Sorry guys, it's been a while since I last updated. Had a lot of things to do. I'll probably update again once the weekend starts. Have to prepare for an exam :|.

Hope you guys like this chapter! :) Please do review if you can! I would really appreciate it :D

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-Maxon's POV-

The sun was shining brightly, the sky was very blue, the grass were green, and the trees were lush. Anyone would have said that it was such a beautiful day. Anyone but me. I hated this day and how normal and peaceful it looked. I hated how everyone was going about like nothing happened. How can the world go on like this? It's too painful. Ever since I ended the selection I've felt nothing but emptiness and loneliness. The first few days, felt like I was dying inside and now I felt like an empty shell. I ate, I slept, I passed documents, gave out orders. I've become a person who was living but not alive. My world just stopped and shattered like thin glass, but I wasn't even bothered at all to pick up the pieces.

Kriss was very worried of me, asking me if I was ok which obviously I wasn't, but I couldn't say that. I just put on a mask not only to her but to everyone else. I'd say I was ok, that I was only tired. I'd give them, those forced smiles, empty praises and words of encouragements. I really wanted to mean the things I've said and done to them, but how could I? When deep inside I couldn't feel at all. When deep inside my heart felt lifeless even as it was beating.

Someone came knocking through the door. "Come in." I couldn't even bother standing up from my sit. It was Kriss, who in return looked at me with hesitation. "What brings you here, Princess Kriss?" I smiled quite forcefully, the word princess leaving distaste in my mouth. I still have to get used to that.

"Well, we haven't been really doing anything ever since the selection ended so I was thinking about going on a date?" She looked at me hopefully and I knew I couldn't just brush her away, I was about to be forced to answer her when, a guard luckily came rushing through the door. I sighed out of relief. 'You just saved my day' I thought and looked at him gratefully which he misinterpreted as being angry.

"I'm so-sorry for intruding, Your Highness." He stuttered.

"It's ok, we were just talking about trivial matters." I answered back. Kriss looked somewhat displeased but just shrugged.

"I'll just talk to you when you're not busy anymore." She smiled at me and then went her way. When she was finally out of earshot, I looked back at the guard signalling him to come closer.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"There is someone who is looking for you, sir" He said in a monotonous tone.

Someone? "Who?"

"A northern rebel, sir. A girl precisely."

My eyes widened. It maybe Georgia. I talked to her and August about taking down the caste system and they proposed that it would be better if there would be a representative for the lower castes that can help disseminate and explain the project to them; someone who these castes trust and would believe. 'Who might it be?' I thought, my interest not having been perked up since she left that day.

America. 'No, Maxon. Don't think about her, think about your duty. You don't have time to be moping around.' I shrugged and then looked at the guard. "Tell her I'll be on my way."

The guard simply nodded and went his way. I looked out of the window and into the horizon of endless trees. America. I took out the bracelet that has been in my pocket ever since that day, and stared at it, recalling everything about her and what she had meant to me. I closed my eyes and gave the bracelet a squeeze before dropping it back again. 'Focus, on the job' I said to myself before finally standing up.

-America's POV-

I was finally back. The palace was just the same, grand and big but somehow it looked lonelier. 'This is it.' I thought to myself, letting out a sigh. I really am a masochist for accepting this job.

"Hey, you've been out of this world for some time, now. Are you ok?" Georgia held my right hand slightly, and gave me a concerned look.

I squeezed her hand and smiled at her. "Yeah, it's just that it was just a week ago and now I'm back again."

"Yeah… I'm truly sorry for putting you in such a position." She agreed sadly.

I looked at her and shook my head. "It's my decision anyway." I assured her.

We were silent for a while before she spoke again. "Anyway, can you wait here? I'll go inside the palace and ask for Prince Maxon. I don't think it's a good idea that we both go inside since we're already unwelcomed, alone."

I nodded and went towards the shade of a tree. Hiding slightly even though we were already in a secluded area of the palace. 'Don't want guards pointing out guns at me.' I thought. Georgia gave me one last wave of goodbye before finally leaving the area.

I sat on one of the roots of the tree and looked up to the sky. It's such a beautiful day but I can't bring myself to appreciate it, especially now that I'm back here. I closed my eyes and let myself rest, realizing that I haven't slept yet since we left Carolina. Soon after I could feel myself succumbing to sleep.

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The blue sky was now painted in black, the clouds replaced with stars, and the sun with the moon. 'How long was I asleep?' I thought. I stood up and looked around searching for signs of life. Georgia hasn't come back yet since she left me. I couldn't stop worrying about her. She should have fetched me hours ago. I started walking towards the direction of the palace. I didn't care anymore if the guards see and arrest me. All I wanted to know is if Georgia was ok. As I was already near the palace garden, I heard footsteps. I quickly hid at one of the bushes, my heart racing widely. The footsteps became louder and I started hearing murmurs.

Someone was laughing. A girl? "Hey, stop it!" I heard her say.

"I will not!" a voice replied. A guy? OK. So I'm now sure there were two people. A guy and a girl, who obviously were flirting around. I rolled my eyes, feeling ridiculous.

"HAHAHA, seriously, stop!" The girls shrieked, her voice somewhat familiar to me.

"What's the magic word?" The guy said smugly. Why does this sound so familiar to me? I tried peeking from the bushes but it was too dark to see who they were.

"Please?" The girl guessed.

"Go on." The guy said, still not pleased with her answer. Seeing that the girl was still laughing, he was still probably tickling her.

"Not fair!" She answered back.

"I won't stop till you say it completely."

"Ok! Ok! Just let me speak, ok?"

