Happily Ever After Read online

  “Be polite.”

  “Be confident.”

  “Just talk.”

  Father sighed. “This isn’t a joke. Remember that.”

  Mom held me at arm’s length. “You’re going to be fantastic.” She pulled me in for a big hug, and backed away to restraighten everything.

  “All right, son. Go on,” Father said, gesturing to the stairs.

  “We’ll be waiting in the dining hall.”

  I felt dizzy. “Um, yes. Thank you.”

  I paused for a minute to catch my breath. I knew they were trying to help, but they’d managed to throw off any sense of calm I’d built. I reminded myself that this was just me saying hello, that the girls were hoping this would work out as much as I was.

  And then I remembered that I was going to get to speak to America again. At the very least, that should be entertaining. With that in mind I breezed down the stairs to the first floor and made my way to the Great Room. I took one deep breath and gave a knock on the door before pulling it open.

  There, past the guards, waited the collection of girls. Cameras flashed, capturing both their reactions and mine. I smiled at their hopeful faces, feeling calmer just because they all looked so pleased to be here.

  “Your Majesty.” I turned and caught Silvia coming up from her curtsy. I nearly forgot that she would be there, instructing them in protocol the way she instructed me when I was younger.

  “Hello, Silvia. If you don’t mind, I would like to introduce myself to these young women.”

  “Of course,” she said breathlessly, bending again. She could be so dramatic sometimes.

  I surveyed the faces, looking for the flame of her hair. It took a moment, as I was a bit distracted by the light glinting off nearly every wrist, ear, and neck in the room. I finally found her, a few rows in on the end, looking at me with a different expression than the others. I smiled, but instead of smiling back, she looked confused.

  “Ladies, if you don’t mind,” I started, “one at a time, I’ll be calling you over to meet with me. I’m sure you’re all eager to eat, as am I. So I won’t take up too much of your time. Do forgive me if I’m slow with names; there are quite a few of you.”

  Some of the girls giggled, and I was happy to realize I could identify more of them than I thought I would. I went to the young lady in the front corner, and extended my hand. She took it enthusiastically, and we walked over to the couches that I knew would be set up specifically for this purpose.

  Sadly, Lyssa was no more attractive in person than she was in her picture. Still, she deserved the benefit of the doubt, so we spoke all the same.

  “Good morning, Lyssa.”

  “Good morning, Your Majesty.” She smiled so widely, it looked like it must hurt her to do so.

  “How are you finding the palace?”

  “It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. It’s really beautiful here. Gosh, I already said that, didn’t I?”

  I answered with a smile. “It’s quite all right. I’m glad you’re so pleased. What do you do at home?”

  “I’m a Five. My whole family works exclusively in sculpting. You have some incredible pieces here. Really beautiful.”

  I tried to seem interested, but she didn’t engage me at all. Still, what if I passed on someone for no good reason?

  “Thank you. Um, how many siblings do you have?”

  After a few minutes of conversation in which she used the word beautiful no less than twelve times, I knew that there was nothing else I wanted to know about this girl.

  It was time for me to move on, but it seemed so cruel to keep her here knowing there was no chance for us. I decided that I was going to start making cuts here and now. It would be kinder to the girls, and maybe also impress Father. After all, he did say he wanted me to make some real choices in my life.

  “Lyssa, thank you so much for your time. Once I’m done with everyone, would you mind staying a little longer so I could speak with you?”

  She blushed. “Absolutely.”

  We rose, and I felt awful knowing that she assumed that request meant something it didn’t. “Would you please send the next young lady over?”

  She nodded and curtsied before she went to get the girl beside her, who I recognized immediately as Celeste Newsome. It would take a dim man indeed to forget that face.

  “Good morning, Lady Celeste.”

  “Good morning, Your Majesty,” she said as she curtsied. Her voice was sugary, and I realized right away that many of these girls might have a hold on me. Maybe all this worry about not being able to love any of them wasn’t the true problem. Maybe I’d fall for all of them and never be able to choose.

