AN: Thank you so much for blowing up chapter 20 with reviews. I don't think I've gotten that many reviews for a single chapter of anything that I've ever written. Thank you for the continuous support. I have tried to give you an extra long chapter to make up for the fact that I haven't been able to update for a week. I hope this makes up for that. And I hope it doesn't seem OOC. I know I irritated some of you in the last chapter by having Maxon kiss America, drunk and while they are both in committed relationships but that was something that I had thought of a long time ago, while others of you were finally glad that they were getting a move on. Thanks for the reviews, please keep them coming :)


America's POV

The wedding was absolutely beautiful. I didn't think I had ever seen two people as blissfully happy as Aspen and Lucy were. The way that they twirled around on the floor during their first dance was graceful and made them look as if they were floating on a cloud. I was amazed how well Aspen could hide whatever urge he was feeling to limp or need to take a break; he truly wanted to be Lucy's hero and I knew that he always would be. I smiled as I watched them dance and enjoyed the drink that Scott brought over to me. We sat talking at the table for a few moments as we enjoyed our small meal at the reception. I kept looking over at Maxon from time to time, hoping that he was doing well and feeling bad that he looked so miserable without Kriss here with us. He looked completely lost as he watched the bride and groom moving around on the dance floor and talking to their guest—I wondered if he felt like that would never be him. I watched at a different table as Daniele and Celeste were cuddled up together, smiling and giggling. Their trip back to Clermont must have gone rather well but I hadn't had time to talk to her about it.

"Do you like to dance at all or just people-watch?" Scott asked as he smiled over at me. He extended his hand out to me and I took it, smiling back at him.

"People-watch, I have two left feet. You should have seen me at the Halloween Ball Maxon threw. I was a mess."

"I did see you," he said smiling as he stood up in front of me. His hand had initially let go of mine but I found it once again holding mine, lifting it up to his lips in a soft kiss. "And you didn't seem like you were really doing that poorly. Now, why don't you let me spin you around for at least one dance while you daydream that you are my beautiful princess?" He suggested with a smile plastered on his face. "I think you deserve as much," he finished, making it obvious that he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Alright," I said, shaking my head as I let him pull me to the floor. His hand gracefully found my hip and he began to lead me in a soft movement, taking things slowly to help me find my feet. I was amazed at how well he could dance. Maybe it was just part of being a Two that made him be so good at so many things—growing up near the palace he would have had a lot of the same opportunities as Maxon, especially if they were close friends throughout childhood. He gracefully dipped me before pulling me back into his arms, pulling me close so that our foreheads were touching. It reminded me of one of our dates we had gone out on when he was trying to make up for kissing me before we had even gotten to know each other. He had packed a picnic lunch and took me horseback riding. I had been terrified of getting down, so he had gracefully lifted me up off the saddle and pressed his forehead to mine, smiling brightly at me. I giggled softly—something that I had always thought was completely out of character for me—and was greeted by a gentle laugh as he stopped for a moment.

"You're doing just fine, Ames," he said as he pulled me to the side of the dance floor.

"I've been enjoying it," I said sarcastically which earned me a roll of the eyes from my partner. "You're doing a really good job keeping me from tripping over myself."

"You aren't that bad a dancer so it really isn't that hard," he said with a smile. "I'd love to dance with you some more but I have to do some work tonight for August," he finished looking around the garden for where the Northern Rebels were gathered.

"What is he making you do?" I asked, curiously. I figured that I could go and try to talk to Maxon while he was away, that way I could try and help get our friendship back on track and maybe give him some advice about how he would be able to get Kriss to forgive him. I didn't want to start a long conversation with him if my date was going to be right back, though. And part of me still wanted to be a part of the action, helping out with what I could and being more than just a Lady and the Diplomat to Italy. Nothing eventful had happened in my job since we started and I was looking forward to being in the middle of the changes in Illéa again.

"Well, he's not really making me do it. I told him that I—well I guess I kind of volunteered. He wants me and Georgia to go and get Kriss and bring her back to the palace."

Time stood still there for a moment. I had asked him out on a date but he had volunteered to go and get Kriss on the same night? I couldn't help but feel the same kind of jealousy I used to be enraged with when I saw her with Maxon during the Selection. Why would he be so eager to leave me when he said that Kriss was nothing more than a sister to him? As much as I loved my siblings, I don't think I would have just walked away from a relationship or a date to do something from them. The next thought I had was why they would force Kriss to come back when it should be Maxon solving his own problems. This was no way for them to start a marriage or even simply get their relationship back on track. I glared a little angrily at him in the next moment.

"Ames, what's the matter?"

"So you volunteered to leave the party, leave our date, just so you could go and get Kriss?" I shot back, being meaner than I had intended but not really caring. "And you guys shouldn't be forcing Kriss to come back if she doesn't want to. She and Maxon have to be able to fix their own problems because they want to, not be forced to be together and fix things just because she's one of you."

