*All characters belong to Kiera Cass*

Chapter 11

"I am fine, really," I said for the hundredth time.

I'd left the medical wing early in the morning, with May by my side. The doctor gave me some vitamins that I was supposed to take every morning. We set up an appointment for the end of the week. I figured doing it later would give me more time to come to terms with the pregnancy.

Now, May and I were in my room. Lucy was already there when May and I had arrived earlier. The guard who carried me to medical told her what happened after his shift. Well, he told Aspen who then told Lucy.

The sheets were already changed on my bed when I got there. I assumed the others were thrown out or sent to the wash with the hopes of getting the stains from last night out.

"Just the way Caleb described it," Lucy said, referring to the guard. "Aspen went to check on you but the doctor wouldn't let anyone in. Then he came to me."

May and I exchanged a look. "Lucy," May said, saving me. "America just had feminine problems. Extreme feminine problems."

We'd come up with the story in the early morning. I would tell people that I'd experienced a rough 'feminine' issue last night and May felt the need for me to get checked out by the doctor. It was the only thing we could think of, so we hoped it would work.

"It was a lot of blood," Lucy replied, looking stressed and concerned for me. "I was just so worried when I heard."

I sighed, taking her hand. "Lucy, it was all in the middle of the night and we all just overreacted. I mean, waking up to blood everywhere was intense. And when you are half asleep on top of it, things just got blown out of proportion is all. Would the doctor let me go back to my room otherwise?"

She frowned, "I suppose not. Aspen is going to be relieved."

He was on duty on the castle grounds, apparently. I'm sure he would have come here with her to check on me otherwise. And she was right, he was probably out there more worried about me than his posting.

"Listen," I said, wiping the tiredness from my eyes. I was sure I had bags underneath them. "Can you please go talk to Caleb and the other guard and tell them it was all a big misunderstanding. I don't want the whole palace in an uproar over something so silly."

After a moment of hesitation, she wiped off the worried look and nodded. "Yes, I can do that."

"Good, and if you see Aspen you can tell him now so he isn't worrying all day."

She nodded, leaving us in the room to do as I'd asked.

May came over and sat beside me. She leaned her head against my shoulder, "You should sleep, Ames. You look very tired and quite pale."

I put my arm around her shoulder, pulling her in more. Having her at my side and having someone else know about my pregnancy was a comfort. May was always kind, it was a trait that she got from dad. I suddenly wished he were here now. His advice was always something that I could rely on. Though, I wondered what he would say about all of this. He probably wouldn't be too impressed with me at the moment. The thought made my stomach churn.

"Ames," May murmured. "I think you should rest. For the baby."

Right, I thought, looking down at my stomach. It wasn't like it grew over night or anything. There was no bump yet, as it was still so early. But just knowing there was something growing in there was enough.

"You're right," I told her. I went over to the fresh sheets of my bed, lying down. May sat at my side, smoothing my hair. "I'm glad you're here."

She smiled, "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Now close your eyes."

I did as she asked. She hummed a song for me and slowly, I began falling asleep into a dreamless slumber.

There was someone pounding on the door sometime later, but I was too tired to open my eyes, let alone get out of bed. I heard footsteps moving around the room though. Sighing, I nearly fell back asleep until I heard voices talking.

"Is she alright?" A male one asked.

"She is, but she's sleeping." The feminine one sounded familiar. I groggily managed to open an eye and peek through the mess of hair that was falling over my face. The room was dim, but I clearly saw May and Maxon standing in the doorway, talking.

"Maxon?" I called his name sleepily, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

"America," he came straight over to my bedside. May stood at the end of the bed, watching us with worried eyes.

"What time is it?" I asked no one in particular.

"It's the middle of the day, my dear. I would have come sooner but I was just told," he said, taking my hand.

My mind, finally clear of sleep, suddenly remembered everything. I looked at Maxon, my heart picking up. "I'm fine, I just needed some extra sleep. You didn't have to come here."

He frowned, "Of course I did, I still care for you. Just because of everything that has happened and what was said yesterday, doesn't mean I wouldn't come to you if you needed me."

