I Am Elite (A Colors novel Book 1)

by Kimberly Westra

  Oh man.

  I push my chair back and fall to my knees. My head flushed red.

  Locating the grape I reach my hand out to grab it. Another hand finds it first.

  I follow the hand to find a suit sleeve, dark blue, slim fitting. The sleeve attaches to a jacket and white shirt. The top button is undone, the tie hangs loose on the shoulders. His eyes sleepy, but his bright red irises makes them pop nonetheless.

  O my goodness. The Prince.

  I pull my hand back, releasing myself from his touch.

  “Are you aware there is staff to clean up after you?” he says.

  My cheeks flush even brighter. “Uhm, old habits die hard?”

  “Do you mean the dropping of a grape, or the picking it off from the floor?”

  “Both, I guess,” I reply with a grin.

  He then holds up the grape and places it in my hand. “Good luck with the assignment today.”

  I give him a small nod and move back on my seat.

  Lady Debois has her head in her hands and I can almost hear her cry in frustration. On the other hand I feel a little confused about what has just happened. The Prince actually seems nice, other than his father. This encounter also convinces me that he really did not see my real eyes last night. Otherwise he would have said something. With new determination I grab my fork to pierce another grape.

  I try, twice. Then I put the fork down and use my fingers.

  All public selection events are filmed outside. A large white tent has been set up with beautiful flowers hiding the poles. White chairs face a small stage. On the stage stands a table with a stern woman behind it. Next to the stage a few men and women stand waiting. They are all Elite, all different eye colors. Our mentors.

  I return my focus on the scenery. It is quite the stunning scene. The white fabric makes the green of the mountains stand out. The flowers around the poles are large and colorful, reminding me of the Elite eyes.

  A seat at the back of the setup seems most safe. The cameras swirl around me, following several of the contestants. I avoid them as much as possible, trying to blend into the background.

  My counting trick kicks in, trying to calm my nerves. I focus on who is here, how many male, how many female. I count the cameras, the cords and the microphones. Still my mind plays tricks on me. What if they give me an impossible job? What if the King wants me to mess up? What if he wants me to fail, so that he can lock me up?

  The ceremony starts and one by one the Elite get called towards the front.

  A young Purple Elite gets assigned to assist the Bishop presiding at the castle. Apparently he cannot type and she will write out his sermons for him.

  A Green signs with happiness when she finds she is to assist a landscape designer.

  Shanna is almost jumping up and down when she finds she will be assisting the head teacher. Apparently the palace has a small school where the residents’ children attend.

  I am genuinely happy for her and feel a bit calmer. If everyone is getting jobs like these, mine should be just fine too, right?

  When it is finally my turn I get up, balance myself on my heels and make my way to my assignment. The cameras are pointing at me and I lift my chin a little higher.

  I am Elite.

  The lady at the table opens a folder with my name on it.

  “Miss Mera, you are assigned to work in the Queens office.”

  Sounds of amazement rise all around me.

  Time stands still .

  “Your mentor is over there, she will fill you in,” she points.

  Following her fingers I find a very regal looking woman. Hesitantly I make my way to her. Did that lady just say the Queens office?

  When I reach her she speaks in a very soft, elegant and controlled tone. "Miss Mera, I am Lady Jeanette Petigran, personal assistant to the Queen. You may call me Lady Petigran."

  I stare at her with wide eyes and she lifts her eyebrow.

  "Come now, I do not have all day." She emphasizes the word ‘not’ before turning away and I look at Shanna in pure panic. Did she just say personal assistant to the Queen? Am I to be working with the Queen? No freaking way, why the heck would they do this?

  Also, all the other Elite are back in their seats. Should I follow her? Should I sit back down? I turn towards the Elite. Shanna looks at me and moves her lips. Go.

  Lady Petigran already has a head start and enters the palace. As fast as my heels allow me I bolt out the garden only to bump into her back as I enter through the doors.

  "Miss Mera, should we get your eyes checked before we start? I do not appreciate you so close to me."

  Taking two large steps back I look at my feet. "Sorry ma’am, thought I had lost you." As soon as the words come out I know I shouldn’t have said that. How can you lose someone when they are only two feet away.

  She huffs and with a flick of the fingers tells me to follow her.

  This is not going well.

  My legs try to keep up with Lady Petigran. My mind is running a marathon. Did they do this on purpose? They must have, this is no coincidence. The question is not if they did, but why they did. Is it a classic case of ‘keep your enemy closer'? Or maybe it is what I was initially scared of, did they give me the most impossible job to do?

  I almost bump into her again as Lady Petigran comes to a halt. She pushes a door open and we enter a small glass office with one desk in it. The woman sitting behind the desk is on the phone but peeks up at us and nods. I am so focused on the woman behind the desk that I do not even notice what is behind the glass.

  Lady Petigran moves past her, presses her thumb on a scanner and one of the glass panels slide open. I follow hesitantly. The glass must be a protection measure.

  Now that I have more attention for the rest of the space I see a large office with six desks on the right side, and two more at the far left, right by another door. The six desks on the right are occupied by men and women hard at work. The two at the far left are empty. The computers and the glass office are the only modern items. The rest of the room is filled with the most beautiful old paintings, wooden beams and dark purple curtains. Even the desks are made of the most beautiful sturdy wood and the chairs are fluffy and large.

