The One (A Selection Fan Fiction)

Chapter Sixteen

NOT EVEN A LITTLE HINT of sound of our voices has graced its presence during our walk when Officer Markson accompanied us from the hospital wing to the war room. I was too stunned to say anything to him. I don't even know what to say to him.

I studied my steps in boredom. Our footsteps, mostly Maxon and Officer Markson's, echoed throughout the silent hallway. I was walking behind them both because I refused to walk near Maxon.

Shame was all I could feel.

I could barely process what he had said before Officer Markson interrupted to escort us. And I was thankful for him because I did not have to say any more and he made this walk less awkward.

This walk and the silence around gave me time to think. He had said yes, although I actually thought he would say otherwise. "The reason seems credible for the scratches, yes. But the situation is dubitable. We do not have enough evidence to prove Lady Celeste guilty of these actions," he had said without looking at me. He was only talking to Dr. Blue in a very formal tone.

His explanation hit me hard. And we all knew he was right.

And that was when Officer Markson appeared. Dr. Blue reached beside my pillow then under the bed and handed me a pale yellow dress and a pair of slippers and instructed me to change behind the curtains.

When I came out, Maxon started walking towards the exit where our escort was waiting. He didn't bother to say goodbye to Dr. Blue. But I did. Though, it was only a small wave and a smile. She did smile back and nodded.

Officer Markson stopped walking and turned around to face us. Maxon and I stopped, too.

"Thank you, officer. You may go back to your duties now," Maxon said to him, nodding.

Officer Markson nodded and went ahead. Maxon opened a door, revealing a room full of maps and screens on the walls and a long table on the center. The chairs were occupied by the rest of the Elite. The seats at both end of the table and the seats beside them were all unoccupied.

The three girls stopped their mumuring when they noticed Maxon and I enter the room. Maxon instructed me to sit on one end of the table, farthest from everyone else. He sat beside the seat on the other end.

The door then opened and the king and queen entered. We all stood up and (except for Maxon) curtsied.

When everyone was seated, I couldn't help but feel self-conscious by all the stares of six pairs of eyes on me. So I just looked down at my fiddling fingers on my lap and chewed on my bottom lip. I've been sniffing and coughing every now and then, but I tried to keep it as silent as possible. I'll try asking Dr. Blue for some medicine later.

"Lady America," Queen Amberly called, earning my attention. I looked up and released my lip.

"Yes?" I asked, trying to stop the fiddling of my fingers.

"We all would like to know what had happened," the queen said.

Since Louise said that the only lies I were to tell were that I was tormented and starved; and the rest of the story were up to me. So I shared my story.

I nodded. "We all know that it began on Thursday night. The rebels attacked and I was completely caught off-guard. I was standing out on my balcony when I heard the alarm. When my guard, Officer Leger, called for me, I came with him but before we could reach the basement to join you, two rebels caught up with us. They were both men and armed. Officer Leger knew he had to protect me, so he put me behind him. One of them said to take me and kill Officer Leger. But I told them I would come with them if they let him go - "

The king interrupted my story-telling. "Why would you do that?"

"I knew they were going to take me one way or the other."