The Favorite

by Kiera Cass

  He hadn’t signed it, but I knew Maxon’s handwriting.

  When you wake up, change your bandages. Use the salve in the jar. Apply it with the cotton swabs to avoid infection and try not to wrap the gauze too tight. The pills will help as well. Then rest. Do not attempt to leave this room.

  “Carter, I have some medicine for us.” I gingerly unscrewed the cap using only the tips of my fingers. The smell of the slightly thick substance was reminiscent of aloe.

  “What?” He turned his face toward me.

  “There are bandages and instructions.”

  I looked at my wrapped hands and tried to think of how I was going to manage this.

  “I’ll help you,” Carter offered, reading my mind.

  I smiled. “This is going to be hard.”

  “Absolutely,” he murmured. “This isn’t exactly how I imagined you would be seeing me naked for the first time.”

  I couldn’t fight the laugh that came out. And I fell in love all over again. In less than a day I’d been beaten and made an Eight, and was waiting to be exiled to who knew where. Still, I was laughing.

  What princess could have more?

  It was impossible to judge how much time had passed, but we didn’t try to call out or knock on the door.

  “Have you thought about where they’ll send us?” Carter asked. I was on the floor beside him, running the tips of my fingers across his short hair.

  “If I got a choice, I’d pick someplace hot over someplace cold.”

  “I have a feeling it will be one of the extremes, too.”

  I sighed. “I’m scared not to have a home.”

  “Don’t be. I might be a little worthless at the moment, but I can take care of us. I even know how to build an igloo if we end up somewhere cold.”

  I smiled. “Do you really?”

  He nodded. “I’ll build you the prettiest igloo, Marlee. Everyone will be so jealous.”

  I kissed his head over and over. “You’re not worthless, by the way. It’s not like—”

  The door made a ratcheting sound, then opened. Three people walked in wearing brown hooded cloaks, and I felt a wave of fear.

  Then the first person pulled off his hood, revealing himself. I gasped and leaped to my feet to embrace Maxon, forgetting again about my hands and gasping at the pain.

  “It will be all right,” Maxon promised as I drew back my hands. “The salve takes a few days to get everything back to normal, but, Carter, even you should be walking on your own soon. You’ll heal much faster than most.”

  Maxon turned to the two other hooded figures. “This is Juan Diego and Abril. Until today they have worked in the palace. Now you will be trading places with them. Marlee, if you and Abril will go into the corner, the gentlemen and I will avert our eyes while you trade clothes. Here,” he said, handing me a cloak similar to hers. “This will help with some privacy.”

  I looked at Abril’s timid face. “Of course.”

  We moved to one corner, and she pulled off her skirt, then helped me put it on. I slipped off my dress and handed it to her.

  “Carter, we’re going to have to put pants back on you. We’ll help you stand.”

  I kept my face turned, trying not to get anxious over the sounds Carter made.

  “Thank you,” I whispered to Abril.

  “It was the prince’s idea,” she replied quietly. “He must have spent the entire day going through records and searching for anyone who came from Panama when he found out where you were going. We sold ourselves into service at the palace to provide for our family. Today we’re going home to them.”

  “Panama. We were curious where we’d end up.”

  “It was cruel of the king to send you there on top of everything else,” she murmured.

  “What do you mean?”

  Abril looked over her shoulder at the prince, making sure he wasn’t listening. “I grew up as a Six there, and it wasn’t pretty. Eights? They end up being killed for sport sometimes.”

  I gaped at her in disbelief. “What?”

  “Every few months we’d find someone who’d been begging on a corner for ages dead in the middle of the road. No one knows who does it. Other Eights maybe? The rich Twos and Threes? Rebels? But it happens. There’s a very good chance you would have died.”

  “Now just hold on to my arm,” Maxon coaxed, and I turned to see Carter hunched into the prince, a hood already covering his head.

