The Report began as per usual with my father's 'it was the rebels fault' speech. I tried my best to not slouch in the beautiful dress given to me.
"Around the new year, there will be public assistance for food in every Province Services Offices. Any Five, Six, Seven, or Eight may go there any evening-" I rolled my eyes and could see Silvia glaring at me. I glared back and at my father.
"I know it was your idea, but let's be real. If it was to become reality, I had to take it over." Maxon whispered.
"It shouldn't have taken you to present the plan when I have been pushing it for the last year and a half!"
"Princess!" Silvia hissed. The bastard had the decency to take over my project. I couldn't care. I slid out of my throne and left the room. The cameras would have seen none of it and the audio was not on for my mic. I unclipped it from my dress and shoved it in some poor tech boy's hand before storming out and to my room. My small balcony was perfect with little fairy lights and a small couch and table. A light knock came from my door as Declan entered the balcony. He kissed my hand before running his mouth over the revealed skin of my neck and collar.
"Declan? What are you doing?" I giggled before humming. He began to leave butterfly kisses, his slight stubble tickled my skin. "Declan… Stop, I-"He kissed me forcefully, playing with my hair. I took off his jacket and bit his bottom lip. Everything tipped sideways as he moved me under him. He moved his lips down to my neck and kissed his way up to my ear.
"What were you saying?" His husky voice sent shivers down my spine. He played with my stud erring and bit my cartilage.
"Um…" I stuttered. I gasped slightly when his hands moved to my butt. "Declan!" I captured his lips and moved my dress up to wrap my legs around his waist. I unbuttoned his dress shirt and lifted his white cotton tee and let my hands roam over his abs. Declan moved his hands to my legs and felt the rise and fall of my calves. His worn hands made me shiver and pull him even closer. A slight bulge stopped me.
"Declan, stop. We can't do this." I fixed my skirts and hair as I stood up from the two-person couch.
"Sorry." He blushed and covered himself with his shirts. I tried to smile seductively and kiss him.
"It's no problem, hun. I am truly flattered." I sat back down and put my head on his back. A black line snaked down his back. "What's this?" I traced the top of his back and followed it down. A phoenix rising from a pile of ashes covered his back. "I love it. Why did you get it?" Declan kissed my fingertips.
"I've been a part of the rebellion since I was fifteen. I've been friends with August for years." I laughed and pressed my lips to his neck. "You're going to be the death of me Catalina." I stood up and sat on the edge of the wall, letting my feet dangle over the floor. A shiver danced along my spine as the wind whipped around my body.
"Here." Declan wrapped his button up around me.
"Thanks." A song was playing in the distance, a light violin. Declan stood up. "What are you doing?" He gave me his hand.
"Asking a beautiful woman to dance." A blush rose to my face as I put my hand in his, electricity shot up my arm.
"Liar." He pulled me close and swayed with me.
"It's true." He mumbled into my hair.
"Then, why, O Romeo, is it true?" He twirled me.
"Have you looked into the mirror lately?" He hummed with the music.
"That sounds like an insult."
"It's not." I pressed a kiss on his collarbone.
"Seriously though Cat. You're amazing and beautiful and perfect."

I found myself in our huge lawn doing paperwork as my multiple cousins ran around with Maxon. My Aunt and Uncle on my mother's side were visiting with the King of Sunday and his wife. A man's hands covered my eyes.
"Guess who?" I leaned back in my chair.
"Is it The King?" I tapped my finger on my chin.
"Not quite…"
"Is it Maxon?" The man kissed my neck. "Declan… my cousins… there watching, and so are the royals of Swendway." He sat on my table. "Hun, I have work to get done, so move it!" I slapped the side of his butt.
"You know, that kind of behavior isn't appropriate in public." He chided me. I rolled my eyes and stood up to get some water, but Declan grabbed my waist and brought me close to him.
"Ah! Declan! Let me go!" I gasped. One of my closest cousins laughed and pretended to gag before Maxon chased him away with his camera. Declan let go and kissed my cheek.
"Gross Catty!" Erin ran away to her sister to start gossiping. Declan hopped down and walked me over to the water area.
"Why does it have to be so bloody hot out?" Declan complained as he wiped his brow. I myself was sweating, even in my yellow top and black shorts with my normal boots.
"Isn't she hilarious?" One of the selected told America. I turned to see the few of them gossiping about my Aunt.
"I don't know. She seems friendly." America replied. My Aunt has always enjoyed the fineries of being a One.
"She's vulgar, you should have heard all the things she said before you came up."
"Declan, if I do anything rash in the next ten minutes, hold me back." He gave me a confused look.
"What?" He glanced over to the girls. "Cat, do not do anything rash."
"What was so bad about her?" America spoke again.
"You'd think she'd have picked up a few lessons on decorum over the years. How did Silvia not get ahold of her?" I stormed up to her in anger. Declan put an arm around my waist as I got in her face.
"May I remind you, she was raised as a Four. Just like you, so you better shut your dumb ass mouth before I-"Declan pulled me back.
"No Catalina," Declan whispered in my ear.
"Watch your back!" I spat at her before Declan shoved me back.
"Pull yourself together Cat!" He handed me a glass of water. I drained it in five seconds tops.
"Thanks." I hiccupped and put the water glass back. "Refreshing." Maxon snapped a picture of me and Declan's hands.
"Sister, I feel like I haven't talked to you in ages." I shrugged.
"I've been busy trying to come up for new plans for you to steel." Maxon rolled his eyes and offered his arm to me.
"Can I talk to you alone?" I took his arm and walked around the yard.
"What's on your mind?" I pondered.
"I kissed America." He said it in a hurried way that would make you think he was embarrassed by the action. I shoved my shoulder into him.
