The Chosen [COMPLETED]

Chapter 10

"I'm not ready." Katrina paced around my room, as I sat on my bed. She explained how she was leaving the lounge, but Harper had asked her to stay back with a few other girls for a minute. 

"Who else is going?" I asked. 

"Me, Brianna, Taylor, and Alex." four girls going home meant there were twenty-six left. 

"Katrina I am so sorry." She came and sat next to me. I did my best to comfort her. 

"When do you leave?" 

"Tonight." I put my arms around her, taking in the last time I would see her. 

"Will you write to me?" Katrina asked. I nodded my head. 

Katrina stood up and said she should leave. I gave her one last hug before she left. I shut the door behind her when she left. Katrina thought she could make it far. I never thought she would be part of the first group to be sent home. 

My maids got me dressed for bed. I was tired of the stress the past few days brought. I fell asleep quickly, but someone shook my shoulder not too long after I had fallen asleep. 

"Wake up." I opened my eyes and saw August standing over me. 

"What?" I moaned. I didn't want to talk to him. 

"The palace is under attack. You need to come with me." He said. I quickly got up once I processed what he said. 

"They are already in the palace, we need to hurry." I followed August. It felt just like the dream I had the other week, and I remembered how that ended. I started to walk a little faster.

We turned a corner, and just like in my dream, there were palace officers fighting rebels. August stopped in his tracks and looked back at me. 

"Change of plans, you aren't going to the chamber with the rest of the girls." He said quickly.

"There's no other way around?" August shook his head and started walking back the way we came. I glanced behind down the hallway of officers fighting with the rebels. I was going to scare Harper and probably Farley for not making it to the chamber, but It appeared I had no other choice. 

I followed August as he weaved through the large palace hallways and to an empty hallway. He stopped and opened another picture that leads to another chamber. It was not as fancy as the other one I was in, but it would work. I walked into the darkroom and turned on a small light. 

"Are you going to be alright on your own," August asked. I nodded my head. I didn't want to be stuck in a small room with him, I had no idea what he would do. 

I heard distant voices that were slowly growing louder. August looked down the hallway before he jumped into the chamber with me and closed the door. 

"Well, it looks like I am going to join you anyways." I tried not to groan out loud. 

"How do you know they aren't ours?" I asked.

"I don't." 

We stood on separate sides of the room and did not speak to each other. It was awkward, but I was still mad at August.

"How are you still mad at me?" August said, breaking our silence. 

"Because you went for me, knowing it could get both of us in trouble!" I shouted.

"You don't think I know that." He said back. "But just know that I am sorry. I never meant to harm you." His tone softened and he looked at the ground. I stayed silent, expecting him to continue.

"Can't we just put it behind us and start over?" He asked. "I can even introduce myself again." I stood there for a while. I hated him for what he did, but I also felt like I was struggling to let it go. 

"On one condition." I finally said. "We are nothing more than friends." 

"Deal." August put out his hand and I shook it. 

"Hi. My name is August Wood. What's yours?" He joked. I hesitated before responding to him. 

"Megan Beckett." 

"Nice to meet you, Megan," he said. 

We both flinched when we heard a voice.

"Officer Wood." a voice said. August grabbed a walkie-talkie off of his uniform and spoke in it.

"The rebels are gone, now where are you?" 

"I am with Miss Beckett in a chamber. We couldn't make it to the main chamber in time." The voice on the other side said that we were able to leave the camber. He added that I should find Harper and tell her I was alright. 

We walked out of the chamber. At first glance, there was minimal damage. But when we walked through more hallways, we saw more and more broken objects. 

"Why are they so destructive?" I asked.

"Because they want something and the only way for them to get it is by asserting their dominance." I had to be careful when I walked because there were shards of glass scattered on the floor. 

We reached the lounge and when August opened the door, Harper ran up to me.

"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" She asked. Farley came after her and hugged me.

"I'm so glad to see you." She said.

"Me too." I was asked a few questions about where I was and who I was with. I told them everything they needed to know. I got tired and wanted to go back up to my room to calm down from the attack. August was waiting for me outside the doors.

"Were they all over you?"

"Of course they were." 

When I got back to my room, I saw that my room was a mess. It was worse than the last attack. There were more broken windows and jars. This time, drawers were half open and most of my books were on the floor. I checked to see if the diary was still under my bed. Luckily it was untouched. 

 My maids explained how there were never this many attacks before the Queenstrial. That meant the Queenstrial was causing unrest to the rebels. But no one in the palace knew what their intentions were.

"They seemed to enjoy trashing your room," Justine commented.

Easton knocked on my door. I told him that my room was a mess, so we decided to take a walk.

"I am glad you are safe." He said. 

"You were with one of our best officers." He added. I don't know why it surprised me that August was one of the best. 

"Do you know what they want?" I asked. Easton shook his head. 

"I wonder if anyone does." He said. "My father might know, but he wouldn't tell me." 

"But you are going to be the next ruler." 

"I know, but he is secretive. He is always hiding something." I hated being lied to, I knew that Easton must hate being sheltered.

"He sounds like his father. At least from the diary, you gave me," Easton looked at me.

"And I hate to tell you this, but he doesn't sound like a great guy." 

"What do you mean?"

"He talked about limiting freedoms and keeping us in order." 

"He sounds like a dictator." He mumbled. I didn't want to be the one to say it to him, but he might have been right.  

"Do you think he knew about the attacks?" I asked.

"I don't know but I am going to find out."