my best friend. "Your next." She whispers back.
It was almost time to start. Gavril was flipping through notes as the royal family came in at last. Maxon had on a dark blue suit with a pin of the national emblem on his lapel. He looked sharp and calm. "Good evening, ladies," he sang with a smile.
A chorus of "Majesty" and "Highness" fell over him. "Just so you know, I'll be giving one brief announcement and then introducing Gavril. It'll be a nice change; he's always introducing me!" He chuckled, and we all followed. "I know some of you are probably a little nervous, but you have no need to be. Please, just be yourselves. The people want to know you." Our eyes met a few times while he was talking, but nothing long enough for me to read him. I didn't want to after what happened this afternoon. I had nothing good to say about him. He didn't seem to notice the dress. My maids would be disappointed. He walked over to the podium, calling out "Good luck" over his shoulder. I could tell something was going on. I assumed this announcement of his would be related to what he'd told us today, but I still couldn't guess at what it all meant. Maxon's little mystery distracted me, and I wasn't so nervous anymore. I felt all right as the anthem played and the camera settled squarely on Maxon's face. I'd been watching the Report since I was a child. Maxon had never addressed the country before, not like this. I wished I could have told him good luck though. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of Illea. I know that tonight is an exciting night for us all as the country gets to finally hear from the twenty-five remaining women in the Selection. I can't begin to express how excited I am for you to meet them. I'm sure you will all agree that any one of these amazing young ladies would be a wonderful leader and future princess. "But before we get to that, I'd like to announce a new project I am working on that is of great importance to me. Having met these ladies, I've been exposed to the wide world outside our palace, a world that I rarely get to see. I've been told of its remarkable goodness and made aware of its unimaginable darkness. Through speaking to these women, I've embraced the importance of the masses outside these walls. I have been woken to the suffering of some of our lower castes, and I intend to do something about it. It will be at least three months before we can set this up properly, but around the new year, there will be public assistance for food in every Province Services Office. Any Five, Six, Seven, or Eight may go there any evening for a free, nutritious meal. Please know that these women before you have all sacrificed some or all of their compensation to help fund this important program. And while this assistance may not be able to last forever, we will keep it running as long as we can." I kept trying to swallow up the gratitude, the awe, but a few tears leaked out. I was still aware enough of what was coming next to worry about my makeup but so appreciative that it was no longer the top priority. How did he know we were hungry like this? I was ecstatic.
"I feel that no good leader can let the masses go unfed. Most of Illea is comprised of these lower castes, and we have overlooked these people far too long. That is why I am moving forward and why I am asking others to join me. Twos, Threes, Fours ... the roads you drive on don't pave themselves. Your houses aren't cleaned by magic. Here is your opportunity to acknowledge that truth by donating at your local Province Services Office."
He paused. "By birth you have been blessed, and it is time to acknowledge that blessing. I will have further updates as this project progresses, and I thank you all for your attention. But now, let's get to the real reason you all tuned in tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Gavril Fadaye!" There was a smattering of applause from everyone in the room, though it was obvious not everyone was enthusiastic about Maxon's announcement. The king, for instance, was clapping but without excitement, though the queen was radiant with pride. The advisers also seemed torn about whether or not this was a good idea. "Thank you so much for that introduction, Your Majesty!" Gavril announced as he ran onto the set. "Very well done! If this whole prince thing doesn't work out, you should consider a job in entertainment." Maxon laughed out loud as he walked to his seat. The cameras were focused on Gavril now, but I watched Maxon and his parents. I didn't understand why their reactions were mixed .
"People of Illea, do we have a treat for you! This evening we'll be getting the inside scoop from each of these young women. We know you've been dying to meet them and hear how things are coming along with our Prince Maxon, so tonight ... we're just going to ask! Let's get started with"-Gavril looked at his note cards-"Miss Celeste Newsome of Clermont!"
Celeste moved sinuously from her seat in the top row and down the steps. She actually kissed Gavril on both cheeks before she sat down. Her interview was predictable, and so was Bariel's. They tried to be sexy, bending forward a lot to get clear shots down their dresses. It looked fake. I watched their faces in the monitors as they kept glancing at Maxon and winking. Every once in a while, like when Bariel tried to smoothly lick her lips, Celeste and I made brief eye contact and then had to look away so we wouldn't laugh. Others were more composed. Tiny's voice matched her name, and she seemed to fold in on herself as the interview progressed. But I knew she was sweet and hoped that Maxon wouldn't count her out just because she wasn't a great public speaker. Emmica was poised, as was Marlee, the main difference being that Marlee's voice was so full of excitement and enthusiasm it flew higher and higher as she talked. Gavril asked a variety of questions, but there were two that seemed to pop up with everyone: "What do you think of Prince Maxon?" and "Are you the girl who yelled at him?" Then every single girl thought that Maxon was nice. That was almost always the word: nice. Celeste said that he was handsome. Bariel said he was quietly powerful, which I thought sounded creepy. A few girls were asked if Maxon had kissed them yet. They all blushed and said no. After the third or fourth no, Gavril turned on Maxon. "Haven't you kissed any of them yet?" he asked, shocked. "Only one." He said, I stand up straight.
