#maxongangsecretsanta

[evenbechnaesheiiim]

Hello fullmetal-libero, I’m your maxon gang secret santa also known as maxon lover, sorry for taking so long( i was traveling), but here goes your cute fluffy maxerica fanart :)

[lourveless]

SECRET SANTA PRESENT!!!

Hello~ This is a secret santa present for rubystewrt! Sorry this is a bit -okay, really- late, we went away for christmas and the fic took a bit longer than I expected. I read Free, your Selection fic with a gay Eadlyn, and I decided to continue it since I am totally in love with Eadlyn being totally in love with girls, and since you'd already written about it I thought you'd be okay with the whole gay thing. 

(There are a few details with the Capital Report that I missed because I don't own copies of the books, but I hope it's accurate enough.)

But anyway, I hope you like the fic and I hope you had a fabulous Christmas!

xx

It was the morning of the announcement, and as my maids rushed about preparing for it I reflected on what had happened a few days ago, when I had told my parents. Mum and dad had been surprised at first. They'd never considered it. A princess who was an heir was uncommon, but one that liked girls... It was unheard of. 

Ahren hadn't cared. I'd told him on the evening of our fifteenth birthday, after I'd been forced to dance with some of the male heirs from neighbouring countries that mum and dad had invited to the party. The boys had smiled and flirted and kissed my hand in greeting and goodbye, but all I was thinking about was the end of the song and how gross their sweaty palms and greasy faces were. Ahren had laughed when I'd told him that, and had shrugged when I'd confessed that I preferred girls.

"I prefer girls, too," he'd said. "So what?"

I had known Ahren would be okay with it, but judging how mum and dad would react was a lot harder. It had taken me three years after that to work up the courage to tell them, and even then they'd had to put me on the spot with their "we're giving you a selection" talk to get me to spill my secret.

They were shocked at first, but were okay with it now. I told them it was okay to spread the word, and now most of the castle knows; but there's still the announcement to the rest of the country left to go.

Which is today.

And I'm dreading it.

"You okay, miss?" asks Hannah, my head maid; a serious girl with whispy brown hair parted on the side, dark brown eyes and a button nose. She finishes twiddling with my dress and steps back to admire it, my other two maids, Wendy and Jordan, standing next to her. The dress is new, made specially for this brief announcement, and is thankfully rather loose and only goes down to my knees. Unfortunately, that 'requires' a good pair of shoes, and Jordan had taken joy in picking out a pair of black heels. The dress itself is a deep purple, and brings out the small amethysts in the tiara Hannah had insisted I wear.

"You look gorgeous, princess," Jordan chirps, beaming. "Illéa will love you."

"They might not like my choice of partner--" I start, nervousness bubbling up again, but Hannah gives me an insistent 'shhh' and all three girls step forward to embrace me. 

"Nobody will care," Jordan points out. "Smile. You're getting a selection. You want to look super hot so all the girls love you."

"Thanks, Jordan, and thanks, girls," I say, smiling like Jordan told me to, and then comes a knock at the door, which Wendy rushes over to open. Ahren walks in, in a neat dress shirt and a pair of black dress pants. 

"My god, sister, you look hideous," her twin says, making a face. "Especially your height. You're naturally shorter, it should stay that way."

I relax at the sight of Ahren, and my forced smile becomes a real one. "I suppose I'll have to spend another five hours choosing another dress, then, if I look that ugly."

Ahren's teasing expression becomes one of alarm, and I laugh, walking over to him and giving him a hug. 

"You okay?" Ahren mumbles, and I nod. He holds me for a few moments before pulling back, smiling at me, and I try matching his smile, despite how uneasy I feel. 

"Good luck, Miss Eadlyn," Wendy says, speaking for the first time in a while.

"Thanks, Wen," I say, and Ahren gives the girls a little wave goodbye before leading me out of my room and over to the room where the announcement's being held.

xx

Mum and dad are there, dad in a discussion with the camera crew and mum standing next to him, and I smile as I see them. The host of the Illéa Capital Report is there too. The job's now held by a woman named Cynthia, happy and bright and bubbly, and now, coming over to greet me and my brother.

"Princess!" She exclaims, kissing both my cheeks and pulling me into a hug before I can protest. Ahren smirks, and then she lets go of me and turns to him, embracing him too, and it's my turn to grin at his discomfort.

