The Princess Selection

Chapter 3: Fifteen

Charlotte's POV: 

The only exciting thing about today was that the chosen girls would be announced. Valerie Pritchett went to each girls' home individually to deliver the acceptance letters from the palace. 

My mother has been sitting by the window all morning watching for Ms. Pritchett.

"Charlie, oh my goodness! Charlie, she's here!" My mother squeals. 

Julia runs over to the window, her face lights up when she sees Ms. Pritchett walking up the worn stone path. 

A sharp knock on the door announces her arrival and my mother rushes to the door. 

"Ms. Pritchett, hello," my mother smiles. 

"Hello, is this the residence of Miss Charlotte Robins?" Ms. Pritchett asks. 

"Yes, it is. Charlotte, come here please." 

I walk over to the door and see the pointed face of Valerie Pritchett squinting at me. 

"Congratulations Miss Robins. You have been chosen to be one of the fifteen. We have a plane ticket here for you. You must be at the airport by ten o'clock tomorrow morning. Your family may escort you to the gate but not any further. There will be someone at the gate in Los Angeles. You won't need to pack, you will be provided with clothes at the castle. Do you understand?" Ms. Pritchett asks. 

I nod slowly. 

"Good. You are the only girl chosen from the South, you should be proud."

"Thank you," I say, unsure of what else to say. 

"Airport, ten o'clock. Don't be late," Ms. Pritchett says before leaving. 

"Charlotte!!!" Julia squeals as soon as Ms. Pritchett is in her car. 

My mother hugs me tight and Julia chatters endlessly about the magic of the castle.

Ten o'clock sharp we stood at the gate to the airport. My parents were beaming with pride and my sister was beyond excited. 

"Okay bug, write often, call when you get the chance. Don't forget where you come from, Char. I'm proud of you, bug," my dad says. 

"Thank you, daddy. I love you," I hug my dad as tight as possible. 

I squeeze my mom and my sister tight before I turn to the entry of the gate. I walk down the tunnel and onto the private plane. 

I step inside and see three women standing in the plane. 

"Hello, Miss Charlotte." One of the women says. 

The one who spoke looks to be the oldest of the three. The other two look around Julia's age. 

"My name is Maria. I am your head maid. This is Kate," Marie gestures to the girl with raven black hair who curtsies. "And Sadie." The blonde stoops into a low curtsy as well. 

"Maids?" I ask. 

"While you are part of the Choosing, you will be treated as a princess would. We will make your clothes for special events and do whatever you ask of us. We are here for whatever you need, miss." Maria says.

I nod. 

"You should get seated, the plane will be taking off soon. When we are close to our destination we will prepare you for your meeting with the Prince," Kate says. 

I sit in the nearest leather seat and fasten my belt. The plane turns onto the runway and I watch out the window as my home disappears behind the clouds. 

4 hours later my maids are rushing me to get dressed in a dark blue dress that falls just above my knees. They slip black jeweled high heels onto my feet and pull my blonde hair back into a sleek side bun. Sadie swipes black mascara over my lashes and Maria dabs pink gloss on my lips. 

They deem me presentable as the plane lands at the airport. 

"We will see you when you arrive at the castle, Miss Charlotte." Maria says, when the plane doors open. 

I nod and step out of the plane. A large man stands at the door waiting for me. 

"Hello, Miss Charlotte. Welcome to Los Angeles," the man says. "I am officer Porter. I will be your personal guard for the duration of your stay."

I nod. So far this experience has been very confusing. But it is only the beginning. 

I walk with officer Porter through the gate and into the busy private airport. Girls stand around the room all looking extremely regal and glamorous. I can only imagine what I look like compared to these other girls. 

"Name," someone barks in my ear. 

"Excuse me?"

"What's your name?" The lady asks, looking annoyed. 

"Charlotte Robins," I say, sounding unsure. 

"Welcome, Lady Charlotte. My name is Jane. I am in charge of all of your training through this competition."

"Just me?" I ask. Was being a five so bad that I needed a personal trainer in order to get through this process.

"No, I am in charge of all fifteen of you. Now go stand over there with the rest of the girls," Jane snaps. 

I hurry over to the mass of girls standing around waiting for further instructions. 

"Welcome to Los Angeles, ladies. As you all know I am Jane. I will be training you on how to succeed in this very important job that one of you will surely end up in. Now follow me. We must be going," Jane says sharply, starting to walk towards the exit. 

We follow in a chaotic blob. 

"What's your name?" The girl next to me asks.

"Charlotte, yours?"

"I'm Macy."

I inspect the girl bouncing next to me. Her hair is brown and has been curled so it falls down her back in a chocolate waterfall. Her sky blue dress makes her dark brown eyes stand out. Her face is sweet and beautiful. How I even stand a chance is beyond me.

"I'm nervous. I never thought that I would be chosen for this. Fours are generally the lowest to be picked from and there's usually only one or two of us here. But I heard there's a five here this year. Who do you think she is?" Macy asks. 

"Um, me actually." I say quietly. 

She looks at me. Her eyes wide. 

"I never would've guessed. You're so poised and really pretty," Macy says. 

We follow the group outside and into the warm air. We are separated into three groups and we all get into our assigned cars. 

"So you're a five. That's crazy," Macy says. 

"This is the five?" One of the other girls snorts. "It's not that hard to believe actually. Even in new clothes you look plain and poor."

I look at her hard. She flips her blonde hair and smooths out her pink dress. 

"You'll probably be the first to go. Everyone knows that fives aren't social. They just sing and dance and paint," the girl smirks. 

"She's probably a better singer than you Candace," another girl says. 

The snooty girl, Candace, shoots her a look. 

"What's your name anyways?" Candace asks me. 

"Charlotte Robins," I say. 

"I've heard of you. You're like the best singer down south. I've never actually heard you but my friend went to a wedding down there last year where you performed and she said that you were so amazing," the girl who snapped at Candace says. "I'm Beth, by the way."

"Please. She can't be better than Lana Parks or Cathy Rodes," Candace says, naming off celebrities. 

"I don't know. Sing something Charlotte," Beth says. 

The car stops before I could begin to protest and the door opens. We step out and into a fairy tale. 

The castle stood before us. Large and intimidating. We follow Jane through the massive doors and into the huge foyer. 

The inside of the palace is as breathtaking as the outside. But before I get the chance to take it all in, a voice interrupts me. 

"Welcome to all fifteen of you. We are so delighted to have you here for this special occasion."

Queen Evelyn appears at the top of the grand staircase. She descends like an angel and we all sink into curtsies as she approaches the bottom.

"Fifteen of you enter today, but only one will stay at the end of the year. I wonder whom it will turn out to be." The Queen says ominously.

I see Candace stand up straighter and do her best to look noticeable. I look back at the palace doors and wonder how on earth I ended up here.