I'm reading on my balcony when my maids come scurrying out.
"Sorry to bother you miss," Anne says, "but it's almost time to receive the Queen's family and we must get you ready."
"If you must." I respond, getting up and going into my room. Lucy brings out a pastel blue, off the shoulder day dress.
"All the other Elite asked for pastel dresses, but none of them are blue. You will stand out among all the pink and yellow, My Lady." Says Mary. I put my dress over my head and Lucy zips me up. I sit down at my vanity. Mary starts brushing my hair, Lucy picks out my bird necklace and a simple pair of earrings, and Anne looks in my closet for a pair of blue kitten heels. Mary starts my hairdo, a braid crown half up with little white flowers in the back.
"This is beautiful!" I breath, gently touching my hair.
"Thank you, Lady America." Mary responds, " I have been practicing on Lucy."
"And this dress, Girls, it's amazing. Thank you so much." then someone knocks on my door. "I wonder if it's Maxon." Anne opens the door and Marlee comes in. My face falls a little when I see it's not Maxon.
"America, I was wondering if you wanted to walk out with me?"
"Yeah of course!" I slip on my heels and walk with marlee to the gardens where the party is being held for Queen Amberly's family. Marlee leaves to go sit on a bench with only a guard nearby. Officer Woodwork I think. I am quickly drawn into a conversation with Elise and someone I don't know about the war with New Asia. I am about to make a comment when I feel a tugging on my skirt. A little girl probably around seven motions for me to bend down. I excuse myself from the conversation and kneel down to the little girl's height.
" You're Lady America, right?" I nod my head yes "I'm Cassia. My cousin Maxon wanted me to come and ask you to play tag with us." I glance up and see Maxon looking over at us. I smile and say "Sure." I stand up and she grabs my hand leading me over to where Maxon is standing. Before I have a chance to say anything to Maxon, Cassia tags him on the arm and yells " Maxon is it! No tag backs!" Seeing as we are the only three playing, Maxon has no choice but to run after me. Normally I would be able to run faster than him, but my heels slow me down. I managed to last long enough to get far enough away from the party that no one would be able to hear us, but there are still a few guards around. Maxon grabs me around the waist and says "Ha you're it!" When he sets me down I stumble a little bit, bumping into a guard. He steadies me and I'm about to thank him when I see his face. "Aspen?" I breathe. Maxon steps next to me protectively, recognizing the name. I recently decided to tell him when the subject came up a couple of weeks ago. I glance at Maxons face and there is so much hate in his eyes. "Maxon," I say gently, setting my hand on his arm. I haven't seen him this mad since I told him about how many people go hungry in Carolina.
"How dare you!" He says, clearly wanting to yell Aspen but not because of the party. "How dare you hurt her like that! How dare you show your face here!"
"Sir, I-" Aspen starts
"No! You don't get to defend yourself. You don't get to say your things. Tomorrow you're leaving for New Asia."
"Maxon!" I say, shocked "please!" He turns to look at me and his face softens. "Maxon, if Aspen dies in New Asia, his entire family will die too. He is their sole provider and the only reason they have enough to eat today is because he is here, sending them money. It's a big palace. I could probably go the entire selection and never see him. Just don't allow him on my guard rotation." The anger drains out of Maxon's eyes.
"What about after the selection? It's going to be pretty hard to avoid him forever." Those two sentences shock me. After the selection? Forever?
"Maxon," I breathe.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" he says sheepishly
"No, don't apologize . I'm in this for the long haul." I say. Aspen clears his throat. I forgot he was there.
"Well, we should probably go back" I say, taking the arm Maxon offers to me. "Goodbye, Officer Legar." I say to Aspen, saying goodbye to so much more than just this conversation. And as Maxon and I play with his cousins, I see myself doing this for years to come, but instead of Cassia and her siblings, it will be my and Maxon's children.
As I'm waiting for Maxon in my room the night of the garden party, I notice my jar and penny on my night stand. That chapter of my life is over and I need to let it go. I pick up the jar and after a few seconds of hesitation, I throw it away. In its place I put a picture Maxon gave me of us playing with his cousins today. I hear a soft knock on the door and open it to find him. Maxon. The man I love. The man I will marry.