A/N: I know it has been a few days, but this will most likely be the average pacing going forward! I'm sure there will still be days where I post multiple chapters, but those will be less frequent. I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

Chapter Eight: America

I had no idea how long I had been kept in that cell.

Every day, as blood dried then flowed again, beating after beating, I struggled to remember that I had a life worth living outside of the palace walls. Even now that happiness with the man I loved was out of my reach, I had a family that loved me. Mom, May, Gerad, Kenna and her family, Aspen, Lucy, Celeste, and Marlee.

I was not ready to give in to the pain and break their hearts. If I must die, I would at least give them the comfort of knowing I fought with everything I had to come back to them.

I hoped, somehow, Maxon would know that I had been fighting for him too.

Several times a day, Alexander would stroll into my cell. Sometimes he would have his camera crew in tow, sometimes he would have a henchman or two to do his dirty work for him, and other times, like now, he came in alone.

"Well. Aren't we looking lovely this morning?" He chuckled coldly as I struggled to sit upright, weak from pain and hunger. He took a seat in his usual chair and crossed his legs. I held his gaze, and he nudged a toe of his boot against my dirty barefoot. I jerked it back, grimacing from the action.

"Don't touch me," I spat. Alexander rolled his eyes.

"I have to tell you, America. I'm a little disappointed."

I didn't take the bait, my gaze holding steady. I concentrated on keeping my breaths even, though each one made my broken ribs scream.

"Don't you want to know why?" He waved a hand forward as if he were leading a child through the mechanics of a proper conversation. When I remained silent, he pulled a little video camera from his pocket and held it up, turning it on.

"I'm disappointed, America, because no one seems to care about you." He shrugged, a false look of sympathy on his face, "Not your prince, not your family, not the news. No one. No mention of the neighborhoods we burned, even."

I looked away from the camera, ashamed of the tears stinging my eyes. The palace hasn't commented because you're not their business anymore, I told myself, wrapping my aching arms around my broken body, Don't let him get to you.

"I think perhaps we all overestimated the prince's affections towards you, don't you think?"

"Yes," I whispered, although the knowledge of Maxon's feelings for me still burned in my heart. I had carried jealousy when it came for Kriss for so long though, it was easy for me to wonder if that wasn't the better choice all along. Alexander's eyes lit up as he moved the camera closer to my dirty face.

"Yes?" He pushed, poking a finger into the bloody gauze that covered my bullet wound. I screamed before I could stop it, clamping my lips shut once I remembered myself. I bit so hard on my cheek that I drew blood.

"A fallen star, cast aside because she's a Five." He murmured, sitting back in his chair again, "Used by the monarchy, particularly the prince, to garner the love of their people before throwing her away. He will continue to divide the country, just like his father."

"Liar," I managed, breathing through the pain ripping through my shoulder.

"What was that?" Alexander lowered the camera slightly.

"Liar. You're the one…mph." I closed my eyes, finding the strength to keep speaking through the pain, "You're the one dividing our country. You burned my neighborhood to the ground. We were Fives and Sixes… And you took everything from us…Who already have so little!"

He snapped the camera away, shoving it back into his pocket. He stood, kicking my hip so I slid sideways along the rough concrete floor.

"You ruined another one of my little movies, My Lady," he sneered, then reached down to pull my matted hair so that I was forced to look at him. His face was so close, I could feel his hot breath on my skin. "If you do not start cooperating with me, people you love will have to pay the price." He shoved my face into the concrete, then swept out of my cell.

XxXxX

"I think about it sometimes, you know," Maxon whispered, his fingertips trailing down my back as I rested with my head on his chest. We were in the garden, stretched out on one of our favorite picnic blankets.

I rolled over onto my stomach, kicking my legs in the air as I gazed at him. I didn't care who saw or if it would be deemed unbecoming for a member of The Elite.

"Think about what? Me?" I teased, propping my chin on his chest. He laughed, sweeping his palm over my hair. It struck me how easy it seemed, being with him. How easy it seemed to be somewhere I never wanted to be.

I could not fathom being anywhere else.

"Always assume that I'm thinking about you, America," He winked, brushing a thumb across my cheek, "But, more specifically, I think about what it would be like to be normal. Like you. Like you and… and him. Before he hurt you."

I glanced away. I didn't want to talk about Aspen when we were sprawled out together like this. I didn't want to think of another's arms when his were wrapped around me.

"Normal?"