"Your parents have told me all about your decision," Cynthia gushes as she steps away from Ahren, turning back to me. "And I'll have you know that I'm perfectly okay with it, it doesn't matter, really; my aunt was gay, too, you know--"

"No," I interrupt before she can go on, "I don't know, and it doesn't matter, like you said."

She's surprised that I interrupted her, but smiles and says "of course," before going back to the cameramen to fuss over lighting and camera angles and... camera-y stuff.

"No need to be rude, sister," Ahren chides, but shuts up when he sees my stormy expression. This was what I was worried about with coming out - of people 'reassuring' me that they were 'okay with who i am' because 'it doesn't matter, and--'

No. No 'and's. It doesn't matter. So don't say anything about it.

Mum and dad seem to have finished talking to the film crew, and come over to hug us both. 

"You still okay about this?" Dad, who's giving the announcement, asks me gently, and I nod. The more people ask me that, the more I'm confident with my answer. 

"You look gorgeous," mum tells me, smiling. "And so do you, Ahren. You both look incredibly grown up."

"Good," I say, and Ahren grins. 

Cynthia motions for us to come over, and all four of us do; she points at us and tells us where and how to sit on a couch she's prepared for us, and I'm bored out of my mind by the time they start filming the report, which is probably a good thing, because I'm not as nervous as I might've been when dad makes the announcement. It's quick, and simple - "a selection of thirty-five girls will be taking place in a few weeks. Normally, the firstborn son will host this selection, but instead, our firstborn CHILD, our daughter, has chosen to do so, and she was perfectly fine to stick with the girls" or something like that, and I'm in a daze when mum leads me out of the room. 

"The whole country knows now," I say, trying to absorb the shock of it.

"Yes, but they will accept it," says mum. "They have accepted the removal of the castes, they have proven that they can go through anything, now. And like your brother said, it doesn't matter."

I smile at her, and she beams back.

xx

There is shock at first, like with my parents. Magazines and media pounc on the news like lions, vying for interviews, comments, photos... Anything. Rumors are spread of girls being seen sneaking into the castle, which is absolutely ridiculous, and the application forms for the selection are sent out. I'm so worried that nobody would apply, but girls do; a few days after they are sent, applications start flooding back in, and Ahren and I throw a small party with the maids to celebrate. The castle bursts into preparations, and the media finally joins the excitement, boasting that this would be the most thrilling selection yet, and Wendy presents every article to me with pride. 

A few weeks later, the girls are chosen and planes fly out to each province to collect them, and my maids order an unimaginable amount of fabric to sew the most gorgeous dresses for me to wear. The day of the commencement of the selection is soon upon me, and my maids spend hours washing, shaving, cleaning, plucking and dressing me until even Jordan is whistling when she sees the product of their work.

"Damn, princess," she says, looking me up and down. "You look hot."

"Thanks to you lot," I say, smiling so hard i must look like a complete idiot. 

Mum comes to collect me this time, in a dress of pale blue that goes nicely with mine of pale gray, and leads me to the hallway. I hold her hand tightly, and she squeezes it. She's smiling as much as I am, and when I see them, dad and Ahren are too; they're all so happy for me, and as a family we are bursting with joy.

The palace doors open and the first lot of girls come in, some in plain clothes and others dressed up more. I can still see the outlines of the castes - it hasn't been long since their removal, and there will always be a difference between the rich and the poor - but I don't care, not one bit.

My selection has started, and I feel like jumping up and down and shrieking like an idiot.

[winnieeastwood]

Hi this is my secret santa gift for laurosnes! It's a high school theatre/musical AU of the selection! I know it doesn't seem like a lot now but I'm going to be posting more from time to time! Hope you like it!

------------------------------------------------------------

     "Marlee please don't make me do this."

     "America come on. You're the best singer in the school!" 

     "But I can't dance or act! How do you expect me to be in a musical?" 

     "All I'm asking is that you audition with me. It'll be fun! Besides. It'll give you a chance to get away from your mom." 

     "You've got a good point. But why can't I just do costumes or makeup or something?" 

     "America. Please. I'm pretty sure that's the third day in a row I've seen you wear those pants and the only time I've witnessed you put on a dress was when Kenna got married. Something tells me that you have to be willing to touch a skirt if you're going to be making ballgowns. Besides. Lucy, Anne, and Mary are already on costumes and they don't need any more help." 

