The Prince And His Elites

by sd2905

All Maxon wanted from his Selection was to find his one. He was nearly there. He had his Elites. He had found someone. He was ready. But was it that ready? Look more into Maxon's amazing story after he selects his Elites. New bonds are made. New relations are forged. Everything is new. But what about him? This is Maxon's journey in finding his one out of his Elites.

8. Decisions

The night was young when all of us said our goodnights and retired to our rooms.

My hand was still warm after holding America's. I'd escorted her to her rooms personally, as saying a special goodnight to my to-be-fiancée where I was rewarded with a good night kiss.

But, alas! Her sister was sitting in her bed, eager to discuss the whole event with her. It also didn't help that when she saw me at the threshold waiting of her sister's room, she squealed with delight, jumping from her bed to greet me personally. "Your Majesty!"

"Miss Singer, please call me Maxon."

"Maxon." She tested my name on her lips, smiling with content. "Today was splendid! Everything! And I got be the woman in white! The most amazing dress I've ever seen!"

She rambled on and on for a few more minutes, in which I looked at America to find her rolling her eyes at her sister's excitement. Feeling my gaze on her, she turned to me and mouthed, "Just play along. Please?"

Smiling, I heard May tell everything she found delightful. Especially the food. "Ah! And here I came to apologize for not dancing with you."

If her squeal at first was of excitement, then it was nothing compared to now. "Really?" And before I could answer, she turned to her sister, jumping yet again, with more zeal. "You heard! He was going to dance with me! The prince!"

America looked at me and I mouthed good night closing the door, giving the two sisters a little privacy. The way America gave me a smile, giving me an airy kiss as a night token. This time when I smiled and walked away, I heard May's loud voice reverberating in the hallway. "He is smitten over you! So smitten!" Along with America's chuckle as a parting gift.

My fingers brushed my lips, missing the feeling of her lips against mine.

Sleep was a gone case, the events of the party still fresh in my mind. To find some reprieve from my all consuming thoughts, I headed to my balcony, sitting on the chair, gazing up at the nearly starry sky.

America always said the night sky of Carolina was way more beautiful than here, but I couldn't think anything like that. For me, this sky was perfect. Elysian. The right, warm breeze flowing in the dead night, the stars twinkling and winking in the black sky, the whole garden down lightened with the golden lights.

I was about to take a late night shower, remove my tiredness with the help of warm water, when Justin marched in the room, still in his assassin costume.

"You are needed in the king's conference room, Your Highness." He all but stumbled on the words, he was breathing that hard. "Something important came up."

"What is it, Justin?" Another rebel attack? That seemed unlikely. The alarms were off!

He shook his head. "Lady Marlee was caught with a guard in a closet in a compromising situation."

I couldn't believe it!

"Hurry!" He all but shouted, throwing a dress shirt and trousers at me from my walk-in closet. "His Majesty ordered them thrown behind the bars until tomorrow where they'll be hanged to death!"

My movements of dressing stopped altogether.

It was too much.

"What happened? How? When? Tell me everything! I want to know everything before I go in there. Death sentence! What horrible could they've been doing?" But as I said it, I could think of thousand possible actions that could be considered offended.

Justin took a deep breath, no doubt collecting himself. "Lady Marlee, taking steps after Lady America—"

"For gods sake, Justin, just say! Neglect the titles for now!"

"She was impressed by how America always made her maids retire and decided to take after her steps. Officer Carter Woodwork took the post of his guard. They grew close. And tonight, after the party was almost wrapped up, Gavril's team heard some muffled sounds coming out from the bottom closet."

I was already dreading the whole part. I could just imagine the part about to unfold in front of me.

What did you do Marlee!

"You weren't anywhere near so they thought it was you and opened it, recording what they saw in there. Marlee wrapped up around Carter—his shirt was discarded on the floor whereas Marlee's dress was off of her shoulders."

It was a rule of the country for anyone to not have any physical relation between them, and especially as a Selected. It was a major rule—to not fall in love with anyone else, except for the prince.

But it wasn't like Marlee to do any such thing just for a fling. She's a romantic. A romantic, idiot fool, but a romantic nonetheless. She believed in fairytales and love and everything regarding this.

