The Wrong Choice

Chapter 6

Maxon's POV

I noticed that the buttons on my suit coat were off, so I stopped midway through the hallway to fix them when someone ran into me.

"Hello Maxon." My mother said.

"Good morning Mom." I smile at her as she takes my suit jacket buttons into her hands and fixes them for me.

"Maxon honey, can I speak to you for a moment." She pulled my jacket straight as she finished, making sure there were no wrinkles.

"Of course."

"I think you've become more instinctive." She commented.

"What do you mean?" I inquired, although I was sure I knew where this conversation was headed.

"You never would have taken a risk like that when you we're younger, you would have kept directly to the path, never stepping beyond where your Father wanted you too. And now look at you, directly defying him like that." We walked beside each other, the heels of our shoes clicking against the hard floors.

"Mom, I think my ears might be broken. It sounds as if your almost... happy I defied him." She laughed at my comment, but didn't give an answer one way or another.

"It's just that I think you've grown up Maxon. I think that you will make a fine king when your father and I are no longer here to her you, when we are gone."

"Don't talk like that mom." I said softly. She often spoke of when she would no longer around, and although I know it's unhealthy, I try to avoid the subject.

"Sweety, you know that that the ones you love are never really gone, never really." She gave me a sad smile and I nodded. "And you need to remember that when the rebels leave and that little redhead you love so much has left."

I stood in shock as the guards opened the grand doors to the dining room for us. I scuttled in after her, still dumbfounded and curious on how she knew.

The whole room stood at our presence, except one. I inwardly face palmed, although mom chuckled.

"All of the etiquette lessons with Sylvia, gone to waste, am I right Lady America?" Mother made her way to her seat to the left of where Kriss' seat is. At least it's Kriss' when it's occupied.

"Oh yes your majesty, as I left the palace, I threw them out the window." American a swallowed her tart, still in her chair.

"Well I only assumed as much." Her and mother joked for a while longer until the main course was delivered.

"Maxon, dear-"

"I am not your dear." I muttered under my breath as she spoke.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing." I replied, staring down at my plate of eggs.

"Where is the rest of your family? Not singing this morning?" She asked, her eyes sweeping the table, looking for any sign of my wife and daughter. John was sitting silently in his seat, listening to the quiet chatter of the adults.

"Honestly, probably sleeping. Where's Father?" I asked, playing it off like I knew that they were still resting in bed.

"Oh, only God knows where your father is this morning." She mumbled, obviously upset. "Honestly I'm surprised he hasn't burst through that door yet."

But then somebody did burst through the door, but not Father.

Kriss burst through the door, causing half the room to jump in their seats.

She was dragging Charlie by the neck of the over sized white t-shirt she was wearing.

"Maxon Schreave, would you like to know what your oh-so-precious daughter was just doing before I caught her?" She screeched across the dinning hall.