For the next several weeks it was calm. I followed the rules and did what I was told. I met with Luke every morning so we could beat up on each other as a way to release everything we were keeping bottled up. We had an odd relationship. We never talked about our problems, but we secretly knew the other had some fucked up stuff going on in their head as we beat each other senseless.

The days passed and I avoided Prince Alexandr. I sat in the Women's Room most days, pretending to be apart of the conversation that Val and Meghan were having. My life felt like a boring, strict script that I was forced to follow. I thought of what it might be like if this was how it would be my entire life. It would be horrific.

My maids rarely talked to me as the Selection drew on. Overnight I curled up with Lil's bear and I dreamed of hugging her to me once again. I missed her so much sometimes that I quietly cried myself to sleep. I swear, I cried more in these two weeks than I had in my life. But every morning, when Luke, instead of a guard now, showed up at my door to take me down to the gym I felt at peace with my life.

After we beat the shit out of each other he took me back to my room and Rosalyn would scold both of us for the bruises we had created. She would put makeup all over my arms and stomach to make me look good in my dresses for the evening. Luke would apologize to her for her problems that he created but we both laughed about it all the while. Life really wasn't bad, but it could be better with Lil.

One night after dinner I was wondering around the palace, which I know I should not have been doing, but I was bored and was looking for fun. I could ask Luke to hang out with me, but it seemed inappropriate.

Just as I was about to leave the section of the palace where the Selected rooms were, Meghan and Val came out of one of the rooms. I turned to see them laughing their heads off and decided they would be my best source of fun.

"Anna!"

I smiled at them as they ran up to me. "Where are you going?" Val asked. "Or do you plan on lying to us about that too?"

They were still upset with me, that much was obvious.

"Guys, I'm sorry about having to lie about the bruise." I debated whether I should tell them about my sessions with Luke.

"So, are you going to tell us the truth?"

I pursed my lips and nodded. "It's from Prince Lucas."

"Lucas?"

"He hits you?"

The two girls were so enraged I thought they might go hunt him down right then for laying a hand on me. I was shocked that they cared enough about me to be so defending.

"It's not like that," I began quickly. "We just go to the gym with each other and box. Don't worry, he couldn't do any real damage to me if he wanted to."

Meghan was calming down a bit, but Val looked skeptical.

We walked down the hall in an awkward silence before Meghan got up the courage to ask me what she was thinking. "So, you and Prince Lucas? Is this a thing now?"

I hit her arm playfully but couldn't keep the smile off my face. "Don't be ridiculous. That's treason, you know."

"But he's the prince too. The rules don't apply to him," Val countered.

My face was heating up again. I needed to take the subject off of me. "What about you two? Any dates with Prince Alexandr yet? I heard from my maids that he was spending one on one time with the girls like Cambria and someone named Reyna."

Meghan nodded. "You really should spend more time in the Women's Room with us so you know who people like Reyna are, you know. It's not good to exclude yourself form everyone."

Just like that Meghan had made it about me again. I didn't like it so I didn't respond until Val spilled how she felt about Prince Alexandr.

"I thought he would be more of a gentleman when we got here," she confessed. "He looks so professional on TV. I thought he wouldn't like the girls that threw themselves at him, but I guess I was wrong."

Meghan scoffed. "Don't worry. He'll get bored screwing them and they'll be the first ones gone. He's waiting to get to know his real options once the whores are out of the way."

Meghan had a good point. He was toying with the girls that would let him, but he was never considering Cambria or Aubrey as a true option for a future queen. He was just using them while they were still here.

"How can you be so sure?" Val asked, obviously bothered that he hadn't talked to her much yet.

"I can just see it. It's how these rich rulers work. I'm a Two, so I see more than I'd like to admit."

I studied Meghan carefully. She didn't act like most Twos. I had no idea what her caste was, and now that I did know I was surprised she befriended me in the first place. Of course my mind was thinking of all the ways that I might be benefitting her, because in my head no one could actually want to be my friend without wanting something.

"Do you think you could rule? Like be a queen?"

I turned to Val and I shrugged.

Meghan scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Anna, of course you could. You're so confident and already act like a leader. You'd be a great queen."

I shook my head. How could she think that? "I couldn't lead. The only person I've ever been in charge of was Lil, and we all know what happened because of my shitty leadership."

Meghan wasn't stopping there. "You are incredible. You did what you had to do to protect the people you care for. A queen would do anything for her people. I wish I could live like you do."