Then I recalled something she'd told me just after she became an Elite. There's no prince charming for me. Maybe a knight in shining armour? But that doesn't mean I'm not getting my fairytale. I'll get it. Fight for it if I have to. I haven't come this far, all the way from my home to here, just to lose.

She got her knight in shining armour. In literal sense nonetheless.

But at what cost?

She believed in fate. It couldn't be cruel for her to get her prince charming only go be served to death the very next day.

There has to be something!

Anything!

She wasn't just my Elite, but also a dear friend.

"Let's go!" I said, resolving my ideas. I would do anything in my power to have her safe.

Down in the conference room, there were no advisors' to make demands or suggest something foolish. No. There was just the king and queen, Stavros, Gavril with his assistant Tyler. No one else. Along with the manservants and handmaids to serve late night tea.

Perfect.

Just enough to get me start somewhere.

The calm, composed command of Mom held me in my place, fuming. She looked at him and I could almost here her silent pleading to find another option and saw his minute shake of head. "Clarkson, can't we—"

"No. A part of the whole festivity was being telecasted live. Tyler got a few shots of it that were telecasted. We can't undo that. Now it's a matter known to the whole country. We can't ground the matter. People will protest, all castes. We have to punish. Even we fall under Illéan laws and have to act accordingly."

"Finally you decided to come!" Dad mused in his cunning voice, looking at the documents in front of him, not even an effort to look up.

He, too, had changed. He was once again dressed in usual, with his stern mood and a big frown on his lips and many lines on his forehead. Beside him was seated Mom, dressed in a nightgown with a red robe over her, her usual delightful mood turned down to a sadness.

She had always been able to hide her emotions well, keeping a smile for everyone else even when she was hurting inside. But today she wasn't able to do that. I could easily pick out the red rims of her eyes which she'd tried to hide with makeup.

Even when she looked up and tried to keep her worries at bay for me.

Father didn't try to fill me in with what he'd decided upon an Elite's life for listening to her heart and following it.

"The whole thing should be broadcasted. Live." He said, his eyes hard on Gavril, already knowing that behind a sharp wit exterior lied a person who loved his job as much as he loathed it.

Gavril, knowing he couldn't raise his voice against the king himself, said nothing and bowed his head, resigning himself to the king's wishes.

"What should be telecasted?"

Even while asking the stupid question, a part of me still new what was about to come.

Father didn't even look up from his documents he was busy with to answer me. "The hanging of Marlee and that bastard of a guard we gave a place in our palace."

The roaring in my ears made it difficult to hear the words properly. The dryness in my mouth made it unbearable for my tongue to say the words fast enough. "No!"

The way his face turned as he looked at me, with sharp, predatory gaze made me swallow. "You were saying?"

"Sure you can't allow it!" Panic was making my voice slurry. "Nothing could be delivered so harsh and eliminating for them to—"

"They broke the rules! She has no interest in you!" He bellowed, his eyes sharp on my face. "The only thing as the Selected was to not have any kind of relationship with anyone else but the prince. Not to forget Illéa's rule to not engage in any physical relationship before marriage. They'd broken both rules and now they bear the consequences."

"Then punish them." I challenged, hoping against hope that he'll listen to me. "Discard them of their ranks. Throw them out of the castle if you want to. But don't punish them with death."

I didn't care that by the end of my challenging him into doing right my voice had turned pleading. That I was no more far away from begging for forgiveness on their behalf.

Neither did father.

He knew.

"Fine." I couldn't believe my ear. It was so easy.

I'd thought it would take him hours to make him see reason...but for him to give up completely without any fight...he must have taken pity on them or cared that I cared about her too much—

"They both will be stripped off their positions and be regarded as Eights." A good compromise. "They'll live in the southern states. They'll be thrown down there just after they both are caned fifteen times." So much for seeing that I cared for her! "The people's favourite" he spat the words, mocking them with the irony he was about to show all, "will be caned—"

It was brutal. "She can't. She's a lady. Barely a woman. Four or Eight, she can not survive it."

"Who said she'll be caned on her back, Maxon? Nah. That's reserved for the traitor. For him! For the pathetic choice of yours as an Elite, she'll be caned on her hand. Both her hands."

Something inside my chest tightened and forgot how to loose it's hold.

"They'd be caned publicly, broadcasted live, as a befitting punishment for even trying to lay her fingers on him."

So much for trying to think he'd been giving a life opportunity by saying no to the death's request.

