All rights to Kiera Cass. This book is designed to make story edits that largely follow the original plot. So even in the edited parts it is often largely Cass's writing.

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Comment response 1: Paperbackreads: Thank you for commenting! Your response is long so I responded in the comment section!

Comment response 2: Bella: Thank you so much for the Kota scene idea you sparked an idea! (there is now a short scene in chapter 32 for you) :). I was also thinking about how it's weird America doesn't get paid while I was writing it. But it seemed too hard to write in so I decided since she's not doing the full job of a Junior advisor (she's only doing a few hours of work a week) they consider her compensation to be her stay and amenities at the castle. After the selection ends if she wasn't chosen she would be paid though.

Comment response 3: I got so many comments yesterday it was the best day of the year so far! I just wanted to spread some love to those who comment a frequently. Thank you Virtue 01, Katie Moore1, Bella, Meg loves to read, and everyone else who has commented! You guys are a big part of what keeps me writing.

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9 in 5 Chapter schedule *today is crazy

Post the chapters in a distribution that is similar to the way America experiences it for the next 5 days. Note I am in USA EST time zone.

SATURDAY

Morning: chap 10

SUNDAY

Morning: chap 11

Late Afternoon/ Evening: chap 12

Night (aiming for 10ish): chap 13, 14

* 13 and 14 both don't have as many edits as the others

MONDAY

Morning: chap 15

TUESDAY

Morning: chap 16

Late afternoon/Evening: chap 17

WEDNESDAY

Morning: chap 18

THURSDAY

*No chapters because that was a lot of chapters*

FRIDAY

* starts back with one chapter a day posted in the morning.

***This schedule is an approximation of when you can expect chapters though they may be a bit earlier or later ***

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CHAPTER 11

(edit)

SUNDAY MORNING AFTER BREAKFAST I went up to the conference room, met by the King who was as stone cold as ever.

He handed me a file, "Here's the first batch of intelligence, you are to examine it for general rebel movements and large target areas for an attack, but you will not be reviewing additional batches for today."

No. "How many?" I desperately begged, sure the death toll only went up overnight.

"Girl-" The king grumbled.

"How many died or got injured? How many that I couldn't find the attack for? How many that I found too late? How many that I found and you just had to know would die without being able to stop it?" I was trying not to cry, but it was so hard not to feel responsible for them. Then I realised, if I made any difference they would keep me going. "We move them and the rebels know. They just attack another…don't they."

The king nodded, for once he didn't reprimand me on my passion. I wondered if he was as frustrated as me. "The strategy wasn't working. We need to come up with another approach, if you have any ideas send a message." I nodded, looking around the room.

We can't find and stop the attacks. We can't find the rebels, but we can... maybe...yes that would help. "Can I have all the rebel intelligence of the last twelve months. I am specifically looking at locations of weaponized attacks, type of weapon, and where they came from."

The general walked into the room behind me. It had so far just been me and the king, but I suppose the general had a meeting. The General turned to me and looked surprised, "Last year's worth?"

"Yes. I don't know if I can do it…. But if I was able to find where a large amount of their weapons are stored would you attack it?" I replied holding my breath.

The General and King glanced at each other, "If you have significant evidence for it: yes. I'll have the reports brought to you in the next hour or two. Until then you should go to the women's room." I nodded and left. This is by far the hardest thing I have ever tried to do. We don't even know if they have set weapon locations. They may rotate them, or keep smaller amounts in hundreds of places. But I had to try. I can't sit back and do nothing.

I went into the Women's room and I honestly wished I hadn't. It was full of people who were just as scared as me but didn't know as much.

"What are you working on?" Elise asked Kriss.

(Cass)

She shrugged. "Whatever keeps me busy."

She sat for a long time with a red pencil in her hand, hovering over the paper.

"I don't know what I'm doing," she finally said. "I know that people are in danger, but I love him. I don't want to leave."

"The king won't let anyone die," Elise offered comfortingly.

"But people already have died." Kriss wasn't argumentative, only worried. "I just need to think about something else."

"I bet Silvia would have work for us," I offered.

Kriss gave a single chuckle. "I'm not that desperate." She put the tip of the pencil down, making a smooth curve across the page. It was a start. "Everything will be fine. I'm sure of it."

(edit)

No Kriss it won't, but maybe I can do something to make it...better. It didn't take long to look through today's intelligence, mostly because there was almost nothing there. I didn't have the rest of the entail yet, and I couldn't just sit here waiting for the worry to encroach. Maybe I could find a book to read, while there were some in the women's room they aren't usually my style.

(Cass)

"I'm going to hop over to one of the libraries. I'll be right back."

Elise and Kriss each gave me a cursory nod as they attempted to focus on their tasks, and I stood to leave.

I wandered down the hall to one of the rooms on the far end of the floor. There were a few books on those shelves I'd been wanting to read. The door of the parlor swung open quietly, and I realized I wasn't alone. Someone was crying.

I searched for the source and found Celeste, hugging her knees to her chest, sitting on the wide perch of a windowsill. I felt immediately awkward. Celeste did not cry. Up until this moment, I hadn't even been sure she was capable.

The only thing to do was leave, but as she wiped her eyes, she caught sight of me.

"Ugh!" she whined. "What do you want?"

(edit)

"Nothing. Sorry. I was looking for a book."

"Well, get it and go. You get everything you want anyway."

I stood there blankly for a moment, confused by her words. She heaved a sigh and pushed herself up from her seat. Snatching one of her many magazines, she flung the glossy pages at me, and I caught it clumsily.

"See for yourself. After your little rebel speech people are graffiting your name all over the place in thanks, and praising you to anyone who will listen. You're still last in the polls, but those who support you, love you. There's no way that won't be contagious."

