The Choosing Game

Dream or Nightmare?

Liliana's POV:

It was beautiful. The colors were so bright and lovely. The smell of spring filled the air, the sun shining bright. i kept running through the beautiful meadow, feeling and smelling all the flowers there. i felt so light and happy for the first time in many years.

I stopped at my favorite place in the whole world, i wanted nothing more than to stay here for a very long time. I sat down at the down on the edge of a smooth rock and plucked out the little daisies growing on the sides. The flowers bloomed so beautiful, i had a great idea to make a bouquet for my mom. Oh how i have missed her.

It suddenly started to rain and the clear blue skies slowly turned gray and the flowers wilting in my hands. I ran trying to find shelter form the storm. Spotting a little cottage at the end i ran towards it like my life depended on it, oddly enough i never noticed it over there.

I opened the door and entered expecting to see a shabby home instead i saw and Alter with people seated like a wedding was taking place. My curiosity getting the best of me, i moved forward but then i saw the crowd rise up and the wedding march playing. I looked behind to see the bride but nobody was there, it was just me.

A feeling of terror settled at the bottom of my stomach, i looked up to the crowd and i saw them all looking at me with adoration in thier eyes.

To say i was confused and freaked out would be an understatement. I looked around at all the unfamiliar face and i finally looked down that was when noticed i was wearing white. i was wearing a white wedding gown and a veil. What? I am the bride!

As if i was compelled. i moved forward towards a man standing by the end smiling at me. He looks so familiar but i couldn't see his face clearly, i kept moving forward until i saw 'him' and i froze.

Nicholas. My Nick was standing at the end of the alter, looking handsome, smiling at me. Not wanting this moment to ever end, i gathered up my dress at ran to him. As i reached there i had a bad feeling in the pits if my stomach, i was afraid to look away but blinked to be sure, i looked at him again only to see it wasn't him. It was Prince Alexeviar smiling at me.

'No no no no!'

I jolted awake drenched in sweat, my chest heaving. i had to take a few minutes to collect myself. I put on my joggers and went out. I head towards the new creek.

it has been five days since Alex brought me here and in those five days I've managed to avoid him. He has been making efforts to talk to me but i completely shut him down at every turn. I hated the mixed feelings i got whenever he was around me.

Elimination was two days ago, i refused to show up not seeing the point to it. I knew he would keep me here to rile me up and i didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing that and if by some miracle he had chosen to let me go, i still didn't need to be there. Emily came back later that night with a sheepish smile holding a Rose and a Lilly, i swear i felt my heart sink, apparently Melissa made the cut. i felt sad for her.

I settled on a rock and pulled out my phone dialing Sophia. i narrated to her my wired dream, she was quiet for a while then said "oh honey i know you are hurting but what if this is a sign that maybe just maybe you were meant to be with Alex"

"or maybe it is just a nightmare" i replied, defensively.

She sighed, then said "Well maybe. But what if its not? What if its your heart trying to tell you something and your stubborn little brain isn't listening?"

"i don't know Soph" i sighed feeling exhausted

"Please lily just open your heart to the possibility. He likes you, i could tell by the way he spoke about you when he called me. He wanted to impress you and cheer you up, i could tell.

I stayed quiet not knowing what to say "please lily. promise you'll try. please!" she pleaded

"I'll try"i sighed

"promise?"

"promise" i mumbled.

"Oh my God! When the prince called me, Lilly i almost died!" She screeched.

I laughed at her silliness "he is very humble" she added.

"I guess, he can be arrogant in his own ways though" i told her.

"Who cares?! He is a prince and someday would be king" she said.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Seriously Lilly, i have a feeling he will be good for you" she added

"You and your feelings" i rolled my eyes again.

"I miss you my crazy short friend!" She said sounding all chummy.

"I miss you more crazy Sophs, i cannot wait for this whole nightmare to be over so i can be back home where i belong" i said pouting.

"Oh hush!"

"How is Nate doing? I cannot believe how much i miss him" i said, sadly.

She smiled "he is doing fine, he has been swamped with work lately so we hardly hang out like we used to. Besides, it's not the same with out you" she explained.

"I know." I grinned "but you know that is not what i an talking about." I wiggled my brows at her.

She giggled "you're stupid," she said blushing.