  I motioned for her to sit across from me. “I understand you model.”

  “I do,” she answered brightly, thrilled to see I already knew this about her. “Primarily clothing. I’ve been told I have a good shape for it.”

  Of course, at those words, I was forced to look at said shape, and there was no denying just how striking she was.

  “Do you enjoy your work?”

  “Oh, yes. It’s amazing how photography can capture just a split second of something exquisite.”

  I lit up. “Absolutely. I don’t know if you’re aware, but I’m very into photography myself.”

  “Really? We should do a shoot sometime.”

  “That would be wonderful.” Ah! This was going better than I thought. Within ten minutes I’d already weeded out a definite no and found someone with a common interest.

  I could have probably gone on for another hour with Celeste, but if we were ever going to eat, I really needed to hurry.

  “My dear, I’m so sorry to cut this short, but I have to meet everyone this morning,” I apologized.

  “Of course.” She stood. “I’m looking forward to finishing our conversation. Hopefully soon.”

  The way she looked at me . . . I didn’t know the proper words for it. It sent a blush to my face, and I nodded my head in a tiny bow to cover it. I took some deep breaths, focusing myself on the next girl.

  Bariel, Emmica, Tiny, and several others passed through. So far, most of them were pleasant and composed. But I was hoping for so much more than that.

  It took five more girls until anything really interesting happened. As I stepped forward to greet the slim brunette coming my way, she extended her hand. “Hi, I’m Kriss.”

  I stared at her open palm and was prepared to shake it before she pulled it back.

  “Oh, darn! I meant to curtsy!” She did, shaking her head as she rose.

  I laughed.

  “I feel so silly. The very first thing, and I got it wrong.” But she smiled it off, and it was actually kind of charming.

  “Don’t worry, my dear,” I said, gesturing for her to sit. “There’s been much worse.”

  “Really?” she whispered, excited by the news.

  “I won’t go into details, but yes. At least you were attempting to be polite.”

  Her eyes widened, and she looked over at the girls, wondering who might have been rude to me. I was glad I’d chosen to be discreet, seeing as it was last night someone called me shallow, and that was a secret.

  “So, Kriss, tell me about your family,” I began.

  She shrugged. “Typical, I guess. I live with my mom and dad, and they’re both professors. I think I’d like to teach as well, though I dabble in writing. I’m an only child, and I’m finally coming to terms with it. I begged my parents for a sibling for years. They never caved.”

  I smiled. It was tough being alone.

  “I’m sure it was because they wanted to focus all their love on you.”

  She giggled. “Is that what your parents told you?”

  I froze. No one had asked a question about me yet.

  “Well, not exactly. But I understand how you feel,” I hedged. I was about to go into the rest of my rehearsed questions, but she beat me to it.

  “How are you feeling today?”

  “All
right. It’s a bit overwhelming,” I blurted, being a bit too honest.

  “At least you don’t have to wear the dresses,” she commented.

  “But think of how fun it would have been if I had.”

  A laugh tumbled out of her mouth, and I echoed it. I imagined Kriss next to Celeste, and thought of them as opposites. There was something entirely wholesome about her. I left our time together without a complete impression of her, since she kept pointing the conversation back to me, but I recognized that she was good, in the best sense of the word.

  It was nearly an hour before I got to America. In the time between the first girls and her, I’d already met three solid standouts, including Celeste and Kriss, who I knew would be favorites with the public. However, the girl just before her, Ashley, was so dismally wrong for me she washed all of those thoughts out of my head. When America stood up and moved toward me, she was the only person on my mind.

  Something about her eyes was mischievous, whether she meant it or not. I thought of how she acted last night, and I realized she was a walking rebellion.

  “America, is it?” I joked as she approached.

  “Yes, it is. And I know I’ve heard your name before, but could you remind me?”