It was worse. Way more worse.

I looked at Mom, trying for her help, but she merely gave me a sorry look, silently saying that she couldn't help her even if she wanted to.

Steeling myself from every emotions that was dying to resurface from the calm he tried to gain, with gritted teeth, I asked. "At what time?"

"First thing in the morning. After eight."

It was two in the morning already. I'll have just a half dozen hours to come up with a plan to help Marlee, to get them out of here...

"And where would you ship them off?"

He knew he was victorious already as he passed me a feline grin, thrumming his fingers on the desk that kept him away from me. "Panama."

My father knew how much I was concerned for the Southern states. How hard I'd tried to study them, to come with options to rectify the surroundings and air in there. And he also knew how I'd winced when I'd learnt about Panama.

It was worse than what I'd feared. Panama! That state in which no one survived if they didn't hold their wits together, where Eights were treated at trash...Where their only reprieve form pain was death, and they didn't even have to ask for it. No Eight has ever stayed alive in there for more then a few weeks at most.

By asking for any other alternative then sudden death, I've given them a whole worse option by announcing them to Panama.

With mother's sigh I knew she, too, didn't know what was about to be done to them. She loathed this place...and yet she trusted Father to find another alternative.

"She wouldn't survive—"

"She's no Elite anymore, Maxon." He seethed. "Not our concern."

"But—"

"There's nothing left for discussion, Maxon." His words rang with finality. "You were supposed to look after the Elites. Date them. You couldn't do even that properly that a girl had to look at a guard! You failed again, Maxon. A complete, useless, failure." Before I could say anything or feel anything, he turned to Stavros, who was listening to each and every word, noting them as well. "Let's go, Stavros. There's so much work to do and I can't rely on this boy of mine to do it."

Stavros, grim faced with so much guilt and horror reflecting in them, walked with my father out of the room, holding all the documents that has all the information about tomorrow in them.

I slumped on the chair, the horror of the reality catching up.

What did you do, Marlee?!

Mom gave me a quick glance and stood up, going out of the room as well. Just before the door, she paused and looked once again at me. The moment our eyes met, we both knew what was going to happen. Father won't stop. In no way, he'd stop. She nodded, confirming it. So the only thing that I could prevent was Marlee going to Panama. And for that I have to have a plan in action in no more than a couple hours.

She nodded again, seeing all of my thoughts on my face. She nodded again. A truce against father's strict rule. A plan to give shelter to a girl who took a step toward her love. An action to assure least damage. A decision to make sure my friend is safe.

When I'd come in this room, it was with terror for what was going to happen. Now when I stood up to go, it was with a decision to save my friend and her fairytale.

.

.

.

Justin was where I'd thought he'd be. In my room, pacing on the floor. I gave him a quick look that he understood. With a quick check, he closed the door while I closed the balcony, and joined me in my study, sitting in front of me. "You've been my friend since I was a child, Justin." I said in a tone full of authority I rarely used—only in the desperate times like today. "I'm going to take a few decisions that may declare us as traitors for not following the king's orders. Only, and if only, you swear to help me, and not let any of this information out for any reason, even on your life, then I'll tell you. If not, it's better you don't tell anyone about it and please be gone."

He shook his head, the person sitting in front of me not even afraid that he was going to do something against the king's orders. This was my friend, ready to do anything for me. Smiling like a child and waving the whole thing away as if it was nothing major, he leaned toward the desk and raised a brow. "You already knew what I was going to decide. Enough with all these formality shit. Just say what and we'll get it done before it's late. It has been such a long time since we upended a few rules."

I sighed, relieved. Took a deep breath and released it again. A plan had started to form in my mind, but for it to be foolproof, we need to be highly sure about our actions. Getting Justin on my side was the first step. My first friend since I was a child, who knew me so much.

"Okay." The second phase. "For my work on the Southern states project, do you recall whom did you talk to while gathering information?"

Being the prince's butler gave him quite many opportunities, and his easy going nature and always smiling face made him a favourite among the palace staff. The main person who circled the gossip, but also listened to everyone and brought the most important to my notice. There was no chance of him forgetting someone's name, or much better, for anyone to not tell him about their problem.

