I apologize for the long wait for this chapter! my life has been so busy lately; I went on a mission trip with my church a couple weeks ago and then I had to plan my graduation party and such. plus I'm still dealing with this bum computer - hopefully i'll be getting my laptop tomorrow and that'll make life a lot easier. anyway, here's the chapter where America finally meets the remaining members of Maxon's family and other dignitaries. it is a few days before the wedding and the latter half of the chapter is the day before. thank you so much for staying loyal and for all of the awesome reviews!

Maxon put a hand on my shoulder to get me to stop bouncing on the balls of feet. But as soon as he stopped me from doing that, I reverted straight back to chewing on my fingers and not caring about Silvia's sharp gaze from where she was standing. "America, calm down. It's just my family," he assured me.

The wedding was three days from now and while I had hundreds of other things to do, this seemed to be the top priority. My family had been coming and going for the last week as well as Maxon's aunt Adele and her children but his family from Swendway and Marcél…they were a different story. They had not been able to come to the funeral earlier in the year so this would be my first time meeting them as a member of the family. "Exactly, they're your family which means they're entitled to having their own opinions. What if they don't like me? Because if they don't like me, I have to live with that for the rest of my life," I stated, looking at him and hopefully conveying all of my worries just in that look.

The hand on my shoulder squeezed me lightly. "Luckily it was my decision and not theirs."

"I just want everything to be perfect," I half-mumbled, half-whined.

"And it will be. If not, you have my promise that heads will roll." There was something light in his voice as he said it but I couldn't help the shiver at the thought of how true the statement could be. I just had to get through meeting his family this morning and then the Italians would arrive this afternoon and that eased some of my worries.

Through the open doors I saw the black cars pull into the gravel drive and all of my nervous energy was gone so that I was left with paralyzing fear. The first person through the door was Maxon's cousin who was a couple years older than him, Zoella. "Maxon!" she exclaimed, holding her arms wide open so she could embrace him. She kissed him on both cheeks and then looked to me. "You must be America! I could not wait to meet you!"

I forced a smiled on to my face and held out my hand. "Likewise."

She laughed at my extended hand. "Oh, Maxon, you have her trained so well! Honey, you don't shake hands with family. At least us; we hug!" She laughed again, pulling me in for a rough hug. She towered over me and was actually a couple inches taller than Maxon in her heels; she was very intimidating. Everything about her oozed elegance and a very privileged upbringing.

Behind her a man walked in carrying a toddler. "Zoe, stop torturing the poor girl," he said, approaching us. He must have been Jacob, her husband. The toddler was their daughter, I assumed. He stopped in front of me. "I don't have to apologize for my wife again, do I?" he asked, pretending to be annoyed.

Zoe rolled her eyes and elbowed him playfully. The little girl in his arms started to cry and she took the girl for herself. "This is Arabella. We call her Belle for short," she introduced to me. "And my darling husband Jacob, of course."

He nodded. "Of course," he said, bowing his head to me. He looked over his shoulder and I saw the king and queen of Swendway walking in, sans children. Jacob sighed. "Well, I think someone needs a diaper change so is there anyone who can escort us to our quarters?"

"Oh, Marlee…" I said, looking around for my best friend who materialized behind me.

"Right this way, Your Majesties," she told them sweetly, leading them upstairs as the king and queen reached us.

They were both so elegant and regal as they stood there and it felt strange to know that Maxon and I were on the same level as them. Or at least, would be in a matter of days. Maxon and I bowed to them as they did the same for us. "King Axel, Queen Svea, it is a pleasure to have you in our home once again and to have you join us in celebration of our matrimony," Maxon welcomed. We had both agreed that it would be best for him to do the talking. "May I introduce my fiancé, Lady America Singer." He put his hand on my back to obviously show that I was dear to him in a polite way.

King Axel extended his hand. "I look forward to getting to know you better in the coming days, Lady America."

"Thank you, sir." I shook his hand firmly, something I had practiced with Maxon over the last several days.

Queen Svea looked me up and down and pursed her lips. "You were a Five, correct?" she asked me, her voice cold.

