#sad. ma'am i have so much squirrel for u. but literally u are standing in front of the door i have to push towards you

[daughterofsarenrae]

I'd love to know more about the hawk

She's a red tailed hawk! In the past few weeks shes gone from perfect angel baby to 'if you dont give me my food the second u walk in the door im ANGY' so i am trying to foster patience which is. Well. It sure is a process

[storyteller15]

Chapter Four: The Unexpected

The sudden bump from the private jet's heavy landing startles me awake.

I yawned and stirred my body around. Ugh, I don't want to get up yet. I want to sleep more for crying out loud. Last night, I decided to sleep on the long leather sofa. Sleeping in a private jet is something that I wanted to cherish while it lasted. I let out a small groan. I felt so groggy and nauseous, that I had no choice but to wake up.

The jet finally came to a stop. It looks like I made it to Berdea. Reaching for my phone, I switched the airplane mode off. Today's Thursday, 7:59 AM. I’m right on schedule, and I'm ready to start my morning. Oh, I wonder what Berdea looks like. I sit up and leaned towards my window to get a quick view.

Suddenly, a Tsunderplane blocks my view, making me scream and fall back out of the couch. I quickly sat up to look at her from my window again.

"Quit staring at me like that, you sicko!" She shouts at me and takes off to the sky.

I blinked a few times, processing on what just happened. I get up in a luxurious jet plane and was greeted by a mechanical plane monster wearing a mob cap, who was blushing? I snickered and started laughing so hard. That was definitely not what I had in mind to start off my first day away from home. Although it was pretty entertaining.

It's pretty rare to see different race of monsters like Tsunderplane. Berdea is known as the biggest city in Auradon . I was told that Mount Ebott is twenty miles away from the city. I've always wanted to see it up close, despite the sad truth about the mountain.

Just then, my flight attendant appears to my side, looking peppy as ever.

"Good morning, Miss Zafrina," she greets me with a smile, she reminds me of Gretchen. "I assume you slept well?"

"Yes, I did. I've never felt more than relaxed before." I responded with a smile, not mentioning my surprised encounter with a Tsunderplane.

"I'm so glad to hear that! Anyway, we have arrived at your destination. You will meet up with the other Selected girls while you wait for the palace's royal chauffeur. Other than that, I would like to say how much of a privilege it was to serve and fly with you, Miss Zafrina! I'll be rooting for you!" She exclaims at me, making me blush.

"Thank you so much! It's also been a privilege on having you as my flight attendant."

I get up slowly, stretching my arms out before I gathered my cross-body bag and luggage. I nodded at the pilots as I leave the cockpit, walking down the stairs before I walked into the elevator that will take me inside the building.

The airport is packed with monsters and humans. I followed the signs to get to the place I needed to go. I rode down two escalators, walking towards an area where dozens of humans and monsters are boarding into a shuttle train. I quickly ran inside before the doors slid shut, slowly transporting us to the other side of the building.

The ride is surprisingly fast and exciting that I was literally bouncing on my heels. I felt like a kid again. It's no wonder kids enjoy riding on planes and trains. I held on to the steel pole to prevent my body from being pulled back by the train’s speed.

"Look, Mommy! It's the pretty girl that was on TV!" A little bear monster gushes to her mother.

"Janette! It's not nice to point at people." The mother sternly scolds her daughter.

I was puzzled and looked around. Is there another Selected girl in here? I was told that there should be four of them waiting for me. Unless, maybe her flight was delayed and had to land in Berdea late. I was trying not to think that she meant me. I really hate being in the spotlight. It's like you are asking everyone to pay attention to you.

"Excuse me, Miss?" I looked down, finding the little bear monster looking at me.

She looks so adorable, her fur was in a light chestnut color, wearing a small heart barrette on the left side her ear. She was wearing a pink coat decorated in flower patterns.

"I just wanted to say that you look much prettier than on TV!"

"Oh, thank you very much." I smiled at her blushing.

"Are you gonna win and marry Prince Asriel?" I nearly broke my smile, flabbergasted by her question and felt my cheeks heat up.

"I'm afraid that depends on the Prince." I gave her a gentle smile. "Whoever he picks among the thirty-five girls will surely become a great Queen someday. And besides, there are a lot of girls I have to compete against, so it'll be quite a challenge for someone like me."

The little bear monster started pouting. "Awww! But I want you to be the one."

"Janette! Manners, please! I'm so sorry if my daughter was bugging you. She loves to talk to random people, she's a social butterfly." The mother apologizes in her child's behalf.

"Oh, no. She gave me no trouble at all! We were just having a nice chat, and your daughter is very good at making interesting conversations." I promised.

The mother blushed at my comment and smiles at me. Just then, the shuttle train comes to a stop, sliding the doors open as everyone gets up to leave. That was a fast ride, not that I was surprised. It's an airport after all.

"Come along, dear. Our ride should be here soon, say goodbye to the kind Selected girl." The mother says to her before she looks at me, smiling. "Good luck in the Selection, my dear."

"Thank you, ma'am." I responded, feeling my cheeks heat up a little.

Janette looks up at me and gives me a warm smile. "Bye bye uh . . ."

"Zefie, you can call me Zefie."

"Ooh! That's a pretty name! Bye-bye, Zefie! I hope you win and marry the Prince! My mommy and I will be cheering you on until the end!" She waves me goodbye, following her mother.

I watched them go, chuckling to myself. I walked out of the shuttle train, repeating the words Janette told me. Do I really look that pretty enough to have Asriel marry me? I suddenly stopped thinking about it and quickly pushed those wishful thoughts to the side.

The personalities matter the most, I reminded myself. Sometimes pretty girls like Felicity got an ugly personality. I tried to be patient to see the goodness in her for thirteen years. And all this time, Felicity still remained the same. And that is why I stick to my belief. Maybe someday she will change for the better.

