I rubbed my eyes and yawned as I awoke in the morning. A grin flashed across my face as I recalled the night before. Maxon Schreave had proposed to me. I was the One. I was his One. I couldn't wait to get married!

I gently threw the covers of the bed off of me, frowning slightly as I realized Maxon wasn't around. I would have to get used to not always waking up next to him.

I brushed my teeth and patiently waited for my maids to help me get ready. I knew I didn't need them, but they always complained when I got ready by myself, and I felt a little self-conscious today.

Perhaps, in the back of my head, I was worried Maxon would change his mind about me. After about ten minutes, Mary and Lucy showed up to check on me. I went into my suite and opened the door for them.

"Lady America!" The two squealed excitedly. "You're going to be the queen! We knew it was you from the start! Congratulations!"

"Thank you! I couldn't have ever asked for better maids. I love you so much." Lucy and Mary smiled shyly, but soon got back to their mission.

"We are going to make you look stunning, as always, Lady America," Mary promised. "To honor Queen Amberly and King Clarkson, it's black, and will look beautiful on you. The funeral is this afternoon, and the celebration is at night. This should be just the right dress for the event." I smiled gratefully, glad to be able to reflect on Maxon's parents.

The two scurried around me as I sat down, doing my hair and makeup. It was simple and elegant, which had always been my style. Finally, they opened a dress box and pulled out an amazing dress. It was floor-length and went from black to grey at the bottom, so it looked like I was floating on a stormy cloud. The top was like a halter top, but it had sheer sleeves that went to my shoulders. White forget-me-nots were sewn into the dress, making it looked like I had rolled around in a field of white flowers. The dress accentuated my hips but wasn't too flashy. It was perfect.

My maids helped me slip the dress on over my head, and I twirled around in it, feeling glorious.

"This is breathtaking," I whispered, in awe of my whole look. Remembering the late king and queen was so important to me, and this dress said it all without any words.

Mary and Lucy seemed to sense that I really did love the dress, and they beamed proudly. "Time to go to breakfast, ma'am. King Maxon is waiting," they reminded me. I nodded and slipped on some black heels, excited to have breakfast with Maxon.

I nodded to some guards in the halls and finally entered the Dining Room. Maxon was sitting at the head of the long table, his head in his hands. An untouched plate was in front of him.

"Good morning, Maxon," I breathed, hoping I wasn't disrupting him. Maxon's face broke into a sunny smile as he saw me.

"Hello, my beautiful America," he greeted me, never ripping his eyes from mine. "That dress is stunning...the forget-me-nots mean..." He trailed off as his eyes glazed. "It means a lot to me."

"I'm so sorry, Maxon." I sat in the chair to his right, resting my hand with the engagement ring on his leg. He squeezed my hand and nodded. His warm, brown eyes reassured me that it would all be okay. Hopefully.

Soon a feast was laid out, just for us. There were pancakes, eggs, salads, and an assortment of tarts. I immediately reached for a strawberry tart. I took a bite of the tart and let Maxon take another.

"Mmmm," he savored the tart. I laughed and kissed him on the cheek.

"Are you starting to realize why I love those so much?"

"I'm realizing that it's going to be hard to compete with these for your love," he joked. I relaxed a little at hearing him crack a joke, and felt him shift more comfortably next to me.

"I will never love anything as much as I love you," I promised. He chuckled and pulled me in for an enveloping hug.

"That's good luck for me," Maxon said between passionate kisses on my lips.

I jumped onto his lap, completely forgetting about breakfast, and let him twirl my loose curls while staring into his chocolate eyes. For one moment, we let go of all the deaths, the worry about the rebels, and the weight of Illéa on his shoulders.

Soon, some of that would be on mine as well. But for one second, we were just lost in each other and the wonderful love we had found.