"I don't need you, Maxon," I said, making it sound like the truth although it was anything but. "As you can see, I am perfectly fine. May's here."

He looked up at her, like he'd forgotten or something. When he faced me again, a look of hurt was on his face. It made me want to take back my words, but I knew I couldn't. I also knew that now was not the time to tell him. I wasn't sure when that time would come, but I did know that I couldn't' do it just yet.

Silence hung in the air until he finally stood up, releasing my hand in the process. I suddenly felt the need to grab hold of his again and pull him towards me. Just because I told him that I didn't need him, didn't mean I wanted him to leave. Gosh, I sounded pathetic.

He walked over to the door, giving me one last look, "Well, I hope you feel better. The meeting with the English is in an hour, if you feel up to joining us. But I am perfectly fine without you there."

Having my words thrown back at me was hurtful, to say the least. But maybe I deserved it. "I'll be there," I told him earnestly. He gave me a rigid nod and left, closing the door behind him.

"Maybe you should have told him," May commented as she leaned against the bed post. "You were mean to him, Ames."

I scoffed, "He was mean to me too."

"But you were first." She had a valid point, not that I would admit it.

I got out of bed, my stomach had a dull ache but nothing like yesterdays or last nights. "I should shower and get ready for the meeting today."

"Maybe you should rest and take it easy," she said, following me as I went towards the washroom. "You look a bit better, but not a hundred percent yet."

I sighed, turning to her. "I feel fine now and I am sure I will look better after a hot shower."

"Alright," she said, backing off. "I'll just read my magazine."

Locking the door, I took the hottest shower of my life. The warmth of the water helped me relax. Maybe she was right, I guess I could have just told Maxon the truth. I mean, he had a right to know. After all, it was his child I was carrying. Our child.

On the other hand, it would change everything. He was engaged to another woman and sleeping together before marriage was against the law. I wasn't sure what would happen to either of us. Also, adding this to the 'Why Kriss Hates Me' list was going to make her explode. And if he married Kriss, would he even want to know our child?

I got dressed, putting on a loose dress that had an adjustable belt at the waist. The thoughts in my head were bringing on a headache. I put on some minimal makeup, enough to make me look presentable and make the bags under my eyes disappear. I combed through my knotted hair and decided to dry it out and leave it down.

Saying a quick goodbye to May on my way out, I headed to the conference room. The guards in the halls looked at me with worried expressions on their faces, probably already hearing about last night. Each time they did, I smiled politely and (I hoped) reassuringly. I just prayed that no one became suspicious. I couldn't let the truth seep out, not yet. Not until I had some sort of plan.

Everyone was in the room already. They all stood as I came in and we shook hands. Oliver gave me his usual grin, but I could see that there was concern in those baby blue eyes of his. As I approached the Prime Minister, he held my hand a little longer than the others, pulling me in.

"I have heard about your medical scare last night, Lady America. I hope you are alright," he said with a sincere smile. "You don't need to stay if you aren't feeling up to it. My colleagues and I completely understand."

I returned the smile, "It was nothing, just an overreaction on me and my sister's part. As you can see, I am in perfect health. But I thank you for your concern," I turned to all of them. "Now, we should start this meeting as you all have a plane to catch later."

Maxon avoided my eyes, clearly still angry about earlier. I guess I should talk to him, but I didn't even know where to begin or what I would tell him.

"We've received word of the vote," the Prime Minister said after everyone took their seats. "A majority vote for keeping an alliance with Illea has been passed."

"That's good news," Maxon replied, looking relieved. "Very good news. Thank you all for coming and listening to Lady America and I."

They smiled in return as the Prime Minister continued, "We want to offer five hundred shipments of machinery and ammo to the Northern rebels you are working with, your majesty. And if you need anymore, we are pleased to abide."

"That is very generous," Maxon said, shaking his hand. "Thank you again."

"We are allies and you two were very good at reminding us about why we were," he told us. "We think Illea and England have a strong future together, a peaceful one too."

Soon after some further discussion, Maxon rang for some refreshments so we could celebrate. And soon, in came champagne, fruits, and desserts.

"I think the food alone was convincing for the ones here at least," Oliver whispered in my ear as everyone was pouring glasses of champagne and trying the food.

