[E D I T E D]

♕✿~♕✿~Chapter 19//: Royal balls and secrets♕✿~♕✿~

"I can't believe this! I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Please, calm down. This isn't because of you. It's more because of the...lack of anything between us."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

Rose, Addaline, and I grimace at each other as the loud voices of Katherine Jacos, Lindsey Laris, and Ahren reach all of the girls outside of the dining hall. Ahren was disqualifying them and they were definitely not pleased with this news.

Alexis flips her ash-blonde hair over her slender shoulder. "They are quite loud. They should know how to act like a lady. But, I guess not everyone can be so poised and mature like High Silver ladies," she comments with a light voice like she's talking about the weather. She pointedly looks at me while she says this and I know she's silently telling me I will never be on the same level as her.

I bristle but decide to ignore her. No need to prove her point by knocking her front teeth out.

We all continue to wait, shamelessly listening as the argument goes on. I fiddle with the ends of my shawl the maids had given me in the morning.

At that moment, the dining hall doors open and the two disqualified girls storm out, one in tears and the other one with a scowl on her blotchy face. Behind them, Ahren walks out with a tired look on his face. He catches my eye and beckons me to follow him as he walks towards the garden doors.

"I'll be back," I tell Rose and Addaline distractedly, following the direction in which Ahren had went.

I see him lounging by the garden doors and he sighs as I reach him. He puts out his arm and I take it, looping my own arm around his.

"What happened?" I ask him, though I know it is a stupid question. I just heard what happened. As if Ahren knows my thoughts, he looks at me with a scowl. I smile a bit at him, amused.

"Okay, that was a stupid question. What I meant to ask was what do you want to talk about?" I say quickly to try to save myself from the embarrassment.

Ahren stays silent for a bit, a war storming in his grey eyes. He finally turns to look at me and I'm a bit surprised to see worry in his eyes.

"Do you think I made a mistake, Madison?" He murmurs gently. I look at him, confused by his question. "A mistake about what?" I ask. "Do you think I made a mistake disqualifying Katherine and Lindsey?" Ahren clarifies.

I look at the orange-red trees around me as I think about Ahren's question. It was the middle of October, and autumn was all around us.

I realize Ahren is still waiting for an answer, looking at me with a frown. "Well," I start out uncertainly. "If you didn't feel a connection with them, you most likely made the right decision." I say this with carefulness. As Ahren's friend, I needed to give him the best advice possible.

He still looks troubled as we walk around the garden slowly. But his frown soon goes away, replaced by a small smile. "Love is so confusing, Madison," he tells me.

"Well, there's a saying my mother always told me. Love is when two people who care for each other get confused." Ahren looks at me thoughtfully. Then, he turns away to look at the shaking leaves.

"Your mother is definitely right. Love is such a confusing matter. It's difficult to express yourself correctly when you feel something for someone. When you want to say something, sometimes you can't because the most important things are the hardest to say," Ahren murmurs thoughtfully. I stare at him. Who knew he could be so philosophical?

We reach the beginning of the garden, and the glass doors leading back to the palace, the beautiful cage, are in front of us. Ahren leads me inside and smiles at me as we stop in front of the lessons room. It was time for my lessons.

"I'm glad we got to have that conversation, Madison. It makes me feel more better about the decision I made," Ahren tells me while ducking his head, abashed. I roll my eyes at him as I playfully punch him on the shoulder. He looks up, a bit surprised at my action, but the look goes away quickly.

"Well, Your Highness, I need to go to Lessons now." I curtsy at Ahren, and he chuckles at my feeble attempts to do so. "Don't judge me, we only started learning to curtsy at the last Lesson!" I exclaim as we both laugh. I wave at him as I open the door to the Lessons room.

When I turn around to face the room, I still. Instead of only Rose, Addaline, and Caroline occupying the space, all of the other girls are here. I quickly find the familiar red hair of Rose and rush over to her and Addaline.

"Why is everyone here?" I whisper to them as I look around. They are in their own groups, smiling and talking to each other. For once, they seem relaxed and not worried about the competition.

"Apparently, there's going to be a huge project in which the Chosen girls will be assigned. It's supposed to be a big deal," Addaline tells me, a strange excited glint in her eyes.

Caroline steps in the middle of the room, clapping her hands together. She's dressed in a dark blue gown with red jewels decorating it. Her black hair is put up in an intricate bun and bracelets and necklaces adorn her wrist and neck.

The girls quiet down immediately and all find a chair to sit in. I follow Rose and Addaline to the back, where we all settle down in chairs. I take off my shawl, placing it on the back of my seat. I carefully watch Caroline as I do so. She looks excited, more excited than usual. This project must be very important.

