Tangled Hearts Ch13 - A New Day Dawning

hey donuts! okay, I'm so sorry for the late update, and I wish I could blame it on finals and Christmas and stuff, but honestly, I had plenty of time, but netflix... so you can see how that turned out. But I'm back now, so be prepared for a bunch of fun and drama filled chapters! I'm definitely planning on creating a halloween board, and yall can pin anything you think fits with the theme to it. this chapter has jemma and echo's povs, as well as the introduction to the halloween ball! I know its christmas, so bear with me here, but remember, Anthony's selection is supposed to end near Christmas(his birthday) so I'm gona take it slow. hope you like it and please review!

Jemma's POV

The whole palace was on edge.

The selected had just begun to settle in and feel more comfortable in the palace, and then Lily's death occurred, and everyone went on a rampage. It took Kassidy almost half an hour to round us all up and herd us to our rooms, explaining that we were now to be escorted everywhere we went.

No one had seen Anthony in the past 24 hours, and everyone was scrambling to Gracie and Claire for information.

However, they were just as frightened and uninformed as the rest of us, if not more so.

Everyone knew that Gracie was the last one to see Anthony, as she had been on a date with him, but if anything, she knew less than the rest of us. Claire was traumatized, and no one could blame her.

She had just witnessed the death of another selected, and she seemed a little more delicate to begin with.

Gracie and Claire didn't give in to our pestering, just clung together and desperately as if trying to forget what had taken place.

Annalise and Ophelia had both asked to leave, and it was rumored that several other girls had as well, but after asking them to reconsider, Annalise and Ophelia were the only ones who insisted to Anthony they didn't want to stay.

The tension in the castle was thick enough to cut with a knife, so when Anthony sent for me with the offer of a date to the lagoon, I was eager to accept. However, that was before I knew 9 other girls would be joining us.

Arriving at the library, the room Anthony had requested that we meet, I was greeted by Lacey, Katriona, Margaery, Evan, and Clara.

The longer we waited, the more girls trickled in, and I realized Anthony's motive.

A group date. While it may sound inconvenient at first, he would be able to spend time with more girls at once and see them interacting with each other. This was also a great opportunity to relieve stress from a group of girls instead of just one.

By the time Anthony arrived, there were 10 girls, including me, who were eager for a reprieve from the madness, so we followed Anthony outside where we were loaded into a limo and escorted to the lagoon.

As the limo smoothly drove along the dirt road, most of the girls clustered toward the window to get a good view of the forest. Where Anthony had managed to find a lagoon and a forest in the middle of Angeles, I had no idea, but I wasn't complaining.

I sat silently and accounted for all the girls. Me, Alexa, Evan, Katriona, Clara, Lacey, Margaery, Artemis, Lolita, and Dawn were all gathered for a group date.

A little much, if you asked me, but honestly, this would be a good way for us to all get to know each other and for Anthony to spend time with many girls without going on 10 individual dates.

I knew that some of the other selected wouldn't be too happy about the arrangement, but as long as Anthony wasn't selective, it would probably end up being fun.

When we finally arrived, we all spilled out of the car, anxious to get out of the confining space. A handful of guards were accompanying us, but I just ignored them and I rushed along with Artemis to get a good view of the lagoon.

As soon as we parted the trees, a cove with a reflective lagoon surrounded by the lush foliage and a roaring waterfall.

We waited for the rest of the girls to join us before stripping down to our swimsuits.

I couldn't keep the grin off my face as I ran towards the water in a sprint before curling up to form a cannonball. I immediately felt refreshed as I was enveloped by the cool water, and I took a moment before surfacing.

All the girls who were standing on the rocks near the edge of the lagoon were dripping with water from my splash, and I couldn't contain a burst of laughter at viewing their shocked faces.

I was soon joined by Anthony, who let out a hearty laugh, and soon enough, we were joined by all the other girls as they found humor in the situation.

The air was soon filled with shouts as girls jumped into the lagoon, splashing each other and laughing. As more and more girls jumped in, the atmosphere became relaxed and happy, and I was joined by Alexa, Margaery, and Dawn as we played a game of tag.

It was fun to see all these girls, normally so polite and formal, letting go and splashing all over, with wet hair flying in our faces.

