Special thanks to my first (and totally amazing) beta, Stialyna!

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After Maxon left, I shut myself in my room, drawing the curtains over the doors to the balcony to block out the devastation beyond. I couldn't bear to watch. Every time I even thought about it, my stomach twisted up. Within minutes of my discovery, the smoke from Angeles had grown so thick, the stars were blotted out of the sky. Off in the distance, I could hear the wails of sirens, but deep down, I knew it was too late for them to be much help. It was tragic.

I hid in my bed, burrowing deep under all my comforters, but very far from sleep. I kept thinking about Maxon. I had seen the look on his face. It was a new kind of expression. Fear. I'd seen him afraid before, but never like this. This was bigger than standing up to his father, or the look he had when he thought he was going to lose me. Whatever was happening was bigger than anything any of us had ever faced.

I think I knew what it was. We had seen our fair share of fires in Carolina- neighbors leaving the stove on, or an attempt to stay warm in the winter months going awry. Never before had I seen a fire that grew that big, that fast. I scoured my memory, trying to remember if I had seen any sign of flames when Maxon and I first got to the balcony. I had been a bit distracted, but I was sure that one of us would have noticed the flames. We hadn't been outside for very long, so the fire had spread very quickly- which could only mean one thing.

The fire was deliberate. There was no other explanation.

Something had been done to guarantee the city burned to the ground. It had to have been the Southerners. I couldn't think of anyone else capable of pulling off the fire that quickly. It was organized and took everyone by surprised. What could their motive have been? A sign? Something bigger than the writing they had left on the walls and the soldiers they had killed. I had known the Southerners were the ones who had no trouble killing, but I never dreamed they would go this far. To burn a city, where people lived and worked, to the ground. Where would it end?

My gut twisted as I remembered what had happened to Natalie's family. Maxon had promised me that my family would be safe, but after what I had just witnessed, I didn't know if I could believe him. What if the rebels tracked down my family? If they had been paying attention to the filming from Halloween, they would know how close May and I were. What if they got May? Or Gerald or my parents? Breathe, America, I scolded myself mentally. I couldn't do anything from here. Worrying wouldn't help. Maxon would know what to do...and my parents were smart, especially my mother. They would probably figure out they were in danger and hide. It would be okay. At least, I hoped it would be.

At some point, I fell asleep, still burrowed under the covers. I woke up again shortly after, the heat from being wrapped under my quilts smothering me. I untwisted myself from the blankets and sat up. Instead of feeling the cool, refreshing air of my room, the air was hot and stale. The heavy smell of smoke from the fire was everywhere. I sat up, wondering if I hadn't shut the door to the balcony properly. It took me a moment to realize something was off. I wasn't in my bed at the palace anymore.

I sat up, panic coursing through my body. Somehow I had been moved from my bed without anyone noticing. But…the room was familiar. I knew the bed and desk. This was my room, back in Carolina. I was home. Before I could process this, my bedroom door opened. May stood there, dressed in the white dress from the Halloween party, just as my mother said she had been doing. I reached out for her to give her a hug, but my arms wouldn't move. May didn't' smile.

"America. The house is on fire. You need to go." I just stared at her. I could feel the heat from the fire building around us. May wasn't acting the least bit concerned- she didn't even look happy to see me. She stood there calmly, looking angelic in her white dress, illuminated by the glow of the flames that were now building up around her. I found movement again. I was out of bed and across the room, trying to get to the window. I turned back to find May still standing by the door.

"Come on," I shouted at her. "We have to get out now."

May shook her head. "I'm sorry, America. It's too late." She turned, and I could see the back of her dress was burning. The delicate white lace curled up as it burned, turning grey and then falling to the ground.

"Come on, May!" I made a move to grab her, but she held up her hands to stop me. The fire spread up her body, the flames licking at her fingertips. I took a step back.

"They want you. You're the one who has to escape." The fire was consuming the rest of her body. "Go! Quickly!" I turned and found myself toppling out the window.

The ground rushed up to meet me, but the impact was a lot softer than I expected. I tried to rise to run away, and found myself tangled up in blankets. I struggled to get out of them, and managed to sit up. I was safe. I was in the palace, on the floor next to my bed, still halfway-wrapped in all my comforters. I untangled myself and sat up. My heart was still racing. Even though I knew it had just been a nightmare, I still couldn't get the image out of my head.