Samantha had just finished saying she was having a wonderful time, and then Gavril called America. The other girls applauded as She stood, like we had for everyone I focused on my her and Maxon. He winked at her."America Singer. That's an interesting name you have there. Is there a story behind it?" Gavril asked. "Yes, actually. While my mom was pregnant with me, I kicked a lot. She said she had a fighter on her hands, so she named me after the country that fought so hard to keep this land together. It's odd, but to her credit, she was right-we've been fighting ever since." Gavril laughed. "She sounds like a feisty woman herself." "She is. I get a lot of my stubbornness from her." "So you're stubborn, then? Have a bit of a temper?"
I saw Maxon covering his mouth with his hands, laughing. "Sometimes." "If you have a temper, would you happen to be the one who yelled at our prince?" I sighed, now everyone knew. "Yes, it was me. And right now, my mother is having a heart attack."
Maxon called out to Gavril, "Get her to tell the whole story!" Gavril whipped his head back and forth quickly. "Oh! What's the whole story?" She tried to glare at Maxon, but the whole situation was so silly, it didn't quite work. "I got a little ... claustrophobic the first night, and I was desperate to get outside. The guards wouldn't let me through the doors. I was actually about to faint in this one guard's arms, but Prince Maxon was walking by and made them open the doors for me." "Aw," Gavril said, tilting his head to one side. "Yes, and then he followed to make sure I was all right.... But I was stressed out, so when he spoke to me, I basically ended up accusing him of being stuck-up and shallow." Gavril chuckled deeply at this. I looked up to Maxon, who was shaking with laughter. But the more embarrassing thing was that the king and queen were laughing along with him. I didn't turn to look at the girls, but I heard some of them giggling, too "And he forgave you?" Gavril asked in a slightly more sober tone. "Oddly enough." She shrugged. " Well, since the two of you are on good terms again, what sort of activities have you been doing together?" Gavril was back to business.
"We usually just go for walks around the garden. He knows I like it outside. And we talk." It sounded pathetic after what some of the other girls had said. Trips to the theater, going hunting, horseback riding-those were impressive next to hers But I suddenly understood why he had been speed dating over the last week. The girls needed something to tell Gavril, so he had to provide it. It still seemed weird that he hadn't mentioned any of it to me, but at least I knew why he had been away. "That sounds very relaxing. Would you say the garden is your favorite thing about the palace?" She smiled. "Maybe. But the food is exquisite, so..." Gavril laughed again. "You are the last Five left in the competition, yes? Do you think that hurts your chances of becoming the princess?" Did he just forget I exist?The word sprang from her lips without thought. "No!" "Oh, my! You do have a spirit there!" Gavril seemed pleased to have gotten such an enthusiastic response. "So you think you'll beat out all the others, then? Make it to the end?" "No, no. It's not like that. I don't think I'm better than any of the other girls; they're all amazing. It's just... I don't think Maxon would do that, just discount someone because of their caste." I heard a collective gasp. She'd called him Maxon. Saying that to another girl behind closed doors was one thing, but to say his name without the word "Prince" in front of it was incredibly informal in public. And She's said it on like television. Maybe my luck was changingI looked to see if Maxon was angry. He had a calm smile on his face. So he wasn't mad."Ah, so it seems you really have gotten to know our prince. Tell me, what do you think of Maxon?" "Maxon Schreave is the epitome of all things good. He is going to be a phenomenal king. He lets girls who are supposed to be wearing dresses wear jeans and doesn't get mad when someone who doesn't know him clearly mislabels him." I gave Gavril a keen look, and he smiled. And behind him, Maxon looked intrigued. "Whoever he marries will be a lucky girl. And whatever happens to me, I will be honored to be his subject." I saw Maxon swallow, and I lowered my eyes, this is why he likes her so much."America Singer, thank you so much." Gavril went to shake my hand. "Up next is Miss Tallulah Bell."