I do not own The Selection.
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THIS IS THE 50th CHAPTER OF THIS FANFIC *INSERT CRYING EMOJI*
let me just say that when i started this, i was expecting to go to maybe thirty chapters! and that was only if at least one person liked it! i am so so so so proud of this story and i think that now that i've read over some of the first chapters, my writing has improved! (or at least i hope it has!) i love you guys so so much
okay now, you can read!
"Do you want this, Stelle?"
America's question was blunt, but got the right message across. We needed to know if she wanted to be adopted by us. If not, she'd go home and we'd be the way we had been before she'd gotten here. But if she did, then we'd have a new daughter.
Estelle paused for a moment.
Whether she was thinking it over or not, I wasn't sure. I could see her swallow after a second. She slowly nodded.
"Yes. I want this."
"You do know that this is one hell of a position, right?" I asked. "We deal with death threats and rebels and wars."
"Are you trying to scare me away?" she asked.
"Of course not," America said, taking her hand. "We just want you to know what you're getting yourself into. I would've loved to have this chance, honey."
"I want this," Estelle said, grinning. "I want you guys and the twins and your amazing family."
"You're absolutely sure?" I asked.
"Yep. One question," she said.
She bit her fingernail, avoiding our gaze at all costs. America moved over to her side of the bed and put an arm around her shoulders. Estelle almost instinctively moved into the touch.
"Can I call you Mom and Dad?"
"Yes!" America squealed, but then recomposed herself. "I mean, yes, of course you can."
"And I can call Mrs. Singer Gramma?"
"She'll love that," I laughed. "I think she's starting to prefer Gramma to her real name. It's definitely catching on."
"Okay… Dad," Estelle beamed.
I crawled over to my girls and hugged her too.
Now we just had two major steps left to complete.
Stavros and Gavril sat at the opposite side of the desk than America and I.
We were going to be discussing the possibilities and risks of adopting Estelle. After explaining to them both that this was something we actually wanted to go through with, they'd been fine with it. Except for the fact that we didn't know all of the risks yet.
"What could go wrong exactly?" America asked.
It was almost a funny question. Everything could go wrong. It always could.
"The most likely thing would be that the nation demands you do not go through with it," Gavril said. "Or they try to… kill you."
"What are the chances of that?" I asked. "Of it going badly?"
Gavril handed me a sheet of paper with numbers on it. "The chances are rather high, Your Majesty, though after the support the Princess got they could be lower."
"So it's all a risk?" America asked.
They both nodded.
"How is it a higher risk than eliminating the castes?" I asked, reading the sheet.
"Yeah," America said. "They both alter the country."
Stavros explained that it was only different because we were adding a person to our family. With laws, it altered the country, but usually not the monarchy itself. We were the monarchy. If Estelle joined us, she'd be a part of it too. And seeing as America didn't birth her, it would likely be seen as a bigger deal than it actually was.
It made sense in a way.
"Is she aware of the.. risks that come along with this?" Gavril asked.
America nodded. "We've actually tried talking her out of it, but she's sure she wants to do it."
They seemed more okay with this.
Of course we knew what we were getting into, and we'd made Estelle aware of it too. She wasn't joining a normal family. She was joining a family that always had the cameras on them. A family that was always the topic of gossip. We weren't a normal family.
Our meeting with Stavros and Gavril ended about an hour later.
We'd gotten all of the important information we could.
For the announcement, we'd write a formal statement and Stavros would read it on live TV. It decreased the risk of an assassaination happening again.
As for the legal procedures, our staff and lawyers would handle them, and we'd just have to sign a few dozen things. I immediately recognized that we were getting the simpler side of this. Perhaps power and money did help in some certain situations.
Hopefully, if this all went according to plan, Estelle would be adopted by her birthday.
"I think we should totally give it to her as a present," America said. "The documents. And the horse you got her, of course."
Oh, yes. The horse.
I'd gotten Gerad to be my spy. He'd invited Estelle over to play his video games and had asked her discreet questions about her dream horse. So, using my money, I went out and found a horse that matched said dream horse.
"I think she'd love it," I said. "But how would we do that?"
She sat down. "Okay, so we get a big box and put just that piece of paper in there. Surprise!"