As I exited the airport, I finally meet the other Selected girls face-to-face. They were all standing there, waiting for the royal chauffeur. I swallowed hard, feeling my stomach twist into painful knots.

In an instant, I recognize one of the girls. Scarlet Wolf, standing tall and stoic with her long black hair tied into a ponytail, wearing a red bow tank top with black capris, and red high heels.

Bethany warned me to not be too friendly to the other girls. Since the Selection is a competition, she assumes that any friend you make will betray you, the moment you let your guard down. However, I wanted to be positive and keep an open mind.

I approached to the girls slowly and smiled. "Hello there, my name is—"

"Zafrina Alban? Yeah, I know ya." The girl with lavender-colored hair spoke first. "You're that chick with those purple eyes."

"Gosh, are they real?" The monster next to her, suddenly gets close to my face staring deeply into my eyes.

Her fur is a custard color, with short ears and a long bushy tail. And of course, her hair color is light cyan that goes well with her emerald eyes. Could she be a squirrel?

"U-uhm, yes they're real." I responded to the squirrel monster.

"Well, shucks! My name's Colleen!" The squirrel monster says.

"Delilah," The girl with the lavender hair joins in. "Colleen and I came from the same town, so we know each other, because we're friends."

"Ah, it's a pleasure to meet you both." I smiled shaking their hands, but Colleen squeals out as if my hand tickled against her fur.

I gasped, retracting my hand. "Oh no! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

"Of course, silly! I'm laughing, because of your soul. It's full of energy and warmth, that it sent me tingles down to the bone! Your magic is amazing!" She wiggles her fingers around as if they're imitating stars.

I was shocked, feeling my entire body froze from her comment.

"How do you kno—“

"Monsters can actually feel human souls." Delilah answers for Colleen. "And because you're a powerful Mage, your soul has twice the energy than a normal human’s. Which isn't a surprise, knowing that you're a descendant of the Alban family."

So, everyone does know about me and my real family. Nanny gave me a choice to change my last name, but I didn't want to. I was brave enough to keep my last name, because I can't change who I am. So, I decided to accept myself.

"Don't worry, that's all in the past." She reassures me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "You're different from your real family, and I say, you're better off without them."

"Thanks, that means a lot to me." I smiled at her as Colleen joins in, hugging us.

"Yay! Group hug!" Colleen beams, and releases us.

The girl next to Scarlet walks towards me, smiling genuinely. "Don't forget about me, I'm Fiona Taylor."

"Hi, pleased to mee—" Fiona cuts me off by hugging me.

"Pleasure's all mine, Zafrina! I just hope we all become good friends along the way as we compete fair, and square." She says earnestly.

Scarlet lets out a small huff, that I don't think the other girls heard it. I slowly make my way towards her, but not too close as I plastered a small smile at her.

"Hello, Scarlet, It's nice to meet you." Her dark brown eyes focuses on mine, looking a little distraught.

"Hello, Zafrina." She moves her long bangs to the side, not showing any emotion.

So far, these girls are kind and funny. Of course, I'll have to FaceTime Bethany about them. I promised her an update once I reach the palace. Now that I've befriended Delilah, Colleen, Fiona, and I guess Scarlet; I'm sure I'll start off the competition smoothly.

Careful, Zefie. I can hear Bethany talking to me in my head. Keep an open mind, but don't get too comfortable around them.

Just then, a long black limo with two purple flags printed with the Delta Rune symbol on the back of the trunk parks to the side. Colleen lets out an excited squeal while Delilah places her hands over her hips. I quickly check my phone to realize that Bethany texted me. I grinned like a kid and begin to text back while the Royal chauffeur packs our luggage.

"Alright! Let's get going!" Colleen squeals in delight.

Delilah follows after her giving me a confident smile.

"Let's go, buddy," Fiona wraps her arm around me. "We wouldn't want to keep Mettaton and the royal family waiting!"

She lets go of me to follow them into the limo. I held on to the strap of my bag tightly. Right, to the castle. I head to the car, only to have Scarlet block me for a moment.

"If I were you, I would be careful on the people I trust as an ally." She says with a stern voice before she walked ahead of me.

I opened my mouth, but closed it. She has a point, I really need to be careful. I shook my head slowly. I swear, Scarlet is like another version of Bethany. Well, more of a stoic version.

I quickly catch up to Scarlet as we both climbed into the limo. The chauffeur closes the door after me, taking my seat between Delilah and Fiona. Colleen sat by the little parlor that contained sparkling cider, and water. She pops the bottle open, helping herself by filling up a glass cup. Scarlet takes her seat across from us, sitting alone and crosses her arms.

Finally, the chauffeur climbs into the driver’s seat and begins to drive away from the airport. Our final destination is at the palace. If I remember correctly, Claire told me that Mettaton will be the Royal planner. He will be waiting for all thirty-five of us presented at the castle for further instructions.

Some of the girls have a huge crush on him. On the other hand, Bethany thinks Mettaton is gay, because of the way he talks and dresses. Honestly, I just think he's just being himself. The media loves him.

"So, Zafrina," Fiona says, suddenly breaking the awkward silence. "What town, or city did you come from?"

"Aura Cove, it's located at the south end of Berdea." I responded proudly.

"Gosh, that's far away! I heard that place was where the Selkies originally came from." Colleen says, astounded.

My heart pinged with pain the second she mentioned the Selkies. Nanny . . .

"Selkies? Didn't they go extinct after the . . . You know." Delilah pressed her lips in a tight line, knowing that the war with the humans against the monsters was nothing but a painful past.

"Yeah, but rumor says that our King saved the last one, and she's his best friend. My parents did say that she's a powerful Selkie." Colleen answers Delilah, feeling my skin form goosebumps.

