Bleeding Crown (Red Queen 4 Fanfiction)

Chapter 11

After writing the last chapter, I've become extremely addicted to writing this next chapter. Hope everyone likes reading it!

Enjoy! "I'm a red girl in a sea of silvers. I can't afford to feel sorry for anyone. Least of all the son of a snake."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mare

  Farley told us that the minute we walk out the door of the room, Cal and I have to act madly in love. She told me that if I have to swallow my breakfast back down because I'm disgusted at holding Cal's hand, to do it. No matter what it takes, she said, I must never drop the act.

What she doesn't know, is that I enjoy holding Cal's hand. I enjoy acting, moreso being madly in love with him. These weeks without him have made me realize, I love him. More than I could ever know. To truly know what love is, heartbreak will rip your heart out of your chest, wait awhile, maybe laugh a little as you lie unconscious, and then after it's had some fun, shove your faintly beating heart right back into your chest. And now, I have to make up for the lost time.

Holding on to Cal's hand, we walk to the elevator and make our way to the ground floor, along with Harrick, disguising our appearances. Just a few days ago, Scarlet Guard operatives were able to find two, young High Silvers, who just so happened to be madly in love, and invited to the masquerade ball. From there, our operatives took them out and are harboring them at a nearby base while Cal and I impersonate them. My name is Julianna Gliacon, able to manipulate ice, while Cal is Christopher Marinos, who has a sonic scream.

Harrick interrupts the silence. "I've gotten to a point in which I could be on the other side of Archeon and still disguise you."

I stop in place immediately. "Even if you don't know where we are? Are you sure you're confident to pull a stunt like that?"

"I could, but I'll be in the palace at all times tonight and the veil won't come down unless I purposely make it, or get knocked unconscious."

"Note to self, don't let Harrick die," I mutter.

We enter the- what Cal calls a limousine as three high silvers, just high enough to be invited to the ball made personally for me.

As we advance closer to Whitefire, chills begin to develop in the pit of my stomach, growing, until I believe I've transformed into a block of solid ice, paralyzed with fear. Cal attempts to warm me, but it doesn't calm my nerves. Neither does the fact that the driver of our vehicle enjoys driving at a speed I could walk faster than. I've asked him repeatedly to go faster just to end the ride to hell and actually be there, but he refuses, and never gives an actual explanation.

Several minutes later, we reach the gates to the looming palace where tens of sentinels stand, with strange scanners in their hands. As we exit the transport, I realize they're a sort of facial recognition scanners. Hopefully, Harrick's mental powers will be able to get us through this one.

I'm the first to walk up to the scanner, face to face with the black mask of one of the haunting guards. He pulls the contraption our and scans my face. A red, pulsing light flashes at my eyes.

"Clear," the man mutters, apparently very bored.

Cal and Harrick go without a hitch, all of us now past the gates. I glance quickly up the palace, where I once lived as a princess and once as a prisoner, before slipping my mask on.

Cal and I go off towards the palace, while Harrick stays behind to get the others through the machines. Apparently, the scanners can see through the illusion.