I stood there on the beach for a long time. The waves gradually got stronger as the night began to swallow the world in darkness. A storm was brewing not just in the world but in me. I was conflicted. I have no wish to move up in the caste, or to marry the prince, but my father is growing older just as fast as he is getting poorer. The rain begins to fall and I'm not sure if I'm crying.
I turn away from the sandy shores and up to the mandatory residential living compounds Waverly gives to the people in Caste 7. It sounds like there are bullets hitting the hard, steel houses as the rain becomes a storm. There's a letter in our mailbox but no lights on in the house. I open the always unlocked door to our small four room house. There's a candle smoldering in an open window and the faint outline of my father on the ragged old couch. I pick up the moth eaten blanket off the floor and I carefully put it back on my father.

I evade the few obstacles in my way and make it to the three other doorways in our home. One leads to a bathroom, the second leads to a bedroom where three worn beds cradle my brothers while they sleep and the third leads to a makeshift bedroom for me, but it's really a closet. I slip inside and shut the door before I turn the small lamp by my bed on. It's freezing so I slip into a tattered sweater and sweatpants and crawl beneath my knitted blanket I made a few years ago. Before sleep overwelms me I pull out the letter. For the first time I realise its written on a thick, white envelope. My name is written on it in cursive and the stamp from the Castle is in the right hand corner. I rip it open knowing all too well what's written on the letter.

I never thought I would have this chance to give my family something so valuable, especially as the winter months are coming quickly. I lay it gently on the ground and feel asleep.

~

It stopped raining and the sun was shinning through the window. My brothers are up, competing with each other to get the most breakfast they can eat, which isn't much since we don't have a lot. I change into a black sweater, black jeans, worn work boots and a faded green jacket and walked right through my doorway and into my father. We say our good mornings and head to the table. We all eat the brown mush that I made the other day before I clear the table, just like every morning, except this time I replace dad's bowl with the envelope and start doing the dishes before he sees my face. Evan gets up to help me while Roy and Ronan sits at the table board waiting for dad to get up.

But when he doesn't and he doesn't say anything and we get done with doing dishes I turn towards the little wooden table to see that he's silently crying. My brothers read the letter my father has finally let go of. Everyone knows now, there's no hiding from the truth. I'm going to the Castle to compete for Prince Mason.

~

The days grow shorter, not just because it's gets closer to winter, but to the day I'll board a plane and fly all the way across the country to the Palace, to Prince Mason.

My father has gotten sicker and my brothers refuse every atempt he makes to work.

The house is getting colder and colder. We have no money to heat it, so even though I'm anxious to go and leave my poor family behind for heels and cocktail parties, I'm glad they'll have a steady income, hopefully all winter.

I must admit I'm eager to meet the Prince I can only read or listen to, I have never even saw a picture of him. No one can afford a tv, if you're a seven. I'm both puzzled but also mystified by the voice I hear briefly during the Updates and can only hope, and dream, of what he looks like is everything I picture a Prince to be.

What a silly game the Selection is but for some reason I can't help but have a rush of adrenaline and excitement that I'll be going to the Castle. My family will be payed for their services and when I get back life will resume and it will be good.