Hey guys! As I told you, the story is almost over, but I have multiple things planned for the ending. Also, there is a bit of kissing and making out, if you could call it that, so if you don't like it, just skip through it. 

Mom came up this morning and asked if I was ready. I said yes. I have chosen. I have gone through all of my options. I have weighed them. I have deliberated. I have decided. I have made plans for her favorite color to drop from the ceiling at the announcement. I am ready. 

After we did the montage to open on the Special edition Report, I saw her running down the hallway that leads to the elevator to go upstairs. I stop her before she walk in, and I pull her into a room and close the door behind us. She smiles at me, her bright eyes shining through the darkness. I give her a kiss, and begin to say something, when we hear people right outside the door. 
I move to the door and put my weight on it, my heart pounding. I lock the door and listen to what they are saying. I hear their voices loud and clear. 

"Where's she gone?" One asks.

"She must've gone upstairs already." Another answers. 

"Maybe she is with Jacen." The first says. "They seemed to be staring at each other a lot at dinner last night."

"Well, I think he is still into me." A stubborn voice adds. The girl I was kissing giggles softly, her hand holding mine. 

Once I know all of them are gone, we move away from the door, and collapse on what I can kind of see as a couch. We resume our kissing, my gentleness turning to hunger. I kiss her everywhere, and I think, "Is the crown prince of Illea supposed to do this?" Then I remember that I don't care, as long as she is in my arms. 

We continue for a while longer, and I lose track of time. I finally get up and turn on the light, to find that we are in what my mom said was once the Men's Parlor, for her Selection. We see the discarded bookshelf, that once had multiple books on it, the couch with threads worn down, and other little things that were once my mother's boys things, as she put it. We get up and walk around the room, noticing little things.

I see on the wooden bookshelf, almost hidden, two names inscribed, with a heart around them. "Hale and Ean." I murmur softly. I think for a minute then remember. 

"Who were they?" She asks. 

"They were two boys in my mother's Selection. Hale was one of my mother's top choices, along with my aunt Josie's brother Kile. My mother was preparing for her coronation, when one of them, Hale, told my mother that he was attracted to Ean, another of the suitors. She didn't send him away until after the coronation, and to this day, they remain best of friends. He even designed her wedding dress. 

"There were now 2 suitors and 1 translator left, and my mother sent Kile away when she realized that he would never get to be an architect like he wanted to if he was married to her. There was now one left, it was a man by the name of Henri Jaakoppi. 

"My mother thought she was going to marry him, when he realized that my mother and father loved each other. So he resigned from the Selection, so that my mother and father could marry. Henri made their wedding cake. So my mother and her boys, as she called them, remained friends. For every one of my birthdays, they were there. Hale would make my suit, Kile would design and decorate the place, and Henri would make the cake or dessert. My mom always said the three of them did a much better job than any of the palace staff could do."

"Oh," she said. "I never realized. Was your mother close with Kile before the Selection?"

"Yes, actually." I said. "He lived in the house. His mother, Miss Marlee, she was called, was my mother's mother's best friend. She was Queen America's best friend. And so she offered to let them stay with her and my grandfather, King Maxon. My mother and her twin brother Ahren, grew up with Kile, him being only about a year older than them. His sister Josie, who ended up marrying my uncle Kaden, grew up with Kaden, and then Osten. So yes, Kile and his family was very close with my mother. Why do you ask?" 

"Just wondering. We don't really know that much about your personal life, we only know about your public image." 

"Oh." I said, suddenly feeling foolish. 

"But that's okay, because that means only I know now, right?" 

"Yes," I say, suddenly feeling brighter. "We should probably go now, before people think we were captured." 

"Good idea." She says. She grabs my hand and we walk toward the elevator. She goes first, to lower any suspicion, and I see her face before the doors shut. I smile to myself. 

----------Time Skip to Announcement Night----------

"And here he is, the man of the hour." Barton Fadaye smiles at the camera, then looks to where I am. I get a push from behind by one of the stage hands, and I walk on stage smiling.

"Good evening Barton. How are you?" I ask.

"I'm good Jacen, and you?" He responds. 

"I'm good, actually. A bit nervous, but aren't we all?" I say jokingly.

He laughs and asks me how I thought the Selection went.

"It went very good. Although we were all disappointed to have to send home so many girls, I am happy with my final four. I can't have four wives, though, so unfortunately, three have to go home either tonight or tomorrow. We have already made travel plans for those going home."

"Oh, so you already know who it is?" Barton teased. 

"No." I said, dripping with sarcasm, which got a laugh from everyone in the audience. "I'm just going to play it by ear."

"Well, you heard him, he doesn't know yet folks." Barton said. "This is going to be interesting."

