Chapter 7 Stay

• Stay?
• They wanted me to stay?
• I stared up at the royal family for a long moment, unsure.
• I didn’t fit the standards for the selection at all. I didn’t come from a noble background. I didn’t have a wolf. I already had a child. How could I possibly participate?
• But, whatever my doubts, I couldn’t deny the King’s command. If he said to stay, I had to stay.
• So I stood right where I was.
• As best I could, I tried to ignore Nicholas’s icy gaze as he openly stared at me. Was he trying to intimidate me into leaving? I had already tried that.
• No amount of intimidation would get me to disobey a direct command from the King. I liked my head attached to my body.
• The King then stepped aside and his Beta, Nathan, took his place.
• “I will now explain the rules,” Nathan said.
• His voice was slightly softer than the King’s and not nearly so kind.
• “These rules are serious, ladies. Those that cannot abide by them will be expelled from the selection. In certain instances, those who break the rules could be executed.”
• The air seemed to have left the room. No one spoke, or made any noise at all. Everyone stood very still, watching and listening.
• Until Elva whispered, “What’s that mean?”
• I replied in a quiet voice, “It’s a punishment. When someone does something bad.”
• “Like when they won’t nap at naptime?” Elva asked.
• The girl closest to me said, “A permanent nap.”
• Elva looked at her curiously. Behind Elva’s back, I gave the girl an annoyed look. I really didn’t want to have the death talk with my three year old right now, thank you.
• “Nathan,” Nicholas said.
• Nathan, a diligent servant, immediately went to his side. I couldn’t hear what was said, but when they both looked at Elva, I couldn’t help but wonder if Nicholas had suggested Nathan ease up some on the darker talk.
• Maybe I was imagining it. Maybe he was actually saying some jerk-thing, because Nicholas was apparently an arrogant bag of dicks nowadays.
• I pretended not to notice their talk, and focused on making Elva smile instead.
• “I need to stress the dire consequences of breaking those rules,” Nathan argued, just loud enough for me to hear from where I stood so close to the stage.
• “Then do so without frightening the child,” Nicholas said.
• “She’ll be plenty frightened if she’s forced to witness it.”
• Nicholas’s brow lowered in annoyance. “We would never force a child to –”
• “Nathan,” the King said, silencing them both. Nathan straightened at once. Nicholas shut his mouth but still seemed displeased.
• “Continue,” the King said, motioning Nathan forward.
• Nathan cleared his throat. “Serious offenses include having secret relations with someone other than the princes, covertly retaining contact with the outside world, or revealing any royal secrets on or off live broadcast.”
• He waved toward the back of the room, and a slew of servants stepped forward.
• “You will now be divided and searched,” Nathan continued. “Any communication devices will be seized. That includes your phones.”
• This was all news to me, though none of the other girls seemed overly alarmed. I really wished I had taken the time to read through the application.
• The servants divided us, as Nathan said. I followed my group into a familiar adjoining room, where each of us was searched. Not even Elva escaped scrutiny, though her gentle pat down made her giggle.
• The servant in charge, clearly endeared, made a funny face at Elva, bringing forth more laughter.
• The other girls in the room openly glared at us.
• By the doorway, our phones were taken and catalogued.
• “Your personal items will be returned upon your departure,” said one of the servants.
• When the groups reunited in the parlor room, Nathan reclaimed everyone’s attention. The royal family had vanished from behind him.
• “I will now give you a tour,” Nathan announced.
• We followed him through the elaborate palace, taking in the dining room with a table that could seat fifty, to a ballroom with a vaulted painted ceiling, then to the east wing where our individual rooms were.
• He explained that each of us would have a private room and be attended by two maids.
• Next, Nathan brought us to a large staircase that separated the east and west wings. In the west wing, he pointed us to the elaborate, gem-embossed doors of the royal family. The King’s door was the largest, with the Luna beside his.
• Each of the princes’ doors were the same size and design, though with different colored gemstones.
• Nicholas’s gemstones were green. Julian’s red. And Joyce, a pale kind of purple.
• “Pretty,” Elva said.
• I stared at Nicholas’s door, wondering if he was inside. Where had he disappeared to?
• I hadn’t been the only one looking.
• “I will remind you, ladies, that you are strictly forbidden from seeking out the princes on your own,” Nathan said. “Any inappropriate advances will have you expelled at once.”
• As we continued on, he purposefully passed a few corridors. When one of the girls became curious and asked him what was down one of them, Nathan shook his head.
• “Off limits,” he said. “Absolutely do not enter here. Or face the worst consequences.”
• The curious girl immediately quieted.
• Nathan led us down the staircase to where a line of maids waited patiently. One of them stood in front of the rest. She was older, with a severe expression.
• “This,” Nathan said, gesturing to her, “Is the head of the palace maids, Lena.”
• “Hi, Lena,” Elva said.
• Lena glanced over, but her eyes skipped straight over Elva to glare at me.
• She gave me such a cold look that it startled me. I was certain I had never seen this woman before in my life. What could I have done to offend her?
• “She doesn’t like you, Mommy.” Elva stretched her arms around my neck, giving me a kind little hug.
• I held her close, grateful for it. “Maybe she’s just having a bad day,” I reasoned. I hoped. I really didn’t need more enemies here.
• Nathan and Lena then introduced each girl to the pair of maids that would be assisting them. Those maids then showed the girls to their room.
• The two maids assigned to me seemed disappointed. They frowned as Nathan introduced them. I was the last one left in the hall.
• “You don’t need them yet, do you?” Lena asked. The false cheer in her voice did not match the glower she gave me. “I need to prepare them on one more task. You understand. I’m sure you can find your way back on your own.”
• Nathan looked at Lena curiously, but didn’t speak against her.
• I didn’t know how to stand up for myself here, in a place I so clearly didn’t belong.
• So I agreed. “Of course. I will see you both later then.”
• They both curtsied and excused themselves as Lena ushered them away.
• “If you will excuse me,” Nathan said and also disappeared.
• I stood with Elva in the hallway for a long time, wondering just what I was doing here.
• Eventually, I made my way back to the east wing. I’d gotten turned around only once. I had nearly walked down a forbidden corridor but Elva had stopped me.
• “Not here, Mommy,” she had said.
• I’d realized where I was then, fortunately, and turned around. Oddly, I thought I had seen Lena disappear down the stairs as I turned, but I must have imagined it.
• At the east wing, I couldn’t quite remember which room was mine, but with all of the other girls returned by now, the process of elimination led me to the last open door.
• I pushed it open, relieved to see our suitcases at the end of a large bed.
• But then a stopped. Someone else was in here. A man.
• My heart raced.
• Was it Nicholas?