"We could add the document that has her changed name on it too," I said. "Princess Estelle Schreave."
"Maxon, we have to get it changed first."
"Once we do it, I mean."
"I know, I know," she laughed. "I'll get the box."
I grinned.
We were definitely going to make sure Estelle had the best birthday possible.
"Ave, come here!" Estelle called. "No, don't—"
Avery was just about to fall off the bean bag chair when Estelle caught her by her armpits and set her down on the ground. The toddler giggled and did a little happy dance, shaking her waist from side to side. I took a photo with my camera just as Roman joined in, clapping his flimsy arms together.
Estelle, who was adjusting perfectly to being a big sister, sat down and pulled them close to her. She let them pick and book and then started reading it to them.
"And then, a zombie started chasing them!" she said, dramatically wiggling her fingers in the air. "Run, run!"
Roman reached up and grabbed ahold of her fingers. "No! Zwombie bad!"
"I'm not the zombie, kiddo," she laughed. "This is the zombie."
When she showed them the picture of the green mutant creature, they both squealed and she laughed hysterically. America rubbed Wilma's head absentmindedly beside me. I supposed she was just as enchanted as I was by Estelle's chemistry with the twins. It was like they were real siblings.
"Zwombie, zwombie!" Roman shrieked, grabbing at Estelle's hand again. "Avie!"
Avery just stuck her tongue out. "Stelle good, stwupid."
"Avery!" America scolded, though she was laughing. "No calling your brother stupid, okay?"
The red headed toddler stuck her tongue out and crossed her arms. I snorted, sending the water I'd been drinking flying out of my nose. America and Estelle burst out laughing harder than they had been before.
Osborne hopped to his feet and went to get a drink of his water. He was probably tired of our laughing fits.
"She's just like you, Ames!" I wheezed.
America shoved me. "What is that supposed to mean, Maxon? That I'm stubborn?"
I winked at Estelle, who was grinning from ear to ear. When America shoved me playfully again, she laughed and went back to trying to convince the twins that she was not the zombie from the book. It took some time but eventually she did manage to convince them.
Beside me, America laid her head on my shoulder and continued rubbing Wilma's head. I wrapped an arm around her waist, kissing her forehead.
"Stelle no zwombie, bro," Avery said, waving her pointer finger from side to side. It looked like something Silvia would do.
"Stelle no zwombie," Roman repeated. "Stelle good."
"Yes, Stelle is good," Estelle said.
Osborne returned to my lap, making himself at home. It seemed like he'd gotten even larger over the past few years. I slowly repeated the action of rubbing his ears and then his head and then his belly.
"We still need to pick a punishment for Kota, Ames," I whispered. "Stavros said it's needed by Saturday."
She sighed. "That gives us two days. Can we talk about it tonight? When we have some privacy?"
"Of course, my love."
I turned back to the scene playing out in front of us.
Estelle was holding Roman while trying to teach him to say Illéa, but he could only pronounce one or two letters, turning it into Lee. For a second I wondered what Silvia would have to say about that.
"No," Estelle laughed. "It's Illéa."
"Lee," he said, crossing his arms.
"Illéa."
"Lee!"
"You're hopeless," she said, setting him back down. "Aves? Do you and Rome want to play a board game with me?"
Avery perked up. "Game?"
"Game! Game!" Roman squealed.
Behind us, I heard the door to our bedroom open and turned around to see Carter and Marlee. Osborne ran to greet them immediately, licking both of them and barking excitedly.
Estelle had never met the two, I realized.
Marlee wasted absolutely no time in hugging her and introducing herself. I had a feeling that, from Estelle's expression, she'd already heard of Marlee Tames. From being in the Selection to being accused for committing treason, she was still rather famous.
"You're Marlee Tames, aren't you?" Estelle asked. "I thought—"
"No, I'm not in prison. Maxon cleared my charges," Marlee grinned. "How do you like it here? It's big, isn't it?"
"Very big. I keep getting lost,"
Carter grinned. "If it makes you feel any better, Maxon gets lost too."
"Shut up," I muttered. "Everyone gets lost."
"Have you met Silvia yet?" Marlee asked.
Estelle nodded.
