Thank you guys for all the reviews! Hoping to hear more from you, readers :) Update's going to be slow on weekdays

Also praying that you won't kill me 'cause of this chapter! :)) Oh well, hope you like it!

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-Maxon's POV-

I couldn't help but smile as I walked along the hallway. Every time I came across some palace guard or maid, I'd greet them and in return they'd look at me weirdly but greet me back, nonetheless. It's been 4 days since we came back here, and every day I'd sneak into America's room. Sometimes when she sees me sneaking into her room, she'd look at me with horror and then covers herself up with a blanket. She'd glare at me and would tell me to go away, but I know she never meant that.. or maybe she did?

Well, I'm very much sure now, I'm such a wolf. I know I should be restraining myself, and I've been trying, really trying but ever since that night, I just can't get enough of her. When I see her and how wonderful she was. When she smiles and laughs at me. When she looks at me with those green eyes. I can't help but want her.

I was heading towards her room when Kriss suddenly showed up. She looked at me meaningfully which made me feel guilty. I took a deep breath. 'Maxon, put on the mask, just like how you usually did in the past.' I ordered myself.

"Good morning, my dear." I simply said, not really meaning it. I wanted to end this conversation even before it started. I want to be where I wanted to be, which was by America's side.

"Hey." She said weakly, making me worry a bit.

I went closer to her and placed my right hand on her forehead checking her temperature. "Are you ok?"

She nodded at me and bit her lower lip. "You haven't visited me ever since you came back…"

Oh. OH. I forgot about it. "Sorry, I've been really busy these past few days." Well, that wasn't really a lie.

"Yes, I understand." She looked down. "And I overheard America's finally awake and she's here. Is it true?"

I was somehow dumbfounded. Didn't she see her when she came rushing to me the day America and I arrived in the palace?

"Yes she is." I smiled. I watched her sigh a breath of relief.

"Thank goodness. I'm happy she's alright." She really is a good girl. She'd certainly would make a wonderful queen for someone but not mine. Suddenly, I was already missing America.

"I'm sorry to say this but I really have to go."

She nodded sadly at me. I let out a sigh and went to hug her. "Why don't we have dinner tomorrow? Is that ok?" I asked.

Her eyes were glistering once again. She smiled and hugged me tightly. "That would be great, Maxon."

I started walking again, my mind elsewhere when someone suddenly called my name, making me shrug in frustration. 'Not again' I thought. I looked back to see Gavril running towards me.

"Prince Maxon! Good thing I caught up to you." He said as he panted heavily.

"What's the problem, Gavril?" I asked.

He breathed in and out a few times before started talking again. "It's not really a problem, your highness but it's just that it's been almost a month now since the day the rebels came in and disrupted the ceremony. People are clamouring about why you haven't chosen anyone yet. It's not a good idea to keep them waiting. That would make a bad impression and we obviously don't want that."

My eyes darkened and my body stiffened. "What do you propose?"

"You have to make the announcement within this week. I know I'm in no place to give you an ultimatum but we can't sit idle, especially when our country is under the threat of the rebels. We can't afford to make our people doubt. We can't."

I gritted my teeth. Why does it have to be now of all time? I know this day would come but I never expected it to come this sooner. I combed my hand through my hair and let out a grunt. "How many days more till this week ends?"

"Three more days." He replied. No! That's too short. I wanted to let out a cry of frustration but I held it in.

"I'll announce it on the last day." I said stiffly.

"Thank you for understanding, Prince Maxon." His voice sounding truly relieved.

I nodded at him and continued walking. What do I do now?

-America's POV-

I heard someone knocking at the door. Knowing who it was, I ran quickly and opened it, my face radiating happiness.

"Hey." His voice sounded lifeless. He looked like his soul was sucked out from him. His body was stiff and his eyes were staring into nothingness. It's as if he wasn't in this world.

"What's the problem?" I asked, my voice laced with worry.

He looked at me, his eyes filled with too many emotions, overlapping at each other. And somehow, without him talking, I knew what it was. I hugged him, feeling his body tremble against mine.

'So this is it.' I thought, tears started to cloud my vision.

"I'm not ready, America. I won't ever be ready! I just can't let you go." He cried out.

I can't lose my composure right now. I can't, not when Maxon's like this. I tilted his head and kissed him gently, tears rolling down my face. It was a kiss that meant a thousand words of what he meant to me. "You have to. We have to."

"But I don't want to." His voice sounding like a little child.

