This is Ours

Epilogue #1

I burst through the conjoined doors of the prince and princess suites, barging into Maxons room. His sleeping form didn't even move. I crossed around the bed and grabbed his shoulder, shaking him awake.

His eyes sleepily opened, looking around in confusion. "America....?"

"Merry Christmas," I smiled, placing a sweet kiss on his lips.

He blinked away the sleep a few times and then smiled. "Merry Christmas, my dear."

I hopped onto the bed next to him, snuggling into his side.

"Someone's happy this morning. It's like.....7:00. And I know your not a morning person."

"But it's Christmas..." I sighed happily. "And this is our first Christmas as a couple. And my first Christmas in the palace."

"It's not all that it's cracked up to be. It's usually just a dinner with my mother and then gifts afterwards."

"But this year will be different," I assured him. "My family's here and no one does Christmas like the Singers."

It had been a few months since the competition ended and I was pronounced the winner. Maxon and I had settled nicely into our roles around the palace. Of course, I wouldn't be queen for a few years when Amberley retired but I still had many things to do. I was now apart of the advisory council, so I went to meetings with Maxon and the Queen. I have been put in charge of settling many province issues and taking over foundations the Queen runs. It's a lot of work big I surprisingly don't mind it.

The queen and I decided that it would be best if I was coronated as a princess before I was coronated as queen in a few years. So that I could settle into palace life sooner rather later. We agreed that the best time would be when Maxon and I got married. The only issue with that is that Maxon hasn't proposed. It's been months. Months of me waiting for a ring so that I could officially claim him as mine and no one else's. Even Amberley has been getting impatient about it. Which is why I've decided to take matters into my own hands. I was going to propose to Maxon. And that's why I knew that today was going to be my best Christmas yet.

"So get up, sleepy head! It's Christmas and we have things to do!" I exclaimed. I jumped off the bed daintily. "Get ready! I'll see you at breakfast."

30 minutes later, all dressed up in my red Christmas dress, I met Maxon at the breakfast table. I learned quickly after the selection that meals were a much more casual event outside of the game. They usually just consisted of Maxon, Amberley, the Fadayes, and I. Occasionally an advisor or two would join is. But usually it would just be the few of us and it would be a quiet event. Not today. Not with the Singers in the palace. Between my mom, dad, May, Gerad, Kenna, James, and my new niece Astra, you could barely get a word into the conversation.

But I was content with it. I sat next to Maxon, holding his hand under the table, and quietly listening to May blabber on about school. He rubbed my hand sweetly and listened to. Amberley seemed very amused by Mays antics. She was the only one truly listening to Mays story, nodding along and laughing in all the right places. I suppose that's something you learned to do as a queen. I suppose I would too.

"Are you nervous to be King?" I whispered to Maxon.

He leaned his head closer to me. "Actually, I am. I always thought I'd never get to rule the country. I was never really prepared for it the way a normal prince would be. The moment you announced your law you made all my dreams come true. My dream to be King and my dream to spend the rest of my life with you."