"Ames, we aren't forcing them to get back together or anything. August just wants her here, where it's safe because he's had some intelligence that some of the Southern Rebels might be planning an attack on her family."

"Well that may be a valid reason but that doesn't explain why you are choosing to leave in the middle of our date." I shot back, still unsatisfied for whatever reason he would give to answer that question.

"I didn't know you were going to ask me here tonight and August thinks that since there are so many guards here tonight, some of the Southern Rebels might think that makes Kriss an easy target tonight or even early tomorrow morning. Please Ames, I have to do my job."

"Fine," I sighed, pointing my finger into his chest. "But answer me this. Do you, or did you, ever have feelings for her? You are running out on a date to protect her, you defended her endlessly in our fight, it just adds up that there was more going on between the two of you than some kind of friendship because she reunited you with your sister!"

"Ames, there's nothing like that." He said, slowly and carefully as if he were very aware what thin ice he was walking on. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. "Look, I can try and beg someone else to do it but I really don't want to see the Crown Princess get killed because we didn't do our job in protecting her. We haven't been able to tell Maxon that we got that intelligence because he shoots down any information we try and bring up once we mention her name. So if you want to help, will you please go and talk to him and tell him what's going on?" He asked as he started to walk towards August.

"Fine," I shot back again. Clearly, Maxon didn't want to see her coming back if he didn't want to fight with her. It didn't really make sense to me because if he was so intent on not letting his country down by failing to get married, he should have been doing everything in his power to get Kriss back in the palace. And she didn't want to be here either if she wasn't trying to fight for his forgiveness in finding out that she was a Northern Rebel. I walked away from Scott, allowing him to kiss my hand one last time with a promise that he would make up having to leave in the middle of our date.

Since I couldn't find him on my own, I decided to take a break out of the views of the party for a few moments. Maxon must have saw Scott and I separate because he followed me into a dark corner of the gardens, looking like he was struggling not to fall over. He put his hand on my shoulder to stabilize himself and I wondered how much he had had to drink if he was stumbling around this much. My next plan after we had our discussion about what the Northern Rebels were up to was to tell the servers that he wasn't allowed to have any more drinks if they didn't want their King to end up becoming a spectacle at such a high-profile wedding. There were camera crews everywhere because Aspen was now a high ranking officer in Maxon's private guard and I wanted him to be careful what image he let out.

"I'm sorry Kriss isn't here," I said softly, taking away the wine glass and pouring out its contents on the grass. "But you shouldn't get drunk like this, Maxon, you're still the King."

"What does it matter," he spat back at me, every word coming out slower than the rest. "My lineage is going to die, with me!" He shouted, shaking his head at himself and looking up at the stars. "You'll move on and get married and have kids. Just you wait and see. That'll never happen for me."

"You need to forgive Kriss, Maxon, and let her come back."

"Me?" he laughed, nearly doubling over. "I invited her and she didn't come." I whispered as I stood back up. So he had forgiven her and she still wasn't here. There was more feelings generating from him towards her which was the first time since I had known the both of them. As far as I had always known, Kriss had always loved Maxon and he had only ever loved her as a friend with a high attraction. I felt bad for him that he was truly trying so hard to win her back over and there was nothing that could be done to change her mind. Apparently somewhere along the line, she had gotten some type of backbone and started to stand up for herself.

Before I knew what was going on, I found myself wrapped up in Maxon's arms, his hold tight on me as if he were trying to stand his ground. His legs were still shaky from the amount of alcohol that he had drank and he looked as if he were struggling to find the words to say to me. "Why did I ever let you go?" He whispered, his lips drawing closer to mine as he locked me in a tight kiss. I was completely shocked at first before I heard a soft beating that turned into a pounding inside of my head. Then the fire shot up inside of me, my body shaking was urge and desire. When I kissed Scott, it was soft and friendly. Yet, when I found myself kissing Maxon once again, there was nothing but pure passion between the two of us. I realized why I had been unable to tell Celeste that I had fallen in love with Scott or even that I was starting to fall for him as more than a friendly, simply relationship. I had been unable to let go of Maxon but I had buried those emotions deep inside of me to keep myself from breaking up his engagement.

I kissed him back, my arms finding their way around his neck as he pulled me closer to his body. I felt his body press up against mine, leading my back to connect with the back of a tree so he could close the distance between us so not even a half an inch of air would be able to flow between us. I kept kissing him, my hand soaring through his hair as he whispered in my ear, "Oh my darling America." He held me in his arms and kissed his way down my jaw, finding his way back to my lips. Why had we stopped this? Why weren't we engaged? Engaged! I was kissing an engaged man!

In that moment, I pushed him away with all the strength that I could muster. "America," he whispered, trying to pull me back into his arms. "Please," he whispered, reaching out for me as he stumbled and fell onto the ground when I failed to offer him support.

