"Come in," Maxon said, motioning for his wife to enter his office.

Carrying a small tray of snacks, America Schreave stepped through the doorway. She placed the food on a wooden table in the corner and then made her way over to her husband. Maxon, who was sitting at his desk surrounded by stacks of paperwork, was reading over an important document.

"I think you need a break," America said, handing Maxon a finger sandwich. It was made of cream cheese and cucumbers, and was sliced into a triangle.

Maxon shook his head. "Not right now," he sighed, waving the sandwich away. "I need to respond back to this by Saturday."

"You should at least eat something," America insisted. Her husband had been working all evening and had missed dinner.

"I will in a minute," Maxon replied, handing the document over to America. "But I need your opinion on something first."

Raising her brow, America nodded and took the crisp parchment. She began scanning through its contents and frowned when she realized what it was. Staring into Maxon's chocolate brown eyes, she shook her head with disbelief.

"We can't possibly agree to this," she said, her voice full of conviction.

Maxon sighed. "We don't have a choice. If we don't we'll-"

"We always have a choice," America interrupted, "and I choose not to send our daughter away."

Maxon exhaled loudly. "You know full well the state of Illea at the moment. Our economy is struggling, new rebels have surfaced, and it's only a matter of time before more provinces secede from Illea like Yukon, Calgary, and Zuni did last year. Heck, we've already lost control over half the provinces."

"I know, but-"

"America, we have to seriously consider this offer," Maxon insisted. "The war with New Asia drained our treasury and set Illea into a downward spiral. We're no longer one of the major superpowers of the world."

"I still don't like it," America said firmly.

"I know you want our princess to marry for love, but she may not be a princess for much longer if we don't at least try."

"I understand that," America huffed. "But a political marriage is still a political marriage."

"Well then you understand that the Kingdom of Berkley controls over a third of the world and was, is, and will continue to be a powerhouse for years to come. A marriage with the Henleys, its ruling family, would save Illea," Maxon said, trying to persuade America into seeing the benefits of accepting the offer.

America shook her head and handed Maxon back the paper. She strolled over to the corner of the room by the window and poured herself a cup of tea. Clouds of steam rose from the hot liquid and disappeared in the cool night's air. She took a sip and then mixed in a teaspoon of white sugar. She wasn't sure if the tea was bitter, or if it was just the bad taste their conversation was leaving in her mouth. "He's too old for our daughter," she finally said, trying to find any excuse she could.

"Dear," Maxon called from the other side of the room. "Yes, Prince Bradley is 24, but many young girls have married much older men. Please just consider it."

"I am, Maxon," America said. She slammed her cup down so hard on the tray that the bottom chipped. "I am."

Okay, so this story will follow your characters as they navigate the Kingdom of Berkley and it's own 'Selection'. Obviously there will be some similarities between the competitions, but the dynamics of the new kingdom will be different. Details about the plot will be revealed throughout the chapters, but basics have been written in up above. Also, the character skeleton, kingdom details, competition details, and submission rules will be posted on my profile.