The Selection

[Kristen]

Role play based on the Selection.

[Kristen]

"Back straight!" Mona cried out. "You must never allow your back to touch the chair." Finishing classes had always been torturous, but lately Mona had been more on edge than ever. "A lady always sits with her back straight. Never curved or rigid. Always regal." I had been sitting straight for an hour, while Mona continuously reprimanded me for my "poor" posture. After this part of the lesson, we still had to get through tea-time etiquette before I finally was free for the day.

[Kristen]

Three hours later, Mona finally deemed my etiquette acceptable. As soon as she dismissed me, I flew out the door before she could offer to give me bonus lessons for the day. After exiting the large, blue, hardwood floored room we call the finishing room, I was met with the sound of heels walking every which-way, and the scent of dinner being cooked. In only two months, my sister, Adriana, would be married to Prince Adam. Being the representative from the two's, she had had a pretty good chance of winning.

[Rachel]

Rya looked at herself in the mirror, admiring the work that the seamstresses had done. Even though she was disappointed, she wasn't surprised. She was just a 5, and her rival...no, her queen had been a 2. She had done what she came to do anyways...she had stayed in as long as she could to get more money for her family.

She stepped away from the mirror, slipping into the delicate satin slippers. She doubted that she would be snatched up by a nobleman soon after the crowning of Adriana, so she wouldn't be in anything this fine for a long time. Rya was what most people would call average. She had auburn hair and hazel eyes, with a slightly big nose and freckles when it was sunny outside. She certainly wasn't the beauty that Adriana was. Adriana, with her long, golden hair, bright blue eyes, and a long, slender neck was the image of beauty. She didn't even have as much as a pimple on her face. She was the image of a queen. The only reason Rya had made it to the final two is because she was the only one who could make Prince Adam laugh.

[Kristen]

I had told mother that I was going to approve the menu for the upcoming rehearsal dinner. Yes, I would be approving the menu, but that wasn't the real reason why I had wanted to walk to the palace on this warm spring day.

When I reached the palace gate, one of the guards escorted me to the kitchen, where the cook was waiting patiently. "Thank you" I said politely to the guard. He nodded and walked out of the room. "For the first course..." the head cook began. His voice droned on and on, testing my patience more and more with each choice. I only had a couple hours before I needed to get ready for dinner. "Well, does it sound good then?" the cook finally concluded. "Spectacular," I replied, relieved. "Well you have a nice afternoon, then," the cook said sensing my eagerness to be somewhere else. "You as well." I said, already flying up the servant's stairs.

[Rachel]

The Prince had never been interested in her as a future queen, although neither had she. He was nice, funny, and cute, but he just seemed more like a brother than a potential husband.

[Kristen]

"You came" he sounded surprised. "I didn't think you'd be able to, what with all the wedding preparation."
"I wouldn't have stayed away for anything." I responded with a smile. He grabbed my hand and pulled m behind him into his wardrobe.
"I've missed you." he said, kissing me on the cheek. I was about to return the affection when I heard a knock on the door. When no one responded the door opened. "I apologize that he's not here m'lady." we heard the voice of a maid say. "How about I lead you to the drawing room while we hunt him down." She said laughingly. I stood up a little straighter when I heard the voice that responded. "That will be just fine, thank you." My sister responded. "I hope we haven't lost my fiance." She joked..

[Rachel]

Reya thought back to their conversations. The Prince, strangely, had never seemed attracted to Adriana. He talked of someone else, but never mentioned a name. Whenever he talked about her, he got this far away look. It was the only time I had ever seen him utterly happy,and yet he looked so sad. "It will never happen...it just isn't possible." He always said, shaking his head and changing the topic. My answer to him was always the same: "If YOU can't marry who you want, then who can?"

[Kristen]

Adam gave me a sad look, then straightened himself out and led me into his bathroom. "Quickly, Jessie, before they think to look for me in here." He gripped the edge of the full length mirror hung on the wall and pulled. It came toward us, revealing a hole in the wall that was just his size. "I'll come see you tonight, I promise." Adam said, glancing reluctantly in the direction of the drawing room, where my sister and his duty to the kingdom awaited him. Now go, we can;t risk being caught." He kissed me on the cheek and I fled into the tunnel.

[Kristen]

"Come quick Jessica, they're going to be announcing the candidates in the Selection of Prince Luke" my mother called from the family room.

How could I have forgotten about the upcoming selection? Not that it meant anything to me, but I was looking forward to viewing a selection that didn't involve either my sister or Adam.

I walked briskly into our family room as I heard the first name being announced.

