ROSES FOR RACHEL: EPISODES 1-10
EPISODE 8
The walk back to my room was a blur.
Greer and I have never fought with each other, not one single time, and I really didn’t think what I did warranted her to be angry with me in the first place. I don’t know why Prince Calvin is border line nice to me, I’ve only spoken to him a handful of times and each of those were mostly just me making a fool out of myself. It isn’t like I’m the only one whose name he remembered either. He remember Lexton, so she must have made an impression on him too. I don’t know why Greer can’t see that.
I waited in my room for three hours for her to show up for us to eat our supper together, but she didn’t show.
“Miss?” Fern asked from the door. “Are you ready for me to take your tray?”
I nodded my head and she cleared my plates and cup out from in front of me and shuffled to the door. “Wait, Fern?” I called to her.
“Yes, miss?” She asked setting her trays back down on the table.
“Tonight, they were filming us.” I told her. “Who sees that? And how?”
She nodded her head in understanding. “Yes. We all see it.” She told me. “It’s televised to all of the vampire civilizations, and also I suppose they show it in the upper world now too.”
I stared blankly at the table in front of me. “So you think other humans might be watching?”
“Oh, I don’t know about all of that, miss.” Her big eyes darted to the table, not daring to stray up to my questioning eyes. Something about my questioning was making her uncomfortable.
“How do you watch? Am I allowed to?” I pressed on anyway.
“It’s broadcasted onto all of our devices-computers, phones, tablets, televisions- Anyone who has these things can watch.” She said courtly, gathering the plates and things again, ready to run.
“Can I get a television?” I smiled up at her even though she wouldn’t look at me.
“I don’t think so, miss.” She said softly. “I will ask for you though.” She added with a smile.
“Thank you, Fern.” I smiled politely and watched as she left the room.
It’s obvious from her reaction that I won’t be watching it on my own, but maybe I can find a place here that does have a television or computer that I could use. I decided to go down to Greer’s room and see if she wants to help me go sleuthing to find a device for us to use so we can see what the vampires are saying about us.
I left my room quickly and wound my way around the corridors but I froze to stone when I turned a corner and found Prince Calvin dropping off Lexton at her door.
“I had a very nice time with you.” She smiled shyly, tucking her dark hair behind her ears.
His returning smile actually looked happy and not forced. “I did as well.” He told her, kissing the top of her hand, making her laugh gently. I couldn’t help thinking they looked good together, but I also couldn’t help the small tinge of jealousy that hit me unexpectedly.
I turned the corner and started walking the other way. I hadn’t been walking long when suddenly Calvin was standing right in front of me, blocking my path. It stunned me for a second and I turned to glance behind me wondering how the heck he’d just been back there and now he’s here.
“I never would have guessed you to be the Peeping Tom type.” He said crossing his arms across his strong chest, something playful in his eyes.
“Oh, please.” I said fighting back a grin and a blush as I squeezed through the space between him and the wall. “I was not spying on you, I was just on my way to Greer’s room.” I said over my shoulder. “Maybe you think a little too highly of yourself.”
“Possibly.” He said falling in step behind me as I wander up the way. “And yet you never went to her room and are now walking in the opposite direction.” He pointed out. “It’s a bit suspicious if you ask me.”
I spun around to face him, taking him by surprise. “Good thing I didn’t ask you then, huh?”
“You’re in a mood tonight.” He commented, the corners of his mouth fighting to come up.
“And you seem to be in quite a good one.” I replied. “I wonder if that has anything to do with your date.”
He flashed a white toothy smile, his eyes dancing. “You wonder about my date, do you?”
“Oh my god, I’m terminating this conversation.” I said walking over to the elevator.
He chuckled lightly. “Where are you going now?” He asked still following me. “You’re going to get lost again.”
I shook my head as he followed me onto the elevator. “That has literally only happened one time, and you really need to let it go.”
“Fine.” He said raking his hand through the thick mess of brown hair on his head. “At least tell me where you’re going?” I gave him a look but I didn’t know if I could trust him or not. “What?” He asked confused.
I’d never seen him in such a good mood, so I decided it couldn’t hurt to just be honest. “I’m on a mission.” I admitted.
He snorted a laugh, and it was impossible not to laugh too.