I fought the urge to lower my eyes under her sharp gaze. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"America, you do not need to call us by our titles," King Axel told me. "We are family now and you'll officially be queen in a few days."

"She's not queen yet Axel so I would like to be called by my title. I hope that isn't a problem? Seeing as you overlooked that detail with Maxon just weeks after meeting him."

Maxon had said that she may act this way toward me. Being raised under the watchful of Gregory Illéa, I could understand her cool demeanor but her husband reminded me so much of Maxon. I couldn't imagine how they got along but then again, most marriages were arranged; I wouldn't be surprised to hear that theirs was. "No, Your Majesty, that is not a problem," I answered, hating the way my voice shook. She was like a female Clarkson and right there I made the decision to not let this woman intimidate me in my own home over the course of my wedding. This was supposed to the best time in my life; I'd be damned if it wasn't. I risked a glance over at Maxon and saw that his jaw was clenched tightly in anger but he somehow controlled it. His self-control always amazed me.

He waved a hand toward Haley. "This is one of Lady America's personal maids, Haley. She will be assisting you, Queen Svea, along with some other maids; America saw to it that you'd be in excellent hands." I was starting to rethink that decision after meeting the horrid woman. I prayed she would be good to my maids. "For now, she will be escorting you to your rooms and also to and from meals. She knows the palace well and will ensure you will not get lost."

"And if rebels happen to attack while we are walking to dinner?" Queen Svea asked, looking down her nose at Maxon. The way she was treating me was enough for me to not like her but her attitude toward Maxon was enough for me to hate her, let alone her mention of the rebels. Didn't she understand that it was a sore subject for us?

"Rebels?" Maxon repeated, not understanding her question. "Haley could also get you to safety…"

"But she can't ensure our safety." Haley shuffled her feet awkwardly at the queen's statement and I wanted to hug her. Haley was wonderful and so soft-hearted; I hated seeing her be treated this way. "I would like guards to escort my husband and me."

Maxon nodded slowly. "That can be arranged," he told them warily, no doubt seeing it as one more thing he had to do today. He was already working like crazy to get as much done before our honeymoon; the smallest things he had to do were starting to bother him.

"Excellent." She shifted her gaze to Haley, who immediately stood taller and lifted her chin. "Well, what are you waiting for? Take us to our rooms." Haley snapped to attention and shuffled off with them in tow and I ached for my poor maid. I should have assigned Mary to them instead. At least Lucy wasn't around anymore.

Maxon sighed and rubbed a circle on my back as our other guests approached. In all of the drama I didn't realize they had arrived in the foyer. "King Luca and Queen Lea, pleasure as always," Maxon welcomed again, reaching for a handshake right away. Marcél's sovereigns were less stiff than Swendway's, thankfully. That much was obvious in their daughter Zoella. She and Jacob seemed so happy, I was having eerie visions of Maxon and I being like them in several years.

Queen Lea curtsied before I could even bow to her. "I bow to you here Lady America; this is your home," she explained, sensing my confusion. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I knew as soon as I saw in the Selection that you and I would get along just fine."

"She was rooting for you the whole time," King Luca reinforced.

"How could I not? You have vision and a tenacity that every queen needs. I know that this country will see change with you in charge," she told me.

I smiled, already liking Queen Lea way more than Queen Svea. "You have no idea how much that means to me," I said softly.

Maxon squeezed my shoulder and clapped King Luca on the shoulder. "Golf tomorrow, correct?"

"Wouldn't miss it! I've been practicing so that I don't lose to King Axel yet again!" King Luca exclaimed, acting put out. He followed Mary out to their rooms and Maxon and I were left alone in the foyer with Silvia speaking to one of the guards.

I shivered and Maxon pulled me closer to him with his arm. "I'm sorry about Queen Svea," he whispered into my hair. "She should not have treated you like that."

"Maxon, don't worry about it. I knew there were going to be those who disagree with your choice and disapprove of me; you can't change that. I just have to prove them wrong," I concluded confidently.

He smiled and tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear before kissing my forehead tenderly. "That's my girl." He sighed and cleared his throat. "Do you have this sorted? I have a few meetings to attend to, not to mention scratching up some guards to escort Queen Svea everywhere. I doubt she'll leave her room until that happens."

