Silver Crown (Red Queen 3 Fan Fiction)

Five

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Mare Barrow

My lightning is still out of reach, thanks to my silent stone collar and a spacious room completely enclosed on all four sides with the same cursed material. My cell is located somewhere on the far east edge of the palace from what I can remember through the endless turns and wading through the palace halls.

The cell is large enough to fit at least four prisoners and even has a distressed cotton blanket tucked in a corner. Such luxury for a convict about to be tortured to death.

Four Sentinel soldiers guard my cell and two more are positioned on the exit door. Six Sentinels against one useless Red girl. Captain Macanthos stands on the opposite wall directly facing me and I can't tell if his eyes are blank staring into nothingness or discreetly studying the Red before him.

And who could blame him? He probably thinks I'm intending a jail break which really isn't too remote from what I'm planning to do. If only I had my lightning. Gods I miss the tickling sensation of power and strength channeling through my veins. In seconds, I could fry these Sentinels alive with my lightning and even attempt at a jail break. But I'm not so arrogant as to think I would actually escape the palace doors. There's probably a dozen more Sentinels in every corridor leading out my cell making it only a sooner death sentence.

And even if I did escape the palace, Maven would order the entire palace Sentinel troop on a hunting mission to find the escapee.

I leave my small notions of bare hope at the back of my mind and instead lean against the raw silent stone walls, my legs tucked into my arms as I rest my chin on my knees and close my eyes. I don't find the appetite to take a short nap even though I'm reminded by the constant headache and drooping of my eyelids that my body needs it.

Instead, I think back to the incident at Maven's chambers. I kissed him back. I wanted this. Have I always wanted this? Maybe a part of my treacherous heart still craved for Maven more than my impotent mind allowed me to.

You never learn do you Mare. Do you really need a second demonstration of what betrayal is? Must you feel the excruciating heartbreak all over again to be reminded of what he really is?

No. I answer to my own contradiction. No, I won't let him or anyone shatter my heart over and over again. I'm done playing the victim. I'd rather be the merciless cat everyone fears than perish a helpless broken mouse.      

After long minutes or hours huddled in my own arms, the Sentinels rotate and exchange small talk with the new Sentinels. It must be noon near lunchtime or dinnertime, I'm not sure. But the Sentinels rotate every meal and a new mob of Sentinels surround my cell after each meal.

A Red servant, sixteen judging from her innocent smile and lean feature brings a half loaf of bread, sometimes with cheese fillings which she secretly winks with kindness when she notes my surprise. So far, she's the only person who hasn't shown the worst of abhorrence towards me, and even accepted my gratitude.

If it weren't for the cell walls and the Sentinels eyeing us even with their backs to us, I would have told her how much I admired her light mocha hair that had a few strands slipping out from her side bun which made her look mature and lively at the same time. She had a rather pretty face with a slight dimple on both cheeks and chocolate-brown eyes.

Whenever she left my cell carrying the food tray, it was obvious the Sentinels were eyeing her with something more than mere acknowledgement of her presence. Even though the Sentinels were hinting and somewhat flirting without being too blatant about it, the girl was completely oblivious to them. 

Nevertheless, the next day when she brings me my breakfast, I whisper to her cautiously in case the Sentinels overhear,

"They're gaping at you. Send for someone else." And I take my loaf of bread with powder sprinkled and tear out a small piece and nibble.

The girl locks eyes with me, confirming she understood what I meant and murmurs,

"I volunteered to come. And maybe their stupid male instincts might help us later on." winking as she handed me a cup of water and got up to leave. 

What did she mean? She couldn't possibly have meant breaking me  out. Could she be part of the Scarlet Guard? No. That's far too risky.

Now that the lightning girl has fallen, I can't even be sure if Reds are willing to support the Guard at all. I hope not. The Scarlet Guard is just more than Norta. Who knows how much the Lakelanders have in this revolution.

As she is about to leave the cell when a Sentinel unlocks the cell entry, footsteps of wild fury approach my cell from the corridors. From the hostile clicking of 4 inch heels, I already know who it is.

Evangeline Samos. Her dangerously black eyes hold more fury than they held just a day ago when she caught Maven and myself getting intimate on a wall in a private bed chamber.

"The King seeks her presence. Take her out and follow me." she orders, commanding the Sentinels on post. The Sentinels don't even think twice about her orders and unlock the cell, probably because they assumed she was already betrothed to the King and in a few weeks time, ascend as Queen of Norta.

The cell opens almost soundlessly as the bars of the front entry slide upwards, revealing a clean open entryway.

"Get out." one of the Sentinels orders. I stand up nonchalantly, and make my way out of the cell. As soon as I'm relieved from the silent stone cage that sucked out not just my lightning ability but what little energy I had left, a pleasurable relief surges my body, as if my lungs are finally breathing again. But the subtle comfort escapes me far too quickly when I meet Evangeline's mischievous smirk.

Not sure whether I should be aroused of suspicion or annoyance, I flash her a half smile of my own.

That's right. Smirk while you can. I swear I'll make sure to beat the crap out of your pretty little face along with that smile of yours before I die.

She says nothing which only makes my stomach churn, already sensing a threat to my life. She turns on her heels and heads out to the corridor. A Sentinel pushes me towards her like a rag doll and I follow her my mind bombarded with a hundred last thoughts.