Stained in red

Fighting Over the Crown

Serta and Dana groomed a mare as they talked about the past few days, how Roseanne and him were getting along and about Jax. The Green Blood had only sent one letter this week, it read the following.

12:05
The Violet Bloods are working with the Yellow bloods, their army troops are being shipped to Figgens, so they can create a massive army. They are not attacking.
Safe,
J

"Are you going to become the King soon?" Dana asked me. I bit back the retort and rolled my eyes.

"Dana, I told you." Was all I could say. Bitterness made my words clipped and short. I cursed myself when Dana's mouth twitched, it only did when something bothered her.
"Sorry." I mumbled, but I wasn't sure if she had heard.

"Come on, Serta! You need to quit pretending your nobody! You can't hide from your crown just because you lost some lives! If your Father lost a battle, he would fight!" She shouted at me. "He would fight however many battles until he won the war! Because that's not how it works! If you make a mistake, you just have to keep going! You can't hide, because we look to you! We look to you to find some reassurance. And it's hard when all you can do is blame it on somebody else!" Her voice broke. I tried to ignore the tears sitting on her eyelashes, and her golden curls that seemed to loose their bounce.

"I'm not blaming this on anyone but myself! You can trust me on that one! And also, do you think it was just some lives we lost? We lost hundreds! Hundreds!" I repeated. "And sorry if I don't want people looking to me. Because this was all my fault! Every single life that was taken was because of me! Your brother, was because of me! So sorry I'm not the King you wanted me to be!" The unspoken words tingled my tongue sorry I'm not my Father! Dana whimpered then through her horse brush at my feet. She ran away with a strangled cry.

I admit, I didn't mean to bring up her brother. But in the heat it all came out. She couldn't be right, what would being King mean anyway. What could I do that we haven't already done?

I ran to the underground spring, at least there I could think.

The water was hot, it made my feet hurt.
"Oh," I heard her sigh. "Sorry." Not again. A part of my mind hissed.

"No. You can stay if you like. I... I need help." I didn't, but I couldn't think of anything else that might make her stay. She gave me an odd look, but sat on the floor next to the lip of the bowl.

"What's wrong?" Roseanne asked. I rested on my arms to face her and let my body float behind me. At least this time she didn't turn away.

"Am I...should..." I snorted. I didn't know how to start. Thankfully, the healer spoke.

"I saw Dana." Her soft voice rolled around the cave. "What happened?"

"We had a fight." I bit my lip. "I didn't mean to... I said things I shouldn't have." So did she. That little voice echoed.

"Do you want to apologise?" She asked me.

"Not yet." I admitted. I wasn't ready. But Dana's words had made an impact, they were now the only things I could think about.

"That's ok. But I suggest that you do, she doesn't look so good." She can handle herself. The voice said. It was familiar, but I still couldn't put my finger on it. I was still biting my lip, I knew because Roseanne frowned. The frown ruined her beauty, it creased her perfect cheeks and tensed her lips.

"Don't do that. It ruins your face." I murmured. Roseanne blushed and lightly kissed my cheek.

"Don't bite your lip, it ruins them." She smiled and kissed me again on the lips.