The Selection (Not as it seems)

Coming Home

(Back to America's POV)

I didn't sleep that well. I was to ecstatic to get back to the palace. And Maxon. A memory of him showing another girl, one I can only assume to be Natalie seeing she's the only blonde left in the Elite, an engagement ring resurfaced in my mind. Before I could focus on that I push the thought to the back of my mind. No, going back to the palace will be a good thing.

I wake up every two hours or so. It's not that I was uncomfortable. It was actually a small comfort, it felt like I was a Five back in my house. By the fifth time I woke up I just decided to stay up. The sky was just starting to light up in the break of morning. Georgia was asleep at the desk, and I decide not to wake her.

I debate taking a shower again but I'm almost completely positive my ankle has gotten worse. I glanced at my bandages. I need to change them, the blood came through. Looking at it made me light headed so I decide to readjust my head bandage, and sit on the mattress collecting my thoughts.

I had about fifteen minutes with my thoughts before Georgia woke up.

"Morning." I yawn.

"Morning." she said back energetically. It amazes my how chirpy is in the morning while I have half a mind to fall back asleep.

"How are you so chirpy right now?" I ask yawning again.

"Well I didn't get knocked unconscious yesterday. You're probably just exhausted." she said. She has a point. "Anyways, we'll be leaving for the palace in a bit. First we need to renew your bandages."

I couldn't suppress my smile. In an hour or two I'll be at the palace again. I was ecstatic.

"Okay lets rebandage you." she said, grabbing box from the kitchen. She walks over to the mattress and opens the box to reveal brand-new medical supplies. How did she get these?

"Where did these come from?" I asked, gesturing to the box.

"Oh, I stole them from the palace's medical wing." She said so casually that I had to laugh. "Ok this gel is cold, so brace yourself." she said as she squirted a translucent blue gel on her finger.

I sucked in a breath through my teeth. It really was cold. It was freezing. When she was done, we re-rapped my wounds with brand new bandages.

"Okay, I'm sure the palace will take care of you but you'll need to keep the head bandage on for a week or two, as well as the rib bandage, and the ankle bandage." she said matter-of-factly with a curt nod.

"Okay, okay. Can we go now?" I asked like a middle school girl and we both paraded in laughter.

"Hold on, not so fast. We have to practice your walking skills. Your ankle won't do too good." she said.

"Fine." I replied.

We took ten minutes to try to work my ankle, by trying to get me to walk back and forth. It hurt, bad. Kind of like a burning pain. I couldn't put all of my weight on it so we ended up agreeing to have me limp. With that we both ate an apple just to put food in our system for energy, and decided to start our walk back.

"Oh, hold on, let me get my jacket." She ran to the corner to get her denim jacket with the thousands of flowers printed over it that was hanging on the back of the chair. And we head out the door on our way to the palace.

When we leave the shack I can see from here the river she mentioned in the riddle. We walk through tall grass and since limping is what I have to resort to it was hard. After about five minutes of absolute silence I decided to start conversation.

"So how do you think people will react to me being back in the palace?" I ask. The truth was I was a bit nervous.

"Honestly, I think the only person who wouldn't want you back would be the king." she laughed. "If I didn't know better I would think he was the one who got you kidnapped." I laughed with her. That did seem like something 'His Majesty' would do.