"Then I think it can wait," I joked darkly.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. Are you sure you're okay going to this tea? I feel like I'm throwing you into the lion's den."

"Just one of the lions isn't tame and besides, it's in the Women's Room. Hopefully Fitz can provide some comic relief." I saw a strange emotion flicker in Maxon's eyes and nodded in frustration. "Let me guess, Queen Svea doesn't believe in having domesticated dogs."

"He's currently locked in my study. Destroying it no doubt," he confirmed.

I nodded again. "Well, she would probably love to see my tattoo then." My voice came out much more condescending than I meant it to. "I'll see you later at the budget meeting?"

"Yes, ma'am. Don't be late."

"Never!" I mocked, acting like I was appalled at the thought. We parted ways and I made my way up to the Women's Room to make sure everything was being setting up properly. Silvia had somehow beat me there and I went over to where the tea sandwiches were being set up. "There are vegan options in here, correct?" I asked one of the maids arranging them nearby.

She curtsied to me and nodded. "These two trays hold various options for vegans, as you arranged a few days ago."

"Perfect." I turned and saw Marlee breeze in. I scrunched my face up at seeing her so soon. "What're you doing here?"

"Zoella and Jacob were quite content in their room and asked for alone time," she said, looking at me meaningfully.

I frowned. "Really?"

She laughed at my disgust. "Honestly, America, I'm going to have to remind you of how much of a prude you were before you were married."

"I am not a prude," I corrected. I hesitated and then added, "I'm just a virgin."

"And trust me, it shows," she laughed, elbowing me playfully. "But, that's going to change in a few days!"

I sighed. "Marlee, do we have to talk about this?" I asked as she led me to one of the couches.

She nodded at me as if it should have been obvious. "Yes, we do, because you and Maxon are both hopeless little virgins and unless Carter and I talk to you two beforehand, you will inevitably mess up."

"Carter?" This wasn't a conversation I wanted to have with him.

She shook her head quickly. "He's talking to Maxon, don't worry. Now, come on, you have about twenty minutes of free time these next few days so take advantage of it now and ask me your questions."

As weird as it felt to me, Marlee was the only one I trusted to talk to about this kind of thing. Although Kenna and I had gotten closer I wouldn't say we were still there yet. For some reason, it felt easier talking to a friend about it than my sister. I would be mortified to even broach the subject with Kenna whereas with Marlee it felt almost natural. "You said…it's uncomfortable?" I finally asked, that being my main concern.

She smiled sadly and nodded, seeming to understand my question. "Don't worry. I'm sure Maxon will be very gentle." I blushed at the thought but I knew she was right. "And I swear, it does get better. If it doesn't, something is very wrong."

"Oh, great. Just what I wanted to have on the back of my mind," I said sarcastically, ignoring the blush I could feel spreading across my face and chest.

"You asked!" Marlee defended. "Anyways, every girl has to go through it."

I bit my lip, more questions buzzing around my head but I didn't know how to ask them. "Could you tell me…maybe…about your first time with Carter?"

She sighed. "No offense, but it's kind of personal so I am going to say no."

"I understand."

She nodded. "But after our wedding, Delilah showed us where our quarters were and I saw that he'd already moved our stuff in. We kissed and things just kind of escalated."

"Foreplay?" I asked.

"No, there was no need for it. Foreplay is more of a personal preference I think and Carter isn't as huge into it. I don't think I am either."

I nodded, filing that in to my head. "Clothes on or off?"

"Off!" she laughed. "On is weird." She visibly shuddered at that.

"Lights on or off?"

"Off but our window was letting in a lot of light," she explained quietly. She was starting to blush too. "There's something else you're worried about."

I frowned. "Contraception?" I finally asked. That derailed her and that was enough of an answer for me. "Marlee, I don't want to have kids yet."

She nodded. "I know. Trust me, I understand. That's why we snuck some contraceptive pills in with your other breakfast pills. Although, Maxon did ask for us to take you off of those diet pills because he insists that you don't need them."

I shrugged and Silvia clapped her hands from the other side of the room, grabbing my attention. "Lady America, everything looks exquisite, as usual. I wouldn't expect anything less from you after the other gatherings you have hosted these last few months."

