CHAPTER 23

THE NEXT MORNING, I WOKE feeling a little guilty. Frightened even. Just because I didn't return Maxon's ear tug didn't mean he couldn't come to my room any time he wanted. We so easily could have been caught.

While Macon and I were just friends it was still treason. And there was only one way the palace dealt with another part of me thought Maxon must have known that might happen. He put him on my guard rotation for God's sake.

In the hazy moments of waking, I relived every look in Aspen's eyes, every touch, every kiss. I missed that so badly.

I wished we'd had more time to talk. I really needed to know what Aspen was thinking, though last night had given me some clues. It was just so unbelievable—after trying so hard to not want him—that he might still want me.

It was Saturday, and I was supposed to go to the Women's Room, but I just couldn't stand it. I needed to think, and I knew that wouldn't happen in the endless chatter floating downstairs. When my maids came, I told them I had a headache and would be staying in bed.

They were so helpful, bringing me food and cleaning the room as quietly as possible, that I almost felt bad for lying to them. I had to, though. I couldn't face the queen and the girls while my mind was so solidly fixated on Aspen.

I closed my eyes but did not sleep. I tried to clear up just how I felt. Before I got very far, though, there was a knock at the door. I rolled over, catching Anne's face as she silently asked if she should answer it. I sat up quickly, straightened my hair, and gave her a nod.

I prayed that it would and wouldn't be Maxon—I was afraid he'd be mad but I also needed someone to talk to—but I wasn't prepared to see Aspen's face walking through my door. I felt myself sit up taller and hoped my maids didn't notice.

(cass)

"Pardon me, miss," he said to Anne. "I'm Officer Leger. I'm here to speak to Lady America about some security measures."

"Of course," she said, smiling brighter than usual and gesturing for Aspen to enter. In the corner I saw Mary nudge Lucy, who let out a tiny giggle.

When he heard the sound, Aspen turned toward them and tipped his hat. "Ladies."

Lucy ducked her head and Mary's cheeks looked redder than my hair, but they didn't answer. Anne, though she also seemed taken by Aspen's good looks, was put together enough to speak at least.

"Shall we leave, miss?"

I considered this. I didn't want to seem too obvious, but some privacy would be nice.

"Only for a moment. I'm sure Officer Leger won't need me for long," I decided, and they whisked right out of the room.

Once they had disappeared behind the door, Aspen spoke. "You're wrong, I'm afraid. I'm going to be needing you for a very long time." He winked at me.

I shook my head. "I still can't believe you're here."

Wasting no time, Aspen took off his hat and sat on the edge of my bed, setting his hands so our fingers just barely touched. "I never thought I'd count the draft as a blessing, but if it gives me the chance to apologize to you, I'll be forever grateful."

I was stunned into silence.

Aspen looked deep into my eyes. "Please forgive me, Mer. I was so, so stupid, and I've regretted that night in the tree house since the second I climbed down the ladder. I was too stubborn to say anything and then your name got called… I didn't know what to do." He stopped for a second. It looked like he had tears in his eyes. Was it possible that Aspen had been crying for me the way I'd been crying for him? "I'm still so in love with you."

I bit my lip, holding back my tears. I needed to be sure of one thing before I could even think about this.

"What about Brenna?"

His face fell. "What?"

I gave an unsteady breath. "I saw you two together in the square when I was leaving. Is that over?"

Aspen squinted his face in concentration then burst into laughter. He covered his mouth with his hands and fell backward on the bed before popping up and asking, "Is that what you think? Oh, Mer, she fell. She tripped and I caught her."

"Tripped?"

"Yeah, the square was so full, people were standing on top of one another. She fell into me and made a joke about being a klutz, which you know is true for Brenna even on a good day." I thought about the time she seemed to just fall off the sidewalk for no apparent reason. Why hadn't this occurred to me before? "As soon as I could get free, I was rushing to the stage."

I remembered those moments, Aspen's desperate attempt to get close to me. He hadn't been faking at all. I smiled. "And just what were you planning on doing once you got there?"