"You chose Kriss," I whispered, putting my fingers to my lips as I felt the lingering taste that remained on my lips. It was a mix of his sweet lips and a large amount of alcohol that reminded me how much he had drank. "You didn't want me, you chose Kriss. The Northern Rebels found out that she is going to be at high risk so they are bringing her back to the palace. Tonight, Maxon! You need to get a grip!" I yelled at him as I began to walk away from the problem. "We are over Maxon, I'm going home," I shouted at him again, running away from the scene.

Somehow, Celeste must have seen me run away from my best friends' wedding and followed me up to my room. She found me throwing piles of clothes into my suitcase. I was determined to go back to Carolina, refusing to stay around here and ruin an engagement. "What happened between you and Scott?" She whispered, looking at the tears in my eyes.

"Celeste, I'm not over Maxon. Not in the slightest. And when he kissed me—"

"He kissed you?" She whispered, horror coming out in her voice. "America, isn't that what you wanted in the first place, to win him back?"

"No, I'm not going to ruin Kriss' engagement like you did her birthday," I shot back before realizing how mean I was being to my friend. I heard Celeste gasp at the way I had just said that and turn around on her heel as she walked back to the party in the gardens. I felt bad for what I had said but continued to pack anyway. I would make up with her later, for tonight, I had to get out of here.

Maxon's POV

I felt utterly crushed when America left me dumped on the floor of the gardens. Somehow, someone found me and took me up to my bedroom for the night. Between the sleeplessness, I found myself throwing up and walked to and from the toilet so much that I decided to stay on the tile floor for the rest of the night. I stayed there miserable at what I had done tonight. I didn't regret kissing America. I knew how much love and emotion had gone into that kiss. I wanted to call off my engagement with Kriss as soon as she got back to the palace and get my relationship back on track so that I could get engaged to America somewhere down the road. I wanted to make things right with her and throw away the things that we had tried to force between Kriss and I. There was never going to be anything there, at least not the way that there was with America.

When I woke up in the morning, I decided that I was going to tell Kriss that we couldn't be together. After that, I was going to tell America that I had finally sent all the other girls home and that I would spend the rest of my life making up my greatest mistake to her. I would get down on my knees and beg her to take me back. She had kissed me back just as passionately before she had run off from what we were doing. That must have meant something that must have meant that she was feeling the same things that I was.

I got ready for the morning and tried to think about what I was going to tell Kriss. She wasn't coming back to the palace on her own free will, but rather simply because the Northern Rebels were worried that the Crown Princess might be attacked. I put on my best look considering just how hung-over I was and headed down the stairs. However, before I could get very far, I realized that Scott was heading up towards me, looking more annoyed than ever.

"What's going on?" I asked him, pinching the bridge of my nose trying to ignore how badly my head was hurting.

"We got back this morning and Lady America had decided to go back to Carolina last night without telling anyone but Lady Celeste. We have to quickly get a handful of guards together to go and be with her and her family while she's at home. Do you have any idea why she decided to rush home like that, Maxon?" He asked, looking me dead in the eye as if he suspected me of something.

"No, not a single clue," I whispered, shell-shocked. I was glad that I had run into him first instead of Kriss to call off our engagement. America didn't want to be with me. Perhaps I had made up the whole thing in my head, all of the returned kisses and burning passion that came from her. "Do you know where my, my princess is?" I whispered. He nodded, pointing over to one of the offices that hadn't really been used. I had offered it to Kriss to do anything that she wanted with it and I walked over there quietly.

"Hello, Kriss," I said slowly as I sank into a chair, no longer to fight off my hangover.

"Prince Maxon," she said bowing as she sat down in front of me. "Look, we need to talk."

"Yes, yes we do." I whispered back. I wondered if I should tell her to go home, whether or not I should tell her about me kissing America. "Would you like to go first, or would you prefer that I went first?"

"I'll go first," she whispered, leaning forward quietly as she put a hand on my thigh. "Maxon, I have loved you since our conversation on my birthday. But I know that you always had stronger feelings for America and I don't think you'll ever be completely over her. I've had a first love too and I don't think those feelings will ever completely disappear, either. But I made a commitment to you and I think we can have a very happy marriage and do many wonderful things together. If you'll still have me, I would still like to be your future Queen."

"Yes," I whispered back, thinking that her arrangement was the best that I was going to be able to do. I decided that I didn't want to tell her that I had kissed America. She was right, regardless of the fact that we weren't completely in love, we were really good friends and we could make an amazing team, do amazing things for the country while we ran it in our time. We could raise a family and have a very happy life together. It wouldn't hold a match to the things that I had imagined in my life with America but I knew that I needed to try. "Yes, I'd still like to get married. Let's set a date, May 12th?"

"Sounds perfect," I smiled at her response and kissed her hand before I left the room.


Trouble in paradise? I no longer have a job so I might be able to update a little bit more than you've been used to. :) Read and Review? Also I have a new poll up on my profile if you guys want to go vote on that one.