King's Cage Fanfic

Mare's POV

I stare at his back as the metal collar snaps onto my neck. I feel as if my neck is all bruised up from where the sentinel grabbed me before.

I feel a dull ache full of longing in my chest. I try to say something but my throat seems all swollen up. He doesn't even bother to look at me. I suddenly hear his voice, firm and commanding.

"Get her up."

I try to get to my feet myself but I'm too weak to do so. I let the sentinel haul me up by an arm. I suddenly jerk forward as I feel a pull against my neck.

Maven tugs onto the chain attached to the collar. I feel the metal points dig into my skin and I wince. I hear a crowd cheering somewhere. We walk for a while, Maven clutching onto the chain and me following him.

Soon, we walk out a door and I squint to see past the bright lights. I see a crowd of silvers roaring and applauding as Maven holds the chain high above his head, probably to mark the fact that he has caught the most-wanted criminal in the country.

I wait for him to say something, to harass me or tell lies, but he doesn't. I frown at him. Something seems wrong. Unusual.

Maybe it's the way he clutches onto the chain so that his knuckles turn white.

Or the fact that his jaw is tightly clenched and his full lips are sealed into a tight line.

Or maybe that one of his hand is trembling and he has clenched it into a fist to prevent it from showing.

My frown deepens. What's wrong with him?

I hear him take in a sharp breath. One after the other. Is he alright? I'm the one he should be worrying about, given my conditions, not the opposite.

He starts walking suddenly, making me stumble after him so I crash into his back. I quickly move back, wanting to keep my distance. I try to, but I fall on my knees, my head hitting the floor. I see blood, and I quickly stand up, blinking away tears.

He, however, keeps walking, as if nothing happened and I limp after him. There is a red carpet we walk on, and I try to ignore the fact that Maven is pulling the chain more violently than before, and observe the carpet instead.

He still tugs at it, and the collar bites into my skin, scratching it. I feel blood roll down my neck, and onto my white shirt, staining it red.

Somehow, I still don't believe that the boy I love is completely gone. I just need to bring him back.

I wrench myself back to the reality and see cameras focused on my face. I realise that my family will be watching, and that they probably believe I'm going to die.

Like Shade died.

The thought of him brings tears to my eyes, and I try to blink them away. His death is still  a new wound in my heart. I bite down on my lip, hard, to prevent the tears from coming through.

My parents will be worried enough, but seeing me cry might make them think I've given up. I try to think of something else, something that might make me feel a little better.

The only thing that comes to my mind is Maven. I don't think of Cal at home, worrying about me. I don't think of my family, and how Shade's death broke them apart. I don't think about Kilorn, and how he probably thinks me to be weak after I surrendered.

I look at him. And only him.

He walks faster and faster, making the points of the collar dig deep in my throat. I try to ignore the fact that my neck is bleeding, and that it is dry and patched and hoarse.

I whisper his name once, quietly, barely audible to myself. "Maven." I say hoarsely.

I don't say anything else, but somehow, he hears me. He slows down, so that I am almost walking beside him. He holds onto the chain so lightly now, that I could run away if I wanted to.

But I won't.

Getting him to slow down is a betrayal to his crown. A small one, but one nonetheless. I try to keep from smiling, but a small grin finds its way to my mouth.

I just said his name. I said it to him with so much longing, and all the heartache that had been stuck in my chest, and he understood.

I'm confident now. I guess I can bring him back. Maybe the old him was a ghost, but it can't hurt to try. I feel adrenaline pumping in my veins and I almost think my powers have come back.

He stops again, and slowly begins to turn around. His long lashes finally lift and he meets my eyes. I've craved to see those blue eyes of his.

I feel as if the whole world has stopped. I don't hear the crowd, and I block all of my surroundings. I feel the wind rush onto my cheeks and stare at him.

It feels too long and too short, the distance between us too much and too less. I see the corners of his mouth tilt up, not into a smile, but a tiny one, so it isn't caught on camera.

He turns on his heel, and starts walking again. I follow him, a feeling of triumph in my cheeks.

If I was able to get him to smile at me in front of his whole kingdom, just because I said his name, I know he still wants me.

He pulls  me, slowly, and I follow him willingly. I don't see anyone, or anything else. I focus on how his cape billows behind him as he walks, and most happily I realise;

I can bring him back.

And I will.

Word count: 1056

This chapter seem nice? I don't want this  story to be a fail like my last one, cuz I hate it when all effort goes to waste.

Anyways, I won't be uploading soon unless I know that my story is really liked, and it worth continuing.

I love Mareven, and I support them through and through.

Vote and comment. Thanks for reading! I swear my I won't talk a lot in my next chapter :)

(Oh and the M was never branded on her collarbone.)

😇😇😇
-1Books4Life9