by Kiera Cass
“Marlee?” I whispered, sure I had to be dreaming. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve missed you so much!” she cried, and ran to me with her arms open. With her hands out, I could see clearly the red, healing welts on her palms. It really was Marlee.
She wrapped me in a hug, and we crumpled to the ground, I was so overcome. I couldn’t stop from crying and asking over and over what in the world she was doing here.
When I quieted down long enough, Maxon got my attention. “Ten minutes. I’ll be waiting outside. Marlee, you can leave the way you came.”
She gave him her word, and Maxon left us alone.
“I don’t understand,” I said. “You were supposed to go south. You were supposed to be an Eight. Where’s Carter?”
She smiled through my misunderstanding. “We’ve been here the whole time. I just started working in the kitchens; and Carter’s still on the mend, but I think he’ll be in the stables soon.”
“On the mend?” So many questions were racing through my mind, I wasn’t sure why that one popped out.
“Yes, he walks and can sit and stand, but it’s hard for him to do anything too strenuous. He’s helping in the kitchens until he’s fully healed. He’s going to be fine though. And look at me,” she said, holding out both hands. “We’ve been very well taken care of. They aren’t pretty, but at least they don’t hurt anymore.”
I carefully touched the swollen lines on her palms, sure they couldn’t actually be painless. But she didn’t flinch, and after a moment I slid my hand into hers. It felt funny, but at the same time completely natural. Marlee was here. And I was holding her hand.
“So Maxon’s had you in the palace the whole time?”
She nodded. “After the caning, he was afraid we would be hurt if we were left on our own, so he kept us here. Two other servants, a brother and sister who had family in Panama, were sent instead. We’re going by new names, and Carter is growing out his beard, so after a while we’ll blend in. Not a lot of people know we’re in the palace in the first place, just a few of the cooks I work with, one of the nurses, and Maxon. I don’t even think the guards know because they have to answer to the king, and he wouldn’t be pleased to find out.”
She shook her head before quickly moving on. “Our little apartment is small, basically just enough room for our bed and some shelves; but at least it’s clean. I’m trying to sew us a new bedspread, but I’m not—”
“Hold on. Our bed? As in, you share one?”
She smiled. “We got married two days ago. I told Maxon the morning we were caned that I loved Carter and that he was the one I wanted to marry, and I apologized for hurting him. He didn’t care, of course. He came to me two days ago saying there was some big event happening and that if we wanted to get married, this was the time.”
I counted back. Two days ago was when the German Federation had come. The entire palace staff was either helping serve them or preparing for the ladies from Italy.
“Maxon gave me away. I’m not sure I’ll ever see my parents again. The more distance they have from me, the better.”
I could tell she was pained to say so, but I understood why. If it had been me and I was suddenly an Eight, the kindest thing I could do for my family was disappear. It would take time, but people would forget. Eventually, my parents would recover.
To push away her sad thoughts, she fanned out her left hand, and I noticed the little band across her finger for the first time. It was twine tied in a simple knot, but it was a clear statement: I’m taken.
“I think I’m going to have to get him to give me a new one soon; I’m already fraying this one. I guess if he works in the stables, I’ll have to make him a new ring every day.” She playfully shrugged. “Not that I mind.”
My mind had jumped to another question that I worried might be rude to ask, but I knew I would never be able to have this kind of conversation with my mom or Kenna. “So, have you … you know?”
It took her a moment to understand, but then she laughed. “Oh! Yes, we have.”
We both giggled. “How is it?”
“Honestly? A little uncomfortable at first. The second time was better.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know what else to say.
“Yeah.”
There was a bit of a pause.
“I’ve been really lonely without you. I miss you.” I played with the little piece of twine on her finger.
“I miss you, too. Maybe once you’re the princess, I can sneak up here all the time.”
I snorted. “I’m not so sure that’ll happen.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, her face turning serious. “You’re still his favorite, right?”
I shrugged.
“What happened?” The question was laced with concern, and I didn’t want to admit that it had started with losing her. It wasn’t her fault.
“Just things.”
“America, what’s going on?”
I sighed. “After you got caned, I was upset with Maxon. It took me a while to realize that he wouldn’t have done something like that if he could have stopped it.”
Marlee nodded. “He tried so hard, America. And when he couldn’t, he did everything he could to make the situation better. So don’t be mad at him.”
“I’m not anymore, but I’m also not sure I want to be the princess. I don’t know if I could do what he did. And then there was this poll in a magazine Celeste showed me. The people don’t like me, Marlee. I’m at the bottom.
“I’m not sure I have what it takes. I was never a good choice, and it seems like I’m plummeting. And now … now … I think Maxon wants Kriss.”
“Kriss? When did that happen?”
“I have no idea, and I don’t know what to do. Part of me thinks it’s a good thing. She’d make a better princess; and if he really likes her, I want him to be happy. And he’s supposed to do another elimination really soon. When he called me out today, I thought I might be going home.”
Marlee laughed. “You’re so ridiculous. If Maxon didn’t have feelings for you, he’d have sent you home a long time ago. The reason you’re still here is because he refuses to lose hope.”