I stood and looked over the food table one last time, trying to refocus myself on this tea. "Thank you," I said to Marlee as she tried to sneak away from me.

"There's more where that came from," she joked, winking at me as she walked out to attend to some things I had left for her for the afternoon while I was here.

Queen Svea arrived then with a guard at her side, who politely bowed to the both of us and then took his position outside of the room. She took one look at the room and sighed, seeming to eye me up. "Well, it could be worse," she snapped as she made her way to where maids were serving tea.

I fought the urge to snap back at her as Queen Lea and Zoella entered, Zoella's daughter in tow. More women entered. Elise was there with her relatives from New Asia. It was an uneasy invitation to extend to them but Maxon insisted that we could not exclude them. Elise was really only there to serve as a buffer and translator to those who did not speak their language.

Adele was also there with her family as well as her older sister, Ainsley. I had met Ainsley briefly at the memorial. She had suffered from the same thing Amberly did when it came to having children. Ainsley had only managed to have two kids, despite being pregnant three other times. Her older child was actually a year older than Maxon and considered as one of Maxon's closest male friends. Her daughter was my age and a lovely girl. She was quite timid so she spent most of the time playing with her cousins when she was in social environments.

Adele embraced me. "Where's your family?" she asked, looking around the now-crowded room.

I smiled sadly. "I gave them a day off. My mom and sister have been working so hard these last few days and I knew that this party would eventually turn into a state function," I told her honestly. Adele had stepped up to fill Amberly's place these last few months, something I was very grateful for. Especially with how much Maxon enjoyed playing with her kids.

"Well, the Swendway queen is here so it has to at some point," Adele remarked. "Have you met Queen Svea yet?"

I nodded, shivering at the memory. "She didn't disappoint," was all I said.

Adele nodded and sipped her tea coyly. "Well, she's coming over here so I'd best let her tell you whatever she needs to. I'll catch you later." She stepped away and I faced Queen Svea head on in what I hoped looked like a passive demeanor.

She looked me up and down yet again as if she was still deciding whether or not to like me. I think we both knew how she felt about me though. "So what I've been wondering is how you handle yourself when your fiancé isn't around to answer for you," she told me.

I raised my eyebrows. "Then test it," I challenged.

"You know, Queen Lea thinks you're a doll. I heard you were Amberly's favorite as well. How is it that you made such an embarrassment of yourself in front of millions of people but still managed to get them to like you? How did you escape Clarkson, because I know he would have never stood for such behavior in his own home."

"King Clarkson wasn't the one deciding who stayed and who left; King Maxon was," I reminded her.

She rolled her eyes. "Right, and the rebels kept attacking you because they wanted to have tea with you. We all know that Clarkson was pulling the strings."

"Obviously not, because if he was King Maxon would not have chosen me." I hated naming Maxon by his title; it was so foreign to me and it almost tasted like vinegar every time I had to say it.

That stumped her but she quickly recovered. "And how is it that Maxon chose you?"

"It must have been my natural charm and wit because you all seem to enjoy reminding me perpetually that I am not pretty enough for him. Not to mention that I was a Five before the Selection." I had to really fight to keep the bitterness out of my voice.

Queen Svea leaned toward me threateningly. "Let me be clear: I do not like you. I don't think you fit the job well and quite frankly, I think Maxon could have done a lot better than you. You are plain and your charm? The jury is out on whether or not it is actually charming or despicable."

I nodded, feeling her words impact me but smiling against the pain. "And yet here you stand, in what is now my palace just days before my wedding to the crown prince, soon-to-be-king of Illéa and my own coronation to become queen of Illéa. I understand that you may not approve of his choice but you are still family to him and still worthy allies of this country. I would hate to see that ruined because of your refusal to accept King Maxon's decision."

"Likewise, Lady America. But I would hate to see it ruined because of one bad decision." She sighed, obviously dissatisfied with my lack of retaliation. "Well, I hope you prove me wrong."

"We both know that you've made up your mind about me and that that won't happen. But I appreciate your optimism," I finally snapped. She narrowed her eyes and then turned on her heel, leaving me to go torment the diplomat from Spain.

