the tense silence and a man cleared his t

ked nervously, my vo

s goin

y left. "Rosalyn?" I hear

toward the direction of her voice, but whoever

heard her feet kicking against

shouted back as I was c

elevator. I groaned quietly at the thought. At least Drighten didn't have elevators. I almost want

more gently around a few turns before we stopped and I heard a key in a lock, and then a door open. The man behind me gently pushed my ba

the light hit my eyes, but I kept them squeezed shut. I was terrified to open my eyes and find myself in some kind of cage or creepy chambers. I imagined bugs crawling around me

link. It was...beautiful. There were no words in my

he ceiling. Beneath my feet was plush tan carpeting, and underneath the large four-poster bed to the left of the room was a large dark pink rug that matched the walls. I turned to the right and saw a large gold vanity with a pi

ning in slow half circles to try to take i

om with approval. "You're in Castrum De Petra." He says calmly in a kind and even voi

told." I said softly as my gaze got pulled back over to the

actly that mak

me and keeping my attention. "You're lucky because yo

his brown eyes obviously amused at my confusion.

have been chosen to stay here, in our capitol city, home of the

s?" I repeated. "You threw a bag over my head and pushed me

since this could change your whole life." He paused to stare deeply into my eyes and stepped closer to me. "All of this you see around you, it could be yours. You could stay here, forever. If you're the

ed back at him. "Much less if I want to stay here or not. I

verything will be ex

ish to have, it will be yours. Today you will remain here to become acclimated with your new surroundings, but tomorrow night will be the grand ball." I could tell by the way he said it and the

t he just chuckled as the

nd caught sight of myself in the mirror but I gasped a little when it didn't even look that much like me. There weren't any mirrors at Drighten so the closest I'd come to seeing myself in years was in reflections of glass or on the surface of the water in the small pond out behind Drighte

Wherever here is. I was always a great student and spent extra time in my studies because at Drighten the

round, but built into the ground like a pool, and one whole wall was a mirror. I caught my reflection again, the weirdness of being able to look at myself whenever I wanted striking me again. I sighed at myself, then decided to pull my strawberr

losing made me jump and

high and musical. As I came closer to her I noticed how perfectly white her skin was. I've always liked the slight tan to my own skin, and the thick freckles that cover the tops of my shoulde

t to get my voice out.

." She smiled ag

alyn." I

be your hand maiden." She explained

old are you?" I asked her. She seemed so young, b

twenty last

irthday, I guess." I t

id while she finished fishing things out

, you know? You can just call m

wed, Miss." S

aze to the things she has laid a

round the bed to her. "There's a few things here already for you, but the sizing will be a wee bit off, but by to

around my body in different locations then jotting down the numbers onto a small el

You and the others will be here for a few months while he decides which of you he wants to marry. It's so exciting. There's goi

you." I tell her honestl

e. "Don't be silly." She laughed shaking h

ows at her. "And

urse you are

lay I have for the past eight years couldn't possibly be what a prince would be looking for.

Well, Prince Calvin is dreadfu

asked and she p

pleasure of being around

I pro

y prince." She says timidly a

ntly the prin

through the different sections and put a check by the ones you like, that

cey looking shorts, and cute little dresses that reminded me of summer time. Next I moved to sleepwear, then active, and finally evening wear. I was very tempted to put a check next to every single o

ted as she peeked at my selections. "Already thinking like a royal." She winked at me. "I just have

ome medical tubes, and a scary looking needle. "Um, what is all of that f

"After the first few times you'll be a pr