Chapter Text
Amy took a deep breath. In one out one she repeated over and over again in her mind begging her lungs to understand. She had done this a thousand times before at this point. Yet this one somehow seemed different. This was the last time she would walk through these doors before she would know if she was going to be Jake’s future wife or not.
“Miss Amelia Santiago of Waterdale.” The voice called out and the main doors were opened wide. Amy put a smile on her face as she walked into the ballroom. There was applause from people sitting at tables as she made her way down the aisle.
Jake was standing at the end a wide smile on her face. When she came to him she did the best courtesy she could manage in the ridiculous big dress. “Your majesty.” she said cringing on the inside. From Jake’s face she could tell that he was doing the same thing. So formal. So unlike them. He was just Jake to her. Plain old Jake.
“Amy.” Jake said.
“I think you mean Miss Amelia.”
“My bad. Miss Amelia.” Jake said a teasing smirk on his face.
Amy was about to say something else when the same voice called out “Miss Elizabeth of Fallhills” Amy turned around to watch Elizabeth float down the aisle like a pageant queen. She smiled at Jake before moving out of the way.
“Amy!” Terry called out from a table. Amy made her way over sitting down next to Terry watching Elizabeth laugh at something Jake said. It was a fake laugh which was perfect for a girl as fake as Elizabeth. “How are you feeling about tomorrow night?”
Amy kept her eyes on Elizabeth and the way she put her hand on Jake’s shoulder. Amy knew that they had the same amount of time yet it felt like Elizabeth had been up there for ages. “I don’t know. I’ve tried my hardest, isn’t that all that counts?”
“No that’s not all that counts. You need to win that crown tomorrow. Not only for yourself but for you family, me and the country. A lot of people have a lot riding on you winning tomorrow.”
“I don’t really care as long as he’s happy.” Amy said taking her eyes off of Jake and down to the meal placed in front of her. “That’s really all I care about at this point.”
“I think that you’re going to win. Look at the way he looks at you.” Terry said glancing up at Jake and meeting his eyes for a second before Jake turned his attention back to the next girl that was in front of him. “He’s always watching you. And I mean always . It’s clear for almost everyone to see that you’re the girl he’s going to chose tomorrow.”
“Yeah but am I good enough to be Queen?” Amy asked Terry seriously. “This isn’t just about him. It should be but it’s not. This is more about the crown than it is who he wants to marry.”
“I agree it’s about the crown more than anything. But this a traditional ceremony, they can’t just get rid of it now, not when we’ve been doing it for hundreds of years. Back then it was only about the crown, but now I do think that he has more of a say on which girl he really loves.”
“I don’t know about that. Look at the King and Queen now. King Roger doesn't love Queen Karen.”
“The Queen loves her husband very much.” Amy arched her eyebrows waiting for him to counter on the king loving her part but nothing came. There was nothing to say. Roger didn’t love Karen, he married Karen because she made a good queen. “Jake isn’t like his father.” Terry said after a moment.
“No. He's not.” Amy agreed going back to her food. Moments later there was tapping on a champagne glass as the Queen stood in the front of the room.
“Hello everyone.” She said with a warm smile. Amy risked a glance over at Jake but he was staring straight ahead listening to his mother as she spoke. “As everyone knows, tonight is sadly the last night of the Royal Selection.” There were sighs from people in the crowd as they realized life would soon go back to normal. “I know” Karen continued with a sight laugh. “I’m just as sad as you. These weeks are always my favorite.”
“Throughout the past twelve weeks, fifteen girls here have showed us qualities that they deem worthy of being Queen as well as wife to my son, Jacob. All of the girls we’ve hosted have been wonderful in so many ways and I hate to say it but only one of you will get to stay with our family.” Amy glanced around at several of the other girls. She could tell by the looks on their faces that they all were convinced that they were going to get chosen tomorrow.
“I still remember the day I was chosen like it was yesterday. It was one of the best moments of my life. I still wake up grateful every single day that Roger chose me.” Karen smiled back warmly at her husband. He returned the smile but it didn’t quite meet his eyes. “This time tomorrow one of you will be the new Princess of Summerhill and then we get into the really fun stuff. Wedding planning.” there was laughter amongst the crowd and Amy couldn’t help but smile thinking about planning a wedding with Jake.
“With that being said I would like to open the floor up to my son. Each girl will get one last dance with the prince while one girl will get to dance with the prince for the rest of her life. So Jacob if you would come up here you can chose the first girl.”
“I would like to call Sophia up for the first dance.” Amy looked down at her pasta twirling a piece of fettuccine around her fork. Even she had to admit, Charles made a mean fettuccine.