The girl stopped laughing and started to pant which meant that he stopped tickling her. 'Why do they sound so familiar to me?' I thought again.

"Please, I beg of you, stop. For the sake of my wellbeing." She finally said.

"Very well." He replied, proudly.

It was silent for a while before I heard one of them talk again. "Hey." The girl said.

"Hey."

"I love you."

"And I love you too."

"Maxon—" I heard her say and then my heart suddenly stopped. Maxon. Tears started to well up in my eyes.

'So that's why they sounded so familiar!' It was Maxon and Kriss all along. I suddenly felt betrayed. How can he do that? How can he do and say those things to her, things which he had done and said to me?! I felt really dejected and furious. Was I played around all this time? I never knew he was such a sly fox! I stood up from where I hid and stormed towards them. They looked at me with shocked eyes, but I didn't care. I slapped Maxon right on his face.

"A-America.. How?" His hand touching the place where my hand met his face.

"You don't have any right to ask anything from me!" I shouted. "So, all along you were playing with me? Am I right?"

He was still confused about everything. I let out a sigh of frustration. I don't want to hear anything from him, anymore. I just can't trust anything he'd say or do even if they're true. I turned around and started walking when a hand stopped me. I glared at him.

"I'm sorry." Sorry?! Sorry!? Is that all he had to say after playing with me; telling me that it was only me? I hissed at him and snatched my hand back, starting to move again. Suddenly, the ground beneath me started to crumble. 'What the?' Soon after, I was falling.

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My eyes fluttered open. My head felt heavy. It was still morning. Judging by the shadows, it hasn't been long since Georgia left. 'What a horrible dream.' I thought.

I started stretching my body when I heard footsteps. This feels like a déjà vu. I gave out a grunt and moved towards the back of the tree so that I was out of sight from the direction of the people who were coming.

"Why can't you just tell me who the representative is, Georgia?" Maxon. It was Maxon. My heart started beating fast.

"Well, I want it to be a surprise." She replied to him, giving him a smile. He just shrugged at her and continued walking. When they were finally only a few meters away, Georgia looked around.

"So where is he or she?" Maxon asked impatiently. "Don't tell me we're lost."

"We're not. Why are you in such a bad mood anyway?" She rolled her eyes at him, looking a bit annoyed.

He paused for a while before replying, his voice softer. "I'm really sorry. A lot of things happened and I'm always on the edge."

Georgia seemed not to take it well. "It's not only you, you know." She started moving around, looking for me. "It's safe. It's just us, so you can come out now." She called out to me.

I breathed in and out, mastering all my will to move. I don't want to see him but at the same time I desperately want to. I'm such an indecisive person. I finally got the will and came out of my hiding place and called to them. "I'm here." I said firmly. Georgia and Maxon whipped their bodies towards my direction. Maxon's eyes grew.

"America." He gasped. He froze for a second but then started running towards me.

-Maxon's POV-

"America." I gasped. ' Am I just imagining things? Have I come to this point of insanity?' No. I'm not. I'm sure I'm not. Without realizing it my feet started running towards her, abandoning all sense of logic. I came crashing at her, which made us both fall down the ground. I pulled her towards me and embraced her, my whole body shaking.

America. America. America. All I could think about right now is her. I've missed her so much. I could feel her hands wrap around me, patting me slightly at the back. I moved myself backwards so that I could see her face. She was just like how I've last seen her. Beautiful. She smiled sadly at me and raised her hands to brush my disheveled hair back to its place. "Hey, you look horrible." She joked.

I chuckled while tears streamed down my face. "Yeah." I looked at her. Now that I studied her, she was a bit thinner and paler than before. "You're here?" somewhat my brain still cannot process that all of this, is true.

"I am." I could see her eyes getting watery.

"I've missed you so much" I said honestly, embracing her once again. She didn't reply and just nodded as she buried herself onto me. Georgia smiled at us and signaled me that she was going to leave for a while. I returned the smile and mouthed a thank you before she finally left. I then looked at the goddess. It was still so surreal to me. I placed my hands on her shoulder and moved it so that we were both facing at each other. "How? Why are you here?"

'Please don't tell me you're just here to visit me.' I prayed.

She cleared her throat and wiped her tears away. "Georgia, asked me to be the representative."

"You're the representative?!" My eyes widened in shock. My heart beating erratically. 'So this means she'll be staying for a while in the palace.' I couldn't help but smile stupidly.

"Yeah… She told me people listened to me when I told them to fight. She said that I was the perfect candidate." Her voice filled with doubt as she shrugged. "I don't believe so but if that's what she thinks, maybe there's some truth in it."

And somehow, I knew Georgia was right. America was the perfect candidate—no not just perfect but the only one who can represent the lower castes. "Are you kidding me? The people DID listen to you and WILL listen to you, America. Georgia, picked the most suitable person to be the representative." I assured her.

"I hope you're right." She shrugged.

"I know I am." I smiled cheekily. She rolled her eyes at me. I was about to close the gap between us but she suddenly stood up and brushed away the dirt on her pants.

"Georgia, where are you?" She called. I hesitantly stood up also, confused about why she rejected my advancement.

Georgia appeared, eating some apple that she probably plucked from the orchard. "You guys done already?" She asked through bites.

"We are." America replied as she went towards Georgia. "I'm tired, we should go."

"Well, that was quick." Georgia raised her brows and looked at me. I just shrugged my shoulders and started walking.

"I'll show the way." I said, as I led them towards the palace entrance.

"You ok?" I heard Georgia whisper at America. She didn't reply but I knew without looking that she nodded at Georgia.