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid that we are going to have to cut some of these food programs," Ari, the main finance adviser, told us. I chewed on the cap of my pen as I looked at the spreadsheets in front of me, seeing that we had run out of money for them. We still had a contingency fund but that could only go so far.

Maxon sighed next to me. "And where do you suggest we cut them?"

"Right now, the provinces where it would be best would be Bonita, Angeles, and Clermont and Carolina," he reported, shuffling through papers.

"Based on what?" I asked him.

He looked up at me as if he had forgotten I was capable of speaking. "Well, it's based off of the population of each caste. Those four provinces have the most Twos and Threes than any other province."

"But that doesn't mean they don't have any Fours or Fives," I argued. "What about the Sixes who have come to rely on the food program because they know that it is their one chance for a full meal every week?"

"It is not our problem if they rely on it heavily. If you didn't want them to rely on it, maybe it should not have been created in the first place."

I snorted. "Are you serious right now?" I demanded, my voice getting high-pitched as Maxon said, "We can just take away the food programs."

I looked over to him, looking for more support. He sighed and continued, "I care about my people; that's why this was created. So, all we can do for now is cut back. Maybe we could, for certain provinces, switch to a bi-weekly schedule." He looked at me, hoping that this would placate me but I still didn't like the sound of it.

"Can't we take money from somewhere else?" I finally said, asking the dreaded question that never failed to send the advisers into an uproar.

"And where would that be?" Ari sneered.

I considered and then answered decisively, "The Selection fund."

The advisers did not like that answer at all. Some of them stood and started pointing at me and at each other, all shouting over each other and probably not hearing a word yelled. Ari was actually stomping his foot as he shouted across the table at one of his colleagues. Maxon raised his fist and knocked loudly on the wooden table, drawing everyone's attention back to us. "America and I have both discussed this and we agree that we can scale back on the Selection. Honestly, it's just this pile of money that will sit around for another twenty or so years until our son has his Selection" If he even has a Selection, I thought, recollecting a conversation Maxon and I had had where we both agreed that we didn't like the Selection, "and it can surely be put to better use."

Ari didn't look convinced so I suggested, "Maybe, instead of focusing on who doesn't need the kitchens, we could focus on those provinces who need it the most." Ari leaned back in his chair in a challenging way. I went on. "On paper, it will look like everyone can cut back on the food program but in reality, there are some provinces that cannot afford to lose it."

"And which provinces would that be, Lady America?" Ari snapped.

I shuffled through the spreadsheets in front of me and found the one I was looking for. "Bankston, Hundson, Midston, and Labrador. They have the highest population of Fives, Sixes and Sevens. They also provide coal and timber for the whole country. We need them to be well taken care of. Better than they are now."

Ari sighed. "More food isn't going to solve the poverty issue."

"But it will relieve people from the responsibility of buying food for a couple nights a week," I said, my voice rising. This man was really starting to make me angry and I could sense Maxon tensing up next to me. "Do you all really not care about them?" I asked quietly, shocked by everyone's ambivalence.

"America…" Maxon said in a warning tone but I raised a hand to stop him. He could tell that I was about to blow up but these men needed to hear what I had to say.

"Y'all are from Angeles, right? So you've never even been to those provinces. It makes sense that you don't think about the people. Out of sight, out of mind. But they are still citizens of this country and we are all bound by the law to protect them and care for them. There are people out there suffering because you all care more about a silly, fixed, dating game show than the fact that they are dying every day. They think their country has abandoned them."

The men were silent. Finally Stavros sighed and asked, "And what would you have us do, Lady America?"

"We are going to make some changes to the budgeting. As soon as Maxon and I get back from our honeymoon, we will be getting to work. People say that the war on poverty is over but it hasn't even started yet."

The meet concluded shortly after that, the advisers all deep in thought and talking in hushed tones as they left the conference room. I lingered as Maxon talked to Stavros about some last-minute details before we left for a week. They would have one more meeting the morning of the wedding and after that, the country belonged to Stavros for the week.