"It's one of my favorite parts," I agreed.

"I'll sure miss it," he said. "Among other things."

I turned to him, eyeing his expression. "I'll miss you too, Oliver. You're a good friend. We'll have to keep in touch."

He gave a genuine smile, "I would like that, Lady America."

We ate and the others drank a glass or two of the champagne, though I stuck to water. My stomach was pretty empty, so I had two large helpings of food. This earned me a laugh from Oliver, who'd been at my side the whole time. I didn't feel guilty though, as I was eating for two now. Not that he, nor anyone else in this room knew that.

Soon, Maxon and I escorted the English to the front doors and said farewell. Oliver was bold enough to give me a warm hug before leaving. I hoped I would see him again soon.

With them gone, it was only Maxon and I in the foyer. "I should get back to the office," he said, turning away.

"Wait," I called to him. My hand was suddenly on his arm, as if it had a mind of its own. I pulled it back, and looked up at him. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you when you came to my room. I shouldn't have told you that I didn't need you. You didn't deserve my rudeness."

He stood there, his eyes pouring into mine. "You're really alright? There's something different about you."

I took a step back, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure," he said, shaking his head. "I can just feel it."

I bit my lip. "Well, I don't know what you're feeling but there is nothing to worry about. Like I said before, everything is fine."

"I wish we could go out there," he said suddenly. I saw him looking over my shoulder and turned to see what he was talking about. There was a large window that overlooked the front grounds. "Well, the gardens in particular. They have a special space in my heart."

I noticed that his cheeks were slightly flushed. I wondered if all of this talk was due to the champagne from earlier. We were, once again, heading into dangerous territory.

"Maxon-"

"Did they leave already?" Kriss appeared on the staircase. Perfect timing on her part, I nearly rolled my eyes. She came down, smiling at us both. I could tell, however, that she was not pleased to see us alone together. I suddenly wanted to throw up.

"They did, my dear." Maxon leaned in to kiss her cheek. She tilted her head at the last second, however, and his kiss landed on her lips instead.

Maxon glanced at me and I quickly looked away.

"That's too bad," she sighed. "I wanted to wish them a safe trip. Did they choose to remain allies with us?"

"They did," Maxon told her. "America and I were able to convince them."

"How wonderful," she smiled. "America, I heard you weren't feeling too well. Is there anything I can do?"

"I'm alright now," I said, wondering if she was being sincere or not. "I should get back to my sister."

"Oh, is she here?" Kriss asked.

I nodded, "She came yesterday."

"How nice," Kriss smiled, but something in it made me feel like she was nervous all of a sudden. Or scared. Before I could think on it any longer, she left with Maxon on her arm saying how she needed to go over some wedding details with him.

May and I ended up spending the rest of the day lounging around my room, kind of like what I wanted to do yesterday. We also spent some time in the women's room, watching television and playing music together. Neither of us spoke about the pregnancy, though it was always on my mind. When I played the piano, I wondered if the baby liked it. Or when we laughed, I thought about how the baby may be able to hear me.

Soon, this baby was becoming very real for me. Something concrete. I thought it would make me feel worse, but it actually made me feel the opposite. A life was a precious thing, after all. This baby was a reminder of Maxon's love, and that was something, wasn't it?

As night fell upon us, May decided she should stay for a few more days. Even though I knew that mom probably needed her.

"I think you need me more," she told me when I shared my concern.

"When you go home, you can't tell her," I said. "If anyone should know first, it's Maxon. And I don't know when that time will come."

She rolled her eyes. "I promise, my lips are sealed shut."

"Thanks May," I smiled at her. "You're the best."

Suddenly, my stomach grumbled. May laughed, kneeling over. I gave a slight chuckle, "I guess I'm hungry."

"Then we should get some dinner," she said, managing to contain her laughter. "Let's go."

We made our way to the dining room, my stomach growling the whole way there. I wasn't patient enough to wait in my room for Lucy or Marlee to bring me some food, so the dining room it was. Maxon and Kriss were in there, sitting at the table. They were eating already, with their plates half empty. Kriss was going over some papers while Maxon was sitting there, looking slightly bored.