"Really? I didn't know that."

"Yeah, my grandfather met her once. She goes by the name, Runa Cordelia. Her last name means 'Jewel of the Sea.'"

"So, where do you think she is now?" Delilah leans forward, now interested in Colleen's knowledge about the 'last' selkie.

"Who knows? However, I did hear that she still sends letters to the King and Queen. Perhaps they will know."

My heart started racing, feeling my lungs suffocate it. Nanny doesn’t like to be the center of attention. Her entire race has been erased off the earth, leaving her as the only one to survive a cruel death. I used to think she didn't like being a Selkie.

When Bryn and I were still young, Nanny moved us to Aura Cove where she can live as a human. It's the only town where no one knows who she really is. Only King Asgore and Queen Toriel are the only ones that know she lives there. And until it's the right time, we can never let her secret out.

"Wow, Zafrina! Your town has amazing history. I'm so jealous." Fiona gushes, giving my hand a tight squeeze.

I blinked twice, and let out a nervous chuckle. "There's nothing to be jealous about. I just love living there."

For a second, I thought I saw Fiona crept an annoyed look. I shook my head. Maybe I'm just dizzy from all the excitement. I leaned my head back while the girls found another topic to discuss. In the corner of my eye, I found Scarlet staring at me, but she looked away before our eyes met.

"What about you two? Where did you guys come from?" She focuses on Delilah and Colleen.

"Oh, we're from Bluebell City." Colleen smiles brightly.

"Yeah, it's pretty big, our city has a reputation of growing bluebell flowers and some Echo Flowers." Delilah joins in.

I smiled, I love Echo Flowers. Sadly, we don't have any in Aura Cove. I hear that if you whisper something to the flower, it'll repeat whatever you say back.

"Well, as you know, I come from Altaria City." Fiona says, not waiting for any of us to ask her.

While the girls continued their conversation, I texted Bethany back. Berdea is five hours ahead of Aura Cove. I'm surprised she was up late at this hour. It's nine o'clock in Berea time, and Bethany's up at four in the morning in Aura Cove, just so she could check up on me. I felt crestfallen. I miss her already; Bethany's the only person who makes me feel comfortable.

"So, Zafrina, do you have a nickname you prefer us to call ya?" Delilah asks, bringing me back to reality.

"O-oh! Uh, Zefie. I prefer Zefie." I stuttered, feeling flustered.

"Ooh! I like that name, it means 'lovely lady,' right?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Well, you certainly are a lovely lady." Fiona comments, giving me a sincere smile.

My whole body was chilled to the bone. Something is a little off about her, but I don't know what it is. My gut did the same thing when Felicity was up to something before. I quickly pushed those thoughts to the side, I won't judge too soon, I have to keep an open mind.

"Ooh! I simply can't wait to meet Prince Asriel! He's so handsome and brave!" Colleen places both her hands over her cheeks to hide her blush.

"Well, that won't happen," Fiona cuts in, with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"What?! Why?!" She whines, watching big fat tears form in the corner of her eyes.

"We don't meet them until tomorrow morning," Delilah pats her friend's arm. "Besides, what we do know is that once the thirty-five of us gets to the palace, Mettaton will handle things from there."

"Ooh . . ! Mettaton is quite the hottie, but the prince is who I'm after." Fiona fans herself.

"What about you, Scarlet? Don't you think Asriel's a hottie?" Colleen asks her, trying to include her.

"Why yes, yes he is." She responds, sounding swooned for a second.

Suddenly, my phone vibrates over my lap. I quickly check, only to find Bryn's text. Really? Even she’s up that early back at home, too? I guess she misses me, and I miss her even more.

"Is that your sister?" Fiona gapes at the picture of her.

"Ooh! Where? Where? I wanna see!" Colleen leans over to look over my phone too. "Wow! She's so pretty!"

"Are her breasts real?!" Delilah gapes too, forming a perfect 'o' with her mouth.

The picture I saved as Bryn's contact picture is just her smiling in a flirtatious way in her red sleeveless blouse, shaping her natural sized waist and breasts. I tried to find different pictures of her looking less flirty, but I gave up later on, because she insisted on me keeping it.

"Err, yeah. Her name is Bryn, and yes, they're actually real." I answered their questions, flabbergasted from their reactions.

Are girls really that shocked to see other girls breast size that intimidatingly big? It's just fat in our chest for crying out loud. I take a small glass from the parlor, pouring water inside.

"Well, damn," Delilah looks down at her chest, looking distressed. "Just by looking at your sister's boobies makes mine look a lot smaller!"

I nearly tipped my glass over, just hearing her say that. Colleen and Fiona burst out laughing at Delilah, watching her face turn red, as if she's some cartoon character that's about to blow off steam from her ears.

"Shut up! I'll have you know that girls with smaller boobs are attractive, too!"

Noted, Delilah is quite short-tempered.

"Oh, oh, oh!" Colleen shrieks, making us jump from our seat. "Guys, we're here!"

We all looked at the window as the limo drives past the open gates. I noticed a small sentry station over to the left side of the gate. For a second, I thought I saw a skeleton, wearing a blue zip up hoodie sleeping. Could that be one of the skeleton brothers Claire was talking about?

"Whoa, look at that." I looked at the direction Delilah was pointing.

Out in the palace courtyard is a big open field of soft looking grass, stretching up to two miles from the gates, to the palace. I can see some big golden flowers growing in the field, the road to the palace lined with lovely beds of different colored flowers. I notice some shrubs were finely cut in different shapes, and sizes until I found a rather interesting one. This bush is in a shape of a skeleton head. It was grinning happily as if it was meant to show how cool it looked.  

The limo comes to a stop, which made Colleen and Fiona squeal as if they couldn't wait to get out. Delilah growled, tugging at her ear.

