This chapter is dedicated to Habiba_Ansari

*

After Judith and Symphony forced me into a beautiful sea green gown with tulle skirt, and made my hair into more "acceptable" braids, they gently shoved me into the corridor where a waiting guard escorted me to the dining room where all the girls participating in the Choosing would eat from now till the next sixty days.

Sixty days to live in the palace.

Outside the dining room, I pause to catch my breath. The guard, a quite handsome young man raises a brow at me.

I snort. "I'm nervous, okay, stop giving me that judgemental look."

His lips curve a little as he smiles. But the smile disappears so fast. "Just be yourself."

I manage a smile. "Thanks."

And through the door I go, almost freezing when over twenty eyes land on me.

"Oh, wow." I say loud enough for everyone to hear. Some of the girls, all in differnt colours of gowns laugh at my display.

Seated at the table is a beautiful woman wearing a crown of precious jewels. She smiles sweetly at me.

"You must be lady Alanna, I hope your journey here wasn't stressful."

"No, your majesty." I say, attempting a curtsey that makes me trip over my gown, falling to the floor.

This time, everyone's in a full-on laughter.

Oh, someone kick me.

I contemplate remaining on the floor for the rest of dinner but then,all laughter die down and all eyes focus on somewhere behind me.

"Do you need help?"

I let out an audible gasp. The King himself is standing over me with a hand stretched downwards.

Hesitantly, I put my hands in his and he pulls me up.

"Thank you, your Majesty."

He nods, walking to the table. "I'm glad etiquette lessons are starting tomorrow."

Well, me too.

I settle into an empty seat between two girls and dinner continues with mild chatter.

"You really put on a show."

I turn to the girl with blonde short hair and face as flawless as the morning azure sky. The smile on her face drags away my annoyance.

"You think." I mutter.

She nods, wiping her lips with the grace and poise of a true lady.

"My name is Harriet."

"Alan."

"That's a boy name." The girl on my other side comments, glancing up from her food.

Shrugging, I pick at my food, wondering what to do with all the cutlery on display next to my plate. "My mom named me Alanna but I'd rather be called Alan."

She nods. "You're just like my elder sister Philomena, she loves climbing trees and doesn't mind getting all dirty. She goes by 'Phil'. Quite odd, don't you think?"

Discerning the venom under her words, I turn back to Harriet.

"That's Florence. You'd do well not to get on her bad side." Harriet tells me.

Florence sighs. "I would have been in a better mood if I didn't get my period this evening. I feel like having someone's neck ripped off."

"You can have Theresa." Harriet responds.

A girl who I guess is Theresa glares at us from across the table. I can't help but chuckle.

After dinner, the King announced that there would be a test the next day.

That was part of our requirements to being part of the Choosing. No subject topics were disclosed. All I knew was that based on our scores, our ranks would be disclosed.

*

It takes Judith and Symphony thirty minutes to rouse me out of bed.

"Bloody hell!" I swear, after getting drenched with cold water.

Symphony gasps. "My lady, you shouldn't be swearing."

"Why am I awake at six in the morning?" I question, falling back into my pillow.

Judith jerks me upright. "You need to attend the briefing."

"What the hell is that?"

Blood rushes to Judith's cheeks. "That's um, where Madam Alicia addresses all the ladies in Choosing. She plans how everyone's day will go."

"For how long will she be doing that?"

"Until the last day of the Choosing." Judith responds, managing to pull me into a luxurious bathroom.

The girls work with record speed and soon, I'm all dressed. My reflection in the mirror is satisfactory except the cumbersome black gown with long sleeves and a decent neck line.

"You're gorgeous." Symphony gushes, coming to stand next to me at the large mirror covering up almost half the length of the wall.

"Why, thank you." I say, genuinely.

Judith chokes, half-way through folding my clothes. "You just said thank you."

I send her an odd look. "Is there a problem with that?"

She quickly shakes her head, then Symphony holds up a pair of...heels?
I shrink away from her like the shoes are a venomous snake.

"There's no way I'm putting on those."

Symphony chuckles and exchanges a funny look with Judith. "Yes you are."

*

"You look like you need some help." My personal guard says, after I leave my room wobbling like a baby donkey.

He's the same guard that escorted me to the dining room last night. As Judith explained, each of the twenty selected ladies have a guard assigned to them.

Isaiah's nice so far.

"Stupid shoes." I mumble, raising up my gown a bit to show him the sand coloured stilettos.

"They're beautiful."

I snort. "Beautiful but I can barely walk in them."

Isaiah snickers. "Where did you grow up, my Lady?"

"Eaton. The lowliest of all-"

"fraternising with the guards now, are you?"

I recognise the intruder. Theresa from last night. Her beautiful pink gown sparkles softly with the gems littered on it.

"And how's that any of your business?" I ask, annoyed at her presence. It's just the demeaning gaze she sends at me and Isaiah like we're the filth lying beneath her shoes.

My movement is hampered by the stupid heels so she manages to keep step with me. Besude her, her own guard follows silently.

"You can't even properly walk in heels. You need to be sent back to wherever you came from." Theresa scoffs and walks ahead of me. I resist the urge to trip her as other girls emerge from their rooms, all heading for the same place. Our examination.

I spot Harriet struggling with her shoe.

"Need some help?"

Beside me, Isaiah snorts in amusement. I simply elbow him.

Harriet sighs. "These shoes are completely uncomfortable." She complains, before testing out a step or two with the heels.

"What I said."