"You lucky dog! Give me details!" I saw Declan talking to Celeste. My eyes rolled as an annoyed sigh left my lips.
"She was just awkwardly standing there, so I kissed her." I smiled and watched Celeste drape a hand over his chest.
"Good for you, excuse me, Max." I stormed away and came up to Declan.
"Hey, babe." I kissed him for a long time. Celeste loudly huffed and stormed away. I moved back from Declan. "Sorry, but she's a whore." He laughed.
"Aww, are you jealous?" I scoffed. Me? Jealous?
"No. Why would I be jealous?" I moved away from him, grabbing another glass of water. It was immediately snatched from my hand by Declan who ran away from me.
"Declan!" I chased him around in circles before I tackled him to the soft ground. His eyes stared at me as he tucked a strand of my hair out of my face.
"I think your burning." He tapped my red nose.
"I could care less." I kissed his nose before getting up.
"Catalina!" My mother shouted across the lawn.
"What?" I shouted back. She waved me over. "I am going to talk to her, then I am going to my room to read." He nodded before watching me jog over to my mother.
"What's up?" She pulled me over to the other Queen.
"Queen Helena, I would like to introduce my daughter." I held out my hand.
"Catalina, ma'am." She smiled.
"Pleasure, call me Helena." I nodded. "It may not be my place to ask, but who is that you are courting?" I blushed.
"Captain Declan Winchester," I replied. "He is a good man. His father is General Winchester of the first brigade." Helena smiled and nodded.
"General Winchester is a good man. You're in good hands if the Captain is half as good a man as he is." I bit my cheek and nodded. I glanced over to my original table with my papers. A stray guard was tucking one of the statistic sheets of how much money goes to fighting the rebels into his jacket pocket. "Excuse me." I narrowed my eyes as I ran up to Declan.
"That guard is stealing my papers. It's illegal." Declan nodded, sobering up, and made eye contact with another guard before surrounding the man. I entered the tent as Declan read him his rights. The man looked up at me, glaring a pure hatred.
"Don't look at me like that when you're the one stealing my papers." I saw Maxon, The King, and a handful of other guards rush over to us.
"Check his pockets. The papers have to be in there." One of the guards patted him down and produced a gun and my papers.
"Lock him up." Maxon ordered. I sighed and resorted the mess on my table.
"I'm going up to my room to finish this." I slid the paperwork into my hands and went inside with Declan. I could see the Selected looking at me, some concerned like America and others disgusted like Celeste.
"We should go shooting sometime." Declan grabbed my paper and held my hand as we walked.
"I would love too." We walked in to see a dozen or so maids in my room. "What the hell?" I shouted over the noise to no prevail, so I moved to my unused piano and pressed ten random keys to make a horrid clash of notes.
"Hey!" Declan yelled. "What's going on?" I stood on the bench to see the maids with a small cork board with a bunch of names, lines, and numbers.
"Gambling in my room again?" I stepped down off the bench and fell onto my bed. "Can y'all go somewhere else to gamble?" A bunch of footsteps and the door quietly shut before the bed tipped.
"You should at least get into some more comfortable clothes." Nerves bubbled in my gut as I turned my head and tried to be sexy.
"Are you asking me to strip for you, Declan?" His name rolled off my tongue in a surprisingly taunting way. His eyes grew dark.
"Maybe, Maybe not." His voice was husky and low, it pulled me in closer to him. Our lips met in a hungry way. One of these days we were going to go to close to the edge and just tip over it and into obliteration of our two beings and into one. I broke off.
"Declan. We need to move slower." My breathing picked up. "We are going to push ourselves too far. I'm scared of what could happen." He nodded and moved away from me. I shut my eyes and put my fist on my forehead. "You probably hate me now. Sorry, just forget I said anything." Declan crawled back on the bed and crawled half on top of me. Our breaths mixed as he took my fist from my head and kissed it.
"Don't apologize for necessities." He kissed me gently. "Boundaries were made to be respected." I draped my legs around him and flipped him over. I kissed his neck and nibbled, making him moan.
"Whatever happened to boundaries?" He gasped breathlessly as I ground into him. The door slammed open.
"Catalina! Reporters are coming to the palace in two weeks!" Nicki breathlessly said. I kissed Declan one last time before getting off of him.
"Next time I'm putting a towel over the doorknob," I mumbled.
"Declan. Get out. I need to talk to her alone." He kissed my head and shut the door behind you.
"What Nicki?" She moved over to my couch.
"You need to be careful with how far you go. It is against the law to have sex before marriage." I blushed and looked down.
"Yes, ma'am." I stood up and changed into a night-gown.
"Your back I healing nicely." Nicki touched my bare back.
"Good. Do you think I should get a tattoo?" I turned to Nicki after I put the dress on.
"Ask Maxon for his insight. I don't know anything about this stuff." She spat. I pulled her to the vanity. She always felt better after playing with my hair, so I forced a hairbrush in her hands. whenever she felt upset.
"Can you do a waterfall?" I quietly asked. Her face melted slightly and accepted my offer. She began to hum a traditional song.
"Why are you angry?" I turned to her.
"Cat. You know that boy I was dating?" I nodded slowly. "I caught him kissing another maid… I tried to break up with him but…but…" She broke down in sobs.
"Nicki! Oh, Nicki what happened?" I whispered.
"No." She stood up and moved her sleeve up all the way. Large purple and blue marks marked her skin.
"The bastard, I should have him hanged!" She nodded.
"I wish, but that would not be just." She sobbed.
"I could just throw him out of the castle. Does that work?" She smiled and nodded. I fell asleep that night peacefully and ready for the challenges of the incoming weeks.
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