I stood up shakily, trying to reassure myself that everything was fine. I scanned the room, checking that everything was in place. A soft glow came from behind my curtains- no doubt coming from Angeles. In the corner on one of my chairs was a figure. I squinted through the darkness at it. It was Lucy- she must have come in while I was asleep. She was curled up, fast asleep. Mary and Anne wouldn't be happy about it, but I didn't have the heart to wake her.

A soft tap at the door caused me to jump. I immediately reached for the closest object- one of the larger tariff books Sylvia had loaned me. I was on high alert, still fueled up with the adrenaline from my nightmare. Maxon had said not to let anybody in. I was already foolish enough to let my guard down, and Lucy had gotten in. The castle was vulnerable at the moment. Anyone could be out there.

Still not breathing, I scolded myself mentally. I was pretty sure no rebel or invader would have the decency to knock first. Especially at this hour.

But when they knocked a second time, I found myself throwing the book at the door in panic. It hit the door with a resounding BANG!, before thumping to the floor.

The silence that came after was deafening. From the corner, Lucy stirred slightly, but I could tell by her breathing that she hadn't woken. There was a long stretch

"America?"

The voice was timid and full of concern. It sounded like Kriss. I wasn't sure why Kriss would be at my door at this hour. What could she want? Probably nothing good. Maybe it was a trap. Maybe the rebels were with her. I didn't see her as a spy, though. She must be a hostage…

I really needed sleep.

I cracked open the door cautiously, bracing myself to slam it shut again, just in case. Kriss was standing alone in the corridor, illuminated by the light coming in from the window. I peeked around, trying to see if anyone was with her. Nothing jumped out. Determining it to be safe, I pulled the door open the rest of the way.

Kriss swept past me, wordlessly, and strode across my room. "Nice to see you, too," I said tonelessly. "Come to put on a show for Maxon?"

Kriss ignored me. She was over at my balcony doors, cautiously peering out between the curtains. "You can smell the smoke more from here," she muttered, clearing her throat with a few gravelly coughs. "That's terrible."

I didn't want Kriss in my room. I wanted to be alone so I could worry about my family in peace. "So you've come to inspect the smell of my room?"

Kriss turned to give me a dirty look. "It's four in the morning. Do you really think I'm here for show? Use your head, America." She turned back to the balcony. "Come over here and see this."

The city was still burning, but not as strongly as it had been. Everything was reduced to glowing orange ember, reflecting off the heavy smoke layer. I could barely make out the tops of the buildings over the line of trees that surrounded the palace.

"It's all gone," breathed Kriss. "I can't believe it. What do you think happened?"

"I think arson. Maxon looked a bit…" I paused, struggling to find the right word. "Spooked."

"That's what I thought." Kriss finally looked at me. Something about her was different. Her eyes were wide, and her face was drained of color. She looked a bit like Maxon had when he had seen the fire. "You know what this means, right?"

I nodded. "The rebels."

"More than that." Kriss let the curtain drop, and then leaned her head against it. "It probably means war."

War. The word hung heavy in the air between us. As soon as Kriss said it, I knew she was right. A movement that big required immediate action. There were probably hundreds, if not thousands of people hurt or dead from the fire. There was no way the King would ignore it.

And no way he couldn't fight back.

Kriss left the door and settled herself onto the piano bench. "I came to check on you. I'm worried about my family, and I figured you would be, too."

I was stunned. After our fight earlier, I had assumed we would avoid each other until Maxon reached his decision- and even then it would be forced interactions. I wanted to send Kriss away, and tell her I didn't want sympathy from people who assumed the worst from me- but I couldn't. I was so glad to have somebody there to talk to.

I sat down on my bed. "I'm really worried. After what happened to Natalie-" I couldn't finish the sentence. The images from the dream came to mind-May lying on the floor in her white dress from the Halloween party, the dress turning grey as it burned off her,

Kriss nodded in an understanding way. "I'm worried, too. The rebels really want the Selection over."

"I wonder why."

