A/N: Before I share this chapter with you, I would like to make a dedication. This chapter is dedicated to megster_walsh. Thank you for commenting on my chapters and giving me feedback. It's because of people like you that I keep writing! So, just a really big thank you 

And now, without further ado, chapter 5:

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This morning, I woke up to a pleasant surprise. As Cassia pulled back the curtains, my eyes caught a small box and note on my nightstand. Leaving the note, I grabbed the box and threw the top off. 

"Oww." I heard Juliana moan. Glancing away from the box, I saw her rubbing her head as she looked down at the box lid that had just hit her. Cassia and I chuckled before I turned my attention back to the box.

 Inside was a little charm, another one to add to the growing collection on my wrist. I had to hold it up to my eye to view all of the small details. It was a horse shoe. 

"Why would he leave a note if he already planned on me knowing what we will be doing?" I asked aloud, twirling the shining piece of silver between my index and middle fingers.

 "What do you mean?" I heard Starlet ask form my closet, already piecing together an outfit for the day. I sighed, throwing my covers aside and stepping down onto the icy floor. 

"I mean that he didn't need to send me a note with this charm. Matthew only gives me charms for my bracelet, all as a gift, when something very significant occurs. This is a horse shoe, and I haven't gone horseback riding with him since the beginning of the Selection, which means..." I paused, snatching the note from the night stand. A pair of un-symmetrical lips were drawn on the paper in a fine red pan and a finger ran through them; he was hushing his lips. The time 10:00 was scribbled in small penmanship toward the bottom right corner of the paper, the word garden just below it. 

"I have a date today." I said, finishing my previous thought. Juliana squealed, already having forgotten about the box lid hitting her.

 "Ohh, where?" She squealed, a twinkle in her eye. Beckoning her over, I chuckled as I dropped the charm into her open palm. Closing her hand around it, she brought it close to her face and looked at the charm from every angle. 

"Take a wild guess." I said sarcastically and Cassia held up her hand. Juliana, seeing Cassia from the corner of her eye, passed the charm in an underhand throw. I felt my body freeze in panic, but Cassia caught the delicate, jewel decorated silver charm in her left fist tightly; she wasn't letting it go. After opening her palm, she stifled a laugh. 

"Horseback riding?" she asked and I pointed my finger at her as if it were a gun.

 "Bingo." I said, making my way to the bathroom for a morning bath. Cassia followed close behind me, meticulously trying to latch the horse shoe onto the growing collections of jewel encrusted charms on my left wrist.

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"So glad you were able to make it, my dear." Matthew said, latching his arm through mine. I chuckled and shook my arm out of his grasp. 

"Still not your dear. Also, you should be using your crutches to help you get around."

 "Won't stop me from trying." He replied with a shrug. I laughed at his words' double meaning. 

"You're such a noob."

 "A noob?" Matthew questioned as we passed through the open doors. Officer Woodwork had a beaming smile on his face as we passed him. I guess Matthew told him about this prior. He was happy.

 "Yeah, a noob," I said, looking at Matthew. Far past Matthew's frame, I could see Ben standing guard. He saw that I was looking at him, and he tried to get my attention. I looked back to Matthew, ignoring him. Whatever it was that Ben needed to tell me oh so badly, it would have to wait. Right now, I was enjoying the company of someone who would never leave me unless asked. "Please tell me that you know what a noob is." 

"No, I have no clue. What is it?" Matthew asked and I sighed, rolling my eyes.

 "A story for another time," I said, waving the conversation away with my free hand. "Better yet, look it up and let me know what you think about it." Matthew shrugged and let out a laugh. It sounded just like his father's. That annoying, yet charming sound could be stuck inside my mind all day if I let it.

 Soon, we arrived at the stable. Lacey was laying down in her stall, her hooves surrounded by the hay she was letting dangle from her mouth as she lightly gnawed on it. Micah, as soon as we entered the stable, began kicking his hoof at his stall door. 

Bang, bang, bang, bang. 

"Okay Micah." Matthew said throwing his crutches aside and hopping over to the horse. Grabbing Micah's face between his hands Matthew rubbed the large animal. The horse whinnied in delight and Matthew smiled back at me, throwing Micah's face aside. "A big dog he is, really." 

 I laughed while folding my arms over my chest. "You don't say."

 He chuckled and I felt my face begin to contort with confusion. Matthew, upon seeing my face, slowly stopped laughing and cocked his head. "Is something the matter Sol?"

 "Yeah," I said. "We're here on a date right?" Matthew nodded. "But you have a broken foot. Surely you can't ride. So it just makes me wonder, why are we here?" Matthew blushed lightly. 

"I was hoping that.. maybe... I don't know... you would let me ride with you?" He said, his confidence wavering as the statement transformed into more of a question. I giggled. 