“It’s okay.” Terry said reassuringly. “It’s the last dance that matters.” Amy only nodded. When she felt brave enough she glanced up and saw Jake spin Sophia around in a big circle. She was far more graceful and elegant than Amy could even dream of being. Her blue sparkly dress screamed Queen material while Amy felt like she looked like a little girl who raided mommy’s closet.
Eventually all the girls had gone except for Amy and Elizabeth. Elizabeth looked over at Amy with a snarky smirk as Jake made his way back to the mic to call the next girl. “You’re next.” Elizabeth mouthed at Amy.
“Next I would like to invite Elizabeth out to the stage.” Amy looked down at her lap with a small smile as Elizabeth made her way to the front of the room clearly fuming.
“See!” Terry whispered to Amy. “You got the last dance, that has to mean something.” Amy continued to smile down at her food. Gina once told her that she has to tell herself that she wanted whatever the outcome was. That way she wouldn’t be upset or disappointed. Truth is though, Amy wanted this, him, badly.
“And lastly I would like to call Amy to the stage.” Amy set her fork down making her way across the ballroom. She couldn’t help but smile at the nasty look Elizabeth gave her when they crossed paths. “Hi.” Jake said when she was close enough to hear him.
“Hi.” She said putting her hand in his and the other over his shoulder. “Aren’t you tired of dancing?” She asked and Jake swore that her eyes twinkled ever so slightly.
“Yeah.” He said laughing. “But I’m pretty used to it at this point. You wanna try a spin?”
“No. It never ends well.”
“Come on you can do it. I believe in you.”
“Fine.” Amy said as she let him twirl her around in an elegant circle before rejoining him. “Did it look bad?”
“No, you looked gorgeous.” Jake replied. “I can’t believe how much better you are this than you were a mere twelve weeks ago.”
“Well you have to get pretty good at it around here.”
“That’s true.” Jake said. “I just hope you don’t regret doing this. I would hate for you to wish that you hadn’t spent twelve weeks here.”
“Are you kidding me?” Amy asked him. “I’m not going to regret it. I’m glad that I came back and even if you don’t chose me tomorrow, I”m not going to leave again. Leaving all those years ago was wrong. I’m not going to do that again.”
“Yeah?” Jake asked smiling down at her.
“Yeah.” She confirmed.
“Well I can’t tell you what’s going to happen tomorrow, but everything will be okay. You just have to trust me.” Jake said as the music stopped. He dropped her hand and she curtsied before walking back to Terry.
“Ladies and Gentlemen that includes this evening.” The Queen said into the mic. “We will see you guys all tomorrow for the big announcement. Have a good night.” Everyone in the room quickly rushed towards the exit. Some of the girls tried to make their way towards Jake but Amy stayed where she was.
She watched Sophia try to talk to Jake before Elizabeth pushed her out of the way. “Hey.” Gina said startling Amy out of her transfixation. Gina was now sitting in the chair next to her that Terry had abandon at some point.
“Hi.” Amy said back trying to not watch Jake out of the corner of her eye. “Do you have any idea who he is going to pick tomorrow?” If Jake’s told anyone it would be Gina aur Charles.
Gina took a deep breath as if she was almost nervous about his decision. “I don’t think it's going to matter, but if it means anything I hope he chooses you. Your the only one he cares about.”
“So why would he not chose me?”
“Mom and dad want him to pick someone suited to be queen.”
“Oh.” Amy said trying to not sound as if she was admitting defeat.
“Yeah.” Gina agreed. “But it really is his choice. So he may decide to screw it and choose you. You’re the one who we all want him to chose. Me and Charles at least. Never thought I would say that I hope he ends up with you but here we are.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m not saying that you’re fit to be queen, because I don’t think you are at all.”
“Thanks Gina.” Amy said trying to cut the girl off.
“But you’re the only one here is fit to be his wife. I mean look around. None of these girls know Jake nor does Jake no any of them. Like I said before, you’re the only he cares about. I should go though, I hate being this real with people.” Gina said before getting up and walking away.
By now almost the whole ballroom was cleared out and Jake was nowhere to be seen. Amy thought about stopping by his room but decided best of it. He probably wouldn't want to see her right now, he did have a lot on his plate after all.
So she made her way back to her room and the big fluffy bed. She honestly hoped he picked her just so she could sleep in a bed like this for the rest of her life. If he didn’t pick her, by this time tomorrow she would be back in the three bedroom house with seven people living in it. Sharing a room with her three brothers and eating mom’s burnt macaroni. Not that she was complaining, she loved her family very much, but this bed was just so damn comfortable.
Amy closed her eyes tight and tried to not think of the two drastically different outcomes of tomorrow. Each one would send her life an entirely different direction and the only person who could decide was Jake Peralta.