"Ya mind not screaming like idiots by my ear next time?!" She shoots them both a glare, but neither of them paid attention to her.

I quickly covered my mouth with my hand to hide my grin. My phone buzzes again, receiving an impatient text from my dear sister again for some details about my location. I twiddled my thumbs on the keypad as swiftly as possible, letting her know that I've reached the palace and will promise to text her later.

"Zefie, come on! Everyone's waiting!" Colleen calls out from outside.

Wha?! I notice I was the last one still in the limo, as I shuffled out the door, moving my hair to my left side. I gasped. towering above us is Berdea's palace, its height nearly intimidating. I wonder how many floors does it hold. Nanny did mention that King Asgore likes his castle to look a bit like a fourteenth-century style. However, now that they’re living on the surface, the royal family made their home into a palace.

"Ah! The last group are here!" A woman exclaims, coming out from the double doors of the palace. "Welcome, Ladies! Right this way please, we wouldn't want to keep Mettaton waiting."

Colleen was the first to follow, Delilah on her heels, then Fiona, and Scarlet. I take one quick glance at the beautiful scenery, noticing a huge greenhouse on the right side of the palace. How beautiful, I hope I get the opportunity to go look in there.

I walked up the steps, facing forward. There is no going back, I told myself. And in seconds, I walk through the big double doors, hearing it creak and close shut behind me.

I try my best to catch up with the others, allowing the nearby maids to carry my bag and luggage up to my room. I kept my phone inside my pocket just in case.

Down the wide hallway, I spotted the grand stairway that leads to the guest rooms, with two sets of elevators standing beside it. I wasn't sure how far the stairs and elevator goes, but maybe Mettaton will give a heads up about them. I looked around again, amazed by the architecture of the palace. Their beige colored tiles sparkled brilliantly, that I could see my own reflection.

I didn't look at where I was going as I bumped into a tall figure, making me fall back onto my ass with a loud thump. I let out a loud squeal, feeling my phone hit my ass twice as hard inside my pocket.

"Eek! Oh no! I'm so terribly sorry! I didn't watch where I was going!" I quickly apologized, flushing red in embarrassment for being so clumsy.

Just then, a red glove was lowered in front of me. "WHOOPSY DOOPSY! ARE YOU ALRIGHT, HUMAN!?" The voice asks, unabashedly shouting, but was filled with concern.

I blinked a few times, carefully placing my hand over it as the person carefully pulled me up.

"T-thank you," I looked up and gasped, finding a tall skeleton.

He was wearing a strange outfit that some superheroes wear, having a red raggedy scarf wrapped around his neck that made him look heroic.

"YOU ARE MOST WELCOME!" He beams proudly. "WHICH IS WHY I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, IS ALWAYS HERE TO HELP THOSE IN DISTRESS!"

He looks familiar. The way he grins suddenly made me realize something. The shrub from outside the palace, that's him? Perhaps he did something honorable enough to let the king and queen have their shrub shaped as his head and face.

"NYEH? YOUR SOUL," he continues, taking my hand onto his again. "WOWIE! IT'S FULL OF ENERGY, I CAN ACTUALLY FEEL MY BONES TINGLING!"

"Oh! I'm sorry, I guess it's because you can feel my magic. I'm actually a human mage."

"W-WHAT?! A HUMAN MAGE?!" He asks, dumbfounded. "WHY, IT'S NO WONDER YOUR SOUL IS FULL OF ENERGY AND LIFE!"

I smiled meekly. "It's not really—"

"NONSENSE, HUMAN MAGE! YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE POSITIVE, AND LOVE YOURSELF FOR WHO YOU ARE!" He shouts, cutting me off.

"That's a very good advice," I said earnestly. "Thank you."

"OH, YES, I APOLOGIZE! ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF." He says, and puffs his ribs out as if he's trying to look cool. "I AM PAPYRUS! THE COOL, PRESTIGIOUS, AND POPULAR ROYAL GUARD OF THE PALACE!"

I let out a chuckle. "Nice to meet you, royal guard Papyrus. My name is Zafrina Alban, but you can call me Zefie for short."

"What a fantastic name, human mage Zefie! But uh, what are you doing out here all alone?" He asks, with his voice finally tuned down.

"Oh, uh, I'm not sure . . . I was with a group girls, following a woman who will take us to Mettaton. I guess I got a little sidetracked and got lost."

"Ah! You must be one of the Selected girls! Well, allow me to escort you to the room where the other Selected are needed!" He insists, holding out his bony arm.

"Why thank you, that would be helpful." I placed my hand over it.

In an instant, he excitedly speed-walks towards the end of the hallway. I was surprised on how fast he can walk in those red boots of his. It makes me feel like I'm the one who's slow. And in seconds, we stand in front of a large doorway, where I can see a bunch of makeup stations filled with girls getting their makeup done. I can see Fiona getting her hair done, having her orange hair getting curled. It was so packed, I couldn't even see Delilah, Colleen, or Scarlet.

I felt my palms sweat a bit, but I felt a hand press against my back. I looked up, finding Papyrus smiling at me confidently. He's so positive, and I like him for that.

"FEAR NOT, HUMAN MAGE ZEFIE! YOU WILL BE FINE, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT METTATON IS GOOD AT HIS JOB. NOW, I MUST GET GOING! I'M OFF TO DO MORE IMPORTANT DUTIES AS A ROYAL GUARD! NYEH HEH HEH!" He says with a grin.

"Alright, goodbye Papy—" I watched him run off as he happily disappears down the hallway, making a sharp left turn. "Rus . . ?"

I chuckled, surprised at how positive and confident he was. Perhaps that's the other skeleton brother. Hopefully I get to meet the other one that was sleeping at the sentry post. It makes me miss Claire more.

