I was half way through a lesson with Silvia when the alarm sounded. We both sprinted for the secret chamber located behind the wardrobe in my room without a word. I prayed that Maxon would already be down there, I couldn't bear it if he was hurt in another attack, just when he had gotten over most of his injuries from the first.
The royal safe room was eerily quiet as Silvia and I were the first down and I was used to a few other girls occupying the beds at the back, now there were only the thrones. It was strange to think that there weren't countless girls in this space anymore, just Maxon, the staff and I.
I decided to use my time wisely and has Silvia finish the lesson, I decided it would also take my mind off of Maxon's location, especially when I noticed guards going off to look for him. She carried on her lecture about manners for visitors, how to decide which bedrooms to use, where they should be greeted, what food should be available, who should look after them. It was the sort of lecture that I would normally half drift off from. But on the one hand, I actually needed to know all of this stuff and the second my thoughts drifted, it was to Maxon. Silvia's lecture lasted twenty minutes, and Maxon still wasn't here. Something had almost definitely happened.
It was ten minutes later when Maxon came down the stairs on the other side. When he spotted me stood in the middle of the room, as I had no idea what I should be doing, he ran towards me and held me close.
"I worried you had been taken." Maxon whispered into my ear.
"Me?" I chuckled, "You're the one that's last down here, what took you so long, I was worried?"
"It's all done, they're gone." He smiled. "We were up on the fourth floor when the alarm sounded, there wasn't enough time to get down here so we had to sit it out in one of the safe rooms upstairs."
"At least you're safe." I breathed and kissed him hard on the lips, his arms supporting my back and pulling me closer. "Ok, back up we go."
He held my hand as we turned to go back up the staircase. There wasn't anything different upstairs but I was never sure if that was because the maids worked quickly or if it was because not much had gone on in the last half an hour. In any case, I decided to go to my study to go over my work and make some preparations for tonight's Report.
Tonight we would be announcing our engagement, third time lucky I suppose, so I had to prepare a short speech, dress and mentally prepare for it all. I noticed a letter on my desk but put it to one side whilst I did other work.