Everyone laughed again. 

"And Jacen, I have here that you have a video to show?" Barton asked. 

"Indeed I do. I have been with the Selection every step of the way, but I know that everyone watching did not see everything. And while it is impossible to compile everything that happened over this multiple week period, we have tried. So here is a twelve minute video."

I then watched the prompter as it made my image go away, and the video was shown. I sat down and saw my announcement of the provinces, my announcement of the girls joining me. I noticed how calm and collected I looked, knowing that while I was anything but, at least I looked good. My palms felt clammy, and I started second guessing my choice. I pushed the thought away and kept watching.

Next it showed my first few dates, and me sending home some of the girls. I saw pictures from after my accident, not of me, but of the other girls. I saw the table of get well cards, I saw Amberly helping me up, Celeste and I on a date, Carlee and I sharing dessert, Hayley and I at the fashion show,  Christine and I in the library. I watch the pictures from after Amberly's accident. I watch my dates after that, my laughing sessions with the girls. I saw Amberly's pictures, after she graduated from the optional course with Silvia. I hadn't realized that she was the only girl who took it. I watch as pictures from the past few weeks go by, and then I see me.

 I see the video we shot last week. I see Amberly in her blue dress, with her hair in a braid going to a  messy bun, I see Celeste in her deep purple dress, her hair in a tight bun, I see Carlee in a pink dress, peppy like her personality, with her hair in a messy bun, and I see Hayley a sea foam green dress, her hair in a braided bun. I watch their short interviews, and then I see the pictures from the photo shoot. I see them each individually with me, all of them together, all of them with my parents, individuals with my parents, individuals with my parents and I, and finally, my favorite, all of them crowded around me. The picture I got the photographer to give me so I could hang it up in my room. 

Then the final picture fades out, and I stand up again. "Thank you for watching that video. As you can see, we have had much fun during the Selection. We have invited all of the girls back for one final hurrah, as well as the Final Four." I look over to where the eliminated girls stand. They smile at me. Then I look over to where the Final Four are. They all smile. 

Barton walks over to me, and asks, "Who is being introduced first?" 

"The first 6 to be eliminated. May I ask girls of the top 16 to come out?" I ask.

6 girls walk on stage, and Barton walks over. "And what are your names and provinces?"

"Lacey Jennings, Allens"

"Josephine Warren, Calgary"

"Emmalina Wheal, Yukon"

"Jenna Prairie, Honduragua"

"Rylee Netta, Sota"

"Janessa Williams, Fennley"

"Thank you." Barton says. "Who's up next?"

"May I have the final ten up here?" I ask.

"Jayla Kels, Ottaro"

"Emily Tinns, Panama"

"Who's up next Jacen?" Barton asks. 

"I would like the Final 8 to come up." I say.

"Kimberly Watson, Angeles"

"Nicki Todd, Hudson"

"Kelly Whites, Midston"

"Now I would like the Final 5. There is only one. She was the last eliminated, and she left of her own accord."

"Christine Amber, Columbia"

"OK Jacen, now that we have introduced the first 12, now is it time for the Final 4?" Barton asked. 

"I believe it is, Barton." I respond. 

One by one they walk out and stand in a line behind me, in front of the other girls who have entered. 

"Amberly Jacobs, Carolina"

"Carlee Woods, Kent"

"Celeste Princeton, Clermont"

"Hayley Garner, Belcourt"

I suddenly realize why Hayley was so familiar to me. Her fathers were in my mother's Selection. Hale had always said that he and Ean had adopted a child. And Hayley was their child. I felt a pang in my stomach because of my choice, but I pushed it away. I squared my shoulders and faced the camera. 

"Would the Final Four please take a step forward?" Once I saw that they did, I took a deep breath. "Illea, the time has come for me to announce who my wife will be. You have waited all these weeks, and it gives me great joy to welcome a new person into the royal family. The woman who has taken my heart, who has placed herself in my life, who will become my wife is standing behind me and will soon be your new Princess. It gives me great pleasure to do this live, with all of you watching. That way, you will find out at the same time as they will. And, without further ado..."

I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I breathe in and out a few times, and then open my eyes. I look around, and I see the Final Four all crossing their fingers and squeezing their eyes shut. I see the eliminated girls, all staring at me, waiting. I see my parents in the audience watching me. And for once, I break script. 

"I would like my parents up here with me, so that we may all welcome the new Princess into the Royal Family." I wait for my parents to walk up, and when they are up on stage, I grab their hands and have them stand next to me. My mother gives me a squeeze, and my dad gives me a hug as well. I face the camera, and breathe in and out. 

"The New Princess Is..."