The Queen

Chapter 1

I fixed his tie. I remembered the day he was born when the doctor shouted out "It's a boy!" and the kingdom rejoiced. I remembered him running around the place, his barefeet hitting the ground and echoing, and his sister only 16 months younger racing after him to keep up.

"Maybe you shouldn't go today, Marlem..." I trailed off. I was quite nervous with him leaving the palace.

"Mom. You promised me you would let me go out the day I turned 16," he said a little frustrated.

"I know... But-"

"America! Is Marlem ready yet?" Maxon yelled coming down the stairs. "Ahhhh! My son! You look handsome. If this doesn't work out we can always do the Selection!"

"No! I want to find love on my own," said Marlem determined. I look at Maxon and he looked at me. We both were thinking how he wanted a chance to find love on his own too. But he was thankful for the Selection because that's how we came together.

I looked at Marlem and took him in. If he had blonde hair and not strawberry blonde, he would have looked just like Maxon.

"Marlem! Wait!" Twelve-year-old Jolie yelled running down the stairs.

"Jolie, sweetie, don't run," Amerbly cooed at Jolie walking gracefully down the stairs.

"Good luck finding a girl!" Jolie yelled as she ran off again with her bright, red, curly hair bouncing in the sun light shining through the windows. She is almost an exact replica of May.

Amerbly strode up beside me. "Only 16 months until that's me mother!" she teases with a white smile. She throws her blonde hair over her shoulder just the way Celeste did when she teased me.

Images of Celeste with a bullet going through her head by the hand of a southern rebel shot through my mind. There are no more southern rebels. Or even northern rebels. The people of Illeá live happily together with out the caste system. I always tell myself there is no danger outside the palace gates. It's hard to believe from all the attacks that happened when I first came to the palace.

"Go Marlem! Go before I change my mind," I told my oldest child.

Maxon nodded with approval and Marlem disappeared out the garden door.

Anxiety started setting in right away. I didn't even know when the next time I would see him. We sat down with him and decided to let him go find love and return once he found it.

I started heading up the stairs when I heard the crash then the scream. I paused not knowing what to do. It was not the scream of one of my daughters but the scream of one of my maids. Before I had any more time to react I felt Maxon grab my hand.

"Wait here!" He harshly whispered.

I did not listen to his orders and followed him up the stairs slowly. There on the ground sat Lucy with a broken lamp behind her. Her eyes were wide and she stared at something. As I rounded the corner I could see what it was. In blood, painted all the wall it said in messy letters "We're back"

Chapter 2

After the initial shock of what happened I rushed over to Lucy. "All you alright?!"

"Yes, yes," she said in a quiet voice, "I'm fine, but I need to go check on Aspen, Jamie, and Damien." She scurried off to go find her family. After Aspen and Lucy got married they moved into a house near by the palace but they still came to the palace every day to work.

"Marlem!" I cried as I realized he could be in danger. I rushed down the stairs towards the door. A guard grabbed me.

"Your highness, it might not be safe out there. You have to stay inside until the search is done," the guard said.