His expression changed, however, as soon as May and I entered. At first, a look of surprise crossed his face. It then changed to something else, though. Something that made my breathing pick up.

"America, May. We weren't expecting you two to join us," he stood as we made our way to the seats across from them. "We would have waited for you before starting."

Kriss's attention was on us now and she didn't do that good of a job of hiding her disapproval of us being there. "How nice," she commented. "We thought you'd be in your room, America. Like always."

I saw that her hands were in fists. This reaction was very odd, but I suppose she was probably still upset with what happened at the dance.

"We were too hungry to wait," May interjected for me. "I also wanted to see you, Kriss. And Maxon of course." May said it in a way that sounded sincere. But I knew better. She was simply saving me from all of Kriss's attention.

Kriss turned her eyes to May, the anger fading slightly. A look of guilt flashed across her face, but she hid it with a smile. "May, I heard you were here. How's your stay so far?"

"Wonderful." As the food came, May was quick to tell Maxon and Kriss about everything we'd done in the palace. The part that made Maxon look to me was when May told them about the movie. Including the part where Oliver and Henry had joined us. I shoved more food into my mouth, ignoring him as I focused solely on stuffing my face.

"We should head to the room," I announced as we finished eating. I was beyond full. "We appreciate you two letting us dine with you tonight."

Kriss looked at the two of us, suddenly turning pale. "Maybe you should stay here longer," she said.

May and I shared a look. Even Maxon looked shocked.

"Thank you," I said slowly. "But we really ought to go. Right, May?"

May nodded, following my lead. I wasn't sure why Kriss wanted us to stay, but I sure didn't.

"I'm really sleepy," May said, with a yawn. I was pretty sure she was acting, but I rolled with it.

"She had a long day," I put my arm around her, acting like the concerned sister. "Thank you again, though."

"I'll escort you to the room," Maxon announced, standing up.

"What?" Kriss looked over at him.

He smiled down at her. "Caleb, the guard that helped Lady America last night is posted outside her door again. I wanted to stop by and give him my personal thanks. I'll be quick, my dear."

With that, he followed us out of the dining room. I chose not to look back at Kriss, though I was sure she was watching us as we left.

"It was nice seeing you both in the dining room," Maxon commented as we made our way through the halls.

May suddenly stopped, making me nearly collide into her.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

She turned to us, "I forgot something in the women's room. From when we were there earlier," she explained.

I frowned, "What did you forget?"

"My sweater," she answered. "I'll go get it."

"I can come with you," I said.

"No, don't worry about me. I can find my way back. We're already halfway to your room, no need to come all the way back for me. I'll just be a few minutes."

She left us, dashing away with a sly look on her face. I put two and two together, suddenly realizing she left Maxon and I alone on purpose. She had no sweater, from what I remembered.

"Shall we?" Maxon asked me. I turned to him and nodded after a moment. I was going to kill her when she returned.

Maxon gave me his arm as we approached the stairs. I slowly took it. Touching him, even through the sleeve of his shirt sent sparks through my veins. Once we reached the top of the staircase, he didn't pull his arm away and neither did I.

"I meant what I said earlier," he said as we made our way through the hallway. "It was nice to see you in the dining room again."

"It brought back some old memories," I stupidly said. Why did I bring that up?

"It did," he agreed, without hesitation. I looked over at him and saw he was already looking down at me. My stomach suddenly felt like there were hundreds of butterflies fluttering about in it. How he still had that effect on me, I didn't know.

We approached my room, Caleb was standing at the end of the hallway. Maxon lead us over to him, though I removed my arm from his as soon as we stood in front of Caleb. I didn't want him thinking anything that would lead to more people talking about me in the palace. I had enough of that after last night.

"Mr. Newton," Maxon greeted.

Caleb bowed. "Your majesty. Lady America."

"I wanted to personally come and give you my thanks for helping Lady America last night," he said. "You reacted quickly and bravely."

"Thank you, your majesty."

"I also wanted to thank you," I added. "My sister and I couldn't have done it without you."

He smiled at me. "Of course, Lady America. It was my honor."

"We'll let you get back to your post," Maxon said, veering us towards my door.

