25Hi, everyone! This is my first Selection fic ever, and actually my first fanfic in a while (so I may be a teensy bit rusty writing). I also never write in first person POV, so this story is a bunch of firsts for me! With that said... please, let me know what you think! I'm still getting used to writing in everyone's voice.
I don't own the series or any of the characters. This fic is set after The One but before the bonus short where America reveals she's pregnant to Maxon.
Enjoy!
I woke up to the sound of a steady beeping, and every bone in my body ached. Testing my limbs, I wiggled around and pushed myself up, feeling a wave of dizziness and nausea overcome me. I blinked and looked around. I was in a pristine white room full of technology so advanced I'd never seen it before. I was covered in a paper robe, and my room was empty. So, hospital. I rubbed my head, feeling a hard bump, and winced.
"Hello? Mom? Dad?" I called out, and the door opened to reveal a surprised and very-relieved looking nurse standing in the doorway.
"Your majesty," she said, bowing a little bit. I froze, turning and glancing behind me. Was she talking to me? "I'm very glad to know you're awake. How are you feeling?"
Wordlessly, I nodded, still not sure if she was talking to me or not.
"The King made it very clear he wanted to see you as soon as you woke up. Let me go notify him. I'll be back with the doctor to examine your head in a few minutes." She gently closed the door behind her, and I was out of the bed in a second, trying to figure out how to escape. But as soon as I stood up, my legs wobbled and I fell over, too weak and dizzy to stand up on my own.
The door opened again, but this time a face I never thought I would see in real life peered in at me.
"Prince Maxon?" I yelped from my spot on the floor. Yup, that's it, I know I'm dreaming.
"America!" he rushed to me and helped me up, and I stared at him like the fever dream I knew this had to be. "What are you doing? You need to stay in bed." The same nurse from before and a doctor stood hovering in the doorway.
"I don't have to listen to you," I said, ripping my hand away when I was back in the bed. "You're just a dream. This is all just a dream."
Prince Maxon looked at me like I was crazy.
"Er, your highness," I tacked on.
"America," Maxon said slowly. "This isn't funny."
"I'm not laughing!" I said. I pinched my arm and squeezed my eyes shut. But when I opened them, I was still lying in the same hospital bed, with the prince sitting at my bedside.
I felt my breathing hitch up a notch. "Where's my dad? Where's May? What's going on?"
"I thought you said she was fine," Prince Maxon all but spat to the doctors, and I shrank back.
The nurse shrugged helplessly. "Your majesty - "
"Allow us to finish our examination," the doctor said quietly. "She may have hit her head harder than we initially thought."
The prince looked at me with some unspeakable pain in his eyes. He closed them and took a deep breath before slowly standing and walking out of the room. He didn't look back.
The doctor and nurse let him pass and then were instantly in my face, shining lights in my eyes and lightly touching the bump on my head. They asked me all sorts of questions. What was my name? Who was king? Where did I live?
I answered to the best of my ability. My name - America Singer. The king and queen - Clarkson and Amberly Schreave. Home - Carolina. I added that I was a Five, even though they didn't ask.
The doctor and nurse exchanged an unhappy look, and besides the bump on my head, said I was physically fine. Apparently I'd been unconscious for almost a day, which explained why I felt so stiff and wobbly. They gave me a shot that instantly boosted my energy, and when I stood up I felt like myself except for a slight ache in my head.
The doctor mumbled something about reporting to the king and vanished, leaving the nurse to assist me back into bed.
"How did I get here?" I asked.
"I believe you tripped down the stairs, your majesty," she said. "You tripped over your dress."
I shrugged. That did kind of sound like me. But what dress?
"Please explain to me what's going on," I said. "Why am I in the castle? Was that really the Maxon Schreave? Why does everyone keep calling me your majesty? You know, I still haven't ruled out that this is all just a dream."
The nurse hesitated. "Your majesty-"
"America."
She hesitated. "America," she said finally. "I don't know how to break this to you, but we believe you hit your head hard enough to have amnesia. If I had to guess, you're missing a couple of years of memories. More tests will probably be necessary."
I felt the room start to spin around me. "But - "
She continued. "King Clarkson is no longer king - King Maxon is... and you are his wife, having won the last Selection two years ago. You are the current queen of Illea."