"All you had to do was ask." I said. "Of course you can ride with me. I'd be happy in aiding His Royal Highness Prince Matthew Damon Schreave in whatever way I can." He snickered, nodding his head toward Lacey, who was raising to her feet. She whinnied, and I felt hands grab my waist. 

"Shall we?" Matthew whispered into my ear as goosebumps consumed me. 

"We shall."

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"How was your date today Sol?" Willow asked as she gracefully sat down beside me. Her tulle stuffed mint-green colored skirt billowed around her. 

"It was nice actually." I admitted, blushing. Willow beamed and clapped her hand to my back. 

"Good," she whispered. "I know you two haven't had the easiest time together, so I'm glad for the both of you." I looked into her eyes. 

"You aren't mad?"

 "Heavens no." Willow said, her giggle following, as she removed her hand from my back. 

"You are my best friend Sol, of course I am happy for you. Jealousy destroys people. That's why no one should ever be jealous. Besides, I think Daniel is more my type than Matthew is, if you know what I mean." Willow waggled her eyebrows and I laughed. Daniel was easily more outgoing and, dare I say it, slightly more attractive. That, however, may just come from his bad boy prince personality. He isn't uptight, unlike Matthew who is the king of uptight. 

"I'll keep that in mind." I said with a laugh as Silvia entered the Great Room. Stacked on her clipboard were what seemed like hundreds of papers. Huffing, she set the clipboard down on the nearest table and turned to face us. Her left eye was twitching as she smiled. 

"Good afternoon, ladies." She said through clenched teeth. All of us glanced at each other, our faces each expressing confusion. Whatever it was, something happened to Silvia, and she's not happy about it. 

"Good afternoon, Silvia." The room chorused back shakily. Silvia waved her hand, composing herself.

 "Before we begin ladies, I have a few announcements to share." We all held our breaths, hoping the news wasn't in any way bad. "Tomorrow, we will be meeting in the royal gym, located in the western wing of the palace, instead of in the Great Room." I looked to Willow, who's expression I knew matched mine. "In addition, you must begin readying yourself for King Maxon's birthday ball if you haven't already done so. I don't know if you all were thinking that there needed to be an invitation extended to you all by the princes, but this is not the case. Prince Matthew and Prince Daniel will not have dates, so none of you need to worry about that." She huffed looking around the room. 

"Where in the world is Lady Heather?" Just as the words flew past her lips, the doors opened and Heather stepped in. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail and a big splash of mud coated her periwinkle, knee-length, one-shouldered skirt. Her pristine, white, just-below-the-knee high socks were dotted with mud splatters and dirt, and her palms were a faded red. 

"I apologize for my tardiness Silvia," she said, shaking her left hand. Silvia cocked her head and tapped her foot impatiently. "I just had a date with Daniel and it ran a little late." She giggled and I felt my hand ball into a fist. Willow inhaled sharply beside me. 

Silvia sighed. "Fine. Sit. Have someone fill you in about what you missed after the lesson." Heather smiled sweetly, her fake innocence making me gag and Willow giggle beside me. Once Silvia looked away from Heather and back to her clipboard to begin the lesson, Heather shot daggers at the two of us and made her way to Harmony's side. 

"Now than," Silvia said, a small smile on her face. It was the same smile she got whenever she was about to teach us a lesson. Silvia loved her knowledge. However, her smile fell as her eyes scanned the room. Her eyebrows knitted in confusion and she raised her index finger and counted. "Eleven?" she questioned and I looked to Willow, who shrugged. Silvia had been counting us, and she had good reason too. Someone was missing. "Who could possibly...?" Silvia scanned the room again, her expression darkening as she came to a realization.

 "Blake," she whispered darkly. "Where is Lady Blake?" We all stayed silent, unaware of where she was. Even I hadn't the slightest clue. Silvia sighed, disappointed, and unlatched her papers from her clipboard. She pulled the first eleven papers from the top of the stack, living a twelfth and slamming it down onto the table next to the clipboard so she wouldn't lose it. Banging the papers against the table to get them neat and uniformed, Silvia bent down and handed them to the nearest girl, whom just happened to be Darling; shocker there. 

Darling gingerly lifted the first paper, set it beside her, and didn't pick it back up again until she had to pass the small stack to Risa on her right. Darling adjusted the glasses on the bridge of her nose and inspected the paper. Soon enough, the stack reached Willow and I. We each took a sheet and passed the remainder of the stack. Peering down at the tiny font, we were learning and going over history, yet again. 

"Blake will need a make up lesson with me," Silvia stated, as if we were all her secretaries making a mental note of her word. "In the meantime, let's begin."

A/N:

Okay, so this chapter seemed like just a bunch of random shots moshed together. I sincerely apologize for that. And I apologize for the next few chapters, because they will most likely be something similar. I slowly feel my creative juices running out, because I have I know what happens next, and I know that it's not ready to come yet. So, anyway, I still hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and let me know what you think.

~Halebella <3

QOTD: What big thing do you think will happen next?