  I laughed and invited her to sit. Leaning in, I whispered, “Did you sleep well, my dear?”

  Her eyes said I was playing with fire, but her lips carried a smile. “I am still not your dear. But yes. Once I calmed down, I slept very well. My maids had to pull me out of bed, I was so cozy.” She confessed the last bit like it was a secret.

  “I am glad you were comfortable, my . . .” Ah, I was going to have to break this habit with her. “America.”

  I could tell she appreciated my effort. “Thank you.” The smile faded from her face, and she fell into thought, absently chewing on her lip as she played with words in her head.

  “I’m very sorry I was mean to you,” she finally said. “I realized as I was trying to fall asleep that even though this is a strange situation for me, I shouldn’t blame you. You’re not the reason I got swept up in all this, and the whole Selection thing isn’t even your idea.” Glad someone noticed. “And then, when I was feeling miserable, you were nothing but nice to me, and I was, well, awful.”

  She shook her head at herself, and I noticed my heart seemed to be beating a bit faster.

  “You could have thrown me out last night, and you didn’t,” she concluded. “Thank you.”

  I was moved by her gratitude, because I already knew she was past being anything close to insincere. Which brought me to a subject I had to broach if we were going to move forward. I leaned closer, elbows on my knees, both more casual and more intense than I’d been with the others already.

  “America, you have been very up-front with me so far. That is a quality that I deeply admire, and I’m going to ask you to be kind enough to answer one question for me.”

  She gave a hesitant nod.

  “You say you’re here by mistake, so I’m assuming you don’t want to be here. Is there any possibility of you having any sort of . . . of loving feelings toward me?”

  It felt like she played with the ruffles on her dress for hours while I waited for her to answer, and I sat there convincing myself that it was only because she didn’t want to seem too eager.

  “You are very kind, Your Majesty.” Yes. “And attractive.” Yes! “And thoughtful.” YES!

  I was grinning, looking like an idiot, I’m sure, so pleased she managed to see something positive in me after last night.

  Her voice was low as she continued. “But for very valid reasons, I don’t think I could.”

  For the first time, I was grateful Father trained me so well to hold myself together. I sounded quite reasonable when I questioned her. “Would you explain?”

  She hesitated again. “I . . . I’m afraid my heart is elsewhere.”

  And then tears appeared in her eyes.

  “Oh, please don’t cry!” I begged in a hushed voice. “I never know what to do when women cry!”

  She laughed at my shortcomings and dabbed at the corners of her eyes. I was happy to see her just so, lighthearted and genuine. Of course there was someone waiting for her. A girl this real would have to have been snatched up quick by some very smart young man. I couldn’t imagine how she ended up here, but that really wasn’t my concern.

  All I knew was, even if she wasn’t mine, I wanted to leave her with a smile.

  “Would you like me to send you home to your love today?” I offered.

  She gave me a smile that was more like a grimace. “That’s the thing . . . I don’t want to go home.”

  “Really?” I leaned back, running my hand through my hair as she laughed at me again.

  If she didn’t want me, and she didn’t want him, then what the hell did she want?

  “Could I be perfectly honest with you?”

  By all means. I nodded.

  “I need to be here. My family needs me to be here. Even if you could let me stay for a week, that would be a blessing for them.”

  So she wasn’t fighting for the crown, but I still had something she wanted. “You mean you need the money?”

  “Yes.” At least she had the decency to be ashamed of it. “And there are . . . certain people,” she said with a meaningful look, “at home who I can’t bear to see right now.”

  It took a second for it all to click. They weren’t together anymore. She still cared about him, but she didn’t belong to him. I nodded, seeing the predicament. If I could get away from the pressures of my world for a week, I would take it.

  “If you would be willing to let me stay, even for a little while, I’d be willing to make a trade.”

  Now this was interesting. “A trade?” What in the world could she possibly offer?