"Mostly because it's show. It covers up what's going on out there by making people believe in fairy tales. One ordinary person gets to be a princess. It's a lot of show." Kriss looked down at her hands. "Mostly."

"The feelings are real," I said softly.

"For some of us," Kriss mumbled. Then she looked quickly at me. "I was referring to Celeste, not you."

I couldn't help but laugh. "It's okay. Celeste really wants the crown."

"She'd probably add it to her collection of shiny things."

And just like that, the tension was gone. Kriss and I might never be friends, but I didn't want to see her as another Celeste. One Celeste was more than I could handle.

As though Kriss had read my mind, she looked over at me, her face serious. "I'm sorry for everything, America."

I opened my mouth to respond (even though I had no idea what to say), but Kriss cut me off. "I don't know if we can truly be friends. Our situation is too…" Kriss paused to search for the right word. Eventually, she said, "Well, it wouldn't work. We both love Maxon too much. And while we'd want him to be happy, but at the same time, we would always resent the other for being 'The One." She smiled at me, ruefully. "It would never work out."

I nodded at her as she continued on. "I don't want to hate you, though. You really are nice, and I do think that if Maxon chooses you, you'd be fantastic."

I was touched. "You'd be great, too."

Kriss shrugged. "I don't know. You have an advantage. You know a bit more about what people are going through, because you started as a Five. I know that's not why Maxon would choose you, but if you were princess, it would help you a lot."

"Let's not worry about being a princess. Maxon is going to choose who he loves." Maybe. Not if the King had anything to do with it, but I couldn't tell that to Kriss.

Kriss stood up, smoothing out her dressing gown and stifling a yawn. "I should get some sleep. You'll be okay?"

I nodded at her. "Thanks for checking on me."

The corners of her mouth turned up. "Before I go, can you promise me something?"

The mood was pleasant, but I still didn't like Kriss enough to make any promises. "What is it?"

Kriss took a deep breath. "No sabotage."

I blinked. "Sabotage?"

"Like Celeste and the rumor you and Maxon- well, you know."

I rolled my eyes at her. "I would never sink to Celeste's level."

"That's all I need. It's not friendship, but it's close enough in this game." Kriss turned to the door, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"I really didn't want a sleepover tonight," I grumbled. Kriss was heading to answer it, but I caught her arm. "Maxon told me not to let anybody in," I whispered.

"You let me in!"

"You don't want to kill me. Now, if it had been Celeste..."

Kriss covered her mouth to stop the giggle.

The knock came at the door again. "America? Are you there?" The voice on the other side of the door sounded panicked.

For a fraction of a second., I thought it was Aspen. A wave of cold fear shot through my veins. Not now. Please, not now. Not with Kriss here. This was the last thing I needed.

Kriss' face lit up. "It's Maxon!" She was across the room before I could even process what she had said. Kriss pulled the door open, and I was relieved to see Maxon standing there. Upon seeing Kriss, he immediately pulled her into a tight hug. I fought down a surge of jealousy.

"I was so worried," whispered Maxon. "You weren't in your room when I came to check on you. I thought something had happened."

I moved over towards a still-sleeping Lucy, feeling as though I were invading. I wanted to clear my throat and say something, to remind them I was there, but it felt wrong. I stood there awkwardly until they finally broke apart. At least they hadn't kissed.

Maxon looked over at me. "Are you all right, my dear?"

I was too tired to scold him for the use of that nickname. "I'm fine. Kriss came by to check on me." Normally I wouldn't help Kriss like that, but I was feeling generous. That would be my repayment for checking on me.

Maxon turned to Kriss with a smile. "That was kind of you," he said, lightly touching her hand.

Kriss blushed and looked away. "I know how much she loves her family," she mumbled.

"That she does." Maxon smiled briefly at me. It wasn't enough. I was starting to regret helping Kriss out. I perched myself on the edge of my piano bench, shuffling the pages of sheet music that were sitting beside me. I tried to distract myself from Maxon and Kriss whispering in the corner, silently praying that they would leave.

To my immense relief, Maxon stood up and announced "I'm going to walk Kriss to her room." I nodded, pretending to be immersed in my sheet music.

"Good night, America!" chirped Kriss. I gave a halfhearted wave.