I rolled my eyes "you know i am not"

She rolled hers too "I wouldn't"

"Ok now, seriously" i said try to make a serious face.

She sighed "ok. Your brother is a huge dork"

I laughed "what did he do now?"

"He gave me a cooking for dummies book as a birthday gift, who does that?" She asked angrily.

"My brother. My brother does that," i said with a laugh. Sophia and Nate have the most twisted kind of relationship, they always have had that relationship. Sophia would try to date other people and my brother would either try to sabotage it or outrightly threaten the guy, everybody knows that Nate loves Sophia but they both express their feelings in the oddest ways.

Like a cooking for dummies book. Last year he grew a pair and asked her out, they relationship is more like a friendship and i admired despite its weirdness. We talked for a while and i went back to the castle.

I took a shower and went for breakfast. we were fewer in number now and three of the girls hated my gut for still being here as if its my fault, somehow.

They claimed i have been sleeping with the prince and that was why he kept me for this long, after the first elimination Ruby attacked me for getting a different flower than the rest of them, luckily for her i was pulled out of the room by Emily and Mel before i could break her face.

I sat down next to Emily loading my plate. "hey." she said.

"Hi" i said stuffing my face with waffles

"The queen sent for you" she whispered

"What? Why?" i asked shocked and scared at the same time.

"I have no idea but i suggest you go find out" i suddenly lost my appetite

I stood up immediately and head out of the quarters towards the main wing of the castle. After asking around i got to the queen's office where i was told to go right in.

I opened the door and entered. she was seated looking down on some papers with Miss May standing beside her "Ah Lady Liliana, have a sit" she said looking up from her work. i nodded meekly and sat opposite her

"You are dismissed May"she said and turned to me "you have nothing to be scared of dear. i just wanted to talk to you about something" she said taking off her glasses

"OK" i said meekly

The queen is a beautiful woman, with brown hair, earthy green eyes and a warm smile. One would find it hard to believe that she gave birth to three Adults, if they didn't know.

"How are you doing Lady Lilliana?" She asked softly.

"I am well thank you, Your majesty" i smiled politely af her.

She smiled back "how are you getting along with the other ladies?" She asked.

I wanted to panic at that but i tried very hard and kept my cool "just fine, Your majesty," i replied looking down at my intertwined fingers.

"Alright and how are things with my son? What is your impression of him so far?" She then asked.

I cleared my throat looking at anything and anywhere but her. "The prince is down to earth, he clearly has the sense of judgement it takes to be a great king" i said trying to stir away from the real question.

The queen smiled, then she asked me again "do you see yourself with my son at the end of all this?" This time she was really specific about what she meant.

I could not bring myself to answer that, what do i say? I could tell her the truth but how do i look at a charismatic leader like her and be so forward about her son like that? Then i could lie but how do i get out of a lie like that? Once i purge myself to the queen i would have no way of getting out of it.

I stayed quiet

"I know this is hard for you and i know you never wanted to be here but my son is stubborn as hell" she said giving me a sad smile " but i know what he doesn't. I tried to talk him into letting go but for some reason he doesn't want to"

"What do you mean by you know what he doesn't?" i asked cautiously.

"Before a girl is selected as a prospect for the choosing we run a thorough investigation about her and I'm talking about every skeleton. My husband and i decide it would be best if we didn't share any of your personal information with our son, we thought it would better for him to get to know all of you himself"

As she finished talking i felt all my blood drain and hands start to tremble. She must have noticed, she got up and came to sit next to me "you have nothing to fear dear, if we thought any of things we found were bad you wouldn't be here"she held my hands "you are a strong girl, remarkable really. Not everybody can say they have been where you have and still stand strong like you have"

I felt the stupid tears start to spill "i think my son likes you but what do i know? He talks about you like no other, his eyes light up even though he talks about how much you aggravate him, he has this look that i have never seen on him" she smiled brightly.

" I'm not good for your son or this country. i am too broken to love"i said quietly, maybe she could talk some sense into him.

"That is what you think but it is said that 'Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.' my son is stubborn but he has found someone even more stubborn than him"

I exhaled a deep shaky breath "what do you want from me, your Majesty?" I wanted to scream it but i couldn't so it came out as a whisper.

"Give your heart a chance. What happened to you wasn't your fault, don't punish yourself"