The royal Palace was buzzing once again. Cars pulled up, girls flooding from them. Staff hurried around, collecting bags and showing people to different areas.
Jen appeared a warm look on her face "Miss Thorne, I'm so glad you made it through... Since I was your escort before, I will be your maid for the contest. Please call me Jen, I'll be around fo help you whenever I can and we will help you to pick your outfits to impress the princes.""What are they like?" I asked, as we began walking through the main doors."all so different but yet alike. Theo is a sweetheart, he is always willing to help us and will often be seen with his mother. Ezra is abit of a live wire, he is known for partying but he is ready to settle down... and Grey... well Grey can be a little intense..." she spoke"what's the schedule?" I asked."well first is a welcome ball. Tonight you ladies will get to know eachother... the prince's may appear but its more for you to find your feet with the other girls" she took off walking quicker, pulling my suitcase behind her.We made our way through winding hallways until we got to a door. "this will be your room. you'll be sharing with 3 other girls..." she said before opening the door.2 girls, around my age were sat on the same bed, looking through a book about the Palace. The smaller of the two shot up, a wide grin on her face. "Hi! I'm Riley..."I smiled before replying "Amelia... and what's your name?" I gestured to the other girl."Kerina..." she said shortly, clearly abit shy. I looked at Kerina first, she was tall, probably about 6 foot, her Raven hair hung around her waist, her pale skin contrasting to the deep tone. Riley was sweet looking, she had aurburn ginger hair, which she had braided and a face full of freckles. She was alot shorter than me, probably only grazing 5 ft."which bed is mine?" I asked Riley. She took my bag from Jen before thanking her. Jen left the room, promising to be back soon. Riley placed the bag on the bed by the window, before turning her hands on her hips"is this one okay? we can swap if you want?" she pointed to the best next to it "I'm your neighbour""no that ones perfect thank you Riley" I smiled before sitting on the bed. It was so comfortable, the soft mattress calling you to lay down. "so who's our 4th roommate?""Ruby, she came in briefly just before you, sorted herself out and then went off looking for a prince" Riley rolled her eyes "she seems like a lot of fun...." she paused "tell me about you then?""well... I'm Amelia, but feel free to call me Amee, I'm 20, and I'm a seamstress... unmated obviously.." I chuckled"a seamstress?! you'll come in super handy! apparently alot of the clothes are standard sizing and not great for us shorter people!". Riley got up before walking to the window "oh look!" she exclaimed "the prince's have arrived!"I slowly moved to the window, so did Karina. We watched 2 men stepping out from a black BMW. They were both impeccably dressed in suits. I focused on each of them individually."that one" she pointed to the one closest to us "that's Theo..." I looked at him, his chocolate brown hair casually flopped over his forhead, a boyish grin on his face. it was hard to make out his features from far away, but his jaw line was sharp. "and that... ohh its Ezra!" the taller brother emerged from the other side of the car. Ezra was built, he clearly worked out, his pristine Ash hair was held in a tight bun, and his face had a layer of stubble."where's the third one?" I asked"apparently he's not too happy about this whole contest thing. Grey doesn't want some quote 'stupid teenage girls chasing him around'" Riley scoffed "we get it, your the eldest, but still... chill man!""so I'm guessing Theo is your favourite?" I asked, knowing the answer already."yes!" she squeeled "he's so handsome... so lovely... he is always helping people... always so sweet!""well I don't know any of them... I guess that's the fun of it.."Riley ran to her bedside table, before grabbing a leaflet off the top. "so tonight is the ball obviously... then tomorrow we have a day with Ezra... apparently we will be split into groups of 10 and spend an hour with him... I think they're all having a day... then there's tea with the queen... the Kings ball next week and lots of smaller minglings in the middle... were going to be so busy!"We were interrupted by a knock on the door, before Jen and 2 other maids entered the room, a clothing rack in hand each. Jen spoke first "it's time to start preparations for tonight. This is a unique set of dresses, we don't want anyone wearing the same thing... tomorrow morning you will meet with our stylists who will get an idea of your style and you'll get a wardrobe for the time here."Another made perked up "Riley, there's one I think would look amazing with your hair!""ahhh" she squeeled "show me Hailey!"I walked across to Jen, who smiled at me curtly. "so what you thinking for tonight?""well, something simple I think... I've only ever worn simple... how about..." I flicked through the dresses "this!" my eyes landed on a lavender gown, shoe string straps held up a v neckline. Pockets were found on the waist as well as a full skirt, including a daring slit. "I like this one""the lavender will look amazing on your completion!" she chirped, taking the dress off the rail "now can you try it on so we can get it altered?"