Ｔｈｅ Ｓｅｌｅｃｔｉｏｎᵃᶰ ᵃᵈᵛᵃᶰᶜᵉᵈ ʳᵒˡᵉᵖˡᵃʸ discussion

This is one of 3 main hallways on the first floor. Selected girls and royalty may walk or chat here, whereas maids and guards would be on duty.

Prince William walked with purpose down the long hallway. He was holding a heavy hardcover book that he'd picked up in the library. Will didn't even fully know what it was about; he just picked something up and got out of the situation. Now, Will was heading to his room to read and think.

Xavier strolled down the hallway angrily. He didn't have any particular destination in mind, he didn't even know where he was at the moment. He jut had to get this out of his head. His argument with Morrigan had once again resurfaced the event that had happened almost a year ago. But, once again, Xavier couldn't get Clara out of his mind. He never would. I am so sorry, Clara. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing. I am so, so sorry.

Will looked down at his book. He began reading the back, trying to decipher the actual plot. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he ran in Xavier, his younger brother. "Oh, hey," he said. Will didn't want to talk right now: he just wanted to be by himself. Suddenly, he wished Xavier, a brother he typically got along with, would just go away.

Xavier looked up from the floor as he bumped into Will. "Oh, hey. Sorry about that." He took a step back and sighed, clearing his mind the best he could so be was able to have an almost-normal conversation with his brother.

"No, no, it-it's fine," Will muttered an apology. "Totally my fault." Then again, Will was being quite absent-minded recently. The whole 'pick your wife from these 35 girls who will be coming here in a week' is, you know, really, really stressful. Still, Will knew he might be able to have a somewhat ordinary conversation with Xavier.

Xavier sighed once more, and looked around the hallway. He silently walked over to a wall and studied one of the paintings. Without looking over at Will, Xavier suddenly spoke. "So, tired o talking about the selection yet, or do you want to rant about it? Because trust me, if you aren typing to complain about anything right now, I really need to."

"No, no, let's hear yours." All Will had been talking about for the last 6 months were his Selection. He'd never even heard Xavier's problem, or at least he didn't realize he was hearing it if he had. Besides, Will once read that the key to overcoming your own problems was listening to other people's problems.

Xavier turned towards Will. "Well, do you remember what happened last year?" Of course he didn't. Everyone had probably forgotten about it, except him. "Never mind, of course you don't. I'll just tell you. Do you remember Clara? She was one of the maids around here?" Xavier bit his lip, doubting Will even knew about her then, much less now.

Will thought about the extensive staff over the palace in the past few years. A few stood out: his sisters' maids, the ones who always were cleaning the hallway in the morning, the guards watching the doors to the gardens. "I think so," he said hesitantly. Honestly, he couldn't remember her appearance to save a life, but the name sounded familiar.

Xavier nodded, a bit surprised that he remembered. "Well, I…I really think I loved her, Will. So, anyway, someone found us-I don't even remember who-and she was fired. But, that's a lot better than it could've been, I guess. So, not much of a difference than usual, but all Morrigan ever does to me is taunt me about her." Xavier shook his head. He sounded like a whining five year old. "Sorry, nevermind, it's pretty stupid. I'll just deal with Morrigan, like I have for the past 17 years."

"Hey," Will said calmly, "Morrigan sucks. Eventually, you just got to learn to accept it and move on." Will gave his brother a joking look. "Hey, maybe if we're lucky, Mom'll marry her off to some prince for cash."

"Yeah, I accepted it before I was even born. Doesn't make it okay, though." Xavier managed a smile to his brother, however. "To be honest, I'm pretty sure she'll just kill him if she was married off to someone."

"True, true," Will let out a chuckle. "Oh, I can dream." He picked up his book, which he'd dropped earlier, and said, "Well, see you later." Will was still going to go back to his room, but now, he might find something else to do. Maybe he'd go out to the garden after lunch.

((Sorry, I have to go!))

((byyyeeee))

Xavier smiled. "See you later." With that, he turned and walked down the hallway, his previous thoughts once again invading his mind.

Xavier walked down the hallway after the long infirmary visit with Teddy. He had carried his little brother out after, and up to his room so he could rest. Maybe practice what Xavier had taught him earlier on guitar, which made Xavier realize his guitar was still sitting out in the open on the grand staircase. Of course. Maybe he would talk a walk and pick it up on the way there, or maybe on the way back? Xavier almost shrugged to himself, but that would look stupid. He ended up half shrugging, and probably looking stupider than he would've just shrugging and moving on. At least there were few people walking down the hallway at the moment, mainly maids and the occasional lost selected or family, all whom he promptly ignored by staring at the ground while walking, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets.

A perk of being a previous resident of the Palace was that she knew every hallway and what was beyond every doorway, every corner and perfect hiding place. Aria was walking down the hall, her heels barely making a sound with her soft steps and wearing a simple day dress covered in flowers. She wasn't sure where she was going or where she should have been going. A few selected walked along from time to time, but it was rather obvious they were lost. Aria was about to go to the women's room or perhaps her room when her whole world stopped. Aria had been turning the corner when she ran into someone. Probably the last person she would've like to run into, should she add that he was her previous lover and a Prince of Illea, Prince Xavier. Aria was knocked a bit back from the impact on her small body, and honestly wished she could hit her head and pretend this never happened. She wasn't ready to see him.

Xavier hadn't looked up from the marble floor design as he walked, staring at it as if it was the most amazing piece of art in the world. And before he even realized it, a flash of familiar blonde hair flew in his face and he was pushed back slightly. Being as tall as he was, it was easy to catch himself and stay balanced, but the selected obviously couldn't, and had stumbled back. Xavier had moved to ask if she was okay, looking up from his default stare-at-the-ground routine, but had stopped in his tracks. It was as if an entire year hadn't passed and his love was standing directly in front of him. But that was impossible, and he knew that. So he mumbled an apology and stuffed his hands farther into his pockets, once again staring down at the ground. Xavier took a step sideways so the selected could pass, that was the polite and princely thing to do, anyway.

