AMERICA

The Great Room was packed. For once, instead of the king and queen being the focal point of the room, it was Maxon. On a slightly raised platform , Maxon, Kriss, and I sat at an ornate table. I felt that our positioning was deceitful. I was on Maxon's right. I always thought being on someone's right was a good thing, an honored position. But so far he'd spent the entire time talking to Kriss. As if I already didn't know what was coming.

I tried to seem happy as I looked around the room. It was packed. Gavril, of course, was in a corner, speaking into a camera, narrating the events as they happened. Ashley smiled and waved, and beside her Anna winked at me. I gave them a nod, still too nervous to speak. Toward the back of the room, in deceptively clean clothes, August, Georgia, and some of the other Northern rebels sat at a table by themselves. Of course Maxon would want them here to meet his new wife. Little did he know she was one of their own.

They surveyed the room tensely, as if they feared any second a guard would recognize them and attack. The guards didn't seem to be paying attention though. In fact, this was the first tome I'd ever seen them look so poorly focused, eyes meandering around the room, several of them on edge.

My eyes flitted over to Queen Amberly, speaking with her sister Adele and her gaggle of children. She looked radiant. She'd been waiting for this day for so long. She would love Kriss like her own. For a moment, I was so jealous of that fact.

I turned and scanned the faces of the Selected again, and this time my eyes landed on Celeste. I could see the clear question in her eyes: What are you so worried about? I gave her a minuscule shake of my head, letting her know that I'd lost. She sent me a thin smile and mouthed the words It'll be okay. I nodded, and tried to believe her. She turned away, laughing at something someone said; and I finally look to my right, taking in the face of the guard stationed closest to our table.

Apsen was distracted though. He was looking around the room like so many of the other men in uniform, but he seemed to be trying to think of something. It was as if he was doing a puzzle in his head. I wished he would look my way, maybe try to explain wordlessly what he was worried about, but he didn't.

"Trying to arrange a time to meet later?" Maxon asked, and I whipped my head back.

"No of course not."

"It's not like it matters. Kriss's family will be here this afternoon for a small celebration, and yours will be here to take you home. They don't like the last loser to be alone. She tends to get dramatic."

He was so cold, so distant. It was as if it wasn't even Maxon at all.

"You can keep the house if you want. It's been paid for . I'd like my letters back though."

"I read them," I whispered. "I loved them."

He huffed as if it was a joke. "Don't know what I was thinking."

"Please don't do this. Please. I love you." My face was crumpling.

"Don't. You. Dare," Maxon ordered though gritted teeth. "You put on a smile, and you wear it to the last second."

I blinked away the tears and gave a weak smile.

That'll do. Don't let that slip until you leave the room, do you understand?" I nodded. He looked into my eyes. "I'll be glad when you're gone."

After he spat out those last words. His smile returned and he faced Kriss again. I stared into my lap a minute, slowing my breathing and putting on a brave face.

When I bought my eyes up again, I didn't dare look directly at anyone. I didn't think I could honor Maxon's last wish if I did. Instead, I focused on the walls of the room. It was because of that I noticed when most of the guards stepped away from them at some signal I didn't see. Pieces of red fabric were pulled out of their pockets and tied across their heads.

I watched in confusion as a red-marked guard walked up behind Celeste and put a bullet squarely in the back of her head.

The screaming and gunfire exploded at once. I looked over at Aspen and watched as he took out his gun and raised it to a guard that has approached the table, but the guard saw him and sent a bullet into his stomach.

I screamed, lunged forward, and took the gun from his trembling, bloodstained hands. I acted quickly and shot the guard in the heart, he dropped to the ground, blood erupted from his mouth in a series of painful gurgles until the unidentified body stopped moving, and layed motionless, bleeding out.

I looked over at Maxon and Kriss, both looked at me with a mix of awe, and fear.

I bent down and I hit Aspen's cheek lightly drawing his attention, "Stay awake, and keep pressure on the bullet wound." I don't wait for a response, I just turned to Maxon and Kriss, "Follow me." I say walking away to the closest safe room, the gun held in front of me, as I scan the hall before we make our way down, mimicking what I saw the guards doing in earlier attacks.

When we reached the safe room I opened the door for them and told them to get inside.

Maxon looked at me with his dark brown eyes, full of hurt, awe, and lust. " Aren't you coming?" he asked before I had the chance to close the door.

I looked at him, smiled and closed the door with out a second's hesitation, locking it before he could open it up again. I heard him pounding at the door, screaming my name, but I just walked away, blocking any thought from my mind that would cause me to turn around.

I held the gun up and was headed back towards the Great Room to get Aspen when an arm wrapped around my neck , pulling my back to their chest. In the sudden motion I had dropped my gun, but no sooner had it hit the ground, had a gun been placed to my temple.

I struggle to breathe as my captor dragged my body into the Great Room. At moment's glance I saw at least ten bodies on the ground, motionless. My eyes searched for Aspen and I found him crumpled on the ground and my heart nearly stopped when he didn't move, but then noticed his green eyes following me and my captor as we made our way across the room to the group of people standing in the corner opposite to him. He tried to move, but his wound would not allow it.

Not wanting for anyone to notice him I looked away, as we reached the small group of guards.

"Lady America, what a pleasant surprise," said what seem to be the leader. The man himself looked respectable, brown buzz-cut hair, fair skin, he had a square jaw, with a little bit of stubble on it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a white handkerchief and in one fluid motion grabs the back of my head, tangling his hand in my wild curls, and covered my nose and mouth with the handkerchief. I kicked, trying to get out of the grip of the man behind me and the man in front of me, but their grips did not falter. Black-spots appeared around the edges of my vision and using my body was starting to become an impossible act. I fought against the hand on my mouth for air, but found nothing. I could no longer hold my eyelids up, and conciseness was becoming harder and harder to keep, and in the end it lost.

Hey, thanks for reading.

Sorry this chapter is so short. It will be longer next time. What can I say? I love cliffhangers.

The beginning is taken directly from The One I do not own it.

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Hope you enjoyed I'll post again within the next week. Hopefully. ;)