His Red Queen

Chapter One

"I can save you."

The words make my skin crawl.

"Your father loved you, Maven. You didn't see it, but he did."

"A lie."

"He loved you and you killed him!" The words come faster, spilling like blood from a vein. "Your brother loved you, and you made him a murderer. I—I loved you. I trusted you. I needed you. And now I am going to die for it."

"I am king. You will live if I want you to. I will make it so."

"You mean if you lie? One day your lies will strangle you, King Maven. My only regret is I won't be alive to see it." And then it is my turn to grab him. I pull with all my strength, making him stumble against the bars. My knuckles connect with his cheek, and he yelps away like a kicked dog. "I will never make the mistake of loving you ever again."

To my dismay, he recovers quickly and smooths his hair. "So you choose him?"

When I do not respond, Maven gives me a smirk. He walks to Cal's cell, arms crossed, mocking him. Then, he reaches out, grabbing his brother's neck and forcing him to look at him, bronze eyes meeting blue ones. Cal lets Maven pull him up even as his forehead collides with the metal bars.

I yelp, "Don't hurt him, Maven."

Maven pushes Cal to the ground. Cal, the soldier. Cal, the true king of Norta. He grunts as he falls into a heap on the floor.

Maven walks back to my cell, eyes wide in amusement. "I will do what I want. He will die, little lightning girl and so will everyone like you." He whips his head around at one of the guards. "Samos! Unlock his cell."

The Samos guard obeys, using his magnetron ability to bend the bars from Cal's cell to the sides. Maven walks into the cell. "Get up, traitor."

Cal stands and looks at me, helpless in my cell. I try to summon my lightning but the silent stone and Arvens standing on the opposite side of the hall make it impossible. My attempt to use my ability makes me dizzy and I fall to the ground.

Maven laughs, "I thought you knew this was silent stone, Mare." He yanks Cal by the shirt collar, making him get out of the cell.

"Leave him alone," I growl.

Maven stares at me then snaps his fingers at the Samos guard who opens my cell. Maven puts a hand out to me. I recoil, stepping farther back into the cell until my back is up against the cold, silent stone wall. The stone makes me feel like my brain is being squeezed. I blink quickly as my energy is somehow drained more than it already is. I slump to the ground, drawing my knees to my chest as the silent stone depletes me.

"Arven, bring the traitor out to the Bowl of Bones." Maven motions to Cal.

"Wait!" I shout, which earns me a smile from Maven. He waves the Arven guard off lazily.

"What?" Maven looks amused now and I want to slap the expression off his face.

"Do you want me to live?" I choke the words out, nearly a sob, head pounding.

Maven steps into my cell and this time I do not move away. I stay in my place on the cold ground, waiting to see how he responds.

He stops right in front of me, crouching down. He puts a hand out to push the hair out of my face and I let him. He is oddly gentle and an unreadable expression takes over his face.

"Of course I do," he finally says, an inkling of pain on his pale face. "And I can have you live." He looks over at Cal whom the guards have bound with manacles but haven't taken away yet. A smile forms at Maven's lips as he looks back to me. "Be my red queen."

"Will you let him go?" I ask.

Maven laughs at me, pulling me up to stand. Once, his hands on mine would have filled me with warmth and what I thought was love. Now, chills go down my spine. "No." His expression hardens. "He murdered King Tiberias VI and he must pay. But you, you can be redeemed."

I look between King Maven and Cal.

I can escape death at the price of losing Cal, betraying him. But Cal already betrayed me and used me. I told myself that I would betray him from the start. Still, looking over at Cal who was supposed to be king, I do not know if I can do it. He would do the same, I tell myself. Right? 

Anyone can betray anyone. My betrayal is a small price to pay to keep my family safe.

"Leave the Scarlet Guard alone. Stop searching for people like me." I look at my hands then back to King Maven. "Leave my family and Kilorn alone. And at least give Cal a chance." I have to stop talking in order to stop myself from sobbing.

Maven wipes a tear off my cheek with his thumb. "Done. Come on, my future queen." He takes my hand and pulls me along with him out of the cell, away from Cal.

Suddenly, I regret my decision and I turn around. Following Maven is cowardice and I am no coward. And there is no proof that he will follow through on his promise. I, of all people, know that they mean nothing. I would rather die with Cal than be Maven's pet.

I try to run to Cal by breaking my hand away from Maven's but an Arven sends a wave of silence through me and I fall to my knees, gasping for air, my head hurting so bad that I see stars.

"Cal! I'm so sorry!" He does not look at me. "Cal!" My voice breaks as Cal is led away in the opposite direction.

Maven clucks his tongue. "That's no way for my queen to behave. Come on, Mare. You need to get cleaned up for the execution and the announcement that our engagement is still on."

I get up, brush myself off, and follow Maven down the dark corridor.

We pass Evangeline in the hall, decked out in armor made of needles. She glares at me as King Maven and I pass her. She curtsies. "My King, we are almost ready for the execution."

"Good," Maven says. "Don't let him suffer too much." His words make me stop in my tracks. "Come on, Mare." He pulls me along with him.

I try to feel for my lightning but no hum of electricity comes. I look at the cameras in the hall, trying to see if I can sense the electric currents in them. It's no use. Maven chuckles at me and then gestures behind us at the Arven guards. I want to smack that laugh off of his face but if I act out, my family and friends are at stake. He can even kill me right now if he wanted to. It wouldn't be hard for him.

We climb the stairs to the floor where the royals have their rooms. The floor that had my bedroom when I was Mareena Titanos.

"Will you have me be Mareena or Mare?" I ask as Maven opens the door to my old rooms.

"Mare," Maven says. "Queen Mare Calore. I'll have guards here in an hour to bring you to the Bowl of Bones to watch the spectacle." With that, he leaves.

The maids clean me up and do my hair. They put me in a red gown. It's all a blur and I let them do their work. They do not brush the silvery powder over my skin to hide my red undertone this time.

Be my red queen.

And his red queen I will be.