Hi everyone! A guest reviewer asked if I could do the last two chapters in Maureen's POV, so here it is, it is slightly long, but...enjoy!

Maureen's POV

I was born a six, you would think that it's no so bad, at least the sevens and eights are below you, but the aren't, not anymore. King Maxon and Queen America, trying to do the right thing, got rid of castes seven and eight. Since then, all of the work that sevens did fell to the sixes, which was good for us, since we had more work to do, and more chances to make money.

It really sucked though, being the new lowest of the low. And it didn't help that I had 4 other siblings that my parents needed to feed. At least King Maxon had the local food pantries in place before he died, so we didn't go hungry, right?

Wrong!

I was the oldest, and once I was old enough to understand the way the world here in Illea worked, and understand what they were saying, I formed opinions of my own on this country I called home.

When King Dominick assumed the throne, things changed. He was soft, and weak. He let his advisors rule the country, and most of his advisors were greedy and corrupted.

The food kitchens used to be stocked plenty, but once King Dominick stopped enforcing the law that twos and threes needed to donate food to them, they stopped, and the kitchens were no longer in service, a fact that no one in the palace, save the staff, knew about.

According to my parents, the cause of all of our problems was the king. Now, I was not one to just take someone's word and go along with it, so I did some research on my own, looking at newspapers and magazines in the garbage bins of houses of twos and threes, and some shops as well.

My conclusion: the king was indeed weak and was not fit to rule this country.

I was about 10 when my parents decided to join with the southern rebels, that were re-organized soon after King Dominick's ascension to the throne. The reason for our joining was the death of my youngest sister. She died from pneumonia, and that was the last straw to my parents.

I was unsure at first, but decided to go along with it anyways.

Princess Emily had just died then, and the nation was mourning for the loss of her.

The southern rebels had killed her.

I was a little skeptical about joining a pack of murderers, but having no other options, I joined the rebels, who accepted my family with open arms.

I then learned that Emily, the princess, was really alive, but had been switched at birth by Malcolm, a southern rebel was posing currently as one of the kings advisors.

I was about 13 when my father died in a failed assassination attempt on the king's life.

By then I had spent 3 years training to become a part of my own team. I thought that my father and I would become partners, but now, that would never happen.

Devon, the 16 year old rebel prodigy was in charge then. I didn't know much about him, just that he split off from the northern rebels, who were non violent and came here instead.

Devon took an interest in me, said my skill with knives and guns were impressive. At the age of 13 I replaced my father as a full fledged southern rebel.

By then, the rebels had stopped trying to kill the king, and just wanted to manipulate him.

When I was 14 I became the girlfriend of the leader of the southern rebels. I now had a title.

I also had a mission. Prince Jacob, the only and eldest son of the king was going to have his own selection in two years time, Devon's goal was for me to be included in that selection.

The problem was that we lacked the spies to get me in, but the northern rebels had the perfect spies, and we knew that they were entering 3 of their own girls, and I had to be one of them.

Saying goodbye to Devon and my family, I 'joined' the northern rebels. I spent 2 years there, which was a lot, for me, and by the time it came time for the selection, no one batted an eye that I volunteered.

Much to my disappointment however, Cory, the leader of the northern rebels, chose Ashley to be in charge of our group of three.

Jacklyn became second in command, and I became third, which I was not too happy about.

We girls had one goal, one of us had to win the selection, and unite the people with the rebels and the monarchy.

Well, that was Ashley's and Jacklyn's order. Mine was to wait until I got a signal from Devon, and then kill whoever I was told to, most likely the king, who we stopped trying to control now and just wanted to kill.

Malcolm, one of our spies, left in my room at the palace a backpack full of knives, and a gun, and all black clothes.

There was also a note, 'Wait until I tell you to act.' From Devon.

Meanwhile, without telling me, Devon made plans of his own.

He kidnapped James and then attempted to kidnap the true princess, Cassie, who'd I'd gotten to know.

She was really nice, and I felt a little sorry for her.

Then Devon, that idiot! Got caught and winded up in jail during this huge showdown where he faced his old partner Cory, all done without my knowledge.

I was really getting frustrated. I felt abandoned and used. Thoughts began to go by, what it Devon never even liked me in the first place, but used me because of my perfect age for the selection?

I brushed those thoughts aside, that could never happen!

I thought for sure then that I would be called on to break Devon out of prison, but no.

Devon escaped with Malcolm's help.

That's when I got a note from Devon, and it scared me. He was trying to scare me, to tell me what was going to happen to me if I failed.

You may have heard that the king is in a coma, because some idiot failed to assassinate him properly. That idiot is now dead of course, and I can trust that you won't fail me either. Use what the late Malcolm gave you, and kill the king, he's in the hospital wing. Afterwards, kidnap Cassandra, I want to use her as bait. I have decided that the entire royal family is unfit to rule, so we must get rid of all of them. Use this key to unlock the door, you know what I mean. And remember that I love you and am counting on you.

-Devon

I knew then that he really was using me, but I refused to believe it. Malcolm was dead, and I'd go the same way if I failed. I didn't want to hurt Cassie, I truly knew her well now, and I didn't want to hurt anybody I knew and come to admire.

But, then again, the fear was there, in the back of my brain, that I was just a pawn in Devon's game, and would die if I didn't do what he asked.

I thought that Prince Jacob would make a good king, but Devon didn't. But Devon didn't even get to know him like I did!

