Hi hello.

So little update. Some of the chapters got a bit of weird formatting so I apologise for that. I figure out what was wrong so that should all be fixed up. I was surprised with the amount of people who read the chapters though. It's so weird that even years later you guys are still there.

Anyways, I go back to uni tomorrow but I'm trying to bust out as many chapters as possible tonight before my mind will return to uni mode.

Hope you enjoy this chapter

(Also, has anyone else noticed how much longer these chapters are. I remember struggling to get to 900 words and now I'm posting chapters that are well over 2000 words. That's growth baby)

Chapter 5

The next day is filled with excitement as the staff set up for the party. The Great Room is blocked off completely with not even the King being allowed entry.

My maids are busy helping arrange flowers to suit Kriss' outfit they made so I am left to dress for the day on my own. Most of the clothes left for me in the closet are dress Kriss has rejected. Most of them are blue ranging from a dark ocean blue to a periwinkle blue. I pick out a violet dress with a tulip skirt that reaches my knees. It is a bit large for my small frame, but it isn't something to complain about. It compliments my light skin tone and gives me enough room to breathe. I find a light purple hairpiece to weave my hair around. Since the Selection ended, Celeste taught me a few hairstyles but I'm still hopeless at pulling together anything that isn't a straightforward braid or ponytail.

I leave my face bare, not sighting any dark circles or unwanted blemishes, and head downstairs. Maxon's family is due to arrive today as well as some foreign guests. I pray that Nicoletta is on the guestlist despite the strain between Italy and Ilea since they rejected the alliance proposal.

I walk out to the garden where everyone is enjoying the sunlight and the company. Waiters shuffle around with plates in their hands, carrying sandwiches and small treats. There are children running wild, chasing each other with glee, squealing in a manner that I would have expected unacceptable at the palace. I smile as I watch them run wild.

As I wander through the gardens, I wonder where Kriss is. I'm sure she would love to see the children running wild and everyone just generally having a good time.

I notice Ashley talking to Natalie and Tiny and steer clear, still reeling from the encounter when we arrived. The Queen is sitting in a lounge chair alone, a book rested in her hand. She looks elegant despite her relaxed position.

As I watch her, she looks up, catching my eye and smiling. She lifts a hand, beckoning me to come forward. My heart skips a beat at her request, and I take in a deep breath. I brush down my skirt lightly, moving towards her.

"Your Majesty," I greet with a curtsy. She waves away my formalities and pats the seat across from her. I smile lightly at her kindness.

"How have you been, Lady America?" she asks, a motherly smile plastered on her face.

I sigh, wondering what to say. I can't very well tell the Queen of Illea that her son left my heart in pieces and now I don't know what to do with myself. "I've been good," I simply say. "I started teaching at a school in Angeles, not too far from here actually."

Queen Amberley smiles. "I'm glad to hear. Most of the girls after the selection tend to wait for a husband rather than find work but I'm not at all surprised that the stereotype doesn't apply to you." I laugh lightly.

"Are a lot of the girls married now?" I ask, curious. I hadn't thought too much about the other girls and their romantic lives since the selection ended.

She nods enthusiastically, looking like a young girl filled with gossip. "Most of the girls here are at least engaged and I'm sure some of them are already expecting." I let my jaw drop at that. We're all too young to be having babies of our own. Getting pregnant now seems like an absolute nightmare.

Some servers come up timidly to ask if the Queen wants a refill of her tea which she quickly declines. I sit silently, aware of her eyes now studying me.

"I thought it would be you, you know," she says. I look up at her, my eyes meeting hers. "I don't think I've seen Maxon as happy as he was with you. The way he would look at you and admire you. I was so sure." She looks at me questioning almost like she's waiting for me to confess something. "But I guess I was wrong." I look down, studying my hands. "Kriss is a nice girl."

"She is," I agree, standing slowly. "I should probably say hello to some of the girls, I've missed them so dearly." Queen Amberley looks at me, suspicion laced in her glance but waves her arm.

"Of course, enjoy your day," she insists. "I look forward to your performance later, that is if you are planning on holding up your end of the bargain." I give her a tight-lipped smile and curtsy before twirling away, my hands shaking.

Since sitting with the Queen, the gardens have filled with the girls all wearing sweet day dresses in various pastel colours. They mingle, showing off their various wedding bands or engagement rings, their voices high with excitement and pride. I bite my lip, not really wanting to have to tell the other girls that my life held barely any interest.