It took some coaxing, but eventually we persuaded Anthony to join us, and several girls giggled as he pealed off his shirt. I made eye contact with Dawn and had to stifle a laugh as we silently conveyed what we thought of the other love sick girls.

Anthony let out a roar as he jumped up and front flipped into the water, emerging with a proud "Ta Da!"

Laughing, I splashed him.

"I bet I could do better," I challenged, and he raised his eyebrow.

"Oh ya? It's on," he dared before splashing me back.

I climbed out and wrung out my wet hair before searching before the appropriate place to jump. Honestly, I had never done a front flip into the water before, but there was a first time for everything, right?

I finally spotted the perfect location and climbed several large rocks before reaching the ledge on the waterfall. Anthony whistled as I stood up, and I noticed that most of the girls eyes were on me.

However, instead of making me nervous, this encouraged me. I took a deep breath before leaping off the edge in a front flip, and the air rushed around me before I hit the water with a splash.

When I emerged, the girls were all cheering and laughing, and I couldn't help but smirk at Anthony.

"All right, you won," he submitted with a laugh before submerging under the water. Moments later, I felt a pair of hands on my ankles that dragged me under, and I thrashed and flailed until I was released to see Anthony's grin.

I playfully shoved him aside as I caught my breath, and he swam away to go terrorize some other girl.

Alexa had dared to jump off the same ledge I had, but she slipped more than jumped, so it ended up being a fall. Even though she insisted it was terrifying, we all laughed at her attempt.

Anthony spent one on one time with almost all the girls, including me, and it was a nice break. When he was with other girls, I spent time with several of the girls that I hadn't been with before, and it was nice getting to know them.

Margaery appeared very intimidating, but Alexa had the ability to put us all at ease, and we ended up joking and talking about our lives. Even though she was a Two, Margaery ended up being very normal, and it was fun to hear her opinion on things and to just be able to joke around with her.

Taryn, on the other hand, had the stereotypical attitude of a Two. She never talked to me and clung to Anthony most of the time, but when he finally separated himself from her, she only associated herself with Margaery, Artemis, Dawn, Clara, and Katriona, who had somehow earned her status solely from her 10 pounds of makeup and revealing dresses.

When it soon became clear that Margaery, Artemis, and Dawn weren't the same scheming, manipulative, and seductive little b****** that they were, Kat, Clara, and Taryn left them alone, for the most part.

They still thought Margaery was worthy of being in their group, but they quickly disregarded that notion when she got extra attention from Anthony.

Even though we seemed to get all the rotten eggs in our group, it was still fun. Lola was very outgoing, and Evan had a carefree and flirty attitude that was amusing to watch.

Overall, it was really fun to have the chance to bond with the girls, but the few minutes I had Anthony to myself were also a highlight.

"You enjoying yourself?" I heard his voice before I saw him, and he used this to his advantage to send a wave of water onto my head.

I gasped in mock horror as I pushed my dark hair out of my eyes and turned to face him.

"I was, until you came along," I teased.

"Well that's too bad," he pouted. "I guess I'll just have to leave then," he sighed before sinking into the water, and I braced myself. A moment later, My feet were attacked and I was pulled under.

I laughed when I emerged, and Anthony was smiling triumphantly at me.

"I'll have to get you back, you know," I reminded him playfully, and he shrugged innocently before I sent a splash right at his face, matting his dark hair. He laughed and began to chase me around, and I swam desperately in attempt to get away from him, but didn't make it on time.

We played for several minutes more, and it was nice to be able to flirt freely without receiving a deadly glare from a jealous girl.

The date was over all to quickly, and we packed up and headed back to the palace.

I vaguely remember Clara ranting angrily about something to Taryn, but I was too busy laughing with Lacey and Dawn to pay attention.

Anthony had successfully distracted us from the anxiety of the palace, and I was grateful for the chance to bond with the people I'd be spending the next several months of my life with.

Echo Rolland

It was common knowledge that Anthony had asked 10 girls out on a group date. For the past several hours, the remaining girls had been moping in the woman's room, all of us upset but no one brave enough to say anything.

I hadn't wanted to be here in the first place, but Kassidy had insisted that there was an announcement, and attendance was mandatory.

However, the constant whispers of the girls had been getting on my nerves, and I was bored out of my mind. I wanted more than anything to return to my room and be alone, but that wasn't really an option.

