The Promise: A Maxerica Fanfiction

The Bride - Part Five

My breath caught once again just thinking about it, even two months later.

I resumed my brushing and began humming along with Lucy. She looked up from her sewing and, smiling, made eye contact with me in the mirror.

Just as my own smile began to grow, Lucy's face scrunched up in pain. I followed her gaze to her hand.

A line of red ran down her finger.

Suddenly, I was far away.

I was no longer in my plush, safe bedroom.

I was sitting on a carved throne in a cold, hard room, and a man stood in front of me. A handkerchief the color of blood stained his brow, and he was grinning an awful, terrible grin.

And- and the man had a gun.

I looked to my left - and there was Maxon. He looked shocked and horrified and sad. So terribly sad. As if he knew what was going to happen next.

And as if I knew, I turned back to the red-stained man, and I heard a gunshot.

No - I felt a gunshot.

And everything was agony.

Pain, agony, and such terror, and I couldn't breathe -

"America!"

That was Maxon, come to cry over my broken body, I was sure, but I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe -

"America!"

And yet, the voice that spoke sounded a great deal like -

"Lucy!"

A crash sounded. The chair - Of course! Maxon had knocked over the chair, which meant I was dying.

And I couldn't breathe.

Distantly, I heard voices.

"Lucy! What's going on in here?!"

"Aspen! Thank heavens! I-I don't know! One moment she was brushing her hair and all was well, then I pricked my finger and she - well she just - and I can't even get through to her! I don't know what to do!"

I heard someone sobbing - or it might have been my own cries.

"Darling, everything's going to be fine. Go get the King. We'll see if we can't talk some sense into our America."

A few moments passed during which the pain grew nearly unbearable. I could feel the blood seeping into the many layers of my gown.

And I. Could. Not. Breathe.

My senses were fading as I felt someone shaking me. I thought this rather unfair, considering I was in the process of dying and all.

"Ames." Shake.

"America." Harder Shake.

"So help me America if you don't snap out of this right this instant -" Very hard shake.

"Maxon?" I croaked. I thought it especially rude that during my last moments of life he chose to do this instead of kissing me or something equally romantic.

"Wha - no! It's Aspen! I'm Aspen, America! And you have to wake up because you're scaring me!"

"Asp-" But Aspen hadn't been there... He'd taken Kriss to the safe room.

"Where's Maxon?"

"He's not here." What a ridiculously obvious thing to say.

But if Maxon wasn't here, and Aspen was -

"He's on his way." That was Lucy's voice.

Suddenly, it all came back. The rebels, the recovery, the engagement -

The wedding.

My eyes flew open. I had somehow ended up curled up in a ball in Aspen's lap, my hands clutching his shirtfront. I let go and stared at my hands in wonder. No blood or scrapes. Clean.

Without a word, Aspen helped me stand and led me to my bed.

"Maybe you should rest for a while."

I could only silently nod and sink into the pillows.

Lucy brought me something warm to drink then went to talk quietly with Aspen in a corner, shooting me worried glances all the while.

A few moments passed during which I stared at a vase I must have broken that lay in pieces near the vanity. That must have been the crash I'd heard. It wasn't a chair at all. Silently, I began to weep.

What was wrong with me?

I wiped at my eyes when I heard the door to the antechamber open, but when it was Maxon that came bursting in, I began crying anew.

Aspen and Lucy excused themselves as the King strode right up to my bed, took off his shoes, and climbed in beside me.

"Its getting worse," I said, as Maxon plucked the cup from my shaking hands and set it on the nightstand, "And now half the staff knows."

"You can't think that way darling." My fiance spoke in soothing tones.

"Yes I can." I said. Not stubborn, but resigned.

"The staff doesn't know anything. Only our closest friends and servants, and they can be trusted. And even if anyone did know anything, it doesn't matter."

"But -"

"It doesn't matter, I said. Nothing is wrong with you." He said fiercely.

I laid my head on his shoulder and did not speak for a while.

"Maxon?"

"Yes, darling?"

"Do you think this will ever stop? The episodes, the nightmares?" I was afraid to even ask.

But, without hesitation, Maxon responded.

"I know they will."