Having no choice, I pulled on the black clothes and face mask and pull on the backpack with weapons, pulling out a knife to kill the king with.

Taking a deep breath, I stealthily enter the infirmary, and am seized with panic when I see a doctor examining the king. Without thinking, the knife in my hand flies into the doctor's back.

I run over to him as he slumps to the ground.

I'd never killed a man before, I just had lot's of target practice back at the rebel camp. I check for a pulse, half hoping there was one, but there wasn't.

This doctor was my first kill, and I wasn't taking it well. I always thought that I wouldn't feel any remorse after killing, after all, Devon never did, or so he said.

Speaking of Devon, why wasn't he doing this dirty work if he was in the palace in the secret passageway?

Because if you get caught killing or kidnapping, no one will tie you to him. Says a nagging voice at the back of my brain.

Shaking my head to get rid of these thoughts I take out a second knife...and kill the king.

Tears pool in my eyes, making my mask slightly damp.

I was an assassin, a killer, a murderer, but...I truly believed that the king wasn't right for this country, and that he had to die, just, I wasn't the one who I thought would do it.

Behind me a hear an intake of breath. Eyes widening at being caught, I whirl around and see Cassie herself standing there. My first thought was thank goodness she was here! This makes kidnapping her easier. My second thought was, get her!

Cassie turns around and runs out the door, and I lunge for her.

She screams as I tackle her to the floor, making sure that she doesn't get hurt as I do so.

I pull out a knife out of the holster on my thigh, and I laugh a little at how easy this has been.

I flip her over and pull of my mask, it was itching my hair.

Cassie looks at me, horror stricken, I knew that she knew that I was a 'northern rebel' so she really shouldn't have been that surprised when I revealed myself.

I smirk at her a little as I pull my grip on her tighter and pull her up to a standing position.

I put my knife to her neck, just as the guards arrive, probably called by her scream.

Cassie starts crying a little then, and the guards just look at us, unsure of what to do.

Oh yeah, I still was apart of the selection, not anymore I guess. Kidnapping the princess does kind of kick you out of being in the competition to win her brother.

"Help me!" Cassie yells at the guards, surprising me a little.

Reacting, a clamp a hand over her mouth and throw her into the infirmary, leaping in after her and locking the door tightly.

Not a moment to soon! The moment I lock the door, a bullet echoes as it hits the wall where I'd probably just been standing.

I see Cassie's revolting look as she looks at the king's still form, oh yeah, that was her birth father.

Awkward.

I take out the gun in my pack and point it at Cassie, I didn't want to shoot her, and I hoped she didn't call out my bluff.

"Please, don't hurt me!" She begs.

I snort a little at that, "Yeah, I'm not going to hurt you begged me not to, yeah, that's going to save your life." I say sarcastically.

She's crying freely now, and I push down my twinge of doubt about following Devon's orders.

"Why are you doing this, I thought you were working with Cory." She says wiping her tears.

How did she know about Cory? Oh wait, he was her adopted brother.

"Why am I doing this?" I repeat. "Because I was tired of being patient and non violent. Cory is stupid and a fool, the only way for people to have freedom here, is to get rid of the monarchy. At first, we thought King Dominick was the problem, but I soon saw that Prince Jacob would only ruin us as well." I say reciting what Devon has said to me in his note.

"But Jacob can make changes to this country." She says pleading.

It isn't up to me! I want to wail. Instead I ignore her and tie her hands with some rope from the pack.

"I don't think so." I say instead shrugging my shoulders.

"What are you going to do with me?" She asks scared.

"For now, leverage, later, you die." I say, thinking that is in fact what Devon wanted to do to her.

"Are you in cahoots with Ashley?" She asks.

At that I laugh a little, "Hell no, that little baby is so stuck on her ways, she'll do anything Cory says, besides-"

I'm rudely cut off by a guard yelling.

"Princess Cassandra!" He yells through the door, "Are you alright!?"

"Don't answer." I say quickly.

Cassie gulps, but nods her head anyway.

I grab a flower vase, and throws it at the window. I wanted to create a distraction, so those guards would leave and I could leave as well!

"Princess!" Someone shouts outside.

"Jump Cassie." I say very loudly and theatrically.

Confused, she get up, but I shove her back down, and put a hand over her mouth.

In her ear I whisper, "Say, it's too high up." I say.

She does as I say.

"Ok, now yelp in surprise like I just pushed you." I whisper again.

She complies.

I look around for something to drop to the ground that looks like it weighs the same as Cassie, and grab some heavy and expensive looking machinery that was smallish and drop it down.

"Yell like you hurt yourself." I whisper.

She yelps.

I hear footsteps outside the door as guards rush outside to the garden the infirmary faces.

"No! I'm fine!" She yells in frustration.

I grit my teeth at her and place my knife against her cheek.

"How dare you!" I shriek in a whisper.

If I don't deliver this girl to Devon, my life is over, he'd practically said it. And I kind of valued my life, after all, I still had a mom, and a brother, plus three sisters back at the rebel hideout that I'd like to come back to alive.

Guest- No problem

Lia- Really, I didn't? Thanks for telling me, I went back to the first chapter and added some stuff, I can't believe I forgot to describe Cassie!

Kiren- Does this count?

Property of Illea- :)

Girls left: Ashley, Bree, Ariel, Courtney, Lana, Ruby, Allison, Juliana

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