Sorry about the wait. I had written most of this chapter and then my computer deleted half of it . Anyway, enjoy and Review please!
All through the days planning I was biting my tongue, wanting to tell them about the secret Wedding but knowing that I shouldn't. They noticed, obviously, that I was being much quieter than usual, which led to lots of questions from them.
"What's wrong, are you fighting again?" Marlee asked. I shook my head but I could see that she was still concerned.
"You can tell us anything, Miss." Lucy told me, she put a hand on my shoulder to show that she meant it.
"Guys, everything's fine, seriously. Come on, we need to decide on flowers." I moved to pick up some pictures but Marlee stopped me.
"No. You need to tell us what's going on, America. I don't want to plan this Wedding if it's not going to happen."
"As far as I know, I will be married to Maxon in less than a month. If you don't want to help, then fine. I've got other things to be doing." I started tidying up all of the folders and papers and put them on the shelf. I then moved over and sat at my desk and started reading the letters that I'd left there.
"Ok, you definitely know something. Something's going on, isn't it America. Tell us!" Marlee demanded. I paused, trying to think of something to say, stalling for time by pretending to be angry, when there was a knock at the door.
"Come in." I shouted before anything else could be said and Maxon walked in.
"Can I speak to you?" He asked me, it looked urgent.
"Sure." I nodded and moved towards the door.
"We'll finish this later." Marlee told me as I left, I nodded reluctantly, waved and left with Maxon.
Maxon grabbed my hand as soon as we got out of the room and started walking quickly through the palace towards the doors. As soon as he got out, he started running and I was struggling to keep up with him.
"Maxon, stop. I'm in heels." He came to a stop and I managed to half-run up to him. "What's wrong?"
"I just- I don't know how much longer I can do this, pretending."
"It's only two weeks, Maxon, I promise that all that means is that we'll be married quicker. Nothing else."
"It's not just that, it's everything. I feel like I'm just pretending to be King, just pretending to be in charge. I keep feeling like my father's just going to come in and change everything. Sometimes I wish he would." I leaned up and kissed him lightly before putting my arms around his neck.
"Maxon, we're in this together, remember that. I can't believe that in a few weeks I'm going to be your wife. Honestly, I keep thinking that I'm going to wake up and it's going to still be the Selection, or you're going to send me home or something."
"I can't send you home, America. This is your home."
"And you are the King. If we have doubts and worries, that's natural. As long as we have each other then I know that it's all going to be fine." I kissed him again and he smiled at me.
"Can I borrow you after lunch, I've got a meeting I'd like your support in?" He began to walk me back
"Please, Marlee and Lucy are grilling me."
"They know that you're not as into the Wedding planning as you were."
"Yep, they're convinced we're going to break up or something. I want to tell them so bad, but I kind of worry that then none of us will be able to plan the fake Wedding and we'll start planning the real one instead, which will kind of ruin it!"
"I've just been in a meeting where the publicity of the Wedding is being discussed. Whether there'll be posters, a special programme or what. We are ruining everything." He laughed.
"Has to be done, I'm afraid." I put my hand in his as we neared the doors and the guards became within hearing distance.
"Ok. Promise me that you won't tell the girls and that you'll go back in and plan the dream wedding for us."
"I promise, if you promise that I can bring them with me on the trip, as my maids, so that they can come."
"Ok, I can deal with that. As long as I get to marry you." He kissed me passionately and then led me past the guards and back into the palace.
We walked hand-in-hand through the corridors and back up the stairs towards our rooms, where he kissed me softly and then left to return to his meeting. I walked back through my door and sat on the floor near my Wedding shelf, picked up all the folders and spread them out on the floor again. I looked up and saw that Marlee was watching me closely whilst the others were sat in a small circle talking about something.
"That looked like quite the chat, do you want to tell me something." Marlee asked, she had clearly been watching but I couldn't decide if she had been listening
"There's nothing to tell. What? I'm not allowed to go on a walk with my fiancée? Maybe you should tell me what's wrong with you."
"I know why you're getting us all to come with you on your trip!" She shouted. I was taken aback, did she really know?
"And why's that? Because you're my friends and I want you by my side?" I shouted back, I wanted her to tell me what she knew before I blurted out my secret.
"You just want to parade us in front of all the twos around the country that looked down on you because you were a five. You think if you have sixes with you then you can show how much higher you are than them." I slapped her hard across the face.
"You really think that much of me Marlee? Do you even care what the real reason is? Or do you just see me as someone else now?"
"I barely know who you are anymore, and honestly I don't care." Marlee pushed past me and walked out the door, closely followed by Mary and Amy. Lucy stood and looked slightly nervous.
"Miss? Can I speak to you about something?" She asked. I nodded and sat on my sofa, motioning for her to sit with me.
"Is everything ok?"
"Yes, everything's great and that's sort of what I want to ask you." She paused and exhaled. "Aspen has asked me to marry him after his time in the Royal Army is over. And I said yes." She said quite quickly, it took a moment for me to register what she had said and with every second that passed I saw the worry in her face grow.
"My God. That's great news, congrats to the both of you." I hugged her. "Why did you look so terrified about that?"
"You have a past with him yourself and-"
"And it's exactly that, a past."
"Yes, but." She paused again to think about what she was going to say next. "I want to retire from the palace in the near future. I was thinking that the Wedding might be my last event." I looked down at my lap. That would mean that we had next to no time together, especially since the wedding she was meaning wasn't even happening.
"I'll let you retire but I have a few conditions." I paused and she looked a little scared and a little relieved. "One. We stay friends and you come visit often." She nodded but I continued before she could interject. "Two. You come with me on the trip, regardless of what the others tell you. And three. You let me tell you a secret that you can never breathe to another living thing, not Aspen, not Mary, no one. Do you agree to all of these terms?"
"Yes." She said quickly. "One and two definitely. Three, I won't be endangering them by not telling them, will I?"
"No, but they might be disappointed that they didn't agree to term two." She nodded and I braced myself. "Ok. I swore to Maxon that I would not tell anyone so, please don't say anything to him and look surprised like everyone else. Maxon and I aren't getting married the Saturday after we get back, we're getting married when we get to Carolina, we're going to stay overnight there and get married on the evening." She laughed.
"I know, America, I know and I already swore not to tell. Maxon told me this morning."
"Ok, I would just like to point out that I lasted longer than him. I think everyone should remember that when I get lectured about not being able to keep a secret." She laughed and I hugged her again. We chatted for a few minutes before there was a knock at the door and Maxon walked in. I smiled at him and shook my head, he sighed.
"So, you told Lucy then?" He asked.
"Told her what? There was nothing left to tell her, someone told her this morning about our secret plans." I kissed him quickly. Lucy quietly curtseyed and excused herself.
"I can't believe she told you. I thought I could trust her." He smiled.
"Why did you tell her?" I asked. I was curious because Lucy wasn't the first person I thought he would tell.
"I knew that the girls would be able to tell that you weren't as into the planning as before and I wanted at least one of them to be a bit understanding. I knew that Lucy wouldn't tell the others and I knew she wouldn't ask too many questions. But as long she understood, I could guarantee that she would want to come away and I knew that you needed her support."
"Aww, you're so sweet." I said, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him firmly. He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me back.
"I love you America Singer" He whispered
"I love you Maxon Schreave"