Rise- Norta United

Two

A/N: Sorry I haven't posted in a while.  I've been busy with school and getting better from the virus. Not Covid, I promise. I'm back with our favorite ship in the entire world, (or at least mine), Mareven. Also, I do NOT own Red Queen or The Selection series, so please don't come after me, Victoria Aveyard and Kiera Cass! 

Maven

I'm silent as I sit on the bed, and Mare looks at me. 

It's been years, and despite Mare being older, the corner around her eyes are constantly crinkled from smiling with happiness. 

When we brought Alexander into the world, and then Benjamin, our family was finally whole. 

Kamberly had been a gracious older sister, loving her brothers equally, but we all knew that Kam had a special connection with her twin, one that she would never be able to share with Alex or Ben. 

"You were awfully quiet at dinner this evening." Mare says softly as she drapes a robe over her shoulders and taking down her hair. 

I look at her, and shake my head. "I was just thinking, that's all." 

She shakes her head, her locks flying free and her chocolate brown hair cascading down her shoulders. 

Benjamin and Caleb really inherited her hair from her, while Kamberly and Alex inherited my darker hair. 

"Liar." She laughs softly as she sits down next to me. 

I take her hand, and my thumb draws a circle over her palm. 

"It's just.. after that fight with Bryce and Alek a few years ago, I don't trust the Reveri family as much as I did." I say, and she lets out a sigh. 

"This is the hardest job, Maven. To be a father to the most beautiful children and protect the country as the king. You want to protect our son from having his heart broken by a friend who he loves with his entire heart. But you also don't want something to happen to the country if something goes wrong with the Reveri project, like what's happening right now with the rioting. Maven, that's why you made me your Queen. So I can help with the burden of our family and the burden of the country. That was a promise I made on our wedding day. To Norta and you." 

I kissed her forehead and she smiled at me. "Maven, trust that our son will make mistakes and that he will have his heart broken. We can't protect him from that. No one can as a parent, ever. Trust that he's doing the right thing." 

 I heaved a sigh and nodded. "I just want him to be careful." 

"I know you do." She said, and we said nothing for a while, just sitting close together. 

"In other news, we need to prepare for Kingstrial for Kam. This complicates things, now that he's officially dating Piper." 

I shook my head. "Kamberly wants to go into Kingstrial with her twin, and not have to be alone in the process. It seems unfair that her brother can get away with just having to date someone versus Kamberly having to choose a king consort." 

"King consort?" I asked, surprised. 

Mare nodded. "I was talking with Kamberly after our conversation in the sitting room, and she decided that she doesn't want to draw the attention from being queen. So her husband will be the King consort, and maybe one day he'll be king along with Kam. She's scared. Not many people in Norta are open to a Queen being the face of their country like the Lakelands was. Iris faced some massive backlash when she became Queen but Tiora was bound to face it at some time as well." 

I nodded. "Then that might narrow our choices in Kingstrial." 

Mare smiled. "If they love Kamberly, they'll accept King Consort."