"Don't worry about her," she said. "She's really nice but a little overbearing. You'll get used to it eventually. Okay, I love your hair."
Well.
Those two were going to get along perfectly fine.
Marlee did have a knack for making people feel not only welcomed but also appreciated and valued. She was kind and loving to almost everyone she met. In a way, she was like May, with a bright and bubbly personality.
Carter gave Estelle a hug too and introduced himself, and then they sat down next to America and I, letting the twins crawl all over them.
Avery, who usually stuck close to Carter, chose to stay in Estelle's lap and practice making a paper airplane. That had also been something that Estelle had taught them, and they both seemed to enjoy it.
"Wee!" Avery squealed, tossing the airplane in the air. It flopped to the ground in seconds. She frowned. "It no go."
Estelle showed her how to make it fly, and from then on, she was constantly throwing it and beaming with pride when it flew.
"There you go," Estelle said.
Avery hugged her. "Tanks, Stelle."
About One Week Later
February 26th
I kissed America's shoulder.
Her bare back glowed in the sunlight from our bedroom window. I saw her mouth twitch up into a smile as I gently rubbed her shoulders, attempting a massage. Finally, her eyes fluttered open and she sighed.
"Happy Birthday, my love,"
She closed her eyes again. "Five more minutes."
"Alright," I said, still working at massaging her shoulders and back. "How does this feel?"
"Like heaven," she groaned.
"It's almost twelve, darling."
Her eyes snapped open and she sat up, hair flying everywhere and holding the covers over her bare chest. And then, like it was the biggest relief ever, she sighed and fell back onto her pillow.
"It's my birthday," she grinned. "A national holiday."
"And we get an entire day off."
"Except for the ball."
"We have hours until then." I reminded her, kissing her collarbone softly. "You're mine until seven o'clock, America."
She sighed. "Excellent."
America sat up on her elbow, and pushed me back onto the bed with a single hand on my chest. She smirked and kissed me, but then kissed her way down my jaw, stopping at my chin. I sighed.
Ruining the moment, the door opened.
Mary, Paige, and Rue walked in, all smiles and giggles and knowing looks.
America held the covers to her chest, blushing as red as a tomato. I smirked and kissed her shoulder, but she only swatted me away. She attempted to get up and I pulled her back, kissing her neck.
"You're mine," I whispered. "Remember?"
She blushed cherry red.
I saw Mary wink at America, whose blush only deepened. When the girls left the room, America slapped my arm and groaned, falling back onto the bed.
"I am—"
"Happy Birthday, sis!" May squealed, running into the room. "Oh, dear Jesus."
Behind May was Magda and Kenna. I pulled the blanket over my head and groaned. There would be no way we'd ever live this down. All I could hear was Kenna snorting and wheezing and having a laughing fit.
"You two are naked, aren't you?" she teased, still laughing.
I stayed under the blanket.
"I have never seen Maxon cower before," May said. "But he usually has clothes on."
America pulled the blanket off of my head. "I'm buying a lock for that door."
Magda, who didn't even appear to be fazed, sat down on the side of the bed and put a hand on America's leg. Believe it or not, my mother-in-law looked happy to have found us in such a state. I would've expected her to be somewhat ashamed.
"Estelle and the twins wanted to come and say Happy Birthday, but now I'm glad we made them wait," Kenna said, crossing her arms.
"Happy Birthday, sweetheart," Magda said, kissing America's cheek.
America blushed again. "How are you not fazed by this?"
"I want more grandchildren," Magda said simply. "And it doesn't hurt that it happens to be the King next to you."
America rolled her eyes.
The three left us alone to get dressed, and so we did. But we did happen to delay the process by taking a shower together. Not only did it allow us to save water, but it also allowed us another chance to spend some kind of time together privately.
Today, Justin had chosen a quite formal suit that was jet black. The tie was a darker shade of purple—almost a mauve purple. Justin explained that it would match America's dress.
Speaking of my wife, she met up with me seconds after Justin left.
Her dress was ankle length and sleeveless. The neckline dipped down into a vee, only revealing some of her chest. It wasn't enough to be frowned upon by Silvia. As Justin had promised, the dress was mauve. And it was beautiful—just like her.
