Training is Straining

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I don't protest and lean my head on his shoulder and my hand on his heart, falling asleep to the rhythm of it beating in time with mine.

    Mare's POV
    It's been a few weeks since I've come back to the palace now so I don't know why I'm surprised when I see a stretchy, black training suit laying on my chair when I wake up the next morning. It's the same kind of suit I had before with silver and purple stripes lining the side. I groan at the sight of it. I'm exhausted from last night when I met Shade and became one of the new leaders of the Scarlet Guard. But I know I must fit in here if I want to get out.
   There's a simple note written by the suit. It reads, Training at 7. I yawn loudly and look at the clock. It reads 7:15.
   Now that wakes me up. I wonder why my maids didn't come in this morning to wake me. Then I remembered that I told them that I liked being independent and could wake up and get dressed on my own. They looked a little hurt when I said that so I assured them that it wasn't anything against them, it was just that I liked getting up on my own. It was a little piece of freedom I had in this puzzle I was locked up in.
   After I told them that they stopped coming to my room in the morning but now I realize maybe I shouldn't have sent them away. I quickly put on the suit and pull my hair my in a ponytail. I then grab some silver paint and apply it, disgusted that I'm an expert at putting it on. I pull my last boot on and head out the door.
   I turn excepting to see Lucas but instead I see another guard. He looks younger that Lucas, like he's new. Maybe that's why he looks so nervous.
  He jumps to action when he notices me. "Oh my lady! Um yes hello! Um how may I help you?"
  "I have training and I'm late," I say. I glance at a clock on the wall and it reads 7:30.
   His eyes widen and I hear him curse under his breath. "My colors, that was today? We better get moving,"
  He offers me his arm which I take and we set off at an awkwardly fast pace. He leaves me at a set of huge double doors. He then bows and says, "I'll escort you to lunch after training. Oh shoot I didn't take you to breakfast I'm so sorry my lady," he says with an apologetic tone.
  As much as I would have wanted to eat, I've grown up hungry and was used to it and he seemed so sorry I felt bad. "It's all right," I say with a smile.
  He then leaves me at the doors and I'm just about to open them when a thought hits me.
"Where was Lucas this morning?" I think.
   Was he in trouble for letting me go to the library alone? What if he's been punished? No, I think. He's probably just off somewhere else doing other guard things. I bet sometimes the guards changes posts. He's fine, I tell myself but I don't believe it.
  I finally find the courage to open the doors and hoping that my instructor won't be too angry that I'm late. When I open the door every eye shoots towards me. All the teens of the high houses are here, since the palace is the best place to train and they glare at me.
"Lady Titanos," says a familiar eerie voice. I look to the man teaching the group and it's Rane Arven. He taught my last training session in Sunmerton and he's not someone that I want to get on the bad side of. "It seems you have finally graced us with your presence,"
Some people in the room sneer including of course Evangeline and her two minions, Elane and Sonya. As much as I want to fry them I just mumble a sorry and go to the back of the group.
I don't miss Cal's eyes following me the whole time until he finally turns when Arven starts talking again. I remember last night when he took me in his arms to take me to my room and I feel asleep halfway there. I did wake up briefly for a bit when I felt him setting me on my bed but I went immediately back to sleep after that.
I shouldn't have let him do that, I think. I'm one of the leaders of the Scarlet Guard now and I can't afford any distractions.
But the real reason I can't do it is because I don't want to get hurt in the end. I know that he will eventually find out that I'm one of the leaders of the Scarlet Guard and when he learns that he will never want to talk to me again. The Scarlet Guard is against everything's he working for, everything's he's ever known. The Scarlet Guard wants him to be dead. They don't want a silver monarchy anymore. So I can't let him too close to my heart, no matter how much I want to. Because he'll hate me soon enough and I don't think I could ever stand that.
I didn't get a really good look at the room when I walked in because I was busy being scolded but now that I look around I see it's much more bigger and grand than the training room in Summerton. The equipment looks more high-tech and there isn't only one running track but three dividing the room so more than one session can train at a time. I realize I probably should pay attention to what Arven is saying about advanced skills on how to control your powers, since I'm the least educated in this room but something else stops me before I can listen.
"See you finally decided to join us," someone to my side whispers to me.
I turn around not excepting to see Ivy standing beside me with a bright smile on her face. I widen my eyes and try as hard as I can not to freak out. What is she doing here?! How did she get in here?!
I then remember the night I met her, at the purple party. She told me she was of House Norrus and that she was here to visit. But this makes no sense. If she's training with these kids, she has to show her power. And I saw her turn invisible last night so she can't have superhuman speed like the swifts of House Norrus. So how can she be invisible and have superhuman speed?
    I'm so lost in my thoughts that I don't realize Arven is calling my name and then shortly after yelling at me.
