Iย BARELY SLEPT. BETWEEN GETTINGย in so late and the excitement over what was coming, it was impossible. I curled closer to May, comforted by her warmth. Iโd miss her so much once she left, but at least I had the prospect of her living here with me to look forward to.
I wondered who would be leaving today. It didnโt seem polite to ask, so I didnโt; but if pressed, I would guess it was Natalie. Marlee and Kriss were popular with the publicโmore popular than I wasโand Celeste and Elise had connections. I had Maxonโs heart, and that left Natalie without much to hold on to.
I felt bad because I really didnโt have anything against Natalie. If anything, I wished Celeste would go. Maybe Maxon would send her home since he knew how much I disliked her, and he did say he wanted me to be comfortable here.
I sighed, thinking of everything heโd said last night. Iโd never imagined this was possible. How did I, America Singerโa Five, a nobodyโfall for Maxon Schreaveโa One,ย theย One? How did this happen when Iโd spent the last two years bracing myself for life as a Six? A tiny part of my heart throbbed. How would I explain this to Aspen? How would I tell him that Maxon had chosen me and that I wanted to be with him? Would he hate me? The thought made me want to cry. No matter what, I didnโt want to lose Aspenโs friendship. I
couldnโt.
My maids didnโt knock when they came in, which was typical. They always tried to let me rest as long as I could, and after the party, I certainly needed it. But instead of going to prep things, Mary went around to May and gently rubbed her shoulder to wake her.
I rolled over to see Anne and Lucy with a garment bag. A new dress? โMiss May,โ Mary whispered, โitโs time to get up.โ
May slowly roused. โCanโt I sleep?โ
โNo,โ Mary said sadly. โThereโs some important business this morning. You need to go to your parents right away.โ
โImportant business?โ I asked. โWhatโs going on?โ
Mary looked to Anne, and I followed her eyes. Anne shook her head, and that seemed to be the end of it.
Confused but hopeful, I got out of bed, encouraging May to do the same. I gave her a big hug before she went to Mom and Dadโs room.
Once she left, I turned back to my maids. โCan you explain now that sheโs gone?โ I asked Anne. She shook her head. Frustrated, I huffed. โWould it help if I commanded you to tell?โ
She looked at me, a clear solemnity in her eyes. โOur orders come from much higher. Youโll have to wait.โ
I stood at the door to my bathroom and watched them move. Lucyโs hands were shaking as she pulled out fistfuls of rose petals for my bath, and Maryโs eyebrows were knit together as she lined up my makeup and the pins for my hair. Lucy sometimes trembled for no reason at all, and Mary tended to do that with her face when she was concentrating. It was Anneโs look that made me scared.
She was always put together, even in the most frightening and taxing of situations, but today she looked as if her body was full of sand, her whole frame low with worry. She kept stopping and rubbing her forehead as if she could smooth away the anxiety in her face.
I looked on as she pulled my dress out of the garment bag. It was understated, simple โฆ and jet-black. I looked at that dress and knew it could only mean one thing. I started crying before I even knew who I was mourning.
โMiss?โ Mary came to help me. โWho died?โ I asked. โWho died?โ
Anne, steady as ever, pulled me upright and wiped the tears from under my eyes.
โNo one has died,โ she said. But her voice wasnโt comforting; it was commanding. โBe grateful for that when this is all over. No one died today.โ
She gave me no further explanation and sent me straight to my bath. Lucy tried to keep herself under control; but when she finally broke into tears, Anne asked her to go get me something light to eat, and she jumped on the command obediently. She didnโt even curtsy as she left.
Lucy eventually returned with some croissants and apple slices. I wanted to sit and eat slowly, stretching out my time, but one bite was all it took for me to know that food was not my friend today.
Finally Anne placed my name pin on my chest, the silver shining beautifully against the black of my dress. There was nothing left for me to do but face this unimaginable fate.
I opened my door but found myself frozen. Turning back to my maids, I breathed out my fear. โIโm scared.โ
Anne put her hands on my shoulders and spoke. โYou are a lady now, miss. You must handle this like a lady.โ
I gave a small nod as she released me, unclenched my hands from the door, and walked away. I wish I could have said my head was high; but honestly, lady or not, I was terrified.
To my immense surprise, when I reached the foyer, the rest of the girls were waiting, all wearing dresses and expressions similar to my own. A wave of relief hit me. I wasnโt in trouble. If anything, we all were, so at least I wouldnโt be going through whatever this was alone.
โThereโs the fifth,โ a guard said to his counterpart. โFollow us, ladies.โ
Fifth? No, that wasnโt right. It was six. As we walked down the stairs, I quickly scanned the girls. The guardย wasย right. Only five. Marlee wasnโt here.
My first thought was that Maxon had sent Marlee home, but wouldnโt she have come by my room to say good-bye? I tried to think of a relationship between all this secrecy and Marleeโs absence, and nothing I came up with made sense.
