I was stunned into silence as Lady Gladys left the dining hall. The girls that remained were Esme, Ashley, Isadora, Katherine, Fiona and...myself. I was utterly confused as to why I was still seated and not walking out the dining hall along with the other girls. Were 7 girls leaving instead of 6? I could tell the other girls were confused. Esme's eyes narrowed as she looked between me and King Albert.
"We are now down to The Six. One of you, in a few weeks' time, will be betrothed to Prince Carlos and will be the next Queen of Aridia. Congratulations, Ladies," King Albert nodded.
I...had made The Cut?
I still couldn't believe it. I knew very well that it was stated in The Choice rules that if a lady didn't attend The Demi Ball, she would be cut from the competition automatically. Why was I still seated at the table?
"Lady Madeline did not attend The Demi Ball. Isn't that against the rules?" Esme asked. This time, she didn't bother to hide her true character behind innocent smiles and giggles.
"Lady Madeline's situation was assessed and we deemed her fit to continue on in this competition," Queen Amelia spoke. "If you would like, Lady Esme, we can further investigate how Lady Madeline got stuck in the Ladies' Salon."
Esme flushed a deep shade of red and I stifled a giggle.
"Now without further ado, we will leave you to return to your rooms. Good luck as the competition progresses," Queen Amelia closed off before the royal party exited the room.
Just before he left, Carlos' eyes met mine and I didn't miss the mischievous spark in them.
"You little snitch," Esme seethed.
"What, did you expect me to keep quiet about how you locked me in the Ladies' Salon?" I demanded.
"You locked her in the Ladies' Salon?!" Katherine exclaimed, her bosom heaving as she gasped.
"I'm not in the mood for this," Esme scoffed before she left, Ashley not too far behind.
"I'm going to bed as well," Isadora yawned, raising her angular hands to her mouth.
Katherine gave Fiona and I an awkward look before leaving as well.
"And then there were 2," I sighed, before Fiona enveloped me in a bone crushing hug.
"I'm happy to be here too," I grunted when Fiona finally let go. We were the only ones in the dining hall.
"I thought you were going to be sent home- or I was going to be sent home," Fiona let out a relieved sigh.
"But we're here now," I offered her a smile. I still didn't know how to feel about making it through The Cut. I was happy that I was going to be able to hold up my part of the deal with Carlos and not leave him lonely, but the first half of the competition itself was stressful. Was I ready to go through the second half?
***
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.
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!