"Me also." I said as I stroked his hair. When he finally calmed down, I closed the door and let him sit on my bed. I poured him a glass of water and gave it to him. "Here, drink this. You're probably thirsty from all that crying." I teased.

He looked straight into my eyes, his face serious. "Why don't we just run away?"

I was shocked for a second and let out a gasp. "Maxon, do you understand what you're saying? We can't do that! That's too selfish of us. Think of what will happen to the country!"

"I know." He let out a sigh of frustration. "I—I just want us to be together. I love you, America. You feel the same way, don't you?" His voice, unsure.

My eyes softened and I sat next to him. "I do, Maxon. So—so much." I took his right hand with both of mine and raised to kiss it. He looked tenderly at me and placed his left hand on my cheek. I closed my eyes as our lips met, relishing these last few moments I had with him.

He didn't leave the room till tomorrow came. The remaining days passed by us like a blur. On the day of the final selection, he came to my room. We didn't do anything but just look at each other, as if imprinting everything about us and everything we've done.

When the time came for us to leave the room, he cupped his hands on my face and gave me one last kiss. "I want to choose you, America."

I shook my head as tears streamed down my face. "But you can't, Maxon."

He hugged me tightly "I'll always love you."

"No, you shouldn't." I shook my head. "Not anymore. Promise me you'll move on, Maxon." And it pained me to say those words.

"Don't ask me something I can't do, America!" His eyes were pleading to take back the words that I've said, but I didn't.

I took a step back and gave him the bracelet he gave to me from New Asia. He was lost of words. He gripped onto the bracelet and buried it in his back pocket.

"I'm sorry." I said as I left the room, trying to hold back my tears.

The very same day, I went back home to Carolina.

-still America's POV (a week after the selection ended)-

I was making lunch when someone came knocking at the door. I wiped my hands on my apron and turned the stove off. I went and opened the door to see a very frustrated Georgia in front of me.

"I heard." She let out.

I looked at her, confused. "Heard what?"

"That Maxon didn't choose you! How? WHY?!" she exasperated.

I just shrugged. "It just is and Kriss isn't such a bad person. She's one of you, do you know that?"

She rolled her eyes at me. "I do. But I don't care about that, not anymore. Tell me, America. What happened? I was so sure." Her eyes filled with bewilderment and I caved in. I've been keeping these emotions in check for so long that I never realized it had bottled up. I broke down and started crying hard. She soothed my back and waited for me to calm down. "You can tell me, America." She said, her eyes filled with sincerity. And so I told her everything and she listened through it all. Not interrupting me even once. When I was finished, I could see tears streaming down her face.

"Oh, America! I wish I could do something."

I smiled at her. "You've already helped me. Thanks for listening to me."

"No. Don't say that! I'm the one who's supposed to be thankful. It must be hard to relive those memories, more especially tell them! I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

I let out a sigh. "No. Seriously, talking to you made me feel a whole lot better."

She nodded and we were silent for some time before she spoke again. "I know this is too much to ask, and I feel really horrible saying this especially after I've heard about what happened between you and Prince Maxon, but we really need you."

"What is it?" I asked.

She looked straight at me and cleared her throat before talking again. "We need you to be our representative. You'd probably be staying at the palace in the meantime, while we work out the paperwork."

My eyes widened in shock. "For what?! And I don't think I could just stay in the palace with that kind of reason, unless you're expecting me to break in just like how you guys usually do it?"

"No! No! Not anything like that! Knowing that Prince Maxon will soon be crowned king, we are trying to be civil now… Anyway, we already talked about it with Prince Maxon. We need someone to represent, us, the lower cases."

"And he agreed it to be me?!"

"Not exactly. He doesn't know. We haven't talked about it." She explained. "We're not forcing you, America but we really do need you."

I still couldn't believe this. "Why me out of all people?"

She looked at me as if it was something obvious. "The people want you, America. When you told them to fight, they listened to you. They trust you more than anyone else, which is why we need you to represent them."

I absorbed it all in. "And the palace thing... it's not really going to be permanent. When everything's settled, you'll be moving around the country most of the time." She added.

"I—I don't know, Georgia. I don't think I can do it." I know I can't.

"Please, America. It's for the sake of this country." Her eyes pleading.

I paused for a while, thinking about how I should respond. I'm already broken inside, why not break it even more? I gave one big sigh before answering. "I'll do it."

She smiled thankful at me, her spirit's up again. "Then pack your things up, we're leaving today!"

"Wait! What?!"