The Palace is just as it looked during the ball. Golden chandeliers, a grand staircase (not the one I fell down on), large floor to ceiling length windows, and glorious painting hung on the walls. The only difference is the flowers. What used to be bouquets of roses and babies breath was now replaced with while lilies and orchards.

To my dismay, Dolly Jenkins walks over to us with a clipboard in hand. Her plump body now stuck in a too-tight, light blue, business suit jacket and skirt. While a look of joy is displayed on her face as she makes eye contact with me, I feel like a stone thrown into a river, sinking down, unable to come back up to the surface. In other words, dread.

"Oh golly gee! Lady Jameston, how lovely to see you again." Miss Jenkins announces loud enough for the entire Palace to hear. Great.

"And you as well." I reply, swallowing my dislike for her. No matter how blunt my distaste for her is, she continues to be completely oblivious.

"And you three are?" Miss Jenkins expression turns back into a frown as she examines London, Aurora, and Amelia.

"Nice to meet you! I am London King." She smiles widely and holds out her hand which Miss Jenkins shakes slowly. Almost to the point where she seems dubious of London's intentions.

"Hello, I'm Aurora Vance." Aurora introduces, also shaking Miss Jenkins hand. Miss Jenkins raises her drawn-on brows but says nothing.

"Amelia George." Her snooty voice alarms Miss Jenkins and she holds her clipboard tightly to her side. I doubt any young lady has ever spoken so rudely to her before, and now that one has, she looks as if someone walked up to her and smacked her face.

"Wonderful." Miss Jenkins grimaces. "Lady King go to station 6. Lady Vance station 3. Lady George station 9. Lady Jameston, if you would please follow me, Her Highness has been waiting for you." Miss Jenkins pivots and sets off for Gracelyn's room while for the billionth time today, the three girls jaws drop.

I follow Miss Jenkins up two flights of stairs leaving us at the third level. The royal family's private floor. Stopping at a large white door, she knocks quickly and steps back as to gesture me forward.

"Come in!" Gracelyn calls from the closed doors.

A guard opens the door for me, and I am brought to silence. Gracelyn's room is a powder blue color and designs of flowers decorate the walls. A large white bed stays by one wall with a view of the gardens and beyond that, the forest. All you can see is never ending, rolling, tree covered, hills. Taking my eyes away from the outstanding view, I see that on another wall is a white bureau and matching vanity. I'm interrupted from awing over the room when Gracelyn shrieks.

"Corrine it's been forever!" She exclaims while hugging me tightly.

"I know! How have you been?" I ask as she leads me over to a white sofa across from the vanity.

"Same old and a little bored. Hunter's been a mess though." She grins widely and I can't help but burst into a fit of giggles. I'm still clutching my stomach when a knock is at the door.

"Speak of the devil." She mutters in between laughs. "Come in!"

I'm mixed between two feelings as he steps into the room. Half of me wants to roll my eyes or get up and slap him, still upset from the ball. The other half wants to just sit here and drool at his messy hair and his gorgeous face. My mind keeps going back to when I last saw him. We were in the slums and he indirectly said he adores me. Embarrassed by my lack of accepting his apology, his ears turned pink. Stop it. Stop it right now.

"Gracie help! How can I just sit here while my future wife could be walking straight through the doors right now?" He whines as he runs his fingers through his blond mess of hair. Only when he looks up to see his sister's reaction does he realize that I'm in the room as well. Prince Hunter's eyes grow wide for a second and he gapes in astonishment.

"Wh-what?" He mutters out of breath. Gracelyn snickers at him and I start to speak for myself.

"She invited me for tea remember? You hunted me down to deliver me that message. I can leave if you want, I should probably join the other girls anyway. They get to go to stations. Do you know what that is about?" I ramble, seeming like I can't keep just one thought in my mind.

"No." Both Schréave siblings say at the same time. They then look in each other's eyes as if communicating silently. Hunter turns away first.

"Stations are to just makeovers for the Selected. You don't need that." I suck in a breath as I hear his last statement. Does that mean he thinks I am pretty?

"But should I..."

"No." They say again, cutting me off. I huff in a joking manner and Gracelyn giggles while Hunter just stares out the window awkwardly.

"Okay, so if you don't want to wait to see them, don't." I state plainly, answering his begging questions. If Hunter hated waiting so very much, than why not just go and have a look? He can't be punished harshly, he is a Prince.

"Mother would kill me if she found out." He grumbles and flops down on his sisters cloud-like bed. Even back at home and with all our wealth, our beds were no where near as grand as Gracelyn's is.

"Okay then... oh! How about I tell you about who I saw?" I suggest to the two very famous, very royal, siblings sitting next to me.

"Yes!" Gracelyn yelps as if she won a raffle for the newest and biggest sports car. I smile at her silly behavior before starting.

"So I met London King, Aurora Vance, and Amelia George. London from the beginning was extremely nice and friendly; actually she reminds me of you, Gracelyn. Aurora was the one I met next and she loves to joke around. She is very nice but I can tell that she takes everything you say to heart. Amelia was rude. Her lack of kindness was obvious as soon as she sat in the car. She is however, obsessed with you." I watch Hunter for a reaction as I mention the girls I just recently met. To my luck, his stony facade cracks as I go on. The bubbly blonde caused home to nod, possibly content? The funny feminist made him quirk his brow, in interest? The grouchy ginger made him burst into laughter, in distaste?

"Now that girl sounds lovely! At least she can see what a handsome opportunity lies in front of her unlike some girls." I glare at the back of his head as his back is turned. Why does he have to be such a blatant asshole sometimes? Clearly he directed his statement at me. I feel like smacking his perfectly chiseled face.

"Hunter! How dare you!" Gracelyn gasps and hits him hard with one of her baby blue throw pillows. Her brows furrow in frustration as she has a mental conversion with her brother. Hunter's eyes grow wide before reaching the end of their battle and he turns his muscular but lean body to me.

"Lady Jameston, my deepest apologies for my previous statement." He keeps his blue eyes down as he speaks but quickly flashes them up to spot my reaction. I narrow my eyes at him and I see his shoulders rise with a nervous breath.

"I have forgiven you many times your Highness. So many that I am starting to wonder as to why I am still here. You do realize that the more you offend me, the less interest I have in you. Some girls here may just be here for the crown, or you, or both. But not even I have interest in any of those things at the moment. If you want to see me in your future, you must earn it!" I huff loudly. My lengthy acceptance seems to have shocked Hunter so much that somewhere during my talk he had to grab onto the bureau for support.

"Gracelyn if you don't mind, I must join the other Selected for the makeovers." She nods at my request and sits quietly on the sofa.

Just before I shut the door, Gracelyn's soft voice asks, "Come back later this evening. I want to catch up." I smile as a yes and then close the door. Just then I realize that the two of us never got to chat... or for that matter, have tea.

Kind of a boring chapter sorry y'all! I just have to get the plot moving and then there will be many cute and awkward romantic parts! Miss Jenkins or in other words, Dolores Umbridge, is either above or to the right. I'd say she's my favorite HP character but, I must not tell lies😉😂

Please vote and comment my lovelies❤️