He shrugged. "I didn't actually think it out that far. I was considering begging you to stay. I was prepared to make an idiot out of myself if it meant you wouldn't get in that car. But then you looked so mad … and I get why you were." He let out a sigh. "I just couldn't do it. Besides, maybe you'd be happy here." He looked around the room at all the beautiful things that were temporarily considered mine. I could see how he would think that.

"Then," he continued, "I thought that I could win you over once you came home." His voice seemed suddenly tinged with worry. "I was sure you'd want out and come home as soon as you could. But … you didn't."

He paused to look at me.

"Then there was the draft, and I figured it would be unfair to even think about writing. I could die out here. I didn't want to try to make you love me again and then…"

"Love you again?" I asked incredulously. "Aspen, I never stopped."

In a swift but gentle move, Aspen leaned in and kissed me. He put his hand to my cheek, holding me to him, and every minute of the last two years flooded my body. I was so grateful they weren't lost.

"I'm so sorry," he mumbled between kisses. "I'm so sorry, Mer."

He pulled away to look at me, a small smile on his perfect face, his eyes asking exactly what I was thinking: What do we do now?

Just then, the door opened, and I was horror-struck as my maids took in Aspen's closeness.

"Thank goodness you're back!" he said to them as he pushed his hand more firmly against my cheek before moving it to my forehead. "I don't think you have a temperature, miss."

"What's wrong?" Anne asked, worry falling over her face as she raced to my bedside.

Aspen stood. "She started saying that she felt funny, something about her head."

"Is your headache worse, miss?" Mary asked. "You look so pale!"

I bet I did. No doubt every drop of blood had dashed away from my face the moment they saw us together. But Aspen, so cool under pressure, had fixed it in a split second.

"I'll get the medicine," Lucy piped in, scurrying to the bathroom.

"Forgive me, miss," Aspen said as my maids went to work. "I don't wish to disturb you any more. I'll come back when you're feeling better."

In his eyes I could see the same face I'd kissed a thousand times in the tree house. The world around us was completely new, but our connection was the same as ever.

"Thank you, officer," I said weakly.

He went to leave, giving me a small bow.

Soon my maids were all stirring around me, trying to heal a sickness that wasn't even there.

My head didn't ache, but my heart did. The longing for Aspen's arms was so familiar, it was like it never left.

I woke to a hard shake on my shoulders from Anne in the middle of the night.

"Wha—?"

"Please, miss, you have to get up!" Her voice was frantic, worn with terror.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"We're under attack. We have to get you to the basement."

My mind was groggy; I couldn't be sure I was hearing her right. But I noticed behind her that Lucy was already crying.

"They're inside?" I asked in disbelief.

Lucy's fearful wail was all the confirmation I needed.

"What do we do?" I asked. A sudden adrenaline spike woke me up, and I jumped out of bed. As soon as I was standing, Mary was pushing my feet into shoes and Anne was putting a robe on me. All I could think was North or South? North or South?

"There's a passage here in the corner. It'll take you straight to the safe room in the basement. The guards are there waiting. The royal family should already be there and most of the girls, too. Hurry, miss." Anne pulled me out into the hallway and pushed on a section of wall. It turned, like a hidden passage from some mystery novel. Sure enough, behind the wall, a stairwell awaited me. As I stood there, Tiny bolted from her room and scurried down the passage.

"Okay, let's go," I said. Anne and Mary gaped at me. Lucy was shaking to the point she could barely stand. "Let's go," I repeated.

"No, miss. We go somewhere else. You have to hurry before they get here. Please!"

I knew at best they'd be injured if they were found; at worst they'd die. I couldn't bear them being hurt. Maybe I was a little cocky, but if Maxon had gone out of his way to do everything he'd done thus far, maybe they would matter to him if they mattered to me. Even if we were fighting. Perhaps it was too much generosity to bank on, but I wasn't leaving them here. The fear made me move faster. I grabbed Anne's arm and pushed her in. She stumbled and couldn't stop me as I grabbed Mary and Lucy.

"Move!" I told them.

