"Miss!" I hear as I am shaken awake for the second night in a row.
I groggily sit up. "What is it? What time is it?"
"I don't know what time it is," Anne says, sliding my shoes toward me and holding out my robe. "Rebels are in the palace, we need to go."
I wake up immediately at that. "Okay, I'm ready."
When we leave the room, a guard is outside my door.
"This way, Lady America!" he says quickly, pushing me down the hall as my maids go the opposite direction.
"Wait!" I call back to them. "Where are you going?"
"We have our own saferoom, miss. We'll be fine," Mary says. "It's down by the kitchens."
"That's too far," I gasp. "You have to come with me, you'll be safer."
"No, miss, we will see you in the morning," Anne says firmly.
"I am not moving until you agree to come with me."
"You'd better come with us, ladies," the guard says reluctantly. "We'll get in more trouble for endangering her than for putting maids in the royal saferoom."
Mary, Anne, and Lucy run after us.
When we finally reach the safe room, I can hear the gunshots and yelling.
Southerners, I think to myself, more scared than before. I hurry down the stairwell as the door shuts ominously behind me, and I can hear Lucy's whimpers now.
When we see the light of the room, and the other Selected huddling on the floor (without their maids, of course), I breathe a sigh of relief. I don't see Maxon, though the King and Queen are already here, which worries me, but I think he'll be safe. I pray he'll be safe.
Silvia walks over to us. I can tell she wants to ask about the maids, but she simply narrows her eyes a little bit.
"They were with me," I defend. "It was much safer to have them come here than risk going to the other saferoom."
Silvia purses her lips. "Very well. At least we have some help now. Girls, serve the King and Queen, then the Selected as you are needed," she instructs all three of my maids.
"No," I say, more authoritatively than I have ever said anything in my life. "Anne, Mary, serve the King and Queen, of course. Lucy stays with me, she is in no state to serve anyone right now," I say as I wrap my arms around her shaking form. "If the other girls wanted to be served they could have brought their own maids."
As I utter the last sentence, Maxon walks into the room, and tension that I didn't know I was holding in my shoulders releases. His eyes lock with mine and he breathes a sigh of relief, I think, then laughs to himself when he sees me cradling my maid. I smile back, and his grin falters.
Aspen walks down behind Maxon, and I inhale sharply.
I cannot be stuck with both of them in this room together for hours.
They'll kill each other.
I turn around and gently guide Lucy to one of the cots lined up against the wall. I sit next to her on the bed, letting her rest her head on my shoulders and wrap an arm around her, holding her close. I stroke her arm, hoping to comfort her a little, and her shakes slowly subside. I see Maxon making rounds, talking quietly to all of the girls, and I feel the jealousy again, not quite enjoying the feeling.
Aspen kneels in front of my bed and quietly asks how I'm doing. My eyes flick up to Maxon, to see if he notices us, but his back is turned. Aspen notices, and his mouth tightens.
"I'm okay," I whisper, noticing that Lucy has drifted into sleep, but she still seems to be crying. "Lucy seems the most shaken up- I was really worried about her."
Aspen smiles. "Good to know you aren't a total snob yet."
"I never did care so much about castes," I say pointedly. He smiles sadly.
"If Lucy needs anything, let me know. I should be able to sneak some extra supplies in. They won't have accounted for maids." He winks at me, and I roll my eyes, reveling in the feeling of home that I have with Aspen.
I look up towards Maxon again, and I see him leaning against a wall, watching us. Not angrily, but he's definitely not happy. I look him in the eyes, begging him not to make a scene. He tugs his ear, and I smile and tug mine back. He walks over.
Oh. He meant now.
I look at Aspen to tell him to leave, and he's already gone, moved on to the next girl in line.
"Look at that," Maxon says quietly, sitting next to me on the bed. "Both your boyfriends stuck with you in a room for who knows how long."
"Along with your harem," I mutter, leaning my head on his shoulder. He smiles a little, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes.
"Maxon," I whisper. He looks down at me.
"Yes, darling?" He asks, remembering earlier tonight.
"I- You know that- never mind," I taper off softly.
He sighs but not at me. I look around and realize that he and I are much closer than any of the other girls were when he was talking to them.
"America, I really don't know what you're talking about half of the time," he says, not unhappily.
I smile. "I think I like that. But-" I stop, and take a deep breath. "I just want you to know that it's me that I need to figure out, what I want, it's not that I want you to change at all."
Maxon covers my hand with his.
"I- That makes sense. But it doesn't stop me from wanting to send him off to some far away country and get him away from you. It drives me crazy that there's someone else for you," he throws his head against the wall, and I wince for him. I'm not too sorry, though.
"Maxon, how many other girls are actively trying to convince you to marry them right now?"
"Okay, that was a stupid thing to say," he mutters.
"I know," I tease him.
"Pretend I'm kissing you right now."
"Um. Okay," I blush, and Mary and Anne come up to sit next to Lucy, so Maxon really does stand up.
"Till the morrow, fair maiden," he jokes, kissing my hand.
"TIll the morrow, Prince Charming," I wink at him, and he walks off to his parents and talks quietly to his mother. Queen Amberly really is perfect. I could never be like her.
"He really likes you, miss," Mary says, as Anne nods in agreement. "I've never seen him so young as when he's around you. He's usually so scared of making a wrong step. I think he feels safe with you."
Interesting. So, Maxon has with me what I have with Aspen. I close my eyes, wanting to escape all the confusion. I look up, and I see Aspen standing very close to where Maxon is, and I think I see them talking to each other, but I'm so tired suddenly that my vision is blurry, and I can't quite tell. My eyelids droop, and I quickly nod off to sleep, leaning my head on Lucy's, our arms wrapped around each other.