♔Afterwards: Falling For Aspen♔✔️

Chapter 25: The End and A New Beginning

♔America's Point of View♔

You know how like in a movie, before a huge action scene happens, everything seems to slow down right before destruction hits? Well, that's what it seemed like. I heard a faint clicking noise and turned my head towards the source. It was a guard. Then, slowly, all the guards in the room, except for Nicoletta's, had fashioned on blood red bandanas.

Before I could say anything, a gunfire went off, then soon, many of at once. August and Georgia, who were sitting next to me, immediately started fighting against the mass wave of red bandanas. Georgia told me earlier today that there were a large mass of Northern Rebels hiding outside the palace in case this happens, and it did.

Celeste, Princess Nicoletta, and I immediately reacted to this and started to run out of the room quickly. Over the immense chaos, I heard the shout of someone say let Kriss go. It took a lot of will to not turn around and look at who it was, for I knew who it was.

The three of us barely made it out of the room, alive. Now, the only problem is where to go exactly. I couldn't think of any safe room nearby, except a place in the library. Unfortunately, that place is basically across to the other side of the palace. There was no choice but to go there.

Soon when we were running out our destination, we were stopped by a loud and distinct voice.

"HEY!!!" the voice shouted. We all turned around behind us and it was Kirss with Officer Avery and Prince Maxon, who was held hostage.

The three of them walked closer towards us while we stood our ground. Maxon was struggling and shouting, "Let me go!" while Officer Avery and Kriss held him tight by the arms with a gun pointed ot his head.

"Kriss, let him go!" I commanded, my voice as steady and as confident as I could get it.

"Why should my sister let him go?" Office Avery laughed in an evil tone.

"WHY YOU LITTLE-" Celeste burst out. Before she could finish her sentence, she was shot dead center in the chest by Kriss herself. Nicoletta and I immediately reacted and cried out Celeste's name in agony. We both started to cry at the lifeless body of hers. I tried to get my act together and wiped my blood stained hands on my perfectly clean and blue dress.

I faced the two Southern Rebels and Maxon.

"Kriss, why are you doing this?" I asked, located a little closer to her and the two others.

"You don't know what it's like!" Kriss shouted, her voice in anger and shaking violently.

"Like what?" I asked, confused.

"Why should she tell you?" Kriss' brother, Officer Avery asked, his gun pointing towards me.

"Because," I started off bluntly, "I'm going to die anyways... right?"

"AMERICA! DON'T!" Maxon shouted, struggling to get free from the rebels' clutches.

"Might as well tell you since you're going to be dead met pretty soon." Kriss started off. "My father, once a Southern Rebel, was undercover as a guard here in the palace when I was around 7 or 8 years of age. His people were planning an attack on the palace, so that's why he was undercover. The night of the attack, he was shot, by one of the real palace guards. One of the King's."

"So," Avery started to say, "That's when we started to get revenge. He shouldn't have died. The Royal Family should have." Right then and there, Maxon was murdered, with the stab of two daggers, Kriss' and her brother's.

I witnessed the two blades slide all the way in, until you could only see the hilts. The look on mine and Nicoletta's face was indescribable. There was no way to define the feelings that I felt at that moment. It's like the world had slowed down on purpose to defy this moment. Maxon's face immediately went blank and he collapsed.