  Lady Petigran introduces me to the other staff members, walking past their desks. She also includes a small explanation of their specific jobs here. I nod, and take mental notes of not only their position, but also the way they act and move. It calms me. Then we move to the other side of the room.

  “This is your desk,” she points towards the first of the two empty desks. The desk has everything I could ever need. A new and fast computer with two screens, a tablet and pen and paper.

  Lady Petigran sits down across from me. Her desk is a reflection of the woman she seems to be. Clean, tidy and very very organized. She has probably a million papers, but they are all neatly filled with labels and colors. She might be my kind of person after all.

  Taking in my new workplace my eyes fall on the door directly behind Lady Petigran. It is large and sturdy. A beautiful print frames the wooden door. “What is behind that…”

  The rest of my sentence becomes a faint whisper as the door flies open. A large man storms out. Seconds later the Queen moves into view with a hint of a smile.

  "I guess Lord Willon does not agree with my new funding idea," she says with a hint of mischief.

  Lady Petigran smiles back at the Queen, and extends her hand towards me. "Your Majesty, this is miss Mera, she will be shadowing me as one of the Elite selection." She says it very matter-of-factly and it is the first time my full assignment has been spoken out loud. I am to shadow the Queen’s personal assistant. The Queen. I am sitting across from the Queen. O my goodness. It takes me a split second to put my mask in place but then I get up and try my clumsy curtsy again. When I look back up she has a hand reached out and a smile on her face. Hesitantly I reach out my own hand grasping hers. Her hand feels soft and surprisingly firm.

  "Welcome Mera, hope
fully you can keep up, Lady Petigran is a one of a kind worker. Not many can work at her pace. The King must really see a lot of potential in you, he does not usually place a selected so close to the royal family."

  She actually sounds sincere and I force my raised eyebrow down into a, hopefully, neutral look. I am pretty sure he sees a lot less potential in me than she might ever know.

  Chapter 6

  Now I understand what the Queen meant with keeping up. The tablet becomes my best friend as I run and take notes all day. I force myself to focus on everything Lady Petigran tells me. I write down names and ranks and make mental notes of the people’s faces. Sometimes Lady Petigran looks back at me to see if I am still there and it’s rather satisfying to still be standing.

  "Well miss Mera, well done for keeping up, hopefully some of the information sticks." She clicks her tongue while speaking and looks me down.

  I hope my face still looks fresh because on the inside this is the most exhausted I have ever felt. "Yes Lady Petigran, I have enjoyed shadowing you today, shall we continue tomorrow?" Maybe she doesn't catch the little lie, it was an enjoyable day, but I might need to sleep all day to recover. And my feet, oh my poor poor feet.

  "We shall, you are to have a lesson with Lady Debois each morning from eight till nine. After which you will come to the office. You will be working here from Monday to Friday. If you do not finish the jobs assigned to you, or if the whole office is requested to come, you will also be here on Saturday." She nods once and turns towards what I can imagine are her own bedchambers.

  How does this woman do this every day? As soon as she is out of sight my shoes fly off. Oh my goodness the feeling is godly and I just close my eyes for a second.

  "Ah I wondered where that odd smell came from," a smile in his voice.

  The voice is familiar.

  Crap.

  The Prince looks down at my feet and holds a mischievous grin on his face. My cheeks heat and I just pray he doesn't see how flustered I am. I am struck by his handsomeness. He is very tall, probably around 6’5. His suit fits around him comfortably, it must be one of those fancy materials I don't know the name of. I take in his face, strong cheekbones and a small dimple in his cheeks. He has lush dark brown hair which is brushed back with some gel, but not stuck flatly on his head. His red eyes truly are magnificent. Maybe if I look into them long enough they could drown me.

  Snap out of it.

  "Oh c'mon, my feet might hurt, but they don't smell” I say jokingly, before remembering I am talking to a freaking prince. My cheeks turn even more scarlet. I really have to start paying more attention around him.

  His grin widens, "sorry miss, but I guess we have a complete different assumption what bad smell entails. For example I hate the smell of roses or fresh baked bread." He winks at me and then turns to walk away.

  I stare at his back. Did the Crown Prince just crack a joke?

  The next few days I shadow Lady Petigran to the best of my human capability. Twice a day I make my way to the bathroom. Not only to use the toilet but to change the bandages all over my poor feet. I disliked shoes before, I hate them now.

  Aran would laugh at me.

  Aran.

  It has all been so busy I have hardly thought of him at all. I feel guilty, I really have not thought about home much. I feel even more guilty knowing my mind has been focused on a certain prince, more than on Aran. He has always been such a good friend. And I have been a crappy one.

  I suck.

  By the time Friday afternoon finally arrives I am craving for the weekend. I really need to catch up on some sleep and soak my feet.

  “Before you go Mera, the King has asked all the selected to come to the garden,” Lady Petigran does not look at me while she tells me, so I have no way of telling if she knows what it is about. I sigh. I hate not knowing, and I hate not being able to take these miserable shoes off.

