I wore the uniform required for us, the white blouse and the black pants, and wore the bougainvillea flower crown on my head.

I put lip balm and lip gloss on my lips and left my face bare. I put on the heels that I wore yesterday which were thankfully white and matched my blouse.

I left my room and saw my family waiting for me. We all walked out of the house when we heard all the screams and cheers from outside our house. I took a deep breath and walked towards the mayor who was giving a mesage.

"Everyone in Angeles cheer for our candidate! Give her strength, courage, and charm to win the Selection! Give applause to our beautiful candidate, Iole Haidee Eudora!" The mayor announced as I walked towards him.

He gave me the microphone and told me to say something.

"Hello, everyone. Thank you for your support! I'll do my best to bring our city glory! Being here is surreal," Not really "But thanks to all of you, I have gained courage to face the trials ahead! Thank you people of Angeles!"

I went to my family and kissed them goodbye and made one final wave and entered the car that brought me to the Palace.

I came late since it was just a few minutes drive to the palace. So when I saw the girls who were already there I thought I was a little too late. There were already about twenty girls in here and a lot of make-up artists were running about. Cameras were filming everything and some were interviewed.

"Come here!" The woman who always changed the hair colors of Celestiana and I said.

I followed her and she made me sit down on a chair and she talked to another girl and that girl approached me.

"What would you like us to do with you, Lady Haidee?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"Should we make you look daring? innocent? girly?"

"Oh, just make me look like me." I replied and she nodded.

"Blue would be a nice color for your eyes. Would you like contacts?" She asked.

I shook my head furiously, "No, sorry."

She nodded, "Okay, then. Let's get started."

She called another girl and the two of them did my makeover. One of them was doing my make-up and another was doing my hair.

"What color would you like for your nails?" The one who was doing my hair asked.

"Oh, sorry. My mom doesn't like me wearing nail polish." I answered.

She nodded, "Then we'll just clean your nails."

"Okay." I replied.

The other one finished my make-up andshe did my nails. Once my hair was done, the girl left to fix another girl.

Then a camera suddenly was in front of me.

"Can we do an interview?" The girl asked and I nodded.

"Name?" She asked.

"Iole Haidee Eudora."

"City?"

"Angeles."

"So far, What do you think of the other girls?"

"Um, I haven't met anyone yet since I live close by."

She nodded, "Do you think you have a chance with the Prince?"

"I think I have much of a chance as the other girls do."

"So what kind of girl would you like us to portray you as?" The girl asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want to be like a girl next door? a bold one? an innocent girl?"

"I want to be portrayed as me." I told them.

I could tell that the girl was disappointed but she masked it expertly.

"Any message for the Prince?"

I thought for a while and smiled as I thought of my answer, "I'll behave."

The girl looked confused but she moved on to the next girl. I laughed a little at my response.

The girl who was cleaning ny nails finished and she led me to the room with racks of gowns. She took a gown from it, stared, then put it back. This happened three times before she settled into making me wear a lilac day dress paired with another pair of white heels.

She made me wear it and then told me to proceed to the Great Hall where I will meet the other Selected.

When I went inside the Hall, it was alive with chatter and smiles. A maid, Hannah, approached me and curtsied.

"How was your day, Haidee?" She asked.

I smiled, "It was okay."

She put a silver pin on my dress and I read 'Haidee' on it. She curtsied and was about to go but I called her back.

"Hannah!" I whisper-yelled.

"Yes?"

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Going to your room, of course."

"Don't go!"

"Why? Go talk to you friends."

"I don't have any!"

She laughed, "Haidee, you'll find one don't worry. Now duty calls! Bye!"

Then she ran off to my room, leaving me hopeless. I almost jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

The girl giggled, "Oh sorry for startling you."

I sighed and smiled, "No worries."

"I'm Claire," She said. Then she pointed to the girl who had dark brown hair, "This is Julianne." She now pointed to the girl on her other side, "And this is Harriet."

I shook all of their hands, "I'm Haidee."

"You looked lonely so we decided to talk to you," Claire stated.

Wow, harsh. But as Celestiana taught me, I smiled, "Thanks for talking to me."

"No worries." She replied.

"So anyway, where are you from?" Harriet asked me, "I'm from Carolina."

"Angeles." I replied.

"Clermont," Julianne answered.

"Bonita," Claire said.

"I like your blonde hair." Harriet commented.

I smiled, "Thank you. I like your blue eyes."

She smiled. Harriet had brown hair and a relatively dark complexion, but she was beautiful. She wore a blue day dress to match her eyes.

Claire, on the contrary, had a fair complexion and hair as black as coal. Her eyes were dark brown and she had rosy cheeks. She wore a pink day dress that was almost the same color as her cheeks.

