I can't believe we didn't escape. Everything went to plan except the fact that fifty guards that showed up. It doesn't make sense. None of it does. Max and I should have been able to escape through the halls. No guards would have gotten there so quickly... unless they were waiting. Someone had to have tipped us off. Did the Queen know they Resistance was planning an attack? Did she get it from Dale? Could he have betrayed us?

Sitting on this concrete floor with my hands in my lap makes me angry. I can feel my shadows brewing under my skin. Just waiting to be unleashed. What are we going to do now? What is the new plan? This plan took ages. I am never getting out of here. Max sits beside me in silence as Joanna paces and waits for the guards to tell us it's okay to leave the room.

"It's that damn Resistance, I know it!" She says. I perk my head up and watch her pace. She could be lying to pretend she didn't send all those guards.

"Mom, sit down," Cedric angrily says. Joanna crosses her arms.

"They'll be letting us out soon. It shouldn't take this long to secure the castle." Her impatience makes me want to gauge my eyes out. I was supposed to get out of here! Not be stuck in a room with you! Max presses his hand against mine and slips my necklace into my palm. It's cold and it makes me calm down a little. I tighten my fist around it and look at Max. He gives me a sympathetic look and squeezes my hand twice. I lean my head against the wall and stare at the ceiling. Now I have to face Kim and Ava. Now the engagement is real. If I don't get out of here I'm going to be married into Joanna's family and I will never let myself do that. Let alone forgive myself for it.

Suddenly the door opens, and Joanna meets the guard in the doorway. Max and I hop to our feet and watch as they speak in hushed voices. She turns and looks at us.

"The threat has been cleared. There are no casualties, so we are free to go," she says and then walks out. Of course, no one got hurt, that wasn't the plan. Max holds my hand and we exit the safe room. The first thing I see is a window which tells me we must have been in there a while because it's pitch black outside.

"The trainees are being held in their rooms," I hear a guard say. Max and I start down the hallway.

"I know you're mad," he whispers. I clench my jaw and fists. "You have a right to be." We approach his bedroom and he leads me inside. He shuts the door and I turn towards the lit fireplace. Of course, I'm mad. How could I- I gasp when I see a hunched over figure near the fire. Max comes up beside me. I then realize it's a woman and she has red hair.

"Sage?" I run towards her and brush the hair out of her face. It's her. I look at Max who walks up slowly. "Are you okay?" She doesn't say anything, but she shudders in my arms.

"She's bleeding," Max says. I look at her jacket which is stained with red blood. "I get a first aid kit," he says rushing out of the room. I turn to Sage and cradle her in my arms. I move her jacket and see a bullet in her shoulder.

"I got shot. I was leaving through the garden and I didn't see them. They were everywhere. I knew something had gone wrong when I didn't see you by the river." She takes a shaky breath. "I made my way in here hoping one of you would find me."

"Did your men get away?" She nods and I sigh. "Sage, someone betrayed us tonight," I whisper. Her gaze hardens and her eyes lock to mine. "We couldn't get out. There were too many guards. It seemed like they had been warned ahead of time."

"I'm sorry, Octavia. I let you down," she says. My eyes fill with tears.

"No, you didn't," I cry. She wipes away my tears and smiles. I hear the door open and Max crouches down beside me with a first aid kit. We remove her jacket and Max takes out the bullet. I help slow the bleeding and then I stitch the wound shut.

"You're going to live," Max says. Sage gives out a laugh as I finish the last stitch.

"Are you going to be able to get back?"

"Yes, I'll be fine," she nods. I glance at Max who glances at Sage.

"So, what now?" Sage gives me a worried look.

"I know how badly you want to get out, but I don't have the resources or men to do that again especially in a short amount of time. By now they're on alert. There will be more guards." Max and I nod. "I need to get back to the camp and discuss with my men."

"You'll send word?" Max asks. Sage nods and I help her stand up. Max squeezes my hand and I give him a kiss on the cheek before walking Sage out. A few steps from the door she grabs my arm.

"You didn't tell anyone did you?" I shake my head at her.

"No, of course not," I say. She nods her head. She seems relieved.

"I'm sorry it's just I don't trust people very well," she admits. I nod and we both start walking down the hallway. "Does he love you?" She looks at me when she asks me this question. "I can't help but notice the chemistry," she raises her eyebrows.

"I think he does," I whisper. I can feel her gaze on me.

"Do you feel the same?" I pause and then look at her.

"I think so," I admit. She gives me a lopsided grin.

