I Choose You

Thirty-Six

Gwendolyn.

The second my eyes flicker open and closed I receive a sharp stabbing pain in my head and chest. I go to clinch it, feel if it's bad or if I'm gushing blood, but a sharp clang that makes my wrist and arms stop dead in its movement. Once I slowly turn my head through the searing pain, I see frozen chains holding me into the bed I am attached to.

I'm thankful for the old bed with the Scarlet Guard now, this bed is just metal. It's cold, wait, it's cold. I usually can't feel cold. That's when I start to panic. I can't feel the ice in my veins, the frost coating my heart, it's gone. I try to stand up, but the leather-metal band covering my torso and the cylinders covering my ankles, pinning me down fully. I squirm but all it does is make it hurt more, all I hear is the clanging of metal of me trying to break free from wherever I am. But I freeze when the door opens.

I see Bullet standing in the doorway, I want to freeze his head off and spit on him, I raise my hand to shoot but nothing, just my cold, shaking hand.

"Very funny, but no ice cream for you," he sneers. I squirm at his words.

"What did you do to me?" I whisper, I can't say it any louder than a whimper.

"Just put you under silent stone, chained you to this bed, I would've done more, but Tiberius wished not the worst, and King Maven doesn't know you are here," he says, pacing back and forth. I just want to run away, but I've tried.

"He doesn't even know where you are, Tiberius," he continues to taunt me. "So I can do whatever I want."

I squirm again, his lifeless eyes actually look like they have life, he looks evil. I try to hurt him but I can't, I end up flailing my limbs with limited motions, I am helpless, I am defenseless, just like Bullet wanted.

He is going to torture me.

He forms a knife in his hands from a butter knife, making the blade sharp.

"You better be quiet, don't want to get caught do you,"

My mind floods with what he could do, I could lose something I wanted to keep, I start to cry as he looks at my body, finding where to cut me first. He finds his spot, right on my left arm. I try to move it but I can't, the metal shackles hold me down. He moves his blade down before piercing my skin, I can feel my red blood trickle down my arm. Then he goes deeper, making a scream rose in my throat, making the whole room shake it hurt so bad.

My vision swam through the stabs and rips, my breathing began to slow, I wanted to be knocked out during this, just to let me sleep. He continued with my other arm, my stomach, legs, neck, then he finished.

"I'd do more to you, but you need rest for more," I can't see his face, my vision is blurred and my blood is covered all over me I am practically swimming in it.

Please make it go away. I screamed on purpose so someone could find me, but I was punished for that.

Then I let my whole mind stop and let the blackness and pain take over me.

Mare

I am thankful Maven got me out of Queens Training, I have to do it tomorrow though, but today I wasn't feeling it, feeling sluggish today for some reason. I don't feel like running which is odd, but I feel like walking around the castle, getting to know the place a bit.

I finish my breakfast alone, just a breakfast sandwich with cheese and sausage and a bowl of fruit. Maids take away my plates and I decide to roam around a bit while I wait for Maven. Why I'm waiting for him I don't know, I can read or do some research, see my niece Coriane.

She's my niece, I'm an aunt. I will be again once Farley has her baby, everyone is having babies, Evangeline, Farley, I will have to have kids in the future now that I am in this position, but if I have them with Maven I'll be happy.

I walk through the halls with happy thoughts, and trying to track where I am. The person who built this place could've made it easier for learning how to get around. I've memorized Summerton pretty well, but Whitefire is somewhat new to me.

I walk through the throne room, a new throne has been added next to Maven's, not as tall and grand, but still luxurious and beautiful all the same. I can assume that it's for me once we are married and I am crowned.

I stay in that room for a while, roam around and see the room draped in red and black, stating House Calore. The chandelier at the top of the room that's covered in diamonds and rubies makes the room dance with rainbows and reflects every jewel on the walls and marbled floor. I look up at it in a trance. The whole room is so beautiful I've never dreamed of it.

Once I look down so I don't hurt my neck, I see another person in my peripherals. I turn to see who I saw. It's Cal.

We both stand, staring at each other for a moment before he speaks.

"Hey," he says, walking toward me.

"Hello," I say back, standing up straight.

"Checking out your new throne?"

"Didn't plan on it," I feel my cheeks flush.

"I ran into loverboy,"

I snort, I can guess he means Maven, he smiles at the piggish sound I made.

"And?" I ask, still with a laughing visage on my face.

"Just doing plans for the big day, we are on good terms after our conversation, but he seemed a bit flustered,"

I cock my head like a confused puppy. "Why?"

Cal doesn't answer, instead he looks at the floor. That's never good coming from Cal.

"What happened?" I ask again.

"I may have said something," his bronze eyes look worried and tense.

"Care to share?" I ask, shifting my weight to my left hip.

He stays silent.

"Sharing is caring, Cal," I say, that earns a laugh from him, it's short but sweet.

"It's not really appropriate now,"

"When will it be?" I ask right when he stops speaking, I'm no detective but I want this information.

"Stubborn as always," Cal says with an eye roll.

"You can't have Mare Barrow without a pinch of stubbornness," I give him a playing smirk.

"You aren't wrong, I've noticed you are all stubborn, but you were given the mother load,"

I give him a smirk. He isn't wrong, I agree with him.

"Just tell me," I give him puppy eyes.

"Fine, I'll tell you tonight after things calm down, we can meet in my room," he gives in with a sigh, I do a victory dance in my head. I win.

"Where's your room?"

"Three doors down from the dining hall, first hall on the left,"

I repeat it in my head to remember.

"I'll see you there after dusk, okay?" He asks.

"Yeah," I nod, he smiles before he walks away, I feel my heart sink to my feet, I just agreed to speak with Cal. In private. Hopefully it goes well.

I have a bad feeling in my stomach about it. Like I shouldn't go, but I agreed, I can't back out now, I want to know what he told Maven.

I know I'm an idiot, but I have to do this, I have to move on from Cal, I'm engaged, I can't repeat the same mistake I made once. I have to say goodbye.

Hello my aliens, it's me. Just letting y'all know I have a new book out called Fallen, it's a sci-fi romance mystery dystopian story, if your interested go check it out, I have a hunger games fanfic as well.

Anyway, enough of my ranting, hope you liked it, bye my aliens.

Hannah