Hi! I have a question for you: Do you like longer or shorter chapters? I would probably consider this a longer chapter. Would you most want to read a chapter with 1,000 words, 2,000 words, or 3,000 words? Please review your answers so I can accommodate your preference. Thanks!
When I woke up I was greeted by Maxon, who was smiling down at me, centimeters away from my face.
"Maxon!" I giggled. "You are so creepy."
"I'm sorry, darling. I just can't help staring at you beautiful face every moment I get the chance," he confessed with a grin. He really was hopeless. I jumped out of bed and barreled into him, knocking him down on the bed.
Maxon yelped in surprise as I flopped onto him and connected our mouths in a long kiss. My hands traveled through his hair to the soft skin on his back. I lightly traced his abs while his skilled fingers made a passage from my neck, to my shoulders, and ended up cupping my face.
I broke our kiss to breathe into his ear, "I can't wait to give you everything. I love you, Maxon." I wanted to be able to explore every part of Maxon and to break down every wall between us. By the way he gazed at me longingly, I could tell he felt the same way. However, we had to wait until our marriage.
"I love you to the moon and back ten billion times, America." I knew it was true.
"Come on, let's get ready." I grunted as I pulled myself away from our embrace. If I let myself sink any deeper into this, I would definitely go too far. Maxon groaned, as if just now remembering that he was king and there were still many things to do. I slipped out of bed and opened up the door to my suite to get ready.
The day passed quickly. Maxon and I had a bunch of trivial meetings to attend to, and there was nothing exciting about our day. At six thirty, we went upstairs to get dressed nicer for dinner. Lucy and Mary were waiting outside my suite for me, clearly trying to hold back giggles.
"Hello, ladies," I greeted them. "What's up?"
"Come look at what you're going to wear," Mary said excitedly.
They had a breathtaking dress ready for me. It was different shades of deep, seductive red and had a plunging neckline. The bottom faded into a darker wine color than the scarlet at the top. A pattern of roses made up of gold swirls lined the bottom of the dress.
"Girls, what is this?" I asked, astonished. "I only have a regular dinner planned, and then I'm just going to read in bed."
"You'll see," Mary teased.
"We can't tell, but you have a much more exciting night planned than just dinner and reading," Lucy grinned. My mouth dropped open.
"Still, are you sure this dress isn't too much? It's magical, but I don't want to be crazy overdressed, and it's not really my style."
"Trust us, America," Lucy assured me. "It will be perfect."
"All right." They fussed over me for ten minutes, making sure the dress fit me exactly. The neckline went way too low for my comfort, but Mary and Lucy promised me that it would be better this way.
"You're not married yet," they reminded me. "You can still have some fun!"
"Does Maxon know about this surprise?" I wondered aloud, thinking of my fiancé in the other room.
"No, but he has butlers that are also breaking the news and helping him get ready," Mary told me. At last, they finished getting the dress on.
"Oh my goodness!" I gasped when I saw myself in the mirror. "I look amazing. I mean, not modest in any way, shape, or form, but I guess it's fine if you're telling me it's okay." They both nodded and admired their work.
"Now for makeup and hair," Mary went on to the next step. They kept my hair down and curled it into fiery waves. My makeup was light with bold colors. I only had mascara, eye shadow, foundation, and lipstick on, but the lipstick was a deep red that matched my dress. My look was complete except my shoes.
Mary carefully opened a box and pulled out a set of shiny, black stiletto high heels.
"What?" I raised my eyebrows. "How am I going to walk in those?" I whined.
"Don't worry, miss. These shoes are actually very comfortable. They were specifically designed for you because we know you love to dance and be comfortable," Lucy explained.
"Okay, then. I'm definitely going to be making a statement," I agreed hesitantly. I slipped the heels on, and to my surprise, they were actually quite snug. "Thank you, Mary and Lucy. Can I go down now?"
"Yes. Go down to the Dining Room."
"All right. I'll go get Maxon. He should still be in his room." Lucy grabbed me by the arm before I walked any further.
"No, America! You can't. This is all part of the surprise," she promised mischievously.
"Are you sure?" I whined. They both nodded firmly, leaving me with no other choice. I looked at myself in the mirror before walking out. I definitely looked beautiful, but was this outfit me? I hoped Maxon would like it.
I walked down to the Dining Room alone, wondering what on earth was going to happen. Finally I got to the entrance and a guard opened the door for me. The whole Dining Room was empty. What was going on?
"Hello?" I called.
