Chapter 4 EPISODE 4

I WALKED INTO THE WOMEN'S ROOM WITH MARK'S NEW PLAN on my mind. The girls were giggling together by the windows while waiting for the queen, who hadn't yet arrived.

"Come on, Katherina!" Kylie urged quickly. Even Camile turned around and waved at me while grinning.

Despite my slight unease about what might be waiting for me, I made my way to the huddle.

"Goodness gracious," I shrieked.

I understand, Camile sighed.

Half of the royal guards were present, jogging laps in the garden without their shirts on. Aspen had informed me that all the guards received injections to help keep them strong, but it turns out that they also put a lot of effort into maintaining their physical fitness.

Even though we were all completely focused on Mark, we couldn't help but notice gorgeous boys.

"The guy with the blonde hair," Kylie remarked. "Well, I believe he is blonde. They have very short hair.

Ella quietly remarked, "I like this one," as another guard rushed passed our window.

Kylie snickered. "I can't believe we're doing this," you say.

"Oh, oh! Aspen is that man over there with the green eyes," Camile replied.

Kylie groaned. He's as witty as he is attractive, and I danced with him at Halloween.

"I danced with him, too," Camile boasted. "The palace's most beautiful guard, without a doubt."

I had to chuckle a bit. If she knew he was formerly a Six, I wondered how she would react.

As I watched him run, I recalled all the times those arms had embraced me throughout the years. Aspen and I were growing apart, which felt inevitable, but even then I couldn't help but wonder if there was a way to hold onto any of what we had. What if I really needed him?

How are you doing, Katherina? Kylie enquired.

Aspen was the one person who really attracted my attention, and after experiencing that ache for him, doing this felt somewhat foolish. I ducked the inquiry.

"I'm not sure. They're all fairly pleasant.

It's "kind of nice?" Camile repeated. "You've got to be joking! Some of the most attractive men I've ever seen are here.

I retorted, "It's just a bunch of boys without shirts.

"Yeah, why don't you enjoy it for a minute before it's just the three of us you have to look at," she replied snidely.

"Whatever. Without a shirt, Mark is just as attractive as any of them guys.

"What?" Kylie yelled.

I just realized what I had spoken a split second after the words had left my mouth. There were three sets of eyes on me.

"Exactly when were you and Mark topless?" Camile prompted.

I wasn't.

But was he? Kylie enquired. Was it the purpose of that godawful clothing yesterday?

Camile sputtered. "You're a slut!"

I cried, "Excuse me!"

She snarled, crossing her arms, "Well, what else would you expect?" Unless you want to explain what happened and why we are so mistaken to us all, that is.

However, there was no way to justify this. Although taking off Mark's clothes wasn't exactly a romantic experience, I couldn't tell them that I had been attending to scars on his back that his father had particularly inflicted. He had been keeping that secret all of his life. It would be the end of us if I betrayed him right now.

"In a hallway, Camille was leaning up against him half-naked." I blamed her while pointing at her.

Her mouth suddenly widened. The question "How did you know?"

Has everybody been having naked encounters with Mark? Ella questioned in horror.

"We were not exposed!" I yelled.

Kylie held her arms out and replied, "Okay. "This needs to be clarified. Who exactly did what to Mark?

For a little period, nobody said anything out of fear of being interrupted.

Ella said, "I've kissed him." "Twice, but that's all."

"I haven't kissed him at all," Kylie admitted. But I made the decision to do that. If I let him, he would kiss me.

"Really? "Never once?" Camile questioned in shock.

"Not even once."

Well, I've given him a lot of kisses. Camile turned her hair in a proud rather than humiliated manner. The best was one night in the hallway. She gave me the side eye. We frequently discussed how thrilling it was that we might be discovered in conversation.

All eyes were now on me. I considered the king's remarks, which implied that perhaps the other girls were much more promiscuous than I was willing to be. But suddenly I was aware that it was yet another tool in his toolbox, a means of making me feel insignificant. I confessed.

"I, not Olivia, was Mark's first kiss. I wanted no one to know. Additionally, we've shared a couple more private moments, during which Mark's top came off.

"Got off? Like it flew over his head magically? pressed Camile.

"He took it off," I confessed.

Camile persisted because he wasn't content. "Did you take it off or did he take it off?"

Apparently, we both did.

Kylie restarted after a tense pause. We all know where we stand now, so that's good.

Where is that, exactly? Eli enquired.

Nobody responded.

I said, "I just want to say..." "I care about Mark, and all of those moments were really important to me."

"Are you suggesting we don't?" Camilo yelled.

I am aware that you are not.

The question is, "How dare you?"

It's no secret that you seek a powerful person, Camile. I'm prepared to wager that while you like Mark rather well, you are not in love with him. You're aiming for the top spot.

She turned against Ella without denying it. Which one do you think of? You don't show any emotion at all, have you?

"I'm reticent. You ought to give it a shot sometime," Ella swiftly said. Ella's fury was visible, which increased my admiration for her. "All of the weddings in my family are arranged. All of this is a result of my knowledge of what was coming for me. Mark may not have my heart, but I still respect him. Love may appear later.

Kylie spoke in a sympathetic tone. Actually, Ella, that seems a little depressing.

"It isn't. Love is not the only thing that matters.

Ella's words echoed as we all turned to face her. I fought out of love for my family and Aspen. And now, even though the thought terrified me, I was certain that feeling had motivated every move I had taken in regards to Mark, even when they were utterly foolish. But what if there was something more significant going on here?

I'll say it now: I adore him, Kylie exclaimed. "I love him, and I want to marry him," she said.

I wished I could have melted into the carpet as I quickly returned to the topic at hand. What had I begun?

Okay, Katherina, come clean," Camile commanded.

I froze, taking tiny breaths. Finding the appropriate phrases took some time for me.

It doesn't matter how I feel because Mark already knows.

She rolled her eyes at my response but made no further inquiries. She was probably concerned that if she did, I would treat her the same way.

We stood there and exchanged glances. After months of the Selection, we could now finally observe the actual lines of competition. We could compare them side by side since we had all had a glimpse into everyone else's relationship with Mark-at least one component of it.

Later, the queen entered and greeted us with good morning. We all bowed to her and stepped back. Into crevices and within ourselves. Perhaps this is where things were supposed to end up. There were four girls and one prince present, and three of us would soon be departing with little more than a fascinating account of our fall activities.