The One Fanfiction

Chapter 16

         The King and I took a few minutes to think about what we just saw. Finally, he cleared his throat and asked, "Who was that man, Lady America?" I took a shuddering breath before telling him everything. When, I finished he stared at me in stunned silence.

        "Are you going to have me sent away? Or punished like Marlee?" I was afraid of his answer. I wanted to be here when Maxon got back. I definitely didn't want to be publicly beaten.

        He shook his head and answered, "No, to both of your questions. It was a mistake for you to see that guard while seeing my son, we all make mistakes. I, too have done wrong against Maxon." I nodded, thinking of the scars on Maxon's back.

        The King continued, "I can tell he really does love you and you love him. Hopefully, letting you stay will make it a little easier for him to forgive me." His words were like a foreign language coming from his mouth, but I sensed they were sincere. Maybe the King wasn't as heartless as I'd thought.

        Seven weeks since my wedding day. Not a peep from the search parties. We haven't handed over the diary and have no way to know if Maxon was still alive. I prayed he wouldn't push Aspen to far. I figured Aspen was looking for any reason to kill Maxon, even if it went against the rebels' plans.

        I was so filled with worry, that I felt like I would march down to the South and give then the diary at any second. Luckily, there were guards posted every few yards to make sure I didn't do just that.

        The King refused to give the rebels the diary. I could tell he wanted to as Maxon's father, but as King of a country, he wouldn't allow it. The information inside the journal, if in the wrong hands, could tear Illéa apart. He said it wasn't an option to give it to the rebels.

        So- I waited. I waited for him as I grew thin, as my hair became dull and limp, as the color faded from my skin, as my eyes became lifeless. When I looked in the mirror, I hardly recognized the girl staring back at me. I was slowly losing my will to live.

        Missing him left me feeling hollow, empty. Tears wouldn't come anymore. I was just- sad. So excruciatingly sad. I never tried to make myself feel better. It never worked anyway. So why try?

        If he saw me like this, he would be disappointed. He asked me to stay strong and here I was moping around, barely able to keep it together. I wanted to do better. I really did, but every time I tried, I got dejected all over again. What was wrong with me? Why was I being so weak?

        Because Maxon was a part of me, that's why. The part that brought me joy and love and courage. We were two parts of one whole. He was the heart. Maxon always expressed his emotions, always had hope. I was the head. The one who thought about the consequences and always tried to look for other ideas. I might not always care about the consequences, but I did think about them. You couldn't have one without the other.

        Thinking about this, actually made me feel a little better. Knowing there was nothing wrong with me. I was just in love.

        A clap of thunder made me wake with a start. I must've fallen asleep in Maxon's room- again. The rain drops made a rapid tapping noise as the wind hurled them at the windows. A lightning strike illuminated the grassy field outside. A dark shadow caught my eye.

        It disappeared as quickly as it had come. I was just imagining it. Another flash of lightning came. Okay, I definitely saw something. A third flash appeared and I saw what the figure was. It was a man. Maybe it was him.

        I bolted out of Maxon's room. I stopped in front of the closest guard and explained breathlessly, "Oustide... man... Maxon."

        It wasn't much help, but he figured it out. "There's a man outside and you think it might be the Prince?" I nodded.

        "Okay, I'll go get more guards and we'll go outside and check. Stay here, Lady America." This time I didn't nod. I ran past him to the nearest exit. The guard called after me, but I was already out the door.

        I was drenched with ice cold rain as soon as I set foot outside. The wind howled in my ears, screaming at me to turn around and go back inside. I almost did, but if it was really Maxon, I couldn't leave him out here. The little white sundress I'd fallen asleep, clung to my body. My soaked hair whipped around my head, making it nearly impossible to see.

        I stumbled toward the field. Lightning cracked and the burst of light allowed me to see how far I was. A few hundred feet away, the man was jogging now. Right towards me. I quickened my pace. It had to be him. I knew it was.

        A boom of thunder was so loud it made me think the ground was shaking. I tripped and Maxon ran faster to get to me. He knelt next to me. I studied my throbbing foot, not sure if it was supposed to bend that way. I whimpered, "Maxon."

        He placed his lips next to my ear and whispered slowly, "Not quite. Try again." My heart stopped and the hair on my arms stood straight up. I almost choked on the next word.

        "Aspen."