((I re-wrote it, it was bothering me XD))

It was like she had never left. He looked just the same, dark hair and eyes that made her melt like a swan ice sculpture on a summers day. And yet, all he did was apologize, side step her and proceed to walk away. Aria admitted that even though he probably figured she was just some odd doppelgänger, that was still a bit rude. She didn't have enough confidence to just tell him that hey, that's not how you greet someone you used to love. Used to. Aria, as sad as she was to admit it, figured that he had moved on. He would have no need of her anymore, he could just pick from a selected if he really wanted to. And she wouldn't be that selected. "Sorry about that.. Didn't realize I'd be running into anyone, usually you can hear the footsteps before you see them in this hall.." Aria was mumbling a bit at first but pushed her voice out so he could hear it. But she didn't dare turn. She wasn't ready to look at him again.

Xavier stood with his back to her, whoever she was, his eyes closed. Every memory was rushing back to him; the ones from before they had even dated, during, and all of his feelings after she had "died". He must've seemed rude, or at least not friendly, towards her, but Xavier couldn't really focus on how the selected was feeling at he moment. There was practically a battle raging inside of him just because of this…girl. This stupid girl who was chosen for the selection, for his brother, who just happened to look exactly like Clara. She spoke, though he couldn't hear the first few words, she managed to speak up for him to hear. Xavier stayed where he was, eyes closed yet seemed focused on the marbled floor. "Familiar with the palace already, are you?" Xavier realized he might've seemed a bit snappish, but who wouldn't be if they had just seen someone who looked exactly like the person they love?

Aria stood with her back to Xavier, her confidence better that way. She found herself smirking at the sound of his voice. He sounded so angry, as if he was going to just snap at any moment. Aria knew Xavier was going to be like this. He probably figures she seas dead and who knows what the sight of her made him feel. Was he angry? Annoyed? Upset even? Aria had no clue, and frankly, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know. "You could say that... I like to think I lived here, perhaps in... another life." Aria finished, smiling to herself. She was wondering if Xavier would be smart enough to know what she meant. Maybe he would, but who knows. Maybe he wouldn't believe her.

Xavier turned around so that he could look at her as he talked. He had to get this over with, there was no way that it could be her, so he had to just get it over with and leave. Xavier couldn't stop his life completely ever time someone who looked even the tiniest bit like Clara came around. Who knows? Maybe this girl doesn't even look that much like her, he's only imagining it. But then she spoke again, adding another clue to this whole mystery. 'W-What's your name?" Xavier's voice had softened, along with that, so had his confidence. This random girl - a selected, for his brother-was seeing him like this, and he hated it. Absolutely hated that he felt like he was miles away from his own body; the actions he made by someone else.

Xavier sounded louder, as if he was closer or had turned around. Aria figured she should turn around as well, and speak to him face to face, but she couldn't. The second she would look at him all her confidence would fall, her knees would buckle, and tears would stream from her eyes. She couldn't have that happen. Aria could hear the softness in his voice, she could just hear the lack of confidence he had now. So, she figured she'd play around with him some more. Get him mad, get him angry. She began to absent mindlessly twirl a lock of her blonde hair, twirling and twirling it before she spoke, again not really answering his question. "What do you think my name is?" She inquired, turning around when she spoke the last final words. Just the sight of Xavier made her heart race and her stomach drop.

Xavier sighed unhappily. Why didn't anyone just answer questions? It's not as if they're hard questions or anything, it's your name. The same thing you've known since you were basically able to talk. "I don't know. I know you're a selected, but there's no help there because there's 35 of you, and if you haven't noticed, I'm not the one who had to memorize 35 names and faces, and then put them together." Xavier shrugged. "Am I going to have to run through every female name I know? Because this might take a while, then. And I'm sure my dear brother is missing you already." So she was messing around with him, he could tell. So what if she ended up thinking him strange, or too sarcastic to function. He couldn't care less, all he had to do was focus on sarcastic remarks and such, and boom, his confidence was back and he was keeping Clara out of his mind. For now, at least.

Aria almost laughed when Xavier sighed. She could tell he was annoyed with her. Heck, she was surprised that he hadn't walked away yet. Then he went on and on, talking about how she was a selected and his brother was probably in love with her and such, and honestly, by the end of it, she was laughing a hit. So she let it out, one laugh, one bell-ringing, wave-crashing, one amazing laugh. And then she stopped and smiled at him. "Alright, tell you what, I'll ask you a question, and depending on your answer, I'll tell you what you want to know. Don't worry, you'll get an answer either way." She teased him, her finger still wrapped around a lock of her hair as she looked at him. The eye-contact was killing her, and she was surprised she hadn't melted. "Do you want to know the name I was born with, or just my name?" The question was simple, and said without a smile or anything. She just said it, and looked at him. All serious, no joking here.

Xavier had suspected she was annoyed with him, for some reason, but then she laughed. A clear, beautiful laugh that reminded him only of Clara, and a small, side smile appeared on his face. Great plan, idiot. You kept her out of your head for about .2 seconds; a new record! "Alright, it's a deal." Xavier watched her carefully, wondering what question she would. He got his answer, though he was just more confused than he was before. Did she mean like a nickname? Or an entirely different name? "That depends," he said. "Why are they different?" If she was going to answer his question with a queston, he was going to do the same thing.

((Ugh, gtg for a bit, sorry!!!!!))