America
I sat in a rocking chair in the corner of the nursery rocking back and forth as I held baby Aspen close to my chest. Aspen was the fussiest of the three, and the only one awake. Both Shalom and Celeste seemed to have much calmer dispositions and were very content children; happy to sleep, poop and eat. Aspen however much preferred being held to any of the above, meaning that over the last two weeks since the triplets had been born I often found myself in here late at night holding him and rocking.

I had not yet started back with my paperwork, having taken two months of maternity leave before the birth. Maxon wouldn't let me anywhere near my office and no one was allowed to discuss anything related to work near me, which was growing frustrating, but I was too absorbed in my children to argue too much about it.

Aspen gurgled and I adjusted the blankets around his face. 

The silence was interrupted by the blaring rebel alarm. All three of the babies started screaming and my heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. We hadn't had a rebel attack in almost a year. Obviously, the Northerners were no longer a threat, Georgia and August were Celeste's godparents! So this was a Southern attack.

I held Aspen tighter and hurried across the room, picking up Shalom from his crib with my other arm and clutching both of the boys tightly to my chest.

A group of guards charged into the room.

"Your majesty we must get you and the children to a safe room as soon as possible," said a guard. Oddly I didn't recognise him, which was strange as I thought that I knew all of the staff. A new draft of men must have just arrived at the palace.

"I can't carry them all!" I said frantically.

The unknown guard hurried over and picked up Celeste. Another guard found the hidden latch and opened the secret passageway down to the safe room. I hurried down the steps, clutching the boys close to my chest.

"America!" Maxon was waiting by the doors to the safe room, "are you okay? Where's Celeste?"

I looked behind me and realised that the guard who had taken Celeste was nowhere to be seen.

"He was right behind me!" I was breathing heavily, "a guard picked her up, he was right behind me!"

"Your majesties we really have to lock the doors," said a guard.

"You will do nothing of the sort until my daughter is here," said Maxon, with such authority that no one would dare question him. He turned back to me, "America take the boys inside, I'll wait here for Celeste."

"Okay," I said weakly, hurrying into the room. 

Lucy and Aspen were there, upon seeing me without Maxon, Aspen quickly made his way outside to Maxon. Marlee was there with Carter by her side. When she saw me she hurried over, immediately taking Aspen from my arms, allowing me to get a better grin on Shalom.

"Where's Celeste," she asked.

"I don't know," I was almost crying, "A guard was binging her down, he must've got sidetracked, can you take Shalom, I want to go and wait with Maxon."

"Of course," Marlee adjusted her grip and held her arm out for Shalom as well. I passed him over and hurried out to Maxon. Taking his hand in mine.

Maxon, Aspen and I stared at the snaking passageways that lead down to the saferoom in silence. After a while, several out of breath guards emerged.

"Your majesty the rebels have penetrated the passageways," one of the guards to us, I noticed that his nametag read Officer Keaton who had been the guard to open the safe door for me in the nursery, "you must get inside."

"But Celeste isn't here!" I protested.

"We are in pursuit of the man who took her," the guard said.

Took her, those two words reverberated around my head.

"What do you mean, took her?" Maxon demanded, his hand in mine was shaking, and his grip around my hand was so tight that it was almost crushing my hand.

"Your Majesty the rebels have our uniforms again," the guard was clutching his gun tightly, "we believe that the guard who took Celeste was actually a rebel."

"A-" Maxon was cut off by the sound of gunfire close by.

"You have to get inside," said Aspen, turning to us, "they're close. I'll find her I promise."

Maxon and Aspen made eye contact and a mutual understanding seemed to pass between the two.

"Bring her home," Maxon commanded, before grabbing me and half dragging me into the saferoom. The doors were quickly sealed behind us, shutting out the sound of gunfire.

I collapsed on the floor, sobs wracking through my body. They had my daughter, the rebels had my daughter. I had given my daughter to a rebel. 

Maxon was shaking, but he was much better at putting on a brave face than I was, he also had the added benefit of not having given birth just a few weeks ago. He crouched down beside me, putting his arm around me and holding me tightly. 

"Where is Aspen?" Lucy muttered, visibly shaking, and clearly terrified by the mess I was on the floor.

"The rebels are in the passageways," Maxon addressed the room, "and they have Celeste."