It took an eternity for Lady Hebe to dismiss us. Once she finally did, I tucked my paper into a pocket and walked toward the door as all around the room girls burst into a flurry of conversation. As I followed the other girls, Julia shot me a darker look than was probably considered ladylike.

I ducked out of the room as quickly as possible, keeping my gaze away from the other girls. I knew perfectly well I hadn't done anything wrong, but this felt like more of a curse than a blessing. I was almost angry at the prince for sending us invitations so publicly -- didn't he have enough sense to see how weird that would be for everyone else?

Then again, he quite possibly had no idea how girls behaved. He'd probably been allowed near very few in his short life. That was the nature of the crown prince; traditionally, he was to reserve himself for the Selection. It was sacred.

It was also a load of crap.

In the hallway, I caught up with Hazel. "What do you think we did differently than the others to be singled out first?" I murmured.

Hazel gave a cute little shrug. "I have no idea. I'm afraid that this is just a joke," she said in her soft, old-fashioned accent. But I noticed a small, happy smile that kept returning to her lips.

"If it's a joke, then I am going to pitch one heck of a fit at the prince of Illéa. It better be real." A girl with dyed pink hair fell in step with us.

"That's for sure. I would be tempted to walk out on him myself," I agreed. "It would hardly be funny."

"I'm Lavinia Asimov," the girl introduced herself, holding out her hand. "And you are?"

"Hazel. Hazel Levesque." Hazel timidly shook Lavinia's hand.

"Great to meet you!" Lavinia turned to me. "And you're Calypso Nightlock?"

"Nightshade," I corrected without thinking. I remembered a split second late that my name had been altered and desperately prayed she hadn't noticed. "Nice...nice to meet you."

"Why do you think we in particular got picked to go on the first dates?" Lavinia pondered aloud.

"We were just wondering that," Hazel answered. "It seems odd, doesn't it? None of us are anything alike."

Glancing between all four of us, I saw that she was right. Lavinia's hair was as loud as her personality. Khione walked and talked like an ice queen, and her pale skin matched the effect. Everything about Hazel was warm and quiet and open, from her dark skin to her sweet smile. I wasn't quite sure where I fit among the lineup of girls, but it definitely wasn't close to any of them.

After being alone for so many years, the differences between us fascinated me. So much diversity, all resulting from unique backgrounds and upbringings. There was so much I could learn from these people, and I had no idea where to begin.

Lavinia dragged her toe along the carpet. "What do you think we'll be doing? Will it all be the same?"

"I don't know. Doesn't seem like there's a whole lot to do here that doesn't involve paperwork or whatever." I tucked my hands into my pockets, studying the artwork on the walls as we walked.

"A movie, maybe?" Lavinia suggested. "I haven't gotten to see one in forever. That would be cool. Except I wouldn't actually pay any attention to him."

Hazel's brow furrowed. "He's the prince of our country. How can you not pay attention to him?"

Lavinia shrugged. "I like movies. And hey, it's a night date, so maybe it'll actually work out for me! Who knows."

Hazel pulled out her slip of paper from a pocket and opened it. "I'm supposed to meet him tomorrow morning at 8:00."

"I'm meeting him in the evening at 6:00," Lavinia informed us.

I fumbled for my own note. "I'm meeting him at 11:00 in the morning. So that means Khione's probably meeting him in the early afternoon."

"Why so many dates in one day? Doesn't he have infinite time? He's the prince!" Lavinia exclaimed.

"When we talked this morning, the prince said he doesn't judge by first impressions. My guess is that he's trying to feel for each girl's personality as quickly as possible, without seeming rude in sending some home without a real chance." I briefly trailed my fingers over a bust of Prince Consort Eikko.

Hazel lifted her shoulders again. "How can he possibly get a grasp of anyone's being in a couple hours or so? Doesn't seem like a great way to find a wife."

"It's not. This whole thing is bull. Has been for centuries," Lavinia put in. "I only entered for the financial benefits. I can't wait to go home and have a line of suitors waiting, though. We get the better end of this deal!"

Hazel and I exchanged a glance, and I got the sense she was as uncomfortable with the idea of being prized goods as I was. She looked so small and vulnerable in her paisley print dress, and I couldn't help but wonder if she were too young for all this. She couldn't have been more than sixteen.

As if reading my thoughts, Hazel's golden eyes flicked up to meet mine. She smiled graciously, and I returned it. She really was tiny, her head not much higher than my shoulder. I resolved to make her a friend and do my to protect her from any drama that might ensue.

As I turned down my hallway and separated from them, I thought how foolish it was that I might need to 'protect' her at all. This was a group of teenagers -- there was no reason we shouldn't get along. And yet here we were, already combating growing tension within the first days of the Selection.

Entering my chambers, I put my thoughts aside and called out, "I've been invited on a date in the morning."