      Well. I couldn't argue with that logic. "Fine. I'll audition with you. At least Cinderella is a blonde and not a red-head. There's no way they'll stray from tradition. If I'm lucky I'll end up being cast as a mouse or something."

     "Yay! You won't regret it I prooomise! We'll get to hang out almost every day! Your mom can't say no to letting you out of the house for school things. This is perfect! I can't wait!" I was pretty sure if she smiled any bigger her face was going to crack, "Oh! Gotta go! There's Carter! I'll text you later!" 

------------------

      The next week flew by and then it was audition day. It was actually a lot more simple than I thought it was going to be. All I had to do was say my name and then sing for thirty seconds. Unfortunately no one else was allowed in the room during auditions so it was just me and the directors. 

     Sylvia is probably one of the most uptight adults I've ever met in my life. She likes everything to be in perfect order. I guess that's why she's the music director. You can guarantee no one will e going flat or sharp in her show. Gavril is her complete opposite. He's outgoing and spontaneous and can make anybody laugh. He's the director director and has a reputation around the school of getting anybody to come out of their shells onstage. After I finished he gave me a grin almost as big as Marlee's had been. 

----------------

     "??????????" That was all the text from Marlee said. 

     "Fine. Good? I don't know. I've never done this. They smiled. So that was good."

     ":D Im sure u wer the best!! Now the hrd part. Waiting. :(" 

------------------

     Two weeks later and Marlee was dragging me by the wrist through the swarm of people around the cast list. 

     "Marlee slow down! Why can't we just wait until there's not as many people?" 

     "That's no fun! This is the most exciting part of a show. Now hurry UP!" 

     Three minutes later with my arm feeling like it was about to fall off we finally made it to the front of the crowd.

     "I think I just counted seven crying girls. Is this normal? I don't know if I'm ready for this. Can I go back to my piano? Hello? Marlee? Huh. I think this is the quietest I've ever heard you. Well. Other than when Carter asked you out. I thought you were gonna faint. Marlee?"

     Marlee turned towards me with a ridiculous grin on her face. 

     "What?" I asked hesitantly.

    "See for yourself," she said pointing to the top of the cast list. 

     I followed her finger to where it said Cinderella- America Singer. 

     "No. No that can't be right. I can't be Cinderella. I don't WANT to be Cinderella," I couldn't believe it. I didn't even want to audition and I got stuck with the lead? The romantic lead? Oh. 

     "Maxon Schreave? Principal Clarkson's son? He's the prince?" I've never spoken a single word to Maxon. Anytime I see him he looks so uptight. I'm surprised he even has time to do a musical with all the hours he probably spends ironing his shirts. 

      "You gotta admit he's really cute. I had PE with him junior year and mmmm those arms," Marlee said with a sigh, "Of course. Carter is just as strong. I mean. He's training to go into the Marines so he has to be," she got that dazed expression she always has when she's thinking about Carter, "I'm sure it won't be that bad. You never know. You might end up actually enjoying his company." 

     "I don't know Marlee," I said with a huge sigh, "I don't think there's any way I could 'be in love' with someone who has that many different colored ties." 

     "Well," Marlee stated with a weird look in her eye, "I guess we'll see now won't we?" 

[eadlynschreaveofillea]

Merry Christmas mydearschreave ! I'm sorry this came a bit late. Making a video was harder than I thought. I have a lot of respect for the people who make this. Anyway, so this doesn't seem like a bunch of clips, think of this as America looking back at her entire relationship with Maxon. I hope you like it!

Audio: "This Love" by Taylor Swift No copyright infringement intended.

[ahren-eadlyn-blog]

MAXON GANG SECRET SANTA PRESENT

HI THIS IS MY SECRET SANTA GIFT FOR aneklusmos ! ITS A ONE SHOT ABOUT CHRISTMAS AT THE PALACE :D (I didn't include some stuff though so it might not be as realistic as it should be, sorry) ITS IN THE POV OF AMERICA AND THE TWINS ARE ABOUT 7 YEARS OLD JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND. ALSO MY WRITING SUCKS AND THIS IS MY FIRST ONE SHOT SO YEAAH HERE WE GOOOOO

            I sipped my hot cocoa as Maxon flitted about, arranging and rearranging ribbons, lights, and ornaments.

            “I think everything’s alright, dear,” I laughed as Maxon rearranged the ornaments on the large fir Christmas tree yet again.

