⇺ ⇻ ♕ ⇺ ⇻
Once the Great Hall was filled with our guests we kept standing behind the door, waiting for our sign to walk in. Elliott and I stood in the front, me holding his arm when my nerves kept raising up. It wasn't because of the announcement, I kept hearing this voice in my head. A warning. But I hadn't found my father anywhere.
I could barely hear what was happening around me. All I could hear was the upcoming scream of my mother again. I had to focus on the event, I couldn't make a mistake right now.
Behind us, the families of the candidates had gathered around, starting with Cameron's family. I could feel the tension, no one said a word. Madame Orsini was talking with a guard and once she walked towards us I could see the fear in her eyes also.
'In one minute the gates will open!', she shouts so everyone could hear her. I grab Elliott's arm a little tighter, him looking concerned at me. The day had been good so far, almost perfect. For months I had hoped that the Selection would be over and now that it was actually happening, I realised that would mean Cameron wouldn't be around anymore.
He would work day and night again, trying to help his family. And I would spend the rest of my life looking at Theodore or Ezra at the side of my sister.
'Everyone quiet!' Madame Orsini urges and only a few seconds later the usual music sounds in the Great Hall, the doors open slow only to show us the biggest crowd of people I had ever seen in one room. If I had thought the gala ball was crowded, I was wrong. Literally no one could enter this room anymore.
Elliott and I walk forward, the cameras in the front following us. I could barely recognize anyone in the crowd and I could see Elliott was thinking the same. They had brought citizens to the castle, these people didn't work here. The priest stands on the tribune as usual when Elliott and I take a seat in the front, followed by the families who one by one get announced.
I could tell Audrey was proud and so seemed her parents. The only person who wasn't smiling was Ezra's mother, whose eyes stood wide open, not even blinking for a moment. I turn around to look at Jade and Estelle who both seem restless to figure out who Valentina had chosen. I smile at both of them before turning around, staring at the priest.
'Our Crown Princess!' He announces when the door opens again and Valentina walks in, her golden dress bigger than mine, her crown higher than I had ever seen. I could tell she was happy, her eyes twinkling in the light of the sun. She looked breathtaking. The three candidates followed her anxiously, even Ezra wasn't his usual self.
Behind them my father walked, guarded by two soldiers in uniform. If he was nervous he could hide it well. I always thought my father had a weird personality. He could fool everyone he wanted, showing the biggest smile even when he was terrified.
We all clap, some of the citizens point at my sister in disbelief, their eyes full of jealousy. It made me laugh for a moment. The only person that didn't seem interested was Olivia. Once our gazes met she looked away quickly, following my sister to the tribune. I stared at her in confusion for a while before focusing on the main event again.
The candidates had taken place on the three thrones in front of us, Cameron smiling excited when he saw his sister. My heart melting a little more. Val and my father stood next to our priest, ready to take the word.
'Dear family, friends and citizens', my father started. Everyone stopped clapping in a few seconds, sitting on the edge of their seats. 'Today we all will find out the news we have been dying to find out for seven months. But first I have to thank every one of you. We couldn't have done this without the work our staff has conducted, neither could we have done this without the support of our other Kingdoms. Let us all pray for a better future!' He announces before everyone starts clapping again.
It is that moment when Valentina walks to the front, ready to confirm her future that the scream in my head gets louder again, almost giving me a headache. I feel myself sinking down when I see her standing in the front, giving a speech while Elliott tries to hold me straight. I couldn't understand a word of what she was saying until another scream sounded through the hall, warning all of us.
'They're here!' A woman yells panicked. Val stops talking immediately, looking through the hall when she steps back, holding a hand against her mouth. The screaming in my head stops abruptly when I see dark soldiers behind the windows.
People stand up in a hurry, some scream and others run for their lives. I stand up, searching for Jade when someone grabs my arm and drags me along in the crowd. My attention completely focused on Madame Orsini who runs away with Elliott. People fall down on the ground and get trampled by others. It was a complete madness. Windows got smashed, letting the soldiers inside.
When I finally end up in the corridor, I release my arm and look around again, seeing my sister disappear in a side door.
