Hey guys! Sorry not updating as frequently. Please bare with me, I'll try to update more often/make the chapters a bit longer, once all my workloads lighten up. Thanks by the way for all the reviews!

And as always, hope you enjoy this chapter. :)

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-Maxon's POV-

"It's been a while, Georgia?" I forced a smile. 6 weeks had passed ever since they left without a word. I knew something wasn't right. It was too sketchy that they had to leave immediately without even notifying me, especially when I was the head of the caste project. It's ridiculous how it took me almost a week to figure it out. I was too broken, too shattered when she left. I didn't want to think at all but then I remembered. I remembered that day when she was fighting between life and death, and I told her that I'd still want her—love her, no matter how many times she broke my heart; and it still stands very true today and forever. 'I have to find her, no matter what.' is the only thing I could think of afterwards.

For 4 weeks there was nothing. No one knew where they were, and from that all my suspicions were right. If America had been doing her job as a representative then she should have been within the circumference of the lower caste areas. A lot of people should have known where she was but when we started the search, not a single soul knew. It was as if they were hiding. Knowing this it fueled me more to find her.

"It sure has..." Georgia said awkwardly.

"Where is she?" I asked her, trying to contain whatever emotions were playing on me right now. I have to focus. I don't have much time left before…

"I don't know who you are talking about." She answered back, her voice unsteady as she diverted her eyes from mine.

I bit my lower lips and breathed deeply. "I don't have time for this, Georgia. Where is, AMERICA?"

"I—I don't know." She stuttered.

I laughed cynically. "You've got to be kidding me." I gritted through my teeth. "I don't have time to play games with you, just tell it to me, if not as a confidant, then as the future ruler of this god damn country." I hate to be like this. To be someone who exerted his authority on someone lower than him but I was getting desperate.

She didn't answer, her body was almost quivering from fright. 'What am I doing? I wasn't like this. No matter the situation I shouldn't act this way. What happened to me?' I let out a sigh of frustration and combed through my hair. "I'm sorry, Georgia, I never meant to frighten you. I just want to see her." I said softly. "So please. Please do tell me." My eyes pleaded.

She looked at me, her body finally relaxing. "I'm sorry Maxon, I'm in no position to tell you. It's up to America to decide if she still wants to see you or not." She said sadly.

I didn't know when it started, but tears started to well on my eyes. "I know." I closed my eyes and let the tears that have formed cascade down my cheeks before continuing. "but I just don't have much time left, Georgia."

"What do you mean by that?" She questioned, her eyes filled with puzzlement.

I cleared my throat and looked straight at her. "I can't bide anymore time." I choke out. "The people are clamoring for me to step up from my position and be king." I paused. "Which means I have to get married before or in line with the coronation night."

She froze, as if processing the connection of what I've said. "When is it? The coronation I mean?"

"A week from now." I looked down at my shoes and fisted my hands. "I have to marry Kriss before or on the day itself." I looked up again, trying to fight off the tears that threatened to fall down. "I just want to see her one last time. I want to formally say good bye and just let go of these feelings." I lied. The truth is I wanted to see her so that she could tell me not to marry Kriss. To tell me that all that mattered was this love we had. To tell me I could be selfish just this once. To tell me that she still loves me. To tell HER that she was the only One; the only one I truly and will only love.

"Don't you think that's pretty selfish of you?" She said, her voice rising a little bit. "Have you ever thought about how America would feel? Have you!" She shouted. "Dammit, to think America has been suffering for a self-centered guy like you. I shouldn't have pitied you when we left that day." She mumbled.

"What did you say?" I quickly asked. "What do you mean by America's suffering?!"

She looked straight at me, her glare menacing. "So now you're concerned about her when a while ago you were only thinking of making yourself feel better, huh?" she spat.

I shook my head. "No, that's not what I meant."

"So what did you truly mean? I'm SO sorry, Prince Maxon, for being SO dense." She said sarcastically.

"I don't want to marry Kriss. I really don't but I have to. I don't have a choice." I said almost to myself.

"There's always a choice, you know." She talked back.

"What other choices do I have? If not Kriss then someone else. Royals don't have much of a choice!" I defended.

She looked at me as if I said the stupidest thing ever, and maybe I did. "You almost sound like your father."

I breathed out. I can't burst out right now. "Don't provoke me, Georgia."

