'What about the people?' I asked over the top of the ageing advisors.

'What about the people?' One of them retorted angrily.

'Has anyone informed the people of our plans or of what's been happening since the New Asian's invaded?'

'No, we've been a little preoccupied with trying to save the country from destruction.' Another chimed impatiently, glaring at me from across the table.

'The war has two fronts the one we fight with the New Asians and the Rebels but also the one we fight with our own people. This is a battle this country has been fighting its entire existence. You have left your people ignorant and they have grown tired of it. You need their support more than they need your leadership.' I answered the councilmen firmly. 'It's easy to get lost in the numbers and statistics of a country but every number, every report is a person. Someone with a family, a home, with hopes and dreams for the future. These people need to know that they are valued. They need to feel safe in the knowledge that they're leaders rank their worth equally no matter the number of their caste. They need to know they aren't expendable. A number cannot define a person. In the end when the war truly begins nothing will separate us or make one of us more immune than another. Death will not avoid us because of our number. A bullet will kill you just as fast whether you're an eight or the King himself.

'The people are our greatest resource in this war. We need to inform them of our decisions. It is their country that is at stake here. They deserve the right to stand up and fight to protect it.' I finished angrily and I caught King Frederick's proud smile out of the corner of my eye.

'Lady America is right. The people have been outside our walls ever since the attacks began. They are growing more restless everyday. We need to inform them of the state of their own country. We shouldn't fear giving the people knowledge.' Maxon announced drawing all the attention in the room to him. 'We will announce to the people what has been happening. Furthermore, we will call for all those willing to fight to step forward. Men, women, twos or eighties. Everyone deserves the right to fight for their country.'

'That has never been done before, highness.' One of the older men on the council stated aggressively.

'If Illea is to survive not only this threat but ones that will transpire in the future, it is time we made some changes. These changes should not be feared but embraced, anyone who does not support this can leave now.' Maxon challenged but no one moved. Instead a few of the older members of the council looked passed Maxon and instead had their focus on the impassive King who had remained silent throughout the entire meeting.

'King Clarkson?' The same man asked looking expectantly at his King. The King finally, brought his eyes up to meet the members of the council and I could see the hollowness in them. He wasn't willing to fight for his own life let alone the lives of his people.

'The Prince is right.' He sighed heavily. 'We will hold an announcement outside the Palace walls later this afternoon to announce all of the Prince's plans to the people.'

Maxon looked up at his father in shock and I quickly grabbed his hand under the table and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Maxon looked down at me then returned his attention to the council members.

'Lady America and I will announce everything to the people this afternoon. For now this meeting is over. I need to speak with Gavril Fadaye about all of this so he can prepare.' He announced a little dazed but no one objected as they made their way from the room.

When everyone had left he turned to me and took my other hand in his.

'Are you all right to stand before all these people?' He asked tenderly.

'Of course, it needs to be done.' I answered quickly.

'I just thought after last time…' He trailed off reliving the nightmare of my last public appearance.

'Maxon, last time was different.' I said quietly placing my hand on his cheek pulling his eyes back to mine.

'How, if anything this time will be worse than the last. The people will be angry and confused. We are the easiest target for them right now to place blame and honestly I don't think they're wrong. They're leaders have failed them for so long why would they ever believe anything we have to say. Not to mention the rebels are more active than ever. You would be in so much danger.' He realised in alarm. 'No, you will not be up there with me.' He continued changing his mind when he thought about all the possibilities of how I could die.

'Maxon, calm down. It's going to be fine.' I tried to reassure him.

'How? Last time I almost lost you, I can't let that happen again. I was hasty in announcing you would be up there with me.'

'Maxon, I am not letting you go up in front of all those people alone.' I answered firmly as he got up to his feet.

'I'm not letting you go on that stage this afternoon America.' I quickly got to my feet and grabbed both of his hands in mine.

'Maxon, this time is different.' I implored.

'How?' He sighed looking away from me.

