(On one of the Reports, America mentions
joking about the pet name Maxon wanted his wife to call him, but never says
what it is. It got cut, along with some other traits of Maxon. As I got to know
him and his family, I realized some of this wouldn’t happen. First, no pets,
and second, only one hobby. Maxon was under a lot of pressure to start focusing
on his future as king.)
“What
about your parents?” he pressed.
“What
about your parents?” I replied.
“You
know my parents.”
“No
I don’t! I know the public image of them. What are they really like?” I pulled
on his arm, which was quite a feat. Maxon’s arms were huge. Even beneath the
layers of his suit, I could feel the strong, steady muscles there. Maxon
sighed, but I could tell I didn’t really exasperate him at all. He seemed to
like having someone pester him. It must be sad to grow up in this place without
any siblings.
“My
mom is, quite possibly, the most wonderful creature on the planet. She’s
generous and good. I admire her in a thousand ways. She’s very good at
resolving conflicts, and she knows how to calm down my dad. She’s just a very
soothing person. And she’s always trying to get me to better myself. I owe so
much of who I am to her.”
There
was no denying the admiration in Maxon’s voice. I loved my parents, but I don’t
think I had that degree of reverence for either of them.
“My
dad, he’s a workhorse. He really cares about the country, and he wants it to
work. So he spends most of his time planning and speaking and all that. I don’t
remember the last time he took a vacation and spent time with just mom and me.”
He squinted his eyes like he was looking backwards through time, trying to find
a moment where just the three of them existed.
“I’m
sorry, Maxon.” He smiled when I said his name. Then I realized I should have
called him ‘Your Majesty’. Oops.
“It’s
alright. Now that I’m old enough, we’re doing more together. He’s teaching me,
getting me ready to lead. I hope I don’t let him down. I hope I don’t let
anyone down.” He was quiet for a moment. “Can I tell you something?”
“Anything.”
I meant it.
“It’s
a little overwhelming. I mean, I’m twenty-three years old, I’ve been sheltered
all my life, and all of the sudden I’ve got to pick out a wife and learn to
rule a very young and unstable country. It’s a bit terrifying.”
“Which
is scarier: the wife or the job?” I asked with a laugh. Maxon joined in.
“Well,
at least I’ll have help running the country. I’ve got to pick the girl on my
own.” He did look a little frantic around his eyes.
“Do
you want help? I do spend more time with the girls than you do.”
“Ha!
I suppose you do. Sure then, tell me something. Something I can use, too.”
I
looked around to make sure no one could hear us. There were guards out now that
it was dark. They all seemed on edge. We were breaking rules it seemed, and
that made me happy. They weren’t close enough to hear if I whispered, so I
leaned into Maxon’s ear.
This
time last week, the idea of being this close to him would have enraged me.
“Steer
clear of Celeste and Bariel. They’re beautiful, I know, but they both care more
about the position than they do about you. Be careful.”
“Celeste?
Really! She seems so nice.”
“Of
course she does. She really wants it. But I’ve seen her talk to the other
girls. Trust me, she’s worse than she seems. It’s only been a few days, so
she’s probably doing just fine. But venom like that . . . you can’t hide that
forever.”
“Would
it offend you if I let her stay?” He looked a little nervous. Afraid that he’d
have to let her go before he really knew her.
“No.
Of course not. It’s a very serious decision, and no one should make it for you.
But if you ever ask my honest opinion of a girl, I will always give it to you.
And I’ll let you decide what you do with that. The thing is, Maxon, you can’t
live other people’s lives for them. And yours is so full, I don’t think I’d
even want to try. But I’ll be honest with you.”
“Thank
you, America. I can’t tell you how refreshing that is.”
We
walked in silence for a little while. These quiet moments didn’t feel strained.
I kind of liked them as much as the talking.
“I’m
sorry I called you Maxon. I just forgot. Gosh, if Silvia heard me, I bet I’d
get an earful.”
“Ha!
Maybe worse with Silvia. She’s been around here forever. She’s the one who
trained me.” That seemed funny. The idea of Maxon being taught table manners
like me, as if he wasn’t born with it all already, was strange. “But, how about
we make that part of the deal? Whenever we’re alone, you can call me Maxon.”
“Really?”
“Of
course. It’s nice.”
“Well
won’t these other girls call you Maxon, too? What will your wife call you
then?”
“Hopefully,
she’ll call me My Beloved Rock God Maxon.”
I
doubled over, I was laughing so hard.
“Rock
God?” I choked out.
“For
all you know, I am. I’m not too terrible on a guitar, thank you very much. Of
course, my tutors prefer that I play classical music.”
“That’s
so funny! Sorry. Just caught me off guard there.”
“I’ll
have to do it more often. I like your laugh.”
“Wait!
You said this was part of the deal. What do you want in exchange?” I pulled my
hands from around his arm. If we were striking a deal then I had to look
official.
“Well,
I want to call you something, too. Are you still opposed to being My Dear?”
“Yes!
Very!” I folded my arms, but that only made him laugh.
“Ok,
let’s see then. What’s a good nickname for you? America is quite a
mouthful.” He thought a moment. “What about Amy?”
“Aren’t
you paying attention at all? There’s already an Amy here,” I scolded.
“Drat!
You have to give me a break. There’s only one of me and a gaggle of you.” It
was too dark to tell if he was blushing, but he did look embarrassed.
“I
know everyone’s names.”
“Of
course you do.” His tone implied that he wasn’t surprised in the least. “Ok
then. How about Mer?”
It
hit me like a fist. Like the ‘No’ in the tree house had. It felt like a
physical punch in the stomach to hear that endearment.
“No.
Not that.” My voice was cold, almost empty.
“What’s
wrong? What did I say?” Maxon looked terrified. He definitely needed this
competition to get a woman. He’d be hopeless on his own.
He
had been so honest with me; I chose to be honest with him.
“He
used to call me that. Please don’t . . .”
“Oh.
I’m sorry. Of course not. You have my word.”
We
both stood there, uncomfortable now. He was trying to be playful, but touched
on the one subject that left us both feeling awkward. I had to wonder again
what I was doing here. And he had to be thinking the same thing.
With
all the work he had to do, how many girls here were dying for his affection and
attention, he didn’t have time to waste with me. I could just imagine the
disappointment as he’d missed dinner with them all tonight in favor of learning
about me—the one girl that didn’t matter.
“You
know, I bet it would make everyone happy if you showed up for dessert. They’d
probably be relieved to see you.”
He
sighed, aware I was ending our evening together. “You’re probably right. Thank
you very much for you company this evening.” He bowed to me.
I
curtseyed and said “Your Majesty.” Without meeting his eyes, I rose to leave. I
only managed to get a few steps.
“America,”
he called.
I
stopped a turned. I was absolutely sure I’d pushed his kindness too far. I was
about to go home.
“It’s
Maxon, if you don’t mind.” He smiled.
I
smiled. I surprised myself with how happy I was to still have his friendship.
“Goodnight,
Maxon,” I said and went up to my room.