Julianne was a little mix of both. She had dark brown hair that turned gold when under the sun light. Her eyes were brown and her complexion was in the middle of dark and fair. Julianne wore a red day dress to match her red lipstick which fitted her nicely.

All of them were beautiful.

"So when do you think we'll meet the Prince?" Harriet asked.

"Tomorrow morning, before breakfast." I answered.

"I can't wait to meet him!" Claire exclaimed. Julianne nodded with a smile.

In terms of personality, Claire was bubbly and Julianne was reserved. Harriet was both.

More girls entered the Hall and soon, we were complete.

"Good morning, girls. I am Lourdes and I will be your instructor and mentor for your stay in the Palace." Lourdes was a woman maybe in her thirties to forties. "You will meet the Prince tomorrow before breakfast. Leaving your rooms is strictly prohibited. You must not go to the third floor, understood? If broken, punishment is necessary. You shall not fight with the other Selected. Respect each other and treat each other as sisters. And never forget this, no outside relationships allowed. If you are to be proven of having a relationship with another man, it is considered treason and death is the punishment."

"What are we doing today?" Claire whispered to me.

I shrugged, "I have no idea."

"For today, we will discuss etiquette to prepare you for meeting the Prince and the royal family tomorrow." Lourdes said.

Inside the Great hall, there were tables around and a space in the middle was present, no doubt for correcting postures and dancing.

"Everyone, sit around the tables. Five girls each table please." She instructed.

The four of us went to a table and sat down. We were short of one girl. So I looked around the room and saw a girl with black hair and green eyes looking lost in the middle. She wore a green day dress that accentuated her curves.

"Hey, do you not know where to sit down? We have one more chair for you." I said.

She looked at me in surprise, probably because she didn't expect anyone to talk to her.

"C-Can I?" She asked.

I smiled, "Of course. Let's go."

We went to our table and she sat down beside Claire and Harriet.

"Hello." Claire chirped.

"Oh um, hi." The girl said shyly.

"What's your name?" Harriet asked.

"Christine."

"What a lovely name." Julianne commented.

"Thank you." She said and her face was red.

"I'm Haidee." I said.

"Julianne."

"Claire."

"Harriet."

"Um, nice to meet you." Christine said.

"Now, girls. I'm teaching table manners first." Lourdes stated.

I groaned inside my head, I already know this.

"Placed in front of you is your plate, utensils, and glasses." Lourdes started, "First served is the appetizer. You should use theㅡ"

"Ugh. I can't understand her." Claire complained.

I giggled lightly, remembering myself when I first learned about it, "All you have to do is start from the utensil which is farthest from the plate and as you get to the dessert, you will keep using the utensils until you get to the one placed beside your plate. The simplest rule is outside-in." I explained.

The four girls nodded in awe.

"How do you know that?" Harriet asked.

"Well let's say that I had some professional help." I replied.

"How about let's not listen to Lourdes and just listen to Haidee?" Claire suggested.

"Yeah, I think I'd understand it if I listen to you." Julianne agreed.

I smiled and felt my cheeks getting hot, "Well first of all, don't lean on the chair and sit straight. Put your hands on you lap when you aren't using it. Ladies never cross their legs. You have to sit down with your legs slanted."

They all followed my lecture and Lourdes suddenly saw us and said, "Everybody look at the table where there is only one blonde lady. That is how to sit properly."

The others followed suit.

Claire laughed, "Oh my, we've been indirectly praised!"

I smiled, "Next is that you should always remember that drinking glasses are placed in the right. Also, when it is an informal meal, you should immediately place your napkin on your lap but when it is formal, place it on your lap once the hostess puts hers on."

They nodded.

"So is this an informal or a formal dinner?" Julianne asked.

"Since we are with the royal family, we have to always remember that it is formal. Therefore, we wait until the Queen puts her napkin on her lap first."

"What else should we know?" Harriet asked.

"When you want to get desserts like muffins, cupcakes, etcetera, you have to pick it up with the tongs." I said.

"Everyone, your lunch will be delivered here and you have to apply what you have learned." Lourdes stated.

Soon enough, the food was placed on our table.

"Remember, Outside-in." I reminded. They nodded and followed.

Sometimes I corrected them like, "Christine, please don't bring your mouth to your food. Bring your food to your mouth." and "Claire, straight body please."

I looked around and saw that we were the only table who are properly and that brought a smile to my face.

"Why are you smiling?" Julianne asked.

I shook my head, "Nothing. It's just that I'm proud of all of you. It's nice to teach others what I learned. I wish I could show you my teacher so you could learn from the best."

"Why can't you?" Claire asked.

"Well, she is supposed to be kept secret." I answered.

"Was your family a two when the castes still existed?" Harriet asked.

I shook my head, "No, my family was a five."

They looked shocked that Christine even dropped her fork.