'You'll be with me this time. We don't need to face the people alone. We'll never need to face anything alone ever again.' He looked at me for a long time considering my words. I could see the pain in his eyes and the dark fear creep across his face until it was completely eclipsed.

'I can't lose you America, look what happened to my father. I can't lose you.' He said firmly squeezing both of my hands in his.

'You're not going to lose me Maxon, you could never get rid of me that easily.' I smiled, but it barely reached my eyes.

'I would never want to get rid of you America.' He breathed pulling me until I was crushed against his chest. He held me for the longest time before eventually letting me go.

'I need to go and speak to Gavril, why don't you go and get ready and I'll join you shortly. We need to discuss what we're going to say.' Maxon said running his thumb across my cheek smoothly. I smiled up at him, glad he made the right decision.

'This is right Maxon.' I assured him.

'I know. After all, how could I deny the people a look at their future Princess?' He said sadly before walking from the room.

I was back in Maxon's room waiting for my maids to return when I heard the loud knock at my door. Confused, I crossed the room and opened the door gingerly. When I saw who stood there I immediately regretted it. I stumbled back from the door and almost tripped in my haste to get away. My eyes were wide and my heart fluttered widely in my chest until I slammed into the post of Maxon's bed and it stopped all together. My back tingled in the presence of the person who had inflicted so much pain on it. I felt my world spin as the King crossed the threshold of the door and closed it behind him. I watched, paralysed as he approached me.

'Lady America, please don't be afraid. I'm not here to hurt you.' He said sadly stopping a few feet away from me.

'How do I know that?' I stuttered, still unable to move.

'I want to apologise.' He admitted lowering his eyes to the space between us and I could only stare at him in shock. The King wanted to apologise, to me?

'I was wrong that night, I've been wrong a lot in my years as King. I just refused to see it or admit it. My father always told me a King was never wrong no matter what he did.' I watched in confusion as the King turned his eyes back to me with unmistakable sadness and regret.

'When you passed out, I knew I'd made a mistake. Honestly, I respected you that night when you took the punishment instead of allowing me to inflict more pain on my son. Then you refused to scream and I hesitated but then I remembered my father's words and I knew I couldn't stop. I couldn't be wrong. Then your body gave into the pain and I knew I couldn't let you die. I realised in that moment you were stronger than I ever was because unlike me you were willing to sacrifice yourself for the man you loved whereas I was never willing to do that for my Amberly. She suffered because I was weak.' He said bitterly and I waited patiently for the King to continue no longer fearing the broken man before me.

'I wrapped you in my jacket and I was rushing you to the infirmary when I heard the alarms for the rebels. All I knew was that I needed to get you to safety. So, I took you to Maxon or where I knew he would be. A guard, officer Ledger I think, tried to take you from me but I knew it needed to be me. I wouldn't trust you with anyone until you were safely delivered to Maxon. I had already done so much wrong in my son's life the least I could do was ensure you got to him after I had almost killed you. I'm so sorry America.' I saw the raw emotion in his eyes and it pierced my heart. This man was still Maxon's father. He was a product of a broken home but unlike Maxon he had never been able to rise above it. He had been trapped and abused and now he was dealing with the consequences. I'm not sure what compelled me to do what I did next but before I knew it I had pushed myself from the bed post and had crossed the distance to the King. Gingerly, I rested my hand on his shoulder, which were slumped in defeat. This man was so unfamiliar and foreign from the one who had hurt me that night. His eyes shot up to mine with the contact and I saw surprise flash in his eyes before remorse and regret returned.

'I wish I had been stronger. I wish I could have stood up to my father like Maxon stood up to me but I was afraid, weak. I wanted to be strong for Amberly and I was for a time but eventually I bowed to my father's pressure. I was a terrible husband and an even worse father and now it's too late. She's gone and Maxon will never forgive me for what I've become, what I always was. He should hate me, you should hate me, the country should hate me.' He finished angrily. I look up at the King for a long time unsure of how to speak to him now that he wasn't who he once was.

'It's not too late.' I said finally and the King looked up at me sceptically. 'There's still hope.'