My door creaked open sometime later. On the verge of sleep, I buried my face in my comforter to keep the light out of my eyes. I was too tired to care about who it was- Aspen, Maxon, rebels- all I wanted to do was sleep. I closed my eyes, wishing whoever it was would go away.

I listened to the footsteps softly patter across the room towards me. After a moment, I felt the weight of a body sit at the end of my bed. I fought back a yawn.

"Go away, Aspen," I mumbled.

"Who's Aspen?" Suddenly I was wide awake. I sat up quickly, squinting at the outline of Maxon sitting at the foot of my bed. I could see him raise his hands up. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Why are you here in the middle of the night?" I demanded, trying to slow my heart down. "People will talk."

"I thought you might still be awake, but I didn't want to wake up your maid," Maxon whispered. "I'm sorry. I can go if you want." I could see his posture slump ever so slightly. I wasn't sure if it was because of the rejection or if something was on his mind. I sat up better and reached out for him. He caught my hand and entwined our fingers, wordlessly.

"Something's on your mind," I whispered. His only response was to squeeze my hand gently. I pulled on his hand, encouraging him to move closer. He scooted up the bed and sprawled out, pulling me down to lie beside him. We lay like that for a few minutes; one of his arms wrapped tightly around me, the other one occasionally playing with my hair.

"I'm scared, America," he finally admitted. "I don't know if I can do this."

I rolled over to face him. "Do what?"

I could feel him sigh more than I could hear it. A soft gust of air moved my hair, and his body shrunk in defeat. "I don't know if I can be me. The prince if Illea."

I could feel him tense up as he waited for my response, worried about what I would say. My mind was reeling at Maxon's confession. I adjusted myself to look up at him. In the dim light, I could see all the creases on his forehead. I reached up to try to smooth them out. He caught my hand and kissed the back of it.

"What's wrong?" I asked, kissing his hand in return.

It took him a moment to respond. "I don't know if I want to keep doing this. I know I have to- I have a duty to my country and everybody living here. I need to do this and keep them safe. But things slip through the cracks. Look at Natalie's family. What happens if something happens to your family? Or Kriss' or Celeste's families?" He stopped and sat up, abruptly. I could see him looking at me.

"Do you want to go home, America?" Maxon asked seriously.

The last traces of sleep left me. "I guess I would like to see my family."

"That's not what I mean, America."

It took me a minute to realize what he meant. He was asking if I wanted to quit the Selection. Ice shot through my veins. Did he want me to leave?

Maxon must have sensed my unease. He pulled me back over so I was leaning against him. "I don't actually want you to leave, America." His voice was soft and comforting. "Things are about to change around here, though. I don't want you to feel trapped here. I won't be upset if this is too much for you to handle."

"How is it going to change?"

The silence that followed felt heavy. "That fire will not be the first of its kind, America. I can't tell you anything more than that- you'll find out tomorrow- but things are different now. Being the princess isn't as glamorous as people think. You'll have to face things that will leave you sleepless and worried all the time."

"I've always known that." Maxon was silent. He must have been waiting for an answer. I didn't have to think about it. I had made up my mind a long time ago.

"All this hard work and trouble is a lot less painful if you have someone to share it with," I said softly.

Maxon didn't say anything; he only pulled me closer. I understood what he wasn't saying, though. He needed it. I needed it as well- laying there in his arms was the best feeling in the world. I was sure that if I were to be princess, this would be what would get me through it all. Someone there at the end of the day to hold me. I could feel myself start to relax after the long day.

We lay in the darkness like that, arms around each other, until sleep finally overcame me.

When I woke up the next morning, Maxon was gone.

Hey guys! I'm sure you missed me. The good news is I have written most of the next chapter! No, I promise I did. Really. Cross my heart. You can't get rid of me that easily.

NOW FOR TWO SERIOUS THINGS:

1) I will be continuing with this story, even after The One comes out. I am fond of this story, so I want to keep it going. It's FANFICTION! :)

More importantly

2) I WILL NOT BE READING "THE ONE" WHEN IT COMES OUT. I will post this at the beginning of all chapters after the book comes out. I am in a very difficult school right now, so the book will be my reward for completing my Animation and Rigging unit with a decent grade. So please, I'm begging you, NO SPOILERS. AT ALL. Thank you!