“I’m sorry, Micah, but I can’t. I do care for you, but I have to try and help the Abir and Griff. I want a better world to live in. If I have children someday, especially a daughter, I want more for them.”
A defeated sigh escaped from Micah’s lips, but he nodded. “And if you don’t win the pageant or when Richard and his administration are defeated, can we…pick up where we left off?”
I couldn’t help but smile at his determination. “Like pick up right here at this very moment when you laid one on me under the apple tree?”
He shook his head. “With that mouth of yours, we have nothing to worry about. You’ll be sent home in the first round.”
Warm rays of morning sunlight streamed in through the windows, urging me out of the warm cocoon of blankets. But the moment I opened my eyes, the reality of my new situation crashed down on me. I moaned and jerked the covers over my head. How can one day alter your life so much? Deep down, I knew it was a stupid question, considering how many twenty-four hour periods had irrevocably changed my life in the past.
Griff rapped at the door. “Yeah?” came my muffled response.
I heard the knob turn, and then his footsteps creaking along the worn floorboards toward my bed. “What are you doing?”
“Hiding out.”
He pulled the covers off my head. “You just received your summons.”
I shot up in bed and snatched the envelope from his hand. I tore into it so fast I barely managed not to tear the letter. “Dear Ms. Cadence O’Bryant. You are to report to the palace at noon to be interviewed by our supreme Emperor in regards to the procurement of a bride for his son. Do not bring anything with you—clothes and toiletries will be provided for you. Failure to report will result in facing a tribunal.”
The letter fluttered from my hands onto the old patchwork quilt. “I guess this means it’s really real.”
“So it would seem.”
We sat in silence for a few moments. I was sure both of our minds were whirling with what the next few days could bring. Finally, Griff cleared his throat. “Are you scared?”
“No,” I answered quickly. He cocked his head and gave me a knowing look. “Okay, fine, a little.”
“That’s to be expected.”
“Were you scared when you joined the Abir?”
“Of course.” Before I could protest, he smiled. “But not scared enough not to join or to quit.”
I rolled my eyes. “I figured as much.”
Griff leaned closer to me on the bed. “Stop worrying so much. There’s a great possibility that nothing will be asked of you. Kellan most likely will pick another girl, and then you will come home to your old life.”
“But you will still be a member of the Abir and could be taken away from me at any moment.” Tears welled in my eyes. “I don’t want to imagine a world without you in it, Griff.”
He pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms tight around me. “Have faith, Cady. Things will work out,” he murmured.
“I wish I could believe that,” I replied.
“If I could stay with you through the whole pageant thing, I would. I know you don’t like the idea of being by yourself.”
I wiped the tears off my cheek with the frayed corners of the quilt. “At least I know Micah will be with me and his mom.”
Trouble clouded Griff’s face. “Cadence…you probably shouldn’t show Micah any favoritism while you’re at the palace.”
“But why?”
“Because you don’t want anything to hurt your chances with Kellan.” He drew in a deep breath. “Men’s egos get bruised very easily. You don’t want a guy like Kellan feeling slighted by someone of Micah’s station.”
I groaned. “Griff, please.”
“I’m just trying to tell you the way it is. It’s not like you have a lot of experience with guys.”
“Yeah, well, what do you actually know about women? You never go out on dates.”
Griff ducked his head. “That doesn’t mean I don’t care for someone.”
My eyes widened. “Griffin O’Bryant, are you telling me there’s someone you’re interested in?”
“Maybe.”
I threw the covers off the bed. It sent my summons falling to the floor. “Who is she?”
His face flushed. “I-I, it’s, I—”
I stifled a laugh. “She must be someone special if she renders you this speechless.”
Griff turned away from me. “Can we talk about something else?” Pain replaced the embarrassment in his voice. I couldn’t help wondering if there was some obstacle with this girl. Maybe she was one of the upper-class—an advisor’s daughter, who would be shunned for dating someone like Griff. My heart ached for him.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
He bobbed his head in acknowledgement. “You better start getting ready. It’ll be time to leave in just a little while.” Then, he closed the door behind him.