I wasn't aware of everyone around me, but Gracie was sitting next to me, sniffing every once in a while.

She was one of the few girls who's voices I recognized, so when she asked if she could join me, I reluctantly complied. Cinnary was on my other side, and we had been in a small discussion before someone shushed us and we lapsed into silence.

No one was thrilled that we were left behind on the date, but our mood worsened when the doors swung open and a dozen giggles entered the room.

They seemed oblivious to the tense atmosphere and continued to chatter in whispered giggles. I felt Cinnary shift next to me, and she began speaking in hushed tones to someone else.

I strained my ears, hoping to hear a familiar voice, but I came back empty handed.

There were too many girls at once, and without being able to match a face to a name, and honestly, I disliked the girls enough that I wasn't really trying to memorize names.

After a minute of slouching in my chair, the chattering died down, and I felt Cinnary's breath as she whispered in my ear.

"Clara's gone," she informed me, her voice unsure, as if she didn't know whether to be sad, happy, or scared.

"Clara?" I asked, my voice a little hoarse, as I tried to search my memory for who she was referring to.

"Yeah. Apparently, she tried to seduce Anthony and implied several things that made him uncomfortable, and he told her to leave. At least, that's what Lola heard, but no one knows for sure," she rushed, and I caught my breath.

It must have happened when they were on the group date. It was rumored that Anthony had taken them to a lagoon to go swimming, so it made sense that she would make her move there.

I understood where Cinnary's hesitance came from. On one side, I didn't know Clara, so I wasn't exactly sad to see her go, but it had barely been a week and we were already at 23 girls. This selection was being narrowed down much more quickly than I had expected.

If Clara got cut simply from making a move, how many more of us would be leaving by trying to seduce Anthony?

I knew that I would never even think about it, but I was pretty confident that more than one girl would be comfortable manipulating him.

Maybe it was a warning. Maybe Anthony wanted us to know that if we overstepped our boundaries, he wouldn't hesitate to send us home. If it was, it had worked pretty well. If I was scared about being sent home, then the girls who actually cared must have been terrified.

I sighed before slouching back in my seat. There was no point overthinking this.

I focused my eyes at the front of the room when I recognized Kassidy's voice calling us to attention.

"So girls, as you know, we're drawing near to Halloween, and it's become a tradition to host a Halloween Ball during the selection."

At these words, the room erupted in excited whispers, but Kassidy kindly silenced them.

"This ball is coming up this weekend, in 6 days, and I have a special surprise for you girls. In addition to designing your own costume for the ball, each of you will be given the opportunity to plan certain aspects of the ball!"

At this announcement, the atmosphere immediately cheered, but the girls stayed silent as to hear Kassidy's next words.

"You will be divided into groups, and each group will arrange one of the many parts of this ball. There will be food preparation, decorations, costumes, invitations, and much more. The future queen will have to prepare balls like this, so this will be your opportunity to show Prince Anthony what your made of."

"The rest of the day will be spent designing your costumes, and your groups will be announced tomorrow. You will have five days to prepare, and you may ask for help from anyone in the palace. This will be your moment to shine!"

As Kassidy finished her announcement, the room erupted in excited conversations as girls planned their costumes and discussed what group they wanted to be in.

I refrained from rolling my eyes, and I stood up to make my exit. I still hadn't quite figured out the way to my room, but I remembered which floor it was on, so at least I had something to go off of.

I made my way to the door as quickly as I could and then began my trek towards my room. I was almost to the corridor that led to the stairs when I heard a voice call from behind me.

"Need help?" It was a girl, and her voice was sickly sweet. I heard her heels clack on the floor as she came nearer to me. "Echo, is it?" I nodded, barely able to conceal my annoyance.

She grabbed by arm, and I flinched away and glared at the sound of her voice.

"Are you trying to find your room?"

"I'm fine on my own," I snapped, not wanting to give away how nervous I was.

"Oh, but your heading toward the kitchen! The selected wing is this way," she said, spinning my around. She turned me in a different direction, her sharp nails digging into my skin as I tried to yank my arm out of her grip.

"Let go of me!"

She spun me around again in response, giggling as I struggled to gain a sense of my location.