I always had thought it was sort of pointless to have a selection for the princes who weren't the oldest- the winner wouldn't become queen, after all. The girls in town hadn't quite seemed to agree, however, there had been a line as large as Texas that my mother had made me stand in to apply.

The announcer continued to announce names of the "lucky" contestants until there was only one candidate left to be revealed. "And the final candidate is..." the announcer began as a drummer began to roll on the drums, "Jessica Walker!" The sound of the drummer slamming on the symbols reflected perfectly the slamming of my heart as my world turned upside-down.

[Rachel]

Reya stepped out of the magnificent dress and into her day dress. Prince Adam had called for her. It wasn't a surprise, as she had been helping with wedding preparations that he was in charge of. Frankly, he had no sense of style or no motivation to get anything done. He ignored deadlines, as if hoping to push the wedding back by doing so. Walking down the long hallways to the familiar room, she nodded to the guard and walked in. "Your highness?"

He walked out of his bathroom, blushing. "Oh, Reya. I didn't expect you to get here so fast. "

Reya raised one eyebrow. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No, no, of course not. I called you here to discuss my brother's selection. It is coming up rapidly." He started pacing around the room "I just have so much to think about. I don't know how they expect me to prepare for that and the wedding! So much in just a month!"

"You aren't planning your part of the wedding, I am." Reya retorted, smiling. "I have never met your brother. Except for the family dinners, of course." She thought for a moment, then asked, "Why aren't your parents doing the work? They did your selection."

Adam put his hand to his head "I totally forgot. I need to introduce you sometime. Without my parents looking over your shoulder." He sighed, then said, "My parents think that I need to become more responsible and start taking over some of their duties. Dad is getting old, and even though she doesn't show it, Mom is worn out. Planning a selection is hard work. I don't think that she could handle another one so soon after mine. You better believe she will be looking over my shoulder, though, making sure I am doing everything right."

Reya chuckled, picturing Her Royal Highness breathing over Adam's shoulder, ordering him about.

Just then, a maid entered the room. "Your Highness, your fiance is waiting in the drawing room. She would like to see you about some wedding arrangements." She paused, just noticing Reya standing there. "So sorry, your Highness. Am I interrupting anything?"

Adam laughed. "Nothing important, merely more wedding arrangements. You can let her know that I will be right there."

The maid smiled, then left. All the staff in the palace and most of the royal family knew by now that Reya was helping plan Prince Adams portion of the wedding preparations. The only one who didn't know was Adrianna. "When are you going to tell her? She will know the minute she sees these table clothes that you didn't pick them out. And," she said,"You will not tell her your mother helped you. If she had any brains, she would know that isn't true, not with your mother's old fashioned taste."

Adam sighed. "I was rather hoping that she wouldn't notice that. I know, " He said, interrupting Reya's laugh, "That it was wishful thinking. But she won't take it well. You know that."

"You also knew that when you asked me to help." Reya smiled. "I have no sympathy for you. I am the one doing all the work."

"I know." Adam smiled, opening the door for her. "I will tell her today."

She smiled, then started walking down the hall.

"Reya!" Adam came running up. "I almost forgot. I told my mother about you helping with the wedding arrangements, and she thought it was a wonderful idea and is behind it one hundred percent."

Reya smiled in relief. Adriana couldn't argue if the Queen was behind it.

"But then, she shocked me even further. She wants to know if you will plan and run Prince Luke's selection."

Reya turned around, in total shock.

[Kristen]

Hours later, Jessica laid on her bed, waiting for Adam to come. Since the announcement on the television earlier, it had been nearly impossible to find peace and quiet.
"I'm just so proud!" her mother had said, beaming."The possibility of having two royal children in the family..." Adriana had immediately started giving her advise on what to do and what not to do.
"Now you mustn't ever wear black. It's an awful color on you, and when you wear it, you look as if someone died..." Adriana just couldn't seem to keep her mouth shut. They had been a terrible nuisance, but her father had been by far the worst.
"You must win this." he ordered her. "I want someone to be constantly at the palace to support your sister with everything that she'll have to go through in the future. You will be that person. You have all the resources to win, and if you don't win you will never hear the end of it from me." Jessica's father had always been biased toward Adriana, and had always made sure Jessica did everything she could to make Adriana's life easier.

When bedtime had finally arrived, Jessica had been relieved. Now she was finally alone and had time to think about what had happened. 'How could this have happened?' she thought. "At least I'll be closer to Adam' Jessica concluded.

[Rachel]

"Run a selection! Me?" Reya shouted, then noticed the looks that she was getting from the guards and lowered her voice. "Do you have any idea how much bad publicity your family will get? Your second choice, running your brother's selection when she has no prior experience and is taking a job that is reserved for either the mother or the sister-in-law!?"