            “Everything has to be perfect for our little angels. They’ve been especially good this year,” Maxon replied distractedly as he continued making adjustments.

            The palace looked magnificent. The never ending halls were lined with garlands of holly. The Great Hall was adorned with fragrant wreaths and twinkling strings of light. The tables were decorated with arrangements of scarlet poinsettias. All the staff had helped decorate the palace and everyone was buzzing with excitement. You could always hear the maids whistling a holiday tune, or see the guards admiring the decorations. The scent of roast turkey wafted throughout the palace, a sneak peek of Christmas dinner. However, the Christmas tree was the most impressive.

            The 50 foot tall balsam fir was strung with dazzling lights and ribbons. Shiny red and gold ornaments were hung on the branches. The fragrance of the tree dominated the room, making everyone stop and inhale the holiday scent. Presents of all shapes and sizes were scattered beneath and a brilliant gold star tipped the tree.

            “I’m sure Eadlyn and Ahren would agree that the tree is perfect, now come sit and relax, your cocoa is getting cold,” I reassured Maxon. He placed a final ornament on a branch and lowered himself into an armchair beside me. He smiled at me sheepishly as he grabbed his mug of cocoa and took a sip.

            “I just want the twins to be happy,” he explained. I nodded in understanding. He did everything he could to please the kids, he loved them very much.

            “They will be. Didn’t you see them earlier? They were so excited they refused to go to bed!” I laughed. “Everything will be spectacular thanks to your hard work.”

            “Thanks, darling,” he beamed.

            “It’s getting late, we should get some sleep. Our babies will be shaking us awake as soon as the sun is up!” I suggested. Maxon agreed and we climbed the stairs and crawled into bed, holding each other tight.

            “Goodnight America. Sweet dreams darling,” Maxon whispered into my ear.

            “Goodnight Maxon,” I replied as I drifted off to sleep.

  ~

              “MOM! DAD!” I felt the bed shake as two small bodies bounced up and down.

            “CAN WE OPEN OUR PRESENTS?” I heard a young girl’s voice yell, pulling me out of my sleep. I opened my eyes to Eadlyn and Ahren shaking us awake.

            “Whoa slow down there!” Maxon exclaimed, as Ahren grabbed a handful of his hair and tugged.

            “Sorry, daddy,” Ahren blushed as he backed off and sat on his feet. It was seven in the morning and the twins were bright-eyed and fully awake, their faces were lit with excitement.

            “Come on, we can go downstairs together,” I said as I got out of bed. The twins cheered and jumped on our backs, Ahren on mine, and Eadlyn on Maxon’s. We carried them down the stairs, to the towering Christmas tree.  As we neared the last few steps, the twins jumped off and ran down the remaining stairs to the waiting tree. They buzzed about the bottom of the tree, looking for the gifts with their names on them.

            “THERE!” Eadlyn shouted and they both dove under the tree to retrieve their presents. They clambered out from under the tree and sat cross-legged by the tree. With their eyes lit with elation, they quickly tore of the wrapping paper on the gifts.

            “Wow!” Ahren cried. “A new guitar!”  He stared at the new acoustic beauty with wondrous eyes.

            “I got a violin!” Eadlyn exclaimed happily. The twins had inherited my love for music and talent at playing instruments. I found them regularly playing duets together, Ahren on guitar and Eadlyn on violin. Both of them could also play the piano and often held concerts for the palace staff.

            “Thanks Daddy! Thanks Mommy!” the children cheered as they ran up to hug Maxon and me.

            “You’re very welcome, my little angels,” Maxon replied with a smile. “Now come on, we have a lot of preparing to do for the big ball tonight. You want to look your best for everyone, don’t you?”

            “Okay,” the twins agreed disappointedly. Still, they bounded up the stairs to get ready for the party.

            “Let’s do this thing.”

  ~

              The gala was in full swing by the time I finally walked through the massive Great Hall doors. I had had to do some last minute party preparations, finalizing the menu and helping arrange decorations. It had given me no time to prepare myself for the ball and my maids did the best job they could as fast as they could. I was wearing a sleek, red floor length gown that barely swept the floor. The dress shimmered with gold sparkles and had a sweetheart neckline. I had long since adjusted to wearing these beautiful dresses, but I still preferred to wear pants as often as I could.