The room seemed to spin even faster, and it opened up and swallowed me whole. My vision went black.
When I woke up again, Aspen was sitting at my side, looking down at me.
"Aspen!" I cried out, lunging forward to hug him. He grabbed me and held me tight for a moment. He pulled back and held me at arm's length for a moment.
"Mer," he said, eyes seeming to drink me in.
"Aspen, you've gotta help me," I said, gripping his arm desperately. "The nurse - she said I was queen? And that I married Maxon Schreave?! I must've hit my head harder than I thought. Please tell me this is a joke."
Aspen shook his head. "The Selection was two years ago," he said, "and you won it."
"But... why did I enter?" I asked, still not getting it. "What about us?"
Aspen sighed. "I encouraged you to enter it. I didn't think you would win."
My mouth felt oddly dry. I trusted Aspen, and if he said two years had passed, then I would believe him. I worried I would pass out again. "My family," I croaked.
"Kenna had a second child. Kota is still an ass, as usual. May lives in Angeles too, but not in the castle. So does your mother."
"My father?"
Aspen lowered his eyes. "He died during your time in the Selection."
I gasped and covered my mouth. Immediately, my eyes welled up with tears.
"This has to be a dream," I said desperately. "I love you. Not anyone else." I couldn't imagine ever loving someone else.
"You don't know how many times I wished to hear you say that," he said quietly. "And I love you too, Mer," he said. He held up his left hand, showing a simple wedding ring. "But not like that. Not anymore. I love Lucy. And so do you, even if you don't remember. Same with Maxon." He pointed to my hand, in which a dazzling ring sat on my finger. I wanted to rip it off and throw it against the wall.
"I'm a guard now," he said, gesturing to his outfit. "I've been stationed outside your door for the past day. I like it here, Mer, and you really do, too."
I shook my head wordlessly, looking down at my hands scrunched in the blankets. "Are my memories ever going to come back?" I asked quietly.
Aspen looked hesitant. "That's a question for the doctor," he said finally, which made my stomach church with fear. He glanced at the door and stood. "I think the King is waiting outside for you. It's time for me to go."
"No!" I shot out and grabbed his hand, and he looked down at it in surprise. "Please," I begged, "I don't know how to handle any of this."
He looked torn, but he looked at the door again and shook his head. "I'll visit you soon when you get released. I'll try to get your family to visit. I'm glad you're okay though, Mer. Figuratively speaking." With that, he carefully tugged back his hand and walked out, and I was left feeling empty.
From behind the closed door, I heard raised voices, and I crept out of bed to listen, using the wall to brace myself.
I could hear Aspen's voice, as well as Prince - er, King - Maxon's. They sounded a little heated, but I couldn't make out any words besides my name. I heard the sound of footsteps growing distant, and then the familiar voice of the nurse from earlier.
"Could be temporary" — "Unsure" — "Two years" — "Permanent" — "America"
I was too wrapped up in the conversation that I didn't notice the footsteps coming towards the door until it swung open. It smacked my arm, and I yelped and tumbled back, only for one of my hands to be grabbed by the king. What felt like a spark shot through me at the contact, and I felt my breathing hitch. If he felt anything, he didn't say as he pulled me up.
"What are you doing?" he asked, eyes narrowed. "You need to be in bed."
I glared right back at him. "You can't tell me what to do," I said. Instantly, I remembered just who I was talking to, and I swallowed and looked down. "Your majesty."
I heard him huff, and when I peeked up at him, he was looking at me with a mixture of amusement and frustration.
"You're still you," he said, sounding a little more awed than I thought was necessary, and then he smiled. "My dear."
I wrinkled my nose up. "Don't call me that either."
He laughed. "How about you drop the 'Your majesty,' and I won't call you my dear?"
"Deal," I said. I stuck out my hand, and he hesitantly took it. The same spark as before was there. I was surprised at how at ease my body was around him.
But as soon as the teasing was gone, I tensed up, feeling suddenly awkward and confused. What was I supposed to say to him? I couldn't tell what was more nerve-wracking to me - the fact that he was king, or that he was my husband and had been so for two years.
