#since Abram can almost never be convinced to bathe

[emry-stars-art]

Whumptober day 9: scar reveal/interrogation/presumed dead (full under the cut)

Find the royal au masterpost here

Abram thought he’d be just fine if the prince never so much as knew about this particular scar; luckily his fears are (as we all know) unfounded, and Andrew gets the chance to prove that he doesn’t think any less of him for it.

[artificialqueens]

Royals (A "The Selection" AU Fanfic) Chapter Two - TheQuartzMermaid

A/N: Heeeeeeeeeello, dear people of AQ! I’m here with another chapter of Royals (not related to Lorde’s hit single. Not even close.)

Before we start, I’d like to propose a toast. Here’s to Tiffany, the best beta I could ask for - I owe her a whole truck of Brazilian candy for being so helpful. Here’s to everyone related to AQ: admins, writers, readers… You’re all incredible. Here’s to my mom, she deserves it. And last but not least, a toast to my cat Sushi, who is having a hard time recovering from a disease. You’ll be fine soon, baby boy.

And if you’re not familiar with The Selection, I highly recommend you to read the prologue for this fanfic. If you like it enough, you can read the original books by Kiera Cass, they’re amazing.

OK, NOW TO THE CHAPTER!

Royals - Chapter Two (or The one in which Katya leaves home)

The officials arrived at the Zamolodchikova household the week after the announcement and started preparing Katya. First, some woman called Bianca called her. Then, a man called David made her sign lots of papers and forms. The easy ones were only to know if she had any health problems. Others were to attest more intimate questions, like her virginity. Katya didn’t need to lie; she knew the law, she has been prepared for this since she was a baby girl wrapped in Russian blankets.

The Zamolodchikovas that live in Illéa had come from a Russian aristocratic family, very close to the monarchy. It all started when Katya’s grandfather, Abram, arrived at the newly independent country, fleeing from the conflict between Russia and New Asia. He was designated to caste Three due to his high education degree. He married a Three girl and had four children, Katya’s father being the oldest.

Katya met the opportunity of The Selection when she was 5, totally amazed with the possibility of becoming a member of the royal family, making it easier for her grandparents to convince her to apply. If she won, if Prince Casey fell in love with her – only her -, she could be the link that unites Illéa and Russia.

She couldn’t wait.

“Miss Zamo?” An official called her, already giving up trying to pronounce her whole surname. The man was elegantly dressed, Katya began to think she would be seeing this a lot at Angeles.

“Yes”, Katya answered, lifting her gaze from a book she was just reading in order to meet the man’s eyes. “You’re leaving tomorrow. The girls from St. George, Calgary and Ottaro will be joining you on the plane”, the officer explained with a soft voice. “Your send-off will be happening at your province’s main square. After that, you’ll be taken to the airport.”

“Wow, it’s happening so fast…” Katya sighed.

“Yes, Miss Zamo. You’d better go to sleep”, the man said, shifting away. “Good night.”

“Good night”, replied the girl. She got up, put her book back on the shelf and sit by her dresser, picking a brush and taking care of her golden hair.

Princess Yekaterina Schreave of Illéa, married to Prince Casey Schreave, she repeated to herself while brushing her hair. The words never really came out of her mouth but still tasted incredibly sweet. Katya kept dreaming about her life as a One: her wedding with Prince Casey, their children, her whole family becoming Ones. They would all join the monarchy. Mom, dad, grandma… Even Polina, her cat.

Tired of dreaming awake, the 18 year-old climbed to her bed, Polina joining her in her sleep. Her life would change forever tomorrow, she couldn’t wait.

***

Katya woke up as the girl of grace and dignity she swears she is: Polina was comfortably laid on her face, what means the Selected Lady had a lot of white fur going on that beautiful mug she was blessed with. The cat ran away as the girl abruptly got up, afraid she would be late – and barely able to breathe. Her parents entered running. What was that, did her life turn into a sitcom right on the day she was supposed to go to the palace?

“Your cat seemed scared. What happened, kotenok?” Her father asked, ignoring the fact Katya’s face looked like a rug with eyes, nose, and a mouth.

“Apparently my face makes a good bed for felines”, Katya started brushing the fur off. “I’ll miss Polina, though. Do you think they have pets at the palace?”

“No, except for the horses”, it was Kasha, her aide, who answered. “Time to get ready, Miss Zamo. The people of Columbia await.”

The next hours passed like a blur: taking a bath, wearing her uniform, doing her makeup – she’d been told someone would help her do even the simplest things during her stay at the palace, so Katya insisted on doing everything by herself today, for the last time.

Evanna Zamolodchikova, though, insisted on placing the provincial flower, a dogwood, on her daughter’s hair. She looked at Katya’s reflection in the mirror, smiling proudly.

“My Kit-Kat is going to be a princess”, she whispered, almost crying.

At the send-off ceremony, Columbia’s mayor spent at least thirty minutes talking about how well-represented the province would be in the Selection. He offered Katya the word. She took her place in front of the microphone, trying to look her fellow citizens in the eye. She was feeling confident enough to crack a joke right at the beginning of her speech.

“Charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. What do these characteristics have in common?” The people stared at her, blankly. “Well, I may be a Three, but I’m not a scientist.”

The crowd dissolved into laughter. She kept her smile wide. They’re buying it, good. If I don’t make it to the crown, at least I can be a comedian.

“Jokes aside, I know these are some of the things Prince Casey might be looking for in a wife. And I know these are traits we can easily find in the people of Columbia. I’m not sure that I have what it takes to be your next princess, but you can count on me to showcase, in the most appropriate way that I can, the best of our people.”

Cheers.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in sending off Yekaterina Zamolodchikova, our favorite Daughter of Illéa and, hopefully, our next princess!” Said the mayor, the national anthem playing on the background.

Our next princess, Katya smiled brightly with the sound of those three words. She would do it. She just had to be herself.

And make sure no one would know her little secret.