'Val!' I yell loud but it doesn't matter. Someone grabs my waist and drags me along into a less crowded hallway.
'Follow Audrey!' Cameron yells to me when I see Audrey run down the stairs behind a secret entrance to the dungeons. I look up at him, seeing the despair in his eyes when he pushes me further.
'I'm fighting!' I insist. Cameron ignores me, pushing me towards the entrance were I see others run down the stairs.
'Cameron ...' I fight back but it doesn't help.
'Bring her to the dungeons only there she'll be safe!' He yells when Ezra runs past us. I look at both of them in disbelief. The whole castle was hectic. Ezra stares at us for a second before taking my arm.
'Aren't you coming with me?' I shout to Cameron.
'I've already told you I am here to protect my land and the people I love', he insists, looking behind him to make sure they hadn't seen us. Ezra releases my arm, mumbling something annoyed before disappearing in the secret tunnel.
'I'm not letting you fight!' I yell at him. Understanding how ironic this is in the end. He pushes me further in the tunnel but instead I push him against the wall, anger all in me.
'You can't leave me. I need you!'
'You saved my life ones, now I'm saving yours'.
'I don't want you to do that!'
'Rosa, I have to leave now', he whispers.
'Cameron Roman you are not risking your life for me!' I yell, tears streaming down my face.
'It will be an honour'. He takes both his hands around my face, looking me right in the eyes before leaning forward. His soft lips touching mine for the first time. My heart melting even more when our breath becomes even again, making me startle for a second.
After that he releases me, our eyes meeting for a few more seconds until we see Olivia sinking down in the hall. Blood all over her dress.
'Bring her to the dungeons!' Cameron yells to me and I run as quickly as possible to grab Olivia by her waist. A dark soldier appears in the corridor, seeing the entrance when I have no other option than to hide.
Together, Olivia and I stumble to the tunnel, leaving Cameron behind to protect us. With one last glance I see the man I love running away to the field that could possibly be his death. The wall closes behind us and Olivia sinks down next to the stairs to the dungeons, her breathing heavy. I turn to face the wall, knowing it needed extra protection I lay my hands against it.
'Muri tantum aperiat' I mumble when a green field lights up around it for a second, guaranteeing me that we would be safe down here. Olivia screams in pain and I hold her right up, both of us walking down the stairs slowly, disappearing under the ground. The only thing I could think about was Cameron, and how he could be death this moment.
When we're finally all the way downstairs I see some people sitting against the walls, most of them unfamiliar to me. It is the moment I see Jade's blue eyes I start crying and put Olivia aside on a chair.
'Rosa! Look out I'm bleeding'.
'I don't care', I mumble relieved when I approach her and close my arms as tight as I can around her. Jade had run away fast and still it seemed that they had found her. Olivia sat down next to Estelle who was trying to ease the bleeding. A dark soldier had cut her in her waist. Jade takes of her scarf to bind it against her waist. I couldn't tell if I was crying out of relieve or out of possible loss. Jade, Estelle and Olivia were safe, so was Ezra who had decided to hide again.
'Where is my brother?' I asked panicked.
'He's safe in another dungeons, my auntie takes care of him', Jade explains quickly. Olivia was still losing a lot of blood, luckily we had a few people who could help her.
'What about Valentina and my father?' I think back of Valentina who ran away, not even towards a dungeon.
'He is fighting on the field', Ezra mumbles from in a corner.
'Why aren't you?' I turn to him in disbelief, seeing that he wasn't even hurt.
'I'm not a King', he hisses.
'Every candidate promised he would do anything to safe the royal family in case of danger', I remind him in anger. Jade takes my shoulder softly, forcing me to sit down next to Audrey who had been crying.
'Your eyes', she whispers. I nod a little, feeling the burning in my throat again. I tried to ignore all of it.
'Why is my father fighting? He hasn't fought since my mother's dead', I say after a while, trying to find an answer.
'Valentina is missing', Olivia whispers through the pain. My eyes widen when I look at her, seeing the helplessness on her face.
'He is looking for her', she adds without breathing. For the first time we look at each other, completely understanding the feelings we had.
'You searched for her?' I guess and she nods while pressing her hand against her waist.
'She ran away', she notices soft.