   "Lady Titaonas! First you walk in late to my class and now you're off daydreaming making me have to call your name three times!"
   I blush scarlet but no one can see under the silver paint. I look and see an arena has been formed to the right side of the room and Maven is standing by Arven, probably because he got called to fight. 
    I mumble a quick sorry under my breath and don't miss Sonya's sneer.
    But Arven doesn't let me off the hook so quickly. "You seem so tired, I know something that can wake you up," Arven says in an evil tone. He nudges his chin to the arena, gesturing that I will fight Maven.
Oh no. I didn't really worry about this since I thought, well it's my first day and he wouldn't make me fight, but of course I had to go be late and not pay attention in class and now he's going to make me fight and that just gives more chances for everyone to see my red blood.
   But then I remember Maven's fighting me and I know he won't let my secret out, so I go to the arena followed by everyone else who is eager to see the fight.
I didn't even have time to warm up or stretch plus I'm three months out of practice but I'm strangely confident. Shade helped me with my lighting back in Stilts when I went back and I'm fast on my feet.
Before I leave the group to enter the arena Cal grabs my arm and whispers in my ear, "Be careful," and then lets me go before anyone can see.
But when I glance around I see Ivy saw us and she has a confused expression on her face. Great. Something else I have to lie about. I just push the thought out of my head and focus on the task ahead. I step into the arena.
///
"Well that didn't go as excepted," I say holding a bag of ice on my head where the cut is, oozing out red blood.
"I don't think icing it is going to help," Ivy says sitting on the edge of my bed while I'm sitting on the floor looking out the window.
"I thought you said the prince knew about your blood, why would he do that," said Ivy.
I thought the same thing and I started recalling the fight over in my head. It started out fine. I entered the arena and Maven went easy on me, striking a fireball at me first.
I responded with a lighting blot aimed at his feet, wanting to get him on the ground so I could get his bracelets off. I also flickered the lights on and off making it hard for him too see what I was going to do.
He must have gotten better than I thought in the last few months because right when I thought I got him, he looped a fiery hot arm around my waist making me let out a scream and fall to the ground.
And then he did something that I'm still confused about. He placed his palm on my forehead, using his fire to make a burn off my skin so red blood would come out. It's like he wanted people to see me bleed. I let out another scream and kicked him in the groin so he would stop. He let a yelp and fell to the ground.
I wasn't sure what to do because I knew if I turned around everyone would see my red blood and Cal didn't know what what going on so he couldn't save me this time.
So even thought I didn't want to do it I surrendered. Running to the other side of the arena where no one was standing, throwing lighting blots until the arena broke letting me get out. Then I ran to my room, my quick legs saving me before anyone else could follow me. About half an hour after that, Ivy came in and told me that after I left everyone was confused and Arven kept on wanting someone to go get me, but Cal kept on telling him that he just leave me alone.
I quietly thank Cal again for saving me as much as I wish he would stop.
Ivy looked over at me when she mentioned Cal and opened her mouth to say something when her watch made a little buzz resulting in her to get up quickly.
"We gotta go, Shade wants us to meet him in the library," Ivy says walking towards the door.
"I can't go out there! What if one of the kids from training sees me. What am I suppose to say?" I exclaim.
"Calm down!" Ivy says rolling her eyes. "I can make you invisible, remember," I then look down and see she's done just that.
I follow her out the door and before we set off she tells the young guard from this morning, who's still guarding my door, not to let anyone in my room to disturb me.
He nods quickly, probably scared of Ivy and then we're on our way.
"Where's Lucas," I think again but I tell myself not to worry. When we finally get to the secret room under the library, I ask Ivy the question that's been bugging me.
"So how can you make me invisible but then train with the silvers using superhuman speed," I say.
"Oh it's because I have two powers," she says like it's the simplest thing in the world.
My eyes widen and I let out a gasp. "But that's, that's impossible," I stutter
"But before a few months ago you thought Reds having powers was impossible but you and lots of other Reds are living proof that it's not. Reds with abilities have stronger power than anyone can dream and some people have more than one like me," Ivy says.
  I just wonder at the crazy thought. Reds stronger than silvers. I would have thought that was the stupidest thing ever a few months ago but now I know I was wrong.
Just then Shade walks in quickly. "Look I don't have much time, but the Scarlet Guard has got a plan and if it works, everything is going to change and Reds will get the justice they deserve. There's just one thing you have to do Mare,"
He turns looking at me with a determined expression.
"You have to kill Cal."

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    Ahhh! This story is probably going to only have a few more chapters because it's almost time for it to end. The next chapters will be more action packed for sure because A LOT is going to happen. I hope you're enjoying it and please vote and comment! :)

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