They started walking, but Anne was protesting the whole way. "They won't let us in, miss! This place is just for the family... They'll just make us leave!" But I didn't care what she said. Whatever their hiding place was, there was no way it would be as safe as wherever the royal family was staying.

The stairwell was lit every few yards, but even so I nearly fell a few times in my haste to move. My mind was blinded with worry. How far had the rebels penetrated before? Did they know these pathways to safety existed? Lucy was half-paralyzed, and I tugged her down to keep us together.

I couldn't tell how long it took for us to reach the bottom, but finally the tiny pathway opened up to a man-made cavern. I could see other stairways and other girls, everyone running behind what looked to be a two-foot-thick door. We ran up to our safe place.

"Thank you for delivering this girl. You can leave," a guard said to my maids.

"No! They're with me. They're staying," I said with authority.

"Miss, they have their own places to be," he countered.

"Fine. They don't go in, I don't go in. I'm sure Prince Maxon will appreciate knowing that my absence is your doing. Let's go, ladies." I pulled on Mary and Lucy's hands. Anne was shocked into stillness.

"Wait! Wait! Fine, go inside. But if anyone has an issue with it, it's on your hands."

"Not a problem," I said. I turned the girls and walked into the safe room with my head held high.

There was a clamor of activity inside. Some girls were huddled together crying, others were in prayer. I saw the king and queen sitting alone, surrounded by more guards. Beside them, Maxon was holding Elayna's hand. She looked a little shaken but obviously felt calmer with him touching her. I looked at the royal family's position … so close to the door. I wondered if it was like a captain going down with his ship. They'd do everything to keep this place afloat, but if it went down, they'd be the first ones to drown.

Their little group saw my entrance and noted the company I was keeping. I took in the confused expressions on their faces, nodded once, and continued to walk with my head high. I figured so long as I looked sure of myself, no one would question me.

I was wrong.

I took three more steps and Silvia walked up. She looked incredibly calm. This was all obviously old news for her.

"Good. Some help. Girls, you will immediately get to the water stores in the back and begin serving refreshments to the royal family and the ladies. Get going, now," she commanded.

"No." I turned to Anne and gave her my first real order. "Anne, please take some refreshments to the king, queen, and prince and then come join me." I faced Silvia. "The rest can fend for themselves. They chose to leave their maids alone, they can get their own damn water. Mine will be sitting with me. Come, ladies."

I knew we were close enough to the royals that they would have heard me. In my quest to have a level of authority, I'd spoken a little too loudly. But I didn't care if they thought I was rude. Lucy was more frightened than most of the people in this room. She was trembling head to foot, and there was no way I'd have her serving people half her equal in goodness in her state.

Perhaps it was all my years as a big sister, but I just had to keep these girls safe.

We found a little space in the back of the room. Whoever usually kept this place ready must not have been prepared for the influx the Selection would cause, because there weren't nearly enough chairs in here. But I saw the stores of food and water and could tell they would get us through months down here, if the need arose.

It was a funny little array of people. Obviously, several officials had been up working through the night, and they were in suits. Maxon himself was still dressed. But nearly all the girls were in their thin nightgowns that helped you sleep in the warmth of the rooms upstairs. Not all of them had been able to get a robe on in their haste to leave. I was even a little chilly under mine.

Many of the girls had piled themselves toward the front of the room. Obviously, they'd be the first to die if someone got through the door. But if they didn't, think of all the time spent right in front of Maxon! A few were closer to where we were, and most of them were in a similar state as Lucy—shaking, tearful, and petrified with worry.

I pulled Lucy under an arm and Mary cuddled her from the other side. There wasn't anything to say about the situation that was pleasant, so we stayed quiet, listening to the clamor of the room. The jangle of voices reminded me of the first day here, when they were giving us makeovers. I closed my eyes and pictured that action with the sound in an attempt to make myself as calm as I appeared.

"Are you okay?"

I looked up and there was Aspen, glorious in his uniform. His tone was very official, and he didn't seem shaken by the situation at all. I sighed.

"Yes, thank you."

