The Selection

Chapter 58: We won?

The crowd didn't react the way I thought they would. I expected a full blown out massacre but instead they knelt in a bow once more. Even though this young man that shown me movies, read to my baby, taught me to drive, saved me numerous of time (only so I could rule his people) and ruled the rebels along side the most hated traitors in the country was dead by my hand, they still wanted me as their Queen.

"We did not wish to harm any royalty," A voice erupted, "just like your army was appointed to kill women and children in our villages against their will, we were made to do the same."

A couple more chimed in, a certain remorse filling the air. The voice that spoke out came forward and our eyes clicked. Madden. He moved swiftly through the crowd, his body muscular like it had been the last time I seen him in his little city apartment. I wondered, selfishly, if he had married the girl in his picture.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as he made his way up the steps.

"I knew it would come to this," he answered. "I know you won't listen to any one of these soldiers because you don't know them. But you know me."

"You were a four, you don't need this revolution," I scoffed.

"It doesn't mean it isn't right," he laughed and the crowd began to hoop and holler in response.

"Both the King and Queen had their differences and they used us to settle it. They killed our citizens, our children, our futures and now Ember, you have the choice," he proposed, grabbing my shoulders. "We, as citizens and soldiers of your country, are willing to begin again. We believe you can fix us."

Although the screams burst out for me, I still whispered directly to Madden, "I can't run a country by myself Madden."

"You don't have too. Gabriel will be our King," he whispered back.

"Gabriel's dead."

"Who the hell told you Gabriel is dead?" Madden looked taken aback, "Adam?"

"No, I heard his screams as two rebels took him away. He's gone," I whimpered then composed myself quickly.

"I can assure you he's alive, Ember. We need him almost as much as we need you. You may be the face of this revolution but he will most certainly serve better then Anderson and you can ask any single one of these rebels and they'll tell you that. None of us knew that Olivianna had taken you or that she was planning on killing the royal family. She lied, Ember. You have to believe and help us."

"By getting rid of the caste system? That will help?"

"It can't happen all in one day, they know that," Madden whispered back. He let his arms drop his sides and just as they did, one last gunshot went off and it was aimed for me.

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I awoke in a new bedroom. It was a bedroom fit for a king, literally. My whole home in Carolina would fit inside of it without a problem. The bed had a canopy that hung over it and the wooden headboard was carved with ancient designs. White pillows and comforters were scattered around me and I tried not to look in the large mirror on the ceiling of the bed. My hair was crazy and my shoulder was plastered with a wrap.

  I couldn't describe the room with another word besides, luxurious. The carpet was bleach white and the walls hung beautiful decor that looked as though it should be in a capital museum. There were dressers and vanities, and at the end of the room I could see a master bathroom peeking from behind a large oak door.  

I eyed a canopied crib that caddy-cornered the bed and I prayed that Christian was sleeping soundlessly like any baby would be. I hoped that life would be normal like it should be. Of course, to me it wouldn't. A queen's life isn't something I'm used too. I came from a two bedroom home in the corner of Carolina. I've lost my entire family apart from the one I've made myself. My life would finally be something I make of it instead of the way others want to control it.

"You're awake," Gabriel announced and people fled in the room. Noise echoed throughout the large room and I heard my son wake up from his crib. I smiled as the nurses worked to check my vitals and my shoulder.

"It's fine," I assured the nurses as I stared at Gabriel. Everything was in place, his hair, his suit, everything besides a split lip. The nurses took their cue to leave, taking Christian with them.

"We executed the straggler who shot you," Gabe informed me but it went in one ear and right out the other. His perfect hands smoother over my arm and I realized I had this touch memorized. I realized that I got to keep him forever.

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KING GABRIEL'S POINT OF VIEW

She seemed confused but I ignored the weariness in my bones to tell her what all had happened. Instead, I laid down next to her and wrapped her in my arms, careful not to touch her injured shoulder.

Three days ago, it seemed the whole country of Illea had fallen to the rebels. What my father hadn't informed me before his death was that this wasn't about what was fair and what wasn't, it wasn't about the broken sides of the south because that is a very easy fix. It's about my mother and how much he resented her for not being Lila, then for killing Lila and for having affairs with Lila's husband. What I didn't know was how immature and relentless my father was deep down to put our country on the line for his love life.

The southern "rebels" surrendered under my authority and I've already sent enough troops and package supplies to guard the broken towns. I've also promised industrialization under compromise so sevens AND eights can get jobs other than field work. The "rebels" had been brainwashed by my mother, easily said, and they were told how much the royalty despised them. She gave them hope. She gave them a future. But she never fulfilled a single promise because she was afraid of my father until the second she put a knife in his chest. Thankfully, Ember received the courage to see through the facade and shoot her before a larger impact broke out.

Of course, we lost many innocents that day but yesterday, while Ember was still asleep, Laurie and I arranged a country wide memorial for the hundreds lost. No amount of memorials could forgive what that day had brought. For the "rebels" in charge of the betrayal, they're in worse shape. They'll probably spend a lifetime or two in The Stronghold, because no amount of begging and pleading can take back whom they had listened too.

It will take years to bring down the caste system, maybe even longer to build the trust of my country but I will receive it and I won't have to do it on my own. I have the most wonderful wife a man could ask for. She is so beautiful and so worth every ounce of stress, worry, and pain. She loves so fully for me, she loves so fully for her country. Her intelligence captures every single movement or fracture of time. I yearn to see her smile, her cheeks, her hair. So gently I look up from laying down by her and I stare. I take in every inch of her skin, her scent and soon her taste. She was born to be a queen.

"We won?" Her melodic voice chimes.

I nodded gently in response and at that single moment, she smiled. Not with her soft, full lips but with her eyes. In that moment, I fulfilled my promise that was a heavier task then the country on my shoulders. One day back when, I wished to fill her eyes with happiness. And now I have.

She is my queen.