Just last night history was made. For the first time in years, what's left of the Pomeroy royal family opened their doors to 24 strangers; most of them wanting to go home already. The night was more than eventful to say the least, and from what I've observed I believe the royals already have a list of people they hate.

Shall we dive in? Let's start with Mr. Selected Kenshin Tanaka, or as a couple of anonymous staff members call him "Unicorn Stripper"---It would be an understatement to say that he certainly stole the show, though the question is, was the show a comedy act? Because he certainly made a joke of himself. However, where he lacks in fashion sense, he makes up for in friendliness. After befriending all the royals, we ought to give him credit. Perhaps under the tacky glitter makeup, there's a strategist there. Or is that a bit of a stretch? No matter the case, what does he have that Aish does not? She seemed to start off on the wrong foot at every turn, seemingly trying to restart her introduction to Prince Cael multiple times. How badly does one need to mess up to find the need to restart an introduction several times over? Apparently the answer is just as badly as Aishwariya did.

Moving forward, Valerie, from the homely Homaylis, was clearly out of her depth. You could tell from a mile away that she was out of place in the land of the upper class. With rough manners and awkward rumblings, no one was truly sure she would be ready to take on the title or power of a royal. However, nothing could compare to Therese, whose dramatics wowed the entire party in the worst way possible. Her encounter with Prince Cael was brief at best and ended in many tears, created by her own hand.

If the above selected's less than stellar etiquette was the only example of carelessness at this party dear readers, we'd be at a loss. Many of the selected showed signs of inadequate education in manners. Juno acted as though they had known the royals since they were children. With their casual words and movements, one would think they were simply already trained in proper manners, however that conclusion is far from the mark. Though they weren't stumbling quite as badly as some others, their carelessness seemed to overpower their better traits. Though notably, Juno was one of the only ones that got more of a private talk with one of the royals, so perhaps their casual way of life does have merits in the eyes of the royals. Luckily for you dear readers, there are two selected that you can surely keep your eyes on. Seemingly the only two who refrained from these scandalous behaviors mentioned prior to this point were Selected Charlotte and Selected Lucille.

Lady Charlotte and Lady Lucille had peaceful conversations with Crown Prince Cael and other selected. They did not attempt any large or rude gestures, and their etiquette was very good for citizens never formally trained. Perhaps, dear readers, they are the best choices so far, solely because they weren't acting as though they had already won the royals' hearts.
Many only seemed to only be interested in Crown Prince Cael, perhaps indicating an interest not for love, but only for power. Throughout the ball, most only approached him for any conversation. Perhaps the selected see the royals as nothing but a way to gain power, and have no interest for any of the far more interesting love side of the selection.

The royals were just as at fault as their selected counterparts, with riveting performances from the entire family. Cael was seen running from the selected he spoke to and also causing some to run from him. Is he truly that unbearable? Or, was he actively trying to sabotage his chances with the selected?

Cassiel was in a similar situation, with selected seeming very uncomfortable after interacting with her. The only outlier seemed to be selected Juno Nureyev, who ran away with the Princess for quite a while. Could this be the start of a budding romance, or is it something more sinister? Princess Sariel was barely seen with the selected, which is not a surprise considering her normal attitude. The general consensus between the girls seems to be that the selected are not worth their time. Is this a case of rebellious royals, or just an attempt to seek more mysterious and exciting?

Finally coming to Prince Raphael, he seemed the least troubled by the selected. Cracking jokes, waving, and winking have been under his belt since he was a child. But does this easy friendship tactic show a similar resistance to the selection as his siblings, or is it his way of building a base for the relationships to come? It is only the first event, so only time will tell...

To celebrate the selection, we will now be featuring interviews from the people involved in the selection themselves! For our first issue, we've interviewed six people for your viewing pleasure, dear readers! Without further ado, here they are!

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Castle Maid Robin Ilori

"Do you have any early favorites?"
"No, I do not. None of them have struck me as much, but that's because nobody would properly speak to a maid. Closest thing I have to a favorite is Lady Therese, who seems exciting. However, she doesn't seem like she could handle a large staff if she were to become a royal. She seems common."

"How was meeting the selected?"
"Uh I didn't really meet them. They talked to each other and stuff and then asked me to do stuff. They probably thought I was being polite but I'm mute."

"Have there been any surprises so far?"
"Not for me."

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Head Guard Samuel Fitzgerald

"Do you have any early favorites?"
"Yeah, I like Charlotte. She seems the most responsible out of some of the others. Lucille as a second if I had to pick one. To be honest, none of them excited me but there's always time for change."