            People greeted me and complimented me on my appearance and the decorations. I smiled and thanked them. I walked around the room entertaining guests and keeping an eye out for Maxon and the twins. I finally caught a glimpse of the youngsters performing a duet with their new instruments while the people nearby cheered and requested songs. I made my way over to listen to their beautiful playing and clapped along with everyone else. They noticed me in the small crowd around them and waved. I beamed at them and gave them a thumbs-up. I felt someone place their hand on my shoulder and turned around to find Maxon.

            “Hello, Your Majesty,” I greeted him, and curtsied.

            “And hello to you, Queen America,” he laughed.

            “Have you seen them play lately? They’re improving every day,” I said proudly as I motioned to our children.

            “Yes I have, they’re doing quite marvellously,” Maxon agreed. “Would you like to dance, my lady?” He held out his hand in invitation.

            “Why of course, Your Majesty,” I replied with a curtsy. I took his hand and he led me to the dance floor. He cued the musicians to start playing a lively waltz and we started to glide around the room. I had long since improved on my dancing, due to years of balls and dances. Now the steps were natural and smooth.

            “Are you having a merry Christmas, America?” Maxon asked as he twirled me around.

            “Of course, Maxon. Everything is absolutely wonderful, especially the food,” I giggled.

            “Just what I wanted to hear,” Maxon smiled. “But, I have a surprise for you,” he added mysteriously.

            “Oh no, you shouldn’t have!” I protested.

            “You’ll love it, I promise,” Maxon tried to convince me.

            “Oh, alright,” I gave in. “I have something for you too.”

            “Meet me in the garden at midnight,” he ordered with a wink. We ended our dance and parted ways.

  ~

              I waited on a stone bench near the centre of the garden. The warm Angeles air blew a slow breeze through my hair and on my skin. I clutched the thick book in my hands. My present for Maxon this year was a scrapbook. It contained pictures of us, the twins, and everyone in the palace. The photos depicted memories from the past year and I hoped they would give him a happy feeling whenever he saw them.

            I heard soft footsteps and turned around to find Maxon walking towards me.

            “Hello, America.”

            “Good evening, Maxon,” I replied. He sat down on the bench next to me.

            “It’s been a wonderful day,” Maxon sighed contentedly. “The holidays are such a lovely time of the year.”

            “I’m glad you enjoyed today,” I said as I placed my hand on his.

            “What’s that you’re holding?” he asked, as he noticed the large book.

            “Merry Christmas Maxon,” I said as I handed him the scrapbook. He looked at it quizzically and opened it to the first page, which had a picture of him and me holding the twins on New Year’s. He slowly looked through each page, smiling as he remembered each moment captured on film. He looked back up at me.

            “America… This is wonderful,” he said with gratitude. “Thank you.”

            “You’re welcome, Maxon.”           

            “I have something for you too,” he announced as he pulled a small box from inside his coat. He passed it to me and I opened it. Inside was a gold pin portraying two parent birds looking down at a nest with two baby birds inside.

            “Maxon it’s beautiful,” I breathed. Barely visible were tiny letters carved into each bird. Maxon, America, Ahren, Eadlyn. “Thank you so much, I love it!” I cried as hugged him.

            “You’re very welcome, America.”

            We sat there for a while enjoying each other’s company. I reflected on the past year and how wonderful it had been. It was busy, but I had some good memories.

            “We should get back soon, people will start to wonder where we’ve gone,” I suggested.

            “No, let’s just stay here a little while longer, the party can wait.”

            “Come on, Maxon. We have to put the kids to bed soon anyway.”

            “Alright, let’s go,” he gave in. I stood up and helped pull him to his feet. We stood facing one another for a moment. I leaned in and pressed my lips to his, letting them linger for a few moments before pulling away.

            “Merry Christmas, Maxon.”

            “Merry Christmas, America.”

[alteridemlynch]

MY MAXON GANG SECRET SANTA PRESENT!

A short one-shot for MG, celesteschreave, as I am her Maxon Gang Secret Santa! It's sort of an AU, though it's plausible that something like this could have occured.

I knock gently on Celeste's half-open door. "Come in," she calls, her voice harsh, piercing through the air. I find her laying on her stomach on her bed, freshly pedicured toes dangling in the air as she flips through a magazine. Her nails look freshly painted as well, but her maids are no where in sight.

