Seven

                                    

                                          
I would have thought that it would feel different. That I would be more...euphoric. That finally getting Honey out of the competition would make me want to dance with joy. But instead, I just felt empty. 
I walked back to my room slowly, my head reeling. I wanted to talk to Travon, because he had disappeared. However, as I passed Honey's room, I paused, peering at her from the open door frame. She was kneeling, packing her things into an expensive suitcase.
She was crying. 
I hesitated. "Hi, Honey." She didn't respond. "Honey?" 
She stood up, hastily brushing away her tears. "Bet you loved that you finally got me out. I bet you've been waiting for this day for a while." 
I bit my lip, aching to throw back a hurtful retort. Instead, I helped her fold a couple of skirts she must have brought from home, and put them in her suitcase. For a couple of minutes, we sat there in silence, packing her clothes. 
"Honey, why did you enter the Selection?" I asked after a little while. 
"What do you mean?" her voice was slightly surprised, and I was a bit taken aback by the lack of hostility that it possessed. 
"Why did you enter? Did you want to? Did you like Travon, or want the crown, or..." 
"My father made me." she said. 
"He made you? Did he ask you?" 
"No. I've never had a hand in my own life, you know. Everything from my personality to my hair color has been dictated by my father." 
"What?" I gasped. I'd never heard of anything like this before. 
"You remember that time that you saw me dancing? I've always wanted to be a dancer, ever since I was eleven. But since that's the position of a Five, my dad banned me from dancing. He made me dye my hair, wear tons of makeup, and make everybody think he had the perfect daughter. But I'm not the perfect daughter. I'm not even close to perfect. He told me to do whatever it took to win, so I did. I sabotaged other girls." she was speaking quickly, and her words came out too fast and jumbled together, like she couldn't stop. "I got discovered. I failed. I'm not going to be the queen. And he's–he's–" she stuttered, gasping her last sentence, before bursting into a storm of tears. "He's going to be so mad!" 
Before I could reassure her, Saline appeared at the door. Completely disregarding her tears, she spoke. "Lady Honey, the car is at the gates for you." 
Honey nodded, picked up her suitcase, and swept from the room. And then she was gone. I'd likely never see her again. 
I was staring blankly at the floor where Honey's suitcase had been moments before, when a band of maids came in. "I'm sorry to disturb you, my Lady, but we need to clean this room up now." 
"Oh, that's no problem." I said, giving myself a little shake, and hurrying from the room. 
I walked down to the Women's room, hoping there would  be tea there. Luckily, a maid was just setting down a tray of lavender hibiscus tea, cream, sugar, and fancy little cookies. Before I could help myself though, Paisley hurried over to me, a strange look on her face. "Lumina! Have you seen this?" 
In her hands was a magazine. At first, I sighed. I really didn't care who was in the lead at this point. It had no effect on the actual competition anyway. But then I caught a glimpse of the title, and my heart dropped into my stomach. 
IS IT RIGGED?
Fall Blanche confirms that one Selected girl paid her way into the competition. 
I looked, startled, at Paisley, who hastily opened the glossy pages to let me read the cover article. 
Last night, Fall Blanche, a three and member of the Selected, confirmed to our reporter, Myrtle Newsome, that Lady Honey Bamford's father bought her place in the Selection. Lady Fall reports that Lady Lumina and Lady Honey had gotten into a spat, in which Lady Lumina revealed to a private audience in front of the Queen and King that she had found evidence of Mr. Bamford's transactions of massive amounts of money to the palace shortly before the beginning of the Selection process.
"The transaction was a generous donation, and nothing more." the King told Myrtle Newsome tiredly. However, Lady Fall claims he admitted to letting Lady Honey into the competition this way. There is no real way to know, but for now, this part of the Selection's murky story remains deeply under wraps. And Fall Blanche has been eliminated. 
Regardless of how she got into the Selection, Lady Honey is now out of it, leaving three girls to compete–Lady Angel, Lady Paisley, and Lady Lumina to vie for the crown. What an exciting point in the competition–one Lady is required to be sent home in the next couple of days, and lucky for you, we have a poll to see which girl won over your heart?
In the first spot, we have Lady Paisley with 45% of votes! Lady Paisley has charmed the country with her delightful personality and gorgeous look. Just below her in second place is Lady Lumina, who's fiery determination and generosity has won over 33% of the country. Finally, in last place with 22% of the votes is Lady Angel. It is truly exciting to have seen these girls grow and learn how to be proper ladies, and to know that when we look upon those three faces, one of them is the future Queen of Illéa. 
The article ended, and was replaced with an ad for lipstick. "Fall's gone?" I asked, detecting a hollow tone to my voice. 
"Yes." Paisley said quietly. "But just remember, this means we're one step closer to the end. Travon only has a couple of days left until he has to choose the final two, and then the winner.'' She paused for a minute. "Isn't it relieving? This competition should be over in a matter of days." 
"Wow." Was all I said in response. The Selection had consumed my thoughts, my time, my life, for the past four months. It was both relieving and sad to think that it was almost over. 
The palace felt empty. Even just the absence of two girls made a huge difference. Honey and Fall had both been such big personalities that the meals now felt diminished, the Women's room bare. Paisley and I didn't speak as much. I spent most of my time with my maids. Travon and I hadn't spoken a lot since the kiss I'd witnessed between him and Paisley. To be completely honest, we hadn't spoken at all. I missed his company terribly, but I could sense that something was going on. Travon and the King barely appeared at meals anymore. But that was up until that one fateful dinner.