'How? Amberly's gone. I can't bring her back and I can't undo what I have done.' He answered helplessly.

'No, you can't do any of those things but you can ask for forgiveness, you can still be the man that the Queen wanted you to be. She told me she wanted to save you. You can honour her memory by being the man you always wanted to be the man she wanted you to be.'

'I'm not strong enough to be that man. For all these years I have mistaken fear as power but now I know the greatest power is love. I am weak. I was never worthy of Amberly's love.'

'Don't insult her and her choices. She would have never given her love if she didn't see the possibility for good in you. You need to be strong for her and you can be. You're already braver than you think.'

'I am not brave.' He scoffed turning from me and taking a few steps away.

'Yes, you are, just by being here, apologising to me proves you are. Only the weak refuse to admit their mistakes, only the weak refuse to change. Yet here you are, a man who claims to be weak doing both of those things.' I said to his slumped back. He slowly turned to face me a vulnerability I had never seen before shimmering in his eyes.

'I was wrong about you America. I have been wrong about almost everything in my life but my opinions of you have been my greatest mistake. You are exactly what this nation needs and what Maxon needs. After the childhood I gave him he deserves someone like you. He has no one else now, I took that from him too.' He said sadly.

'He still needs you, he'll always need you, you're his father.' I declared taking a step toward the crushed King.

'But, I've been a terrible father, he doesn't need me, no one does.' He admitted defeatedly.

'Yes you were.' I confirmed and he looked at me in shock, 'You were a terrible father but now is the time to change that. Be there for Maxon, support him don't pick him apart like you have his entire life. Maxon will always be your son and he will always look to you for approval. You just need to be there for him, reassure him.'

'Why are you doing this America? You should hate me? I do.'

'You are the father of the man I love. No matter what you've done you will always be a part of his life but I will not allow you to hurt him anymore. Do not continue to make the same mistakes as your father.' I said fiercely

'I will never let him rule my life again. He has cost me everything.' He said aggressively. 'Did you ever wonder why there have been no princess's in the royal family since Gregory Illea?' He asked, laughing darkly. I shook my head uncertainly but let the King continue uninterrupted.

'It wasn't allowed, women are weak. That's what my father told me. They will be the downfall of this country. After all my mother nearly was but she wasn't weak. She was stronger than my father and her husband before him, she killed him after all. She made sure Amberly never had any girls and after she was gone I continued her legacy. My father may have been violent to me but my mother was the worst of all, she played a very different game. She got in your head until you couldn't help but see the world her way.' How had the King survived through all of this? It was unimaginable for a child to suffer through such despicable parents, yet still he was able to love Amberly.

'I killed Amberly.' He choked out before a single tear ran down his face and before I knew what I was doing my arms were wrapped around King Clarkson.

'You didn't kill her.' I whispered trying to sooth the heartache.

'I did and I have to live with that for the rest of my life.' He choked out. I let him hold me for as long as he needed until finally he pulled away, his eyes rimmed with red from his silent tears. He took my left hand in his and looked down at the ring his son had given me.

'At least my son learnt one thing from me.' I looked up at him puzzled, until he continued. 'The importance of an engagement ring. When he was younger I explained how the different stones could represent different things. He was so curious about his mother's ring.' He smiled nostalgically turning my hand in his so the ruby's flame flickered in the changing light.

'I chose Amberly's because it represented love, devotion and adoration. It was my promise to her, one I was never strong enough to fulfil. I gave her an emerald ring because I wanted to give her a love my parents had never given me. I wanted to chase away the darkness but it consumed me and ruined not only my happiness but my wife's and my son's as well.' I waited for him to speak again as he continued to look thoughtfully down at my ring.

'Your ring fits you perfectly. It represents passion, love and courage. Something you have in abundance.' He smiled thoughtfully. 'However, with your red hair I am hardly surprised. The ruby represents those who have a passion for life and can be overly dramatic. Maxon chose perfectly and if I know my son at all, there will be a deeper message within the ring. He always was the romantic.'

