by Leigh Walker
I headed down to join the other contestants for breakfast. As soon as I arrived in the kitchen, the girls stopped talking. Dae frowned, Thalia busied herself with her tea, Joely fidgeted with her napkin, and Maya openly glared.
“Good morning.” I poured myself some tea and grabbed a yogurt parfait bursting with blackberries. I sat down and faced them. “Dae, I am sorry I interrupted your date last night. That was never my intention. I was simply taking the gnomes out, and I decided to use the back stairs. I didn’t expect to see you with His Highness.”
She nodded slowly. “Okay… I believe you.”
“What?” Maya smacked her palm against the table. “She sabotaged you! Do not accept a flimsy apology like that.”
Dae coolly met Maya’s glare. “I saw her last night, not you. Trust me, it was an accident. She did not want to be there.”
Maya’s nostrils flared. “Fine, but I think you’re taking it way too easy on her. All she’s done since she’s been here is break the rules. She should be expelled from the contest. She’s getting special treatment, and it’s not fair.”
“Why do you care so much, Maya?” I leaned closer. “You keep crowing about how you’re the front-runner and planning your wedding. Why do you care if I stay? Apparently, I’m no threat to the likes of you.”
“I don’t like cheaters, and I don’t like people who think they’re better than me just because their mommy and daddy are rich and raised them with a silver spoon. You’re a snob, Tamara. You talk like you’re above this contest and then turn around and wreck other people’s chances. You’re a hypocrite.”
“And you, Lady Briones, are a braggy whiner—an uncomfortable contradiction and a truly unpleasant combination.”
I was about to argue further, but Mira stalked in. “Ladies, enough with the arguing. I could hear you halfway down the hall. Finish your breakfast. We have important business to attend to in the formal salon. The first episodes are ready for screening. Please get yourselves together and meet me down in the salon in five minutes.”
She pointed at me. “Tamara, once you’re finished, I’d like a word. I’ll wait for you outside.” She turned on her spiked heel and was gone.
“Looks like you’re going to get a talking-to,” Maya gloated. “And none too soon, in my opinion.”
“Shut it, Maya. And by the way, you have lip gloss on your teeth.”
I pushed off from the table and went to meet Mira outside. I felt a sour feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I remembered my political training and plastered a smile to my face. Mira waited in the hall, her arms crossed.
“Yes, Mira? What can I do for you today?”
“You can stop fighting with Maya. Then you can join the other girls and watch the episodes.”
“Of course.” I curtsied, ready to take my leave.
“Not so fast. You have other obligations, Lady Layne.” She pointed at me. “After the screening, you can unpack your room. You’re not going anywhere, not yet. And then you can apologize to His Highness for that little scene you pulled last night. I’d like you to do it in front of the cameras, of course.”
“Mira.” I shook my head. “No.”
“Don’t say no to me, young lady. Because when you say no to me, you say no to the crown. And I’ve got news for you, Tamara—the king and queen are coming to the Realm for the coronation. They might stay in the North for some time. There’s a lot going on.”
That sounded ominous. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not authorized to go into it.” She frowned. “But suffice it to say, the royals will be here, and they’ll be expecting you to also be here, on your best behavior. So will I. Now, come along. We’ve got to meet the others, and then you’ve got work to do. Lots of it.”
My thoughts swirled as I followed Mira to the formal salon. Why would King and Queen Black stay in the North? What on earth is going on in the settlements? But there was no time for my questions. The large flat screen was already set up, and the other girls were waiting. Joely and Thalia sat on the couch, Dae paced on the Oriental rug behind them, and Maya was sprawled in one of the overstuffed armchairs, inspecting her nails.
I took a seat, and Mira motioned to the screen. “I have the first two episodes of the show edited and ready for you to watch. From here on out, we’ll view them simultaneously with the live broadcast. But I wanted you to see these today because things are heating up in the competition. You need to be prepared for the audience’s reaction. Once these episodes go live, we’re going to be getting a lot of feedback on who the settlers’ favorites are.”