"Hello, dear," I say, sitting down on the bed. Now closer, I can see that the magazine is full of picture of herself. Of course. I laugh half-heartedly and she rolls around, giving me a confused look. "What?"

"I thought you were America," she says, almost disappointed. "She was supposed to stop by this afternoon."

"Oh," I gasp, hoping to cover my shock. What could America and Celeste possibly be talking about? "Well, I'm sure she'll come by later."

"I guess," Celeste shrugs, sitting up carefully to avoid damaging her toes. "So, this is it, right?"

"Huh?" I ask, squinting at her. She waves a hand at me nonchalantly and stands up, heading to her closer. Until now, I didn't realize she was wearing a robe.

"This is the end, I know," she says, sifting through her wardrobe as if we were talking about the weather. "You're sending me home."

"Wha-How?" I stutter, unsure of what to say. Yes, that's why I came here. But why did she suspect it? I haven't been that obvious, have I? Does everyone in the palace know I'm going to choose America?

"You're so oblivious," Celeste smirks, pulling out a simple blue dress that compliments her skin tone beautifully. I turn away as she carelessly changes in front of me. "Everybody with a brain knows you're in love with America."

"No, I-" I protest, but realize it's no use. Once Celeste starts talking, it's better to not interrupt.

"I know you're going to try and spare my feelings, Maxon, but it's really okay. I've known from the start that you'd never really love me. Like me, maybe. But not love. And I get it," she sighes, sitting down beside me on the bed. "I wouldn't have loved me either."

"Celeste, don't say that."

"It's true, though. I came here for the power, not for you. I came to be Queen. And you deserve much more than that. You deserve someone like America." She takes a deep, shuddering breath, on the verge of tears. The last thing I expected to see today was Celeste crying. "And she's perfect for you, Maxon. She can give you everything you want and more. Not just a queen but a wife."

I don't really know what to say. Tell her to leave? That, yes, she's correct, I do love America and am kicking her out? I try to think of a way to word this nicely, gently, but everything sounds so harsh in my mind. I speak anyway, realizing something must be said. "Celeste, you're a beautiful woman-"

"I know that," she rolls her eyes.

"-and you're going to make a great wife one day. I wouldn't have kept you here this long if I didn't think that. But, you're right. I'm . . . I'm in love with America. And I have to let you go," I finish, gently grasping her hand and giving it a squeeze.

She nods slightly; she knew this was coming. "What about Kriss?" she asks, surprising me. I never thought that Celeste, of all people, would be worried about one of the other girls. "Is she going home, too?"

"Not yet," I mutter. "Well, neither are you, either. You both are going to have to stick around a little longer until I . . . sort things out with my father." That's a little more than what I'd wanted to tell her, but the least I can do is give her honesty. "But I can't tell Kriss. Not yet. It will-"

"Break her heart. Yeah, I know," Celeste says, a sorrowful gleam in her eyes. Maybe Celeste cares more about the other girls that I thought. "I won't tell her. Or America. It will be our little secret," she says, standing up and heading to her vanity. She immediately starts brushing her long, silky hair as if nothing happened, a blank look on her face. She's no longer the vulnerable girl I saw crying seconds ago. She's back into her steel-skinned, tough girl persona, where no one can hurt her. "You can go now, Maxon," she says, her usual edge back in her voice.

I nod and start towards the door, wondering how she really feels. Did she love me? Or did she just want the power? Something in her eyes, in the way she spoke earlier, tells me there's something more to her story. But whatever it is, I'll never know. Because if there's one thing Celeste knows how to do, it's hiding herself.

"Celeste?" I say, swiveling around on my heels as I pull open the door. She just raises an eyebrow in the mirror. "Thank you, my dear."

"It's been a pleasure, Your Majesty."

MG, I hope you like this. I didn't know what you specifically wanted, but I tried my best. Happy holidays!

[drunkhaymitchx]

a beautiful cage

a gift for theselectedheir

[drunkhaymitchx]

a beautiful cage 

"Don't call me that! I am no more dear to you than the thirty-four other strangers you have here in your cage."

. . .

"Do you really feel like this is a cage?" His eyes were full of compassion.

"Yes, I do." My voice came out quiet. I quickly added, "Your Majesty."

"I've felt that way more than once myself. But you must admit, it is a very beautiful cage."

"For you. Fill your beautiful cage with thirty-four other men all fighting over the same thing. See how nice it is then."

a gift for Shannon (aka theselectedheir)