"One last thing," she said, and threw her arms around me.
She kissed me, so I did the only thing that was reasonable. I kissed her back. It only lasted for a few seconds before we were summoned into the hallway by Kenna and May.
The twins and Estelle—all wearing the same mauve purple that we were—came running towards America and I. Estelle got to give America the first hug, Avery got the second, and Roman got the third. I picked Avery up and set her on my hip, and America did the same with Roman.
"Happy Birthday!" Estelle grinned. "I can't believe you get a ball!"
"Well, I am awesome," she said, dramatically tossing her hair over her shoulder.
"Excited?" I asked.
"Obviously!" Estelle said. "I've never been to a ball before."
The ballroom was exquisite.
Chandeliers hung around the room, adding a warm glow to the room. The walls—carved with unique designs and perfectly made—were taller than most in the palace. Tables were placed around the corners of the room, almost outlining a circle which was the dance floor.
America and I entered the ball by ourselves, seeing as we couldn't necessarily introduce Estelle as a princess yet. It lowered suspicions.
The room was filled with people.
Most wore crowns and uniforms, indicating their titles and positions. I recognized Illéan diplomats, New Asian diplomats and their king and queen, the Germans, the Russians, and the Brits.
As was customary, we had the first dance, and then it was on to greet everyone.
Finally, we got to join our family at the table in the farthest corner. Estelle was holding two forks, the twins were poking each other, and the rest of our family was watching us.
"You two almost blend in," Kenna teased. "How many royals are here?"
"I'd say about thirty," America said.
Estelle choked on her grape juice that looked like wine. "Thirty? Thirty? And you thought bringing me was a good idea? Thirty?!"
"Half of them are here because we need to keep them on our good side, Stelle," America told her. "The other half are here because we're friends. And bringing you was a good idea."
"I don't even know which fork to use!" she said, laughing.
I smiled. "You use them in order, so use the one in your left hand."
"Thanks," she muttered, setting down the one in her right hand. "Why so many forks? They all do the same thing."
James burst out laughing, and most of us followed.
Her frustration with silverware was hilarious.
"Stop laughing," Estelle huffed. "I'm trying my best to learn, but you should stop adding so many forks!"
After dinner, Gerad and Estelle went to dance. They were the only two doing a slightly untraditional dance. Well, in truth, their dance was entirely made up.
America and I joined the floor shortly, slow-dancing to the beautiful music playing.
She had her fingers laced together, palms pressing flat on the back of my neck. My hands were on her waist, gently keeping her close to me at all times. Every so often, I'd kiss her forehead and stay there for a second.
Birthday wishes were thrown at my wife by almost everyone around us, which made me grin. Everyone loved her so much, yet she'd never admit it. Publicly, anyway.
"Maxon.." America said, trailing off.
"Hm?"
"How would you feel about.. uhm.. a baby?"
I shrugged. "I think that we'd figure it out. I'm sure everyone would love to have another little Schreave around."
"Well," she said, swallowing. "I'm pregnant."
I stopped in my tracks. "What?"
"We're having our third baby, Maxon."
Before she could misinterpret my reaction, I pulled her into the tightest hug possible and started telling her how much I loved her and the baby. Quietly, of course. We didn't need rumors to spread anytime soon.
"A baby," I whispered. "Are you serious?"
"Yes,"
"How.. how far along are you?"
"Almost ten weeks."
"You've kept it a secret for that long? Ames—"
She kissed me, cutting me off completely.
I did the reasonable thing and kissed her back, cupping her face in my hand. When we broke apart, laughing and smiling, a few heads were turned in our direction. I didn't care.
How could I have cared? I was going to be a dad. Again.
"Can I tell James? Please, Ames." I said, on the verge of tears. "I promised I'd tell him first about the next baby."
"Fine," she said, rolling her eyes. "Go."
James met me in the gardens within minutes.
It was dark outside, but the stars lit up the sky like lanterns. The moon was full, which helped to illuminate the sky further. Underneath the unearthly glow of space, the garden was almost a foreign sight.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Do you remember the deal we made?"
"The one about babies?"
"That's the one."
"Wait—"
I grinned. "America's pregnant."
