The Promise: A Maxerica Fanfiction

The Bride - Part Three

It was the first time I'd been able to go outside in weeks, since the accident. Everyone always said it like that, "The Accident," as if I'd clumsily tripped down some steps instead of getting shot in the stomach. Today bitter thoughts about such things were far away though.

Maxon came to retrieve me from my room at 5AM exactly. It normally would have been painfully early, but all I'd done was sleep for weeks and I was ready to be awake.

I paced my room back and forth – as much as I could with all the medical paraphernalia everywhere. Maxon had insisted I be moved back to my old rooms as soon as he found me and, though the Doctors had protested half-heartedly, it was done. I still had to be monitored but it had been over a month since "The Accident," and I was in little to no danger of reopening the wound or having some other disastrous thing happen to me.

So, two days ago Doctor Ashlar said I could go outside. He said it would be good for me, even.

My whole body itched, ached, screamed to be let loose out of doors – thus the pacing – but I waited two entire days after the Doctor had given me the okay before proceeding. Maxon had been away for the past few days on kingly business or some such, and while I was yearning desperately for fresh air and freedom, I wanted that first inhale of intoxicating green to be with him.

I wanted everything to be with him, the garden, my life.

Everything.

I stopped pacing and stared at the door, waiting, watching for him. The knock came in under a minute, softly but firmly.

I flung the door open and gazed at him. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face as I took in his disheveled appearance and mussed hair.

He smiled too, and it was so sweet that I just had to kiss him.

Apparently, he had the same thought because our faces came smashing together not very gracefully.

"Ow." Maxon groaned, rubbing his nose.

"No kidding." I agreed, rubbing my own.

"Someday we'll get that right, I'm sure." Maxon said and stooped to kiss me properly this time.

I kissed him back for a little while. Or maybe longer.

When we finally broke apart, Maxon spoke.

"Hello, Dear." He wore a devilish grin.

"Good morning, Your Majesty." I replied sweetly. Maxon scowled. He hated when I called him that, but fair was fair.

I laughed and slipped past him into the hall.

Maxon trailed behind me and I reached back to grab his hand and pull him closer to me as we walked.

"You're in a surprisingly good mood this morning." Maxon looked at me, bemused. I was still grinning like a fool.

"I'm so excited! It feels like I'm being released from prison or something!" Seeing the smile on Maxon's face give way to concern I quickly backtracked. "Not that I feel like I'm imprisoned or anything. Of course, I love it here, you know I do. But being confined to the dusty corner of the Medical Wing for five weeks was wearing on my sanity."

Maxon smiled at me again, slipped his left hand into his pocket, then took it out again.

We were almost at the garden when I stopped and ran my fingers through his hair. I couldn't help it. His hair looked ridiculous.

"What are you doing?" Maxon asked, as I continued to run my hands through his handsome locks.

"Well, your hair looks absolutely absurd, and figuring how you're about to propose to me, I thought you would want it to look nice."

Maxon looked stunned. Then laughed nervously.

"Was I that obvious?" He asked sheepishly.

"Well," I laughed, "You've been pretty shifty the last week or so, then you ask me to go see the sunrise in the garden, which is terribly romantic but adding that to the nervous energy you've been radiating and the way you keep pulling your hand in and out of your pocket... it's a pretty easy conclusion to make."

Maxon didn't say anything and looked so uncomfortable that I laughed and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'm sorry for spoiling the surprise, but I'm just so excited and I wanted to speed up the process."

Maxon sighed and laughed at the same time, then got on one knee while saying.

"Well then, without further ado... America Singer, will you do me the tremendously amazing honor of becoming America Schreave, Queen of Illéa? I promise to always take care of you and love you forever and ever and ever."

And he was looking at me with so much love, so much hope brimming in his gaze, as if he didn't already know my answer.

"Yes." I breathed, and he stood up and kissed me.

I broke the kiss, laughing against his lips.

"Did you think I would say no when my answer was yes the other two times you asked me to marry you?"

"You never know! And I think it might have been three times." He laughed, relaxing for the first time in the past week.

"Just like our first kiss; we can never get it right the first time it seems."

"But we do get it right eventually." Then he showed me how right our kisses had become.

Pulling away I pulled the ring box out of the hand that still clutched it. I hadn't really looked at it until this moment.

"Our birthstones." I gasped at the brilliance of it all.

"Yes. I hope you like it." Maxon said, "I know it's a bit unconventional, but I think the effect is rather beautiful. Kind of bold and fierce."

He took the ring out of the box and slid it on my finger. "Just like you."

And as the sun crested over the trees, and the birds began to wake, my fiancé took me in his arms and kissed me.