Bleeding Crown (Red Queen 4 Fanfiction)

Chapter 7

Thank you guys for waiting so patiently for my newest chapter. I'll be able to publish more often now that I've lost my reading contest. (I mean, seriously, who can read Deathly Hallows in 1 day?)

Enjoy! And remember "Rise, Red as Dawn"
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Mare

I've been thinking up a plan for a week.

For the first time in eons, I'm excited to go to the daily Scarlet Guard meeting. I had called Farley to order men to search our meeting room for microphones and microscopic cameras.

After several hours of sweeping the room, the men came up with five cameras, each no more than a centimeter long, and three microphones. Maven's been watching us for who knows how long. The ball is only a week away now, how time does fly. I've called everyone I'll be needing for my plan, including Harrick, Cameron and Cal. Most often, none of them come, after the Colonel declared them all "unimportant".

Today, for the first time, I'm the leader of the meeting. Both the Colonel and Farley are sitting on the sides of the table.

Once everyone is settled, I begin "As you all know, Maven has sent me an invitation to his ball." I say bitterly. "If I don't show, he'll come here for me, and take me with him anyway." "But Mareena Titanos will arrive at Whitefire palace, as long as she's okay with it." As I explain this, puzzled looks shoots up all around me. "Ella" I say, as a look of shock appears on her face.

"Do you mean I'm going to enter Whitefire Palace as you?"

"No, not as me. Maven asked I go as Mareena, and I am not Mareena. I'll be going as a silver. You don't have to do this if you're not comfortable."

I wide grin spreads across her face. "I'd love to."

"Harrick, you will stay close to Ella at all times while in Archeon. As long as she's wearing her mask, you won't have a need to keep up the illusion, someone make sure to get her a wig, and the buckets of paste should be able to cover us both. I have a few seamstresses in here to make adjustments to the dress Maven has sent me, as well as to create a new dress for me."

The seamstresses has Ella and I on platforms while working. I continue to give orders and explain my plan. Over the last few weeks, we have been killing off several palace guards, replacing them with our own. Based on reports, over one-third of palace guards are on our side, and we have the element of surprise. I explain how we will be leaving tomorrow, arriving in Archeon three days ahead of the ball, acting as common silver tourists, who enjoy covering up their skin, to get a feel of the city. I explain how Farley will be a red server at the ball, and do not drink the wine. I explain how Cal will be acting as my bodyguard. When I say this, a look of interest pops up upon his pale face. I suppose he was wondering why he was here. I only give the basic information, it's best that way, if anyone of us gets caught, Maven won't necessarily know our next step. Just enough information for everyone to know what they're job is.

I assign everyone in the room their roles, before leaving. By the time our lengthy discussion is over, my sapphire blue dress is done. Red sickens me. Almost as much as silver.

I step off my platform, once the dressmaker allows me to. By now everyone's left, including the sewers, who forgot to take their kits with them. I find a pair of scissors lying directing on top of the kit. I look in the mirror at myself. Tired. But when am I not, really? I've let my hair grow, much farther than I'd like it to, down to my mid waist. I hesitantly bring the scissors to right below my shoulders, and squeeze. Nearly a foot of hair floats to the ground, and more comes when I do the other side.

I like it. I run my fingers through my hair, admiring my work.

"I didn't know you were serious about the whole bodyguard thing."

I whirl around, seeing Cal. I wonder how long he has been here. "You have the best experience with Whitefire Palace." I say, trying to keep the emotion out of my voice. I don't have the time to love him again. But yet, it's clear he still loves me, sometimes attempting to act as if that few minutes never happened between us on the balcony. "Thank you. I know I can trust you with my life." I say, my voice hitching, betraying my feelings. After everything he's done, I do still trust him with my life. Just not my heart. I hadn't yet given him his role at the meeting, so I decided now was a good of a time as any.

"Sorry I never gave you the details on what you'd be doing-"

"What more is there do know?"

I blushed red. " Well- you'll be going as my date. To always be close. And to scold me on my dancing." I added playfully. Cal and I both knew that I could've had any other come as my date- my guard. I hate to admit it, but I still love him. Not Tiberias. But Cal. My Cal. Cal knows this as well, that I still love him. He still tries, to mend the hole between us, coming to my room every so often. The mood swings I've been having, are awful. One minute I'm dreaming of kissing him, and the next I remember I should feel nothing. Nothing. But sometimes I forget what he's done, getting caught up in his eyes, I think he does the same. Those nights he comes to my room, quite often we sit in silence, stealing glances at one another. I don't know why he bothers, being the future king he could have anyone, but yet he still wants me. Mare Barrow of the Stilts is wanted by the King of Norta, and the Rightful King of Norta. I should feel special, but I feel cursed.

"You'll do fine on your dancing, you've had enough practice."

"You're right. I'll do fine. I just worry about any others I'll be forced to dance with. What if Maven himself asks me to dance?"

"In that case, you'll dance. Just as we've practiced. What I really worry is that Maven has already figured out our entire plan."

"He probably has. He merely added masks into the mix just to make it more interesting. Maven loves two things. Games and traps."

"Make it three. He also loves you. In his own special way."

"I'll choose death over spending another minute with him."

"You won't ever have to make that decision," he said, gently grabbing my face. I didn't shake him off, I still- still had some sort of hope in him. His head moved closer to mine but I didn't move, paralyzed with something I didn't recognize. After a few seconds of staring at one another, Cal closed the distance. For the first couple of moments, I did nothing, simply standing there feeling his kiss. After awhile I broke out of my state of paralysis, and kissed him back. This kiss was nothing like we had had before. Gentle and sweet, nothing like the passionate and wild kisses we used to have. However, it seemed to go on for hours.

I hadn't kissed the rightful king of Norta. It had been Cal. I found him an interesting person. Maybe more interesting than Maven. He shifted so much, between the being the crown's and being mine. He was quite confusing at times.

I pulled away from him, a question so simple, yet so complex. "Why?"

"I-I can't."

"You can't what?"

"I just can't. I couldn't expect you to forgive me for it anyway."

"What are you not telling me? What could be be worse than what you've already done?"

"I've said too much. See you tomorrow."

"Wait," I said tears welling in my eyes, a desperate desire forming in me that begged to know what he was keeping from me. "If this has something do with why you want the crown, I beg of you to tell me."

"I can't." He said. For a split second, I thought I saw a tear on the edge of his eye. If it had actually been there, it evaporated before I could confirm it.

After a few minutes, he left without saying goodbye. I pondered what he meant, 'I can't.' Did he mean he still wanted to be with me, but something or someone was preventing him? But I shook my head to myself, I was thinking too much into this, getting my hopes up. After everything I've been through, I should know by now to never get your hopes up.

Sorry if this chapter had more typos than usual! I never had the chance to to use Grammerly.