Madeleine gasped, Leah looked up with a grin, and Kate stuck her head out of the side bathroom and squealed, "Already? I knew he would like you!"

I held up my hands. "Calm down! It's just one time."

But my maids were already overexcited. "Oh, we've got to get this perfect. When is it?" Madeleine asked enthusiastically.

"Tomorrow morning, at 11:00," I responded, a bit overwhelmed by their enthusiasm.

"Oh, if it's a morning date, then that makes it even harder. We've got to find a good day dress, in case you do something like going for a walk or archery or boating, but it's got to be gorgeous!" Kate beamed. "Let's check out your wardrobe right now!"

And so we discussed different styles, lengths, fabrics, colors, decorations, hairdos, and accessories until my head spun and my feet hurt. How could there be twenty-four different kinds of skirts? I didn't remember this much complication as a young girl.

At the same time, I had to admit there was something fun in the frivolity of discussing which lovely outfit would suit me best. Foolish, but oddly satisfying.

Kate danced around the room comparing fabrics with necklaces and earrings with shoes, while Leah sorted through the closet much more methodically. Madeleine played the diplomat and asked me about my opinion on everything quite thoughtfully.

Finally, we narrowed it down to the top three: a dark green dress with gold accents, a knee-length white dress with small embroidered blue flowers, and a short yellow dress. Leah and Kate were arguing over which one.

"Dark green would make her hair stand out and match her eyes perfectly," Leah argued.

"You want them to think she's a tree? Plus, yellow would really accent her dark eyes. Especially if we added a bit more mascara!" Kate countered.

Leah huffed. "You have style, but you have no eye for color. When are you going to learn this?"

"Girls, how about we let Lady Nightlock decide?" Madeleine broke in. They all turned to me, waiting.

I glanced over the dresses, not wanting to create resentment between the friends. "I'll take the white one," I said.

Leah bowed her head respectfully, and Kate muttered, turning away. I suppressed a smile and followed Madeleine to the mirrors to let her experiment with my hair.

The other two maids went in to the bathroom to clean it, even though it still looked spotless to me, and I tilted my head up to look at Madeleine awkwardly. "Do they always act this way?"

Madeleine laughed. "Not always. They've been best friends, nearly sisters, since they were only a few years old, and they're completely comfortable with insulting each other one moment and supporting each other the next. It's just the way they are. I met them both a few years ago, when I first began working at the palace, and they welcomed me wholeheartedly. Now I'm the peacemaker. I love them both very much."

I smiled, thinking how wonderful it would be to have an unbiological sister nearly from birth. "Do you ever feel left out around them, since they've known each other so long?"

Madeleine's hands paused in brushing my hair. "Not really. They've both always been kind to me. And I find it funny when they argue like sisters. They're complete opposites, really."

I sat back in my chair and waited as she finished raking a comb through my hair. My heart twisted with the need for a good friend, and I glanced at Madeleine in the mirror. "Where did you come from?"

She smiled. "My mother and father settled down in Dakota. When they passed on, I came to live with an aunt here. When she died of pneumonia four years ago, I came to work here. I love it here."

"Do you miss her?"

Madeleine stayed quiet for a few moments. "No. Does that make me an awful person? I don't know. I was fourteen when she passed, and I just remember her being sour and grouchy."

"So you're eighteen now?" I prompted.

"Yes, just turned. I'm the oldest of us maids. Kate's seventeen, almost eighteen, and Leah is sixteen. Kate was born into service here, and Leah came here when she was only six and became a sort of little helper for the cooks until she was old enough to truly work."

"I see." Picking up a spare brush, I broached a dangerous subject on my part. "And when did you all become public maids?"

"Kate became a maid when she turned fourteen, and Leah joined her in the same year at age thirteen. I became a maid at sixteen, so I'm still fairly new to this, compared to them."

I relaxed. I hadn't been allowed to associate with the lower servants much, and besides that I'd left the palace at age eleven, so none of these maids would remember me at all.

"But really, serving under a Selection has been a dream come true for all of us," Madeleine continued. "It's such an experience. And you have been incredibly gracious, my lady. Some of the other Selected order their servants about in a haughty way, but you've been nothing but kind."

I smiled a little. "It's quite literally the least I could do. I've been...well, not quite in your shoes before, but pretty darn close. It's not easy to have people looking down on you all the time."

Just then, a knock came at the door. Reaching the door before Madeleine, I swung it open. But the space in front of the door remained empty -- except for an old newspaper. I stooped and picked it up.

Examining it, I saw a very familiar seven-year-old article on the front page, one I had seen and tried to avoid out of shame many, many times. The headline glared at me in bold letters:

General Atlas Nightshade Caught In Treason Against Illéa

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A\N:
I take delight in (hopefully) your pain of suspense. Mwhahaha.