THE ASHES OF LIGHT ✔

Chapter Twenty-Five: Red

Red reached over to grab Mariah's arm for comfort, running over to the plaza where a crowd was beginning to gather. Ashton and Valencia had been arrested out-of-the-blue, and Red wanted to know what was going on.

Maddi was standing, giving a speech about how Ashton and Valencia killed Klara. Red knew that she was lying—the two of them had been with her in the Infirmary the whole time.

Even if Red didn't believe what Maddi was saying, it was clear that the majority of Gallomia did. The crowd around her was growing by the second and within moments, the previously empty area was now buzzing with people who were trying to push their way forwards in order to hear Maddi.

"Unfortunately, my brother still isn't showing up," Maddi said, seemingly changing subjects. A sense of dread filled Red's body. Maddi had just made everyone hate Ashton and Valencia, so what was she planning to do to Maythus. "And I have an explanation for this," she continued.

"I'm sure she does," Mariah scoffed, shaking her head. She turned to face Red. "Look, we both know that whatever she's doing is a load of crap. I'm heading back to the Infirmary, I don't want to waste my time here."

Red nodded, "I'm going to stay, I just want to hear what she has to say."

As Mariah retreated through the ever-expanding crowd, Red's eyes stayed glued to the youngest Fable.

"It all started a few days ago, when Valencia appeared," Maddi began. "Where did she appear, you might ask? Funny answer—she appeared in Maythus's room. Since then, my brother had an odd fascination with this girl. They had an immediate bond, almost as if they had met before."

She looked around the crowd knowingly and Red could begin to guess what she was getting at.

"Maythus followed her everywhere—and I mean everywhere. There was even one time when I found them messing around in the armor room, skipping their crucial training at the Academy where Valencia should have been preparing for Ashton's rescue expedition," Maddi paused dramatically.

The crowd booed at the idea of Maythus and Valencia skipping class, as if they hadn't ever done it themselves.

"I know, right?" Maddi pointed at the crowd. "And when we reached Gaiwei, during the rescue expedition, guess who Maythus wanted to be paired with? That's right, he was paired with Valencia."

With every word that came out of her mouth, she was making her brother look worse and worse.

"They spent a suspiciously long amount of time together finding Ashton—and I'm sure that they spent just as much time talking to Ashton once they reached him," Maddi continued. "I'd like to raise one final point. Maythus was supposed to be next in line for the throne. The only thing stopping him from being in control of the kingdom was one thing: our beloved grandmother."

She took a deep breath, feigning tears, "I think you can see where I'm getting at." Maddi stood still, gazing directly at the crowd. "There is plenty of evidence to point that this was all a ploy by Maythus to get him the throne, starting from the very first day when he summoned Valencia to his room. I think arresting him would be too light of a punishment—I think that he needs to be banished. Who's with me?"

The crowd went wild, whooping and cheering and jumping in support. Red was stunned—had Maddi really won them over so easily?

"Then, as your new queen, I now declare Maythus Fable banished from Gallomia," Maddi said, her eyes cold as they locked with Red's.

She'd officially gone crazy. Red shook her head and hastily pushed her way through the people, just wanting to get away from all of the chaos.

Maythus was one of the best people Red knew, and she sure trusted him much more than she trusted Maddi. Maythus was her best friend, and Maddi was simply her best friend's sister.