I took a few deep breaths and walked inside. My breath stilled when some of the Selected girls notice my presence, making me feel intimidated.

Over to my right, I see a beautiful Ferret monster with white fur, and long gorgeous blond hair styled into a bun. She was dressed in a ruby dress that makes her look exquisite. I felt my stomach twist into different angles just by looking at her.

"Ah! There you are, Miss Alban!" The woman from earlier, walks to my side. "You had me worried, I assumed you got lost along the way here."

I felt my cheeks flushed, embarrassed from my early encounter with Papyrus. "I'm so terribly sorry, ma'am."

"That's alright, I'm so glad you're here. Anyway, you're next to have your makeup done. Mettaton?"

Just then, a tall human-like figure with black hair and silver skin, wearing a magenta button-up collared long-sleeved shirt with a black vest and pants appeared before us. I tried to not look nervous and decided to look to the side.

"Yes, Wanda? What do you need?" He asks, moving his fringes to the side a little. "I'm quite busy, darling, so please make this qui . . ." His voice trails off as his dark eyes focused on me.

Mettaton looked as if he just saw something quite extraordinary, that he was speechless to even respond. I felt my stomach formed excruciating knots again, but I forced myself to hold in the pain.

"Oh, my! You look drop-dead-gorgeous, darling!" Mettaton gushes, getting a closer look at me.

"Let's see here," He tips my chin up carefully, turning my face side to side as if he's analyzing me. "Pale skin, light auburn hair, low-pointed nose, fabulous smile, and oh my! What lovely pair of light-amethyst eyes you have there, darling! Are they real?"

I chuckled nervously, feeling my stomach twist in an awkward angle. "Y-yes, they are."

"Oh, so stunning~! Thank you, Wanda. Now, come along, darling. Allow me to pick out a dress for you before you have your makeup done." He takes my hand, pulling me away to the other side of the room.

"Dress? Makeup?"

"Why, of course! You didn't think I was going to allow a gorgeous girl like you to pose in front of the cameras, and do a small documentary of yourself without a proper dress, and makeup?"

My smile faded instantly, feeling my entire body shut down. Posing? Camera? Documentary? I quickly shoved those thoughts away, feeling my magic buzz under the skin of my fingertips. Perhaps there's a good reason for us to have an interview. I'm quite camera shy.

We stopped in front of two long metal racks filled with different colored dresses. Mettaton works quickly, trying to find the right color and design that would suit me the most. About twenty seconds later, he pulls out a gorgeous sweetheart neckline gown with lovely ruffles that went around the skirt like waves.

"That looks gorgeous," I said, feeling exhilarated.  

"Yes, it will look gorgeous when it's on you~! Come along now, darling. Stacey?"

The girl at an empty makeup station perks her head up before she walked towards us. They share a brief conversation before he gives her the gown.

"Alright, darling, time to get pampered from head-to-toe. You're in good hands. I will check up on you in twenty minutes, ta-ta~!" He pats my shoulder, before he leaves to check on the rest of the Selected girls.

I sit over the chair as Stacey checks on my face. She begins her job by washing my face first, brushing my hair to get the knots out that must've formed while I slept on the private jet. So far, my hair was put up in a stylish messy bun, letting some of my hair stick out. I didn't have that much makeup on, so it's just my eyes and lips that were worked on.

After some finishing touches on my eyes, Stacy escorts me over to the corner of the room, beckoning me to go behind a large screen that'll allow me to change into the gown Mettaton picked. Of course, I wasn't looking forward to walking in them, I'm not the type to wear gowns or short dresses all the time. Stepping into the gown, Stacey helps me fasten the zipper before she buttons them up, feeling the dress tighten around me a bit. Good thing Mettaton didn't ask me to change my shoes, walking in heels would probably hurt like hell!

Seconds later, I was pampered and ready. The hem of my skirt felt a little heavy for me to move around. I shrugged. It's actually not that bad anyway, I'm only doing this for Bryn.

"Alright, ladies~!" Mettaton shouts, getting our attention. "Now that everyone is all pampered and well-dressed, it's almost time to be interviewed live on camera."

Nearly half of the girls squealed with excitement while I felt my feet, and palms sweat like crazy. Millions of people will be watching this. And among them will be Nanny, Bryn, and Bethany. I couldn't help but smile. I'll make them proud. I took three deep breaths, feeling my anxieties shrink little by little. Stay determined, Zefie, I thought to myself.

One by one, each of us waited at least ten minutes before the next girl walks in. Sadly, my clothes and phone were taken back to my room. I won't be able to text Bethany about the situation I'm in. Within a few seconds, Colleen manages to find me in the crowd before she settles next to me with a grin.

"You look so lovely!" She whispers to me, smiling.

"Thanks! You, too." I gushed, loving how her hair was done in a french braid that curled into a bun, including her light grayish cyan gown that matched her hair and eyes well.

"S-so, what are we going to do?"

"Don't worry, Zefie, we're just gonna do a few poses for the camera, so we can have our before-and-after pictures displayed on TV for the Selection. It's a fantastic idea really. And after that, we just talk about ourselves a little, and then we'll be sent to our rooms to have our dinners there."

"Sounds easy enough. Were you able to find Delilah, Fiona, or at least Scarlet?"

"Not yet, I think they were up first, so it's just you and me for now. I think Scarlet is being interviewed right now."

Just then, the same ferret monster I just saw earlier is over at the corner with some girls talking.

"Who's that, Colleen?"

She looks over at the direction of where I'm pointing and saw her body flinch, before turning back to me. "That's Malachite Levoue, aka Mal. She's supposed to be one of the sexiest Selected girls among the thirty-five."

"Well, she definitely won the title, but do you know what she does?"

"Modeling, and it looks like her career of being rich and famous in Coloratura City wasn't enough. So, I guess she wants the prince, too."

