#young and sweet only 17 fitting right on top of peter made me LOSE MY MIND

[artificialqueens]

Royals (A The Selection AU Fanfic) Chapter Seven - TheQuartzMermaid

A/N: Hey Selected Ladies (and gentlemen), I know I promised the chapter for yesterday, but I got some birthday stuff going on so I totally forgot. Take this as a belated birthday gift from me to you.

Sadly Chapter Seven doesn’t mean Royals is back from war. I’m still struggling with college, but I decided to drop this chapter here as a birthday gift. Enjoy, because I don’t know when Chapter Eight is coming!

Oh, this chapter features Superstar, but since it’s an AU, Ru is not the responsible for this song. Can’t say much ‘cause SPOILERS.

Again, if you’re not familiar with The Selection, I highly recommend you to read the prologue for this fanfic. If you like it enough, you can read the original books by Kiera Cass, they’re amazing.

Now let’s go to the chapter you’ve been waiting for… (or not)

Royals - Chapter Seven (or The one before the royal version of The Bachelor starts)

Dinner was… weird. After the Capital Report was ended, Bianca led the girls to the Dining Hall, commenting how their lives would change after the show they just watched. Next week, they would appear live. LIVE. Even though everyone responded well to the past week, it was still terrifying. Adore wondered if she could stick that silver fork in her hand instead of in the food.

And about the food… Oh, it was glorious. Last time Adore had such a delicious meal was six years ago, when Charlie sacrificed two months of work to buy them some good meat. It was Adore’s tenth birthday and her mom wanted a special celebration, with all the works… Well, at least all the works a Five single mother can afford.

After the delightful pasta with broccoli they had for dinner, waiters came from all the corners of the Dining Hall to serve the desert. It was a rich chocolate cake with cream topping and some fruits. All vegan, according to Bianca.

“The menu of The Selection has been fully thought out to suit everyone’s diet preferences.” Bianca answered Courtney, who seemed to be trying too hard to avoid eating the cake right away. “The chefs have been told who is allergic, who is vegan and who is vegetarian. Don’t worry about it.”

“Mother, I’m dying of chocolate overdose again”, Katya tried to whisper, doing that creepy voice of hers. She realized her attempt failed when she heard the chuckles of the girl seated across her. “It is good, isn’t it?”

“This is the best shit I ate in years, God bless”, Adore replied with a full mouth. Katya couldn’t help but smile, not paying attention to Violet’s eye roll.

All the other ladies were looking at the girl from Sonage, clearly disgusted with the poor choice of words. Suddenly Adore looked small, as if she shrinks in size everytime she’s not feeling confident.

The rest of the evening was silent. After everyone finished desert, Bianca took the girls back to their rooms. She acted like a mother – a caring mother of 35 -, telling each one of the girls to go to sleep, so they could look their best next morning. They are meeting the prince tomorrow. Like earlier, Nicole, Joslyn, Adore, and Katya were last. The first two said their goodnights and entered their rooms. Adore was about to do the same when the blonde touched her shoulder.

“Hey, first of all I’d like to say I’m sorry, but I kind of heard your talk with Miss Bianca at the Women’s Room”, Katya let the confession go before she could regret it. “Well, if you want to talk to someone, just knock on my door. I’m right here, you know.”

“Oh, thanks”, Adore had a half-smile on her face, she didn’t know how to react. Yekaterina was also smiling, perfect white teeth framed by bright red lips. What a view.

“Eh, you’re welcome”, Katya squeezed Adore’s hand before heading to her door. “Good night, Adore. See you tomorrow.”

“Good night, Yekaterina.”

“Just call me Katya, darling.”

With these words, the blonde left the tall girl alone at the hallway. Adore suppressed a smile, finally knowing why she had the Russian’s eyes on her during the whole day. But the doubt still managed to pinch her: what if Katya was acting all friendly and sweet just to stab her in the back? In Sonage, the only girl who proved to be anything but a bitch at the end was Rosie, all the others were fake to Adore. And they weren’t even fighting for a prince.

Adore’s maids greeted her with bows. The girl giggled at the scene. Only one caste separated her from Mabel, Ashley and Lola, but the three girls acted like Adore was already the crowned princess or God herself.

“Is this really necessary?” Adore took her shoes off, still smirking. Mabel quickly grabbed them and turned to the closet.

“It’s to show respect, Lady Adore. We’re here to serve you”, Lola answered as she helped the Selected girl to take off the dress.

“Respect for what? We’re not that different, are we?” She hated to be treated like she was big deal. If she ever crossed paths with Rosie again, bitch would have her face slapped for being so dumb to break the law and becoming an Eight. “And you’re not here to serve me. I’m no better than any of you.”

“But, Lady Adore, we…” Ashley tried to protest. “I mean, you’re a Lady of the Selection. We’re just maids…”

“Ashley, how old are you?”

“I just turned 17, my lady.”

“See, we’re almost the same age!” Adore exclaimed. “I’m not any better than you. You don’t need to bow whenever I enter the room, it’s… It’s annoying!”

