The Elite (Where the King is Nice)

This book is the sequel to my other story, The Selection (Where the King is Nice) If you haven't read that one, please read it before you read this one because if you don't this story won't make any sense! All rights go to Kiera Cass unless I made it up!! (All characters, plot lines, etc.) Also, just like my last book, I'm going to rotate between America and Maxon's POV unless somebody requests a different POV. Enjoy!:)

(America's POV)

The Elite. Wow. I never thought I'd even make it past the first day, let alone get into the Elite! And it's more than just that. There's only 5 girls left. And the best part? Celeste is gone!! After dinner, I skip to my room in a mood that's possibly the best I've ever been in since coming to the castle. When my maids see me, they look a little worried.

"Are you staying, miss? Please tell me you are! We can tell that Maxon really loves you." Lucy bursts out. I answer all of their questions and blush at the last part.

"Girls, really, it's-" But I'm cut off by Anne's squealing.

"OH MY GOSH! I told you so, Mary. I told you so!! Maxon and America are gonna get married and they-" I cut her off as she did to me.

"Anne. Seriously. He didn't propose. He simply eliminated some girls." Lucy huffs and says,

"He'll propose soon enough." At first, I want to deny that, but in my heart, do I really want to? Now, this leads me to some other things I want to think about.

"Anne, Mary, Lucy.. Could you possibly come back in half an hour?" They nod and scurry out of the room. Now, back to my thoughts. I was really wondering, do I want to be princess? And someday queen? Do I want to be 'the one'? Deep, deep down I knew that I did truly love Maxon. So why couldn't I bring myself to tell him? He'd already poured his feelings out for me- twice. So why was I so hesitant? Honestly, I think I knew why. I was afraid to let go of my past and start a new future. I was afraid to start a life that I'd never been prepared for. I was afraid to move on. But still, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the pros outweighed the cons. Then, there was a knock at the door. I must've been thinking for so long that the half hour had already passed. But as I turned around to look at the clock, it turned out that it had only been 10 minutes. My maids wouldn't be back yet, so who could it be? I walk over to the door and slowly twist the knob. Standing on the other side of the door was Maxon. He must've noticed my shock of his presence as he said,

"Surprised?" I nodded.

"I figured you'd still be attending to the girls who were leaving." He shrugged, and I motioned for him to come in. Then I closed the door behind me.

"I'd much rather be with you than with the girls that are crying nonstop," he said. I smile at him.

"So, how does it feel, having 5 girls left instead of 35?" I asked.

"Oh, it's not that bad, really. It's a lot less stressful and all, but most importantly, I already have my heart set on a certain someone." I raise my eyebrows but then notice how deeply he's looking at me. My heart feels like it's going to melt.

"Maxon-" But he puts a finger to my lips. When he pulls his finger away, he replaces it with his lips. I sigh in content. This kiss feels- I don't know, different. It feels like it's filled with hope, compassion, and promise. When I pull away for air, I keep my eyes closed and I rest my head on his chest.

"I love you," he says. Tears well in my eyes. Why can't I say it back? You love him, America. So just tell him. But I can't bring myself to it. I open my eyes, and Maxon notices the tears in them.

"America, are you ok? Did I say something wrong?" He looks really concerned and then I feel really bad.

"No, no.. Just, happy tears." He nods and we sit down.

"I-I came here to tell you something," he says nervously, twisting his hands together.

"What is it?" I ask gently, not wanting to force anything out of him.

"I can, um, end the Selection whenever you're ready. I truly love you and you're the only girl in this palace that I can imagine a future with." He says it with such compassion that I wonder if I should just ask him to end it now. But I couldn't do that. That would be unfair to the other girls left, and plus, I still need to get rid of the shattered pieces of my heart that Aspen left. Looking back, I realize that he was the one who brought me to Maxon. The one who I want to spend my life with.

In response to his statement, I simply nod my head. Maxon gets the hint and then says,

"Do you want to go out into the garden?"

"Yes, definitely." We walk out of the room and head towards the gardens. It's night time now, so the stars are out. The weather is beautiful, and the fresh scent of the flowers makes my mood even better, if that's even possible. Maxon then points to a cluster of stars.

"That's the Little Dipper," he says. And then he points somewhere else.

"And that's the Big Dipper." I stare in awe at the stars. In my life, I'd gone outside in the night and I'd looked at the stars often. But being here, looking at them with Maxon, well, it was different. Special. He points out more star clusters. I lean into his chest and stare at the beautiful sky as he speaks.

"There's Venus, our twin planet."

"It's so.. beautiful," I reply. He smiles and closes his eyes.

"We should come out here with my telescope sometime," he suggests. I nod and say,

"That would be a lot of fun." Just then, Maxon opens his eyes and grabs a flower from a nearby flower bush. He gives it to me and says,

"For you." I take it and inhale the flower's nice scent. It makes me forget all of my worries.

"Thanks." I reply. Then, I tuck it behind my ear.

"It looks beautiful like that," Maxon whispers into my ear. I turn around and smile at him. He leans forward and puts his lips near mine. I feel a rush of adrenaline run through my veins. Just as Maxon is about to kiss me, a guard yells,

"Sir!" I groan inwardly as I realize that our moment was probably just ruined. Maxon sits up and says,

"Yes?"

"Your mother sent me to tell you that she wishes to speak with you." I hear Maxon mutter something under his breath about how she always interrupts at the wrong time.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow," I tell him. He breaks out of his daze and smiles at me. Then, he pecks me on the lips lightly and quietly says,

"See ya, America." Then he walks back into the castle. I stare at the sky, thinking about everything that just happened.

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There it is, the first chapter!! I hope you guys liked it!! I'll be updating really soon!