The Favorite by Kiera Cass Page B

his head to her and started to leave. Just before the doors closed, he gave me a wink and a crooked smile, and I was left there, grinning like an idiot.
    I was pulled back to the present as the voices in the hallway grew louder. I heard the guards’ greetings overlapping one another as they all said one word: Highness .
    Maxon was here.
    I rushed to the small gated window of my cell. I watched as the door to the cell across the hallway—Carter’s cell—was opened, and Maxon was escorted in. I strained to hear what was said, but though I could make out Maxon’s voice, I couldn’t decipher any words. I also heard weak mutters in reply and knew they were from Carter. He was awake. And alive.
    I simultaneously sighed and shivered, then lifted the tulle back over my shoulders.
    After a few minutes Carter’s cell door opened again, andI watched as Maxon approached my cell. The guards let him in and shut the door behind him. He took one look at me and gasped.
    â€œGood Lord, what have they done to you?” Maxon walked over, unbuttoning his suit coat as he did.
    â€œMaxon, I’m so sorry,” I cried.
    He slid off his coat and wrapped it around me. “Did the guards tear your costume? Did they harm you?”
    â€œI never meant to be unfaithful to you. I never wanted to hurt you.”
    He lifted his hands to my cheeks. “Marlee, listen to me. Did the guards hit you?”
    I shook my head. “One ripped my wings off when he was pushing me in the door, but they haven’t done anything else.”
    He sighed, clearly relieved. What a good man he was, still caring about my well-being even after he’d found out about me and Carter.
    â€œI’m so sorry,” I whispered again.
    Maxon’s hands dropped to my shoulders. “I’m only just starting to understand how pointless it is to fight being in love. I certainly don’t blame you for it.”
    I stared into his kind eyes. “We tried to stop ourselves. I promise we did. But I love him. I’d marry him tomorrow . . . if we wouldn’t be dead by then.” I dropped my head, sobbing uncontrollably. I wanted to be more of a lady about this, to accept my punishment with grace. But it felt so unfair, like everything was being taken away from me beforeit had even truly been mine in the first place.
    Maxon began rubbing my back gently. “You’re not going to die.”
    I stared at him in disbelief. “What?”
    â€œYou haven’t been sentenced to death.”
    I let out a rush of air and embraced him. “Thank you! Thank you so much! It’s more than we deserve!”
    â€œStop! Stop!” he insisted, tugging at my arms.
    I stepped back, embarrassed for breaking protocol after everything else I’d done.
    â€œYou haven’t been sentenced to death,” he repeated, “but you still have to be punished.” He looked at the ground and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Marlee, but you’re both going to be publicly caned in the morning.”
    He seemed to be having trouble maintaining eye contact with me; if I hadn’t known better, I would have thought he understood the pain we were in for. “I’m sorry,” he repeated. “I tried to prevent this, but my father is insistent that the palace needs to save face; and since the footage of you two together has already been circulated, there’s nothing I can do to change his mind.”
    I cleared my throat. “How many times?”
    â€œFifteen. I think the plan is to make it much worse for Carter than you, but either way, it’s going to be incredibly painful. I know it sometimes causes people to black out. I’m so, so sorry, Marlee.” He looked disappointed in himself. And all I could think of was how good he was.
    I stood up straighter, trying to show him that I couldhandle this. “You come here offering me my life and the life of the man I love, and you apologize?