The One (A Selection Fan Fiction)

Chapter Twelve

"BECAUSE YOU ARE OUR HOPE."

When Maryse told me those five words, it took seconds before I could respond.

And my respond was a question.

"How am I your hope?" I asked. The idea seemed so. . . dubitable; so moot.

How was I their hope when I had little chance of winning of the Selection now that Kriss is far ahead of me?

But she just smiled at me and resumed eating.

I was desperate for answers. So when I requested for a meeting with the Elders, I went straight to the point without any detainment. As soon as I was sure we were complete in the room, I asked them, "Why do you need me?"

"Don't you see, darling?" John, the one that seemed to despise me when we first met, said.

"You were the one who proposed the elimination of the castes. We all look forward to that. But the elimination of the castes is not the only objective we have," Louise, one of the Elders, added.

"Someone told us that the attack on Natalie's family was to make us leave the palace," I said. "Why?"

"That is true. But the answer to your question cannot be apprehended that easily."

I huffed, crossing my arms across my chest. "Well, now that I'm out of the palace, what are you going to do?"

"For now, the Mutineers' goal is to make everyone leave the palace."

I was confused but I kept on searching for answers. "Well, why am I your hope?"

"Because," a man in his mid-thirties said impatiently. "You proposed the idea of the elimination of the castes."

"Well, yes," I said. Now I was impatient, too. "But the king made me almost leave the palace because of that. And now I'm gone, maybe he's enjoying this. But my question is why I am your hope, now that I'm kidnapped and I have little chance of winning. "

"Oh," another woman said. "Well, you are not kidnapped, really, just... under custody." I almost choked. This is custody?

"And I think it is safe to say the prince would not stop searching for you. This, I know. I know how much he loves you just by looking at him. I have been spying since the very beginning of the Selection." Luke limped into the room. Although the Elders looked at him like he should not even be there, he ignored the looks. The Elders just left him alone.

"Is he searching for me now?" I asked. There was no denying that there was a hint of desperation in my voice. But I didn't care. I was beginning to feel guilty after our fight the previous night.

"Of course he is, sweetheart. If he sent guards to the family of the Elite, why not search for the closest friend and the girl he loves the most?" Luke asked like the answer was very obvious.

The girl he loves the most? I cleared my throat and shifted on my seat uncomfortably. But deep inside me, I felt a spark of hope in my heart.

But that hope was killed when the same woman earlier said, "But don't you think he just does all those things for America for publicity, so he would look good on cameras? I mean, he's with someone who was a Five because he only wanted to look good. Don't you think it makes a bit of sense?"

I started thinking this through, trying to ignore the ache in me. I started thinking what Celeste and this woman said.

"You and Maxon go out on days because there are cameras around."

"He's with someone who was a Five because he only wanted to look good."

So Maxon might only be using me?