I can see Aspen walking around the perimeter, subtly scanning for any threat. If he wasn't him, I doubt I would notice the discreet way he stalks around. I furrow my brow, remembering him saying something about the increased threat of the rebels.

I begin to make my rounds to the girls, pretending to care how many carats their wedding bands have and listening to stories of the social events they've been to since the Selection ended.

"I haven't worked a day since I stepped foot from this palace," Sosie Keeper, one of the eight who was eliminated on the first day, exclaims. I laugh lightly at her declaration, noticing the cameras making their rounds of the gardens. The camera crew is quiet and observing but I know that this is being broadcasted, that I'll be one of the highlights of the special. A part of me wishes I'd asked Maxon to send me home earlier in the competition, before I'd caught any feelings for him. I just knew everyone was watching to see how I was reacting to being back, to see if I was going to scream and cry and cause a scene.

"I wonder when they'll announce the wedding," Bariel muses, fluffing out her dress. It's strange to see the girl not following Celeste around like a lost puppy. She was now engaged to some football player who'd been injured and now spent most of his time planning extravagant parties with Bariel.

"I hope it's soon," Sosie replies. "Weddings are so lovely."

The girls begin to discuss the colours they think Kriss will pick for the wedding and I try to zone them out while keeping a pleasant smile on my face.

I manage to slip away from the group of girls, my eyes scanning the garden for Celeste but instead finding the face that made my stomach drop. Maxon is engaged in a conversation with one of the guards, his face relaxed but with a hint of concern. The guard points to where Aspen is now standing, and mutters something. Maxon's nods and crosses his arms before answering the guard and walking off, swapping out the concerned look for a boyish smirk.

I watch as he grabs one of the children by the waist and hoists her up in his arms. The young girl squeals and flails her arms and legs while Maxon spins her around, laughing.

I want to look away, but I'm stuck watching him as he plays with the children. He pulls a small camera from his pocket, much smaller than the bulky one I know he prefers, and snaps some pictures of the girl who poses for him. She reminds me of mini-Celeste with her model pout and brunette curls.

"Lady America," a reporter interrupts, shoving a microphone directly in my face. She seems flustered as she beckons her cameraman forward. Her cheeks are slightly flushed and her ponytail is slipping out of the band. I feel sorry for the woman. "I'm sorry to interrupt your day, but would you mind a quick interview?"

I smile pleasantly at the woman, finding it hard to be annoyed at her intrusion. I motion for her to begin her questioning. She breathes heavily, obviously out of breath from all the running around I'm assuming she's had to do today.

The cameraman looks at the interviewer with slight concern in his eyes and I can tell he's worried for her.

I put a hand on her arm. "Do you mind if we take the interview over there?" I ask her, pointing to a large tree at the back of the garden. "I'm feeling a bit too hot over here." She smiles gratefully and we begin to move towards the tree. I pull over a few servers and quietly ask them to bring over a few chairs and some water bottles for the poor woman. They nod and scurry off in search for chairs and water. The cameraman mouths a quick 'thank you' and follows after the woman.

As soon as we reach the shade, I notice the redness in the woman's cheeks go down a considerable amount. We take a seat in the chairs when the servers provide them, and I thank them graciously. The interviewer chugs the water graciously before she turns to me to begin the interview.

"I apologise for the hassle, My Lady," she apologises. I wave it away.

"It was no problem," I assure her. I look at her hair which has all but fallen out of the elastic band she's secured in with. "Do you mind if I fix your hair while we do the interview? My sister used to run around a lot at school so I know a lot of hairstyles that aren't likely to fall out while you're running around today."

The woman seems astounded but agrees, instructing the cameraman to adjust the set up to suit the new arrangements.

I don't bother combing the woman's hair as getting a comb to the garden's would be too much of a hassle to the staff and luckily her hair is pin-straight, not a knot in sight.

As I start on the hairstyle, she begins asking her questions. They're much like the questions from yesterday and I wonder why they would send two reporters if they were just going to repeat the same questions. I answer them as vaguely as I can manage.

"I'm sure you've been asked this question many times since your departure from the palace and I'm sure you're sick of it, but, towards the end of the competition, you were one of the most promising contenders. How did it feel to get so close to the prize only to have it snatched out from underneath you?" she asks. I let out a sigh but try to focus on her hair as I answer.

"I wouldn't necessarily say it was snatched out from underneath me," I tell her, letting out a forced laugh that I can only hope sounds convincing. "All 35 of us had a unique relationship with Prince Maxon. Obviously, we had a connection, or I wouldn't have been there for as long as I was and I'm not going to deny that losing was disappointing, but I can't fault Prince Maxon or Lady Kriss for their feelings." I pause, looking to where Maxon is laughing with some of the girls.

