The Elite

bra, praying that no one would notice.

Our reception went on much longer than the first, and I suspected it was because our guests were too happy to actually leave. Still, for as lengthy as it was, the whole thing passed in a blur.

Hours later, I headed back to my room completely worn out. I was much too full to even think about dinner, and though it was early in the evening, the idea of going straight to bed was very appealing.

Before I could even look at my bed, however, Anne walked up to me with a surprise. I gasped and took the letter from her hand immediately. I had to give the postal workers at the palace credit; they were very fast.

I tore open the envelope and went to the balcony, soaking up my father’s words and the last few rays of sunshine at the same time.

DEAR AMERICA, YOU’LL NEED TO WRITE A LETTER TO MAY SOON. WHEN SHE SAW THIS WAS INTENDED FOR MY EYES ONLY, SHE WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED. I HAVE TO SAY, I WAS A LITTLE CAUGHT OFF GUARD MYSELF. I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WAS EXPECTING, BUT CERTAINLY NOT WHAT YOU ASKED.

FIRST, IT’S TRUE. WHEN WE CAME TO VISIT, I SPOKE WITH MAXON, AND HE WAS VERY CLEAR ABOUT HIS INTENTIONS TOWARD YOU. I DON’T THINK HE HAS IT IN HIM TO BE LESS THAN GENUINE, AND I BELIEVED (AND STILL DO) THAT HE CARES ABOUT YOU VERY MUCH. I THINK IF THE WHOLE PROCESS WAS SIMPLER, HE’D HAVE CHOSEN YOU ALREADY. PART OF ME THINKS THE SLOWNESS IS ON YOUR SIDE. AM I WRONG?

THE SIMPLE ANSWER IS YES. I APPROVE OF MAXON, AND IF YOU WANT TO BE WITH HIM, I SUPPORT THAT. IF YOU DON’T, I SUPPORT THAT, TOO. I LOVE YOU, AND I WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY. MAYBE THAT MEANS YOU LIVE IN OUR SCRUBBY LITTLE HOUSE INSTEAD OF A PALACE. I’M FINE WITH THAT.

AS FOR YOUR OTHER QUESTION, I HAVE TO SAY YES TO THAT, TOO.

AMERICA, I KNOW YOU DON’T SEE MUCH IN YOURSELF, BUT YOU NEED TO START.

WE TOLD YOU FOR YEARS YOU WERE TALENTED, BUT YOU DIDN’T BELIEVE IT UNTIL YOUR BOOKINGS WENT UP. I REMEMBER THE DAY YOU SAW THE FULL WEEK AND KNEW IT WAS BECAUSE OF YOUR VOICE AND THE WAY YOU PLAY, AND YOU WERE SO PROUD. IT WAS LIKE YOU WERE SUDDENLY AWARE OF EVERYTHING YOU COULD DO. AND WE’VE SAID FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, BUT I’M NOT SURE YOU EVER TRULY SAW YOURSELF THAT WAY UNTIL YOU WERE PICKED FOR THE SELECTION.

YOU HAVE IT IN YOU TO LEAD, AMERICA. YOU HAVE A GOOD HEAD ON YOUR SHOULDERS; YOU ARE WILLING TO LEARN; AND, PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU SHOW COMPASSION. THAT IS SOMETHING PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY YEARN FOR MORE THAN YOU KNOW.

IF YOU WANT THE CROWN, AMERICA, TAKE IT. TAKE IT. BECAUSE IT SHOULD BE YOURS.

AND YET … IF YOU DON’T WANT THAT BURDEN, I COULD NEVER BLAME YOU. I WOULD WELCOME YOU HOME WITH OPEN ARMS. I LOVE YOU.

DAD The tears spilled out quietly. He genuinely thought I could do it. He was the only one. Well, he and Nicoletta.

Nicoletta!

I’d forgotten completely about the note. I fished inside my dress and pulled it out. It was a telephone number. She didn’t even put her name on it.

I couldn’t imagine how much she was risking to make that offer.

I held the tiny piece of paper and the letter from my dad in my hands. I thought of Aspen’s certainty that I couldn’t be a princess. I remembered the last-place spot in the public poll. I thought of Maxon’s cryptic promise earlier this week ….

I closed my eyes and tried to search within myself.

Could I really do this? Could I be the next princess of Illea?

CHAPTER 20

THE DAY AFTER THE ITALIAN reception we gathered in the Women’s Room after breakfast. The queen was absent, and none of us knew what that meant.

“I bet she’s helping Silvia write up the final report,” Elise guessed.

“I don’t think she’s supposed to have much of a say,” Kriss countered.

“Maybe she’s hung over,” Natalie offered as she pressed her fingers to her temples.

“Just because you are doesn’t mean she is,” Celeste spat.

“She might not be feeling well,” I said. “She tends to get sick a lot.”

Kriss nodded. “I wonder why that is.”

“Didn’t she grow up in the South?” Elise asked. “I hear the air and water aren’t very clean down there. Maybe it’s because of how she was raised.”

“I hear everything is bad below Sumner,” Celeste added.

“She’s probably just resting,” I interjected. “There’s a Report tonight, and she simply wants to be ready. She’s smart. It’s barely ten, and I need a nap.”

“Yeah, we should all take naps,” Natalie said wearily.

A maid entered with a small platter and walked quietly across the room, almost too nimble to be noticed.

“Wait,” Kriss said. “You don’t think they’ll talk about the reception stuff on the Report, do you?”

Celeste groaned. “I hated that stupid thing. You and America lucked out.”

“You’re joking, right? Do you have any …”

Kriss’s words dropped off as the maid stopped just to my left, revealing a small, folded note on the platter.

I felt everyone’s eyes on me as I tentatively picked up the letter and read it.

“Is that from Maxon?” Kriss asked, trying not to seem as interested as she was.

“Yes.” I didn’t look up.

“What’s it say?” she probed.

“That he needs to see me for a moment.”

Celeste laughed. “Sounds like you’re in trouble.”

I sighed and stood to follow the maid from the room. “Guess there’s only one way to find out.”

“Maybe he’s finally kicking her out,” Celeste whispered loudly enough for me to hear.

“You think?” Natalie asked a little too excitedly.

A chill went through me. Maybe he was kicking me out! If he wanted to talk to me or spend time with me, wouldn’t he have said it differently?

Maxon was waiting in the hallway, and I walked up timidly. He didn’t look upset, but he did seem tense.

I braced myself. “So?”

He took my arm. “We have fifteen minutes. What I’m about to show you, you can’t share with anyone. Do you understand?”

I nodded.

“All right then.”

We darted up the stairs, all the way to the third floor. Gently but quickly, Maxon pulled me down the hallway to a set of white double doors. “Fifteen minutes,” he reminded.

“Fifteen minutes.”

He took a key out of his pocket and unlocked one of the doors, holding it open so I could go in before him. The room was wide and bright, with lots of windows and two doors opening onto a balcony along the wall. There was a bed, a massive armoire, and a table with chairs; but other than that the room was empty. No paintings on