A
note from Kiera: The Schreaves have the typical drama of a royal family.
Gregory always considered himself a cut above his closest friend, Brenton
Schreave, but needed someone to bounce ideas off, and Brenton was his most
suitable option. Gregory married Brenton’s sister Bethany and began having
children years before his transition into power. By the time he was in charge,
he had tired of the responsibilities of being a husband and father. It’s
rumored the fall that took Bethany’s life was more a suicide attempt than an
accident.
Gregory arranged the marriage of his
oldest child, Katherine, to the prince of Swendway, securing his role as king
before turning to his sons. When Spencer mysteriously died a few years after
his sister’s marriage, all eyes fell to Damon, the youngest Illéa. With the
nation’s morale at a low after two royal deaths, a poor economy, and a mass of
the citizens upset over the newly implemented caste system, the Selection was
created to begin the new royal line and appease the public.
The first Selection was a complete
setup. Damon slept with half the girls before sending them home the next day,
eventually settling with Grace, who was his father’s pick. Abby, the winner of
the second Selection, liked Prince Justin just fine, but was more attracted to
his cousin, Porter. They conspired together to kill Justin, and Gregory, who
was close to death, encouraged her to marry Porter to continue the royal
lineage.
Abby humbly accepted Porter’s proposal,
and she was pregnant with his son well before the wedding. But their passion
for each other soon faded. If Abby could so easily dispose of her first
husband, why not her second? Porter kept his distance, and their only son,
Clarkson, grew up in a home full of screaming, accusations, and occasional
violence.
Amberly was the star of her
Selection, not because of her beauty or power, but because of her calming
nature. The opposite of everything Clarkson had ever known, he was drawn to her
from the start. When a small uprising happened in the south, Clarkson suggested
to his father that marrying a girl from a lower caste might appease them, and
their marriage did soothe some of the public.
Clarkson, however, has never
overcome his trust issues. Amberly sees more than anyone else, but still
doesn’t know everything. Clarkson keeps his family under his control because he
thinks it’s normal. Amberly genuinely loves her husband and overlooks his
flaws, and it’s her disposition that keeps Maxon from completely following his
father’s example.
