Red Throne

Chapter Four

AN: Sorry I haven't posted in a while! This chapter is longer than usual so please enjoy! As always constructive criticism is always welcomed!

----------CAL'S POV----------

I awoke to murmuring in my room. I kept my eyes closed to pretend I was asleep, so I could listen.

"Do you think she will make it?" I think it was Julian who said that.

"Most likely not, if a newblood healer can't wake her, nobody can," Nanabel was the other person in the room.

"She is stronger than all of us combined, I have faith in her," Julian said.

"Why do you have so much faith in her? I could care less about her, there is no way people will accept her as a queen, much less allow her near the throne. I guess it is better for everyone for her to be like this. She won't harm anyone, she can't be queen, and this way Cal will still have hope so he will keep moving forward."

"Your opinion is your opinion, but I wouldn't tell Cal that if I were you," Julian mumbled, "The reason I have so much faith in Mare is because she has made a bigger difference in a few years than all of us have made in a few hundred years."

I shifted in bed just the slightest bit, and I guess they saw because Nanabel rushed over to me and Julian nodded in my direction.

"How are you feeling?" Nanabel asked.

"Better, how is Mare?" I think I already put the pieces together of what happened, but I wanted to be told to my face.

"Well she is-" Nanabel started.

"I think it would be best if he just saw for himself," Julian interjected.

There was a moment of silence before anyone said anything else.

"We will leave you to get ready, I will be back in thirty minutes to take you to see Mare," Julian said, breaking the silence.

The two of them left my room, leaving me alone wondering what had truly happened to Mare.

----------MARE'S POV----------

I could feel arms wrap around me and pick my body off the ground. They were strong, warm, and they belonged to Cal's. I could hear him telling me to hold on, that everything would be okay. So I did, I held on for as long as I could, but it kept getting harder. I couldn't see what was happening, all I saw was black. Then I saw Shade, he told me if I wanted I could be with him. I wanted to go to him so badly, but somehow I knew I wasn't ready. He came to me and hugged me. I wanted to hold on to him forever, and I could feel myself slipping away from Cal. My breathing stopped for just a moment when Shade whispered into my ear, "You're meant for the Red Throne. You're meant for Cal. I will see you soon little sis."

I felt someone else grab me, I wanted to say I was fine. I wanted to tell them all I needed was Cal, but no words came out. I couldn't see anything, I couldn't move anything, I couldn't say anything, but I could still hear everything. I heard them yelling to get me to a healer, to get me into a room, but I lost my grip on my life. I faded into the darkness, letting it take all my worries away, so I could be in peace for just a moment.

----------CAL'S POV----------

Julian came back thirty minutes later, and he took me to see Mare. He didn't say anything on the walk down to her room, which was unusual. When we reached the door he said very few words, "In here."

He left me standing in front of the door as he walked away. My guess is he had already seen her, and wanted me to have my time with her. I hoped to see her sitting up waiting for me to walk through the door, so she could throw her arms around me.

That wasn't the case.

No one else was in the room when I walked in. For a moment I thought no one was in the room at all, and then I saw her.

She was lying in the middle of the bed, sleeping peacefully. She looked so beautiful and peaceful. I didn't want to wake her, but I couldn't help myself. I walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Mare, baby wake up."

She didn't move an inch, so I spoke a little louder, "Mare, it's me, Cal."

I was starting to worry. "Mare wake up, this isn't funny."

"MARE! PLEASE WAKE UP!" I shouted.

I was in full on panic mode. I rushed out the door and started yelling, "SOMEONE HELP! IT'S MARE! HELP!"

A healer sprinted down the hall rushing to Mare's aid. He stopped when he saw me.

"Your highness what-" he started.

"This isn't the time for being formal, MARE WON'T WAKE UP!" I shouted in his face.

 "That's the thing, she is in a coma and no one can wake her up. We have tried everything, us silver healers tried to wake up, a newblood healer tried to wake her, we even tried doing it all together, nothing works," he answered.

I didn't know how to respond. Mare. My Mare was in a coma that they can't get her out of. It was all my fault, if I had just cut the meeting short, or followed her out of the room we wouldn't be in this position.

The healer interrupted my thoughts, "The longer she is in the coma, the less of a chance she has to wake up. I am so very sorry."

We walked back down the hallway, and disappeared from sight. I slowly walked back into the room. She was still lying there. The more I looked at her the more peaceful she looked. Maybe this is what she wanted, to escape the chaos and pressure of the world. Just to be peaceful for a day. She would wake up after today, and be as good as new. Right?

I stayed there the rest of the day, refusing to leave, or eat. I wasn't going to leave her side. I even convinced the healers to let me sleep in her room. I wanted to be there when she woke up.

----------MARE'S POV----------

I was still in the darkness when images started to pop up. First it was me falling into the arena, then it was watching the bombing happen killing the children, then seeing the dead baby, I couldn't escape these. I was trapped watching these memories. It was like a whisper going through my head. I saw the sounder, then Shade dying, then I was back at Whitefire trapped in manacles with Maven looming over me. Everything suddenly went away, leaving me in the peaceful abyss. 

AN: Hoped you enjoyed, have a great day!