Something between a choke and a laugh came out of my mouth.
“I wish we could talk more, but I should go,” she said. “We’re taking advantage of guards changing to do this.”
“I don’t care that it’s short. I’m just glad to know you’re okay.”
She pulled me in for a hug. “Don’t give up yet, all right?”
“I won’t. Maybe you could send me a letter or something sometime?”
“That might work. We’ll see.” She let me go, and we stood together. “If they polled me, I would have voted for you. I’ve always thought it should be you.”
I blushed. “Go on, now. Say hello to your husband for me.”
She smiled. “I will.” Nimbly, she went over to the armoire and found the latch. For some reason, I thought the caning would break her, but she was stronger now. She even carried herself differently. Marlee turned to blow me a kiss and disappeared.
I quickly exited the room and found that Maxon was waiting in the hallway. At the sound of the door, he looked up from his book, smiling, and I went over to sit by him.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I had to make sure they were safe first. My father doesn’t know I did this; and until I knew it wouldn’t endanger them, I had to keep it to myself. I’m hoping to arrange for you to see her more, but that will take time.”
I felt my shoulders lighten, as if the bricks of worry I’d been carrying around were falling off all at once. The happiness at seeing Marlee, the assurance that Maxon was as kind as I thought he was, and the general relief that this meeting wasn’t about him sending me home were overwhelming.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“Of course.”
I wasn’t sure what else to say. After a moment Maxon cleared his throat.
“I know tha
t you are averse to doing the difficult parts of this job, but there are a lot of opportunities here. I think you could do great things. I can tell you see the prince in me now, but that had to come eventually if you were ever going to truly be mine.”
My eyes held his. “I know.”
“I can’t read you anymore. I used to be able to see it in the beginning when you didn’t really care for me; and when things changed between us, you looked at me differently. Now there are moments when I think it’s there and others when it seems like you’re already gone.”
I nodded.
“I’m not asking you to say you love me. I’m not asking for you to suddenly decide you want to be a princess. I just need to know if you want to be here at all.”
That was the question, wasn’t it? I still didn’t know if I could do the job, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to give up on it. And seeing this kindness in Maxon shifted my heart. There was still so much to consider, but I couldn’t give up. Not now.
Maxon’s hand was resting on his leg, and I slid mine under his. He gave me a welcoming squeeze. “If you’ll still have me, I want to stay.”
Maxon let out a relieved sigh. “I’d like that very much.”
I returned to the Women’s Room after a quick stop in the bathroom. No one said anything until I sat down, and it was Kriss who was bold enough to ask.
“What was that all about?”
I looked not just to her, but to all the watching eyes. “I’d rather not say.”
With my puffy face, a response like that was enough to make it seem like nothing good could have come from the meeting; but if that was what I had to say to protect Marlee, then I was fine with it.
What really stung was Celeste pressing her lips together to hide her smile, Natalie’s raised eyebrows as she pretended to read her borrowed magazine, and the hopeful glance between Kriss and Elise.
The competition was deeper than I had guessed.
CHAPTER 21
WE WERE SPARED THE HUMILIATION of dealing with the aftermath of our receptions on the Report. The visits from our foreign friends were mentioned in passing, but the actual events were kept from the public. It wasn’t until the next morning that Silvia and the queen came to speak to us about our performances.
“It was a very daunting task we gave you, and it absolutely could have gone horribly wrong. I’m pleased to say, however, that both teams did very well.” Silvia looked at each of us appraisingly.
We all sighed, and I reached for Kriss’s hand as she did the same. As confused as I was about her and Maxon, I knew there was no way I could have made it through that without her.
“If I’m honest, one event was slightly better than the other, but you should all be proud of your accomplishments. We received thank-you letters from our longtime friends in the German Federation for your gracious hosting,” Silvia said, looking at Celeste, Natalie, and Elise. “There were a few minor hiccups, and I don’t think any of us truly enjoy such serious affairs, but they certainly did.
“And as for you two,” Silvia turned toward Kriss and me. “The ladies from Italy enjoyed themselves immensely. They were quite impressed with your style, and the food; and they made a special point to ask for the wine you served, so, bravo! I wouldn’t be surprised if Illéa gained a wonderful new ally based on that welcome. You’re to be commended.”
Kriss squeaked, and I let out a nervous laugh, happy enough that it was over, let alone that we’d beat the others.
Silvia went on to talk about how she would be writing up an official report to hand over to the king and Maxon but said that none of us had a thing to worry about. As she spoke, a maid scurried into the room and ran over to the queen, whispering in her ear.
“Absolutely, they may,” the queen said, suddenly standing and walking forward.
The maid rushed back and opened the door for the king and Maxon. I knew men weren’t supposed to come into this room without the queen’s permission, but it was comical to see it in action.
As they entered, we stood to curtsy, but they didn’t seem to care about formalities.
“Dear ladies, we are sorry to intrude, but we have urgent news,” the king informed us.