I sighed. As I gazed around the shabby bedroom, my stomach twisted in knots. I couldn’t bear the thoughts of leaving. Deep down, I hoped it was only for a few days, but anxiety still reverberated through me like ripples on a pond. The dream reader within me deciphered it meant something looming on the horizon. I shuddered and chose to ignore it.
***
After I had showered and groomed to the best of my ability with the substandard plumbing we possessed, I dressed and came out for a late breakfast. Griff had taken pity on me and cooked breakfast. Of course, he didn’t burn any of it because he could put my abilities to shame with everything he did.
I slid into the rickety chair across from him. Neither one of us spoke as he started spooning up oatmeal. “Don’t,” I murmured.
“What?”
“I don’t think I can eat anything.”
He shook his head. “You need to eat something. I imagine it’s going to be a long day before dinner.”
I grudgingly spooned in a few bites of oatmeal. It felt like sawdust going down my throat. After I took a swig of orange juice, I got up and took my plate to the sink. When I turned around, Griff was waiting on me. I fell into his arms and started sobbing again.
“You’re going to mess up your face,” he murmured into my hair.
As I sniffed back my sobs, I said, “Maybe Kellan will think I’m just another emotionally weak female and like me more?”
His chest heaved in a sigh. “Fine, I won’t fight you anymore. Just cry if you want to.”
I hiccupped. “Thanks, Griff.”
He patted my head just like our father used to do. “Lean on them, Cadence. They’re with us, you know?”
Deep down, I did know. I could feel them from time to time, especially in dark times. It was like they gave me strength to go on. “I will,” I whispered.
I don’t know how long I stayed wrapped in Griff’s arms. His embrace was familiar and comforting—all the things I would miss in the next few days. He used the same soap and aftershave that our father had used, so it was even more bittersweet.
He pulled away and cupped my chin. “No matter what happens, you’re going to be all right. You’re too full of strength--or maybe, it’s piss and vinegar--to let anything bad happen.”
I couldn’t help but grin. “Yeah, yeah, we’ll see.”
“So, just go and knock em’ dead, all right?”
“Okay, let’s go.”
Griff could’ve let me make the bus ride to the palace on my own, but of course, he didn’t. We squeezed into a seat together, and he held my hand the entire ride. Gazing around the bus, I could tell several other girls from the slums were also on their way to the palace.
When it screeched to a halt outside the gate, I turned to look at him. He smiled and squeezed my hand. “I’ll be in the audience tomorrow night. So, if you get nervous, just try to find me.”
“That is if I make it through the preliminary interviews,” I countered.
“You will.”
I rolled my eyes at his confidence. “All right, I’ll see you t
hen.” I kissed his cheek and then made the lone walk up the aisle and hopped off the bus. I walked empty handed into the palace, just as I had been told. Of course, this time I entered through the revolving doors of the front entrance, rather than the service entrance in the back.
As soon as I stepped into the lobby, a snooty looking official with a clipboard came up to me. “Name please?”
“Cadence O’Bryant.”
She checked my name off with a flick of her pencil. “You need to get into that line over there.”
I nodded and headed over to a somewhat clump of a line just outside the double doors of the banquet hall. The lobby rotunda echoed with voices. I guess a lot of the girls knew each other since they were chatting each other up. Maybe it was nervousness. I craned my head, surveying the different girls in different types of dress from the very wealthy to the somewhat poor like me.
I jumped at the sound of a voice behind me. “You’d think there’d be more, huh?”
I turned around to see a pretty, dark-haired, dark-eyed girl. “Yeah, that’s just what I was thinking,” I replied.
She bobbed her head. “The truth is there were probably over a hundred summoned. But a great many were weeded out before they even got through the palace doors.”
“Really? Why?”
