- This article is about the competition. For other uses, see The Selection (disambiguation).
The following article contains spoilers. Please read at your own risk. |
The Selection is a competition between thirty-five girls called the Selected who compete to marry the prince and become the Princess of Illéa. There have been four Selections in the past and one is ongoing (finished in The Crown) (Princess Eadlyn's Selection with male competitors in The Heir). In the past, only a Prince could have a Selection for the Princesses were shipped off to a Prince in a neighboring country. That Rule was later on changed by Maxon and America by making the future queen Eadlyn have the Selection instead of her younger twin brother Ahren, thinking it would be more fair, since Eadlyn was born first.
Selecting[]
All females (or males, in the case of Eadlyn) that are single and ages 16–20 are sent an application to fill out and return to the State Providence Offices along with a photo of herself. Participation isn't mandatory, so the girl/boy does not have to fill it out if she/he so chooses not to. The government says that the girls/boys are picked randomly, but to ensure that an unattractive suitor isn't picked, they get their picture taken to find the best looking ones to compete . In The Prince, it is discovered that King Clarkson also had a say in who was in the Selection. However, In The Heir Eadlyn picks her suitors randomly, with the press watching. The Selected also get a mandatory styling before the Selection.
Rules[]
- The contestant cannot leave the palace on her/his own accord. She/he can only be dismissed by the prince/princess himself/herself. (Note: Both in Maxon's and Eadlyn's Selections, some contestants asked for permission and left on their own free will.)
- There is no timeline for the Selection — it can last from days to years.
- The contestant cannot arrange her/his times with the prince/princess. If in a large social setting, this rule does not apply.
- The contestant cannot fight or sabotage other participants. If the contestant is found laying her/his hands on another contestant, causing her/him stress, stealing from her/him, or doing anything that might diminish her/his personal relationship with the prince/princess, the prince/princess will decide whether to dismiss her/him or not. (Note: In The Selection, Anna Farmer was dismissed for hitting Celeste Newsome. Later it was found out that Anna had hit Celeste in retaliation for something Celeste had said about Anna’s parents.)
- The contestant can only have a romantic relationship with the prince/princess. If the contestant is caught in a relationship with someone else, it is considered treason and punishable by death. (Note: In The Elite, Maxon Schreave only had Marlee Tames and Carter Woodwork caned and banished to Eights, which later on was revealed to be a lie since Maxon has had them both working in the palace as Sixes.)
- If the contestant is found breaking any of Illéa's written laws, her/his punishment will be tied to that offense.
- The contestant cannot eat any food or wear any clothes that are not provided to her/him by the palace. (For security reasons)
- The contestant must be courteous to photographers, and allow them to see her/his lifestyle with the prince/princess.
- For each week the contestant stays at the palace, her/his family will be compensated. (Note: In The Elite, the compensation for Twos and Threes is taken away, to be used in a project created by Maxon Schreave with little help from America Singer. In The One, however, King Clarkson takes away America’s payment in order to show that she was staying for her devotion to Maxon, not for the payment.)
- If the contestant is no longer in the Selection, and was not a former Two or Three, she/he will have an aide to help her/him adjust to her/his new life after the Selection. Her/His aide will help the contestant find new housing and employment.
- If the contestant makes it to the top ten, she/he is considered as an Elite, and will be required to learn about particular inner workings of the life and obligations she/he would have as a princess/prince. Until then, the contestant is not permitted to seek out such information. (Note: In the first book, the number of Elite was shortened to six girls because of the danger from rebel attacks. In The Crown, Eadlyn Schreave shortened the Elite to six, due to Queen America's heart attack.)
- The contestant's caste number is automatically raised to a Three, unless she/he was already a Three or a Two prior to being Selected. Her/His family's caste remains the same.
- If the contestant wins the Selection, she/he and her/his family will become Ones and members of the royal family. The contestant will also marry the prince/princess and become the crowned princess/prince of Illéa, taking on all the rights and responsibilities of the title.
- The contestant must be a virgin.
- If the prince/princess invites the contestant to do something with him/her, it is advised she/he shouldn't refuse — regardless if it's dinner, outings, kissing, and even more than kissing. (Note: Prince Maxon later denies this rule to America.)
Past Selections[]
- Damon Illéa's Selection - Winner: Grace Lowell
- Justin Illéa's Selection - Winner: Abby Tamblin
- Clarkson Schreave's Selection - Winner: Amberly Station (See King Clarkson's Selection for more information)
- Maxon Schreave's Selection - Winner: America Singer (See Prince Maxon's Selection for more information)
- Eadlyn Schreave's Selection - Winner: No Winner. Princess Eadlyn fell in love and married Eikko Koskinen from Kent, translator of the Elite Henri Jaakoppi, even though he wasn't part of her Selection. (See Princess Eadlyn's Selection for more information.)