"Then how did you afford a teacher? Are you rich?" Claire asked.

I shook my head again, "No. My family owns a flower shop and my dad is a mechanic and I have four other brothers."

"What? Then how did you learn all of this?" Harriet asked with shock.

I smiled, "Let's just say that it was required for me because of a finger print."

They looked confused but didn't ask anything.

"Anyway, Christine, where are you from?" I asked.

"Lakedon." She replied.

"What are we doing after lunch?" Julianne asked.

"I think we'll be tackling posture and decorum." I answered.

"Can we get a head start?" Claire asked me.

I smiled, "Okay. First of all, remember these lyrics. These wil be extremely helpful."

"Okay." Some said and some nodded.

I smiled, "Shoulders back and
tummy in and
pinkie out and
lift your chin and
slowly turn the head from side to side."

They laughed at the song.

"Seriously?" Harriet asked.

I nodded with a smile, "Seriously."

"Who the hell told you that?" Claire asked still laughing.

"You wouldn't want to know," I stated and laughed.

"Why wouldn't we? She seems humorous." Julianne prompted.

"It's not even a 'she'." I said and giggled.

They laughed again.

"Is he gay?" Christine asked.

I laughed a little louder than appropriate and shook my head furiously, "Oh heavens, no. He just likes Barbie movies."

"He seems fun." Julianne said.

"Anyway, those are just the basics. Your hands should be placed in front of you when not used." I continued, "Just by remembering those will already make you pass as a countess. As for decorum, don't talk when you aren't talked to." I paused and thought for what else to say and then I remembered, "No nagging, bragging, sweating, fretting, slipping, tripping,
Slurping, burping, twittering or frittering allowed.
Stay Present, stay pleasant, stay proud."

They laughed again.

"Oh God. Was he the one who also said that?" Claire asked and I nodded with a smile.

"When you meet the Prince though, you can forget all of those stuff. Just go talk to him and be yourself. That's what I planned and I can bet a thousand dollars that he won't make you leave tomorrow if you talk to him casually." I told them and saw hesitation in their eyes.

"Are you sure?" Harriet asked.

I nodded, "Definitely."

Claire raised her eyebrow, "You talk like you've met him already."

Just like how Celestiana taught me and what Tony sang me, I didn't let my emotions show and smiled, "No, I haven't. But I doubt he likes fake people."

"True." Julianne said with a nod.

"Yeah, I think you're right." Christine agreed softly.

Claire nodded, "I guess so and remember what the Prince consort said?"

"Be yourself." We all said in chorus.

"Exactly." I said, "It's also what Queen Amberly said to the Selected in Queen America's time of rule."

"Okay, Let's be ourselves." Harriet agreed.

"I hope we all see ourselves included in the Elite." I said and smiled genuinely.

"Not hope. We are." Claire said with a smile.

"Okay ladies! Form five columns and seven rows in the center." Lourdes instructed and we followed.

I was placed in the second column from the left on the third row and on my left was Julianne and on my right was Claire. Christine was in front of me and Harriet was on her right.

Lourdes inspected everyone by row and corrected every incorrect things.

"Lady Flora, tummy in please."

"Lady Bloom, place your hands in front of you."

"Shoulders back, Lady Carmel."

"Nice posture, Lady Gayle, but not good enough."

"Lady Harmonia, keep your feet in place, please."

"Nice work, Lady Harriet. You too, Lady Christine. Just a little practice and you'll get it perfectly."

"Lady Kane, chin up please. Look forward, Lady Catherine and Lady Daphne. I'm sure the backs of Lady Flora and Lady Bloom are more interesting than your shoes."

Some laughed at her comment.

"Lady Rachel, you have it all wrong. Lady Violet please help her. Lady Julianne, very good."

"Lady Haidee, excellent. Have you been living in the palace?"

"No, Madame." I lied politely.

She smiled, "You look like you've been training for years."

"Thank you, madame." I thanked with a small curtsy.

"Very lady like, Lady Claire."

Claire nodded and smiled. The rest of the girls followed our position and gained some compliments from our mentor.

Madame Lourdes also interviewed us one by one to inspect how we talked and Christine, Harriet, Claire and Julianne all gave me news that they were praised. It was my turn so I approached her and gave her a little curtsy.

"Please sit down, Lady Haidee." She sadi and showed the seat.

I obliged and sat down.

"How was your experience in the palace?" She asked.

"It was absolutely pleasent, madame. I never thought I'd gain friends this fast."

She nodded, "Who taught you so well, Lady Haidee?"

"I'd love to tell you but it is strictly kept a secret." I told her with an apologetic smile.

"And why is that?"

"I'm afraid I cannot tell that either," I replied.

