Prior to the next chapter I want to thank everyone for their reviews. To answer Virtue01's questions: Yes, America and Maxon will see each other again. But I can't give you an answer in whether or not they will end up together, cause I don't know that myself.

Chapter 4 - My world comes crumbling down

It took a moment to let the information sink in and I hadn't noticed that Aiden had kept on walking. I quickly walked out of the hospital wing and followed him. We were in a hallway which was grey, went on in both directions and didn't had any windows. Torches on the wall confirmed my thoughts; we were under ground.

Manny people of different ages walked in the maze of corridors. Some of them were walking in small groups, others carried a pile of papers, but no one spoke to us. Like they didn't even knew we were there.

We walked up the stairs to what I think was fourth floor, because there was a with 4 painted on the wall. Aiden stopped when we reached a dead end. But there was a guard stationed on the right side. It didn't make any sense. Why would they place a guard here of all places?

Aiden didn't noticed that it confused me or didn't care cause he took his right fighting glove of and placed his hand on a small pillar.

I waited as a blue light came from where Aiden had placed his hand and went out again. Then the wall in front of us split in two. Literally split in two.

Aiden put his glove back on and walked through the opening. The guard nodded to Aiden as he passed him. I quickly went after him.

The wall closed behind me.

'Wait here,' Aiden said to me as he walked away from me.

I looked around the big room and was stunned. I saw computers, like the one Maxon had showed me. I thought all the technology devices were destroyed in the war. But here there were about fifteen of them. Behind everyone of them was a person looking at the screen and typing on the keyboard. They also had something on their heads, a small black device in which they were talking. Was this how Aiden had communicated with this place?

I turned my attention back to Aiden and saw him talking to a man in front of the row with the computers. It seemed that this man was in charge around here. He had short black hair and wore a combat uniform, like he expected to be attacked any minute.

After a moment the man turned around and looked at me. 'You must be America.'

I nodded and looked at Aiden, who had a look of concern on his face. 'What's going on?'

'Nothing,' Aiden said.

The man frowned at Aiden and spoke: 'She has a right to know.'

'Now what?' I asked while walking towards them. I looked at Aiden, but he didn't look at me. 'What's going on?'

The man sighed. 'There is something you need to see.' He nodded to the woman sitting behind one of the computers.

'No.'

The man turned his head to face Aiden and gave him a questioning look.

'She doesn't need to see it.'

'See what?' I asked. Seeing the look on the man's face, something bad had happened. Did it had something to do with the rebel attack? 'Did something happen at the palace?' Maybe someone was missing, or injured, or… No. I couldn't think about the other possibility.

Neither of them answered.

'Aiden?'

He sighed and nodded. 'Yes, something happened.'

'Is someone injured? Are the girls of the Selection alright? Is-'

'America,' Aiden interrupted, 'this has nothing to do with the attack from last night. It's…'

'It's what?' I asked, getting impatient. 'Tell me, I want to know.'

Aiden looked at the woman who was still awaiting instructions and nodded.

She did something, cause the wall in front of us, wasn't a wall anymore, it was a giant screen. Then it turned on and I knew what it was; a broadcast from the palace. Were they going to talk about last night's attack? I didn't think so, because the king tried to keep them secret. But if someone was missing or hurt, he would have to tell the public.

I didn't listen to the reporter. Instead, I looked to the crowd of people gathered in front of a platform. The members of the Selection were sitting on folding chairs, dressed in black, with their families behind them. My family was there too. I saw my mother, who held her head high, as always. She held the hand of my sister, who looked excited to be part of all the hustle and bustle. And next to her was my father. He looked tired and older than he did yesterday.

Would the king tell everyone that I was missing?

I turned my head to the left and saw that Aiden was looking at me all along. He shook his head and pointed to the screen as if he wanted to say; keep watching.

I turned my attention back to the screen just in time to see the royal family walking to their chairs, they too were dressed in black. Their faces were serious.

The cheering of the crowd suddenly turned into booing and the camera turned. I tried to find the cause of their displeasure. Then my stomach turned around.

A chained officer Woodwork was being let outside, with Marlee behind him. She too, was chained. There was not much left of the angel costume she had worn last evening.

No, no, no, no.

She didn't looked scared as she was being let to the scaffold, cause that was what the platform was, and a man began to speak.

The crowd became silent.

'Marlee Tames,' the man called out, 'a member of the Selection and daughter of Ilea, was found last night in intimate togetherness with this man, Carter Woodwork, a member of the royal guard.'

When hearing the accusation, the crowd loudly showed its disapproval.

'Miss Tames broke her vow of loyalty to our prince! And it comes down to it that sir Woodwork, by establishing a relationship with miss Tames, has stolen something that belongs to the royal family. Their crime is considered treason to the royal family!'

