The Gala

by Leigh Walker

  They showed a picture of Winnie. I had no idea where they’d gotten it—my mother?

  Dallas appeared on the screen, next to Mira Kinney and her microphone. “Tell me about this very serious situation,” she said.

  “We weren’t sure if Miss West’s sister was going to make it.” He looked quite serious. “But my family wanted to help in any way we could. We sent our best doctor to Settlement Four to help save this little girl. Thankfully, we were able to get there in time.”

  “And you offered to bring Miss West home to see her sister?” Mira asked.

  “Yes. I knew that, if I were in Miss West’s situation, I would want the opportunity to go home and see my family. I wanted to offer that to her.”

  “That was very generous of you,” Mira gushed.

  Dallas shook his head. “It was the right thing to do. When you think of it that way, it’s really quite simple.”

  The next footage was of the two of us in my neighborhood and then a brief interview with my sister. She’d had some makeup put on, and her hair was fixed very cutely. “I’m feeling so much better,” she said, her little voice just about breaking my heart, “because of the prince. His Highness came here to save me, and he brought my sister to visit. It made me feel so much better.” She smiled broadly for the camera.

  A lot of girls in the audience said, “aw.” More than one put a hand over her heart, as if Winnie had given them all the feels.

  The next shot was of us driving away from my neighborhood with the prince smiling broadly and waving to all the civilians. They’d even captured the young girl sitting on her father’s shoulders, squealing with delight when Dallas waved to her.

  Mira’s narrative continued. “His Highness was delighted to have the opportunity to travel to Settlement Four. He hopes to pay many more visits to all of the settlements in the near future. He’s a leader who truly loves his people.”

  The next image was of the prince and me returning to the castle. I was relieved to see I didn’t look as bad as I’d thought. There was no visual evidence that Dallas and I had been snogging like crazy in the car. He leaned over and kissed me, and my heart swelled. Even though it wasn’t our kiss, it was still sweet and tender. I thought I heard several of the other girls sigh, and I wondered if they hated me.

  “That was brilliant,” Blake whispered to me. “You didn’t come off like a harlot at all. You seemed quite pious, with your sick sister and all.”

  I giggled in spite of myself. “Thanks.”

  “Returning to his many duties as prince, His Highness still made time to have a second date with Miss Layne upon his return to the castle.” The footage showed Dallas and Tamara playing chess. She laughed at something he said, her bust straining against the tight fabric of her dress. That hadn’t been the order of things—Dallas had gone on his date with Tamara before he’d taken me home—but I chalked it up to artistic license.

  But then they took it a bit further. “If I win, you will honor me with a kiss,” Dallas said in a voice-over as it showed him taking Tamara’s queen.

  What the what?

  Tamara looked back at me, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She gave me a wicked grin.

  It showed him winning the match and smiling broadly. The next image was the two them standing close together. The prince leaned over Tamara and she fastened her hands at the base of his neck, just like he’d shown me.

  But the kiss he gave her was not chaste, and it was not merely “kiss-ish,” as he’d described it. His hands roamed down her back as she clung to him.

  The kiss deepened and she moaned. I clutched my stomach, feeling sick.

  “Miss Layne,” Dallas said, pulling back, “you are quite something.”

  She beamed up at him, biting her lip. “Your Highness. Don’t make me blush.”

  I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat as they eye-snogged each other.

  The footage cut to a stately home in a beautiful neighborhood. Mira Kinney narrated, “Miss Layne hails from Settlement Eleven, where her parents are active in community and cultural outreach programs.”

  They showed more scenes from Settlement 11, including two good-looking, well-dressed adults who must be Tamara’s parents. “Mr. and Mrs. Layne, long-time supporters of the royal family, are beacons in Settlement Eleven. They serve on multiple boards, many of which focus on underprivileged children in at-risk home environments.”

  “That’s code for ‘they have money up to their eyeballs,’” Blake whispered.

  I nodded. It was all I could manage. I’d been rendered speechless.

  The episode came back to Mira Kinney, who sat in an overstuffed chair in one of the castle’s formal rooms. “As you can tell, Settlers, things are heating up in the Pageant. His Royal Highness is going to have some difficult choices to make over the next few weeks.”

  She smiled at the cameras, but a chill went down my spine as two pictures appeared on the screen. In the upper left corner, there was a picture of me from the night of my first date with the prince. I wore the gorgeous red gown my maids had chosen. In the upper right corner, there was a shot of Tamara, all curves and a killer smile in her low-cut teal gown she’d worn on her first date with the prince.

  Mira kept up her dazzling smile. “On the one hand, he has Miss Gwyneth West, hailing from a modest home in Settlement Four. Miss West is clearly dedicated to her family and loves animals.” They showed footage of me brushing Maeve, a large, goofy smile on my face. They showed Dallas kissing me again, which in contrast to the tonsil-hockey he’d played with Tamara, looked positively platonic.

  “On the other hand,” Mira continued, “there’s Miss Layne, whose sophistication and ravishing personality are clearly difficult for His Highness to ignore.” The footage was of them kissing again, and I vowed to go and pummel every person in the camera crew, right down to the last production assistant, one by one—right after I pummeled Tamara and Dallas, not necessarily in that order.