After I help Sage to the garden, I sneak my way back to my quarters. I have to dodge quite a few more guards than usual. Sage was right. When I'm back in my room I can't help but feel sad because I thought I would never be back here. I turn the bathroom light on and look at myself in the mirror. I look the same, but I look more exhausted than I feel. I turn the shower and slide my dress off. I take my necklace and engagement ring and set them on the counter. The warm water washes away everything from today. My mind has given up thinking about it anymore. I just want to go to sleep.

Once I get out of the shower, I towel dry my hair, change into some comfy clothes, and put my necklace back on. I lay in bed for hours, staring at the ceiling. I think of my nightmare I had a week ago when Cedric told me: You have to get out of here. If I don't get out of this cage, I'm going to die inside of it.

The next morning, I wake up remembering yesterday like a dream. Was it real? Am I still here? What will I have to face today? I sit on the edge of my bed with my head in my hands. The fact that I'm going to have to confront Kim in less than thirty minutes, makes me sick to my stomach. I can't forget about Ava too. Loud knocks echo through the hallway and rattles the wall beside me. I push myself out of bed and straight to the bathroom. As I brush my teeth, I stare at the gold band on my counter, debating whether to wear it. I rinse my mouth out and slip on the ring. No point in hiding. I quickly braid my hair and slip on my shoes.

As I head down to the dining hall, I try to give myself a pep talk before going in. If I just act like everything is normal, it will be fine. Kim will treat me the same. I'm the same girl. I just have a lot of things to hide from her and others. When I walk in, I can feel the whole room shift around me. All eyes are pointed at me. I try to ignore the fact that my hands are shaking as I get my food. I see Kim sitting by herself trying not to notice me. I swallow the knot in my throat and head towards her. She doesn't look up when I sit across from her.

"I was going to tell you," I start. She keeps her eyes down.

"Really? Before or after?" Her voice is cold, and it shocks me. Her eyes shift up and meet mine. "I mean it's not like were friends or anything. Right? I mean you're not tied down to me. You can make your own decisions. It was your choice." She speaks in a sarcastic tone. I reach out and grab her hand.

"I wanted to tell you. You are my friend." I whisper. She doesn't pull away from my grip. "I just... it was sudden and unexpected, and I didn't really know how to deal with it." I admit to her and she listens. "I hate attention and for all I know everyone is going to talk crap about it. I tried not to care, but I did and I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I lied. It's just been hard." Tears brim in my eyes. Kim squeezes my hand and when I look at her, her eyes are glossy.

"Joanna?" She asks. I give a nod.

"She's hard to deal with sometimes," I say. Kim gives me a light smile.

"I'm happy for you," she says. "I really am. I mean you're going to be the Queen." I laugh and she laughs. Let's hope it doesn't get that far. "O, I would have never judged you. Not for anything. You're my only friend here." My heart breaks hearing her say those words. I can't. She can't know.

"Thank you," I say. She smiles and let's go of my hand.

"Now, tell me all the details. Have you kissed him? Have you..." I gasp out loud.

"Kim," I hiss. She laughs hysterically.

"What? I'm just curious." I shake my head.

"We've kissed, that's it," I smile. She nods like she's accepting that answer.

"Is that it?" I look up to see what she's referring to. She touches the gold band around my finger. I nod. "It's beautiful. So simple," she says. I am about to say something when Ava drops her tray next to me and Jeremy doing the same on my other side.

"Well, well, well, if isn't the bride-to-be herself," Ava says taking a big bite out of a shiny green apple.

"So, how'd you do it? Did you sleep with him?" Jeremy asks. I widen my eyes.

"No," I belt out.

"Oh, come on, you had to have done something," Ava says.

"She didn't do anything. He picked her," Kim says defending me.

"Yeah, but why?" I roll my eyes at the question.

"Because he loves her," Kim states. I feel Ava and Jeremy freeze beside me. Kim looks at me and nods. I look over at Ava and see she has stopped chewing on her apple. Her expression is a surprise to me. She really thought I would try and manipulate him.

In the corner of my eye I see Max standing at the end of the table. I stand up and Ava whips her head around. Max gives me a gesture towards the door. I start to move but Ava grabs my scarred wrist.

"Is she lying?" She hisses at me. Almost as if she can't believe it. I hesitate before answering.

"No," I say. Her grip loosens and I pull away and walk towards Max. He gives me worried eyes when I approach him.

"What was that about?" I shake my head.

"Nothing. What's up?"