We were quiet for a moment, watching people get settled in the room. Mary had obviously been exhausted—she was already asleep and leaning heavily on Lucy's side. Lucy was fairly calm, all things considered. She'd stopped crying and just sat there looking at Aspen with a kind of wonder in her eyes.

"It was good of you to bring your maids. Not everyone would be so kind to people considered beneath them," he said.

"Castes never meant that much to me," I said quietly. He gave me the smallest smile.

Lucy took in a breath like she was going to ask Aspen a question, but a loud yelling coursed through the chamber. A guard on the far end of the room was barking instructions for us to all silence ourselves.

Aspen walked away, which was good. I feared someone would be able to see something.

"That was the same guard from earlier, wasn't it?" Lucy asked.

"Yes, it was."

"I've seen him guarding your door lately. He's awfully friendly," she commented.

I was sure Aspen would speak to my maids as kindly as he spoke to me when they crossed his path. They were Sixes, after all.

"He's very handsome," she added.

I smiled and contemplated saying something, but that same guard instructed us to be quiet. After a few jagged edges of conversation dulled away, an eerie hush fell over the room.

(Edit)

The silence was worse than any sound. Without a single sense to guide me, my imagination took over, producing horrific scenes in my head: rooms demolished, a string of bodies, a merciless army only feet from the door.

I saw Elise near me shivering. She had to be freezing. Her night gown was short with spaghetti straps and made of silk, not to mention she's from the south. I quietly walked over and gave her my robe. She looked up at me, her eyes saying she couldn't take it, but I smiled back, I was from the north, I'd be okay. Soon after I found that all the girls around me started to clutch to each other, as if we could protect one another from whatever would come.

The only stirring was Maxon walking around to check on each of the girls. When he got to our corner, only Lucy was awake with me, and every once in a while, we'd have a quick conversation in breathed words, reading each other's lips. As Maxon approached, he smiled at the pile of people leaning on me. In that moment, I could see no anger left from our argument, though I really wanted to resolve it. Instead, I saw his grateful smile, simply happy that I was okay. A wave of guilt went through me... What had I gotten myself into?

"Are you well?" he asked.

I nodded. He looked at Lucy and leaned across me to speak to her. I inhaled. Maxon didn't smell like anything that could be bottled. Not like cinnamon or vanilla or even, I remembered quickly, like homemade soap. He had his own smell, a mix of chemicals that burned out from him.

"And you?" he asked Lucy.

She nodded, too.

"Are you surprised to find yourself down here?" He smiled at Lucy, making light of what was an unimaginable situation.

"No, Your Majesty. Not with her." Lucy nodded in my direction.

Maxon turned to look at me, and his face was incredibly close. I felt uncomfortable. Too many people could see us; Aspen included. But the moment passed quickly, and he turned back to Lucy.

"I know what you mean." Maxon smiled again. He looked like he might say more, but then changed his mind and moved to stand.

(edit)

I quickly grabbed his arm, stood up with him, and whispered, "North or South?"

"Do you remember the photo shoot?" he breathed.

Shocked, I nodded. These rebels were making their way northwest, burning crops and slaughtering people along the way. Intercept them, he'd said. These rebels, these murderers, had been slowly coming for us all this time, and we couldn't stop them. They were killers. They were Southerners.

"Tell no one."

I nodded. But before he went too far I whispered again, "I'm sorry." he looked at me in shock, "I will do my best not to mention her anymore." I knew with everything that had just happened with Aspen I needed to talk to Maxon, but this was neither the time nor place.

He smiled before taking his jacket off and wrapping it around me, "It's cold in here."

I shooed it away, "Then you'll just be cold. I'm from the North I'll be okay."

"Please America give me one thing on the horrible night and let me not worry about you being cold." I nodded, holding onto his jacket as I sat back down. He left, moving on to Fiona, who was holding herself and crying quietly.

(Cass)

I practiced breathing slowly, trying to imagine ways I could escape if they got to us, but I was fooling myself. If the rebels managed to get down here, it was all over. There was nothing to do but wait.

The hours crept on. I had no idea what time it was, but people who had dozed off had woken up, and those of us who had powered through the time were starting to wilt.