---That night we were in our room getting ready. The ornate room had 4 double beds all in a pale blue, with subtle floral paper and wooden siding. Each of us had a vanity, a wardrobe where all of our clothes would be put and a bathroom to share. I sat down, opening the makeup bag infront of me. My mum had shown me a few looks before I left, so I quickly set about applying a smokey eye and slightly tinted lip balm. I straightened my curly hair, before simply tucking it behind my ears. Simple diamond studds adorned my ears with a matching bracelet on my wrist. The dress was perfect. I quickly put on a pair of silver jewelled heels before sitting down and watching the chaos in the room around me."where is Ruby!?" Her maid exclaimed."screw her" Karina chuckled. Karina was wearing a blood red velvet gown, it hugged her body perfectly, the back opened yet covered with black lace. Her Raven hair was placed in a loose bun.A girl rushed through the door before quickly sitting at her vanity. Ruby I assumed. Her bleached blond hair looked familiar, I'd seen her in the queue on audition day. It sat pin straight around her shoulders, barely needing to be touched. She began applying makeup as her maid brushed her hair. Her eyes caught mine in the mirror before she turned a weird smile on her face "hi I'm Ruby""Amelia" I replied."you look so cute!" she mocked "you too Riley... real cute!"Riley just rolled her eyes before slipping into her powder blue gown. We watched as Ruby applied a thick layer of makeup, before inserting giant diamond chandeliers into her ears. She stood, quickly stripping infront of everyone. She grabbed the a bright red gown so tight it barely fit onto herself before looking in the mirror. She smiled victorious as she turned to us "let's go meet my prince"The ballroom had been transformed, silk was draped across the ceiling, mingling with elegant chandeliers. I stood at the top of the stairs, watching as girls dressed in pristine gowns with huge hair displays mingled in the room. Tables were scattered around the room, holding flutes of champagne, dipped strawberries and assorted canapés. Staff stalked through the room, holding trays of other drinks and different snacks also. I turned to Riley who's eyes were wide with glee, she looked back at me before whispering excitedly "it's so beautiful... imagine this being your home...!" "it's abit overwhelming" I confessed. "don't worry" she said calmly "stay with me and we will just raid the food stations" she laughed We made our way down the stairs, trying not to slip on my dress. The room was buzzing, musicians played joyful tunes and watched as some girls began dancing. The night was simple, me and Riley stayed by the food and drink, happily eating away as we people watched. Towards th
The next morning, I woke up very early. My mind had been racing all night, thinking of the possibility of falling for one of them. I sat with my sewing needle, attempting to stitch a hole in my old Teddy bear. "What are you doing?" Karina broke the silence, she sat on the window sill. She wore a skirt which hit just before her ankle, a black jumper was tucked in neatly. She wore glossy leather boots, which matched the belt that peaked from under the jumper. Her hair was in a high ponytail, pin straight. She smiled, "I'm sorry I was abit quiet yesterday... it was all abit overwhelming" "oh don't worry about it... what time is your activity today? its Ezra today right?" I asked, finishing stitching before tying off and cutting the thread. "in 20 minutes. I'm abit nervous today too! Ezra is so handsome..." she cooed. She stood up, preening herself. "yours?""I think 2, but I'm not too sure. I was just going to hand out before getting ready soon... good luck Karina, I hope it goes well
EzraI sat at the breakfast table, my mother sat rambling about how excited she was. I watched as she grinned before filling her plate with more fresh pineapple and melons. I'd agreed to the whole contest thing for her. I'd been abit of a party boy, when my mate rejected me at 18, I threw caution to the wind. Not being the heir, I had no obligation to the crown. I spent years of my life jetting around, collecting fake friends and drinking myself silly. When I turned 22 I thought about slowing down. It just so happened that day my mother also came to me with the idea of the contest. I had thought about it for a few days... surely it wouldn't be too bad... spending a few weeks surrounded by pretty girls... "Ezra darling" my mother broke my thought "you need to eat darling." she stood by my side, her hand on my shoulder."of course mother" I smiled before grabbing a croissant and a pile of strawberries. She smiled in satisfaction as she stroked my head softly. "how did I get such han