"You're missing training today. My mother wants to discuss wedding plans," he says. I mentally groan. I was looking forward to training so I could be distracted. Now I have to spend half the day with Joanna.

"Great," I sarcastically say. Max gives me a sympathetic smile and we walk out of the dining hall. Max walks me down the hall and up a set of foreign stairs I've never. Max knocks on the door and then opens the set of doors. I look at him and he gives me a slight nod and then closes the doors behind me. I look towards the center of the room where a large glass desk sits. The room is decorated in fancy drapes and expensive chandeliers. Joanna sits in the middle behind her desk.

"Octavia, please, sit," she says gesturing to the red velvet chair in front of me. I approach the table and sit in the surprisingly soft chair. "I'm sorry to have kept you from your training, but these wedding plans simply cannot wait." I nod in understanding.

"I'm sure it's okay if I miss one day," I say with a small smile. She doesn't acknowledge my comment. Instead she sifts through her papers and picks up a pen.

"First thing is first, the dress. I have a few options that will be suitable, but we need to decide on one today so my seamstress can start making alterations." I lean forwards as she hands me three papers. Three beautifully hand drawn dresses are on each side. I could care less about a wedding dress. I could care less about any of this. My plan is to get the hell out of here before the wedding. The first one is a ball gown that is very puffed up and princess like. I hate it. I look at the next one which is a similar style, but it has more beading and a low neckline. The last one is not a ball gown but a form fitting sequined and lace dress. It is strapless and the back is backless. I would be showing lots of skin. Thinking about wearing that dress makes my inside churn.

"That one is my favourite. I just love the back! Don't you?" She looks at me with bright eyes. I almost grimace at her, but I don't. I plaster a smile on my face instead.

"It's beautiful," I say.

"You have such nice...skin. It would be lovely to show it off." I sense a hint wickedness in her words. I stare at her in awe. She snatches the papers out of my hands. I barely have a moment to compose myself. "Good, I will have Sybil ready it for a fitting tomorrow. You will look lovely." Her tone is clipped but chirpy. I brace my arms on the chair.

"Are we done?" She shakes her head and laughs.

"I'm afraid not. I need you to go with Sybil to look at decorations, flowers, and drapes." Sybil immediately appears in the room. I stand up and turn to leave. "Oh, one more thing, Octavia." I pause with my back to her and wait for what she has to say. "I thought you would like to be the first to know, that I have caught are culprit." Fear crosses my face, but she can't see me. I put on my best poker face and turn towards her.

"Culprit?" My voice is squeaky. She isn't even looking at me. She is writing something down as if she doesn't care.

"The Black," she states. The Black. I swallow a lump in my throat.

"Are you sure?" I ask hesitantly.

"The guards caught her last night," she nods, but still won't meet my eyes. Her. This is bad. "Her trial will be tonight," she sounds bored. Finally, she makes eye contact with me. "I would like you to sit with me and my family. It would be only appropriate since you will be marrying Max." I notice how she doesn't say future queen. Either she's playing with me or just simply hates me.

"I would be honoured, your Majesty," I grind out. She smiles and sets her pen down.

"Good, you'll also need something to wear. Sybil take care of that will you?" Joanna goes back to writing. Sybil takes my arm and drags me out of the room. I want so desperately to turn around and claw her eyes out, but I can't. I can feel my shadow rise against my skin. Sybil leads me down the hall and into the throne room. Maid and servants' bustle in the room. Flowers, drapes, tables scatter the room. My fists are tightly clenched. I look for the nearest exit and see the garden doors.

"I need some air," I gasp. Sybil gives me a worried look, but I don't wait for her reply. I bolt for the doors. Fresh warm air releases onto my face. I sit down on the nearest bench and face away from the castle wall. I brush a piece of hair out of my face and look towards the sky. They have a prisoner who is innocent. I'm the last one. The Queen is bluffing to get rid of her problems. That girl is innocent, and I will be watching her die tonight from the best view in the arena.

"Miss?" Sybil stands behind me. I need Max. He doesn't know yet, or does he? I rise from the bench and nod at Sybil. She leads me back inside where I am forced to decide between white and off-white colors, roses with thorns or roses without thorns, and patterned drapes or simple white drapes. I swear it's like Joanna is trying to torture me. When the questions stop my brain is a puddle. I barely register when Sybil hands me a dress and tell me I have to wear it tonight. I don't want to wear this stupid dress. I want to get out of here!