Three pairs of eyes stared at Adore with sheer surprise. The tall girl was trying to be nice to them, but… Well, things didn’t go that well.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry… It’s just… I’m not used to be the center of the world, you know?” She was being honest, what softened the looks of her maids. “I mean, I know I’m here, but I’m just a girl who got lucky over the misery of another. And I really appreciate you guys, it’s just your job. I’m so fucking sorry…”

She didn’t expect Ashley’s smile. “It’s OK, Lady Adore. We know you meant no harm.”

“You are so sweet! Even with that potty mouth of yours”, it was Mabel’s turn to talk. Just to be called out by her mates. “What? She curses a lot!”

Adore was giggling. “Okay, I promise I’ll be more like a princess when I talk. But you have to promise you’re not going to treat me as I’m any better than you. Deal?”

The three maids exchanged concerned looks. They were instructed to obey Adore’s every command, but what would their boss think about this deal? Would they be punished? Fired? Made Eights, maybe?

“Deal”, Ashley was the fearless one to break the silence, being followed by Lola and Mabel. The four women smiled at each other.

Adore was taken to her bathroom – her OWN bathroom – and bathed by the maids. They chose Adore a fine blue nightgown that fit her perfectly, making the girl from Sonage look like an older, taller version of Wendy Darling from Peter Pan. The clock on the wall marked 8 PM, their curfew. Lola insisted that one of the maids should stay in the room, but Adore said they could go rest, she would call them if she needed. Goodnights and goodbyes were said, soon Miss Delano was all by herself.

She walked to the tiny bag she brought from home, the belongings she couldn’t leave behind. Pictures of her family, that she put on her mirror so she could take a look at them whenever she was getting ready. A pair of purple dance shoes, to remember home. Some clothes, so she would have something to wear when she is eliminated. The sign her own father painted for her, with the words “mermaids don’t lose sleep over the opinion of shrimp”. This one she hung at the door. Her diary, where she wrote all her lyrics. And last, but not least, a letter from Charlie. Wait, a letter?

Adore opened the envelope carefully, inhaling the aroma of tea and comfort. There it was, Charlie Delano’s impeccable calligraphy filling a whole page. The girl enjoyed the faint light that came from the outside and started reading. Tears would come from her eyes every now and again as her mother described how much she loves her. She didn’t like to feel like a cry baby, but it was less than one day and she already missed Charlie a lot.

At the back of the sheet of paper, her mom left a small note followed by what looked like lyrics to a song. Realization hit her like a bullet in her brain: Charlie wrote her a song, like she always did whenever she wanted to celebrate or just make her daughter feel better. There was no hint of a melody, so the girl started singing it just the way it felt right.

Here’s where you belong

Planets align for this moment

Singing the sweetest song

A melody full of emotion

And everyone will see

What you were meant to be, oh…

All of the glamour and all of the fame

People are gonna remember your name

Now and forever, your dream’s coming true

They’re gonna love it whatever you do

Gonna love you, as you are

Gonna love you, you’re a superstar

Katya was already laying in bed when she heard the angelic voice coming from her window. It wasn’t Courtney, for sure – their rooms weren’t even close – and the only other girl she predicted that could sing is Adore, her neighbor.

She kept quiet, enjoying the song – beautiful lyrics she’s never heard before – and the voice that came along with it. Fuck, I guess her parents didn’t call her Adore for nothing.

***

“Still awake, Your Highness?” Bianca was standing still at the door frame of Prince Casey’s room, looking over the young man as if he was her own son. “Anxious, maybe? I can get you a tea to help you sleep…”

“Thanks, Bianca, but I’m fine” The prince looked at the friendly woman with a hint of a smile on his face. “Well, I guess I’m a little anxious… Who would be perfectly okay knowing they would meet the love of their life the next day?”

Bianca finally entered the room, sitting by Casey’s side. She was there since he was a little boy, being his tutor – and sometimes closer to him than the queen. Of course the prince was nervous: being only 19 and forced to find a wife out of 35 girls he’s never met before. She held one of his hands, shaking it faintly. He grinned thankfully, she grinned back, trying to encourage the prince.

“I can assure you every lady downstairs is as nervous as you are. In the end of this thing, you’ll still be a member of the royal family, now with a lovely girl by your side. 34 of them will just be lucky women that got to meet the prince” Bianca said softly, trying to get Casey calm.

“Thanks, Lady Bianca.” The prince pulled the woman for a hug, but abruptly let go of her, heading to the balcony. Bianca stared at him again, appreciating his expression of focus. “Who is singing?”

“Oh God, they are already disrespecting the curfew?” Bianca got up, suddenly looking mad. “That must be Adore Delano, her room is right under yours. I’ll talk to her…”

“No, don’t!” Casey’s urgent tone stopped Bianca right away. She was by the door frame again, just turned 180º degrees back to the room and saw the biggest smile she’s ever seen Casey flash since he got a pony for Christmas. “That’s the most beautiful voice I’ve ever heard. Don’t make her stop, please.”

Bianca was baffled. Casey was never into music before – that was his sister’s thing. His thing was reading as many books as he could and spending way more time than he should with the guards. Now he falls in love with a girl just because of her beautiful voice?

This Selection thing will be easier than I thought.

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