She looked at each of us in turn. “The coronation ceremony will be held next week. That’s when two of you will be sent home. You need to pay attention to how you appear onscreen, and I’m not just talking about your looks. We’ve talked about this before. Use the tape to help yourselves. Identify your strengths and weaknesses and the things you need to work on. You don’t have much time left to win His Highness’s favor.”
Mira cleared her throat and continued. “I’ve just learned this morning that the royals will be attending the coronation ceremony, including King Reginald and Queen Serena.” The other girls broke out into excited chatter, but I stared straight ahead. “It’s likely that they will want to meet each of you while they’re here. You need to be poised, and you need to be loyal—not only to King Rhys but also to King and Queen Black. In addition, you need to be very enthusiastic about the opportunities afforded to you by this contest.”
Mira smiled at us encouragingly. “I’ve seen the tapes, and I have to tell you—they’re excellent. Each of you is already a star, in my opinion. Pay close attention. We’ll have a discussion afterward.”
The lights were dimmed, and the screen lit up. “I am so nervous,” Joely whispered.
“Don’t be.” Thalia patted her hand. “I know you did great.”
Joely wasn’t the only one who was nervous. I sank into my seat as the opening credits rolled. First, there was the outline of Rhys walking alone in the forest. Mira said in a voice-over, “A handsome young king. A stunning new kingdom. Five young women who will risk everything for love. Welcome to The Realm: The Bachelor King. We’ll follow King Rhys on his journey to find the love of his life—his bride.”
The image changed to show pictures of the fountain, the castle, and the lush gardens and grounds. The footage captured the new kingdom beautifully—the fall foliage, the glistening grass, and the soaring spires of the palace. “In this new world, nothing is as important as family and honor. King Rhys has led his men in service to Prince Austin and King Black for decades. Now his loyalty has been rewarded with the gift of a brand-new beginning. King Rhys must find someone to share the Realm with, someone worthy of being his queen.”
Images of the five of us flashed across the screen. “Each contestant has been carefully chosen to compete for the king’s unending loyalty and affection. But only one young woman will be chosen to wear the crown. Here are your contestants, each representing her settlement with pride. Tamara Layne, Settlement 11. Joely Raine, Settlement 12, Maya Briones, Settlement 8. Thalia Atkins, Settlement 18. And Dae Phillips, Settlement 23. Who will His Highness choose as his bride? Tune in each week to find out!”
There was dramatic music, then the show began in earnest. The first scenes were of the contestants arriving in the North. Rhys smiled at each girl. I remembered that day perfectly—how jealous I’d been and how surprised by the other contestants’ sophistication and perfect presentation. Certainly, this contest hadn’t gone the way I’d expected. The screen showed Rhys ogling the other contestants just as I remembered.
When it was my turn to curtsy before Rhys, the cameras caught him staring down my gown. Perfect. I looked up and said something to him—if I remembered correctly, it was along the lines of, “I am going to make your life a living hell,” but fortunately, the microphones hadn’t caught our exchange. Rhys stared after me as Rose whisked me away. It made my heart hurt a little to see him watching me like t
hat.
The episode artfully replayed our first visit to the Realm. Each of the contestants oohed and aahed, and the kingdom was shown in the very best light. Every girl looked lovely—even I had to admit that. Maya’s copper skin glowed for the cameras. Joely’s curves stole every scene. Thalia’s cheekbones, biceps, and calves somehow looked even better on film. Dae’s muscular form and unique sense of style commanded attention. I looked pretty good, too. I reminded myself to thank Giuliana later for doing such a great job with my hair and makeup.
The episode gave equal airtime to each of the contestants. Rhys offered comparable attention and appreciation to every girl. It might have been wishful thinking on my part, but he seemed a little annoyed by Maya in one or two scenes. When he gave her a tour of the castle, she pressed herself against him at every opportunity. At one point, he stepped away from her. Score! It took everything I had not to pump my fist, but then I remembered myself—I didn’t care a fig about him or who he stepped away from.