Agreeing cheering rose from the crowd. How could they? They did know that this was Marlee, right? She didn't deserve so much hatred, even if she had made a mistake.

Carter was tied to an A-shaped construction. The straps with which he was fastened were pulled so tight that even from here, behind the screen, I could see that it was painful. Marlee was forced to kneel in front of a block, her wrists were tied into the cavities in the block. She was crying.

'The punishment for this crime is death. But prince Maxon is gracious and spared the lives of these traitors. Long live prince Maxon!'

The crowd cheered again.

I ignored them as I saw that Carter was saying something to Marlee, I didn't know what.

'Marlee Tames and Carter Woodwork, hereby your caste will be removed. You are now eights. And to make you feel how much pain you have inflicted to His Majesty and what shame you brought him, you shall each receive fifteen passes with the rattan cane. May your scars remind you forever of your sin.'

With a rattan cane? What did that mean?

My question soon had an answer as two masked man, the ones who had tied Marlee and Carter up, took long thin sticks from a bucket of water.

Oh no. I couldn't look at the screen as the rattan cane came down, but I did hear Marlee scream.

As tears ran down my cheeks I looked at Maxon. He had his eyes closed, as though he could bend the sound out of his head. Why didn't he do anything?

I looked at Marlee's parents. Her mother held her head in her hands and her husband had his arms around her.

I could take it anymore. I ran towards the door, which happened to open automatically from this side. I received many confusions and concerned looks from the people I passed as I ran through the corridors, but I kept running until I reached a sideway. I slipped myself down the wall and put my arms around my legs.

'America.'

I looked up and saw Aiden. 'Did you know this happened?'

He nodded.

'Why didn't you do anything?' I yelled. Suddenly I was furious. 'Why did you let this happen?'

Aiden crouched down beside me. 'Our engineers only received the message one hour ago. It had happened a few hours before.'

'O,' I said while I tried to sweep my tears away. 'I'm sorry.'

'It's okay,' he said and got to his feet. 'Come.'

I followed him as he brought me to a room on the second floor. 'Rest,' he said and walked of.

Thankfully I walked into the room and dropped myself on the bed that stood in the corner. There, the tears began to flow again.

For hours, I was rolled up like a ball in the bed. I did not manage to pull myself together. Marlee's screams kept chasing me. Would there be a time where I would not think of it anymore?

There was a knock on the door. In the palace my maids always opened the door, but because they were obviously not here and did not want to get up, I didn't respond.

A moment later, the visitor entered. It was Aiden. He held a tray in his hands. 'I've brought you some food.' He put the tray down on the nightstand and took a seat in the chair by the only window in the room.

'I'm not hungry,' I muttered.

'Still, you need to eat something.'

I sighed, knowing that he wouldn't leave before I had eaten something and sat up straight. It was a simple meal, just some soup and bread, but it didn't bother me.

'Are you…' Aiden ran a hand through his hair. 'Stupid question, of course you're not okay.'

I couldn't help but smile lightly as I brought the bowl of soup to my lips to take a sip. 'It's okay. Well, actually it's not, but that ain't your fault.'

He nodded and said: 'Was she a friend of yours?'

'My only friend.'

Aiden nodded but didn't say anything. For a while he just sat there as I eat my soup.

'You do know about us, don't you?'

I was taken aback by his question but nodded. 'I've heard stories. Not that I believed them, though.'

'Do you know what it is that we do?'

'You fight against crime.'

'We fight for justice,' Aiden said fiercely. 'Do you know why I was sent to kill that person when we met?'

I shook my head.

'He beat his wife and children. One of the boys could barely walk. So, we sent someone of us to talk to him, to bring some sense in his head. The agent never returned.'

'He killed your agent?'

Aiden nodded. 'And that's when they sended me.'

'Why are you telling me this?' I asked.

'Don't you want justice for what happened to you friend?'

Of course, but what could I do? When I returned to the palace I would just be a member of the Selection, nothing more. But after everything that happened… I didn't want to go back.

'You don't have to go back,' Aiden said. 'You could, but you don't have to.'

'I... Where could I go?' I couldn't go back home. I would be imprisoned, if not worse for running away.

'You could stay here,' Aiden said as he looked straight at me,' and join us.'

Join them? Fighting with them? I couldn't fight.

Aiden got up and walked towards the door. 'Think about it.'

I closed my eyes. The sound of Marlee's screams would keep chasing me the rest of my life. I was a horrible friend for not being there when she needed me. I was ashamed of myself for it.

And I was angry, no furious at the royal family and the other girls of the Selection who just sat there and did nothing. I was furious at Maxon who had allowed this to happen.

But if I joined The Concealed, maybe… Maybe I could change the way thing were.

I opened my eyes. 'Aiden, I'm in.'