My whole body went still, feeling my lungs suffocate my heart enough to make me stop breathing.

"So, it looks like she'll be one of our toughest competition yet."

"It seems like it, I heard that she's got an awful personality." She shakes her head, but looks at me smiling. "Ah forget about her, let's just focus on what's up ahead."

"You're right, tomorrow will be a big day to meet the ki—"

"Miss Zafrina Alban? you're next, darling~!" Mettaton calls out for me, poking his head out the doorway.

"Oh my god! You're up next! Good luck, Zefie!" She hugs me as I meekly walk into the other room.

I took a few deep breaths slowly, noticing a lot of camera equipment set up, along with bright lights to capture our complexion. I find Mettaton talking with the camera crew, going over the plan as I make my way to a large screen displayed against the wall. I squinted at the bright lights, brushing out my ruffles to straighten them out.

"Alright darling, are you ready to pose and show Auradon what you're made out of?" He asks, beaming with joy.

I responded with a gentle nod. Stay calm Zefie, I begged myself. Everyone at home are watching. Be brave and confident.

"Great! Now prepare to pose in five, four, three, two, one."

♕ ❀ ✩°｡⋆*:･ﾟ✧ ❀ ✩°｡⋆*:･ﾟ✧ ❀ ✩°｡⋆*:･ﾟ✧ ❀ ♕

I let out a tired groan, coming out of the shower in my white robe. That interview was a bit intense, and I was dismissed to my room thankfully. The Selected girls are to stay on the second floor just for tonight. We are not allowed to wander off on our own until further notice. Each Selected are given two maids, to help us dress, prepare baths, and to be sure we stick to our schedule on time.

Most of the maids are lamb monsters, the Rams are the butlers. And I love mine so far, there's Barbara who loves to talk a lot, and is good at designing gowns. Lesley loves fashion, but likes to get things done on time. We got along the first time I stepped into my room. Of course, I went through some limitations with them. And since I was used to doing some things on my own, they at least allow me to shower by myself, and pick my own clothes. And in return, I allowed them to start my shower or baths, dress me, and answer the door.

With my maids dismissed for now, I finally had the freedom of having the room to myself.  My room is so big and spacious, it’s actually twice as big than my sitting room back at home. I even have a big flat-screen TV hooked up onto the wall for me to watch. On the left side of the corner is a window seat with little bookshelves for me to sit when I want to read or relax. I love how it sits in front of the multicolored stained-glass window, which of course had the delta rune symbol on it.

The best part about my room is my bed! A king-sized rococo designed bed with silvery-white bed sheets. The headboard itself looked so fancy, especially when the top of it looks like a crown. The wall curtains are draped around my bed, parted and tied with its colors matching my bed sheets, making it look sophisticated and exquisite. There are so many pillows, some that are big, and a few that are small. That’s going to be a big problem for my maids to drag me out of bed since I love to sleep in.

Delilah's room is down at the West Wing. Colleen's is across mine, which makes it easier for me to come see her every day. As for Fiona and Scarlet, I'm not sure, hopefully I will encounter them soon.

As promised, I go ahead and FaceTime Bethany. It didn't take long before she answers after the second beep. And here I am now, smiling like an idiot when her face appears on the screen.

"About time you called!" She smirks at me, eating her ice-cream in her room. "How's the palace? Did you see your crush? Are the girls giving you a hard time? Is the weather in Berdea okay?"

I chuckled, smiling at her. "That's a lot of questions to answer! The palace is cool, bigger than I expected. And no we can't meet him until tomorrow. The third question is undecided. And the weather is alright."

"Well that's good, but I'd be careful of who I trust, Zef. This IS a competition, and you know how the Selected girls are when it comes to Asriel."

"Yeah, I'll try to be careful." I promised, forcing a smile.

She raises her eyebrow at me, looking crestfallen. "Look, I know you're just trying to be kind, but I don't want them to take advantage of it. They will use it against you one day to hurt you. And you know how I am, when people like that try to hurt you. But this time, I can't be there to help you anymore. You're gonna have to stand firm, and not let anyone knock you down; just like the time you put Felicity back into her place."

I sighed softly. I hate how she's sometimes right. The thing is, I don't like to be mean. It's not in my damn nature. However, if they cross the line, then I will snap and put my foot down.

"You're right, I'll be careful."

"Good. In the meantime, my mom says that Mettaton is going to broadcast the before-and-after pictures of the Selected girls." She smirks at me.

 Shit, I forgot all about that.

"Oh yeah . . ." I meekly looked to the side.

"To be honest, I can't wait to see your transformation. Maybe this will give you a good chance to have the people throughout Auradon support you to win." She says, being positive.

I smiled and nodded. "Again, you're right."

"Oh! Hey, I'll be right back, I have to help my mom on something." I can see her getting up from her bed, putting her phone in a different angle.

"Okay, see ya later." I pressed the end button and sighed.

The second floor is full of guest rooms, where the Selected girls stay. Parts of the hallway has a nice big lounging area for the girls to socialize and relax. I even heard that the second floor also has an indoor pool and spa. It’s available for us to use any time in case we feel like having a relaxation time. I should go see it sometime and experience that luxurious life in the palace.

I pulled off my robe, putting on a simple powder blue tank top, with soft black shorts. Sarah definitely did an excellent job on my measurements. My new clothes are fitted to the right size for my body. Claire gave me an option to what type of sleep-wear I like to use for bedtime. So, I told her t-shirts and tank tops with color matching shorts.

Leaving my room quietly, I wander down the west wing to discover more things on the second floor. In the middle of the hall that separates the west, and east wing is a loft, containing the stairs with two sets elevators. I squinted my eyes, feeling puzzled about it. I find it a little strange for the palace to have elevators, but I’m sure King Asgore has his reasons for having them.

