Ｔｈｅ Ｓｅｌｅｃｔｉｏｎ {Ｓｅｍｉ－Ａｄｖａｎｃｅｄ Ｒｏｌｅｐｌａｙ} discussion

This room has an adjoining door and it leads to the king's room. The future queen will sleep here when the time comes.

Juliette walked into her room. Her maids stood when she entered and made to come to her. "Thank you ladies but, if you don't mind, I'd like some time alone." The five women all curtsied to Juliette and left the room. When she was alone, she slipped off her heels. Even with how long she had lived at the palace, she didn't like wearing her heels any longer than she had to. She roamed around her room, trailed her fingers across a bookshelf, not wanting to read. She was enjoying just being alone.

Oberon knocked on the door to his wife's room. "Hello? Juliet?" He asked softly. He waited at the door, waiting for her to answer and let him in. He had changed three times before coming here, and his current outfit was a casual one.

Juliette's face brightened when she heard her husband's voice. She quickly walked over to the door, her blue dress, swirling around her feet, and opened it. A smile crossed her face as she looked up at Oberon.

He smiled at her and kissed both cheeks, "Hello, my love." He said smoothly as he walked in, "So...how is James?" He asked cautiously. He knew she went to see him, and was concerned about how their conversation went. He needed James to act like a king, to court a lady, to show the world what he is capable of.

Juliette's face fell as she slipped her hand into his. "He is nervous, Oberon. He worries that you see him only as your heir and not as your son." She rested her head on his arm. As an after thought, she added, "James asked me if you truly fell in love with me. I think he is worried he will not love his bride."

A tinge of pain burned in his chest as she said Jame's question. He avoided answering it with "He will come to love his bride, if he does not love the one he chooses." He said, and hastefully added, "But there will be so many women, surely he'll find the one. For all we know, he already has a maiden he loves...but.." He thought out loud, "But maybe she does not meet the requirements, if she is not a virgin, if he does not think her social standing would please us..." He bit his lip. He felt in his bones that something would go wrong. That they had overlooked something. That someone would show up and cause chaos. There was trouble coming to their castle, he just knew it.

Juliette looked up at him. "I don't know. Maybe he has. He was quite distant from us until recently. Perhaps that is why." She picked at her dress with her free hand. "If it's true, what should we do? What if the twins have found someone else outside the Selection as well? What should we do Oberon? Your family has done the Selection for generations."

He paled, "I...I don't know, Juliet. God, I hope that what you say is not true. I don't know what would happen if all our children have found someone outside of the Selection and are secretly being with them. It might ruin the....no, this is not the time to think of that. Tell me dear, when will the meeting be? We should be preparing ourselves for that, not sitting here worrying over things that may or may not be." He took her free hand and kissed it.

Juliette closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. When she opened them again, she gave him a small smile. "You're right. The meeting is in a couple hours." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. She sighed and said softly, "I hope our children can find love in their Selections as we did."

He smiled and blushed lightly, and his arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. "I hope so, too." He buried his face in her hair and sighed, "I'm just so pent up with stress and anxiety, I want this over already. I feel like I'm the one going through the Selection. It brings up all these uncomfortable memories."

Juliette wrapped her arms around him as well, burying her face in his chest. "I don't know how we are going to get through this with two more next year. There will be so many people here." Memories of being pushed to the side by the other girls in her Selection played across her mind, memories of sitting quietly by herself because she was too shy to speak with them. "I know what you mean. There are some uncomfortable memories."

He tilted up her chin and kissed her. "I know my dear. But that is, thankfully, our past. I hope James experiences a much more joyous celebration." He said as he kissed her again. "Now, I suppose I have to be dressed formally for the meeting, don't I?" He said with a slight tone of irritation.

Juliette giggled as she leaned up to kiss him back. "We had to endure the bad for a short time to have all the wonderful times since then. I hope that they all have an enjoyable time finding their wives and husband." She stepped back and looked him up and down, a smile on her face. "I'm afraid so, love." She added, "But, you don't have to be extremely formal," because she knew he preferred more casual dress.

He nodded and kissed her back, "Okay, I'll try to dress my best." He said softly, "But I make no promises of an actual three piece suit." He smiled at her, "And will you be wearing this lovely dress...or something more ravishing?"

Juliette blushed furiously and giggled. "I was thinking about wearing this, but if you want me to put on something else I can," she told him. "You don't have to wear all three pieces of the suit. You know I like it when you wear just the waistcoat without the suit jacket." There was a twinkle in her eyes as she looked up at him.

He nodded, "Fair enough." He said softly, before kissing the top of her head in a blessing-like manner. "I'll go get ready, my love." He stopped as he headed for the door, "I do care for him, Juliet, I really do." He nearly whispered. He didn't want his son to hate him, but he had to be hard on him - like his father was on him.

She followed him to the door and reached up to kiss him. "I know you do, darling. I know." She kissed him a second time before she stepped back to let him leave. I just wish you would show him and tell him, she wanted to say, but didn't. "Will I see you at the meeting or will we walk down there together?"

He looked in her eyes, and he felt sorrow fill his for a second. He hurt, suddenly remembering his previous activities. "We will meet each other there, my wife." He gulped and nodded before walking out into the hallway, where he lingered before the doorway, not moving, swaying slightly where he stood, guilt rushing over him like a tidal wave. He slammed his eyelids shut as a single tear raced down his cheek.

Juliette felt something different pass between them. What was that that had crossed his face before he left her rooms? Was it sadness? Why was he sad? That feeling she got sometimes over the last few years returned. It was a feeling that told her something was not quite right between them. She closed the door of her bedroom and walked over to her window. She stayed there, looking out it, wondering what was troubling the love of her life.