Silver King

Chapter 6 - Evangeline

I walk off the podium, head high as always, pretending everything is all right, going towards Cal to shake some sense out of him.

I find him sitting on the floor, legs spread out, resting his head on the wall, eyes closed, his body shaken by shivers of what I can only think is disgust, or maybe fear. He looks pathetic. I'm glad nobody followed me here. They can't see their future king in this state.

'' Cal!'' I hiss through gritted teeth, '' What are you doing?''

He doesn't answer, but I see his lips quiver and his eyelids flutter. I decide to keep on.

'' This is the worst timing you could ever have, Cal! You simply can't back down now! If there was ever a good time to do this rubbish, it was before we all came here, before we beat Maven, before you broke the lightning girl!''

Now I've got his attention. His eyes dart open, gleaming with what I hope aren't tears. I can't handle tears.

'' You saw Mare?''

''No. But you don't need to be a seer to know that you destroyed her, along with all her respect for Silvers.''

He looks down, clearly hurt and mad. I almost want to roll my eyes, as the Cole brat would. He has no clue of how his decisions affect the whole kingdom of Norta, and even farther than that.

'' Now, Cal, you get a composed look, pull yourself together...''

My voice rises both in volume and pitch with these last 3 words.

''... you march up these stairs, you look at these people, your people, and you tell them. No matter if it's the truth or not, you are in a situation in which it doesn't matter. You tell them you were uncomfortable, that you felt a pang of sadness at the thought of taking a crown that should have still belonged to your father had he not be murdered by your own brother, and you tell that Invog man that you are ready to carry it all through this time. You are in a situation where you cannot have the luxury of waiting to decide. You had months to decide! Now it's too late!''

'' No, I didn't.''

His voice roars over me.

'' I didn't have months to choose, Evangeline. I had a few minutes, with the eyes of the Scarlet Guard, Montfort, and all the rebelling high Houses drawn to me, all waiting for me to decide. It was then, the choice was never even mine.''

''Then if there is no choice, why in the world did you just run off? Do you think it will make things better? Because it won't! And if you talk about these choices that supposedly weren't yours, you need to see further. And not that much further! Just see how your lightning girl didn't want you to accept that crown. And you only listened to the eyes with authority! You're weak! Now, you've got to pay for your weakness and get your butt on that stage and do as I told you!''

My voice is catching fire, burning brighter with every word. He makes me mad, makes me want to kick him up that stage and do his work for him. Even if I don't agree with what's coming after. The wedding... it could maybe be dealt with after. But this coronation needs to take place, or the only message Cal is projecting is that he's a weak king ruling over an already weak kingdom.

''How can you say that,'' he growls. I don't back off.

''You've just pointed out exactly why I can't do it, why I can't rule over this kingdom. I can't... I can't do this to Mare.''

''For heaven's sake, Tiberias! I don't agree on this wedding any more than you, but the coronation is a piece of cake! You become king, you decide to cancel the wedding, our kingdoms don't like each other, and we're all good. But. If you don't become king of Norta, you are giving away your entire kingdom. ''

His bronze eyes seem to harden, and I know he has decided to go on that stage. He will start this off grandly. He's agreed with my flimsy reasoning. But what else could I do? I can't live another war.