  “All right. Abril, Juan Diego, the guards should be coming to this room. Use the bandages and walk like you’re hurt. I think they plan to put you on a bus and ship you off. Just keep your heads down. No one’s going to look at you too closely. You’re supposed to be Eights. No one will care.”

  “Thank you, Your Highness,” Juan Diego said. “I never thought we’d see our mother again.”

  “Thank you,” Maxon replied. “Your willingness to leave the palace is saving their lives. I won’t forget what you’ve done for them.”

  I looked at Abril one last time.

  “Okay.” Maxon pulled on his hood. “Let’s go.”

  With Carter limping and leaning into him, Maxon led us into the hall.

  “Won’t people be suspicious?” I whispered.

  “No,” Maxon answered, checking around each corner all the same. “Lower-level staff, like kitchen workers or general cleaners, aren’t supposed to show their faces upstairs. If they absolutely must come up, they’re covered like this. Anyone who sees us will think we’re done with a task and heading back to our rooms.”

  Maxon took us down a long stairwell that opened to a narrow hallway lined with doors. “In here.”

  We followed him into a small room. There was a bed shoved into one corner and a tiny stand next to it. It looked like a carafe of milk and some bread was waiting, and my stomach roared just from seeing food. A thin rug had been placed neatly in the middle of the floor, and a few shelves lined the door-side wall.

  “I know it’s not much, but you’ll be safe here. I’m sorry I can’t do better.”

  Carter shook his head. “How can you be apologizing to us? Our lives were supposed to end hours ago; but we’re alive, together, and we have a home.” He and Maxon shared a look. “I know that what I did was technically treason, but it had nothing to do with a lack of respect for you.”

  “I know.”

  “Good. So when I say that no one in this kingdom will ever be as loyal to you as me, I hope you believe it.” Carter winced as he finished speaking and fell into the prince.

  “Let’s get you to the bed.” I moved under his other shoulder, and Maxon and I laid him on his stomach. He took up most of the bed, and I knew I’d need to sleep on the rug tonight.

  “A nurse will come check on you in the morning,” Maxon explained. “You can have a few days of rest, and you should stay in here as much as you can during that time. In three or four days, I’ll have you put on the official work orders, and someone from the kitchen will give you something to do. I don’t know what your exact jobs will be, but just do your best at whatever you’re asked.

  “I’ll check on you as often as I can. For now, no one will know you’re here. Not the guards, not the Elite, not even your families. You will interact with a small group of people on the palace staff, and the chances of them recognizing you are slim. Still, from now on your names are Mallory and Carson. This is the only way I can protect you.”

  I looked up at him, thinking that if I could hand choose a husband for my best friend, it’d be him.

  “You’ve done so much for us. Thank you.”

  “I wish it was more. I am going to try to get some of your personal items if I can. Beyond that, is there anything I can give you? If it’s within reason, I promise I’ll try.”

  “One thing,” Carter said tiredly. “When you get a chance, can you find us a preacher?”

  It took a second for me to understand the intention behind that request, and the moment I did, my eyes filled with happy tears.

  “Sorry,”
he added. “I know that’s not the most romantic proposal.”

  “Yes, all the same,” I murmured.

  I watched his eyes get wet, and I temporarily forgot Maxon was even in the room until he spoke up.

  “It’d be my pleasure. I’m not sure how long that will take, but I’ll make it happen.” He pulled the medicines from upstairs out of his pocket, setting them beside the food. “Use the salve again tonight, and rest as much as you can. The nurse will see to anything else tomorrow.”

  I nodded. “I’ll take care of us.”

  Maxon backed out of the room, smiling as he went.

  “Do you want some food, fiancé?” I asked.

  Carter grinned. “Oh, thank you, fiancée, but I’m actually kind of tired.”

  “All right, fiancé. Why don’t you sleep for a bit?”

  “I’d sleep better if my fiancée was with me.”

  And then, forgetting I’d been hungry at all, I wiggled my way onto the tiny bed, half hanging off the edge and half squashed beneath Carter. It was shocking how easily I found sleep.