Sybil finally lets me go. I don't stop at the dining hall to eat dinner. I've lost my appetite. I head straight to my room and throw the dress on my bed like a child. I can't just sit through this can I? I have to do something! I need Max. I glance at my clock and realize it's getting late and sooner or the later the trial will start. I change out of my clothes into the dark red silk dress. I yank my hair out of my braid. I comb it back with my fingers and look in the mirror. This is good enough. I twist the ring on my finger and begin to pace back and forth in front of my bed. I don't know how much time passes by, but when a knock sounds on my door I instantly realize how long I have been pacing. Max walks in and shuts the door behind him. His face is unreadable. He glances down at my dress and then back at me.

"Did you know?" I demand. I can feel the rage growing in my palms.

"No," he says steadily. I hold my tongue and stare at him.

"You have to do something," I tell him. Max raises his hands.

"Octavia, I can't do anything. She'll know somethings up," he says.

"She already knows something's up," I keep my voice quiet. Confusion draws in on his face.

"What are you talking about?" I throw my hands up.

"That girl is innocent. There is no other Black. I'm the last one and she knows that girl is not who she's looking for." His face twists. "She's doing this to make herself look like a hero. She knows what she's doing to me." He shakes his head and comes closer to me.

"Octavia, I know you're worried, but I can't do anything. I can't help her." He looks down. My rage explodes.

"What about me?!" I yell at him. He stares at me. "Am I supposed to watch that girl, that should be me, die?" Tears fill my eyes. "I won't do it, Max! I will not stand up there and give her the satisfaction of taking her life." Max comes towards me and holds my hands. "It's not fair," I cry.

"I know, but we don't have a choice," he says wrapping his arms around me. I bury my face in his chest. "We can't be weak now. We can still come up with a plan, but if we blow it now, we will never get out of here." I know he's right. He holds my tighter and kisses the top of my head.

"I'll be next to you the whole time." I look up at him and he brushes my hair out of my face. I still don't feel better.

"I love you," he says slowly. He wipes the tears form my eyes as I stare at him.

"I know," I say. "I love you too." He smiles and brushes my cheek with his thumb. It feels good to say it and hear it. I suddenly feel like I'm not alone in this. He has always been with me and protecting me.

"Always?" I rest my forehead against his as he holds my shuddering body.

"Always," he barely whispers.

Max escorts me down to the arena. The whole time I'm thinking about the girl and how it's my fault. Dale and now this girl. I want people to stop dying because of me. What would my parents think of me? No, what will they think of me? The trials are televised. If they are watching tonight, they will see me net to the royal family. This will be the first time I will be televised. The thought makes my hands shakes. As we are walking Max notices and grabs my hand. I let out a shuddered breath. Guards open the doors to the arena. We walk through a narrow hallway and then up a few stairs to the balcony where the King and Queen are seated. Max leads me to my seat and we both sit down. The Queen doesn't say anything when I sit down, but I do notice when she gives me a side glance. I look around me and see all the Elites gathered in their seated sections. I have a better view of the ground than I did last time. I wish I was sitting next to Kim. Holding each other's hands. Max's hand is still wrapped around mine as Cedric comes up the stairs and sits on my left side. I look at him from the side until he meets my eyes. I watch him swallow and clench his jaw. Guilt and shame passes over me.

The crowd quiets down as the Queen stands up. All I hear in my ears is buzzing. I don't even listen to her speech. Only the part when she announces the girl.

"Katie Marsh," Joanna belts. Katie. I bet her parents are watching this, thinking she is something she is not. The crowd boos and roars. Katie walks out. She looks younger than I do even though we are the same age. She seems calm as she walks across the sand. "Katie has chosen her fate for her trial." I hold my breath and squeeze Max's hand. "She will be beheaded." The sickly tone of Joanna's voice almost makes me throw up. I shoot a look at Max. He shifts in his seat and squeezes my hand.

"It's better for her," he whispers. "She can't fight. She would probably die from a whipping. This is her best option." It shouldn't even be an option. None of this should. I keep my jaw clamped down, so I won't be tempted to say anything. A guard walks up and leads her to the guillotine. A lump form in my throat. She kneels and the crowd goes wild. She places her head down and the guard moves her hair off her neck. He picks up the axe and positions himself. The crowd grows louder and the ringing in my ears does too. I watch Katie as she closes her eyes and awaits her death. The guard swings his axe in the air and slams it down on her neck. Her head falls off and hits the ground with a thump. I stare at her headless corpse until I have to tear my eyes away. She didn't deserve it. That should have been me. I wish it was me.