America POV

The black dress. The crowd. The stage. No one died. No one is dead. But Marlee isn't with the rest of us. I don't know where she is. All I know is that this feeling of unease in my stomach isn't going away.

A masked man walks onto the platform and looks at the document in his hands. He starts speaking, and at first I don't understand, but then everything snaps into place. Marlee and Carter are getting caned. Publicly. Fifteen lashes each.

Without thinking, I stand up. Marlee and Carter are already on the platform, but neither's punishment has begun yet.

And it isn't going to happen.

I sprint to the stage, abandoning my heels along the way. I manage to get to the stairs before a guard catches up to me. He wraps his arms around my waist and tries to drag me away.

"I'll take their punishment!" I screech as the man calls out the first lash. Everyone on the platform freezes. The Royal Family's eyes all snap to me. Maxon is shaking his head desperately. Queen Amberly is frowning but nods in admiration, apparently proud of my proclamation and sacrifice. And King Clarkson… he's smiling, cold and predatory.

"What do you mean, you'll take their punishment?" he laughs, sneering at me. "They've committed treason. You wish for them to walk away unharmed?"

I raise my chin, staring the king in the eyes. "I will take their combined thirty lashes. Let them go. Make them Eights if you must, but I will take the physical punishment," I say, being sure to project my voice so everyone can hear me.

The King's smile freezes, but he leans back and nods his head. "Very well."

I walk up the remaining stairs onto the stage. "I will take every lash on my back," I state, eyeing the contraption nervously. But I worry that if I take the more minor punishment of only my hands being caned, the king will decide it's not enough and still hurt Marlee and Carter.

The king nods, seemingly fascinated by my request. "As you wish," he says.

I am hung by my wrists on the ladder-like structure Carter was hanging from just minutes ago. The back of my dress is unzipped and it falls to my ankles, and I'm grateful for the thin undershirt protecting my decency. Aside from that and my undergarments, I am naked. Maxon is still shaking his head, and I glare at him. You did this, I mouth. No one else caught it, but Maxon's face crumples. The first lash is called out.

"One!"

It hurts like a bitch, but I keep my face neutral. I don't make a single sound.

"Two!"

The second breaks skin—I feel it split, and the blood drips down my back slowly. Again, though, I stay quiet.

"Three!"

I suck in a breath, but swallow back the whimper that threatens to rip itself from my throat.

"Four!"

The man holding the cane hesitates for a moment, but inevitably does what he's payed to do. I smile tightly at him as he pulls the cane back again. He's wearing a mask too. "It's okay," I tell him. "I'll be fine. Do your worst."

"Five!"

The man doesn't hold back. I see May crying in the front row. "I'm alright May," I call to her. "I'm going to be fine."

"Six!"

The cane comes down hard. The blood isn't trickling down my back anymore—it's a steady stream of gore.

"Seven!"

I grunt, closing my eyes. I hear my family begging me to end this, to let Marlee and Carter take their punishment and leave. But I will not stand by and allow two people to suffer for being in love.

"Eight!"

I notice suddenly that the entire audience except for my family, Aspen, and Maxon are entirely silent, watching in respectful silence. Queen Amberly has tears running down her face.

"Nine!"

The queen is murmuring something, trying to send me a nonverbal message, but my sight has become foggy from the pain. I can't read her lips.

"Ten!"

Just twenty more to go.

"Eleven!"

I almost don't feel the cane anymore. My back is still on fire, but I'm getting used to the pain. I don't really feel anything other than the searing agony in my back, and even that is becoming more tolerable.

"Twelve!"

"America, please!" May sobs. She's clutching on to my father, holding his arm like a tourniquet. He's crying too, his other arm wrapped comfortingly around my mother.

"Thirteen!"

"America!" Maxon calls to me, his face tearstained. "You don't have to do this. Please, I'll do anything, just stop this madness!" I shake my head.

"Fourteen!"

I choke back a strangled sob. I will not let the king see me cry. He doesn't get that satisfaction.

"Fifteen!"

Halfway there. My head slumps forward, and I gasp for air. But I only give myself a moment to recover. I hold my head high again, letting my gaze fall over every person in the crowd. They will know that you cannot beat me. They will know just how strong I am. And they will know that I will never stand for this violence.

"Sixteen!"

I huff with the effort of staying conscious. I have to have lost quite a bit of blood by now. My vision is going in and out of focus, and I'm struggling to keep myself from slipping into the comfort of sleep.

"Seventeen!"

Maxon starts to stand, but I shake my head at him, ignoring the dizziness it invokes. I watch him sit back down, perched on the edge of his seat, ready to rush to my side at a moment's notice.

"Eighteen!"

I realize suddenly that Marlee and Carter are both still present. Marlee is tucked into Carter's arms, sobbing, watching in horror as I'm torn to shreds in their places. Carter's look is pained and remorseful. I get the feeling he wants to help me, take the rest of the punishment, but is too afraid to leave Marlee's side. I don't blame him.

"Nineteen!"

Logically, it's probably only been a few minutes. But it feels as though I've been up here for hours, fighting the screams that want to rip themselves from my throat.

"Twenty!"

Just ten more. I can do it. I'm America Singer. No way in hell am I letting the king win this.

"Twenty-one!"

I force my head up and gaze down at the sea of people. Even though I'm upset with him, I still love Maxon. Undeniably so. If I haven't ruined everything by being so openly defiant, one day these will be my people. I need to show them just how strong I can be.

"Twenty-two!"

I smile comfortingly down at Marlee. "I'm okay, Mar," I call weakly. I know she hears me. She calms down slightly at the sound of my voice. "I'd take this ten times over for a friend like you."

"Twenty-three!"

May is watching me, tears still streaming down her face, but calmer. Honestly, she looks like she's a little bit in awe of me right now.

"Twenty-four!"

My entire body feels like it's burning. It hurts. But I'm so close. So close. It's almost over.

"Twenty-five!"

Just five more. Just five more. So close. So close.

"Twenty-six!"

Almost over. It's nearly through.

"Twenty-seven!"

I fight to keep my eyes open. I have to stay awake.

"Twenty-eight!"

Two more.

"Twenty-nine!"

Last one. Then I can sleep. Stay awake for the last one, America.

"THIRTY!" the speaker bellows.

It's over. I'm released from the bonds, and I collapse to the floor, unable to hold myself up any longer. A pair of strong arms encircle me and I scream as they brush against my bloodied back. The skin is shredded, that much I know. Maxon winces at the sound of my pain. He places a featherlight kiss on my hairline.

"I know, my love, I know," he murmurs. I am lifted painfully from the ground and placed on a gurney that I hadn't noticed arrive.