Finally, the door opened as some guards left to investigate. More time passed as the palace was swept, and eventually they returned.

"Ladies and gentlemen," one of the guards called, "the rebels have been subdued. We are asking that everyone please return to their rooms via the back stairs. There's quite a mess and scores of injured guards. It's better if you all bypass the main rooms and halls until they can be cleared. If you are a member of the Selection, please proceed to your room and stay there until further notice. I've spoken with the cooks, and food will be brought to you within the hour. I'm going to need all medical personnel to report with me to the hospital wing."

With that, people stood and started moving like nothing had happened. Some people even looked bored. Except for the faces of people like Lucy, it seemed everyone took the attack in stride, as if it were to be expected.

My room had been ransacked. Mattress on the floor, dresses pulled out of the closet, the pictures of my family torn up on the ground. I looked around for my jar, and it was still intact with its penny inside, just hidden under the bed. I tried not to cry, but my eyes kept welling up. It wasn't that I was afraid, though I was. I just didn't like that an enemy had put their hands all over my things, had ruined them.

It took quite a while to set things right, since we were all so tired. We managed, though. Anne even found some tape so I could put my pictures back together. I sent my maids to bed the moment I got my tape. Anne protested, but I wouldn't have any of it. Now that I'd found my ability to command, I wasn't afraid to use it.

Once I was alone, I let myself cry. The fear, even though it had mostly passed, still had a hold on me.

I pulled out the jeans that Maxon had given me and my one shirt from home and put them on. I felt a little more normal this way. My hair was messy from the events of the night and most of the morning, so I pulled it up into a casual little bun on the top of my head, pieces falling down around my face.

I set the fragments of pictures on the bed, trying to figure out which ones went together. It was like having four puzzles' worth of pieces all in the same box. I had managed to put only one together when there was a knock at the door.

Maxon, I thought. Please be Maxon. I threw the door open hopefully.

"Hello, dearie." It was Silvia. She had a little pout on her face that I supposed was meant to be a consolation. She scuttled right past me into my room, then turned and took in what I was wearing.

"Oh, don't tell me you're leaving, too," she whined. "Honestly, it was nothing." She wiped the whole incident away with her hand.

I wouldn't call it nothing. Couldn't she tell I'd been crying?

"I'm not leaving," I said, tucking a hair behind my ear. "Are others going home?"

She sighed. "Yes, three so far. And Maxon, dear boy, told me to let anyone who wants to leave go home. Arrangements are being made as we speak. It's so funny. It was as if he knew girls would be leaving. If I were in your position, I'd think twice before leaving over all this nonsense."

Silvia started walking around my room, taking in the decor. Nonsense? What was wrong with this woman?

"Did they take anything?" she asked casually.

"No, ma'am. They made a mess, but nothing's missing as far as I can tell."

"Very good." She walked over to me and handed me a tiny portable phone. "This is the safest line in the palace. You need to call your family and tell them you're fine. Don't take too long, now. I still have a few girls to see."

I marveled at the tiny object. I'd never actually held a portable phone. I'd seen them before in the hands of Twos and Threes, but I never thought I'd get to use one. My hands trembled with excitement. I was going to hear their voices!

I dialed the number eagerly. After everything that had happened, it actually brought a smile to my face. Mom picked up after two rings.

"Hello?"

"Mom?"

"America! Is that you? Are you okay? Some guard called to tell us we might not be able to get ahold of you for a few days, and we knew those damn rebels had gotten through. We've been so scared." She started crying.

"Oh, don't cry, Mom. I'm safe." I looked over at Silvia. She looked bored.

"Hold on." There was a bit of movement.

"America?" May's voice was thick with tears. She must have had the worst day.

"May! Oh, May, I miss you so much!" I felt the tears rising again.

"I thought you were dead! America, I love you. Promise me you won't die," she wailed.

"I promise." I had to smile at such a vow.

"Will you come home? Can't you? I don't want you there anymore." May was practically begging.

"Come home?" I asked.

