Dancing in the Rain

I.d

I'm walking through the gardens, America by my side. We're talking as we walk, America gesturing with her hands like she always does, and I can't help but smile. But something's not right. There's a pain in my left shoulder, and everything sounds far away.

Then, through the fog, a whisper. "How's he doing?" a male voice asked. "He's stabilized," came the reply. "He had quite a nasty wound in the left shoulder. Took 20 stitches after I removed the bullet. His collar bone is fractured."

Ahh. So that explained the pain in my shoulder. I felt myself being pulled from the fog of my dreams, and I blearily opened my eyes. I took in my surroundings. It seemed as if I was in my father's quarters, lying in his massive bed. That was odd. I was attached to a machine that kept beeping every other second, and there was something attached to my finger. I was still wearing my dress pants, but with a loose t-shirt instead of the nice collared shirt I had been wearing before. In the room with me was a doctor, who was talking over some official-looking papers with a man I recognized as one of my father's royal advisors, Stavros. A guard was standing near the door.

"What's happening?" I asked groggily.

"Your Majesty, you're awake!" Stavros exclaimed. He folded the papers and put his hands behind his back. The doctor moved around the bed, clicked a button to make the machine stop beeping, and removed the thing from my finger. "How are you feeling?"

"Confused," I replied honestly. "The last thing I remember happening was..." I trailed off as the memories came flooding back. The banquet hall. The rebels stormed the palace by wearing guards' uniforms. Kriss crying. One of the rebels is trying to shoot America. The panic I felt, the feeling that overcame me as I tried to save her. Her apologizing and trying to stop the bleeding. Me telling that Officer, her ex-boyfriend actually, to keep her safe. Then I must have passed out or something.

"Where's America? Did the guard keep her safe? Where are my parents? What about the rest of the selected? Is everyone safe?" I tried to sit up, but my shoulder screamed in agony whenever I tried to move it.

"Don't, Your Majesty!" the doctor said. "You shouldn't make any sudden movements, or you risk opening the stiches." He took some pillows and helped me prop myself up as Stavros answered my question. "We know that Lady America was able to make it to a safe room, and we're just beginning to open them now. Lady Kriss is recovering with the other Selected in the hospital wing. Most were unharmed." I sighed with relief, thankful that they were safe. I shuddered at the thought of losing America. He hesitated a moment, before adding, "All except Lady Celeste, that is. She was killed in the attacks." I gasped. I had just started to get to know her. The real Celeste, that is. Not the fake person she had tried to be.

"What about my parents?" The doctor and the advisor exchanged a look, neither wanting to answer my question.

"You don't mean..." Their expressions spoke for them. I struggled to take it in, not sure I understood. "I'm so sorry, your Majesty," the doctor said. I shook my head as much as I could manage. "What...what happened?" I dared to ask.

"A rebel had King Clarkson in his sights as they escaped the hall. The Queen tried to stop him, and was killed in the process. The King was killed soon after," the guard said. More like whispered.

This was the only piece of news I'd heard that didn't surprise me. My mother is always selfless and full of love. Was, I corrected myself. I didn't want to think too deeply about what had happened. I had to keep myself busy, I had to do something. The urge to pace was overwhelming, but I could tell I wouldn't be allowed up anytime soon. "Stavros, I'm sure there's plenty of work to be done. I need to plan how we'll share this news with the country, and I have things in my office I need to review. Can you have them sent up here, please?

"Of course, Your Majesty," he replied. "I'll have the butlers bring it up immediately. Anything else?"

"Yes, actually," I said. "Make sure we treat everyone who was injured, physically and mentally. We need to repair the damage the rebels did to the palace as well. And..." I hesitated. "When Lady America and Lady Kriss are able, have them come here to visit me, separately. I need to talk with them."

Stavros nodded and left, and I was left alone with my thoughts. I couldn't stand the thought that my parents were gone, so I pushed it away. I tried to consider how I'd break the news to my country, how I'd have to look put together when in reality I felt myself falling apart. How was I supposed to lead already, without my mother here to guide me, or my father's strict yet sometimes helpful advice? And then there was the Selection to think about. I never asked Kriss to marry me on national television, so I wasn't engaged yet. I'd need to end the Selection and choose a wife as well.

The choice had seemed obvious once I was in a life-or-death situation. My heart had chosen America long ago, and despite how great Kriss was, I could never love her in the same way. I dreaded sending her home after she'd been nothing but kind to me.

Just then, the doors to the room opened. A butler entered, his hands full of the papers he'd retrieved from my desk. "Thank you," I said as he handed them to me. "And keep the doors open when you leave," I added.

For a while, I was lost in my work. People buzzed about as they worked, occasionally reaching out if they needed my opinion on something. I spent some time planning how I'd tell the nation about the day's horrible events, reviewed some budgets, and worked on my plan for ending the caste system. I had to find a way to get rid of the social stigmas associated with each number. I sighed, putting the papers in the drawer beside me, and turned back to the budgets.

It was just then that Stavros came up to me. "Lady Kriss is here, Your Majesty."

I looked up from my papers. Better now then later, I thought. "Tell her I'm ready to see her," I said, as confidently as I could manage. "Would everyone please leave so that I can talk to the lady in private?"