The Girl: Part 3

Author's Note: Thankfully, I edited this so quickly (maybe not a good thing but oh well) that I was able to count the words and space it all out. Hopefully, I'll have the picture of Nicolette up but should my internet malfunction, you'll have to wait. I probably won't be able to get the next part up as quickly but we'll see.
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"Disperse! I shall now choose! Go do you daily routines!" Thomas called out. He turned his eyes back to the girl. She gratefully made her way through the now-thinning crowds.

There wasn’t much that was special about her. Long, dark brown hair with thick bangs in the front, olive skin and tired green eyes. Fierce and determined. She had caught his eye. But would the eldest prince approve of her? He sure hoped he would.

"You there," he called out to her. Numerous other women looked up at him hopeful. "In the rags," he continued with a roll of his eyes. The women in all their self-absorbance looked away then disappointed. But the girl still did not look up. He dismounted his stallion and trotted over there, the crowds parting for him.

"Ma’am! Young lady in the rags!" he shouted out to her. She turned around and looked at him puzzled.

"Yes, erm, sire?" she responded in a shaky voice.

"Where are you headed?" he said trying to get some steady ground to tell her she might be chosen.

"To the store to get chickenfeed sire," she said worried she had said too much.

"Ah. I see. Where do you live?" he then questioned.

"Far off in the woods m’lord. In a cottage," she replied hastily. She was still puzzled as to why Thomas was talking to her.

"Quite a walk. And with those shoes, it must be difficult," he commented as he looked down at the taped up, holey shoes.

"Oh, it’s no bother. My family can’t afford new pairs of shoes. I would never ask of them for new shoes anyway. It is my duty to save what little money we have," she said with a heavy sigh.

"But it must be, with such small shoes, you would be better off without any shoes at all. But I can’t allow that to happen. Come with me," he said matter of factly. She gave in and followed after him and he strolled over to the nicest shoe store in town. "Choose anything you like," he continued as he showed with his arm the selection of nice, shiny shoes to her.

"Sire, I appreciate your kindness but I cannot accept it. I would never want to waste you money," she said long fully.

"No, no. I would be insulted if you didn’t accept my offer madam," he said smoothly. She nodded and looked up at him gratefully.

She was immediately drawn to a dark pair of leather shoes with fresh wooden pattens attached. When she tried the soft leather shoes on, it was like a weight was lifted from her feet. Slowly, a hand was put on her shoulder.

"Would you like those madam?" Thomas questioned quietly.

"Indeed sire, if it isn’t any trouble of course," she said softly. Slowly she brushed the dark hair out of her face and pulled it back so she could see. She wrapped a brown bow from her pocket around it and let it fall down her back.

"All right then. I only ask one thing of you… Would you be The Girl?" he said slowly. The entire store and most of the people eavesdropping outside of it turned in shock.

"Be who?" the girl said completely unaware of the great honor she had just been given.

"The Girl. The Girl who gets wed to the eldest prince. You have heard of The Girl before right?" he said shocked.

"No, I haven’t ever heard of this before. What do I do should I accept this award thing?" she said completely confused.

"All you have to do is wed the prince, accept a large amount of money, jewels, and clothing, and become queen!" he exclaimed.

"Oh! Why me though?" she said quietly.

"You stood out in the crowd of longing women. You didn’t know of much less want any of the materialistic things the position offers. You seem intelligent and attractive enough as well. And as for your gratefulness, it’s tremendous!" he said joyfully.

She glanced at herself in the mirror. This could be the first time she had ever been praised so highly. But how in the world had he picked up all these things about her puzzled her.

"Um, well, what about my family?" she questioned.

"They can come along as well if you like!" he said hoping she would accept soon.

"Oh, well, then, no thanks," she said thinking of her awful family and how they had treated her since she had been born.

"They don’t have to come, madam. It is purely your choice," he quickly retaliated.

"Um… well, then. Okay. I suppose," she said stuttering.

"Fantastic! Sir James! Mount the horses and prepare the way back to the kingdom! We have found The Girl!" he shouted excitedly to the servant that came with him.

"What is your name madam?" he asked honestly.

"It’s –

Nicolette's POV

"- Nicolette," Nicolette said respectfully. She was still awfully baffled by what had just happened. Step by step she followed after the man to two muscular white stallions. Just like in her dreams late at night. The horses now looked intimidating. In her dreams, she had had years of practice in riding.

Now that it was all reality, she was afraid she wouldn’t have the enough knowledge to even mount the beautiful horse. The man, Thomas, noticed this and helped her climb onto the broad beast. She steadied herself and waited as he climbed his own horse. He was much more graceful that she was when he got on.

"Alright. Away we go. Just follow me alright?" he said reassuringly. She gripped on to the reins tightly and prayed to dear God that she wouldn’t die on the way to the large castle.

Thomas’s horse roared forward into the woods towards the palace. Nicolette quickly pushed onward with her horse. She did not want to be left very far behind as she had never actually been to the palace before. She had only heard of the supposed wonderful riches inside. And as for the balls? She had never attended one but all the women who had, gossiped about it for weeks.

As they approached the castle, all she could do was hold her breath. Carefully, she directed her horse to follow after the Lord Thomas’s movements. She made sure to be almost as graceful as he about putting the beautiful stallion in his stable.

"And now we shall enter the palace. Are you prepared?" he said with a wide grin.

"I suppose," she said hinting how nervous she was.

"Don’t fret. The prince will simply adore you. They always have," he said, proud of himself. She nodded but was not reassured quite yet. Step by step, she followed him towards the great big doors that opened to the grand palace entrance.

"Here we go!" she said softly to herself.
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Julie