At the bottom of the stairs, an assembly of guards waited, along with our families. Mom, Dad, and May seemed anxious. Everyone did. I looked at them, hoping for some sort of clarity, but Mom shook her head while Dad gave me a shrug. I scanned the uniformed men for Aspen. He wasnโt there.
I saw a pair of guards escorting Marleeโs parents to the back of our line. Her mother was hunched with worry, and she leaned into her husband, his face heavy, as if he had aged years in a single night.
Wait. If Marlee was gone, why were they here?
I turned as a burst of light flooded the foyer. For the first time since Iโd been at the palace, the front doors were both opened wide, and we were paraded outside. We crossed the short circular driveway and headed past the massive walls that fenced us into the grounds. As the gates creaked open, the deafening sound of a massive crowd greeted us.
A large platform had been set up in the street. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people were crowded together, children sitting on the shoulders of their parents. Cameras were positioned around the platform, and production people were running in front of the crowds, capturing the scene. We were led to a small section of stadium seats, and the crowd cheered for us as we walked out. I could see the shoulders of every girl in front of me relax as the people in the streets called out our names and threw flowers at our feet.
I lifted my hand in a wave as people called my name. I felt so silly for worrying. If the people were this happy, then nothing bad could be happening. The staff at the palace really needed to rethink the way they handled the Elite. All that anxiety for nothing.
May giggled, happy to be a part of the excitement, and I was relieved to see her back to herself. I tried to keep up with all the well-wishers, but I was distracted by the two odd structures waiting on the platform. The first was a ladder-like contraption in the shape of anย A; the second was a large wooden block with loops on either end. With a guard at my side, I climbed into my seat in the middle of the front row and tried to figure out what was going on.
The crowd erupted again as the king, queen, and Maxon emerged. They too were dressed in dark clothes and wore sober expressions. I was close to Maxon, so I turned his way. Whatever was happening, if he looked at me and smiled, I knew it would be fine. I kept willing him to glance at me, to give me some sort of acknowledgment. But Maxonโs face was hard.
A moment later the crowdโs cheers turned into cries of disdain, and I turned to see what made them so unhappy.
My stomach twisted as I watched my world shatter.
Officer Woodwork was being dragged out in chains. His lip was bleeding, and his clothes were so dirty he looked like heโd spent the night rolling in mud. Behind him, Marleeโher beautiful angel costume lacking its wings and covered in grimeโwas also in chains. A suit coat covered her hunched shoulders, and she squinted into the light. She took in the massive crowd, finding my eyes for a split second before she was pulled forward again. She searched once more, and I knew who she was seeking out. To my left, I saw Marleeโs parents watching, gripping each other tightly. They were visibly crushed, gone from this place, as if their very hearts had abandoned them.
I looked back to Marlee and Officer Woodwork. The anxiety in their faces was obvious, yet they walked with a certain pride. Only once, when Marlee tripped over the hem of her dress, did that veneer crack. Beneath it, terror awaited.
No. No, no, no, no, no.
As they were led up onto the platform, a man in a mask began speaking. The crowd hushed for him. Apparently, thisโwhatever it was
โhad happened before, and the people here knew how to respond. But I didnโt; my body lurched forward, and my stomach heaved. Thank goodness I hadnโt eaten.
โMarlee Tames,โ the man called, โone of the Selected, a Daughter of Illรฉa, was found last night in an intimate moment with this man, Carter Woodwork, a trusted member of the Royal Guard.โ
The crierโs voice was full of an inappropriate amount of self- importance, as if he was reciting the cure for some deadly disease. The crowd booed again at his accusations.
โMiss Tames has broken her vow of loyalty to our prince Maxon! And Mr. Woodwork has essentially stolen property of the royal family through his relations with Miss Tames! These offenses are treason to the royal family!โ He was shrieking out his statements, willing the crowd to agree. And they did.
But how could they? Didnโt they know this was Marlee? Sweet, beautiful, trusting, giving Marlee? She made a mistake, maybe, but nothing deserving of this much hatred.
Carter was being strapped up to the A-shaped frame by another masked man, his legs spread wide and his arms pulled into a position that mimicked the structure. Padded belts were wrapped around his waist and legs, tightened to a point that looked uncomfortable even from here. Marlee was forced to kneel in front of the large wooden block as a man ripped the coat from her back. Her wrists were bound down to the loops on either side, palms up.
She was crying.
โThis is a crime punishable by death! But, in his mercy, Prince Maxon is going to spare these two traitors their lives. Long live Prince Maxon!โ
The crowd chanted after the man. If I had been in my right mind, I would have known I was supposed to call out, too, or at least applaud. The girls around me did, and so did our parents, even if they were in shock. But I wasnโt paying attention. All I saw were Marleeโs and Carterโs faces.
We had been given front-row seats for a reasonโto show us what would happen if we made such a stupid mistakeโbut from here, not more than twenty feet from the platform, I could see and hear everything that really mattered.