AmeliaLater that night, me, Riley and Karina had decided to go to the last dinner sitting. We all sat at the table by the window , all with trays full of different foods. Karina was a selective vegetarian... I know strange for a wolf... but she chose to only eat meat when absolutely necessary."so... Ezra..." Riley started, her lips raising into a smile "he was really nice! I expected him to be some party boy but he seemed genuine..." I nodded "yeah... he seems funny too.." I shoveled pasta into my mouth"so who's your favourite so far Amee?" Riley askedKarina looked up, a clueless look on her face "you've met more than Ezra already?" "yeah... I kinda... run into Grey at the welcome ball" I replied. "you...ran into Grey?" a voice from behind me made me jump. I turned, it was Ruby. Her sleek blonde hair was pulled back into a slick ponytail, she wore workout gear, her body glistening with sweat. "it wasn't intentional" I scoffed"give me the low down... he's my favourite..." Ruby
I spent the whole night rerunning the whole kiss in my head. How we'd got there... how it felt. It was so early... how did that happen so quickly? I'd been here for 3 days... 3 days where everything was the same but so different all at once. The sun piercing through the slotted blinds welcomed the morning. Riley stirred in her bed, stretching out fully. "morning" she murmured. "you been up all night?""most of it.." I mumbled back "I'm confused by all of this... I don't know what I'm doing here... I'm not cut out for this""what makes you say that?" she replied, quickly running across to my bed, before pulling the covers up over her shoulders. I checked the other 2 beds, Ruby was gone already, her bed pristinely made. Karina was fast asleep, light snore escaping her lips. I turned to her, before leaning in "Grey kissed me last night"Her eyes went large, her hand covering her mouth "omg" she scream whispered. "how? what? when?""I.. went for a run last night... when I got back he wa
The next morning we were all asked to meet in the ballroom. The mumbles of confusion filled the air as girls made their way to the room. There seemed to be less of us, but I was never good at maths."morning ladies" The Queen appeared at the head of the room, wearing a simple chiffon pleated skirt and a jewelled jumper. Her hair was effortlessly swept into a ponytail, she looked so effortless. "I'm sure by now you can see there is half of you. We made the decision last night to streamline the competition, the prince's chose their 25 favourite ladies and fortunately for you 25, you were chosen. Now I know it's early, but we didn't want to waste anyone's time... so from here on out individual dates will comence. My sons want to really get to know you. You will all get a chance at a 1:1 date with one or more of my children... I hope you all understand.. I just want my boys to be happy" Everyone agreed happily, clearly because they were one of the 25. Me and Riley found Karina in the roo
I felt so confused, so conflicted by it all. I had become so invested in it even though I hadn't wanted to be involved. I felt a draw to Grey, but was he being honest? if he felt drawn to me too, then why didn't he just call his match already.Ruby basically ran into the bedroom, a smug smile on her face "omg I'm in love" she cooed. I turned to her, watching as she pretended to melt against the door. "Grey is so handsome! he told me I was one of his main choices" "did he though?" Karina chuckled. "yes!" she squeeled, clapping her manicured hands. "he invited me out to dinner tonight, 2 times in one day!" A part of me stirred, jealousy? did he lie to me last night? was it all pretend?"are you okay?" Riley whispered to me as she sat next to me on my bed. "I'm just... confused" I confessed "he told me he didn't like Ruby..." "well by the sounds of it he's playing with you all..." she rolled he eyes. "you need to prioritise you... get ready for your date with Ezra... give him your
I found my way to the library, hoping to read up on the mate bond. Thick leather bounded books filled the heavy oak shelves. Hundreds written on the instant bond at 18. only one of the other sides of bonding. I picked the book up before finding a secluded area. I pulled my knees against my chest as I began reading. 'Many believed the mate bond to be an instant thing. We were told that we would know one our birthdays, and anything after that wouldn't be a true bond. Recently a phenomenon called the Love Bond has been discovered. it is believed to be a mate bond created through compatability. The first case was of a young couple from Denmark. They fell in love the human way, when one day they awoke to an undeniable true mate bond. It is said to be the strongest bond, the pairing is meant to be. A recent study found 1 in 10 mates were hypothetically incompatible. There is belief of multiple bonds. Typically identified in fraternal siblings which are genetically identical. however the