The Ambassador Ch 1

AU Note: So, I haven't done a fanfic in a while. But I had an idea. So, be patient as I try to pick back up writing and the subtle art of writing fanfics.

As always, these characters are not mine. At least most of them aren't. Most belong to Kiera Cass.

Summary: Kriss wins the Selection and America is stuck between a rock and a hard place. When Italy calls with an adventure of a lifetime, she takes it, but will her new life lead her away from the palace she loved, or closer to it? Will she learn to love again?

There are some moments that you know will change your life. This, I knew, was one of them. When Maxon slipped the ring, my ring, on Kriss' finger, when I stared at nothing with that smile Maxon had forced me to wear, I knew that things were changing. And I knew that the smile, that fake but beautiful smile, would never fall. I would always wear the same expression.

"America?" someone put their hand on my knee from where they were kneeling beside me. For a second, I thought that it was Maxon, but the hair was wrong. Bright red hair, wrinkles around her face. I knew that face.

"Mama?"

"Hey, darling. Let's get you out of here."

She wrapped her arms around me as she led me from the packed throne room. I could hear the king's shrill laugh behind us, laughing at a joke in a proud moment for his son. Simply laughing at a joke. And me.

"It's okay, darling. It's fine. We've got you."

"We?"

My mother pushed me around the corner, and there stood my family. Kenna with her newborn, Gerad's arms wrapped around her, and her husband behind her. May had her arms wrapped around her, and seemed rooted to the spot without her natural gaiety. Kota wasn't there, thank God. Dad was dead. My family stood in front of me, without the income from the Selection, without the titles of the Royal Family, just simple Fives dealing with the loss of their father. And spoiled from the money they wouldn't get anymore. We were worse off than we were before the Selection. We were sucked into the majesty that was the palace, had grown used to the money that meant no more nights of hunger, no more too-small clothes and shoes.

Maxon had not just taken away the palace or his love. He had taken away the ability to provide for my family, a family that needed that provision more now than ever. And he would pay for it.

Transcript from The Today's Show, a satirical show based off of the politics of the Illea State. Hosted by Phil Nensom.

Nensom: So, you all Lady America Singer, right?

Audience: Yeah.

Nensom: You know how she fell off the face of the Earth, after the end of the Selection? Well, she's back. Back and better than ever. At the wedding of Prince Maxon and our newly-minted Princess Kriss, she showed up. Apparently to the surprise of everyone. Sources say, and even Lady America says, that she was not invited to the wedding because people thought she would throw a fit at the wedding, asking him to call it off, marry her, something like that. She didn't. Instead, she threw another sort of fit, by totally stealing the spotlight from Princess Kriss. I mean, this woman threw the kitchen sink at the couple. She wore a bright red, almost scandalous gown, but it wasn't scandalous in the traditional sense. One newspaper said this, "Lady America wore a red gown fit for a queen, not a princess, and certainly not for a lady. It's elegance and simplicity were entrancing and the mermaid fit showed off all of her curves and, at the same time, mimicked Priness Kriss' own wedding gown" (NEW TIME, 2338).

Audience: Oooohhhh.

Nensom: You can say that again. We have a picture of her wearing the dress.

Screen shows only the picture: America in a mermaid-style dress the color of blood, her long hair dazzling in the light of the cameras, and her eyes staring with predatory mischief.

Nensom (with the picture still the only thing on screen): The dress was a show-stopper, but what else she did made it even better. She gave interview after interview after interview. And when she wasn't, she was talking with Lady Celeste, another Elite, or dancing with literally anyone that would. This woman wasn't there to cause a scene. She was there to be a scene.

Camera goes back to Nensom's face to show him a lot closer than before: I missed you.

Audience: *laughs*

Nensom backs away: Whatever happened between the engagement and the wedding might have been a big change for the Prince and Princess, but I think the real change is with Lady America. We're used to her being bubbly and hilarious, and we certainly saw that during the interviews at the wedding, but we are starting to see a different side of her that I don't think anyone saw coming. She's getting back into the public sphere. For what, we don't know, but I don't think it's going to take very long for us to find out. See, during one of these interviews, when asked what was next for her, Lady America simply replied that she was leaving the country for a while to visit a friend. After a lot of pushing and pulling from the reporter she told him that she was leaving for Italy the next day to talk to the Royal Family there. We at The Today's Show don't know what you, Lady America, are up to, but we certainly wish you luck.

Nensom: We got a great show for you today, ladies and gentlemen.

Audience: *applauds*