"How was meeting the selected?"
"Well, I haven't really met with them that much, but of what I have it's been through small intervenes but well, to be honest I don't have the best impression. They appear to be more on the loud side, and after being with the selecting for so long, I'm not sure I can see a good fit there."

"Have there been any surprises so far?"
"*sigh* Barry Sullivan tried to trick selecting by acting like His Highness Prince Cael during the right here and I am embarrassed on his behalf, I just hope that that was the worst of his antics and it's all smooth sailing from here."

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Selected Valerie Havenford

"How was the opening ball?"
"To say the least, magical. You see, I've never been to such big events before and this was definitely an experience to remember. Everything was on point for me: the themes, the set up, the ambience, the food. The food was particularly enjoyable, bless the cook. Although I did not get to speak with as many people as I would have liked, I'm sure there will be opportunities in the future. I think the staff did a great job with it and I sure had a great time."

"How was the first meeting with the royals?"
"My first meeting with a royal was with Princess Cassiel... she offered me a strawberry, I'm not entirely sure what to make of that. Our conversation was brief and I wish it could have lasted longer, but that's alright. Charming, truly.
I also had the honor of speaking with Prince Cael. He was... interesting I must say. He was kind in his gestures and seemed rather excited. Understandably so. We talked for a while in the garden, it was a pleasant walk. I do hope to get to know him further as time passes. Just so with Prince Raphael and Princess Sariel as well, I'm looking forward to meeting them too."

"Do you have any thoughts on the other selected?"
"Unfortunately, I have not really interacted with any of the selected to comment on that. But like I said, I'm open to meeting new people, after all we will be spending a lot of time together from here on out. I get the idea that some of them look at the rest as nothing but competition, that;s true to an extent yes, but I would prefer if that didn't affect our meetings that much. Though it's inevitable. I may have a more detailed answer to this in the future, but for now I remain neutral."

"What's your confidence level in winning?"
"Winning... hmmm, it's only been one day, so it's definitely too early to say. But I didn't come all the way here to lose. I'm fairly confident in my chances but I won't push to change my personality for the sake of winning a royal's favor. That would beat the purpose of the selection itself. I'm confident that I certainly have the potential to win and that I'd be an asset if I did, but the final decision is obviously with the royals and I cannot presume to know their thoughts. My belief in myself is high though."

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Selected Lucille Carrillo

"How was the opening ball?"
"After the adequate train ride, it was a wonderful surprise seeing such a well-decorated ballroom. I was delighted when I saw the effort that was put into decorations and delicacies. And if course, the royals themselves were dressed exceptionally well, I'll have to compliment their taste and tailors. It was an experience I'll never forget."

"How was the first meeting with the royals?"
"Oh, the royals themselves? I think Prince Cael was an absolutely wonderful host and Princess Cassiel seemed really protective of her siblings, that is such a wonderful quality. I didn't see Princess Sariel much if I'm entirely honest, and Prince Raphael seemed to be the joker of the foursome. I do think both the selecting and selected need to get more accustomed to each other, both parties seemed to be slightly on edge and anxious during the ball."

"Do you have any thoughts on the other selected?"
"The other selected are... how to put it exactly... interesting I shall say. I have had good conversations, I have had bad encounters, not during the ball I must add to that. Some seem to know what they're doing, others less so. All in all, I think there are very few schemers in our flock, but my first assessments could be, of course, off."

"What's your confidence level in winning?"
"I don't think we should view this selection as a competition, there are no winners, no losers. Both parties should be looking for love, not only the selecting, but also the selected. I would rather 'lose' this selection than be forever shackled in a loveless relationship and marriage. I shall speak no foul word about what lies in the past, but I know what comes of forced arranged marriages. I am confident I know what I want and what I don't."

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Crown Prince Cael Pomeroy

"Did you like the selected?"
"Well, they were certainly... intriguing! It was definitely nice to have visitors in the palace again, even if said visitors brought an unprecedented air of informality with them. All in all it was a... rewarding experience to get to meet so many different people from all over our wonderful kingdom!"

"Any comments on what to look forward to?"
"Our event coordinators have been working for months to plan out every event for this selection! I can't give you any specifics, no spoilers after all, but I'm confident there is plenty for both the selected and those following the story through the media to look forward to. It only gets better from here!"

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Princess Cassiel Pomeroy

"Did you like the selected?"
" It's no secret that I oppose this selection, and I'm sad to report that many of the selected only solidified my concerns; however, there were a few that weren't so bad--perhaps even pleasant to be around. I suppose we'll find out everyone's motives soon enough."

"Any comments on what to look forward to?"
"I know what I DON'T look forward to. But as far as the plans and recreational activities go, I know only as much as the selected."