  She bit at her lip. “If you let me stay . . .” She sighed. “All right, well, look at you. You’re the prince. You’re busy all day, what with running the country and all, and you’re supposed to narrow thirty-five, well, thirty-four girls, down to one? That’s a lot to ask, don’t you think?”

  While it sounded like a joke, the truth was she cut to the core of my anxieties with absolute clarity. I nodded at her words.

  “Wouldn’t it be much better for you if you had someone on the inside? Someone to help? Like, you know, a friend?”

  “A friend?”

  “Yes. Let me stay, and I’ll help you. I’ll be your friend. You don’t have to worry about pursuing me. You already know that I don’t have feelings for you. But you can talk to me anytime you like, and I’ll try and help. You said last night that you were looking for a confidante. Well, until you find one for good, I could be that person. If you want.”

  If I want . . . That wasn’t an option, it seemed, but at least I could help this girl. And maybe enjoy her company a little bit longer. Of course, Father would be livid if he knew I was using one of the girls for such a purpose . . . which made me like it much, much more.

  “I’ve met nearly every woman in this room, and I can’t think of one who would make a better friend. I’d be glad to have you stay.”

  I watched as the tension melted from her body. Despite the knowledge that her affections were unattainable, I couldn’t help but be drawn to try.

  “Do you think that I could still call you ‘my dear’?” I asked teasingly.

  She whispered back, “Not a chance.” Whether she meant it that way or not, it sounded like a challenge.

  “I’ll keep trying. I don’t have it in me to give up.”

  She made a face, almost irked but not exactly. “Did you call all of them that?” she asked, jerking her head toward the rest of the girls.

  “Yes, and they all seemed to like it,” I replied, playfully smug.

  The challenge in her smile was still there when she spoke. “That is the exact reason why I don’t.”

  She stood, ending our interview, and I couldn’t help but be amused by her again. None of the others were eager to cut our time together sh
ort. I gave her a small bow; she answered with a rather rough curtsy, and walked away.

  I smiled to myself, thinking of America, measuring her against the other girls. She was pretty, if a bit rough around the edges. It was an uncommon type of beauty, and I could tell she wasn’t aware of it. There was a certain . . . royal air she didn’t seem to possess, though there was, perhaps, something regal in her pride. And, of course, she didn’t desire me at all. Still, I couldn’t shake the urge to pursue her.

  And that was how the Selection did its first act in my favor: if I had her here, at least I had the chance to try.

  CHAPTER 7

  “IF I HAVE ASKED YOU to remain behind, please stay in your seats. If not, please proceed with Silvia here into the dining hall. I will join you shortly.”

  I watched the girls cast glances at one another, some confused and others smug. I felt confident I’d made the right choices, and now came the task of dismissing them. It ought to be simple enough, especially since we’d hardly made contact. What would they be attached to?

  The room emptied except for eight ladies, all smiling as they stood in front of me.

  I stared back and suddenly wished that I had come up with some sort of speech before I lined them up.

  “Thank you for staying a few extra minutes,” I said, then stalled. “Um, I want to thank you for . . . for . . . coming to the palace and for giving me the opportunity to meet you.”

  Most giggled or lowered their eyes. Clarissa flipped her hair.

  “I’m sorry to say, I don’t think it’s going to work out. Uh, you can go now?” The end sounded more like a question than a statement, and I was so grateful Father wasn’t here to witness it.

  One girl—Ashley, I think—immediately started crying, and I tensed.

  “Is it because I dyed my hair?” the girl next to her said.

  “Huh?”

  “It’s because I’m a Five, isn’t it?” Hannah asked.

  “You are?”

  Clarissa ran up to me and clutched my hand. “I can be better, I swear!”

  “What?”

  Mercifully, a guard pulled her off me and escorted her from the room. I was left standing there, watching her go, completely stunned at the outpouring of emotion. They were meant to be ladies. What in the world was going on?