My sobs tear at my soul, echoing in the room.  They rack my heart for happiness.  My sadness isn't satisfied with eating me up on the inside, so I have to let it go.

And that means crying my heart out.  To my sadness's content.

My makeup runs in lines down my face and I clutch the white sheets in my cold bed.

Who does she think she is?

Who does he think he is?

What do they think they are?

And why- why?- did I have to see that?

Why didn't Alexander think, just think, about how his choice would affect me.  Think about how his choice could create a cage around me.  Trapped.

Questions fly through my head, but never catch an answer.

Why am I so clueless?

How did I end up like this?  Sobbing and clutching fabric in order to get over a heartbreak?

My bed has a soaking wet spot where it comforted my tears.  Comforted, past tense.  Because I know what I have to do now.  Like my mother said, Suck it up and move on, Clarissa.

I won't let Alexander go easily.  Oh, no.  He'll be wishing he never caught Bridgette's deep brown eye.  Such a deep color for a shallow person.

Someone knocks on my door, and somehow I know it won't be Alexander.  Prince Alexander.  The Alexander I know is gone.

As my maids enter, I call out, "Ladies, we have some work to do."

"Miss!  Oh...we thought...you were...Women's Room..."  Lidea trails off, taking in my red swollen eyes.  I dismiss any thoughts of pity with a wave.  Pity is one thing I can't take today.

I return with a confident smile.  "Don't worry.  A certain someone needs to understand exactly what big of a risk he just took.  And exactly how it paid off."

"Y-yes, m'Lady."  Anna says

"Clarissa."

"Sorry, Clarissa."  She squeaked out, startled by my sudden seriousness.

Yet another wave of my hand to dismiss it.  I'm getting good at this indifferent thing.  In the silence, I can hear the gears turning in my maids heads, and finally, it clicks.

"So..." Lidea says, moving towards my closet.  "I'm guessing that what you want to wear for dinner is less like this-" she motions to a pretty turquoise dress that my heart calls for.  Good thing I don't listen to it anymore. "-and more like this."  She pulls out a show stopping, glamorous red dress, unlike anything any of the Selected have worn yet.  With a trail of fabric behind me, and a the collar covering every bit of skin I have, and going up at the top to frame my head, the tight bun with a braid going across the front, I look like a queen.

Because that is a another part of the plan.  I arrive late, and everyone of the twenty-six selected and four royals can see me.  As I make my grand entrance on day one.

The guards at the doors to the dining room see me coming and open them, announcing for all that Clarissa Dossen, in all her specialty, has arrived.

I take one last breathe before walking through the doors.  This is it.  No turning back.   The second my first heel meets the carpet is the second this plan is officially in action.

I step into the room and bow, making sure the room can see the whole masterpiece that is my dress.  I hear silence.  Complete silence, compared to the friendly chatter that was just echoing through the room.  For some reason, the silence seems to echo even more. 

I must have succeeded, because the reaction is so much more than just silence.  At different times, twenty utensils must have dropped, raindrops of astonishment.  Ignoring the open mouths and pale faces, I sit next to Cece, Hope, and Eleanor.

Oh, my gosh.  I forgot, completely forgot, about Eleanor!  She is the whole reason I ever went to The Prince in the first place.  I work hard to push the anger back inside of me, but some still bubbles up.  Luckily, that takes away any blush that had crept onto my face.

It's not Eleanor's fault that I have to wear this grand dress to dinner.

"What are you wearing?  You know this is dinner, not a grand ball!"  Eleanor says quickly.

"Hmm?"  I say nonchalantly.  "What were you doing earlier today?"  Her face reddens in disbelief and embarrassment.

"You-you saw that?"  She asks in a small voice.

I nod my head, "Later."

She nods her head in agreement.  Nobody but us had made a sound, and everyone's eyes are still on me.  I don't apologize for being late.  If the Prince wants me to accept an apology, he will have to overcome every obstacle I put in his way.

But I don't think he will.

I start eating my diner of sautéd fish, cooked green beans, and mashed potatoes with gravy.

When I look up, no one has started eating and Alexander's eyes are on mine.  Wow, he mouths.  I look away.  I won't be caught that easily.  I'm the butterfly that flits away every time someone gets close, always teasing.

Slowly, people start picking up their utensils and eating.  I shoot a look at Bridgette, who stares me down with daggers.

Envious?  I mouth.  She narrows her eyes even more and tosses her hair over her shoulder.

Before dinner is over, I excuse myself without permission so the whole room can see my dress one more time, and I make sure the tail swoops as I turn into the hallway.  To my pleasure, I hear just one more fork drop.

I know exactly who dropped it.

---

Okay, this is crazy!  400 reads!  Thank you so much!  As usual, comment, vote and recommend!  Haha she pulled an America Singer