“Let’s just say they were the “toos”. You know, too ugly, too skinny, too fat, too ethnic. Basically, anything that would be perceived as too tragic for Kellan to be seen with.”
I giggled. “Yes, that would be a tragedy, wouldn’t it?”
“Of course.” She extended her hand. “I’m Maggie McNeil by the way.”
“And I’m—”
“I know who you are.”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You do?”
“You’re Griff’s sister.”
“Yeah, but don’t hold it against me,” I quipped.
Her face remained serious. “Why would I do that?”
“Oh, you know, because he can be a real pain sometimes.” When she didn’t respond, I asked, “How do you know him?”
“He’s a—”
“Cadence O’Bryant.” a short advisor bellowed my name.
It was time to face the music, so to speak. But, I couldn’t move. The bottom of my worn-out shoes appeared glued to the floor. Inwardly, my mind screamed at my feet to move. Finally, I lurched forward and through the main doors of the ballroom. A long table was in the middle of the room. Richard, his social secretary, and a couple of advisors sat at the table.
“Cadence O’Bryant.” Richard eyed me over the top of his glasses. “You work here at the palace as the main floor dining hostess?”
“Yes, sir.”
He bobbed his head. “From what I see, you do a great job at that. Mrs. Sullivan highly recommends you.”
I fought back a laugh. The only reason Mrs. Sullivan recommended me was because I kept her rolling in extra money from my dream interpretations. “I’m glad to hear that, sir.”
“Turn around.”
“Excuse me, sir?”
“Turn around. We want to see what you have to offer.”
Blood pounded in my ears at his request. Venessa’s last words to him about not being a sexual object echoed in my mind. I bit down on my lip to keep from repeating them.
Richard noticed my hesitation and raised his eyebrows. “Is there a problem, Miss O’Bryant?”
I’d bitten down hard enough that the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. “No, sir, I’m just nervous, that’s all,” I lied.
It took everything I had to force myself forward. I turned around and paused, giving the dirty pervert enough time to rate my backside from one to ten. Then, I whirled back around and smiled sweetly at the table.
A satisfied smirk curled on Richard’s lips. “Very nice, Miss O’Bryant. We welcome you to the competition.”
My stomach lurched at his words. I was officially going to have to participate in the pageant. “Thank you, sir,” I mumbled, before fleeing the room.
When I came out, I didn’t see Maggie. The line was still pretty long, so I eased down on the floor and watched as the other girls trickled in and out. Some didn’t come back into the rotunda. I wondered if there was a special door for those who didn’t pass the interviews.
After what seemed like an eternity, an advisor shushed us. “Thank you, ladies. We’ve now completed our interviews, and we’ll be moving you on to the guest quarters in just a moment.”
My eyes scanned around the girls in the rotunda, mentally counting them. After the initial interviews, only seventeen remained. The irony wasn’t lost on me that the number coincided with the numerologist’s pick of special seventeen.
Pity I hadn’t made the cut.
Since I knew the basic setup of the palace, I assumed we would be placed on the main floor to share some of the guest suites—the ones I usually did dream interpretations in. Instead, we were ushered in four separate groups up the gold-plated elevators to the tenth floor—a floor I’d never actually been on before.
Mrs. Munroe, Richard’s social secretary, led us down a long, red-carpeted corridor. We struggled to keep up with her pace, not to mention she talked a mile a minute. I don’t know how she wasn’t winded by the exertion.
“Now, you will each be given your own room. This evening you will have a fitting to dress you for the first segment of the pageant, which is tomorrow morning. A standard evening gown will be provided for everyone.”
Surprise resonated on several of the girls’ faces. When Mrs. Munroe spun around to face us, she noted the expressions. “We want Kellan to truly see you, not your dress. If,” she paused, “you advance to the next level, you will be able to choose your dress for the second part of the competition, which is tomorrow night.”