I turned the magazine right side up, finding half of the page full of pictures of the four remaining girls with a graph beside our photos. Above the image, an elegant headline asked Who do YOU want as Queen? I was polling even worse than before. That's when I was sure. It's not just that it only polls upper castes, the king is changing the numbers.

However the quotes which edged the graph gave me hope. They said Celeste was positively regal. Elise was so poised. Kriss was sweet and well mannered. But mine….

"Lady America is just like the queen. She's a fighter. It's more than wanting her: we need her!"

"Lady America has alway been a princess. She will continue being one whether she is chosen or not, but she deserves the crown to recognise her regalness."

"We need a queen who will love all her people. Lady America is that queen."

I stared at the words. "Is . . . is this real?"

Celeste snatched back the magazine. "Of course it's real. So go ahead, marry him or whatever. Be a princess. Everyone will love it. The sad little Five gets a crown."

She started walking away, her sour mood couldn't even ruin the moment. I was finally seen by at least some of the people. But I couldn't shake how angry Celstes is. It just didn't make sense to me.

(cass)

"You know, I don't even see why this matters so much to you. Some very happy Two is going to marry you anyway. And you're still going to be famous when this is over," I pointed out.

"As a has-been, America."

"You're a model, for goodness' sake!" I cried. "You've got everything."

"But for how long?" she shot back. Then quieter. "How long?"

"What do you mean?" I said, my voice becoming softer. "Celeste, you're beautiful. You're a Two for the rest of your life."

She was shaking her head before I was even done speaking. "You think you're the only one who's ever felt trapped by your caste? Yes, I'm a model. I can't sing. I can't act. So when my face isn't good enough anymore, they're going to forget all about me. I've got maybe five years left, ten if I'm lucky."

She stared at me. "You've spent your whole life in the background. I can see you miss it sometimes. Well, I've spent mine in the spotlight. Maybe it's a stupid fear to you, but it's real for me: I don't want to lose it."

"That makes sense, actually."

"Yeah?" she dabbed under her eyes, gazing out the window.

I walked over and stood beside her. "Yeah. But, Celeste, did you ever even like him?"

She tilted her head to the side, thinking. "He's cute. And a great kisser," she added with a smile.

I grinned back. "I know."

"I know you do. That was a serious blow to my plan, when I found out how far you two had gone. I thought I had him in the palm of my hand, making him dream about the possibility of more."

"That's no way to get to someone's heart."

"I didn't need his heart," she confessed. "I just needed him to want me enough to keep me. Fine, it's not love. I need the fame more than I need the love."

For the first time, she wasn't my enemy. I understood that now. Yes, she was conniving when it came to the competition, but that was her being desperate. She simply felt she had to intimidate us out of something that most of us wanted but that she felt she needed.

"First of all, you do need the love. Everyone does. And it's okay to want that right along with the fame."

She rolled her eyes but didn't interrupt.

"Second of all, the Celeste Newsome I know doesn't need a man to get fame."

She laughed out loud at that. "I have been a bit vicious," she said, more playful than ashamed.

"You ripped my dress!"

"Well, at the time I needed it!"

And suddenly all of it was funny. All the arguing, the wicked faces, the little tricks—they felt like a really long joke. We stood there for a minute, laughing over the past few months, and I found myself wanting to look after her the way I did Marlee.

Surprisingly, her laughter faded away quickly, and she averted her eyes as she spoke.

"I've done so many things, America. Horrible, shameful things. Part of it was not reacting well to the stress of this, but mostly it was because I was ready to do anything to get that crown, to get to Maxon."

I was a little shocked as I watched my hand rise up to pat her on the shoulder.

"Honestly," I started, "I don't think you need Maxon to get anything you want out of life. You've got the drive, the talent; and probably, most importantly, you've got the ability. Half of the country would give anything to have what you have."

"I know," she said. "It's not that I'm completely unaware of how lucky I am. It's just hard to accept the possibility of . . . I don't know, being less."

"Then don't accept it."

She shook her head. "I didn't stand a chance, did I? It's been you the whole time."

(edit)

"Who knows," I admitted. The King is still playing with his selection puppet show. So in the end it could just have to be "Kriss. She's at the top, too."

(cass)

"Do you need me to break her leg? I could make it happen." She chuckled to herself. "I'm kidding."

"You want to come back with me? It's hard to sit through the days right now, and you do add a little something to the mix."

"Not right now. I don't want the others to know I was crying." She gave me a pleading look.

"Not a word, I promise."

"Thanks."

There was a tense pause, as if one of us ought to say more. It felt significant, this moment of finally, truly seeing Celeste. I wasn't sure if I could let go of everything she'd done to me, but at least I understood now. There was nothing to add, so I gave her a little wave and left.

(edit)

Only once I closed the door did I realize that I'd forgotten to grab a book. However, a familiar face reminded me that I had even bigger plans to think about right now. I'd told Maxon that I'd find us a way to get to August, and I felt certain our only shot was coming my way.

Aspen walked down the hall, seeming even bigger and taller than the last time I'd seen him. Break up suits him well.

I looked around, seeing if we were alone. There were a few guards down the hall just past him, but they were out of earshot.

"Hey," I said, beckoning him over. I bit my lip, hoping that Aspen would be as able… and as willing, as I thought he was. "I need your help."

Without batting an eye, he responded. "Anything."

After I talked to Aspen I sent a note up to Maxon. And a few minutes later the reports came. They were wheeled in a dolly and stacked as high as my waist. Causing heads to turn and looks of confusion. But I ignored them and got started. Thankfully since I was looking for specific things, I got through about three month's and had a couple leads by the time I was too worn out to keep working. I looked at the clock, I had to go anyway.

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Can America find it? What do you think?

Thanks for reading. As always please comment! I love to hear your thoughts!