"No way!" he exclaimed, his grin wider than any river in all of Illéa. "Congratulations, Maxon! That's amazing."
He pulled me into a brotherly hug.
We decided on staying outside for a while longer, giving us time to talk. I hadn't had an actual conversation with my brother-in-law in months. It was a rare opportunity I didn't want to pass up.
"What about the adoption?" he asked, voicing my own worry.
"I guess we'll keep this a secret like last time," I said. "At least until we've adopted Estelle and titled her."
"How long will that take?"
"We're doing it the week before her birthday, and then giving her the documents as a present."
He laughed. "She's going to be ecstatic. And I'm sure she'll love getting another sibling."
There were so many things about this pregnancy that we had to consider. Like Estelle's acceptance of it, the nation's acceptance. We had to consider the possibility that this may affect the reaction to the adoption. There were so many things.
I guessed we'd be telling Stavros and Gavril soon. They could help guide us through this.
"Are you happy about it?" he asked after a moment of silence. "I remember you telling me you guys were going to wait longer than this."
I shrugged. "Honestly? I don't know. I'm not upset, of course, but it's a lot to handle all at once. We have to watch the twins 24/7 and help Estelle adjust and now we'll have another baby to handle."
"Have you told that to America?"
"No," I said. "But the thing is.. I'm not unhappy. I'm happy we're having a baby."
Like he'd sensed that it would be needed, he whipped two beers out of his jacket. How he'd gotten them there, I didn't know. But I was glad he had. Life was suddenly moving so quickly. Almost too quickly for me to catch up.
"Thanks," I said, taking a drink.
"Anytime."
When the car pulled to a stop, Estelle gasped.
In front of us was the Royal Stables.
The building looked like something that you would find in an equestrian movie. It was nothing short of breathtaking. Outside were the stablehands that had come to greet us. Past them was the entrance.
Estelle held my hand as we approached the staff.
They bowed.
"Your Majesty," one said. "What horse would you like us to prepare?"
"Captain and our newest addition, please."
He bowed again and hurried off.
Estelle turned to me. "The newest addition?"
"Remember how you mentioned that you wanted a horse?" I asked. "Well, I had Gerad be my spy. And I bought you a horse."
She burst into tears as the stablehand brought out the horses.
Captain, always the sassy horse he was, pulled away from his handler to come greet me. I rubbed his head and held onto his bridle as I watched Estelle meet her horse.
Her horse was a female Thoroughbred. The horse's coat was a Chestnut brown, it's mane and tail a tad darker. It's coat was extraordinarily shiny, indicating that it was well-cared for. The horse's muscles flexed as Estelle kissed and hugged her.
"You're gorgeous," Estelle sobbed. "Oh, God."
I lead Captain over to the two. "Like her?"
"What's her name?"
"You get to pick, Stelle."
She sniffled and rubbed the horse's back, and grinned so brightly that I grinned myself. Estelle turned to me.
"Her name is Harriet," she said. "Hey, girl."
"Harriet it is," I said, and then put a hand on her shoulder. "How would you like to ride her?"
"Thank you so much!" she said, throwing herself into my arms. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best!"
"Happy Early Birthday, Stelle," I said, hugging her back.
We spent the entire day at the stables.
I taught her how to mount Harriet, how to control her, and how to change speeds. The rest she figured out quite quickly. She claimed she'd read so many books on horses that she could be a pro. I believed her.
That afternoon, we went out for a trail ride once I deemed her ready.
I had missed riding Captain like crazy. He was an incredibly well-behaved horse when he needed to be, but was like a toddler the rest of the time. His behavior had shocked me as a kid.
Harriet, however, was well-behaved no matter the situation.
It was one of the reasons that I'd picked her. Well, that and the fact that she already knew how to jump and was over five years old. Something about Estelle told me that she'd be wanting to learn to jump before too long, so why not go ahead and buy a horse that could do it already?
"Oh, wow," Estelle said as we trudged along. "She's amazing. I love her so, so much."
"I'm glad you like her."
"How much can I ride her?"
"You can come down here as often as you'd like, but please tell us before you do so."
"I can do that," she said.
We continued on, and once the trail ended, we headed back to the stables so we wouldn't be too late for dinner at the palace.