  PART II

  I FLEXED MY HANDS OVER and over. They had finally healed, but sometimes when I had a long day, my palms swelled and throbbed. Even my little ring was pulled too tight tonight. I could see where it was fraying on one side and made a mental note to ask Carter for a new one tomorrow. I’d lost count of how many twine bands we’d gone through, but it meant a lot to me to have that symbol on my hand.

  Picking up the scraper again, I scooped the loose flour off the table and into the trash. A few other members of the kitchen staff were scrubbing floors or putting away ingredients. Everything for breakfast was prepped, and soon we could sleep.

  I inhaled sharply as a set of hands wrapped around my waist. “Hello, wife,” Carter said, kissing my cheek. “Are you still working?” He smelled like his job: cut grass and sunshine. I had been sure he would be stuck in the stables—somewhere he would be hidden away from the eyes of the king—just as I’d been buried in the kitchen. Instead, he was walking around with dozens of other groundskeepers, hiding in plain sight. He came in at night with the outdoors hanging on him, and for a moment, it was like I’d been outside, too.

  I sighed. “I’m almost done. After I tidy up here I’ll come to bed.”

  He nuzzled his nose into my neck. “Don’t overdo it. I could rub your hands if you want.”

  “That’d be perfect,” I crooned. I still loved my end-of-the-day hand massages—maybe more so now that they were given to me by Carter—but if my day ended well after bedtime, it was a luxury I typically went without.

  Sometimes my thoughts got stuck on memories of my days as a lady. How nice it had been to be adored; how proud my family was; how beautiful I felt. It was difficult to go from being constantly served to being the one constantly serving; still, I knew things could be much, much worse.

  I tried to keep the smile on my face, but he saw through it.

  “What’s wrong, Marlee? You’ve seemed down lately,” he whispered, still holding me.

  “I really miss my parents, especially now that Christmas is so close. I keep wondering how they’re doing. If I feel this sad without them, how are they managing without me?” I pressed my lips together, as if I could mash the worry out of them. “And I know it’s probably silly to care about this, but we won’t be able to exchange gifts. What could I give you? A loaf of bread?”

  “I’d love a loaf of bread!”

  I giggled at his enthusiasm. “But I wouldn’t even be able to use my own flour to make you one. It’d be stealing.”

  He kissed my cheek. “True. Besides, the last time I stole something, it was pretty big, and I got more than I deserved, and I’m already happy with what I have.”

  “You didn’t steal me. I’m not a teapot.”

  “Hmm,” he said. “Maybe you stole me. Because I distinctly remember belonging to myself once, but now I’m all yours.”

  I smiled. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too. Don’t worry. I know it’s a difficult season, but this isn’t forever. And we have a lot to be grateful for this year.”

  “We do. I’m sorry I’m so down today. I just feel—”

  “Mallory!” I turned at the sound of my new name. “Where’s Mallory?” a guard asked, coming into the kitchen. He was with a girl I’d never seen before.

  I swallowed before answering. “Here.”

  “Come, please.”

  His voice was urgent, but the fact that he said please made me less frightened than I would have been otherwise. Each day I fretted more and more that someone would tell the king Carter and I were living secretly in his home. I knew that if that ever happened, the caning would seem like a prize instead of a punishment.

  I kissed Carter’s cheek. “I’ll be right back.”

  As I passed the girl she gripped my hand. “Thank you. I’ll just wait here for you.”

  My forehead scrunched in confusion. “Okay.”

  “We’re all counting on absolute secrecy,” the guard said as he led me down the hall.

  “Of course,” I answered, though I still didn’t understand.

  We turned down the officers’ wing, and I became even more confused. Someone of my rank shouldn’t be allowed in this part of the palace. The doors were all closed except for one, where another officer was standing just outside. His face was calm, but his eyes were worried.

  “Just do your best,” someone said from inside the room. I knew that voice.

  I pulled myself around the threshold and took in the scene. America was lying on a bed, blood streaming out of her arm while her head maid, Anne, inspected the wound and the prince and these two guards watched on.

