Text Copyright 2020 by Dove S. Atkinson, all rights reserved.

THE WELCOMING BALL, the first official event of the Selection, occurred last Saturday in the palace's main ballroom, and here's what our reporters have to say about it.

The ballroom was decorated with the theme of Greek mythology in mind, and we have to say it was all very beautiful. King Morgan Kenta of Bellhaven was seen with most of the Selected throughout the course of the night, and we managed to get a few snippets of their conversations.

He and Sir Carter Lane exchanged a rather interesting conversation- according to our reporters on the field, Sir Carter said he'd once drank hand sanitizer, and King Morgan replied with a story about the time he got stung by a jellyfish (on the leg, thankfully) while skinny dipping with the recently crowned King Adrian Sterling of Arvonia. We have to wonder if these two were sober while discussing those topics, or perhaps Sir Carter just isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Meanwhile, he was seen sharing a drink with Lady Eunjoo Ryu, who's Hestia- themed attire was definitely a fan favorite. He even invited her on a date the following Thursday. Take notes, ladies and gentlemen, because it seems Lady Eunjoo did something right.

Halfway through his dance with Lady Haseya Nez, she tripped on one of her skirts and sprained her ankle. Deciding to be a gentlemen for once, King Morgan offered to escort her out of the ballroom. Our reporters think that she did it on purpose- or maybe Lady Haseya is just naturally clumsy.

Lady Samantha Olsen, who was often seen talking to herself, brashly asked King Morgan if he was going to sleep with half of the Selected. His answer was a simple, "Probably."

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: GET THE INSIDE SCOOP

Our reporters asked five of the Selected what their first impression of the King was. Here are their responses.

"The King is pleasant to spend time with. He can be charming on certain occasions, but underneath the title he is a... normal person." - Lady Venus Le

All of us reporters agree that Lady Venus's answer was a little fishy. Was her experience with the King disastrous?

"He's a lot less intimidating than I thought he would be- in a good way, of course. He was toning it down for me, though, I can see that; if push came to shove, he can easily order people around, and that's probably what makes him such a great ruler. If I happen to win his hand, I know he'll strengthen me both as a person and a leader. And if I don't, well, I know I'll learn lots from him." - Sir Carter Lane

Sir Carter's answer our favorite out of all of the Selected. Perhaps he's not as dumb as everyone thinks he is.

"Well, um, I think, I mean, I guess, he was very, um, kind...? He was, um, nice to me. I think he's a good king, and he would be a very nice, um, future partner, for um, anyone who's lucky enough to have him, I think." -Sir Julian Miller

Sir Julian... where do we start with this one? We couldn't imagine him possibly becoming King if he talks like that all the time. Imagine someone giving a public speech and stuttering the entire time! It's a no from us.

"He seems like a lovely man. Kind, strong, and a fit ruler." - Lady Neferah Noko

Lady Neferah's answer was the shortest and least interesting out of everyone we asked. It seems to us like she's hiding something.

"He seemed like a funny person and it was nice being around him. I could see he was very caring and would do anything to protect what and who he loved. He would honestly push [the Selected] into his schedule even though it's packed already. I can't imagine anyone else being the king here. This country certainly got a wonderful king and I hope he can keep up the good work and continue caring for his subjects and his brother." - Lady Shan Yuna

Lady Yuna seems to be quite obsessed with the King, seeing as she went on and on, even though she just met him! Tone it down, please!

WHO HE SLEPT WITH ON THE FIRST DAY ALONE: A COMPLETE LIST

Sir Jaclyn Black was seen entering King Morgan's room a few minutes after their dance ended in the ballroom, and we can only assume what happened next. Lady Venus Le actually went out of her way to invite him to her room- a little forward, but can we really blame her? Lady Shan Yuna and King Morgan were seen meeting up in the gardens, which our reporters all agree was a strange place to do the deed. King Morgan was also seen leaving the ball with Lady Aurora Lopez. All in all, it seems that some of the Selected have little to no respect for themselves and should really learn when it is appropriate to have a one night stand with the King. (spoiler alert- the answer is never! )

Needless to say, we're starting to wonder about King Morgan's intentions for the Selected. The Welcoming Ball was quite the mess, but hopefully the first dates will be better. No one has been eliminated as far as we know. Keep an eye out next week for Issue #2.