Ahren's POV

[E D I T E D]

♕✿~♕✿~Chapter 10//: Maybe this Choosing won't be so bad♕✿~♕✿~

Watching Madison walk into her room, I wondered what I was going to do now.

Father and mother expected me to spend my time with the Chosen girls. But I didn't have the slightest idea on who I should spend my time with.

I vaguely recalled father mentioning that Alexis Merandus would be a good choice for a powerful queen. It was obvious that Alexis was one of father's favorites because of her powerful abilities. Maybe if I spend some time with her today, father would stop trying to drop hints about her to me.

After asking a couple of maids, I find myself standing in front of Alexis' room door. I breathe in before raising my hand to knock.

I had met Alexis before this competition. Since she was a part of one of the High Houses, I had seen her at the many parties my parents had hosted. Needless to say, she wasn't exactly my favorite company but she was definitely my parents' favorite company.

The door opens before I can knock, and I suck in a breath as Alexis stands there, a frightening beauty. Her eyes seem to widen a fraction in surprise, but she quickly hides it with a sharp smile.

"Your Highness," she murmurs, dipping into a perfect curtsy. I nod back at her. "What a pleasant surprise. I was about to go out to meet with Lady Emily and Lady Fiona. What can I do for you?" she asks me while watching me carefully.

I was already starting to regret this. Spending my day with Alexis, the harsh model who was always landing on the front page of magazines because of something scandalous she did? I couldn't stand to be in her presence for too long. How was I expecting to spend a whole day with her? Maybe I should just follow what Madison is doing and spend the day by myself.

I needed to get out of this situation fast. So I say the first thing that pops into my head that I know will let me leave.

"Lady Alexis, would you like to accompany me on a date this Saturday?" I ask in one big breath. Alexis has no reaction for a moment. Then, a smile stretches across her face. For a moment, I'm caught off guard. Alexis actually looked...genuine for once.

But she quickly hid the real smile behind a fake one. "Of course I would, Your Majesty. It would be my honor."

I nod, already starting to back away from her door. "That's all I wanted to ask, Lady Alexis. See you at dinner," I say, finally turning away from her and walking off. As I walk off, I hear her close her door and see her walking off to meet up with her friends.

I sigh. Okay, that was definitely not one of my best ideas.

I decide it might be best if I go outside for a bit to get some fresh air. The Choosing had only just started, yet I was already feeling stressed with so many girls in the house.

But as I reach the ground floor and start to head towards the garden doors, I hear a gasp of pain followed by the clatter of something made out of metal hitting the marble floors.

I quickly follow the sound, rounding a corner, but stop as I take in the scene before me.

I see Alexis, Fiona and Emily smirking at Madison as she cowers on the floor, looking pale as blood pours from a wound on her cheek.

"What happened? What did you do?" I asked them with incredulity. My emotions were out of control, unbelieving of what was happening in front of me. For a second, I lose control of my ability, and the sparks from my fire bracelets turn into flames, running up my arms. The Silver girls looked a bit shocked at the flames on my arms, not answering me. Growing a bit impatient, I purse me lips, still waiting for an answer. As I do so, my eyes pass over Madison. She stares at my flames with wide eyes, fear filling them.

I quickly extinguished the fire on my arms. I reached towards her, ready to help her get to the infirmary, but she pulls away, flinching. I swallowed as I take my hand away, pained by her reaction. She probably thinks I'm a monster.

"Can you get up, Madison?" I ask her softly. Saying her name brings a calmness over me. She nods as she pushes herself off of the floor, wincing as she does so. "Let's go the infirmary. The healers can patch you up." I go to her side, intending to walk her there as I'm sure she doesn't know where it is, but she flinches away from me, taking steps back. I swallow the pain down, looking at the ground below me. By the time I look up, Madison has already run off to the infirmary.

A silence stretches between me and the Silver girls. But I finally turn back to them, my eyes slitted in disbelief.

"What were you guys doing? Attacking another contestant? Using your abilities to hurt another who has less power than you? That's pathetic," I growl out at them. They at least have the decency to look a bit embarrassed.

I look at them one by one. "Who threw the knife?" I ask.

No answer.

I clench my fists. "Who threw the knife" I demand in a firmer voice.

It's brief, but I see Emily and Alexis glance at Fiona. I turn to Fiona. "Fiona, you threw the knife at Madison." I say this as a statement.

Fiona opens her mouth, ready to defend herself, but I cut her off.

"The rules were straightforward. No attacking the other competitors." I breathe in deeply through my nose. "You're leaving, Fiona."

Fiona's eyes widen at the words. "Your Highness, please give me another chance. It was one time -"

"And you broke one of the rules. So you're going home, Fiona," I say strongly. Fiona looks like she wants to argue more, but I cross my arms, silently telling her she won't change my mind. She finally leaves, throwing me one last icy glare, before going back up to her room to get her things and leave.

I turn back to Emily and Alexis, who looked a bit worried that they were going to be kicked out. But I didn't have proof that they used their ability on Madison.

"Go," I tell them. They hurry away to their rooms and I sigh, taking deep breaths to try to calm myself. I should probably look for Madison to make sure she got to the infirmary alright.

I head towards the infirmary, but stop as I see Nick Skonos talking to Madison. I frown a bit. What was she doing talking to someone like him?

I walk up to them, putting a hand on Madison's arm. Her eyes flit to me.

"Madison, I thought you were just going to the infirmary, not chatting afterwards," I say coldly, looking at Nick with distrust.

"Relax, Ahren. I was going to the infirmary, but got lost. Nick helped heal me," Madison explains to me.

I purse my lips as I make eye contact with Nick, who stares back at me with equal suspicion. It looks like Skonos did good today.

I can tell Madison is feeling a bit uncomfortable being stuck between us as she says, "Alright, if it bothers you so much, Ahren, let's go."

I give Nick one last look before I listen to Madison, walking her back to her room. But even as we reach her bedroom, I don't want to leave yet. I wanted to find out what exactly happened between Madison and the girls to cause this to happen.

Madison notices my questioning look, and finally says, "What?"

"What happened back there between you and the girls?" I ask her with a bit of urgency.

She hesitates a bit before giving an answer. "Girl drama," she tells me. "Girls can be crazy."

Her answer makes me laugh a bit. I shake my head at her last statement. "This Choosing might just be a nightmare for me if this is how girls act towards their competition," I tell her jokingly. Madison smiles at this.

"You'll be fine," Madison assures me. "Just say the right things to the girls and they won't turn on you."

My eyes widen at this. Was she serious or joking? If she was serious, then I was most definitely screwed in this year's Choosing. How was I supposed to know what the right thing to say was?

Madison lets out a laugh and I feel myself start a bit at the sound. She had laughed so unexpectedly that I was taken by surprise by the sound. But she didn't have such a bad laugh. It was actually kind of charming.

"I was just kidding. For the most part," Madison tells me after ceasing her laughter. She walks around me and starts to walk off somewhere else.

"Thanks for dropping me off at my room, but I was actually going to the gardens," Madison informs me. Without giving me time to react, she heads off down the stairs.

I stand in the same spot for a bit, pondering over her words and her unexpected laugh.

Then, a smile breaks across my face.

Maybe this Choosing wouldn't be so bad.

♕✿~♕✿~♕✿~♕✿~♕✿~

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Glass_Sword