  Anne, not breaking her gaze, barked orders back to the guards. “Someone get some boiling water. We should have antiseptic in the kit, but I want water, too.”

  “I’ll get it,” I offered.

  America’s face perked up, and she met my gaze. “Marlee.” She started crying, and I could see she was losing her battle with the pain.

  “I’ll be right back, America. Hold tight!” I dashed to the kitchen, grabbing towels out of the cupboard. There was water already boiling in a pot, thank goodness, so I poured some in a pitcher. “Cimmy, you’re gonna want to top off this pot,” I called in a rush, moving too quickly for her to protest.

  Then I made my way to the spirits. The best liquor was kept close to the king, but sometimes we used brandy in recipes. I’d mastered a brandy pork chop, a chicken with brandy sauce, and a brandy–whipped cream for desserts. I grabbed a bottle, hoping it would help.

  I knew a thing or two about pain.

  I came back to Anne lacing thread through a needle and America trying to control her breathing. I put the water and towels behind Anne and walked over to the bed with the bottle.

  “For the pain,” I explained, lifting America’s head to help her drink. She attempted to swallow but coughed up more than she actually drank. “Try again.”

  I sat beside her, steering clear of her injured arm, and tipped the bottle again to her lips. She did a little bit better that time. After she swallowed, she gazed up at me. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  My heart broke to see her look so scared, even though she was safe now. I didn’t know what she’d been through, but I was going to do my best to make it better. “I’ll always be here for you, America. You know that.” I smiled at her and brushed a lock of hair away from her forehead. “What in the world were you doing?”

  I could see the debate in her eyes about answering. “It seemed like a good idea” was all she said.

  I tilted my head. “America, you are full of nothing but bad ideas,” I said, trying not to laugh. “Great intentions but awful ideas.”

  She pursed her lips as if to say she knew exactly what I was talking about.

  “How soundproof are these walls?” Anne asked the guards. This must be their room.

  “Pretty good,” one answered. “Don’t hear too much this deep
in the palace.”

  Anne nodded. “Good. Okay, I need everyone in the hall. Miss Marlee,” she continued. It had been so long since anyone besides Carter had used my real name that I wanted to cry. I didn’t realize how much my name meant to me. “I’m going to need some space, but you can stay.”

  “I’ll keep out of your way, Anne,” I promised.

  The boys backed into the hallway, and Anne took over. As she spoke to America and prepared to stitch her up, I couldn’t help but be impressed with how calm she was. I’d always liked America’s maids, especially Lucy, because she was so, so sweet. But this made me see Anne in a whole new light. It seemed unfortunate that someone who was so capable in a crisis couldn’t do more than be a lady’s maid.

  Finally Anne began to clean out the wound, which I still couldn’t identify. America screamed into the towel in her mouth, and though I hated to do it, I knew I had to pin her down to keep her still. I climbed on top of her, focusing most of my effort on keeping her one arm straight.

  “Thank you,” Anne mumbled, pulling out a tiny black speck with some tweezers. Was that dirt? Pavement? Thank goodness Anne was thorough. The air alone could leave America with a nasty infection, but it was clear that Anne wasn’t going to let that happen.

  America screamed again, and I shushed her. “It’ll be over soon, America,” I said, thinking of the things Maxon had told me before I was caned and the words Carter had spoken as it was happening. “Think of something happy. Think about your family.”

  I could see she was trying, but it clearly wasn’t working. She was in too much pain. So I gave her more brandy and continued to give her sips until Anne was finished.

  When it was all over, I wondered if America would even remember any of this. After Anne wrapped the wound in a bandage, she and I stood back and watched America sing a children’s Christmas song while drawing imaginary pictures on the wall with her finger.

  Anne and I grinned at her sloppy movements. “Does anyone know where the puppies even are?” America asked. “Why are they so far away?”

  We covered our mouths, laughing so hard we were crying. The danger had passed, America was taken care of, and in her head there was a puppy emergency.