  The image returned to Mira herself, all smiles—the cat who’d invited all the canaries to come and play. “Not to mention, His Highness has many more first and second dates to go on, with eighteen other beautiful, talented, and intelligent young women. All of this will culminate in a royal gala, at which the four finalists will be announced.”

  Mira beamed at the camera. “I don’t know about you, but I cannot wait to find out what happens. The excitement here at the palace is palpable. So stay tuned for the next episodes, and see who the prince chooses to propose to! I can promise you, I’m on pins and needles right there with you. It appears we’ve got a real contest going!”

  She smiled one last time for the camera. “Can’t wait to watch the next episode and find out what happens next.”

  You could tell, unequivocally, that she meant it.

  Chapter 19

  One Lonely Star

  Shaye waited for me in the hall. I tried to zigzag through the other girls to avoid her, but she caught up to me. “Gwyneth, a word.” She sighed. “Please.”

  “Fine.” I didn’t want to talk to her, but it was better than getting stuck near Tamara, who was bragging loudly about the prince’s kissing abilities and what the size of his hands suggested about the rest of him.

  “Let’s go outside,” Shaye suggested.

  But a guard blocked the door to the eastern grounds. “You may go out, my ladies,” he said, “but only with security.”

  He motioned to two nearby sentinels. “Accompany the ladies out on the grounds.”

  The four of us stepped outside, but the guards hung back a bit. At least they were giving us some room to talk. I side-eyed Shaye and sighed, suddenly wishing they were crowding us. I wasn’t sure I was ready to hear whatever she had to say.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t stick up for you more.” She gave me a miserable look. “But Tamara had been beating me down relentlessly, insisting that you and the prince were being inappropriate.”

  “I can’t believe you listened to her!” I cried.

 
“I didn’t.” She shook her head. “I mean, I did because she’s loud, and she doesn’t stop talking, but I never believed what she said.”

  I shrugged. “It’s fine. And the irony of it is, Tamara would be the first one to brag about riding The Royal Stallion. She was just trying to turn everyone against me.”

  “True.” Shaye watched the stone pavement as we walked. “I wouldn’t even care if you were getting special treatment in exchange for something. I’d just be worried about you.”

  I put my hand on my hip. “I know it’s hard to believe that His Highness actually likes me for me, not for any other reason, but it’s true. At least, I thought it was.” I shook my head, as if I could dislodge the images of him kissing Tamara.

  “Of course he does.” Shaye finally looked at me. “I think I was just letting jealousy get the best of me. I really am sorry. I wasn’t being a good friend.”

  I sighed. Any trace of anger I’d been holding onto dissipated. “I’d love to say I had no idea what you meant because I was above being jealous, but of course I do. I acted like a cow after I saw your episode.”

  She laughed a little. “It can be hard to watch.”

  “I owe you an apology, too.”

  Shaye smiled. “I accept. And speaking of episodes, you did very well in yours.”

  “They edited it so it barely resembled real life.”

  “I know. The part with Tamara and the prince kissing?” She leaned closer, conspiratorially. “They filmed that last night. Her maids got her out of bed and had her put on the same dress, the one she’d worn when they played chess. Tariq arranged the whole thing. She said they had to do several takes.”

  My temper rose. “Several takes of them all over each other?”

  Shaye nodded. “Tariq told them he wanted the kiss to be more dramatic.”

  “And the prince did as he was told.”

  “Don’t be too hard on him. I’m sure he didn’t enjoy it.”

  I scoffed. “It’s not as though he were kissing a blob fish.”

  Shaye started laughing, and even though my blood was practically boiling, I joined her.

  “I don’t know what a blob fish is, but yeah, I get your point.”

  I stopped laughing. “I don’t know what to do.”

  Shaye linked her arm through mine. “You have to ignore it. Otherwise, the next few weeks will tear you up.”

  “I don’t know if I can ignore it.”

  “But you have to learn to deal with the un-pleasantries,” Shaye said. “If you were to become the princess, can you imagine how much more you’d have to deal with than all this?”

  “I wouldn’t have to deal with Tamara’s boobs in the prince’s face,” I quipped.

  Shaye bit her lip. She seemed to choose her words carefully. “It might not be Tamara, but the prince is in a position of unparalleled power. He is also handsome and charming. Someone will always be shoving their boobs in his face, I’m afraid”

  I stopped walking. “That’s not very encouraging.”

  Shaye tilted her head, inspecting me. “I was not being a good friend yesterday. Today, I am trying to make that right.”

  “By scaring me?”

  “By telling you the truth. If you think the competition’s intense, imagine what being a royal would really be like. You’d have a new family to navigate—which is a whole new world, really, filled with vampires—and then you have the political side of it, not to mention a new husband and a large household to run—all of the other tasks that would consume a young princess.”

  My jaw dropped. “Are you trying to talk me out of the competition?”

