Our Life Together

Chapter Eight

"So, he still hasn't said anything about what happened yesterday?" Astra asks. I shake my head and pick at the smooth, red fingernail polish on my fingers, hoping it will chip off into little flakes and look a little more realistic. Unfortunately, I have no success and I look up at my cousins and Natalia.

"Nope. He came in late, like really late, last night. He still hadn't came out by the time I fell asleep. Then, this morning when I woke up, he was already gone. His sheets were pulled up neatly with almost all the wrinkles smoothed up. It's obvious that he is ignoring me," I explain. Natalia reaches over at takes my hand in hers. She, despite having many similarities with my cousins, also has a sweet side that seems to bring her real agony when someone else seems upset.

"It will be okay, Celia, really. At least you got to pick your groom. Princeton and I went for a walk out in the gardens last night and it was so awkward. Neither of us know each other very well so we weren't sure what to talk about. I think he is kind of nervous. . . It's kind of cute," she says. We all can't help but giggle at the last part. She is true, though. I am much happier getting to choose rather than how happy I imagine I would be if I were forced into marriage. I can only imagine how terrible that would be.

"Young love seems tough," Emily says. Natalia and I both let one of those half laugh half snort things out at the same time. Natalia turns to Emily, one of the corners of her lips turning up into what appears to be a half smile.

"Who said it's actually love?" she asks. Her hand squeezes mine as she turns to look at me. Her eyes have a sad look in them, one similar to that of a hurt puppy. "Possibly in both cases," she mumbles.

§§§

"Celia!" a voice somewhere down the hallway yells. I look down to the bottom of the steps I'm conquering to see Natalia, red faced with her hair falling out of the once neat knot on her head, running towards me. One hand is holding up her long dress so she doesn't step on it and the other has a paper that is bent backwards like it would be if it were flapping in the wind. She trips on a step but is back up quickly. When she reached me, her breath seems forced and she shoves the paper in my face.

"What is this?" I ask. She turns it around as if she is reading it for the first time. Her eyes quickly scan it and stops when she appears to be halfway through the page. She points at something at the top of the page and turns it around.

"It was under my door when I came in from my walk in the garden. I noticed that there was a copy of the exact same thing under several of the other doors, all of which were rooms where the Italians are staying. So, I picked mine up and starting reading. I haven't finished it but when I started I knew I would need to show you," she says quickly, causing her to go into another spell of forced breathing. I arch my eyebrows up and poke my lips out a little before taking the paper. On it there is a list of things after a paragraph wrote in the same font used on type writers. I scan my eyes over the list quickly. 

How much do you really know about Illea's royal family? Did you know how many scandals that the Screave's are hiding? Well, you are in for quite a surprise! Read to find out more!

•Did you know that Queen America had a secret lover during Prince Maxon's selection. That's right. Apparently, there were some crazy nights with one of the guards. Imagine that.

•Have you heard about Marlee Tames, Illea's favorite? It's true that she was more popular with Illea than Queen America. Actually, at one point in time Queen America was the least favorite of the elite, but who cares about that? Apparently, Lady Marlee was getting it on with one of the guards, too. Everyone found out about that, though, and Marlee's hands were beat, poor thing. She and the guard were supposed to be sent to the south and who knows what was supposed to happen. But do you know where she actually is? Well, this entire time she, and the guard, have been working in the palace. The next time you have tea make sure you check to see if your maid has any bruises.

•Did you hear that Queen America was pregnant with Celia? Well, you're not the only one not to know. Queen America kept it a secret all long because, get this, she thought it was a miscarriage. Imagine Celia actually being dead in Queen America's belly. So sad. (Hear the sarcasm?) And the doctors led her to believe it was because she fell in a terrorist attack. I hope you don't fall. Your baby might also be fake dead.

There is even more on the list but I can't look. I hand the paper back to Natalia who has a worried look on her face. She opens her mouth to say something but I seem to stop her when I turn and start walking down the steps with my hands balled up in fists. The guards at the bottom of the steps watch hazardously but stay silent. She runs down and stops in front of me, trying to keep me from moving any further.

"Where are you going?" she asks. I step around her and she follows me down the hallway, her heels clicking a few seconds after mine. I stop in the middle of the hall to look at her.

"I'm going to go fix this," I say. She runs in front of me and puts her hands on my shoulders in attempt to stop me. I glance down the hallway. It is empty except for occasional plants, statues, and benches. A guard is also stationed at the end next to the steps that lead up to the second floor.

"Celia, you don't want to do something you will regret. How do you even know for sure who did it?" Natalia asks. I roll my eyes and try to brush one of her hands off my shoulders but it stays planted there. If anything, her grip becomes tighter.

"Oh trust me, we both know who did it. I guarantee you it was the same person who was talking about not wanting her son to be here a few days ago, the same person who was spreading rumors, which happened to be true, at my reception yesterday," I say. She pleads silently with her eyes for me to stop, to turn around and go up to my bedroom. I also get the feeling that my eyes are giving her a look that says you are getting out of my way whether it requires the easy way or the hard way.

"Celia, I know that you are probably right but have you thought through what this could look like to Flynn? He already thinks you are trying to attack his mother. This could cause some big problems," she says. I grab her arms and pull it off my shoulders.

"Natalia, I have to do it," I say. I walk a few paces away. I look back over my shoulder at her. Her eyes are pleading me not to do it. Still, I ignore her and walk down the hallway to find a certain bedroom.

And tada! Drama! So, I received a few comments on the last chapter requesting that there not be a lot of drama. Sorry, but I've gotta have it! So, please tell me what you think! I read all of your comments and I loooooooooooooooove them! So, as I normally say, comments and votes please! ;)

Disclaimer: Kiera Cass owns The Selection, not me.