"Here," her perky voice told me. "Head straight that way and then take a left, and you'll find your room." I was disoriented, and it took me a moment to realize that the sound of her heels clacking against the ground was fading away.

As much as I hated it, I had no other option, so I walked straight, the same way the girl told me. I felt my way around, struggling to get a grip on where I was. The longer I walked, the sooner I realized that there was no corridor that led left, so I took a right, hoping that it would lead me to my room.

After a while of searching, I had to calm my panic. I had absolutely no idea where I was. How was I supposed to get back to my room now?

For a moment, I thought about asking for help, but my pride overcame it. I didn't want to appear weak. I could do this. I just needed to retrace my steps.

I turned around and walked back, my fingers brushing the walls as I struggled to overcome to panic. After close to an hour of endless wandering, I realized that I was hopelessly lost.

Every hall was the same, and I couldn't see anything. I had no idea which way to go. As much as I pushed it away, the fear kept creeping back in.

I was lost. I was so close to breaking down, but I had to keep it together. I just needed a moment to calm down.

Finally succumbing to the weakness, I slumped down the wall and sat on the floor, wrapping my arms around my knees. I took deep breaths, trying to control my breathing, but it was pointless.

I felt tears leak down my cheeks as I cradled my knees. Why did I ever think I could do this? I thought I could be strong and show the world that being blind didn't stop me, but here I was, all alone, crying in the middle of a hallway.

I was pathetic. But in that moment, I couldn't stop the sob from coming out of my throat. All the girls here hated me, I was completely alone, and I had no freaking idea where I was. What did I do now?

I couldn't stop the pathetic whimpering as I cried into my knees, hoping desperately that no one would see me like this. I had been embarrassed enough as it was.

Unfortunately, my wish did not come true. Moments later, I heard a pounding of feet coming toward me. I quickly wiped my tears away and stood up. I couldn't afford to look weak.

"Hello? Echo, is that you?" I scowled. Of all people to find me alone, crying in the hall, it had to be Anthony.

"I'm fine," I told him, straightening my spine. I could feel his hands wrap around my, and I struggled to keep a straight face. I was so humiliated. No doubt he could see the tear stains on my face, no matter how hard I had tried to hide them.

"Let me bring you to your room." I could hear the concern in his voice, and I tried to escape his grasp and started walking away.

"I don't need help. I can get there on my own," I insisted. He didn't seem to buy it, as a moment later, he grabbed my hand and gently led me down the hall.

"Echo, what are you doing here? This is the floor where all the staff stay," he explained gently.

"I'm fine," I repeated stubbornly, too embarrassed to let him see my moment of weakness. Anthony was silent for a moment.

"Did someone else lead you here?" I didn't respond. I couldn't bear his sympathy, and I didn't want to reveal the girl who had led me. I could stay strong by not stooping to her level.

"Echo, tell me who did this to you." His voice took on a harsher tone, and he sounded almost angry.

"Echo, please," he pleaded. "It's not fair that someone else can hurt you and get away with it." He sounded almost like he cared about me, and I had to push away the warm feeling in my chest as I thought about his words.

"I promise, I'm fine. I can find my way around by myself," I insisted, though my voice was much gentler than I had intended.

"I promise, if I find out who did this to you, they won't get away with it," he said passionately, and I flinched away from his anger. He seemed to realize, and he immediately relaxed. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "From now on, you'll be escorted everywhere you go," he vowed, and I scowled, but he seemed to take it as encouragement.

"No, seriously! Even if I can't be there with you, I promise that Kassidy or someone else will be. I'm not leaving you alone again, whether you like it or not," he teased. And for better or worse, he kept his promise.

awwwww! wasn't that so cute? I have too many ships in this story, hahaxD but Anthony and Echo (anthco? ecthony? idk) are so freakin cute? thanks to UltimateMaxmericaShipper for the idea for the last scene, it was so fun to write! Echo's a challenging character, considering she's blind, but I can't help but love her, and it's so fun to write about her.

I also invited you guys to the halloween board on pinterest, so you can pin your character's costume there, along with anything else halloween inspiredxD I'll be using all the costumes that are pinned on the halloween board, so make sure you label who it's for. if you don't have pinterest and have a specific request for your character, please let me know!

hope you liked this chapter, and please review! love yall!

-kate