The group quiets when they see me. “I’m here to cooperate,” I say, striding into the room. “I’ll do what you want for the good of the country. What do you need of me?”
For a moment no one speaks. For all their smooth words, I’ve managed to silence these politicians several times over the last few days. Then the general approaches me, and in a rare show of emotion, he envelops me in a hug.
“You are the daughter I never had,” he whispers into my ear. His voice is gruff. “I’d hoped you’d make my son happy one day.”
I wince at his words. He doesn’t know that he’s making this so much worse for me.
He pulls away. “Has Will told you anything about what’s going on?”
I glance about the room. I don’t see the general’s son; I wonder if he’s been playing hooky just like I have.
“Only that I might be …” my throat works, “marrying the king.” The words burn coming out. “Whose idea was that?” I ask.
The general’s lip curls with disdain, and he shakes his head. “His,” he says.
After I killed the king’s men, I’d assumed that if he ever got his hands on me, he’d execute me, regardless of his feelings. In the end, that’s what war is, a string of revenge killings.
But his men hadn’t tried to kill me, and they’d had many opportunities during my escape. He always wanted me alive.
I wonder if the peace agreement the representatives agreed to was the same one the king presented my father. If it was, then the man that raised me would’ve died in vain. I suppress my shudder.
The general clears his throat. “The king has a jet here waiting for you.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Why didn’t anyone wake me?”
“He gave us orders to leave you be until you were ready.”
I’m struck by two things the general has said. One, the general is taking orders from the king. For as long as I’ve known the general, he’s been the de facto leader of the WUN. It’s strange to see him abdicate his leadership role.
And two, I’m stunned that the king gave those particular orders. Had circumstances been different, I’d say it was kind of him. But I’ve come to learn that this is the king’s style—to cut you up then kiss the wounds he inflicted.
“Now that you’re here,” the general continues, “we will contact the king’s retinue and let them know you’re awake. They’ll probably have you board the flight as soon as possible once this happens; they are going to assume you’re unwilling and dangerous.”
I nod.
“Once you arrive at the king’s palace, he’s planning on announcing the end of the war and your engagement.”
I scowl at this; the thought of being engaged to him causes me physical discomfort.
“It sounds like there are already wedding preparations in the works,” the general says. “It’ll be filmed and aired over the Internet—the thought is that the wedding will symbolize the marriage of two hemispheres. It’s quite brilliant, actually—it should go a long way to encourage peace.”
“Don’t,” I say. My breaths are coming out quick and ragged. I can’t bear to hear more on the subject.
The general puts a hand on my shoulder. “You’ll be okay, Serenity. The asshole actually seems to care about you.”
My eyes flick to the king. “Don’t lie to yourself, General. I’m marrying a monster.”
Will and the general lead me up to the surface. They’re the only ones I allow to accompany me. We reach the top of the final set of stairs, and I stare at the door to the garage. On the other side of it, the king’s men wait for me. These are my last moments with the people I know.
I reach for the door and pause. “What will happen once I’m gone?” I ask the general. I’ve wanted to know the answer to this question since I left my bed. I knew my fate, but I knew nothing about what would happen to the WUN and its former political leaders.
The general gives me a sidelong glance. “The western hemisphere, under the governance of the king, will begin to receive medical relief in those areas that need it the most. There will also be additional efforts to cleanse the land of the radiation that’s gotten into the soil. After that, the king’s focus will then be rebuilding our economy.”
I fidget. “What will happen to you and Will and the rest of the representatives?” I ask.
“The king has granted us amnesty and allowed us to continue to govern these territories under the supervision of his men.”
I raise my eyebrows. “That’s … really good news.” We’d always planned on being executed if we lost the war. I’m still not convinced that won’t happen. After all, there are no checks on the king’s power.
The general nods. “It is. The peace agreement is better than we’d ever anticipated—or hoped for.”
I shift my weight. We’ve come back to the elephant in the room—that I’m leaving because of the agreement.
The general must realize how callous his words sound—spoken to the one person who will lose everything—since he takes a step back. He looks between Will and me. “I should let you two have your own goodbye.” The general salutes me. An unbidden tear drips from my eye as I give him a small smile and salute him back.
Will and I watch him leave, neither of us willing to speak until his footsteps completely fade.
Will steps in close to me and cups my cheek. “It was never supposed to be like this,” he says.
I wrap my hand around his wrist and lean into his hand. “A lot of things were never supposed to happen like they did.” I close my eyes. I might never see Will again. That thought constricts my heart, and I have to force the thought from my mind. My body can’t take much more emotional pain.
He leans his head against mine; I can tell by his ragged breathing that he’s trying to keep it together for my sake.
“If this is the last moment we get, I want to make the most of it,” I say. One final memory of the man and the life that will never be mine.