“What mission would that be?” He asked trying to regain his composure.
I narrowed my eyes at him showing I was being serious. “I’m trying to find a television or computer.”
“You’re wanting to watch the competition coverage.” He said knowingly. I nodded my head and he pressed the button on the panel marked 6.
“What are you doing?” I asked him. “I’m not allowed on that level.”
He just rolled his eyes at me. “I don’t think they’ll mind if you’re with me, what with me being the prince and all.” He said while he typed in his passcode. “Besides, I thought you wanted to watch the show. Tell me, are you wanting to watch because you’re worried what you looked like on TV, or are you just trying to spy on my date some more, because that won’t come on until tomorrow.”
I ignored him and waited for the elevator to arrive at level 6. When the doors opened we stepped out into a small corridor with one door on the left, and another door on the right. There were two guards standing outside of each door and they all bowed to Calvin as we walked by.
One of the guards opened the door on the left for us and we walked into a ginormous room. It was easily two times bigger than my own large room, but it was decorated quite similarly. There was a large crystal chandelier, and dark grey silk hanging from the ceilings and down to the floors. His bed was somehow even larger and more ornate than mine, but aside from that and the short bookcases, it was the exact same layout as my own room.
I stood awkwardly right inside the room while he closed the door behind me. “I don’t see a TV.” I commented, beginning to wonder if I made a mistake following a vampire into a room alone.
He walked over to the wall facing away from his bed and clicked on the small panel hidden behind the silk. I heard a weird sound and then a flat paneled television began to lower from a hidden compartment in the ceiling. Calvin walked over to his night stand and picked up a small remote, turning on the television and then sat on the foot of his bed. I walked over to stand beside his bed, but he reached out and grabbed my wrist, pulling me to sit beside him. “I’m not going to bite you, Rachel.” He said slightly annoyed.
“Does that mean you didn’t like the way I tasted?” As soon as the words were out of my mouth I felt like a complete idiot and covered my face with my hands. “I can’t believe I just said that.”
“Neither can I.” He mumbled, then he pulled my hands away from my face and pointed to the screen.
There’s a beautiful redheaded woman sitting behind a desk and she’s talking about how attractive Prince Calvin looked tonight and making a joke about how it’s too bad she isn’t eligible to compete for him, then the screen cuts to shots of each of us girls arriving tonight, but also short clips of us the first night at the grand ball. “I didn’t even realize they’d videoed that night.” I mentioned as I watched a small clip of Calvin and I dancing gracefully across the dancefloor. I had the same thought I’d had from watching him with Lexton early, we kind of looked good together.
“People are always watching here.” He whispered. “Remember that.”
I was pulled away from the screen by the true warning in his voice. I looked at him, but he kept his eyes trained straight ahead.
The show got my attention again as the woman called me the ‘princes pet’ and went on to say how surprised she was that I wasn’t the one to get the first date. It almost felt like praise until she went on to show a snippet of me shaking my head to Calvin and leaning over to Lexton. Apparently I hadn’t been very smooth and the woman brought on a guest to talk about what we’d just seen.
The older woman they brought on was clearly not a fan of mine.
“I don’t know what the point of this competition is honestly if he is letting a girl he clearly liked best from the first night tell him what to do. She’s a firecracker that one, too. I know I hope to see her knocked from her high horse. Hopefully after His Majesty’s date with the sweet timid Italian girl, he will wise up and give miss bossy the boot this elimination.”
“I have got to agree with you on that.” The redhead nodded. “My personal favorite as of now is Tessa, I mean, come on, she’s drop dead gorgeous right?”
The two women went on and on talking about Tessa, Regina, and even Greer. Apparently the only one they didn’t like was me.
As stupid as the whole thing sounded, it didn’t stop it from hurting my feelings. I sniffled softly while the women speculated what the first date was like.
“Don’t let them get to you.” Calvin said gently.
“I’m not.” I fired back defensively. What point is there to caring whether a panel of judgy vampires thinks I’m good enough to marry a prince that I don’t even want to marry in the first place? I should be happy that they don’t want me to rule them because the feeling is mutual. At the same time though, that only means my elimination is getting closer and I’ll probably be dead soon.
ROSES FOR RACHEL: EPISODES 1-10
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