I held my breath when Rhys and I were alone onscreen. Even though he was a beast, the werewolf looked fantastic in his dark uniform, with his hair pulled neatly back. What I could see, as a member of the audience, was the way his gaze followed me wherever I went. Enraptured, I watched the final scene of the two of us in the formal salon, the fire roaring behind us. “T-Tamara.” Rhys reached for my hands and gripped them. “It would mean everything to me if you could imagine a future here—with me.”
“That’s why I’m here, Your Highness. To consider that very thing.”
I winced. It was clear that Rhys was sincere. He’d been attentive in his scenes with the other girls, but with me, he was earnest, searching. And I’d dodged him with a nonanswer that risked nothing. Maya gave me a dirty look at the end of the scene, which made me believe I hadn’t imagined the intensity of it.
As the tape continued, I sank lower into my seat, dreading what came next.
A Little Help
After briefly showing a slice of life from each girls’ home settlement, and talking more about our respective backgrounds, the first episode concluded. The next one immediately started. “Tonight,” Mira’s voice narrated, “you are invited along with each girl on her one-on-one date. Settlers, you’ve never seen anything like this before.”
There was a brief teaser montage, which showed Maya kissing Rhys, Rhys kissing Joely, Thalia kissing Rhys, Rhys kissing me, Dae and Rhys kissing in the stairwell, and a brief shot of me crying. “Stay tuned for the passion, the outrage—and most of all, the budding romance between the handsome bachelor king and the women who’ll risk everything to love him.”
“Oh boy.” Joely wrapped her arms around herself and started rocking back and forth. “This is going to be a good one.”
The first scene was Mira announcing the schedule, including the one-on-one dates. There was a clip of Maya sitting up straight, frowning at the rest of us and saying, “I plan on being here at the end—I’m not in any rush.” Then it cut to her gloating when it was announced that she had the first date.
Scenes from that evening came next. First was Maya dressing in her chambers, choosing the plunging black gown. “She’s not leaving much to the imagination, is she?” her maids gossiped behind her back.
I sucked in a deep breath. The fact that Mira had shown the staff gossiping about Maya onscreen couldn’t be good. She was casting her in a harsh light. I glanced over at Maya. She sat ramrod straight, her expression grim.
The film cut to her one-on-one date with Rhys. They sat in the dining room for dinner. Maya leaned forward across the table, her dress plunging dangerously. Rhys said something to her, and she laughed and laughed. “Someone needs to tell her that she’s trying too hard,” one of the kitchen staff whispered in a voiceover.
After dinner, Rhys held out his hand to her, but instead of taking it, Maya tucked herself along his side. A glimmer of surprise crossed his face, and the cameras caught it. Maya and Rhys walked around the grounds, the sky darkening around them, and she had her arms wrapped tightly around his middle. Every time he spoke, she gazed up at him, lips parted. Perhaps no one else caught it, but I saw his gaze flick over her, the slightest twinge of discomfort playing across his handsome features. She was begging to be kissed, and Rhys didn’t kiss her.
At the end of their date, Maya took matters into her own hands, quite literally. She took the king’s face between her palms and leaned up on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his. Rhys seemed rigid in his response, but eventually, he relaxed into the kiss. When they parted, he smiled down at her. “Thank you for a lovely evening.” I didn’t know if Maya could tell, but I could—he was relieved the date was over.
“We could have a glass of wine together,” Maya offered.
“Thank you, my lady, but I have early meetings.” He bowed. “Good night.”
“Thank you, Your Highness. I can’t wait to see you again,” she called after him, but he didn’t turn around.
I glanced at Maya. Her features were composed.
“That was nice. You looked beautiful,” Joely said.
Maya’s gaze flicked to her then away. “Thanks.” Her tone was flat.
I held my breath as the episode continued and Joely’s one-on-one date was shown. The clip had an entirely different tone from Maya’s, and I marveled at the editing skill of the production crew. They clearly had an agenda and were casting each of us in a role. Joely’s scene of getting ready in her chambers had a joyous, friendly vibe. She and her maids joked and chatted easily as they did her makeup. She looked beautiful and sultry in a grass-green satin gown, her auburn hair hanging in loose waves past her shoulders.