"Hello ladies. If you do not know, I am Caroline Iral. This week, we have an exciting project for you all! This will be your first test to see if you have the qualities of a good queen, like Her Majesty, Queen Rianna." The girls all lean in, wanting to hear about this "exciting project".

"This week, the Piedmont princes are coming for an alliance ball!" Caroline exclaims while clapping her hands excitedly. The girls around me immediately turn to each other and talk animatedly. I even catch Emily sighing with dreamy eyes.

The only girls who are quiet are the Red competitors. We've never seen or met the Piedmont princes, like most of the girls here have. We were only Reds before this, after all. Now we had to throw a ball for them?

"Now, now, calm down everyone! A lady should be graceful even when this excited!" Immediately, everyone returns to their cold facade, their backs straight and their expressions emotionless.

"You will be separated into groups and each group will be responsible for one aspect of the ball. I have already organized these groups. The ball will be in four days, so you must have everything by then!" My mouth drops open at this. Only four days to plan such an important event?

"I will now announce the groups." Caroline takes out a piece of paper she had laid out on a nearby table.

"This first group will be in charge of the theme and sending out an invite to the princes. Lady Tara, Madison, and Addaline will be in this group." I smile at Addaline and Tara as I realize we will all be in a group together. Tara comes to join us and takes a seat next to Rose. "The second group will be in charge of table settings. Lady Rose, Diana, and Emily will be in this group." I look sympathetically at Rose as she scowls while walking to where Emily and Diana were. "The third group will be in charge of decorations. Lady Meira, Emmaline, and Clara will be in this group." The girls whose names were called got up and met with each other in a corner of the room." The fourth group will be in charge of the food courses that will be served. Lady Lillian, Alexis, and Peony will be in this group." They all get up and meet each other by the windows on the right side of the room. "The rest of you will be in charge of the music played at this ball and making sure everyone's outfits will be ready for the day this ball will be." The other girls cluster in the middle of the room.

"You are all in charge of your own group. I will give you a packet of information so you can know the information for your certain area." Caroline comes around the room, giving the groups their packet of information. She drops the packet in the lap of Addaline and Tara and I peer over her shoulders to read it.

By the time we are all finished reading it, a flurry of information is running through my head. The packet included the types of balls we could choose from and the proper form of an invitation.

"Let's discuss our ideas later. We can meet up somewhere after my training is over," Tara says as she gets up to go with the other Silvers to training. "How about we meet in my room before lunch?" I offer. Addaline and Tara nod in agreement. By the time everyone has left, only Addaline, Rose, and I are left in the room with Caroline lounging around. She looks at us.

"Well, I'm going. No lessons for today, or the next few days. Make sure to do well in your groups!" Caroline says as she exits the room.

"She's really excited for this," I comment. Rose snorts. "Of course she is. Wouldn't any Silver lady be excited to meet a prince of any sort?" she says. I stare at her quizzically. I wonder why Rose said it like that.

"Well, I need a nap," Addaline says. I laugh. "Me too. What about you Rose? What are you going to do for the next few hours?" Rose shrugs. "Who knows? I'll do whatever, I guess."

We all separate and go in our own directions. After walking up the stairs leading to the floor where the Chosen girls' bedrooms are, I pause. I felt bare for some reason, and after thinking on it for a moment more, I mentally chastise myself. I had left my shawl in the Lessons room. I move back down the stairs quickly to retrieve it.

I walk back in the direction I came from. However, as I walk closer to the Lessons door, voices reach my ears. I slow down as I peer around the corner. Rose and Nick are there.

And they're holding hands.

I whip back around the wall. Did I just see that? But I shouldn't jump to conclusions. Perhaps they're holding hands in a friendly manner.

But I highly doubt that as I hear them talking.

"Rose...This is dangerous. What we're doing, this is basically illegal." That was Nick's voice.

"I know. But, I don't care deep down. I just want to be with you, Nick." Rose's voice.

Curiosity gets the better of me, and I peer around the corner once more. Rose and Nick have their foreheads against each other. I walk away from the intimate scene and decide to abandon my shawl and come back for it later. I think urgently as I walk up the stairs leading to the hall with my room.

Nick and Rose were secretly seeing each other? I was more worried than angry. Angry because Rose didn't think to confide in me, and that made me feel like my friends couldn't depend on me. And worried because the rules specifically stated that competitors could not date or see another during their stay at the palace. And they were clear with the punishment.

Execution.

♕✿~♕✿~♕✿~♕✿~♕✿~

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

Sorry this was posted late. I spend the whole day out of my house!

Gosh, Rose and Nick being rebellious and savage by breaking the rules ;)

Please vote/comment feedback <3

Until the next update!

Glass_Sword