“Well, hello there, buddy,” I gasped and whipped my head around, finding Fiona standing behind me grinning. “I guess this is how you spend your free time in a late afternoon?”

“Fiona, h-hi! Y-you uh, surprised me.” I stuttered, recovering from my jump-scare.

“What can I say? I’m an unexpecting person.” she jokes, shrugging her shoulders.

I chuckled softly, draping my damp hair over my shoulders. “What brings you out here? Are you exploring the second floor, too?”

“I guess you can say that. But I’m just bored, I was hoping I’d run into someone to have a little chat.” She says, twirling a lock of hair with her finger.

“Oh. Well, if you like, perhaps you could join me by accompanying me to the indoor pool?”

“Oh, no; I couldn’t,” her voice suddenly sounded slick. “Not with someone who’s so dense and annoying.”

My smile instantly fell, shocked that I understand why my gut has been going haywire when I was around her. A smug smile spreads across her face.

“You see, Zefie, this is the Selection. And in this competition, there is no such thing as friendship. Anyone can betray anyone. And right now, it seems that I’ve played you like a fool.”

I blinked twice, trying my best to stay calm. “Then why did you—?”

“Be friends with you? Isn’t it obvious?” she sneers at me, crossing her arms. “They did say to get to know your competitors, and I did so. But that doesn’t mean we could get together and talk about friendships, rainbows, and fucking unicorn kisses. Why should I be friends with some short-tempered flat-chested girl who dyed her hair into an ugly purple shade? The squirrel monster is more dense than you are, so bravo for at least being a little smart. As for that dark-haired enigmatic girl? She’ll probably get booted out the competition if she doesn’t learn to smile like a proper lady.”

I opened my mouth to try to say something, anything to defend them, but nothing came out.

“Aw don’t be sad, buddy . . ! The truth will only hurt just for tonight. Why don’t you be a good girl, and go back to your room to relax? The program should be starting later on tonight, and I wouldn’t want to miss your little interview and camera shots of you.”

I didn’t bother looking at Fiona, still feeling dumbfounded for ignoring my instincts about her.

She walks towards me, patting me on the shoulder as she showed her fake genuine smile again. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Zefie. Perhaps the prince will realize what a sad little orphan you really are.”

And just like that, she walks away and disappears to the east wing. I slowly balled my fingers into a fist, preventing my magic from getting out of control.  Stay calm! I begged myself. My knees shook like jello, falling over to try to catch my breath.

“Zefie?!” I heard Colleen cry out in concern, hearing multiple steps coming towards me.

“Hey, you okay?!” Delilah carefully holds my face up to look at them. “What did that two-faced bitch say to you?!”

Oh . . . They overheard us. I couldn’t respond, continuing to breathe heavily. So, this is Fiona’s game; playing as the nice friend as she leeches out any personal information she can use against us.

“Gosh, even I didn’t know that Fiona can be such a backstabbing, conniving bitch.” she shook her head, sounding crestfallen.

“It’s not your fault, Colleen, we all didn’t know, and that’s how good she is at being fake. Short-tempered flat-chested girl, huh? We’ll show her, we’ll show her how wrong she is, and shove her words back into her big fat mouth.” Delilah spat out, with her voice sounding enraged.

“Temper, Delilah,” Colleen reminds her before she sat down next to us. “Don’t worry, Zefie, you have us! We don’t care if one of us becomes a winner. We compete fair and square, and betrayal is not in our vocabulary.”

I closed my eyes and smiled, hugging my now two new friends. “Thanks, guys.”

♕ ❀ ✩°｡⋆*:･ﾟ✧ ❀ ✩°｡⋆*:･ﾟ✧ ❀ ✩°｡⋆*:･ﾟ✧ ❀ ♕

"Yes, Nanny, everything's fine here. We won't be able to meet Asgore and Toriel until tomorrow." I said, keeping my phone close to my ear.

"That's fine, honey. It will give you time to relax until then." she spoke with her soothing voice.

"Okay, but shouldn't we be worried? The monsters and humans are spreading rumors about you, now that I've entered the Selection. They're going to find out soon."

"Is that so? Oh, my dear sweetheart, I suppose that I forgot to tell you something important."

"Huh? Tell me what?" I felt my blood gone cold, afraid of what she will say me.

"I want to come out of hiding," Nanny confesses. "I don't care anymore. One way or another, everyone will know what I really am sooner or later. I don't want you and Bryn to carry that burden anymore. I am Runa Cordelia, the last Selkie of the monster race, and a mother of two precious daughters."

I let out a small gasp and stifled a cry. Thank goodness, Nanny can finally become herself whenever she wants to. I know she hates to have everyone pity her. It will only remind Nanny of the family and friends she lost when the war broke out. That was why she wanted to stay in a town, isolated from the ones that knows who she really is.

"The whole town was surprised, but they still love me for who I am. And that's what's important." She continued, letting out a small chuckle.

"What made you decide to come out of hiding, Nanny?" I asked, feeling knots form in my stomach.

Nanny chuckled softly. "Do you remember when we brought Bryn back home with us?"

"Of course I do, I can never forget it."

There was a long silence, before Nanny spoke again.

"Well at that time, we moved from Elridge, to Aura Cove. And one day, you asked me why I was ashamed of being myself. I laughed at your question, because I wasn't at all. I just wanted to live in a place where no one knows what I really am. I was so tired of every monster pitying me, wondering if I missed having my kind. It will only remind me of the painful past I've already moved on from."

I felt my heartbeat in an excruciating way. I would feel the same if anyone did bring up something that I wanted to forget. Nanny is the type of person to mourn for a little bit, then move on to continue on with her life. She will not let any tragedy keep her from doing the things she loves. And that's why everyone respects Nanny.

I felt some tears form from the corner of my eyes. "That's a relief, no more hiding."

