Celia
The next day, my parents and I confined ourselves to my room as the palace was overrun with the families of the twenty-eight selected. The palace staff had been in a state of utter uproar with preparations for the influx of guests for Christmas and our little family easily slipped away from the proceedings.

"It's rather overwhelming isn't it," my mother peered out of the doors that lead to the balcony which had a clear view of the garden where several of the selected girls were giving their families tours.

"What the gardens or the people?" My father chuckled, earning him a pointed look from Mum.

They were busy exploring my room, my Mum had opened every single cupboard in the room and rifled through the contents, sometimes exclaiming at what she found.

"Cece this is beautiful!" or "You'll look stunning in this."

Dad was busy examining the various pot plants around the room, some of which he confessed to never having seen before even though he had designed and tended the gardens of the numerous rich families who lived in Angles due to it's proximity to the royal family.

I was sat in the middle of my bed, staring at the flowered wallpaper across from me. The interaction with Shalom and Aspen from the day before still running through my head. I couldn't believe the way that Aspen had stood up to Shalom for me and I couldn't help but feel awful for causing them to argue.

"Is this where sanity is hiding?" someone had entered the room without me even noticing. That, someone, was a rather tired looking Amelia, "I can't make any more small talk, please save me!"

"Make yourself at home," I grinned at her. Amelia did just that, she flipped off her shoes and made her way to sit beside me, unravelling her hairdo as she sat down.

"Hello, Amelia!" Mum waved at her with a large smiled on her face. She too made her way over to sit with us on the bed, "how are they all?"

Amelia shrugged, "they're all being unrealistically nice because they don't want to jeopardize their daughter's relationship with either of the princes." Amelia places air quotes around the word jeopardize. 

"Well, I suppose that's to be expected," said Dad, "everyone wants their daughter to be a princess."

"What about you?" Amelia teased.

"Celia has always been my princess, crown or not," Dad grinned.

I threw a pillow across the room at him, making him laugh.

"That's no way for a princess to behave," said Mum in a teasing tone.

I roll my eyes at my parents and shake my head at Amelia, making her laugh. There is a knock at the door and I tell the person that they can come in. Lady Marlee stands at the door.

"There you are!" her eyes are fixed on Amelia, "we were wondering where you disappeared to."

"Call off the manhunt I'm here," Amelia replied with a grin, "just hiding from the insanity of the Selection."

"Of which you are part," Marlee replied, "the cameras are there Ames, you've got to come back downstairs."

Amelia gave a big dramatic sigh and got up to her feet, "I'll see you on the other side Celia, that is if I make it out."

I can almost hear Marlee rolling her eyes.