She smiled, "You keep secrets well, Lady Haidee. I admire you for that. Kindly call on Lady Beatrice for me."

I nodded, stood up and curtsied before approaching a girl with auburn hair and green eyes, "Beatrice? Madame Lourdes will talk to you now." I informed her and she smiled at me.

"Ah, yes. Thank you." She said with gratitude and left to go to Madame Lourdes.

I went to where Claire, Julianne, Harriet and Christine were talking and joined them.

"How did it go?" Claire asked.

"Of course she got praised." Harriet told Claire and rolled her eyes.

"Harriet is quite right." I said with a smile.

"How are you so prim and proper, Haidee?" Julianne asked.

"Oh trust me, I am far from that. If you are someone I know from before you'd know me as the trouble maker and the laziest girl on earth."

"I can hardly believe that," Christine said and laughed.

"Me too." Harriet said and they laughed all together.

"Well, before I took the lessons, I always slouched and talked a lot. Some even call me annoying." I said and rolled my eyes.

"Do they really?" Claire asked with a giggle.

"Oh yes. Once we're out of this room and I'm back to my bedroom? I wouldn't even hesitate to jump on it and snore." I said with a laugh.

"Hey, how about let's gather to Haidee's room and just hang out? I bet when the Prince introduces himself, we wouldn't get to hangout often." Harriet suggested.

"Hmm, I'd like that." Julianne said and smiled.

"Yeah, me too." Christine said.

"Let's do this!" Claire exclaimed happily.

I laughed at them, "Yes let's all gather in my room, but all of you should return to your rooms before the curfew. Or else we'd all be in trouble."

The nodded.

"Ladies, you can now go back to your rooms. Your dinner will be delivered to you. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to approach me." Madame Lourdes said and almost all of the girls fled out of the Great hall and went to their rooms.

"Wait for me here." I told them and went to Madame Lourdes, "Madame." I called.

"Yes, Lady Haidee?"

"Can my friends and I spend time together in my room? They'll be back to their rooms before curfew." I said.

She paused to think, "Well, I don't think it would hurt to be together for three hours. But just three hours okay?"

I smiled widely, "Thank you, Madame." I curtsied before I walked away to my friends.

"Hey, Let's go." I said and we all walked out of the hall and I led them to my room.

"How do you know which room is yours?" Julianne asked.

"I think you just have to find your city's flower." I said and found my way to my room, "There we go."

I opened it and Georgia, Hannah, and Vivianne curtsied to us.

"Welcome, Lady Haidee. We will be your maids for your stay in the palace." Georgia said with a wink.

"Hello," I greeted. "Would you kindly bring us some tea?"

"Gladly, come on girls." Georgia said they exited the room.

"Wow so this is how our rooms in the palace would look like." Claire said, mesmerized with the designs.

I quickly took off my heels and dashed to the bed and hugged the pillows.

"Hey, she really did jump to the bed." Harriet commented and took off her heels and ran to my side on the bed.

The three exchanged looks before kicking out their heels and jumping on my bed. We did each other's hairs and talked about home and hot stars which was silly since we were here to fight for a prince.

Georgia entered the room and placed the tray on the table and exited.

"Do you think we could meet the prince now?" Harriet asked dreamily.

"Oh that would be a wish come true." Claire said.

"I doubt it." I stated.

"Yeah. It's not like something is special with us that the prince decided to see us." Julianne said with a sigh.

A knock on the door was heard, "Dee, can I come in?"

My eyes widened. I dashed to the door and closed it behind me. In front of me was Tony.

"Hey why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" He asked.

"You have to hide!" I whispered.

"What? Why?" He askes confusedly.

"Some of the Selected are in my room right now." I said.

His eyes widened, "Oh God. Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I didn't even know you'd visit me!" I said, still wide eyed.

"Haidee? Who's there?" A voice inside asked.

"Go! Before they see you!" I whispered.

He ran back to the third floor and I exhaled the breath I was holding. I returned back inside my room.

"Why were you outside?" Harriet asked.

"A guard called and he said that my letter reached my family." I said.

"But I heard him call you 'Dee'." Claire pointed out.

"Dee? Ah, you must have not heard the 'Lady Hai' part." I replied.

They nodded and I went back to the bed.

"Let's continue, shall we?" I asked.

We went back to story telling and now, we were all lying down on the bed.

"Hey, It's been three hours already." I stated, "You should go back to your rooms to eat dinner. Let's talk tomorrow."

"Yeah, okay. See you tomorrow, Haidee. It was fun knowing you." Claire said and waved goodbye as she slipped on her heels.

"Let's all aim for the Elite, okay?" Harriet said and waved goodbye.

"Thanks for the lessons. See you tomorrow." Julianne waved and left.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Haidee." Christine said as she left.

-----------------------------------

Oh no they almost got caught 😂😂