My face heated up with boiling anger. "I didn't choose a life of poverty so I could prove that I could be a leader. No one ever should wish to have my life or be like me because, let me assure you it was shit. My caste has been the cause of all the suffering in my life."

We had all stopped walking and were facing each other in a circle in the hall.

"Stop pitying yourself. You aren't poor anymore, we are all Twos after this." Val retorted with her harms crossed over her chest.

Meghan got close to me with her voice dangerously low. "I don't care about your caste, Anna. Not everything is about how poor you are- you were," she corrected. "You're a Two after this or a One if the prince weds you. So get used to all the fancy things because soon you'll be another rich kid with nothing but fake friends like the rest of us."

I wanted to argue against her more, but a part of me thought she was right. My caste wasn't the reason for all my suffering, I was. I ran away from everyone in my life. These girls who I thought could be my friends thought I was a self pitying piece of shit, and rightly so. The other girls in the Selection hated me because the prince gave me so much attention. Lil was out of my reach to be able to find comfort in her. I wanted to go to Luke in this moment, I slowly realized.

"You may not think you are a hero or worthy enough to be a queen, Anna, but look at the people of Illea. They all love you. The lower castes are worshipping you, basically. You are their hero; their beacon of hope."

"I am no hero."

We were standing so close to one another. My voice was dangerously low, but neither of us were backing down. We would stare daggers at each other until the end.

"Get your head out of your ass and fuck off with the self pity. Whether you like it or not people are looking up to you. People are counting on you. And that is everything I hoped to be."

Every ounce of my body was screaming that she couldn't be further from the truth. I was no one's hero. The only person who might look up to me was Lil and she was stuck in the middle of deep shit because of me. Any wrong move I made could end her life. Everything I did was wrong and it didn't make sense that people could see me as a hero.

Meghan took my silence as her small victory and she took Val and stormed away.

I was left standing in the hallway alone. I wanted to explode I was so work up. I paced around for a few minutes and started to make my way back to my room.

I was calmed down finally when Queen Amberley stepped in stride with me. I went rigid immediately. I knew this woman didn't like me. I could tell by all the glares I get during meal times. She has never spoken to me directly, but she sits in the Women's Room with the other girls and chats about God knows what. I was shocked to see her expression blank now that she was deliberately walking next to me.

I cleared my throat and tried to ignore the thoughts of Meghan creeping back into my mind.

"Queen Amberley, it is nice to see you."

She didn't turn her head to look at me when she talked, her voice stone cold. "It isn't really nice to see you."

I was shocked at her blatant rudeness and didn't know what to say, so I kept quiet. She had never done anything to me directly to make me dislike her, but she wasn't holding back now.

"Miss Mallory, I am sure you are aware of my dislike for you. You are a disgrace to Illea and could never be a representative of the country. You stand no chance with my son. He does not deserve you."

I could feel my anger boiling up and I tried to keep my tone level. "With all do respect, Your Majesty, last time I checked this was not your Selection and the decision of love does not lie in your hands."

Her harsh laugh made me jump it was so abrupt. "Last time I checked, a marriage to a person with power like my family was not based off of love."

A part of me felt sad for her. She didn't believe in love and thought Alexandr would choose a wife because it benefitted him, which I believed he would considering the reason that I was still here. I haven't felt true love before, but I pitied the people who didn't think it was possible. Even me, a person who has had little love in her life, can see that the Queen was wrong about this.

"Queen Amberley, have you come to me just to tell me this? Thank you for waisting both of our time."

Queen Amberley spun in front of me and stopped me from moving. I am ashamed at the fright her look gave me, but I hardened up in a moment and starred into her dead grey eyes; no woman would out intimidate me.

"I have come to warn you, Miss Mallory," she hissed through her teeth. Her voice was dangerously low.

"Warn me?"

"Stay away from my son."

"Have you forgotten that the reason I am here is to spend time with your son."

"Not Alexandr. Stay away from Lucas. I can see the blossoming relationship."

I wanted to tell her not to be stupid. I wanted to tell her that I had turned him down when he tried to make a move. I wanted her to know that I had stomped any thought of liking me out of his heart. Heck, I even pummeled him the day we met and he was a baby and called me out in front of everyone. How could she possibly think we had romantic feelings for one another? I wanted to tell her this, but I didn't. I was shocked into silence; at a lack of words.