Soon enough, they were shaking hands and Stavros had left, leaving Maxon and I in the room together alone for what the felt like the first time in days. The palace was swelling to breaking point with guests and I was actually looking forward to the wedding because after the parties and teas of the days leading up to it, it would be quite relaxing.

Maxon put his hands on my waist and I put my arms around his neck, as if we were dancing. This was just a natural position for us those days, our go-to for when we wanted a moment to ourselves. "America, I have never seen the advisers bend over like that before. You made them listen. It was incredible." Awe filled his voice as he lifted a hand to brush hair away from my face.

I blushed although I was feeling quite empowered myself. "They had to listen to me; I had a lot to say."

"I'm just so proud," he whispered, putting his lips against my forehead to rest there.

Hearing Maxon say that he was proud of me never ceased to warm me and make me want to burst into happy tears. It was the biggest compliment I could ever receive from him considering our rocky start in our relationship where I made so many bad decisions and mistakes. If he never again told me he loved me and instead said that he was proud of me every day I would be just as happy.

"You've become quite the formidable queen," he teased.

"I'm not queen yet," I reminded him, poking him in the stomach. "Now, we have a rehearsal dinner to go to."

We held hands and made our way into the hallway as Maxon said, "We do have to do an interview with Gavril at some point tonight as well."

I sighed and nodded, knowing that we had to do one last interview tonight before our wedding the next day. Our guests were in the Great Room downstairs mingling and we would join them later. Gavril met us in the room where the Report is filmed in and let us sit on a plush loveseat together while the camera crew made finishing preparations. In lieu of a Report, there would be a wedding special airing the night of our wedding. Maids bent over us to touch up our makeup and adjust my hair and dress. I had grown used to feeling like a porcelain doll over the subsequent months.

Soon enough, the cameras were rolling and Gavril was welcoming us. "People of Illéa, it is my extreme honor to be here with King Maxon and Lady America on the eve of their wedding. They are both very busy people, taking care of the last minute details so without further ado, let's do this interview. So, you two were quite unconventional with having a five-month engagement. Is there a reason for having it be so brief?"

I looked at Maxon and he answered, "America really wanted a spring wedding but in January when we sat down to start planning the wedding, next spring seemed like a long time from now. We had to choose to have either a really long engagement or somewhat brief engagement and obviously we chose the latter and I think we're both happy with that decision."

I nodded in agreement. "It's been hectic at times, especially in the beginning with throwing together the guest lists so that our guests would have enough time to plan their own responsibilities around our wedding. Plus, we also had a lot of work and responsibilities of our own that we were adjusting to but I feel that it was all worth it."

"Yes, you two certainly had a bit of a rocky start as a couple, even after being engaged. You officially announced the engagement the night before your parents' memorial service but you had proposed well before that, correct Your Majesty?"

Maxon nodded. "If it were completely up to me, I would have proposed to America the night of the Halloween ball but obviously there were some insinuating circumstances that prevented me from doing so. I'll admit, that was not a highlight in our relationship but obviously all has turned out. I told her I was choosing her a couple days after Christmas, the day she returned from Carolina and I gave her the ring two days later."

"Now, Lady America, you had missed the holidays here at the palace because of the passing of your father. Fathers have a lot of roles in the typical wedding ceremony so has it been difficult for you to plan with that?"

"Well, Maxon had actually spoken to my father while he was here visiting for the Halloween ball and asked my father's permission to marry me then so it is nice that he was able to do that and you know, actually meet my father. I also have a dear friend of mine who has agreed to walk me down the aisle and I'm overjoyed by that. It was Maxon's idea for him to do it and I think that's wonderful, that this friend would do that for me." I had to be vague because I knew that Kota wasn't the only one who knew that Aspen and I had dated and if I mentioned his name before I married Maxon, it could be a huge scandal should someone leak the news that Aspen was my boyfriend leading up to the Selection.

Gavril gave me a knowing a smile and went on, "Any last-minute jitters to get over?"

Maxon and I smiled at each other and then looked back to Gavril. Maxon answered confidently, "I couldn't be happier with my choice."

I know it was a weird ending, I just felt like the chapter was getting entirely too long and dull. anyways, the next chapter is the morning of the wedding! yay!