His Red Queen

Chapter Forty-five

"I want so badly to be free," Maven murmurs against my skin. It sends chills though me. I kiss him harder, hoping so badly that he means he will abdicate and we can run away. I have never had a love for Norta and being the queen has only caused more problems, created more hatred inside me towards this wretched place.

"Then let's be free," I choke out, willing myself to breathe.

Maven trails warm fingers down my arms. "It's not that easy," he whispers. "If it was, I would have done so a long time ago."

"Would you?" I pull away from him. He does not reach for me.

The boy king takes a deep breath. "I wasn't born Red. I was born in a palace with a mother who lived in my mind, tweaking what she deemed imperfect, killing most of the love I have ever had." Maven takes my hands in his. They're hot, nearly burning, I want to flinch but something inside me warns otherwise.

He continues on, looking at me like I am the only real thing in the world. As if we are not in a linen closet, hours away from my odd group of allies are not less than twenty four hours away from creating what can potentially be a war as terrible as the Lakelands War. 

But he grows defensive nonetheless. "I have lived in the shadow of Cal and you know that. This was—is—my chance." His hands grow warmer, then he yanks then away with a gasp. "You and I, the world can be ours if we just take it. You joined me for a reason." When I am silent for a long moment, he finally adds, "We both know that."

"I don't want the world, Maven," I argue. "I don't even have this kingdom."

"You have the Scarlet Guard."

My cheeks flush. "I used to have them. Before you took half of the people."

He shrugs. "War is war."

"Then fight for me." I push the door open and storm out, leaving my husband to his thoughts.

Evangeline is not far, of course. She sits in one of the servants' rooms, arms crossed as she argues with someone I cannot see. Elane. Evangeline must have gotten her over here. Evangeline starts when she sees me and Elane materializes beside her.

"Found the king?" Elane purrs. Her glossy red hair is pulled back from her face. And I notice with some level of unease that she is not wearing her house color. Instead, she is in a forest green tunic and slacks.

"Yes," I say. "He just has to take care of a few things."

Evangeline nods curtly. "Good. Though I kind of wish I could have sent Tiberias to my father." She frowns. There's something different between the woman of steel and iron and her lovely shadow.

Elane breaks the uncomfortable silence with an even more uncomfortable topic. "I thought we were all going to run."

I blink. "What."

Elane sighs, glancing sidelong at Evangeline. "You know," she says, "Run away. Get the hell out of Norta."

If I didn't know any better I could say that I see Evangeline flinch.

"I thought so, too," I admit.

Evangeline sighs. "What about Tolly—Ptolemus? Mother and Father would murder me if you left his side!" She cries, getting up to stand over Elane. "And they'd do even worse to you," she adds quietly.

Elane pales, her eyes welling up with tears that she quickly uses the light to blur away from view.

"What do you think, Mare?" Elane asks my opinion.

I shake my head. Maven's words swirl in my head, too much like this conversation to offer me any comfort. Elane wants to run. Evangeline is unsure. I want to run; Maven made it clear that we cannot.