"Yes, yes, I'm right here," Silvia bustled out of the door connecting to the kitchen with a smile. "Hello, Lady America. Follow me right this way." She walked out of the Dining Room with me trailing behind her and finally we got to the Ballroom. Sensing my confusion, Silvia just laughed and patted me on the shoulder. "You look gorgeous, Lady America. The surprise is right inside." She gestured toward the doors of the Ballroom and I walked inside.
A huge shout welcomed me as I stepped in. At first I saw my sister, May, running towards me. Then I saw my mother, Kenna, Gerad, Aspen, Marlee, Carter, Kriss, Elise, Natalie, and twenty other friends. At last I saw Maxon, stepping away from the crowd and beaming at me. I broke into a smile and waved at everyone, not sure what was going on but loving it.
"America!" May squealed as she gave me a bear hug.
"Hi May! I've missed you so much."
"Me too. This party is so cool." I laughed and took a good look at my youngest sister. She was in an amazing gown that was dark purple and floor-length. It faded into little diamonds at the bottom and had a sweetheart neckline.
"May, you look so pretty," I told her, in awe of how grown-up she looked.
"Thanks," she said, blushing.
"Let me go talk to everyone else. This is amazing." I walked over to where my mom, Kenna, and Gerad were waiting for me.
"America! You look fantastic!" Kenna complimented me and we hugged. I said hello to the rest of my family and went up to Maxon to hug him.
"Hey, America!" His face lit up when he saw me coming towards him. "You look..." He was speechless upon traveling his gaze to my chest.
"I hope it's okay," I said nervously. "It's totally not my style, but Mary and Lucy made me wear it. It is pretty crazy-"
"America, you look stunning," he finally said. "I don't have the words to describe this properly, but you are the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen." I smiled gratefully and wrapped my arms around him.
"What is this party? My maids were so secretive about everything."
"It's an engagement party. Look," Maxon pointed to the walls, where posters of Maxon and I holding hands were pinned up. The big header read "Maxon and America's Engagement Party."
"Ohhhhh! I didn't even look around. That is so sweet of everyone!"
"I know," Maxon agreed. "I suppose the staff waited a few weeks after we got engaged because it wouldn't be appropriate to have a party so soon after my parents' deaths. Let's go talk to our friends." Hand in hand, we walked over to where Kriss, Elise, and Natalie were talking.
"Hi guys!" I greeted them as we came closer. Everyone hugged and congratulated us. It was definitely more than a little awkward, though. Kriss appeared wistful the whole time while Elise seemed rigid. Even though we hadn't really been close, Natalie was the most friendly out of the trio.
"How are you two doing?" Kriss asked pointedly.
"We're great, thank you," Maxon answered. "America is adjusting to palace life perfectly."
"That's nice. I'm so happy for you," she said too quickly. After some small talk, we moved on to our other guests. A beautiful woman in a revealing, seductive dress caught my eye. She caught Maxon's too.
"America, that's Daphne," he told me nervously. "She wanted to marry me but I told her I didn't love her, so she became really angry. She'll probably be jealous of you, but don't worry. I'm all yours." He kissed me lightly on the nose to prove his point. However, Daphne saw the interaction and her eyebrows arched.
"Hello! If it isn't the lovely couple," Daphne said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she walked over to us.
"Hello, Princess Daphne," I said politely, fighting to keep my tone level.
"America, it's so nice to meet you. I've heard a lot! Maxon did tell me that you were interesting. He said a girl kneed him in the groin, so I guess it was you! And I did give him tips to be a good kisser..." Maxon squeezed my hand and shook his head, telling me that this was not half the truth.
"That's great! But I think experience helps you learn to kiss better than tips," I snorted and Daphne's eyes narrowed.
"Maxon, honey, will you dance with me?" she asked confidently, brushing her hand along his shoulder. Maxon stepped away with a scowl.
"Daphne, you need to give up on me. You already have a fiancé," he said, pointing to where some French men were sitting together. "I am getting married in months and am done with this childishness. Dance with your own partner." He pulled me away to the floor and we danced for a few songs.
"Phew! She's intense," I exclaimed.
"I know. Aren't you mad at me, though?" he asked tentatively.
"Why would I be?"
"Because I told her some stuff during the Selection. She never gave me tips on kissing, but I'll admit, we laughed together about my incident with you. She didn't know it was you, of course, but I guess she figured it out. I completely regret it, because she looks like an even bigger jerk now than she used to be, but-"
"Maxon," I interrupted him. "Don't be sorry. She's definitely a jerk, but I still get you in the end of all this. And I've definitely gotten used to competition. After all, you had thirty-five girlfriends a few months ago!"
"You're right," Maxon smiled. "The past doesn't matter, because in the end, we have each other."