  “No. Absolutely not.” Shaye smiled, surprising me. “These are the things I remind myself of when I’m confronted by the fact that the prince seems to vastly prefer you. But I also think they’re real and that you should be aware of them. Do not let Tamara’s heaving bosom distract you from the competition. And be sure that if you beat her, it’s because you really want to win.”

  We walked in silence for a moment, circling the reflecting pools. “Do you want to win?” I finally asked.

  Shaye shrugged. “I thought I did. I’m certainly not ready to go back to my muddy little village. But when it comes to the prince and all the trouble surrounding the palace, I don’t know what I think.”

  “Did you hear about the rebel who escaped?” I hadn’t mentioned a word to anyone, but Shaye usually heard about these things from her maids.

  “Yes, I did. And that’s exactly the sort of trouble I’m talking about. I don’t know if it’s safe to be a princess. Who knows what the rebels have planned?”

  I nodded. “It’s scary to think about.”

  “Much scarier than Tamara,” Shaye agreed, “and that’s saying something.”

  I glimpsed Dallas with the king later that afternoon. They were talking in hushed tones with one of their advisors.

  He caught sight of me, and our gazes locked for a moment. I felt that pull toward him, an undertow threatening to take me under.

  He nodded curtly then strode off with the king and the other man. He didn’t give me a backward glance.

  Do not doubt me. His words rang in my ears. But as I watched him disappear down the hall, my heart still twisted. He’s trying to protect you from the king, I reminded myself.

  An image with his tongue jammed down Tamara’s throat flashed in my mind. I shook my head, as if to clear it. I refused to doubt him. And yet, a tiny part of me worried. That current, the torrent of feeling coursing through me, felt dangerous. If I gave into it and let it take me under… And if he wasn’t there to meet me, waiting back at the shore…

  I might never recover from this. So I did not doubt him. But in that moment, I started to doubt myself.

  Chapter 20

  Hanging On

  “You have a letter,” Evangeline said.

  “Thank you.” I hadn’t heard news from home for a few days. Hoping it was from my mother with an update on Winnie, I opened it eagerly.

  Dear Gwyneth,

  I hope you are well and that your travels were not too exhausting.

  I’m writing to tell you that your sister is much improved. She got up and played with her dolls for several hours today. It was the longest she’d been off the couch. Her color is returning, as is her appetite, all thanks to the prince.

  I hope you know how much I appreciate that you came here to help us. Also, our last words have been troubling me. I do not want you to think that I’m burdening you with too much responsibility or that I don’t have faith because I do, absolutely, have faith in you. Since your father and Balkyn have been gone, you have helped me run the household and care for your brother and sister. I know you are more than a selfish girl.

  I might have spoken too harshly—but I see that the prince is within your grasp, and you might not. It was amazing to experience the transformation that his power can bring. He saved your sister’s life, and he did it because he favors you.

  That sort of power should not be ignored. Think of all the good you could do if the crown was yours. Not to needle you, my love, but I am your mother. It’s my job.

  Please tell the prince we send our warm thanks and kindest regards.

  Love,

  Mom

  I snorted when I put the letter down. No pressure or anything, Mom. But of course, she was right. The prince’s power should not be ignored, in particular, the power he had over me.

  Head muddled with competing thoughts, I hurried to get dressed.

  Shaye came and sat with Blake and me at breakfast. “I don’t know if I can handle Tamara any more,” she moaned.

  “I heard that.” Tamara plopped herself down next to her, grinning madly. “And I refuse to get worked up about it.”

  “Because you were already too worked up by the prince, and you’ve got nothing left?” Blake asked, clearly joking.

  “Ha,ha.” Still, Tamara looked like a cat who’d just been served cream. “The prince sent me flowers this morning. Just
look at the card!”

  Dear Miss Layne,

  Thank you for your kind attention during our date and all the post-production work we had to do. I appreciate your patience with me more than you know.

  The episode turned out well. My father was very pleased with it.

  Look forward to beating you at chess again soon.

  Sincerely,

  Prince Black

  I nearly spit my tea out. My father was very pleased… That did not bode well for me—not at all.

  “I don’t know what you’re so excited about,” I said meanly. “‘Post-production work?’ It sounds like he’s talking about tuning up a car.”

  “Now who’s the jealous cow?” Tamara smiled at me merrily.

  “I’m not jealous.” The lie was feeble at best.

  Do not doubt me. I heard it again.

  Then do not behave like a jackass, I thought back.

  Tariq zipped over to our table, beaming. “I just heard about the flowers. Congratulations, Tamara.”

  “It feels good to be the front runner.” She shot him a megawatt smile. “I’m just hoping these other girls can keep up, so the show doesn’t get boring too fast. We need to keep those ratings up!”

  “Things are never boring when you’re about.” He smiled at her indulgently. “But speaking of the other girls, Blake my dear, you have a first date tonight. Shaye, you have a second this afternoon.”

  “Today?” Shaye spluttered.

  “Yes.” Tariq looked her up and down. “You might want to address your hair. Ladies.” Always in a self-important rush, he turned on his heel and was gone.

  Shaye examined her hair, perplexed, as Blake pushed the pancakes around on her plate.

  “What’s the matter with you?” Tamara snapped.