I felt so many things. I missed my family, and I was tired of hiding from rebels. I was getting more and more confused over my feelings for Aspen and Maxon, and I didn't know how to handle them. The easiest thing to do would be to leave. But still.

"No, May, I can't come home. I have to stay here."

"Why?" May moaned.

"Because," I said simply.

"Because why?"

"Just … because."

May was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Are you in love with Maxon?" For a minute I heard the boy-crazy May that I was used to. She'd be fine.

(edit)

"May" I sighed.

"America! You're in love with Maxon! Oh my gosh!" I heard Dad yelling, "What?" in the background and then Mom's "Yes, yes, yes!"

"May, I never said—"

"I knew it!" May just laughed and laughed. Just like that, all her fears of losing me vanished.

"May, I have to go. The others need the phone. But I just wanted you all to know that I'm okay. I'll write you soon, I promise."

"Okay, okay. Oh send more treats! I love you! And Everyone's doing okay." she yelled.

"I love you, too. Bye."

I hung up the phone before she could ask for anything else. The moment her voice was gone, though, I missed her more than I had before. 'Everyones doing okay' I smiled. She wasn't talking about my family, not my biological one anyways. I'm glad they're okay. It was starting to get colder.

Silvia was swift. She had the phone out of my hand in a matter of seconds and was walking to the door.

"There's a good girl," she said, and disappeared down the hall.

I certainly didn't feel good.

Just then Maxon entered my room.

"Maxon!" I yelled embracing him into a hug.

"Hey, you doing okay."

"I could ask the same thing to you."

He shook his head, "So many girls are leaving, you don't want to leave right?"

"Of course not, My Maxon." He smiled at me and I decided now was as good a time as any.

"I talked to Aspen." He looked intrigued, "He had an explanation for all of it and told me he still loved me."

"America that's great!" He whispered back. I shrugged my shoulders and looked down, "Or not great...How do we feel about this?"

"Confused." I confessed, and he laughed. "There's something in his eyes, a safety, a familiarity, but does that mean I should accept the pain he caused me so easily?"

"I can't answer that for you. Dating, relationships, it's all so weird."

"How do you handle it? I mean you're dating more than 20 girls at once." I asked, suddenly aware of how confusing this must be for Maxon.

"I'll show you, come with me." He replied, taking my hand and leading me down the hallway.

"Where are we going?"

"To my room."

"To your room! Maxon, is that proper…."

"Ah, but we're just friends, and since when did you care so much about propertuity." We laughed together as we quickly navigated the walls up to the third floor. When we got to the top of the staircase we were greeted by two guards, "Lady America should be allowed to come up here and request my presence, when she does so send someone to ask me if I can accept her company. You are to speak to no one of her being here." They nodded and we continued up.

"You mean that?" I said to him, "I can come to you?"

"Well it didn't seem fair that only I could come to you. So if you wish, you may. However, more likely than not I will be preoccupied." I nodded, I knew it was unpracticable, but it was still a nice gesture.

He opened a door on his right and I entered a little piece of Maxon. _- He moved over to a closet leaving me to wander around. I noticed a paper on his desk and picked it up.

It was a rebel briefing that said there had been fleet sightings in the provinces Paloma and Sumner. No one had been injured or hurt. Then it hit me, I looked back at the dates. Two days apart, if it is one fleet they are moving North fast, fast enough that they would have to have cars or ride by train. However the second sighting was of over 30 men so if they drove they would have had to have a large vehicle that would have been spotted. And neither sighting was in a location with a train stop. It must be two separate groups. But why were they remaining hidden? If they just wanted to cause trouble they would have been scaring or killing people along the way. I thought about where the towns were, if they were on the same track they would be heading for the Great Way gallery in Midston. It was the largest Gallery of pre-Illea art in the country and exclusively for ones, twos, and threes. The security there is only comparable to the castles and the Gallery is largely considered untouchable. A successful attack there would rattle the country. But why two fleets.

Before I could figure it out Maxon walked up behind me and took the report, "You really shouldn't be reading that." He informed me.

"Sorry….The rebels are attacking Great Way?"

"How did you know that?" He asked, shocked.

"It was in the report. I just had to read between the lines a little bit."

