Red Queen.

Chapter 1

   Another normal day in the square, though it isn't actually normal per-say. Today is the day that the silvers go to the arena to fight, or duel, though no one really dies because the silvers bring healers who pretty much allow the silvers to live for a while. I walk the streets picking pockets, and quickly sneaking some things from the wagons that people sell food off. I steal a mans watch, a few dollar bills out of a woman's purse, though they don't seem to notice because the crowd is going crazy. Someone tries to grab the dollars out of my hand, but I quickly grab their hand and look up.

"Oh Kilorn it is just you."

"You are getting quicker, though you still are quite slow." He chuckles looking down on me. I have known Kilorn since the day his mother died and he showed up on my doorstep starving. Now, he is the one teaching me how to live, since I am nothing like Gisa, and all of my brothers have left to fight the silvers in the war that has been going on for the last century and the stupid silver king, Tiberias the 6th is too stupid to actually end it because apparently the Reds will rebel against his heir, Cal. Anyway, Kilorn is a fisherman's apprentice, and he doesn't have to go fight in the war, atleast someone I love isn't going to be taken away from me. 

    As we head to the arena Kilorn bets. 

"I wonder if a strong arm is going to be fighting a whisper, if so, then I am going for the strong arm, the whisper would lose instantly. The strong arm would tear him to shreds," he quickly adds under his breath," Not that they would allow a silver to die here!"

"I am not betting this time Kilorn" 

"Still dreaming about Cal. Maybe Maven?? That won't ever happen. You aren't a silver so you won't even has a cha-"

"Shut up" We find our seats, which are made out of hard rock, and the video screens are awful. The announcers go over the speakers and tell us who will be fighting, let alone, Kilorn was right, a strong arm and a whisper are at it today.

"I don't get how you know what silvers are opponents each Friday! So  glad I gave up betting with you three years ago!"

"Sore loser!"

    Before I can hit him, or strike back, the sirens go off, allowing the opponents to start fighting. The whisper drags out a sword and runs toward the strong arm, but he is thrown across the arena and slams agianst the concrete wall. The strong arm stalks over to him and locks his gaze. However, he doesn't do anything. 

"The whisper is in his head! Telling him what to do" I whisper over to Kilorn who just ignores me, too intrigued by the losing Strong arm. The Whisper causes the strongarm to take his sword from the whisper, and with in a blink of an eye he stabs the sword into his gut. I turn away getting up and walking out while I leave Kilorn there. 

    I head home dodging people, and as I climb up the oh so familiar ladder, no one is home. I drop my bags into the kitchen and go to my room. As I ascend up the stairs, and into the loft Gisa and I share, I take a short glimpse into the mirror. My hair is black, with tangles in it, my face crusted with dirt and mud, my body skinnier than it should be, and being taller than most girls my age. My purple eyes stare back at me in my reflection screaming that I am ugly and no good for life. I ignore the thought and head to the loft to sleep. 

     As I start to doze off everyone files into the house....well except my older brothers, they are at the war fighting. As I pretend to sleep Gisa slowly makes her way up the ladder to her side of the loft. She looks over at me and smiles. Only being 14, you would think that she is like a mother or something, she is working as a seamstress' apprentice and I am..well..I am...a thief. I guess that is what I am good at, being a thief. That is it. All I will ever be good at. 

    The next morning I awake by Gisa shaking me uncontrollably.

"Wake up!" She screams at me as I slowly wake up.

"Why are you waking me up so early! Let me go back to sleep." I groan as I shove the pillow over my head and try to sleep but she rips me out of bed. 

"They are searching the house you need to get out of bed now, they aren't going to wait for you. They have been waiting for 5 minutes and threatened to kill you if you don't get up!" she whispers. I shoot up out of bed and rocket down the later and out the door to 4 guards in red and black armor holding guns. Not that they need the guns or anything. One of the guards grabs me and shoves me down the later and into shackles. 

"What are you doing!?" I scream at him. His eyes are dark, and he looks like he might be one of the prince's but I wouldn't know. His lips open to say something but out comes a grunt, and:
"King Tiberias, and Queen Elara's orders ma'am"

Hmmm polite, but cold. 

"WHY ON EARTH WOULD THEY WANT ME!" I fight at the shackles and try to turn back to head up that latter again but this guard shoves me into transportation system. He puts a cloth over my mouth to keep me from screaming, and the transportation system roles away leaving the other guards to my family and the rest of the town. 

    With a flick of his wrist and a couple snaps, a glass, dark, window shields us from the driver. It looks sound proof. 

"Promise not to scream?" Says the guard as he unties the cloth from my mouth.

"Tell me what's going on and I won't" I spit back at him. He doesn't look surprised though. He takes off his mask and armor, and reveals a handsome man with dark hair, and dark eyes. 

"I am Prince Maven, King Tiberias, and Queen Elara's youngest son. My older brother, Cal, was sending for you because your blood is a combination of red and silver, and we need to figure out what you possess, for now, though you will be working as a servant for the royal palace. Later, you will be going through tests to see what happens." His smile is kind, but also wicked. I just stare at him.

"No need to stare Mare Barrow. Everything is under control."  And with that the cloth goes back over my mouth, but it is a different material, that smells awful. 

    I take in a deep breath trying to figure out what it is. I look over at Maven to see him smirking. Then I decide to hold my breath but that doesn't happen. Things start to swirl around me, and my head starts to ache. My breath comes in short panics heaps. Within a second I am in another dimension. Before I know it, my head slams against the window and I am left to a utter, still, silent, darkness. Something that demons would live in..