I Choose You

Twenty-Four

Evangeline

I dragged Cal's unconscious body through the underground.

He was heavy, no doubt at that.  I didn't expect him to be knocked out for this long, I expected an hour at most, but it's evening at this point, by my guess. 

I knew the underground a little, I knew the secret exits from Whitefire.  That's where I was headed, dropping Cal off there, I can climb up the ladder that leads to a small broom closet and get my position in the Houses back.

I was to be Maven's wife, I was betrothed to both Calore's, none of them ending well.  Cal's ending with a child, and Maven's ending in him giving me the boot.  

He knew I was pregnant; he was the only one who knew.  He acted surprised when Mare was informed, quite comedic, really.

A lying face suits him well. 

I know he loves Mare with all he has, he never loved me.  He loved his parents dearly, they too left. 

I loved people in Whitefire.  My father.  Ptolemus.  

Elane. 

I miss her, I plan on returning, making a grand entrance.  Maven didn't like the thought of me being pregnant with Cal's child, he called it a mistake, an accident.  That raged me.  Not many things hit me sharp, but him calling my child things was one.  I care for it, whoever they are. 

The child in me is my future, it's Cal's too. 

I appear harsh because that's what expected of me, when really, I love everyone.  Being Queen had a chance of me showing that, those dreams are gone.  But I got one thing out of the hardship.

A child that I will love more than anyone.

But no one can know that I care for the baby, though.  Emotions are weakness.  Tolly taught me one good thing. 

Cal started to fluster, groaning and clenching his head.

He rose from the ground where I had dropped him, his heavy body was to much, I am strong, just not that strong.

"Where am I?" He asked, sounding drunk. 

"The Underground," I answer, holding one hand at my lightly bloated stomach, I move it right away.  

Emotion is weakness. 

"Again,"

He stands up weakly.  I had to knock him out to get him here.  Now that he is slightly tipsy, I can leave him to wander off and up the ladder I go.  He starts to see his surroundings.  

"We are under Whitefire," He says slowly, I nod. "I did my potion studies here."

"Potion studies?" Finally, something interesting comes out of this man.

"Yes, I wanted to make serums and new inventions for Norta,"

I raise my brow, intrigued. 

"What kinds?" I ask, he doesn't answer.  There is no testing equipment in sight, I was confused.  He walks over to a loose stone and pulls it out of the ground messily.  He's high or something, didn't take the serum I injected in him well. 

"Here," 

I walk to the small hidden box under the stone.  He blows the dust off it.  He opens it, revealing many tubes and serums in needles.  He only takes out one.  It has a reddish pink look.  

"I know this one works, I used it on a rat," He says it slurred, focused, thinking.  

"What does it do?" For once, Calore has my attention.