More Than Happily Ever After

Chapter 2

I wake up and see Maxon next to me. I could live like this all the time. He slowly moves over towards me and kisses me on the head. "Hello beautiful." He says.

"Hello Your Royal Husbandness," I say as I laugh, "How was last night?"

He sighs and looks at the ceiling, "A-maz-ing." We both laugh and I get up to pick up my dress and wrap myself with one of the sheets.

"Please don't go!" Maxon pleads.

"Maxon we have to go to breakfast, my family is waiting."

"Fine, have it your way." He says with a pouty face. I laugh and bring myself through the connecting door and start immediately blushing when Mary is there waiting for me. My hair is messed up, my clothes are in my hands, and I am covered by a sheet. Great impression as Queen.

"I'm so sorry Your Majesty, I should have waited outside." Mary looks away.

"No, no it's fine I just need to take a bath before breakfast." I respond.

"Okay I'll go get that started."

***
Once I am clean and fully dressed I walk down the halls leading to the dining room thinking to myself that I am no longer a princess or just part of the selection......I am the Queen.

***
Almost too nervous and excited to eat, I greet my family with a grin on my face. My mother reaches over and puts her soft hand on mine as she whispers, "How was your night?"

All I do is respond with "Fine, thanks for asking," then I wink to Maxon and wait for breakfast to be served.

***
When breakfast is over I make my way to the Women's Room where my Mom, May, Kenna, Marlee, and a few guards and maids are. My mom is in a corner with my sisters and Lucy. They're having a conversation so I don't want to interrupt. So I walk over to Marlee while she is reading a book.

She looks up, "Hello Your Majesty!"

"Please, I'm your friend I will only want to be called by 'Your Majesty' when we are in public." I smile at her.

"So when your mom asked, you didn't delineate enough. How was last night? Maybe something to do with Maxon?" She says with a raised eyebrow.

I gasp of embarrassment as I hit her arm. She continues to laugh when I turn as red as the roses outside.

"Well is it such a bad thing that I love my husband? What about you and Carter what did you do last night?" I respond with a smirk.

"Classified information."

"Okay, I could just kick you out of the palace, did you know that? Of course I wouldn't but I could." I respond.

All she does is just laugh. "You are one of my friends that always likes to embarrass me Marlee!"

There's a knock at the door.

A guard then says, "King Maxon is requesting entrance."

I respond, "Request approved."

He walks in and smiles at all the ladies and walks over to Marlee and I. "Hello my love," he kisses my cheek, "and Marlee."

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"Well it seems that you have your first order of business as Queen." He extends his hand. I take it.

"What is it?" I say as I get up and start heading to the door still holding his arm.

"A friend came to visit."

***
When we walk through the doors of the Great Room I see Princess Nicoletta and I run to her with a smile on my face. Probably not the most lady-like thing to do but I don't care.

"Nicoletta! It is wonderful to see you!"

"Ciao bella! Sembri incredibile! Sorry I'm so used to italiano! You look incredible!" She responds.

"Thank you!" We then break our hug. "What are you doing here?" I ask with a smile on my face.

"I wanted to see the new Queen of Illéa, America Schreave! And to check on the progress of our plan to give the Northern Rebels weapons to fight against the Southern Rebels." She whispers the last part.

"As of right now everything is going fine with the rebels, there hasn't been too much disturbance in the country. And I know I would have never imagined myself as the new Queen of Illéa! It's just devastating what had happened for me to receive this title."

"I know, I should go give my condolences to the King now." She says as she starts to make her way to Maxon. I watch their conversation and I see Maxon's face shift down. It was a real loss to lose his family.

I walk over to them, "Nicoletta, would you like to stay for dinner?" I ask as I take Maxon's hand.

"Well of course! I'd love to stay with the royal family!"

***
I'm in my room when there is a knock at the door. Mary goes and opens the it where my family is standing. "We're going to start to head out America. It has been a pleasure staying here and to see you get married and to become queen!" My mother says with a soft tone in her voice.

"You know you're always allowed to come and visit, please do."

"I know I will Ames!" May responds. I hug my family as they leave to go to their home.

***
We arrive at dinner and all is well. It is great having Nicoletta with us because she is so funny! The food was great as always and we say goodbye to Nicoletta.

Maxon whispers into my ear, "Want to go to the garden?"

"Why of course Your Royal Husbandness."

***
We make our way outside and the sun is starting to set. We walk with mostly silence between us until we start to feel drops.

"No way," Maxon starts, "it's sun raining!"

"Huh never thought I would see that." I respond and think back to when we were last together outside in the rain. When I finally realized that I loved him. "You know when we were on the roof in the rain, it was the first time I realized I was in love with you." I say to him.

"Really?" He asks. "Because for me you had my heart the whole time." He then kisses me. This is when the rain starts to come down heavier and it starts to soak our clothes.

"Maxon, we should go inside..."

"Let's stay and enjoy it even if it soaks our clothes!" He smiles.

"Alright then! Maxon may I have this dance?"

"Of course my dear!" I ignore it and we start dancing while it's sun raining. We both laugh at how close we both are to slipping.

Now our clothes and hair are wet, but we still dance now starting to play a game of tag.

He catches me and I scream out, "Maxon put me down now!"

"How about no." And he brings me close to the fountain.

"What's the point? I'm already soaked!" He realizes this and I break free of his grip. I run and he chases me until I slip and fall onto the grass where then he slides right up next to me. We can't stop laughing and then he starts to kiss me. With such softness and passion it's amazing.

"I love you Maxon."

"I love you America." And we lay like that for what seems like forever until I start to drift to sleep in the rain.