Hey guys! It's me, again (finally), and here's a new chapter. I feel bad for not posting for a whole week so I made it longer than I intended. I hope you enjoy it! As always, please review (be nice about it though) or follow or favorite. Thanks!
The castle was in absolute, unadulterated chaos. Tapestries torn, ragged rugs scorched in places from blazing gunfire, blood splattered on the floors and walls. The other girls weren't far behind me, and I heard a small squeal come from Elise.
As I rounded the corner, a squadron of castle guards rushed into me, carrying a seemingly lifeless body. I recognized the length of his legs, his narrow torso, and strong shoulders. Aspen. Internally, I was screaming. The unthinkable had happened, and I could do nothing. I had to keep calm, act like nothing was wrong. To the others, he was just another guard; nameless, faceless, anonymous. They had no idea of the times we had shared, of the person he was, and the heart that he had.
Another guard, somewhat behind the group ran past us. Maxon graciously asked him what had happened to the other guard. "Bullet to the chest. We have to get him to the Nursing Wing as soon as possible. Excuse me, Your Highness." The guard was gone before Maxon could even ask him for more details.
The Prince came up to me as the other girls walked off, unfazed. "You look as if you've seen a ghost." My believed sense of calm was apparently fake, because Maxon could see it. I tried to shake it off, forget it. He would be fine. He had to be.
"I-uh I'm fine." I lied. The world seemed to be coming down on me, walls collapsing, floors shaking. My breath was ragged and short. Words did not want to come out.
"You're not fine. Sit down with me." I had no choice, he grabbed my hand and led me to a nearby chair. "What's wrong?"
How could I put it in words he would understand? There were too many memories, too many events that made him more than just a face. "It's silly," I began. "He guarded my door."
I hadn't seen Aspen since the day I was almost kicked out. My heart had been broken, and he said he was still prepared to fight for me, but I wasn't ready for him. I wanted the opportunity to choose him. He was my first love, but I wanted to know if he would be my only love. When I was with him it felt like we were the only two in the world; I didn't care about the fact I was committing treason, and I didn't mind that we had to hide. I loved him when I was with him. But, when I was with Maxon, all my feeling for Aspen seemed to fly out the window.
Maxon comforted me by patting my back as I sobbed into his shoulder. He must have thought I was crying because the rebels had made it so close to what I considered my safe haven. Although, he was completely wrong, I wouldn't correct him. I had become so accustomed to the rebel forces and their attacks on the castle that I was barely fazed anymore. Don't get me wrong, when Maxon was nowhere to be found I was shook up, and when I was alone in the gardens with them, I was terrified. But, after the fact, nothing could shake me more than Aspen being hurt.
However, I let him believe that I was scared, because to tell him the truth now would be too complicated.
Minutes later, with my crying-spell complete, Maxon accompanied me back to my room. It was perfect-just the way I had left it. Bed sheets perfectly made, sheet music ready to be played, and a now cold bath drawn in the bathroom. He kissed me on the cheek before saying a quick goodbye, his father wanted to speak to him, he said. I nodded and shut the door. May was there, with mother and father, and they quickly embraced me as I walked through the door.
"Oh, America, that was terrifying." May cried; I had forgotten they were even here. I heard a rumor they were supposed to leave this morning.
"Is that what you have to deal with when they attack?" Father asked. Mother, surprisingly, was quiet.
"Not always. Sometimes it's better." I offered. I wanted to tell them the difference between the two rebel forces, but that was a secret Maxon entrusted to me, and I was trying to better my secret-keeping.
"I am so sorry. You know you can come home anytime you like, right, dear?" Father added. I told him there was no way I was leaving now-I had become too accustomed to the food.
May and father laughed, but mother barely cracked a smile. This wasn't like her. Usually, when I told a joke or did something stupid that everyone else thought was funny, she would fain fake annoyance, but I knew, on the inside, she would be laughing. Now, she seemed distant and angry.
"Mom, what's wrong?"she looked taken aback when I addressed her. I had never seen her act like this before. She looked at me, and in her eyes I could see that she was scared. She was trying to hide it, but she couldn't. She had never been in the life or death situation before and it terrified her to her core. She embraced me again. And, for the first time I'm what felt like forever, I hugged her back.
For hours, we talked, the four of us, like we were the same old family. But, we weren't. Dad was graying and he seemed to be getting more wrinkles around his eyes. Moms hair had always been perfect and red but she seemed to be getting some grays too. May was older, taller, almost the same height as I was, and not too long from now, I would be in her shadow. I asked how Gerad was doing and the talked about how he was practicing the piano. He didn't like it, but what could he do. We talked about my performance on the Report-well, May talked, the rest of us smiled and nodded along.
"It was so romantic!" she swooned.
"You kiss someone in front if the entire country and see how romantic it is." Quickly, she dropped the subject. Then the topic of the castes was brought up.
"We meant to ask you: what on earth were you thinking? The castes are very important to our society." Dad added.
"I was angry. And believe me, I know that now, but I was just so frustrated with everything. I was basically trying to get myself sent home." I admitted, although I didn't want to.
Mom and Dad reacted the way I expected them to: in complete horror. May was fascinated and shocked at the same time.
"But when I talked with Maxon the last time-"
"A lot of things have changed. Things that I won't bother you with, but, in short, we didn't trust each other. And I was positive he was going to make me leave anyway, so why not go out with a bang?"
"And now?" May asked with an innocent look on her face. God, had I ever been that naïve?
"Now, I know that he cares for me, but he also cares for the other girls, too. So, I'm trying hard."
"Really?" May exclaims. "Oh! It's going to be you, I can tell." My little sister grabbed me by the hand and jumped around me. Just once, just for one second, I allowed myself the privilege of wanting to win. Then Kriss walked into the room.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "The families are supposed to meet downstairs. The cars are about to leave." I kicked myself for letting my guard down-she was my biggest competition in the Selection. Now, if I wanted to win, I had to make sure she didn't.
"Thanks, Kriss."
"We'll, I guess this is goodbye." Mom looked better now, no longer silently scared. Instead, she seemed proud. My mother, finally proud of me. All it took was the Selection and a rebel attack on the castle.
"Don't come home without a ring, okay?" May said it with an extremely serious face, but I knew she was only joking.
"We'll, I don't care if you come home with a ring." My father added as he leaned in for a hug. "Just make sure you're happy." He kissed me on the cheek as I promised I him I would.
I walked them downstairs, and all of the other parents and siblings were there, waiting for the cars. The Queen said a few goodbyes. Strangely, the king was missing, as was Maxon. Then, they were gone, along with a piece of my heart.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. I was too caught up on what my family and I had talked about to deal with any of the other girls. Did they really expect me to win? How could I when I wasn't even princess material?
And how could I focus on anything when Aspen was in the hospital wing, fighting for his life? I knew I had to see him, it just depended on when I could fin the time. When my maids came back I had already decided that I would sneak out of my room at midnight when there were barely any guards on post and visit him.
I had to know if he was okay.
