When I get to the house I quietly open the door and walk in, setting down my purse and slipping off my shoes. "Ah! Adeline!" I hear my mom say. I look behind me and see her sitting on the window seat next to the door. She's obviously been waiting for me to come home and knew I'd use this door.

"Just look at what came in the mail today!" She says with an uncontrollable smile on her face. I take the small pile of papers from her and begin to read the cover letter:

To the House of Greene,

The province has confirmed that a woman between the ages of sixteen and twenty currently resides in this household. We would like to make you and the young lady aware of an upcoming opportunity to honor the great nation of Illea and help our nation grow.

Our beloved prince, Tyler Schreave, is turning twenty-one this month, making him of age to become Illea's next leader. As he ventures into this new part of his life, he hopes to move forward with a partner, to marry a true daughter of Illéa. If your eligible daughter, sister, or charge is interested in possibly becoming the bride of Prince Tyler and the adored princess of Illéa, please fill out the enclosed form and return it to your local Province Services Office. One woman from each of the thirty-five provinces will be drawn at random to meet the prince.

Participants will be housed at the lovely Illéa Palace in Angeles for the duration of their stay. The families of each participant will be generously compensated for their service to the royal family for the duration that the participants compete.

If chosen, the young lady cannot decline and she and her family will be invited to stay indefinitely at the palace in Angeles. 

Thank you,

From the palace of Illea and the royal family.

Behind the letter are some papers with many blanks and information. I lift my head back up to my mother, giving her a questioning look. "This is such a good opportunity, you should take it," she says, an almost pleading look on her face.

"But we're pretty well off and don't you like your job?"

"Yes, but we could be Ones! Doesn't that sound great?" My mother stands and puts her hands on my shoulders. "But even if you don't want to be the princess, the compensation would help with your brothers' schooling payments."

"Yes, but I need to keep working on my studies. This would only be a distraction." I pull away from her and start walking further into the house. I softly place the papers on the window seat and continue walking away.

"You can keep studying while in the palace, they probably have better books than us. Doesn't that sound great?" She grabs the papers and quickly follows me from behind. "Besides, you might not even be picked, what's the harm in just signing up?"

I continue to walk, going towards the stairs up to my room. "I don't know, it seems too troubling to me."

"Oh come on, I'll buy you any one thing that you want if you sign up," my mother pleads as she follows me up the stairs.

"I don't want anything."

"Then I'll take you to do something fun! You said that you wanted to go to an amusement park the other day!"

"Not worth it," I reply bluntly.

"Fine. Then how about I'll let you hang out with anyone you want anytime you want and I won't complain. Even those fives you're so oddly fond of."

I stop and turn, glaring at her face to see if she's sincere or not. "You promise?"

"Yes," she pleads, her eyes pleading with her.

"For just signing up? I don't have to get chosen?"

"Sure."

"Fine," I breath, roughly taking the papers and continuing up the stairs. I don't look back but I hear my mom give a small yes and walk down the stairs.

I continue to my room and immediately sit at my desk, taking out a pen.

Full Name

That's easy. Adeline Jean Greene.

Next, age.

I fill in sixteen.

Caste.

Three.

Then they ask for simple contact information and my height, weight, hair, eye, and skin color.

The application also asks for the languages I can speak, which are English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and German. For some reason other languages fascinate me, and, for me, they're easy to learn. My parents didn't mind hiring me a tutor for whichever language I wanted to learn when I was younger, but now they want me focusing my time on architecture and engineering. I don't remember much of some of the languages, but I'm still proud to have learned them.

Next, we have to list the highest grade level we've completed, which I guess would technically be tenth grade. I don't really follow the curriculum for most grade levels. Now I'm learning really what I have to and that's it. For special skills, I write that I know basic structural engineering and Architecture. I keep the pen on the paper, wondering if I should write the things that Aly and April have taught me. I quickly decide against it, though, since my mother would probably read over it and question me about it. I finish up the application, just filling in basic information and such that they ask for such as if I have any children and who all is in my family.

I sigh as I lightly set my pen down on the desk and pick up the filled in papers. I stand and begin to walk back down the stairs as I read over what I had written, checking for any mistakes or errors before my mother berates me for them. I finish checking it as I enter my mother's study, where she is, of course, working on something.

Without saying a word, I lightly set the paper down on the meticulously organized desk, where everything has a specific place and must stay there. "I don't think time matters, but I want your application in as soon as possible. The service office is still open, so—" I wave my hand to cut her off and I sigh.

"I'm really tired, so I think I'll have an early dinner and go straight to bed. Can we do that another time?" I ask, already walking to the door.

"Sorry but I don't know when I'll have time to take you again, so it would be best if we go now," she says sternly, piling some papers together before standing. "Also, I was talking with a client on the phone just a minute ago, and she told me that they might be taking a picture as well, so go change into something nicer."

"Isn't what I have on now ok?" I ask, pulling at my t-shirt and checking for stains or holes in my jeans.

"No. I want you in something nicer."

"But—"

"Adeline," she says sternly, giving me a sharp glare, "I want you looking your best for this. Understand?"

I simply nod before I walk out the door. As I close the door I lean against it and sigh, wanting to just curl up in my bed.

I drag my feet as I walk upstairs, my eyes pointed down, staring at them. When I get to my room, I close and lock the door, heading straight into my closet because if I take to long my mother might get angry.

I take off my t-shirt and jeans and throw them into a basket of worn clothes before looking for new clothes to wear. I finger my way through shirts on the racks, getting frustrated over thinking about what my mom would pick. Then in my peripheral vision, I spot a white and black dress that my mom had brought home for me one time. Deciding that she'd like it since she initially picked it out, I slip it on. 

I go to my full-length mirror and straighten the white dress and fasten the small black accent belt around my waist. I quickly run my hands through my medium length golden brown hair and part it far to the right, admitting defeat in ever having good looking hair. I sigh and go back out to my room, picking up my purse before I leave to go back downstairs.

"Ready?" I hear my mother say as I walk down the stairs.

"Sure."

"I would've liked you to wear something better, but if we don't leave now we might not get your application in before the office stops accepting applications for the day," my mother sharply tells me, turning around and walking to the door of the garage.

"The information sheet said they'd accept applications until five, it's only three, won't we get there with time to spare?" I ask, running to the back door to grab my black flats. 

"There'll probably be a line, so we have to give ourselves some extra time," she tells me as she steps into the garage. I quickly run and slip out behind her before the door completely shuts, letting it fall closed behind me. "But just imagine what could happen if you're picked! You could be the queen one day!"

I sigh at the thought. Being queen must come with so much responsibility and having to learn new skills of how to deal with people and how to get people to like you. I'm not sure if I'd ever be good at that kind of job... I should just stick to what I'm good at.