  Leaving the office I make my way down the stairs to the first floor. Paying more attention to the palace layout has helped me find my way, making my trip to the gardens only a small walk.

  Before stepping out I collect myself. Then, as elegantly as possible, make my way towards Shanna. She gives me a small smile and I sit next to her.

  The usual buzzing of camera’s is missing. The reporters usually running around are also absent. That is odd. The selections are a loved tradition to all Elite, why are they not broadcasting? A strange vibe lingers. Unrest creeps up in my body.

  Unsure of what to do to keep myself calm I squeeze the sides of my white chair. The sun is close to setting behind the mountains. It is a rather glorious sight. Red and yellow paints the sky. Watching the colors blend calms me down.

  We wait silently while other selected make their way towards the chairs and take a seat. Something else is off.

  “Shanna, am I missing something, or do you also count only fifteen chairs?”

  She looks around and with a pointed finger makes her way down the chairs.

  Then she nods, “yeah, only fifteen.”

  The King and his adviser walk out and all the selected stand to curtsy or bow. He sits down with a smug look on his face and turns towards his adviser.

  “As some of the smart ones among you might see is that we have removed five of the selected from our company,” The advisers hands move over us and the ones that had not noticed look around. “The King has asked me to inform you of the reason, since this is highly unusual. Two of the missing selected were plainly too dumb to be a part of this program. One of the maids found them smoking pot in the east wing. The other three are a little more noteworthy.” he pauses for dramatic effect, “Ladies, gentlemen, I am sad to inform you that we have imprisoned Maxi, Shella and Trin for conspiracy against the crown.”

  The whole crowd shifts and I look up at Shanna, conspiracy? She eyes me back with a raised eyebrow.

  “As you were informed during your security walkthrough we have been dealing with some small rebel movements across the country. They have started at the borders of our country but are now making their way closer to the capital. The King and his advisers have been working nonstop to make sure the rebels will be dealt with properly. Until they have succeeded, security of the palace will be increased. During your first week at the palace an extra security check has taken place where all your backgrounds have been checked. And we assure you the danger has been averted.”

  I stare up at the guy. How have they even missed this at the first check? Weren’t we all highly back checked before we could even get close to the King and his family? It unnerves me to know that the King is very aware that I am also a fraud. He is forcing me to be one. He is hanging an axe over my head and the pressure is crushing. Will he drop it? I try to focus on the rest of the information, but my mind is too occupied.

  It is over. Everyone gets up, everyone but me. They chat amongst each other, unaware of me still sitting down. My feet have started to swell, making me dread rising up. Shanna looks down at me.

  “You go ahead, I will be in in a minute, I just want to enjoy the sunshine a little longer” I say.

  “Alrighty, see you later!” She replies, turning to walk towards the palace.

  When I am sure everyone is out of sight I kick off my shoes and allow my feet to sink into the grass.

  This. Is. Bliss.

  “You really should not make a habit out of that, my lady,” he says coming up behind me.

  “You probably shouldn’t stalk someone,” I cough, “ehh, Your Royal Highness.”

  So embarrassing.

  He smirks and sits down next to me. “Not a fan of shoes I understand?”

  “I am definitely no Cinderella.” He probably has no idea who I am referring too, but the words escape before I can really think them over. I really need to think more carefully around this man. Where are my manners?

  “Ah, you would not even enjoy a glass slipper then?”

  I look at him and he gives me the most endearing smile.

  “How do you know
Cinderella?” I ask. Grandma always told me stories, but it never occurred to me that others might know them too.

  “Come, let me show you,” he says.

  He reaches out his hand towards me.

  Taking it in mine, I allow him to pull me up. He then grabs my heels and pulls me with him towards the castle. I look at him as he still has his hand in mine and am struck by his beauty. His hair is a little messier after what looks like a busy day at the office, but he still looks rather dashing.

  Redness rushes up my cheeks. This is the Crown Prince. I should not look at him like this. There is a wonderful, human, man back at home. Aran is the kindest. He will take me exactly for who I am.

  Then why can I not stop looking at this man next to me? Following him through the palace sends a rush of excitement through me. He is just so ridiculously handsome. But still, I really should not allow myself into this fantasy world.

  With every fiber of my self-control I let go of his hand. He looks down with a hint of disappointment. Can a guy like him, be disappointed because of something like that? It was just my hand? And again, he is a Prince. He must have girls all over him, all day long. Why would he be disappointed by one letting go of his hand?

  We walk through the palace halls for what feels like a million miles. Each new corner gets me more confused. Are we lost? How is this place so big?

  Then we stop. Two large wooden doors have emerged in front of us.

  A smile crosses his face as he spots the confusion all over mine.

  With one hand on the handle, and the other on my arm, he pushes the door open.

  I hold my breath, waiting for the mystery behind the large doors.

  There is nothing. Only darkness.

  “So, uh, yeah this is nice?” I say, utterly lost for words.

  He laughs as he moves away from me. “You think so little of me? You think my surprise would be darkness?” The word surprise lingers.

  A light comes on. It is only small, weak.

  Then another.

  Then a large chandelier above me, lightening up the entire space.