Thank you maggiebswim! I really don't like Kriss either. Also, thank you to princesscupcake650. I really glad you like it. Sparklysparkle: I'll work on that, thanks for pointing it out.
Here's the 3rd chapter. This is what I think of the queen.
As we enter the dining hall, everyone raises their head curiously. King Clarkson shoots me an angry glare, and Celeste looks like she's about to hurt someone. But when I see Queen Amberly smiling so warmly at me, all my worries dissolve. I wonder what she has to talk to me about.
Lunch is uneventful, with occasional small talk, but mostly silence. When it is over, I head out to the gardens for some time to think. Who will Maxon choose? I have a good chance, but so does Kriss. Maxon wouldn't, couldn't pick Celeste, would he? And Elise was already as good as gone. As I ponder over this, I hear a rustling in the bushes beside me.
A rebel?! I jump up. No, it is only a guard on duty. I sit back down and stay there for a while. When I decide it is time for me to head up to see the queen, I walk into the palace and up the stairs. What can she possibly have to say to me in private? Preparing for the worst, I open the doors and walk into the elegantly furnished princess suite. The queen sits on the edge of the bed, looking calm and regal, as always. "Your majesty." I curtsy. "What is it you wish to talk to me about?" She stands, closes the doors behind me, and guides me over to a wall. "All in good time my dear, all in good time." is her reply while she presses a stone in the wall. A hidden door opens, and we walk into the same passageway that Marlee came through to talk to me.
The queen is silent as we follow the stone tunnel until it finally opens up into a small room, barely higher than me, and not more than six feet wide. "It will be safe to talk in here," she says. "America, I know you must have questions, and I will answer them. But first let me talk." She continues. "You should know that I, personally, want you to win the Selection. And my husband does not. I want what's best for my son, and you are exactly that. What you aren't best for is the country." I open my mouth to argue, but she cuts me off. "I can teach you how to change that, but you must trust me. Can you trust me? And more importantly, can I trust you?" I nod, too speechless to say anything. The queen wants me to marry her son!
"First of all, you need to learn to control your emotions, like I did. It isn't easy, but nothing about being queen is easy. Becoming angry and making rash decisions that could change the country is not a choice. Also, you must act more like a lady. Stand up straighter, use better manners, and never talk back to the king, no matter how much you want to." I am immediately self-conscious of my posture and stand up taller, holding my chin up. She laughs, a light carefree sound, though I know she feels the opposite.. I must be holding my chin up too high, so I lower it. "Better," she observes.
"We will meet twice a week, in this room, to improve your behavior and image. Now, Lady America, do you have any questions?" she asks. "Why?" I state it bluntly, wondering her motive behind this. Why does she want to help me? Why does she want me to marry her son? She sighs. "Because I think you can help Maxon change this country for the better. But you can't do that unless your queen, and you can't be queen until you win the Selection. Also, Maxon loves you." she says it softly, gently, looking for my reaction. I knew he loved me, so why am is so surprised when she says it? "Thank you, for...for everything." I reply. The queen smiles, beautiful and kind. Then she nudges me in the direction of the passageway. "Now, Lady America, get out there and win a Selection!"