I hesitated, and Maxon seemed to notice. He guided me to the bed, and we both sat down. I twiddled with my robe. "I must say, I'm not really sure how to approach this," he admitted. "Do you really not remember anything?"
I shook my head. "Aspen told me that we're married. That I won the Selection two years ago?" I looked at him for confirmation, and he nodded. "I don't remember any of that."
"How old are you?"
"Seventeen."
"So you're still in love with Aspen?" Maxon said abruptly. I turned my head sharply to look at him.
"How do you - ?"
He looked a little sad, but mostly disappointed that I didn't protest his claim. "I know you, America. Even if you don't know me anymore."
I swallowed, determined to change the subject. "What did the doctor say about my memories?"
He looked unhappy that we were changing the subject, but he didn't fight it. "They said we wouldn't exactly know. We have to wait and see if your memories will start to come back. They recommended that we expose you to things that are important to you and were significant in your past."
I clapped my hands together. "Let's start!"
Maxon sighed. "As much as I would love to, I actually have a cabinet meeting I have to head. While you are, ah, indisposed from your duties as queen, we have to divvy up your tasks to make sure they still get done."
It hadn't really sank in before that if I'd married Maxon, the King of Illea, I would also be its queen. It made me feel a little ill.
"Don't worry," Maxon said, seeing the nerves on my face. "I'll give you a couple of days to heal and hope that your memories start coming back. On The Report we're saying you're visiting our allies in Italy for the time being to explain your absence."
I felt the sickness in my stomach grow at the thought of so much responsibility. He patted my hand, and when I tensed, hastily drew it back.
"Marlee and Lucy will be with you the next couple of days to help you with your memories. I think they'll be good ways to remind you of the Selection." I didn't recognize the names, but I chose not to comment on that fact. "But I promise I'll be around as much as I can."
I nodded, suddenly hopeful. "Can I leave the medical center now then?"
"Yes, Marlee and Lucy will be here to help you get dressed and start taking you around the castle. If your head begins to hurt again, or anything feels off, you need to come back here immediately."
I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Mom."
He snorted a little. "The nurse will give you some medicine for the pain when you leave." He checked the time on his watch and groaned. "And I really need to be off. I promise I'll make time to see you tonight."
"I'm looking forward to it," I said, and funnily enough didn't feel any twinge of guilt that told me I was lying.
He grabbed my hand again and pressed a kiss to it, bowing in front of me. "Until then, my dear."
I scowled a little, and he gave me a tiny smirk. Turning and walking away, he paused in the doorway for a moment. "America," he said, his face suddenly serious. "In the Selection you were the one fighting for me. I'm prepared to fight for you now."
I blinked, oddly touched, and forced a trembling smile to my face. He vanished through the doorway, and I could hear him say, "she's all yours, ladies" to someone in the waiting room.
Through the door flew one petite blonde girl, who threw her arms around me as soon as she could. I gave a small 'oof' as she hit me, watching as another blonde walk through the door. She was more subdued and was carrying a heavy stack of clothes, but she looked just as happy to see me.
"I'm so glad you're okay!" The blonde hugging me said. She pulled back and beamed at me, still pressed up against me on the bed.
I stared at her wordlessly, not wanting to offend her by asking for her name.
"King Maxon told us about your memories," the blonde in the doorway said quietly. "I'm Lucy, and that's Marlee."
"I hate to say 'it's nice to meet you,' but that's what it feels like to me," I confessed.
Marlee looked at me, a little disappointed. "You really don't remember us at all? Even now that you see us?"
I squinted at them both for a moment, trying to rack my brain for any familiarity. "I don't think so," I said slowly. "I'm sorry."
Marlee smiled at me again. "It's okay - I know you will eventually. Come on, Lucy, let's get her ready to go." Lucy walked over and set the clothes on the bed.
"Where are we going?"
Marlee and Lucy exchanged smiles. "You'll see," Marlee promised.
I swallowed, a little nervous already, but their excitement was winning me over.
"Then let's do this," I said. It was time for me to find out exactly who I was now and learn just what it was that made me fall in love with Maxon Schreave.
This will be a multi-chapter fic. R&R please! I'd love to get involved in the fandom. :)