"It took me nearly an hour and much more information than that to come to the same conclusion." He shook his head, clearly impressed, "We're going to add more guards for the next couple days to try and ward off an attack."

"You should try and intercept them in Jenkins Town." I added.

"America they'll be way past their already, we expect the attack to happen today or tomorrow-"

"That's if you assume they're the same fleet, but they have no way to move that fast. They must be going by foot. In which case the attack won't happen for at least another 5 days. But such a long journey means they can't carry that much food and water. The only town anywhere along the way with a public source of clean water is Jenkins." I countered, "I could be wrong, but if I'm right you could stop the attack without as many deaths."

"So you're saying there are two fleets...why two?" He asked, seeming a bit skeptical but willing to hear out my theory.

"I was going to ask you that….Is there anything different happening at the Great Way Gallery in the next few weeks."

"In a little over a week there's the unveiling of the Gregory Illea wing. It will hold works from many of King Illea's favorite artists, display the largest statue of him ever made in the middle of the room, and contain hundreds of twos and threes attending." he paused seeming to have a realization. "They're going to attack the unveiling to not only make a statement about not us being as secure as we pretend to be, but to kill hundreds of members of the upper castes and show they don't support Illea's royalty."

"I'm guessing the first fleet is to cause the damage and the second is to grab valuables in the wake of disaster and/or finish the original mission if something goes wrong." I paused before making my suggestion, "After the first fleet doesn't make it there's a chance the second will abandon the mission, but they may also decide to just terrorize the surrounding areas or to try and target the Gallery themselves. They're a bit of a wild card which makes them more dangerous. I would suggest you try to find them, but based on where they are it's probably a small group somewhere in the middle of the Paloma forest. You'd never find them."

Looking my in the eye Maxon walked over and scooped up my chin, "We almost missed it, a genicide, America, if you're right you could have stopped a genicide." I smiled at him. Those butterflies I tried so hard to bury fluttering up. We broke away at the same time.

"How did you do that anyway?" Maxon asked.

"It's how history is taught in my family. Through the battle plans. My great great grandfather was a general or something so he taught his kids that way and it stuck. It's a very engaging way to learn I will sa-" Maxon was looking at his feet, "What's wrong."

"Nothing, you have an amazing gift...I just wish it came so easily to me. I have to run the country in a few years and making these kinds of mistakes will get people killed."

"What if I tutor you?"

"Tutor me?"

"Yeah you must have some practice scenarios, or something that isn't classified. Or I can teach you the same way I was taught: with examples from history." I moved to him and put my hand on his shoulder, "You're going to be a great king and if I can help you see that for yourself, in any way, I'll do it in a heartbeat."

Maxon's smile was so large I thought it may pop off his face, "Okay, well then you have to let me teach you something too…." He seemed to be thinking, "In your whole family I never heard of any photographers. What if I taught you?"

"I'd love that!" Nice cameras are super expensive so we only had a very basic one that we used for family photos. "No one in my family was a photographer, so I know nothing about photography. I was always curious though."

"Then it's settled. I don't have too much longer as with today's attack there are many things that need to be discussed, but we came up here because I wanted to show you this." He said walking me over to a wall.

It was full of captured moments of all the girls. I saw the photos Maxon had snapped of me when the Sweetish were here. Some photos clipped from magazines, and many taken when no one knew he was looking. They were organic, timeless, genuine.

"It's beautiful." I whispered.

"It's only the real moments. So often people put on a face as soon as they see me, but here, on this board, are all the moments I know are real." He didn't seem sad about it though, more like a truth of the world he's accepted.

I looked him in the eye and I knew: that's why he liked me. He didn't have to steal the genuine moments because I never changed myself to be 'fit for a king' and I promised myself I would always do my best to be completely genuine with him.

"I have to go," He said reluctantly, disappointment shining in his eyes, "I'll be sure to bring up your plan. I hope you understand, that at least at this time, I cannot give you credit. It would only get us both in trouble." I nodded and he escorted me out of his room, sending me towards mine and himself heading down the hall the opposite way.