His Highness did a double take when he saw her. “You look lovely, Lady Raine. That color is becoming on you.” Just as I could tell that he was being polite with Maya, I knew he was being sincere with Joely. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.”
“Me too.” Joely smiled at him with warmth.
They chatted easily throughout their dinner. She even made him laugh a few times. Afterward, they had wine by the fire. Rhys asked her many questions, making a sincere effort to get to know her. When she told him that she had four younger brothers and sisters, he asked if she enjoyed having a large family.
“It’s my hope to have as many children as God grants me.” Joely’s eyes shone in the firelight. “I love kids. I loved growing up with a big family—they mean everything to me. I want to give the same opportunities to my children growing up.”
Rhys watched her carefully. “What sort of opportunities? The Realm is very removed from the settlements, you know. Raising a family would be different here.”
“The opportunities I’m speaking of are just as possible here, Your Highness.” Joely’s complexion sparkled in the warm glow of the fire. “I mean the chance to play outdoors, to love and be loved, and to know the true loyalty that family brings. What about you? Do you want children?”
“I do, very much so. And I want them to understand true loyalty as well.”
She beamed at him. “Then we have that in common, Your Highness.”
“Yes, we do.”
When he kissed her at the end of the evening, he was very gentle. He tapped her chin when they broke apart. “Thank you for spending time with me tonight. I’m very happy to get to know you better.”
Joely’s smile lit her whole face. “I’m happy as well. Thank you, Your Highness.”
When the scene went dark, Thalia high-fived her. “That was awesome.”
Joely’s cheeks were pink. “Thank you.”
It had been awesome, which caused me to sink down lower into my seat as we watched the next part. It was Thalia’s date. Her maids fussed and cooed over her as they did her makeup. Leggy as ever, she wore a hot-pink minidress and matching spiked heels. “My lady,” one of the maids said, “you are absolutely stunning.”
“Aw, thanks.” Thalia’s easy smile just made her all the more gorgeous.
Rhys almost fell over when he saw
her. “Lady Atkins, your outfits never disappoint. That dress is very flattering on you.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.” They casually linked arms and chatted away as they headed for the dining room. All throughout dinner, their conversation flowed as easily as the wine. If I had one criticism, it was that the tone of everything was friendly—nothing more. Mira had said there was no electricity between the two, and she’d been onto something. Thalia and Rhys were a match in many ways—equally good-looking, friendly, and at ease with themselves. But they seemed more like friends than lovers, which suited me just fine.
At the end of their date, Rhys took her hands. “Tonight has been fun and relaxing, Thalia. I can’t say that about much else in this contest.”
“It’s been my pleasure, Rhys.” Thalia hugged him, and when she pulled back, there was an awkward moment.
“May I?” Rhys asked, leaning over her.
“Of course.”
The king pressed his lips against Thalia’s and ran his hands tentatively over her shoulders. She placed her hands gently on his chest. It was as if they were both asking, “Can there be more to this?” They looked good together if nothing else, his pale hands on her dark skin, both of them ridiculously attractive in the glowing firelight.
When they broke apart, Thalia and Rhys both smiled, but I couldn’t tell if there was any more of a spark than there had been before. Thalia winked at him playfully. “Good night, Your Highness.”
He grinned back. “See you soon.”
Dae patted Thalia on the back. “He’s into you, I can tell. And could you look any more gorgeous in that dress?”
“Shh.” Maya gave them an evil stare.
Dae stuck her tongue out but didn’t say anything else.
The scene panned out again—my date was next. Had it been possible, I would have sunk lower into my seat. Instead, I sat, gripping the arms of the chair, as my picture filled the screen. Mira’s voice narrated, “Many of you remember Lady Layne from her appearance in The Pageant, where she was a finalist and also a fan favorite. Alas, she wasn’t chosen as princess. Since then, she’s been a bridesmaid—twice.” There was footage of me at Gwyn and Dallas’s wedding as well as standing at the altar behind Blake. “Is it time for Lady Layne to finally find true love? Or will her hopes be dashed again?” There was an old image of me from The Pageant, watching Gwyn dance with Dallas, a sour expression on my face.