He nodded.

"We could really date," he sighed, "Like a real couple. Just the two of us. Like you've always said you wanted."

"Just you and me," I whispered longingly, fiddling with his loosened tie.

"You and me," he agreed, his fingertips running up and down my back. After a moment, he raised himself up on his elbows, gazing at me, "What kind of things would we have done?"

I hesitated. Despite my years with Aspen, I had no clue how to "normally" date, either. Shrugging, I refused to meet his gaze for a moment.

"I don't really know," I whispered honestly, "He-my ex- was a caste below me, and so we hid our relationship. And sixes… they work long, hard hours, so the only time we spent together was after curfew."

I peeked up at him through my eyelashes, half expecting him to be angry. Instead, he looked sad for some reason. He cupped my cheek in his hand, his thumb smoothing the shadow beneath one of my eyes.

"Darling, I'm sorry," he murmured, "I shouldn't have brought it up."

I shook my head, catching his hand and holding it to my face.

"No, I'm glad you did. Because I want to hear these things, Maxon. It reminds me what I'm fighting for… reminds me that maybe I'm still special to you."

"Never doubt it," he breathed, drawing my face to his then, leaving me breathless with a long, slow kiss.

XxXxX

I woke with a start, suddenly overcome with the distinct sensation that someone was watching me. My eyes scanned my cell until they caught Alexander's, peering at me through the bars.

"Did he love you or not?" He asked quietly, seeming to doubt himself for the first time.

I blinked, refusing to answer.

"My guess is, maybe not as much as either of us had hoped?" He tilted his head, scrutinizing me. His eyes roamed over my battered body, taking in the ruined pajamas, matted hair, and face streaked with dirt and blood. Then gray eyes met mine once more.

I held his gaze. I would not be the first to look away.

"Maybe he saw the poor girl beneath the glitz and glam, the make-up and dresses," he mused, "Maybe decided that isn't what he wanted. How disappointing you must have been to him."

I shook my head. He smiled, pleased by my moment of weakness.

"Oh no? You disagree?"

"I don't know," I shook my head again, confused by his line of questioning.

"Well, we'll know soon enough if he did. Love you, I mean." He unlocked my cell and stepped in, standing over me.

I looked up at him, clenching my fist. Ready for another assault. He sighed.

"So rude. This is where you say 'How's that, Zander?" He paused, rolling his eyes when I remained silent. "I'll tell you anyway. Remember your little bracelet? I sent that as a special gift to the King… I'm hoping his son gets it."

"Zander?" One of the other rebels peeked around the corner, "Fifteen minutes."

"Ah. Thanks, Rick," Alexander replied without turning around, "Fifteen minutes until The Report. Fifteen Minutes until we know for sure."

"For sure?" I asked wearily, terrified of another round of texture.

"Mhm," Alexander hummed, the picture of ease as he rocked back and forth on his heels. "Since there has been radio silence from the throne, we realized that maybe no one knew you were alive. We did give you an awful beating that first day, didn't we?" He nudged his toe against my gunshot wound, causing me to scream out and slump sideways. A dry sob wracked through my tired body. "So, we sent them a little token. A little treat. A little sign. Letting them know you were alive."

He pulled up his usual chair, perching on the edge as he continued to glare down at me.

"Not a word. Silent. We had been so sure you were the key… That despite his choice, you might still prove to be Maxon's weakness." Alexander heaved a dramatic sigh for my emphasis. "But there's only talk of Lady Kriss this. New season coming that. Lady Kriss again. They claim to be winning the war. Lady Kriss. Engagement. New beginning. Lady Kriss, Lady Kriss. No mention of American Singer at all, nor of the sixty homes we burned to the ground trying to get you."

"Guess you messed up then, huh?" I asked quietly, raising an eyebrow in defiance. His upper lip curled and I was sure he was about to land a punch when one of his cronies peeked into the cell.

"Nothing, Zander. The prince is sitting there with his fiancée and the king's going on about making advances in the South. Nothing about the girl."

Zander cursed under his breath, then bent low over me, sneering.

"Come on then, Princess," he hissed, grabbing me by the elbow and jerking me to my feet. I was so weak, my knees crumpled. I would have fallen if his helper hadn't grabbed me by the other arm.

Together they threw me into the chair that Alexander had just vacated. He smiled, but the anger burning in his eyes made it look more like a leer.

"It's showtime."

A/N: Let me know what you think! :D