It's So Much More Than That (A Selection Story)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 Kriss POV (sort of a flashback to when she was sent home)

I almost won the selection. Now, less then a week later, I watch a prince get engaged, and a King and Queen get buried. So much has changed.

In that fraction of a second that I was sure my future was secure, the rebels interrupted it. Amongst the chaos, I was shoved into a safe room with some of the other Elite, but not before I saw many people shot down. I saw Celeste go down too. Celeste, the girl who everyone would've loved to see go home ages ago, but now we considered her our friend. She never deserved that, no one does. Those hours afterwards were agony for everyone. I found some of the other girls and tried to calm them down, but we were all scared; we were.

 Afterwards, we were all told to go to our rooms and wait. However, before we were allowed to go back, a couple guards and an advisor came and told the group of people around me that the King and Queen had been killed during the attack and that Maxon was now in the hospital, but expected to live. I stood there in shock, pondering what this could all mean. Maxon would be king now...and whoever he picked would be...queen. Amberly and Clarkson didn't deserve this; leaving their only son to rule. A couple of people around me started weeping in shock, and a few small tears rolled down my cheek as well. Everything was happening so fast and there was nothing any of us could've done to stop it.

 After that, I wondered where America was. I had seen her, barely a second, on the ground kneeling by Maxon's body. My heart retched for Maxon, but I let the guards take me to the safe room anyway. She had always been so strong where I wasn't, however, it didn't stop me from worrying both for her and Maxon the rest of that day. Later, in my room, a guard came up carrying a letter with Maxon's seal on it. He told me that Maxon was upstairs and that he was to escort me there. I nodded and thanked him. Maxon had called for me. I knew what this could mean, since I hadn't heard any news about America...yet. I went with the guard. When we reached the next floor instead of heading towards Maxon's room, I saw a bunch of guards gathered around the door to what I assumed what was the King's suite. I took a deep breath, unable to know what would happen next.

When I entered, I saw Maxon in the bed with a bunch of gauze covering his side. He also had some medical equipment beside him along with a couple nurses and advisors scurrying about. On his bed were dozens of papers, and he seemed transfixed on them. I timidly walked over to his bed, and coughed a little bit to get Maxon to notice me. When he did, he looked up at me not with a smile as usual, but with a tad of restraint and uneasiness. I thought it was probably just the news of his parents weighing him down, along with all the work.

 "Kriss." He said, and motioned me to come closer. Maxon then asked if everyone else could leave the room so that he could briefly talk to me privately. As the rest of the others filed out of the room, I studied the man I saw before me. Something had changed, I knew. I didn't know what, but the way Maxon held himself was different.

I edged closer to the bed. "Maxon, I'm sorry about your parents." I whispered. I didn't know what else to say, so I just stood there awkwardly while Maxon tired to collect all of the papers on the bed.

"Thank you Kriss." He just nodded. He didn't seem overjoyed or angry that I was here. He just seemed...indifferent. "Thank you for coming here...I need to talk to you about something."

 "Okay."

"They found America. She's going to be okay." He said. The way he sounded, it was with adoration and joy. I knew where this was going, and I didn't want to stick around for it. I started to turn.

"Kriss wait!" I stopped. "I know that I never got to announce the engagement...it's just that..."

"It's just what, Maxon?" For several moments there was only silence.