The wrong choice

Back to normal?

America has been here for 3 weeks now. Mostly I try to avoid her, since I can't look her in the eyes without feeling guilty about choosing Kriss instead of her. Luckily Kriss, my mother and America have been busy planning the wedding. Last week they even picked a date... Which was slightly terrifying. The wedding is in one month. Only one more month! I hope that by the time they're ready for the wedding I'll be busy working out my plans to abolish the caste system. After working weeks on this project, I'm almost done and I hope to soon be able to actually make it work.
I push the papers aside and walk towards the dining room for breakfast. My mother and father are probably already in the room, since they are always early for breakfast. But as soon as I reach the door I can also hear Kriss' and America's voice coming from the dining room. "Goodmorning everybody" I say and I take a seat. "Goodmorning" I hear back. Normally there is a big sunday breakfast, but now the table is almost empty. I wonder what's going on...
But then Kriss stands up. "Well since we're finally all here together (...) after breakfast we will be tasting different flavours of cake to determine which one is the best for our wedding" she says. "Isn't it a little early in the morning to taste cake, darling?" I say, slowly chewing on a piece of bread. "It's never too early to eat cake. Am I right, America?" She says. America nods. "Great. So the choices are chocolate, vanilla or red velvet. I personally love red velvet and I think it would look just wonderful as our wedding cake, but I need your opinions too." Kriss continues. I wonder how anyone could be so enthusiastic about picking a cake flavour. I grab another piece of bread and look over at America who is also staring at me. As soon as we look in each other's eyes, she looks away. "Maxon!" I hear and I look at Kriss. "I am going to pick a dress today with the elite group, so is there anything you can do outside the palace?" She asks. Thrown out of my own palace... Who would have ever expected that. "I have to check on May, maybe prince Maxon would like to come with me?" I hear America ask. I look over to her and our eyes meet again. This time neither of us look away. "Yes, I would like to see May again." I say. And I look at Kriss. "Great! And America, I'll show you the dress tonight, ok?" Kriss says with a big smile on her face. "Sure." America she says and she drinks her tea.
After breakfast, America and I get ready and we decided to meet in the central hall. I am the first one to arrive, dressed in a comfortable and simple suit. But all I can think about is how for the first time in a while America and I might actually be normal around each other. But then I see her, walking down the large stairs in a simple red dress, just as red as her hair. I can't help but stare and notice her beautiful smile, the real smile I remember. And then, that cheeky spark in her eyes right before she says "It is rude to stare at a lady." I can't help to smile. "But of course, Lady America, I apologise." I say, still not able to take my eyes off of her. "I am not sure if I can accept your apology, your highness" she says and she winks at me. "But since we have to go, I will tolerate it. But know that this does not mean you can stare at me the entire ride." She smirks.
Though we have to drive quite a while due to the traffic, it feels like only 5 minutes. America and I make jokes, talk about funny moments of the selection, I even tell her about my upcoming plan to abolish the caste system. She seems so exciting and I know that I will have to work even harder to make this plan go through as fast as possible.
When we arrive at America's house, she almost runs out of the car and straight to the door. She rings the doorbell 7 times in a row. "It better be you, Mer. Because I swear to god that..." I hear and then the door opens. It is Officer Leger, Aspen. "Aspen!" America screams and she gives him a hug. "I haven't seen you ever since I heard you got married to Lucy. How have you two been?" America seems so enthusiastic, but seeing him again makes me feel nauseous. It takes me right back to the day I saw him and America together. To the moment I finally put the pieces together. Though I know that he is married to Lucy now, it still feels like betrayal seeing him here in the house I bought for America's family. "And how is the wedding planning going, your highness?" The question brings me right back to reality, a reality in which I am not marrying America, but Kriss... in less than a month. "Oh well, Kriss is very busy planning it. I am mostly busy with studying and working out plans for when I become king of Illéa." I say. "But of course, I forgot that it is not just a wedding, but also the coronation." Officer Leger says, "I am sure that this one is not making it easy for Kriss." And he points at America playfully. "Don't you think I am the perfect maid of honour?" America asks sarcastically, she even fakes to be offended. Their playful way of talking to each other makes my stomach turn, but there is nothing I can say or do. America is not mine, and it is my fault that I let her go. "Kriss seems really enthusiastic about having America as her maid of honour." I say. "Uh yes, but I... I mean well..." America stutters. "Of course she does, she can rub it in America's face every day. And not just that, America has to smile, pretend like it is an honour and be the most enthusiastic maid of honour in front of the paparazzi." Aspen interrupts. It gets quiet immediately. We all know that this is true. I lower my head and can't help but think about how the last couple of days I had avoided America, just because of how bad I felt. Imagining how she was just having fun planning a wedding. I never once asked her how she felt about it.
"Uh is May here?" America breaks the awkward silence. "She's in the garden." Aspen replies. "Okay great, Maxon will you come with me? I think May will be very glad to see you again as well." America says. And I am not sure whether I should be glad that she did not let me stay with Aspen, or scared that I am now going to be alone with her and May. "Sure, Lady America." I say. And I follow her to the garden.