“I’m afraid we’ve had a development with the war in New Asia,” Maxon said firmly. “The situation is so dire that Father and I are leaving this very moment to see if we can do any good.”
“What’s wrong?” the queen asked, clutching her chest.
“It’s nothing to worry about, my love,” the king said confidently. But that couldn’t be a completely honest statement if they had to rush out of here so suddenly.
Maxon walked over to his mother. They had a brief, whispered conversation before she kissed his forehead. He hugged her and stepped away. The king then began rattling off a list of instructions to the queen while Maxon came to say good-bye to each of us.
His good-bye to Natalie was so short it almost didn’t happen. Natalie didn’t seem too bothered, and I didn’t know what to make of that. Was she actually not worried by Maxon’s lack of affection, or was she so bothered that she was forcing herself to be calm?
Celeste draped herself across Maxon and exploded into the worst display of fake crying that I’d ever seen. It reminded me of May when she was younger, thinking tears would magically bring money for us to have what we wanted. When he went to untangle himself, she planted a kiss on his lips that he promptly—and in as polite a manner as possible—wiped away after his back was turned.
Elise and Kriss were so close that I heard his good-byes to them.
“Call ahead and tell them to go easy on us,” he said to Elise. I’d almost forgotten that the main reason she was still here was that she had family ties to leaders in New Asia. I wondered if this war going downhill would cost her her spot.
Then I suddenly realized that I had no clue what Illéa stood to lose if we lost this war.
“If you get me a phone, I will talk to my parents,” she promised.
Maxon nodded and kissed Elise’s hand, then walked over to Kriss.
She immediately laced her fingers in his.
“Will you be in danger?” she asked quietly, her voice beginning to shake.
“I don’t know. During our last trip to New Asia, the situation wasn’t nearly so tense. I can’t be sure this time.” His voice was so tender, I felt they should have been having this conversation in private. Kriss lifted her gaze to the ceiling and sighed, and in that quick second Maxon looked over to me. I averted my eyes.
“Please be careful,” she whispered. A tear fell onto her cheek.
“Of course, my dear.” Maxon gave her a silly little salute, which made her laugh a bit. He then kissed her cheek and put his lips to her ear. “Please try to keep my mother entertained. She worries.”
He pulled back to look into her eyes, and Kriss nodded once and let his hands go. The second they were no longer touching, a tremor went through her body. Maxon’s hands twitched for a second, like he was going to embrace her, but then he stepped away and started to walk toward me.
As if Maxon’s words of last week weren’t enough, here was physical proof of their relationship. By the look of it, they had something very sweet and real. One glimpse of Kriss with her face in her hands was proof of how much she cared for him. Either that, or she was an incredible actress.
I tried to gauge his expression when he looked at me versus the way he had looked at Kriss. Was it the same? Was there less warmth there?
“Try not to get into any trouble while I’m gone, all right?” he said teasingly.
He didn’t joke with Kriss. Did that mean something?
I raised my right hand. “I promise to be on my best behavior.”
He chuckled. “Excellent. One less thing to worry about.”
“What about us? Should we worry?”
Maxon shook his head. “We should be able to smooth over whatever’s going on. Father can be very diplomatic and—”
“You are such an idiot sometimes,” I said as Max
on’s brow furrowed. “I mean about you. Should we worry about you?”
His face was very serious then and did nothing to help my fears.
“Flying in and flying out. If we can make it to the ground …” Maxon swallowed once, and I saw how frightened he was.
I wanted to ask something else, but I didn’t know what to say.
He cleared his throat. “America, before I go …”
I looked up to Maxon’s face and felt the tears rising.
“I need you to know that everything—”
“Maxon,” the king barked. Maxon lifted his head and waited for his father’s instructions. “We need to go.”
Maxon nodded. “Good-bye, America,” he said quietly, and lifted my hand to his lips. As he did so, he noted the little homemade bracelet I wore. He studied it, seeming confused, then kissed my hand tenderly.
That little feather of a kiss sent me back to a memory that felt years old. He had kissed my hand like that my first night in the palace when I’d yelled at him, when he’d let me stay anyway.
The other girls’ eyes were glued to the king and Maxon as they left, but I was watching the queen. Her entire body seemed weak. How many times would her husband and only child be put in danger before she cracked?
The moment the door shut behind her family, Queen Amberly blinked a few times, inhaled deeply, and pulled herself up to her full height.
“Forgive me, ladies, but this sudden news will require a lot of work from me. I think it’s best if I go to my room so I can focus.” She was fighting so hard. “How about I have lunch delivered here so you can eat at your leisure, and I will join you all for dinner tonight?”
We nodded. “Excellent,” she said, and turned to leave. I knew she was strong. She’d grown up in a poor neighborhood in a poor province, working in a factory until she was chosen for the Selection. Then, once she was queen, she suffered miscarriage after miscarriage before she finally had a child. She would make it to her room looking like a lady, as her position demanded. But she would cry once she was alone.
After the queen left, Celeste went, too. Then I decided I didn’t have to stay either. I went to my room, wanting to be alone and to think.