"It is sweetheart, it is." She responds happily. "You should turn on the TV soon, the broadcast will come on any second. Don't forget to get a good night's rest."

I wiped my tears and chuckled. "Yes, Nanny, I will."

"I love you, sweetheart. Bryn does, too."

"And I love you both, too. I'll call tomorrow, I promise."

I press the end button, throwing my phone over to my bed. Fiona's hurtful words echoed throughout my mind. So much for friendship. I walk over to my luggage, taking out my instant picture. Nanny and Bryn's smiles are what I miss the most.

I told Bethany about my early incident with Fiona. I wasn't surprised when she responded by wanting to break her entire bones. Bethany was right this whole time about choosing your allies. But I trust Delilah and Colleen. We decided it'll just be the three of us against thirty-two girls, well, hopefully we make more friends instead of enemies. Other than that, I suggested that we should still be kind to the ones who are kind to us.

I open the glass double doors to my balcony and stepped out to get some fresh air. The cold air tingled against my skin, feeling the ends of my hair stand. What a lovely breezy night it is at the palace. I was very lucky to have my room overlook the garden, especially when I can see Mount Ebott from my balcony. Watching it at least helped me forget about Fiona.

I draped my arms over the stone rail of the balcony. Mount Ebott, a mountain full of sad and happy history. What lies under it, is another world where it is much different than the surface. I should be happy. Nanny can be herself again, and I still have friends I can talk to. I can never ask for more.

Suddenly, a loud gust of wind blew against my face, making me yelp as my picture slipped out of my fingers. I gasped and ran for it, but it was too late. I watched in horror as my picture flew with the current towards the trees.

"Oh no!" I cried out, feeling my stomach twist into knots while my heart felt like it was going to run out of air.

If I don't get it back soon, I don't think I'll ever get a good night's sleep. That picture means a lot to me, and it’s irreplaceable. Even if I have it saved in my phone, it won't feel the same if I can't touch it.

I felt a cold chill run throughout my body. I know I can't leave the second floor, but I also can't leave my picture out in the trees. There's only one way to get it back. And it's probably the stupidest idea I've ever thought of.

I looked down, squinting my eyes to see through the dark. On the bottom is a bed of golden flowers. I whimpered and closed my eyes shut. If I use magic, someone will sense it and I will be in big trouble.

I took a deep breath and climbed over the railings as my arms held on to it tightly. All of this for a picture? I asked myself, looking over my shoulder to be sure my landing is accurate. Yup. It's worth it.

I exhaled loudly, closing my eyes and forced myself to let go of the ledge. It was only a matter of seconds before my body was prepared for the impact, landing on my back first, letting out a loud painful squeal. I felt my heart thumped loudly, feeling so much adrenaline pump throughout my body.

The pain wasn't too bad. And to my surprise, the big golden flowers actually cushioned most of my impact from my fall. I sat up slowly, rubbing my back. This will definitely be one of the most bizarre stunts I'll ever tell Bethany. And what will she say?

All of this for a damn irreplaceable picture.

I got up to my feet, feeling them shake like jello. The strong wind came by again, making my hair fly around like crazy. I quickly ran to the direction to where my picture flew. I scanned the area while I ran, in case there was a guard on duty. I really don't want to get in trouble at all.

It didn't take long for me to find what I was looking for. Towering above me is a tall tree that stood up to twenty feet. The leaves sparkled in a light magenta color, looking as if it’s made out of jewels. The trunk itself is in a light auburn color, watching the branches sway side to side from the wind.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, finding my picture stuck between the leaves up in the tree branch.

I analyzed the trunk and branches carefully. Since I'm barefoot, it'll make it easier for me to climb up the tree. With the moon as my only light, I climbed up the tree, gripping on to the nearest branch as planting my foot over the rough trunk to pull myself up. This could take some time before I can get to my picture on time. I prayed that the next gust of wind doesn’t come again by the time I reach it. I’ve already broken enough rules to get myself kicked out of the competition.

What the hell? I cursed to myself. How tall is this tree anyway? Did I miscalculate? I shook my head as I continued to climb, nearly at the top. Suddenly, the clouds covered up the moon, making my surroundings nearly pitched black. Dammit! What do I do now?! Slowly, I used my free hand to search for something to hold onto, feeling a long thick branch covered in some leaves. I shook the branch to test how sturdy it is before I went ahead, using it to pull my body upwards.

Oh! The leaves suddenly begin to glow in a beautiful light magenta color, lighting up the entire tree. I gaped, but sighed in awe at how beautiful their lights glowed. I noticed that the tree had some vines hanging over the branches. I wonder what kind of tree this is, perhaps Nanny would love to have a tree like this in the backyard.

With the lights from the leaves, I finally found the exact branch where it held my picture. The problem is, the branch was long and a little narrow. And I guess that means I have to crawl to it, carefully. Well, this is a risky situation. I was tempted to look down, but I stopped, knowing it will only make things worse for me.

“Come on, Zefie,” I encouraged myself. “Stay determined.”

My hands gripped around the thick branch, slowly scooting my body forward. I tried my best to be fast, but slow to reach the end of the branch. If I don’t hurry soon, my maids will cause a ruckus, and the guards will be searching for me.

“Hello?” I gasped, with my eyes widened, feeling my entire body froze to the spot. “Is anybody up there?”

My heart pounded loudly in a fast pace, with my breath laboring. That voice! I know that voice from anywhere!

Suddenly I felt my body tilt to the side and I cried out, quickly wrapping my arms and legs around the branch to prevent me from falling. I gasped, placing my free hand over my mouth, realizing the mistake I just made.

“Are you alright up there? Do you need some help?” The voice asks, filled with so much concern.

This bad! Really, really bad!

What in the world is Prince Asriel doing out here?!