She raised her eyebrows at me. "Me, provoke you? Are you threatening me? You're worse than I thought! To think August and I thought you were fit to be the ruler of this country, we were obviously wrong." She exasperated. "I can't stay here any longer. Bind me if you want but I'll never tell you." She spat.

"If not her location just tell me how is she? What do you mean by America's suffering?" I pleaded.

She ignored me and started walking away. I panicked and grabbed onto her right hand. She glared at me and slapped my hand away.

"Please, Georgia. I don't know what to say anymore. I'm a mess right now. My mind's a mess right now." I confessed.

She faced my way and then pursed her lips, infuriated. "Stop making so many excuses, Maxon! Is that how you plan to handle things when you did something wrong? Huh?!"

I shook my head. "No, no. If course not."

She gave me a shrug. "I've had enough of this." She said.

I was scared that she would start to walk away again and so I grabbed into the hem of her shirt. Without thinking I suddenly kneeled down before her. Lowering myself. I felt so little, so vulnerable but I'd do everything. Everything just to be with America or even to just see her. "Please." I chocked and looked straight at her eyes, begging. "I beg of you."

She stared at me in disbelief. "What are you doing, Maxon. Stand up."

I shook my head. "I won't."

"Do you realize what you are doing at all?! You are going to be King. You shouldn't kneel to someone like me!" She let out.

"But I don't know what to do anymore. You won't tell me about America." It's ridiculous how I'm acting like a kid right now.

She looked at me with disbelief. "Why would you go to such a level if you don't—" she paused as if she realized something. "You were lying earlier weren't you? You never meant to let her go. But Maxon—"

"I love her." I said aloud. " I love her" I said again, more firmly.

"But you can't" She said, her eyes filled with sadness. She was finally understanding me.

"I can't but I still do. I don't know what to do, Georgia. How do I fight? How do I make it a happy ending for us?" I said, my voice trembling. I honestly don't know.

She closed her eyes as tears cascaded down her face. "I'm sorry. I don't know. This is just too tragic. You guys don't deserve to experience this."

"It's what we are faced with." I looked straight at her. "But I still want to fight though. I never meant to let her go. Not ever. Even when we said good bye, I never truly meant it but then she left. I was shattered, Georgia. She let 'us' go, but do you know what's crazy? I still can't. I'd fight for her even if she stopped fighting for me."

She looked at me tenderly. "She still loves you, Maxon. Don't ever think that she let you go because she didn't love you enough; she did it because she loves you so much."

"But she still did." I said sadly.

"She did it because—" she paused as if she was about to say something she shouldn't have.

"Because?" I urged.

"Nevermind. It's not for me to say." She mumbled.

I held gently onto her hands. "Just this once, Georgia."

She closed her eyes, contemplating. "I don't know, Maxon."

"Please." I said desperately.

"America, she's—" she paused, struggling to say whatever it was.

"She's what?'

She cleared her throat and looked at me, still struggling. "She's pregnant, Maxon."

I froze. "You-You're kidding right?"

She didn't answer but instead just shook her head.

"But she can't. She told me. You know about it right? She can't have a baby, that's why we can't be together in the first place." I said to the both of us.

"You and I know very much what the doctor said. The chances were so slim but miraculously she still got pregnant. Well, with your amazing help though."

I blushed, crimson and was about to retort back but then I realized something. "She can't be pregnant." I uttered.

"Trust me, she is." She said, her voice annoyed from my disbelief.

"That's not what I meant. She can't BE pregnant. Her body can't take the stress. Do you know that?" I asked, my voice trembling a little bit.

"I—I know. I told her but she still persisted on keeping it. I don't have the right to stop her." She uttered.

"How long has she been pregnant?" No. No. This can't be happening.

"Uhm... I think for more than two months already?"

"For more than two months!" I repeated, my voice filled with horror. "Georgia, do you know how dangerous it is for her?"

"I think I do, from what she told."

"She can die!" I shouted.

"I know!" she shouted back. "but what can I do? Her resolve. I can't change it, Maxon. Not me."

I breathed in and out, trying to calm down as my body shook in fear. "I'm begging you, please I need to see her. I need to change her mind. I—I can't lose her. Not anymore. So please Georgia." My voice said desperately.

She let out a sigh before responding. "Ok."