Silver Crown (Red Queen 3 Fan Fiction)

Nine

Oh my god its been soooooo long (almost 2 months actually) since I updated 'Silver Crown' and I apologize for that, but jesus! 1.5K views?? Oh my god this is sooooo cool and thank you again my readers, it means a whole lot to me so thank you so much. I've been so busy with school and everything I didn't have time to actually write my story even though I wanted to :( but luckily, I managed to find some time to write this week and I really hope you enjoy chapter nine :) Thank you again my lovely readers for waiting and enjoy!

Oh and please vote and leave a comment below. I promise I'll reply to every one of you cuz it means sooo much to me. Yes and let's read on!

Mare Barrow

I expected nightmares. Vivid nightmares that haunted my sleep every night every day and every week. I'm perplexed by the irony in which I should be experiencing the worst of my horror both in and out of my dreams, caged in the enemy's prison. Never did I dream of escaping my silent tortures in my sleep at such a place that for sure should and would torment me vigorously.

The back of my head throbs faintly, most likely from the falls and head slams on the floor from my failed attempt at an escape from three psychotic Silvers. But apart from the light throb, I don't feel anything. The drug they must have put on me clouds my mind and dulls my senses, making every little movement, every little turn swoosh my mind. My headache only pulls me deeper into the cushy bed and I savor the remaining moments of comfort.

I'm back in his bedroom, a place I wanted to put myself with as much distance as I can, but at the same time, a place I ached to visit again. I realize, this is his bed. And that I'm on his bed with his red and black cloak still draped across my body underneath the thick velvet blankets. I think I'm alone in his bedchamber, when I turn myself to the left at an attempt to get out of bed when I feel another body to my left, buried deep in the blankets.

Maven. The tiniest yelp escapes my mouth when I find the black-haired boy king only inches from me on the bed, breathing softly and asleep. He must have heard my stupid yelp and a heartbeat later, the pair of Caribbean-blue eyes slowly blink open and I'm left gazing into them, completely losing myself in the moment.

The Red sense in me screams Snap out of it you idiot! And my body reacts almost automatically to the order as I pull myself away from Maven, scrambling over to the side of the bed when his hand grabs my wrist.

"Mare." He whispers, shaking the sleep out of his eyes and slicking his hair back casually. He holds on to my wrist and using his dull senses as a distraction, I break free from his grip and scramble out the side of the bed, clutching onto the cloak.

I stare back at Maven who looks at me with interest as he smooths his slightly wrinkled white shirt and climbs out of bed after me.

"What are you doing? Why am I here?" I croak, and I have to admit, I sound harsher than I meant to.

"Mare, I think you should at least thank me for saving your life." Scowling, he brushes a few locks of hair out of his eyes.

I stagger back, keeping a safe distance between myself and him. I still don't trust, and I never will trust myself to abstain from running into his arms and embrace him without a second thought.

"Thanks for saving me your majesty, but why am I on your bed and not in some infirmary cot? Or a cell like I deserve?" The sarcasm just bleeds out of my mouth before I can stop myself and I can't blame Maven for grimacing at the jab.

"Mare. You almost died. If it weren't for me, you would have died. God knows what that Sentinel would have done..."

"Yes." I cut him off. "He would have raped me, and sooner or later, he and a dozen more Silvers would have killed me and I'd be reuniting with my brother anytime now." I say, matter-of-factly.

Maven must have noticed that I was implying him as one of the Silvers and glares back at me darkly. The sound boy gone, replaced by the steely king.

"Don't talk back to me Mare." He growls as he marches straight into me and holds me by the collar. "I saved you. Only I decide whether you live or you die. No Silver with the right mind will dare breach my policy ever again." His intensified eyes boil with rage and I hold my tongue, careful not to push his limit.

"Fine." I mumble, eyeing the red and black cloak coiled on the ground that had slid off my arms. I realize I'm barely wearing anything. Just my old shirt reaching down to my upper thighs that's ripped and stained with the two colors of our world.

Uncomfortable from the bareness of my legs and my scarcely clothed body, I tug on my shirt and sleeves as if they'd magically grow and coat me.

"What did... What did you do to him?" I ask that comes out in a whisper.

Maven doesn't need me to point out who him is because we both know who we're talking about.

"Well. He violated the law. He violated a law I announced publicly in front of the entire Silver Assembly. So it's only proper that I punish him by my authority and make him an example of it."

His words feed the sadistic Mare in me that actually takes pleasure in knowing that the fool of a Sentinel will or is executed and that I have one less Silver to take my revenge on. Now, it's become clear that pity and mercy for a Silver has no entity in Mare's steel heart.

I let the insight sink in whereas, I try to find something to let my eyes settle on. Anything other than Maven's own pair of blue eyes that sing for me to look into them. It's as if his eyes have an ability to lure people in and lock them in the moment, making the world freeze in time.

Even as I'm distracting myself by focusing on the exquisite patterns embedded on the carpeted floor, I see out from my peripheral vision how Maven's eyes trail down from my face to my upper body, exposing skin through the tears in the shirt and to my naked legs. Before Maven makes a foolish suggestion, or commitment, I duck down and grab the cloak and drape it across me, making sure they cape my bare legs and save me from further embarrassment.

Suddenly frustrated by the silence and the absurdity of the situation, I sputter in an irk tone, "You really should have just sent me to the infirmary. Or somewhere else at least because it's no doubt your people are going to take the wrong idea." I pause. "And hell, god knows what your fiance's going to do when she finds out I was sleeping in your room."

Maven let's out a chuckle. A genuine chuckle. One out of amusement and I stare at him, doubting he actually sees the seriousness of this situation and how my night at his room can bring a pack of a hundred jealous Silvers led by Evangeline on me, and possibly take my head for it.

"And by the wrong idea, I don't suppose you would elucidate on that?" He questions, quirking an eyebrow.

Oh hell, does he seriously think this is the right time for us to share dirty jokes and laugh about two 17 year olds spending a night together in a locked bedroom?

I give him the hard glare which kills all the amusement in his eyes and he returns to his cold self again. A heartbeat is all it takes for him to switch back and forth between the two Mavens that exist in him. This still unsettles me how he can change from one person to another in a blink of an eye.

"Obviously there's nothing for them to be suspicious about anymore now that everything's made official. It's what it was meant to be all along. I'd think you would know Mare." He says, looking expectantly into my eyes and carefully grazing my chin.

"Wha... What do you mean official?" I hesitantly ask.

Maven pulls me to him and spinning me around so we both collapse on the bed. Maven whispers into my ear, pinning me down.

"May our engagement be a successful one this time, Mare."

And as soon as his words leave his mouth, they find mine and we plunge into the heavy sheets of velvet.