'What message?' I asked eagerly, looking down at the ring my fiancé had given me.

'You'll find it when you most need it. Maxon would have planned it that way. He always was smarter than me I just chose to ignore it and squash it when it shone through. He is the better man and I guess I have Amberly to thank for that.' I continued to look expectantly down at my ring hoping to see the message Maxon had left me.

'America, I plan to give Maxon the crown after you are both married.' I looked up at the King startled by his words. 'I can't be King anymore. The people don't need me, they need Maxon and you. They need hope and I can't offer them that. My heart died when my wife's stopped beating. I can't be the King the people need me to be, I never could. The best I can hope for my life now is to be the father my son needs me to be, the man you see in me. The man Amberly saw in me.' I nodded solemnly at the King absorbing his words until the silence in the room consumed us as we were both lost in our thoughts. The King was still holding my hand when the door opened and Maxon came walking in.

'America, I-' He stopped mid sentence when he took in the scene. The King quickly dropped my hand, taking a step away from me hastily. 'Get away from her.' Maxon growled striding furiously over towards his father who remained where he was.

'Maxon, it's not-' I was cut off mid sentence when Maxon pulled me behind him and eyed the King warily.

'America, get out of here, now.' He ordered pushing me towards the open door.

'No, Maxon, he wasn't doing anything wrong. He…he came to apologise.'

'What?' Maxon asked in disbelief, turning to face me.

'He wants to change.' I said softly looking behind Maxon at his father.

'Is this true?' Maxon demanded turning back to face his father but I could hear the hope in his voice even if he didn't want it to be there.

'Yes.' His father breathed, the defeat heavy on his shoulders. For the first time since entering his room to find his father Maxon looked at him, really looked at him. I saw the confusion cross his face before he covered it with his emotionless mask.

'I need to prepare to address the people.' He said coldly. His father nodded and then started towards the door of Maxon's room. Maxon watched his retreating back until the door finally fell shut. I saw the tension fall from Maxon's shoulders and after taking a deep breath he turned to face me.

'Did he hurt you?' He asked in concern, taking both of my hands in his and looking over every inch of me.

'No, he just wanted to talk.'

'Talk? My father never just wants to talk, why was he really here?' He demanded squeezing my hands tightly.

'He wanted to apologise. He's sorry Maxon for everything. He wants forgiveness. The loss of your mother has really affected him.' I said honestly, but with as few details as possible. If the King wanted his son to know about his past he would tell him. They weren't my secrets to tell. Maxon thought about this for a long time before he answered me.

'He really just came here to apologise?' He asked in disbelief and I nodded in reply. 'My father has never asked for forgiveness from anyone.'

'He's changing.' I said simply and Maxon looked down at me thoughtfully.

'Can you ever forgive him?' He asked quietly and I knew the answer to this question would help him decide whether he could ever forgive his father so I thought about it carefully before answering.

'I never thought I would be able to,' I started cautiously, 'but I never thought he would ask for it either. I can see a difference in him Maxon and I think with time I could learn to forgive him just as he has learnt to ask for it when he is wrong.' Maxon nodded, deep in thought before he returned his eyes to mine.

'You're amazing.' He whispered placing a soft kiss on my lips, making me smile.

'Not as amazing as you. He told me about the ring Maxon. You really see all of that in me?'

'I would be a stupid man to ignore the passion that burns inside of you.' He smiled placing another soft kiss on my lips before pulling away again. 'Now come on we have to get ready. We only have a few hours before we need to address the people. Are you ready?'

'As long as you're by my side I can face anything.' I said with determination pulling him in for a real kiss, showing just how much I truly loved him. I tried not to think about the thousands of people who would be looking to us in the next hours. Right now I was alone with Maxon and I was going to savour it before we changed everything forever.

What do you think of the King? I've wanted to write a chapter about him for a long time. I promise you I hadn't forgotten about him. Of course there is still more to his story, his parents will always be a mystery and the miscarriages but that was a little insight into him. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it :) Thanks to all those who are reading and reviewing you all make me very happy :)