Fate to Reign

Caught Red Handed

Wren pulled the crumpled piece of paper out of her dress pocket and examined it. A map was painted on a wrinkled piece of parchment. Her eyes scanned it, quickly finding where she was on it. She looked up and took in her surroundings. She was in the middle of the forest surrounding the castle. It was early in the morning, and the sun shone through the treetops. Casting a bright green filter over everything. She stood in a clearing with grass that reached above her ankles. Flowers grew in bunches and everything seemed to sway to the breeze. This was the place. Wren shoved the map back into her pocket and started to look around. She bent down and surveyed the ground, looking for the reason she came here. She spotted it a few feet ahead of her. Hurrying up to it, she took it up in her hands. It was a glass bottle filled with amber colored liquid. Wren smiled to herself. She reached into her pocket again and set a handful of coins on the ground where the bottle used to be. Looking around her, she hurried back to the castle.
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Wren bolted into her room and closed the door. She sat on her bed and put the bottle in her lap. Staring at the potion inside, she wondered if it would work this time.

Of course it won't work. Nathaniel's voice rang out. You can't just get rid of me. Wren glared at the empty air.

"Can't blame me for trying." Wren said with a sarcastic smile. She popped off the cork of the bottle and put it to her lips. She took a generous swig. The liquid tasted sweet and intoxicating. Her vision instantly became blurry. Wren put the bottle on the nightstand before she could drop it. She collapsed on her bed, staring at the ceiling with blank eyes. Her senses numbed over, and her mind tuned out.
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Rose stomped through the halls, determination set into her muscles. Her bright red hair bounced with her strides. Her green eyes scanned the area, looking for someone. She saw him walking calmly down the hall, his hands in his pockets.

"Hey!" She shouted. Cal's head whipped around. She bolted up to him while he stared distastefully at her. When she reached him, he had crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yes?" He said exaggeratedly. Rose narrowed her eyes. With no warning, she seized up the front of his shirt and pinned him up against the wall. Cal rolled his eyes.

"Come to threaten me? Well, I'm afraid your sister beat you to it." He said with his cool voice. Rose glared at him fiercely, immediately recognizing the "sister" to be Rowan. She was the most protective out of all of them.

"Then I guess you'll have to hear the same lecture twice." Rose snapped. Rose put on her most threatening face, and a little fear crept into Cal's eyes.

"Alright, Felstead. I know your little game. You trick women into believing that you care about them. You use them, then you toss them away like a used tissue. Well not Wren. Not my sister. She doesn't need that." Rose tightened her grip on Cal's shirt.

"So I swear, if you break my sister's heart, I'll break your bones, all 206 of them." Rose growled through clenched teeth. She let go of his shirt and left Cal staring after her.
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Wren was still on her bed. She had been in the same position for hours. Just staring up at the ceiling with glassy eyes. Her head was blissfully empty. Nathaniel hadn't bothered her, he was completely quiet. She didn't know if that was due to the potion, or not. It was like she was in a dream. She felt like she was floating and her vision was one big fuzzy blob. She didn't think, she didn't act. All she did was breath in and out. In and out. In and out.
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Wren opened her eyes. She hadn't realized she had been asleep until after the fog in her mind had cleared. Her headache was back, making her head throb and her eyes burn. She looked out her window and saw that it was dark. Had dinner already passed? Is everyone wondering where I am? She sat up with a groan. Rubbing her eyes, she stared at the bottle sitting on the nightstand. As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door. "Come in." Wren called. Elizabeth peeked through the crack in the door.