"I am not stupid," she continued. "I can see you wrapping him around your finger. I can see that you are a gold digger and you want to brain wash him into giving you the world. Let me assure you that I control my sons, not you. Your little games with Lucas every morning are going to stop. You are not to talk with him anymore or I swear I will hurt the only thing you love."

I didn't take my eyes away from her. My teeth were clenched so hard I was beginning to taste blood. It took every ounce of me not to hit her in the throat, but I was determined to stay at the palace now and hitting the queen was a one way ticket home. I wouldn't let the people of Illea live under such beasts any longer. I would end this wicked woman if it was the last thing I did.

"Am I understood, Miss Mallory?"

I held my head high and nodded slightly. "Yes, ma'am," I croaked out, barely audible. I felt ashamed for letting her get into my head this way, but she was a queen and I hate to admit she was doing a good job living up to the title.

I stayed in my place in the hall until she had walked so far away that I couldn't see her anymore. Once I was sure I was alone I felt my knees give and I fell to the floor. I tried to stop my body from shaking, but it was no use. I crawled to the wall and leaned against it for what felt like hours. My mind was spinning in circles so fast I thought I might hurl.

She had threatened Lil. She had the power to harm her now because Lil was in her possession. It would take so little time for her soldiers to march up to the house where Lil was and put a bullet though her head. My heart hammered in my chest. How could I take that power away from her? She couldn't have this upper hand on me, so I needed to stop it.

I needed to get word to Lil that she had to run away. I knew she wouldn't be happy about leaving a warm home with a nice old lady who provided her with food, but she would understand. After all our years together she learned not to question my authority. She would run as far as she could if that's what I told her to do. But who could get her my message without the queen knowing? My maids were trustworthy, but they would never go against the queen for me. I couldn't talk to Luke about the problem, but she would find out. Alexandr would never defy his mother, so he was out too. I had no one to help me through this; no connection.

"Miss Mallory, we need to stop meeting like this."

I swiped tears from my face and looked up at Office Chance. He didn't seem fazed with me crumple on the floor crying. He was surprisingly relaxed when he held out a hand to me.

I took his hand without hesitation and let him pull me off the floor. He laced my arm through his and we slowly began to walk to my room, just like we always did when he found me alone in the hall.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" He asked after moments of silence.

I shook my head and continued to wipe away silent tears.

He came to a stop and faced me. "I know this is all stressful, believe me I wouldn't want to compete with a group of girls for a guy that is a piece of shit."

I grinned. He knew what the prince really was too.

"I have worked at the palace for as long as you have been here. You know, I was only promoted after I caught you in the middle of your stunt at the bank, but you are making a difference already. The guards talk; gossip. They say that Prince Lucas has been nicer and more interested in benefiting his country than he ever has been. You are making a good impact on this family, if that cheers you up."

I was speechless. My mind brought up the memory of Meghan telling me I was a hero and making choices that a queen would. Maybe she was right? Officer Chance was telling me that the palace was changing for the better because I was here. I hated myself for it, but I started to cry more. I really was a pity train.

Before I thought of what I was doing I rushed at Officer Chance and held him in a tight hug. I rarely hugged people, and the only person I did hug was Lil.

He tensed up at first, probably assuming that I would hurt him or something, but he loosened up after a while and wrapped his arms around me.

"The workers at the palace are rooting for you. I don't know if you even like Prince Alexandr, and it's not my business, but everyone wants you for queen. It's been a short time so their opinions might change, but you're the only person with good morals here."

"Even if I did try to rob a bank," I mumbled into his chest.

He held me back from him and looked at me. "The things you do aren't right, but they are for a good reason."

I nodded and took his arm in mine again and started walking. We reached my room and my tears had stopped. I couldn't express how thankful I was that Officer Max Chance had put me at ease after Meghan, Val, and Queen Amberley had reminded me of what a shit I was. He was hear for me when I couldn't go to anyone else and I couldn't have been more hopeful in that moment. I didn't like Prince Alexandr enough to marry him, and even if I did, he hated me. I was hear to help his ratings, so he wouldn't even consider marrying me. I just wished I could help Illea become a better place without having to be a queen; I wanted to make a difference.

"Thank you," was all I could muster once I got to my bedroom door.

"Anytime."

I didn't watch him walk away like I had last time. I opened my door and crashed into the care of my maids, who undressed me and let me soak in the comfort of a warm bath for hours. That is where I came to the realization that I did have connections; I had someone who could get my message to Lil and tell her to run away.

Officer Chance was going to be my hero.