Her response seemed to sit well with some of the girls. I didn’t know if I completely agreed with her reasoning, but I knew there was no point in arguing. She continued on. “Each of you will have a half hour consultation this evening with a stylist. Then they, along with their assistants, will prepare your hair and makeup for the pageant.”
She gazed around at us. “Dinner will be served in the dining hall at six. Then you will have rehearsal from seven to eight.” She momentarily paused to draw in a breath. “Any questions?”
No one stepped forward. We were all too overwhelmed, or perhaps, too afraid to ask. “Good, let’s get you settled in your rooms.” She flipped open her notebook and began calling out girl’s names and corresponding suite numbers.
“Cadence O’Bryant.”
My head snapped up, and I rushed forward. Mrs. Munroe held the door of my suite open and handed me the key. Hesitantly, I stepped inside. “Wow,” I murmured, under my breath.
The room was an overdose of frothy peaches and cream. Everything from the curtains, to the bedspread, to the wallpaper, was done in either cream or peach. A four-poster queen-sized bed sat in the middle of the room. On the far wall was a couch and love seat. I ran my fingers over the fabric, musing how it put our ratty sofa at home to shame.
Thoughts of how mine and Griff’s house compared to the palace suite sent envy washing over me. I had once had a nice home and nice things, but all that had been taken away. Now the only way to get them back would be to win the pageant. I wrinkled my nose in disgust as that option sure as hell didn’t sit well with me.
In the bathroom, I found a nightgown, robe and slippers. Along the vanity were a rainbow assortment of different soaps, shampoos, and lotions. I brought one to my nose and inhaled. Vanilla filled my senses and brought me back to my childhood. My mother always wore vanilla-scented lotion or perfume. My father used to wink and muse, “She smells good enough to eat.”
A rap at the door brought me out of my thoughts. I put the lotion back and hurried to answer the door. I swung it open to find Maggie smiling at me. “Looks like we made it after all, huh?”
“Yeah, I’m thrilled beyond words,” I replied, with a grin.
Maggie grinned too. “Well,
at least we know we weren’t one of ‘the toos’.”
“Exactly.”
“Come on, it’s time to go to our fitting.”
We joined the rest of the girls out in the hallway, and then followed Mrs. Munroe back down the corridor to the elevators. “Your fittings will be on the third floor, ladies. Once you have finished there, you should go to the dining hall on the main floor for dinner.”
The third floor was another new area for me, but at least I was familiar with the dining hall. After the elevator doors opened and we were corralled back together, Mrs. Munroe handed us over to three lesser secretaries. I once again got the feeling of being merely a piece of cattle when we were herded into a line to await our fittings.
I turned to Maggie who was leaned against the wall examining her nails. “So, I haven’t seen you around before. Do you not work at the palace?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, since my father is a doctor, I have a job at the hospital.”
“Hmm, sounds interesting.”
“Oh, trust me, it’s not. I’m basically an errand girl, or if there’s something disgusting like a bed pan to empty or a puke pile to clean up, I get the honor.”
“Ew, that’s terrible!”
Maggie grinned. “Yeah, it sucks, but I guess everyone’s job sucks nowadays.”
I nodded. “Well, I mean, mine doesn’t suck that bad, but it’s really hard on my brother.”
“Griff’s talents are certainly wasted on the fields,” Maggie replied.
“Um, with you working at the hospital, how is it you know my brother?”
I could’ve sworn that Maggie’s face reddened a bit. “He came in the hospital with a friend who had been injured in a tractor accident. I guess we kind of struck up a conversation—I had once thought of becoming a nurse or doing something in the medical field.” She surveyed my expression, and then said, “I’m really trying to pull some strings to get him a job in the hospital.”
“Really? That would be wonderful. I can’t imagine anything that would make Griff happier.” Of course, I refrained from telling her that if the Abir were successful in their rebellion, Griff wouldn’t need her help.
She smiled. “I know. He’s so excited by the prospect. At first, I didn’t want to say anything to him about it, you know, in case it didn’t happen, but then I couldn’t help it.”