We entered my room. I wasn't sure why Maxon came in with me. With my head telling me to make him leave and my heart screaming the opposite message, my stupid heart won the battle, yet again. We took a seat on the sofa, our knees turned in toward each other.

"May's taking long," I commented. It wasn't like the women's room was far.

He nodded, "Yes, she is."

We sat there, and I could feel his gaze on me. It made the butterflies return. I looked up at him, our eyes colliding. Everything from his chocolaty brown eyes to his honey blonde hair made me feel things I didn't want to admit. I suddenly wondered what he thought of me. If he still thought I was too beautiful for my own good, as he'd told me once upon a time. The memory made me warm.

"Why are you here, Maxon?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. Somehow, I needed to know. Whether it broke this moment we were having or not.

His hand went to my cheek, caressing it with the softest of touches. It still somehow managed to send shivers through my body. I bit my lip and saw that his eyes went right to the movement. They lingered, before moving back up to meet my gaze.

"I'm drawn to you," he finally said. I felt his breath brush against my skin and soon realized how close we were sitting now. Our knees were even touching. "I can't help it. I've tried, but I can't."

My hand moved to the one he still had on my cheek. Holding onto him, I tilted my head slightly, enough for my lips to reach the inside of his wrist. Closing my eyes, I was brought back to the past once again. To moments we shared, some where we were closer than this. He was with Kriss. I told myself this several times, but the message just didn't register.

"America," he said my name like it was a prayer. And suddenly I felt his lips on mine. His strong, warm lips moved against my own and soon I was being pulled toward him, his arm moving around me. My own hands had a mind of their own and were soon clutched around his neck.

I gasped for air as his mouth made its way down my jawline, moving to the spot just under my ear. He lifted me so I was on his lap, my legs on either side of him. And our mouths soon found each others again. I started to undo the buttons on his shirt, feeling his muscular chest underneath my fingertips. As soon as I had them all undone, I slid my hands up his chest and slipped his shirt off, over his shoulders. A moan came from him, making me smile.

"America," he said my name again, causing my knees to go weak. I'd always liked his arms, and now that his shirt was off, I could admire them.

His hands started to roam, ending up at my bare thighs. The dress I had on was bunched up at the bottom. As soon as his skin made contact with my legs, it was like his hands were leaving a trail of heat, warming every place that he touched.

"Maxon," I moaned into his mouth. As if he could somehow get closer than he was, my hands moved to his hair, pulling him closer to me. I loved his hair, it was soft and just long enough to grab onto.

Suddenly, I was being lifted up. His strong arms held me close and I moved my legs around him. I squealed, clutching onto him. He laughed at me as he dropped me onto the bed.

"What are you-"

Before I could finish, he was on top of me. His mouth trailing over my neck and going up to the spot by my ear again. Maxon's hands were pulling my dress up. A shiver ran over me.

"Are you cold?" He looked up at me, breathless.

I shook my head, "Not at all."

This earned me a smile, a very satisfied smile. His lips sank into mine again and before long, the dress was nearly off of me.

"The belt," I gasped.

"Right," he nodded, undoing it. With that gone, he managed to slip the dress over my head in a matter of seconds.

His eyes roamed over my body, causing me to blush wildly. As his eyes moved back up to mine, a look of pure love shone on his face. His look brought me back to the night we had made love. Every touch, every look, all of it replayed in my head again. How we held each other afterwards, falling asleep in eachothers arms.

"I can't stand it," he mumbled between kisses.

"What?" I asked, my voice sounding raspy.

"How truly beautiful you are," he said, I could feel his smile on my lips.

I brushed my lips against his. "I love you," my mouth blurted out. I didn't move as I slowly peeled my eyes open to see his reaction. He was slightly flushed, but a look of pure awe was on his face.

"I love you too," he gazed down at me. "So much."

Before I could process it, his lips were on mine again as if he were desperate to hold me, to touch me. A newfound urgency filled the air as his hands roamed over my body, sending goosebumps in their trail. His hands started to slip the straps of my bra off of my shoulders. As soon as he found the second strap, however, something made us both stop moving.

The alarm was going off. The Southern rebels were in the palace.