Bleeding Crown (Red Queen 4 Fanfiction)

Chapter 13

"How long has it been you?" I mumble, appearing to talk to myself. "How long has it been you?" I scream this time, tears streaming across my face.

"I'll answer all of your questions if you come inside with me," he says as he strolls back into the palace not bothering to look if I'm following. But he doesn't need to. Maven knows I will because I need the truth.

I follow him back into the secluded hallway, fastening my mask back onto my face. I don't believe Maven deserves to see me anymore. After locking me in a room for six months, I was still able to see a sliver of humanity in him. Now his soul is all black, I see nothing more now.

"I never got that dance," he explains, holding out.

I put my hand in his, swallowing back bile.

As we enter the ballroom, the song Cal and I first danced to so long ago. It's a slap in the face to both me and Cal. Cal wherever he is.

We begin to dance if that's what you'd like to call it when it was really Maven attempting to lead me while I was stumbling awkwardly.

"If you want any answers, you're going to have to do better than that," Maven says in a threatening tone.

I begin to dance slightly better, now becoming a half acceptable dancer.

"Where is Cal?" I ask, in a very, very aggravated tone.

"What do you mean? He's right over there," gesturing towards the same corner of the room where Maven and I had previously spoken.

Peering over to the area, I see only a couple of high silvers. "I know you're delusional Maven, but I didn't know you were blind."

Fake realization flashes upon Maven's face. "Oh! I forgot to mention, I used a much, stronger version of your Harrick. If I remember correctly, you sat not one foot away from him at our discussion earlier."

"How long ago did you become him? How long have I been separated from him?"

"Don't worry Mare. You haven't been separated from Cal for months. It's just been a few minutes. I had my guards capture him after our conversation in the lounge. The moment you said "Good luck on your search, Your Majesty. I do hope you're able to find her. I knew you were Julianna. No silver would wish I was able to find you and be in love with someone they all hate. Your vocal tone also seemed a bit mischievous. Realization hit that I had admitted my love outwardly and unknowingly to you. After that, I put my plan into action, rather quickly. By the time you returned to Cal, he was gone and I was him.

"Who was able to change your state while you were Cal then?"

"That Carl guy. Apparently, he's a newblood who's been pretending to be a common silver restaurant worker. He has the power of sight manipulation, as Harrick does. Thing is, he's been practicing for years, making him much stronger than Harrick. So while Harrick kept us invisible, Carl changed my face."

"You are a clever boy, Maven. I have one more question. Why kill Iris, the Princess of The Lakelands, and then propose to me as Cal?"

Maven sighs, closing his eyes momentarily. " I'm in love with you Mare. But you're in love with Cal."

I infer the rest. "So you decided the best approach was to become Cal forever? Kill the real Cal."

"Yes," Maven proclaims, with absolutely no shame in his face. "After that, I'd take back the throne, after staging my death. Iris would've just gotten in my way. The Lakelands would want Cal to then marry Iris. I had someone else in mind."

At this point in our conversation, I have become absolutely disgusted. I knew Maven mentally unstable, but killing his brother, then impersonating him for the rest of his life, is a new low for mankind.

"You know I'm against becoming queen. How did you plan on turning me?"

"Well, I was planning on using brain manipulation. Unless you want to actually become my queen?"

"Not a chance in hell. Just remember, when you turn me into your brainwashed slave, it won't be real."

Maven nods. "It'll be real to you, and I'll have one of my new blood whispers make me okay with it."

I shake my head, depressed that a human being can actually act like this. "What did your mother do to you?"

Just as Maven's about to put silent stone on my wrists, I jerk out of his grasp and make a beeline for one person. Before I end up as Maven's supposedly brainwashed wife, I have to kill Farley.

I find her serving wine in the corner, and I send a bolt of electricity towards her, knocking the tray out of her hands.

"I thought I could trust you. But you caused me months of misery, keeping Cal and me apart. The Lakelands want it all, don't they? Silvers all across the world are power-hungry demons just like you. I'd ask you to say hi to Shade for me, but it's pointless. He's in heaven and you're going to hell.

"Don't bother. I'm sure you'll see Shade soon, someone like you is bound to die. So go ahead Mare, kill me. Just remember, you killed a baby's mother. Yes, I'm a Lakeland's operative, and almost everything I've told you about me is a lie. But the one thing that has always been true is that I love Shade-"

"But not enough to abort your mission it seems. After being torn apart from who you loved, you do the same to me. So I believe, that this world and Clara are both better off without you. But I promise, Clara will grow up healthy and lead a happy life. I'll make sure of it."

After my speech, I send a thin streak of lightning towards Farley's heart. Milliseconds later, she collapses, the light of her eyes leaving her.

I turn back towards the gaping crowd of silvers. I lock eyes with Maven. "I'm ready."