America's POV .

Laying on my bed staring at the stars outside my window twirling my new engagement ring on my finger … just a few hours ago I thought I would die , or that Maxon would die. The attack is still fresh in my mind , and My nerves are still raw but I have the rest of my life to look forward to with my love . I didn't want to leave Maxons bedroom but he was in a meeting with advisors now that he is king . He told me to have my maids help me move to the princess suite but I wanted them to rest so I told them we can do it Tomorrow . I didn't mean to fall asleep when I came in after eating dinner with maxon in his room but exhaustion took me before I knew it , it was well after midnight when my dreams turn into bullets flying and the blood of the man I love spilling on the floor woke me with a shutter and now I can't sleep. It's then that I hear a scrape on my floor and when I look there is a neatly folded piece of paper with my name on it .

Picking up the paper I see maxons handwritten note .

My Dear .. I asked the guards not to wake you but I can't stand not being near you if this note finds you awake come up to my room.

I didn't even grab a robe or shoes. I bolted for the door and before I knew it I was knocking softly on Maxon's door … it slid open with every knock and I saw him sitting up in bed , with his arm still bandaged looking as if his mind was a million miles away.

When he noticed me his expression changed to joy.

" You got my note." He said, I nodded and he moved to indicate for me to join him on the bed .

"America, I … " he stammered and I felt his body shutter … "I can't believe she's gone..that he's… " and the tears began to flow and his body racked with sobs . I cried too seeing his pain, feeling my own pain of the loss of my father. We didn't need words to express our grief, just comfort in each other.

When all the tears he had had flowed out he finally looked at me with red rimmed eyes "a King should never show weakness…" I didn't let him finish . " You're not King Maxon when you're with me , you're just … Maxon." I looked at him and held his face, continuing " King is your job , it's your title, it's only a part of you. You have been trained your whole life to be a king by your fathers rules , but your Mother always taught you to love and was your emotional compass . You , My Dear , are not showing weakness, it's grieving the loss of your parents. You can be King Maxon to the rest of the world but you don't have to be strong for me ." I'm not in love with the King, I love Maxon, just as you are because of who you are not what you are."

He's eyes focused deep into mine and he nodded in understanding before taking a breath that filled his whole body with a lightness that looked like something he'd never felt before .

"America, I love you ." His face was so close to mine I could feel the breath of his words and I kissed him on the cheek just above where I healed his face . I could see the circles forming under his eyes , he needed to sleep.

" I love you too, but you need to sleep . " I went to move to stand but he pulled me down. " If you're here besides me and the nightmares take you away from me… all I have to do is open my eyes to see that it's not real, …stay beside me."

"Won't the guards or maids catch us , I'm not yet your wife … "

"My Dear , I am the law now . " he said with a slight chuckle that showed a glimmer of the happiness we both felt below the layers of everything else going on . With that I put my head on his uninjured shoulder and shut my eyes .

It was the afternoon sun that woke me . I was in a tangle of covers in Maxon's room . I could see his camera on the shelf , his desk, it was then that I noticed that the bed was also covered in paperwork . I glanced upwards and saw Maxon propped up on several pillows doing work using a book from his nightstand as a table .

" Good morning , sleeping Beauty "

"What time is it? " I yawned .

"Just after 1pm he said, Lucy brought some lunch in a little while ago if you're hungry and there is coffee too."

"Lucy was here?" I asked, pulling the covers tight around me even though I was fully dressed in my nightgown .

" I gave the guard a second note to give to Lucy last night telling her that if you were not in your bed in the morning you were here with me so she would not panic , she's the only one who knows your in here as she has also been running interference making sure no guards or advisors come in unannounced."

" I didn't think about that before , but I guess now that your King that will be something I'll have to get used to ….advisors barging into our bedroom unannounced."

Maxon chuckled a little. " Maybe , we can fix that too along with the cast ."

The next few weeks were a blur, between the funerals, wedding planning and capturing the few remaining rebels, I'm shocked that I'm just days away from the wedding . When at dinner with many of the guests who have already started to arrive I see Maxon tugging on his ear .

I exited the hall right after deserts and headed towards our rooms to wait for him . But he scoops me up in his arm before I make it very far carrying me down the hallway .

" What are you doing?" I stumble out between laughing .

"Practicing to carry you across the threshold on our wedding night" he said with a grin. As we reached the door to my room. He put me down.

" I have something for you . I wanted to keep it a surprise till the wedding but I think it's too important to wait " as he pulled out something thin and silver from his pocket.

My heart skipped, "my necklace …" all other words like how, or where , or even if it was the same necklace we're lost.

" I didn't want the maids cleaning out my parents rooms , so I've been cleaning them out myself for a few weeks now getting ready for us to move in to their suite after the wedding , it was in my mothers desk drawer, she must have rescued it from my father after the pardoning. Turn around I'll put it on you "

I turned around and felt like my father was giving it to me as an angel . I turned to face him and kissed him so passionately that he backed up into the wall between our rooms with his hands tangled in my hair. I was so lost in kissing him that I didn't hear the unmistakable sound of Aspen's Cane till it was too late .

I broke from the kiss and I could see Maxon grinning from ear to ear as he slid his hands back to his sides. I turned to see Aspen standing there with a folder of reports looking embarrassed that he'd walked in on a personal moment between us , but there was no hurt in his eyes , he and Maxon had become very close friends and deeply respected each other .

"Umm… Here are the reports you requested a few hours ago to review… Do you want me to leave them with you or do you have better plans ?"

We both laughed as Maxon took the reports and I walked off to my bedroom .