Preparation (2)

"The ball was everything I imagined it to be and more. I am still in disbelief that I got to experience the first dance with the prince," Helena said, palming her cheeks which still felt warm from blushing over dancing with Tobias. "I hope I didn't mess up. I was too busy staring at him to think about it."

"You were wonderful, Helena. You proved that the money we spent on tutors did not go to waste. I could not take my eyes off of you when you danced with the prince and after the dance, I heard that the queen looked impressed. I expect to hear good things during your time in the selection," said Renee.

Hazel looked out the window to see the homes the carriage passed since she didn't share the same excitement as her sister. She had fun at the ball, but it had nothing to do with Tobias. She spent all of her time with Linda, laughing at small things. At one point, she forgot why she was in the palace.

"I'm hoping I will be picked first to have a conversation with the queen. I need to go over the dresses that I picked to wear in the palace since all eyes will be on me from now on. I can't have a moment when I do not look the best in the room. Should we start doing it as soon as we get home, Hazel?" Helena asked, looking to Hazel for help since it would be quicker with two people. 

She couldn't wake the maids at this time.

"I am going home, take off this dress, and go to bed after a bit of washing up. Since it is so important to you, you should stay awake to go over what dresses you want," Hazel replied. 

They had to be up early in the morning to get dressed for their first day in the palace. They couldn't be late since it would be a bad start to the selection. Hazel wished it didn't last a week so she could be back in the comfort of her room. The only saving grace of the selection was going with Helena and Linda.

"Mother," Helena whined, turning to her mother for help to convince Hazel.

"Helena, we've already spent plenty of time deciding what dresses the two of you will wear. I expect that you will not stay to change what is already perfect. If you stay up going over your dresses, it will be hard to wake you in the morning and that would not be fair to Hazel. She must also have a good start to the selection," Renee reminded Helena.

She liked that Helena was more excited after dancing with the prince, but this was just the beginning and she was not yet picked to be queen. Other young women would capture the prince's attention when he started to spend time with them. One dance wasn't enough to know that Tobias liked Helena more than her appearance.

Helena glanced at Hazel. "I don't mean to be rude, but since the prince has shown an interest in me, wouldn't it be best to put all the focus on me? Hazel and Linda enjoy speaking with each other more than trying to get the prince to notice them. It would end the two of us having to compete. I don't like it."

Helena did not enjoy the whispering about which sister would have the prince falling for them. 

"I wish the prince would've asked Hazel for a dance so I wouldn't feel so bad talking about me dancing with him. If I do not become queen, I want Hazel to be picked. I have enough time to find a husband before I am said to be too old," said Helena.

"The prince asked me to dance with him but I declined. I also-"

"You did what?" Helena exclaimed, finding it hard to believe Hazel's words. "It would not be right of you to lie about being asked to dance with the prince."

Hazel turned to Helena and asked, "Is there something you think is wrong with me that the prince wouldn't ask for a dance?"

Helena leaned on Hazel's shoulder. "That is not what I meant. The prince disappeared after my dance and he stayed by the queen's side when he returned. I only find it hard to believe since you didn't say anything when you came back to us. When did this happen and why would you turn down a dance from the prince? The queen would take an interest in you."

"She should already be interested in getting to know us since we are from the Wallace family. It is our family who produces some of the best weapons the town has ever seen. If not us, the palace would want Tobias to marry Linda since her family controls a lot of the army," said Hazel.

"I like Linda, but I am hoping it is you or me who will be chosen to be the next queen. We will have stronger ties to the palace in the future and we will be remembered as the first queen from the Wallace family. I do not understand why it never happened in the past," Helena said, looking to her father for an answer.

"The women in our family were either never picked or interested. Times are different now when young ladies like yourself are eager to marry the prince," Nathan replied. 

Hazel agreed with her father since she had seen the portraits of old kings in their youth. Some with their wives who were as young as some of their daughters. They were in luck because Tobias was looking to marry while he was young and he wasn't looking for a girl who just bled for the first time. 

Hazel would rather run away from home than marry a man who was around her father's age. Even when the princes were young, some of them didn't look like men she wanted to share a bed with. She should at least be attracted to her husband. 

"They were eager in the past to become queen. The prince was just a second thought. I have high hopes for the two of you. I don't understand why you would turn down a dance from the prince, Hazel. Whatever the reason was, you must know that you will need to work hard to make him forgive you for turning him down," Renee advised Hazel.

Helena was more excited to have the chance to participate in the selection, but Renee was hoping for Hazel to do well. She didn't want holding Hazel back from getting married two years ago to be all for nothing. There were offers for her hand, but Renee wanted to aim high for the prince. 

Renee knew that she shouldn't but she was rooting for Hazel more than Helena. Hazel was closer in age to the prince and she would have to worry less about Hazel being in the palace than Helena since Hazel spent more time there. 

While Helena had the personality to draw others in quickly, Hazel had a fire to her which would help her to keep up with the schemes in the palace. Whichever daughter might be picked, she hoped the palace would not break them.