Dun Dun Duuuuuuun! Oh no! Poor Queen Amberly! Will she be alright? What if they have to amputate her arm? Not only is the Queen's life getting complicated, but apparently so is America's! Keep reading to find out what happens next ;) and feel free to express yourselves in the comments.
It took approximately an hour and a half before the makeshift curtain opened, revealing a couple of doctors and a slight glimpse of the Queen. The doctors closed the curtain and headed over to where Maxon, King Clarkson, and I were sitting. King Clarkson immediately stood up and practically ran over to the doctors. They wouldn't even let him see his own wife during the procedure.
"We have some good news and some bad news," one of the doctors said.
"The bullet got really deep into Queen Amberly's arm and it took a while to fully remove the bullet. The good news is that it is gone, but the bad news is that something was laced in the bullet that has caused the wound to be infected. Should the infection spread, it could result in severe results for Queen Amberly's arm. Worst case scenario is that she would lose up to ninety percent of the left arm's ability to function. " Maxon gripped my hand so tight that as I looked down, his knuckles were almost white as snow. "We can't be certain of anything yet, but we're hoping to tame the infection before it spreads and causes damage."
"And best case scenario?" King Clarkson demanded.
"Well… Best case scenario is that she regains up to seventy percent of her arm's function back. It's still too early to know for sure, especially without the proper equipment and without the Queen actually awake to test out her arm. But even so, both she and the arm need time to heal before anything else." The King simply grunted, thanked the doctor, and sat back down. He put his head in both his hands for a couple of seconds before regaining his composure and standing tall like the true king he was.
"Maxon, America," the King walked over to us and placed a hand on Maxon's shoulder. "I can't tell you everything will be fine. We are under a rebel attack, your mother is unconscious, and it's been a very long day. But somehow, someway, we all have to keep our heads up high and show everyone that we know how to keep it together. Set an example, be a leader." And with that, he walked away, his head held high.
The attack was over within the next two hours and Queen Amberly was immediately taken to the infirmary. King Clarkson went with her, while Maxon and I walked out of the room and headed upstairs to see the results of this afternoon's attack.
And let's just say… It was absolutely awful. The entire palace looked like twenty thousand rambunctious teenagers crashed and had a party. Broken tables and vases littered the hallways, torn wallpaper was hanging off the walls, and a lot of the bedrooms were destroyed. I shivered at the sight but kept to King Clarkson's advice and kept my head held high. We finally reached me and Maxon's rooms, but they were spotless. Everything was precisely as we had left it.
"I don't get it," Maxon said, puzzled. "Why weren't our rooms hit?" I shrugged, just as confused as he was.
I left him where he was standing, in the center of his room, and walked over to my room, the door between us left open. Despite the neatness and tidiness of my room, I still felt like someone was watching me. Thinking I was probably just being paranoid, I sat down on the edge of my bed and put my hands to my forehead. I was starting to feel nauseous, probably from all the events that happened today. I rested my head on my pillow but heard a crinkling noise. Feeling my heart start to pound, I lifted my pillow up that revealed a tiny, folded up piece of paper.
I slowly reached for it, my entire body alert, and the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up. I unfolded the note and almost went into cardiac arrest after reading the one sentence written on it.
Don't think we forgot you… Princess
I stood up, bolting for the bathroom, just before I puked out everything that was in my stomach.
"America? America! Come on, stay with me," Maxon urged, trying to get me to look at him. I was in a dazed state; all I could think about was that note and those six little words written on that tiny little piece of paper. Were they coming for me? For us? I couldn't let that happen. I had a life here, and I couldn't bear to risk losing that.
I finally came to my senses and noticed Maxon bent over me, freaking out. "Yeah," I croaked, and he sighed in relief that I was at least talking. "I guess I just got nauseous all of a sudden. Today's events are finally catching up to me, although I have to say I could have done without the puking." He laughed softly, but I couldn't bring myself to join him. All I could think was that there was no way I could tell him about the note. He was already concerned enough about his mother. Maybe that note was just a bluff, it's not like they've gotten to me yet.
He looked relieved but still immensely worried. "Are you able to get up? Actually, hold that thought-" He wrapped one arm around my waist and the other behind my knees and cradled me into his arms. I smiled and leaned into his warmth.
"You're so warm and nice." I whispered, snuggling close.
He chuckled. "I'm glad you think so, my dear." I didn't even have the energy to groan at the nickname, so I just let him lead me into his room and set me down on the bed comfortably.
"I have to go check on my mother and make sure she's doing okay. You just stay here and get some rest, okay? I'll go have your maids sent here immediately to watch over you in case you feel ill again." Maxon reached down to kiss my forehead and I just muttered sleepily under my breath.
"I love you America," and then he was gone. Just like that, I was out.
