Scarlet Queen

Chapter 11- Scarlet's POV

I grab Lucas' shoulder and shake him, trying to get him awake. "Lucas. Lucas. Come on. Wake up, you big lug!" He grunts sleepily and turns over carefully in his hammock. I let out an irritated sigh and flip his hammock, dumping him out completely. He yelps as he hits the wooden floor. Hard. "What was that for?" he cries, stumbling to his feet.

"For being lazy. And not getting out of bed the first time I asked you to. Now come on! Slinger has something really important to tell us!" I turn and march out of the sleeping quarters. A loud shuffle tells me that Lucas is right behind me.

The cool air brushes against my face, and I savor it. I was so used to having my face covered that I wasn't used to feeling the wind. I run to the captain's quarters, and I open the door and slide in. Lucas comes right behind me.

Slinger looks up and smiles. "Morning, sunshines. Now, listen. We're infiltrating the palace. Tonight," he says quickly. I freeze. "Tonight?" I whisper. He nods. "Our spies have told us the king relaxed security. You still have Vengeance, right?" I pull the blade out of it's sheath across my chest. He nods in approval. "We kill him tonight. The ship is on full throttle towards Capitol Village. We plan on landing in the woods and walking the rest of the way to the palaces' outer wall."

Lucas looks incredibly nervous. "But, how do you plan on getting there? The palace is a maze. I've gotten lost in there, and I've lived there my entire life! It's nearly impossible to navigate your way around!" he says.

I shake my head. "Lucas, nearly impossible isn't the same as impossible. Remember how I used to sneak out of bed at night and explore the palace? Well, I still know my way around pretty well," I explain. Lucas nods, still with a nervous look on his face.

Slinger nods and takes our hands, squeezing them slightly. "I will be accompanying you on the mission. You will need to choose a few more people that you wish to be on your team," he says to me. I nod, then I say, "You will be on my team, right?" Slinger nods his affirmation. I smile, then turn and walk out of the room. I climb onto the mast pole and survey the crewmates. I choose Sticky as one member of my team, in case we need to snatch anything. I think about who else might be useful, and eventually decide that me, Slinger, Lucas, and Sticky will be good enough.

That night, the Airhaven lands noiselessly in the forest around the castle. We climb up the palace wall, wearing dark cloaks and hoods to keep our identities hidden. I make sure that my hood and scarf are securely in place, then I silently shoot down the guards patrolling the wall. Slinger gives me an all clear signal, and I use my chain to propel myself down the wall. Sticky and Slinger land next to me, and Lucas hits the ground with a painfully loud thud. I instinctively shush him, making him look hurt.

Once we get inside of the palace (courtesy of Lucas' unlocked bedroom window) I feel my instinct taking over, leading me through the palace. Memories flow through me as I pass through different parts of the palace- Mother teaching me how to sew in the Tailor room, the Captain of the Guard teaching me how to sword fight in the courtyard, the dance lessons I had so violently hated in the ballroom. We passed through Statue Hall, and I felt a small twinge of discomfort at the giant leering statues of the king. Then we reach a pair of massive doors, carved with the royal crest. I sneer, then I drew Vengeance and slashed at the door. Lucas stares at me in shock, then turns away from the ruined door. I feel a twinge of guilt for making him upset, but it's quickly replaced by deep gloating. I turn and keep going.

When we start to get close to the throne room, I noticed more and more guards patrolling the hall. It was a challenge to sneak past them all, but we managed by getting up into the rafters. Then, all too soon, we're in the king's throne room. Dozens of guards line the balcony along the top, including the most skilled archers in the royal army. Lounging on the gold-plated throne was King Arcane, a lazy smile on his face. I drew Vengeance and crept along a beam, positioning myself directly above the throne, ready to strike.

A slight sound caught my attention. It wasn't much, but I recognized it instantly. It was the sound of an arrow being drawn back against a bowstring. I barely have time to turn and deflect the projectile away from my face with Vengeance before every arrow in the room is aimed up at us.

King Arcane looks up at us, unsurprised by our presence. He takes a goblet of wine from a nervous servant, takes a long, deliberate sip, before speaking. "Greetings, rebels. I've been expecting you," he said, a malicious grin spreading across his face.