"Yes. Juan Diego and Abril. Nineteen year twins. They're from Panama, but they've been in the palace since they were thirteen. They came here for work as their mother was quite ill and they had no other source for income. Their mother, Sabrina, took a loan from the king, and as it's repayment, they'd been working here since then. They've been trying to go to home...Wait! Is this what I'm thinking it is?"

A curt nod. "Call them. Be discreet. I need to talk to them. After that you go to the prison and make sure the guards are distracted. I need to talk to Marlee about it as well. And hurry up. It's already three in the morning. We have hardly three hours to work before father get a sense of anything. Hurry!"

"Yes, Maxon." He stood up but paused midway. "But what about the guards? How would you distract them enough to change the people being carried out?"

"That, my friend, is another reason why I needed you most."

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.

.

A few whispers compromised the silence settled in the night as three figures walked in through my door, dirty, ragged cloak hugging their frames tightly. The first one to remove the hood was Justin, followed by a girl with dark blonde hair and fair skin that whispered tales of being tanned. Then the third figure removed his hood, disclosing a neither muscular nor lean figure, with dark blond tresses and similar skin, though a little tanned.

Justin waved a hand in front of them. "Meet Abril and Juan Diego, Your Highness. The twins from Panama. Abril works in the kitchen while her brother is a gardenkeeper."

Two sets of terrified eyes set on me, not knowing what was happening or why they were dragged here in the middle of the night.

"Please forgive me for this behaviour, Abril, Juan Diego. Justin should've been a little forthcoming, but we fear time is of essence now."

It was Juan Diego who took a step forward and asked, "What is the matter, Your Highness? How may we help you?"

"Can you tell me about your stay here? Why? For how much time?"

"Certainly." It was Abril. "Our mother was getting ill and having no other choice that time, we swore ourselves to the palace."

"How is your mother now?"

"Not good, but it has to do mostly because of the environment of Panama. We spend as much as possible on her treatments."

"She lives in Panama." Not a question, but they both nodded just the same. "And you both would like to go there? Be with her?"

"We haven't found any way to do that," Juan Diego said, his expression resigned, "but that doesn't means we forget to be wishful."

"And if you both get a chance to go to your mother, leave the palace behind?"

Once their resignation turned into hope. "What do you suggest, Your Highness?"

"Here's the thing." I told them everything about Marlee and how she was found and what was going to happen. Then I told them everything about what I had in my mind. At first they were vary, not certain how they'd be any help because of the guards, but Justin took from there and said that it'd be his problem, which was nothing. Then I dig in for my last part, the parting gifts—not only a free passage to their hometown but also money for their mother's operation and a small amount as a pension for five years.

"We would forever be in your debt, Your Highness, for the kindness you're bestowing upon us." Said Juan Diego. Then, as if reading his mind. Abril competed him with, "We would do anything to help you in the kindness you're showering upon all of your subjects. It's our pleasure to be working for you."

"Please understand that it is all an act of defiance since it's not according to the king's will. One area of doubt or even a loophole and all our lives are better dead. You understand the need for your discretion? Not only for the both of you but for everyone involved."

"Yes." They both announced in unison. "We understand," The boy said, and his sister completed for him, "We swear on our lives to not forget your daring to do this." Her brother said the rest, "and to never say a single work to raise any alarm, anywhere."

"Good. Lady Marlee will be shifted for Panama in the cover of night when there will be the least cover for camera. The darkness would help us make the change, and also help us in remaining unnoticeable. The rest of the information will be provided to you by Justin himself," who gave a solemn nod, "You mustn't carry much luggage except for the necessities. Hand them to Justin and he'll take care of that." They both nodded, understanding the gravity of the whole situation and still trying to help me and themselves. "Thank you. For your support. It means so much to me."

They both shook their heads, always acting like one mind. "The honour is ours, Prince, to be able to be of your service. Illéa is very lucky to have you."

Then, out of nowhere, Abril smiled at me. "We were always told that the royals never looked upon the South. Staying in the palace provided us a foresight on the truth of it. As a gratitude for your help in giving us our freedom, we'll work for your cause. Make sure you have a good reputation in the South, at least in our state, till you work on your schemes to develop the South."

"How did you...?"

"The gossips travel both ways, Your Highness." She said, smiling at Justin as if daring him to contradict her.

I smiled, happy for the first time in the night in between all this mess and chaos. "Thank you, my Lady."

She bowed to her waist, her brother doing the same, and then they were gone.