I secure her hair with the same elastic band, tying it around a few times to keep it secure. "Do you think it was hard for the Prince to choose between you and Lady Kriss? We were all so sure it would be you standing victorious that day, do you think he also felt this way or was it obvious at the end that it wasn't you?"

I let out a slight cough, shocked by the question. I'd been asked time and time again about how I felt about the ending of the Selection, but never once did they ask about how I thought Maxon felt. I couldn't just tell this woman that I'd been unfaithful, that would be a sure way to be caned just as Marlee was. "I'm not too sure how to answer that question," I tell her, sitting back and letting the braid I'd tied her hair into fall against her back. "I think that's a question to ask Prince Maxon himself."

She nods, putting an asterisk next to the question in her notebook. I smile and walk around her to take a look at the hairstyle from the front. She looks much more put together and professional. I smile lightly at her. Despite the questions, it was hard to resent this woman much like I'd resented the one from yesterday.

"I should probably get back to the party but it was lovely meeting you," I say, reaching out to shake her hand. I shake the cameraman's hand as well before I turn to re-join the rest of the crowd.

And run straight into Maxon.

He grabs me by my shoulders before I can fall to the ground. His hands are warm against the bare skin on my arms. He steadies me quickly before removing his hands.

"Sorry," I mutter, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment. He looks at me with a blank expression, his eyes darting towards the cameraman who now has the camera recording the whole scene. I force a smile on my face and he does the same.

"Nothing to be sorry for," he replies, looking down at me. His smile remains in place but I know it's meant for the camera's benefit not for me. His eyes hold mine as he puts his arm out for me to hold. I can see as well as he can the act we have to perform. So many eyes and so many lenses. I force myself to giggle and give him a pointed look to start laughing which he does.

I give the cameraman a happy wave as Maxon guides me away from them and back towards the party.

"I'm sorry about that, I didn't mean to run into you," I say, apologising for the second time. He shrugs, the pleasant smile still plastered on his face.

"Why were you so far away from the others?" he asks, guiding our walk around the perimeter, following the path Aspen had taken before.

I frown at him, trying to determine if I was in trouble for something. "The woman interviewing me wasn't doing too well under the sun, I thought it would be better to have the interview somewhere quieter and under the shade."

Maxon chuckles. "You always do find a way to bend the rules," he mutters. I can't tell whether he meant that in a good way or bad, so I keep silent rather than question it.

A guard approaches us quietly, his strides full with intent as he walks until he notices me beside Maxon. Maxon takes in the guard's hesitation but waves his hand to tell him to continue with whatever update he had.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Your Highness. Officer Leger just wanted to inform that there were two people hanging around the edge of the gardens. They say they're interviewing the guests, but we wanted to make sure you cleared them."

Maxon lets out another laugh. "Not to worry, Officer," he assures him. "Lady America here has already had that all checked out." He looks down at me with a smile and I almost trick myself into thinking it's genuine. "Before you report back to, Officer Leger though, could you find Silvia and make sure all of the guests are directed there at some point for their interviews?" The guard nods, somewhat perplexed by Maxon but runs off to follow his instructions.

"Officer Leger has proven to be quite the guard here," Maxon informs me, keeping his face forward. "He has quite the reputation. I've been informed of a promotion he may be receiving very soon which I'm sure he will be grateful for."

I bite my lip to keep from screaming in the middle of the gardens. "He was always very hardworking, he probably deserves it," I reply, refusing to look at Maxon. I'm sure he thinks we've been sending love letters back and forth since the Selection finished. In my mind, he can think whatever he damn wants to think.

Some of the guests watch as we walk around arm in arm and the cameras follow us around obsessively. Maxon watches them carefully.

"I'll probably have to walk around with the other girls now too," he says, a slight frown forming on his face.

I go to move my arm out of his, but he holds it still with his free hand. I look at him confused. He notices my confusion and mirrors it with his own.

"Sorry," he apologises, letting my arm go and brushing his hands on his pants. "I should let you mingle with the others. I'll, uh, I'm sure I'll see you at some point tonight. I'm expected to dance with each of you, so I hope that isn't too strange. I can exclude you-"

"It's fine, don't worry about it," I cut in. I twirl around before I can change my mind and beg him to ignore me for the rest of the stay much like he did yesterday.

It was going to be a long day.