The Royalty

Chapter 16

Kind of a bonus chapter! This was NOT in The One FanFiction. It's from BOTH Point of Views. Enjoy!

Chapter 16

America's PoV

I fidgeted with my hands as I watched Maxon having stage makeup applied by a maid. It had only been about a week since we'd returned from the South. Maxon and I have been using the techniques from the book everyday, following every single instruction. There hadn't been very much improvement. He was still acting erratically; perfectly fine one minute and scared out of his wits the next.

Tonight, Clarkson was dedicating the Report to Maxon's kidnapping. He wasn't ready. The book had a whole section on triggers, or reminders, in PTSD. This big of a reminder so soon could shatter all of the work we'd done over the past days.

I gave Maxon one last glance before walking over to the king. He was busy talking with a guard. Clarkson looked up as I reached them and he dismissed the guard. "You can't do this," I stated.

He raised his eyebrows quizzically. "What on earth do you mean?"

"The Report. Maxon's not ready. His mind won't be able to handle it. Surely you've noticed how he's been acting lately? Maxon is still getting over it. We need to postpone this until he's strong enough."

Clarkson sighed. "America, there is no postponing this. The country is in uproar. They want answers about their prince. If we do not provide information, there could be chaos."

"No, please," I begged, taking Clarkson's hand, pleading with my eyes. "I don't know what this could mean for him. This whole thing could make him even worse. It could ruin everything. Please, just give me another week. I need to make sure he's strong enough."

"I apologize, but this must go on." He looked truly sorry as he pulled his hand from my grasp and moved to his seat next to Amberly.

I felt my heart sink in my chest. The repercussions of this could be ghastly. Maxon had been trying so hard and it was terrible that his progress could be stopped by an hour in front of a camera.

Arms wrapped around my waist from behind me, pulling me close. "Hello, darling," Maxon murmured into my ear. I closed my eyes and tried to melt into him, but I couldn't, sensing his unease. Reluctantly, I disentangled myself from his arms.

His face was a picture of calm, but his eyes told a different story as they flicked around the room. Maxon's hands trembled ever so slightly. I instinctively reached for them, rubbing my thumbs over his knuckles. "Are you going to be alright?" I asked softly.

He nodded bravely, offering me a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Of course. Who else is going to be the big strong man?" he teased, gently grabbing my skinny arm and wiggling it in the air. "Definitely not you with your adorable, little-girl arms."

I stuck my chin in the air defiantly. "I'm not a little girl."

He laughed. A real, genuine laugh. "Oh no, you're right. You're definitely not a little girl." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "More like a very tiny woman."

I smacked him on the arm and I saw him tense up. The air seemed to suddenly turn cold.

Oh no. I'd just touched the place on his arm where Erika used to cut him. Stupid, stupid stupid! I hadn't even thought about it.

"Oh Maxon, I'm sorry. It totally slipped my mind."

He closed his eyes, breathing shakily and pinching the bridge of his nose. I can't believe I did that! I was going on and on about how the Report would be bad for him, but here I was setting off his symptoms.