Leaving me alone with a faint ray of hope in the wake.

Now it was time to make sure the victim of all of these was safe. And well treated.

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.

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"Here."

After all the necessary paperwork regarding the twins' rendezvous exit from the palace that won't land them in any problem, it was near about six. The perfect time for me to visit Marlee without raising any alarm. And to tell her bits about what was going to happen.

Glancing at the breakfast tray Justin put on my table, I nodded my thanks and went back to the papers regarding the placement of two new recruitments in the kitchen and grounds, making sure there was nothing suspicious.

"You've been working non-stop since the middle of the night, Maxon. Eat. Rest. Take a small time off." Before I could open my mouth to say otherwise, he added, "It won't do any good to any one of you aren't the most attentive you need to be."

"It's easy to say, Justin. But I need to be thoroughly thorough. There can't be any mistakes. No loopholes. Heaven forbid us if any of these things get leaked out. At least we have a little good luck that nobody knows where father's going to make them go, else it would be way more complicated. Saying that, he didn't make this any easier this time, either."

He chuckled. "He isn't an almost tyrant for nothing."

Well, it was a well known fact that everyone in here hated the king, despised him. Sometimes I did, too. But it was almost never when someone, least of all Justin, said that on my face.

I couldn't even laugh or be offended by his comment. I was so tired.

Taking the tray from the table, I placed it in front of me. All the smells baffled my mind, my stomach growled. Omelette, fruits, casserole, chocolate tart...I dug in, and so did Justin. I never cared if he ate with me or not. We've been friends for far too long to mind it.

I still remember the first time I invited him to eat with me. He'd been completely red with nervousness that he couldn't reply for a minute. That was when I was five, two years short than him. Silvia had caught me eating with him and smiled, but then she confronted me in my own quarters when I was alone. "Having a friend is good, Maxon. And it is nice that you're befriending someone. But if you want to play with him, make sure you're alone when you do. You can't do it in public." And then came many more lectures...But since then Justin and I had been next to inseparable. It was no surprise for anyone when I chose him as my butler.

"Thank you, Justin." I murmured.

He shook his head, saying with his mouth full of tart, "It's nothing, Maxon. And I'm happy to be your friend. What you're doing is no easy thing...I can't be more proud of myself for having a part in this."

This time I chuckled and threw a napkin at his face. "Oh, shut up with all your nonsense."

"All things aside, when will you go to meet Marlee?"

"Just after you stop harassing me with so many questions so I could eat my breakfast."

"As you wish, Your Highness." He threw me a look as well. "Are you going to let anyone in this secret?"

"Nope."

"Not even America?"

I didn't have any answer for that. Not even a clue about what was going to happen.

No. That wasn't right. I did have a clue. I knew precisely what would happen, but it wouldn't be to my liking.

Even since the starting, America has always seen me as a person. Not a prince but a friend. She'd accepted that part of me quite fondly. She even loved me—or liked me enough—to think about a future with me.

But all those things were going to change today. After what was going to happen.

Marlee was the closest friend America had in here. The caning and the punishment Marlee would fare today will be enough to break America. After the morning, America won't see me as a person but as a prince.

And the results...

To Justin's question, I replied with a shrug.

He stopped eating—which he lived for. "What?"

"It will be too much hard for America to witness the whole thing. The whole issue is delicate itself—less people know about it, that better. Besides I can't just act according to please her. It has to be dealt with exceeding care. And America is a little spontaneous. If she knows about it prematurely..."

"So what? You do understand that once she sees you like this she won't be able to accept—"

"She doesn't get to decide which part of me or which version she gets to keep. It's the whole package—that's the deal." It sounded so much better in my head. "Besides, why are you so fixated on her? Interested?"

"You may be the heir of Illéa, but you are clearly the son of queen Amberly. Who wears his heart on his sleeves." He smiled with a roll of his eyes. "You have no idea how many bets are being placed on 'how much longer before Maxon announces America the winner'."

"That's insane!"

"You don't hear the palace gossip, Maxon. It's full of shit."

But that wasn't what worried me. Was I so predictable? Does everyone know what is going to be my choice? No doubt dad is furious with me. He always warned me to be impenetrable when it comes to be readable.

"Hmm."

He turned whole serious. "Every thing is going to be fine, Maxon. Much more than fine."

You have no idea how desperately I wish for that, Justin.