Marlee was staring at Carter, and he was looking right back at her, craning his neck to do so. The fear was unmistakable, but there was also this look on her face, as if she was trying to reassure him that he was worth all this.
โI love you, Marlee,โ he called to her. It was barely audible over the crowd, but it was there. โWeโre going to be okay. Itโll be okay, I
promise.โ
Marlee couldnโt speak in her fear, but she nodded back at him. In that moment, all I could think of was how beautiful she looked. Her golden hair was messy and her dress a disaster, and sheโd lost her shoes at some point; but, my God, she looked radiant.
โMarlee Tames and Carter Woodwork, you are both hereby stripped of your castes. You are the lowest of the low. You are Eights!โ
The crowd cheered, which seemed wrong. Werenโt there any Eights standing here who hated being referred to that way?
โAnd to inflict upon you the shame and pain you have brought on His Majesty, you will be publicly caned with fifteen strikes. May your scars remind you of your many sins!โ
Caned? What did that even mean?
My answer came a second later. The two masked men who had bound Carter and Marlee pulled long rods out of a bucket of water. They swiped them in the air a few times, testing them out, and I could hear the sticks whistling as they cut at the air. The crowd applauded this warm-up with the same frenzy and adoration they had just given the Selected.
In a few seconds, Carterโs backside would be humiliatingly struck, and Marleeโs precious hands โฆ
โNo!โ I cried. โNo!โ
โI think Iโm going to be sick,โ Natalie whispered as Elise made a weak moan into her guardโs shoulder. But nothing stopped.
I stood up and lunged toward Maxonโs seat, falling over my fatherโs
lap.
โMaxon! Maxon, stop this!โ
โYou have to sit down, miss,โ my guard said, trying to wrangle me
back into my chair.
โMaxon, I beg you, please!โ โItโs not safe, miss!โ
โGet off me!โ I yelled at my guard, kicking him as hard as I could.
Try as I may, he held on tight.
โAmerica, please sit down!โ my mother urged.
โOne!โ cried the man on the stage, and I saw the cane fall on Marleeโs hands.
She let out the most pathetic whimper, like a dog that had been kicked. Carter made no sound.
โMaxon! Maxon!โ I yelled. โStop it! Stop it, please!โ
He heard me; I knew he did. I saw him slowly close his eyes and swallow one time, as if he could push the sound out of his head.
โTwo!โ
Marleeโs cry was pure anguish. I couldnโt imagine her painโand there were still thirteen more strikes to go.
โAmerica, sit!โ Mom insisted. May was between her and Dad, her face averted, her cries almost as pained as Marleeโs.
โThree!โ
I looked at Marleeโs parents. Her mother buried her head in her hands, her fatherโs arms wrapped around her, as if he could protect her from everything they were losing in that moment.
โLet me go!โ I yelled at my guard to no avail. โMAXON!โ I screamed. My tears were blurring my vision, but I could see him enough to know heโd heard me.
I looked at the other girls. Shouldnโt we do something? Some appeared to be crying, too. Elise was bent over, a palm pressed to her forehead, looking as if she might pass out. No one seemed angry though. Shouldnโt they be?
โFive!โ
The sound of Marleeโs shrieks would haunt me for the rest of my life. Iโd never heard anything like it. Or the sickening echo of the crowd cheering it on, as if this was merely entertainment. Or Maxonโs silence, allowing this to happen. Or the crying of the girls around me, accepting it.
The only thing that gave me any sort of hope was Carter. Even though he was sweating from the trauma and shaking with pain, he managed to pant out comforting words to Marlee.
โItโll be โฆ over soon,โ he managed. โSix!โ
โLove โฆ you,โ he stammered.
I couldnโt handle this. I tried to claw at my guard, but his thick sleeves protected him. I shrieked as he gripped me tighter.
โGet your hands off my daughter!โ Dad yelled, pulling the guardโs arms. With that space, I wiggled myself until I was facing him and thrust my knee up as hard as I could.
He let out a muffled cry and fell back, my dad catching him on the way down.
I hopped over the railing, clumsy in my dress and heeled shoes. โMarlee! Marlee!โ I screamed, running as quickly as I could. I almost got to the steps; but two guards caught up with me, and that was a fight I couldnโt win.
From the angle behind the stage, I saw that theyโd exposed Carterโs backside, and his skin was already torn, pieces hanging sickeningly. Blood was trickling down, ruining what used to be his dress pants. I couldnโt imagine the state of Marleeโs hands.
The thought sent me into an even deeper hysteria. I screamed and kicked at the guards, but all that accomplished was the loss of one of my shoes.
I was dragged inside as the man cried out for the next strike, and I didnโt know whether to be grateful or ashamed. On the one hand, I didnโt have to see it all; on the other, I felt like Iโd abandoned Marlee in the worst possible moment of her life.
If I had been a true friend, wouldnโt I have done better than that? โMarlee!โ I screamed. โMarlee, Iโm sorry!โ But the crowd was so
frenzied, and she was crying so much, I didnโt think she heard me.