The One Fanfiction

Chapter 23

        My body tingled with excitement. The woods gave way to the grassy fields a few yards away. Maxon's grip tightened on my hand. I looked over at him. He was gazing at the palace fondly. Sometimes I forgot he'd been away even longer than I had.

        When we reached the edge of the trees, it seemed as if he could barely contain himself. He was trembling and it was easy to tell he wanted to break into a run. Maxon started to walk toward the palace, but I stopped him. A thought had popped into my head.

        The uniforms. We were still wearing the guard uniforms. Illéa wasn't exactly on the best terms with the rebels, so I was afraid they might shoot us on sight. I pulled off my uniform to reveal the not-so-white sundress underneath. Maxon got the idea and pulled off the jacket, but kept the t-shirt underneath.

        I looked him over. He was relatively clean, except for a small smudge of dirt in his cheek. I quickly stuck my thumb in my mouth and then wiped away the grime. When I tried to pull away, Maxon put his hand over mine, holding it to his cheek. I smiled and interlaced our fingers. I gave his hand a quick squeeze before saying, "Come on. Let's go home."

        Maxon's eyes sparkled with delight. He broke into a run and pulled me along. The wind blew back my hair so it flowed behind me like red ribbons. A gleeful laugh escaped my throat.

        The palace was just a few feet away now and the large structure loomed over us. To most people, it would seem intimidating. To us, it felt like home sweet home.

        No guards were outside, so we had to bang on the door. It wasn't like the front doors, which were large and grand. This was a simple wooden door. It was either for a back entrance or to somewhere like the kitchen or the servants' quarters. When the door opened, I felt my pulse pick up and a huge grin appeared on my lips. It was Lucy. Her mouth hung open in shock. Lucy's eyes were wide and disbelieving. She fumbled with her words until one finally came out. "America?" I nodded and pulled her into a tight hug. Tears formed in my eyes as I clung to her.

        When she pulled away, I looked to Maxon. He was smiling, but I could tell he was itching to find his parents. I turnd to Lucy. "I'm really glad to see you, but we need to find the King and Queen." She nodded understandingly.

        "Of course. They are- hmm. I actually don't know- Wait! They're having tea with your parents in the dining room. Your families have grown quite close lately. I will have a guard escort you. Excuse me for a moment."

        Lucy turned on her heel and stepped out of what I realized was the maids' quarters. A tall guard entered the room, followed by Lucy. His eyes were surprised, but he didn't comment on our sudden arrival. He just said, "Welcome back, Your Highness, Lady America. Follow me, please."

        As we walked through the long halls, gasps from the guards on duty followed in our wake. The air was buzzing with excitement and anticipation.

        I tightened my grip on Maxon's hand as the doors leading to the dining room grew closer and closer.

        We stopped in front of the large doors. I took a deep breath and looked to Maxon. He brought my hand to his lips and gave it a quick kiss before nodding to the guards. The doors swung open.