Where It Went Wrong, A Red Queen Fanfiction: Completed

Chapter 21

"No!" Xena exclaims, her eyes flashing with guilt. Had I not been so close to her, I wouldn't have noticed the tears that were threatening to fall down her face. There is a dam constructed with pride, but guilt is pushing against it's restraints. "Bronx, I should hope that you would never think that I would do that to you. I would be a terrible person!"

"Then what was all of that about, Xena?" He questions. I've never seen him this livid before, so mad at his own sister.

She subconsciously rubs her gloved fingers over the scar on her wrist. It is a symbol of her survival, a stark reminder against a pale background. Bronx softens, and takes her hand into his reassuringly. "I didn't mean that, Xena. I just want to make sure that those men don't take advantage of you again."

The whole room is still on edge, and some of the Silvers look at Xena expectantly. They are not fazed by the kinship of siblings that they are witnessing. Siblings like them might as well be mentally attached like twins are rumoured to be. If something happens to break that connection, cities could fall with upheaval.

"I never saw them after they threatened me. Because I gave my word, they left the Scarlet Guard and my brother alone. I began to believe that they had forgotten about everything, naïvely. I hoped that they would leave me alone so that I could live the way I wanted to. I wished that I hadn't been born a newblood so that I wouldn't have had to gone through this torture."

Her words strike my heart like a bolt of lightning. It's rare that sparks hit me directly in the heart, causing it to jump with passion. "I suppose in reality when you were chastising Bronx, you were telling yourself off as well," I say. Xena's face pales a bit, and I know that I'm right. "Not that you could say that's a bad thing, but now I see why you were so mad. And I know what you mean, Xena. Our blood is the root of many problems that we have to go through."

Xena's face softens at my addition to her woebegone situation, and she smiles weakly. I wink in return, feeling like she needs it to feel more confident. "To answer the question that many of you are asking, I never did betray the Scarlet Guard or Norta. I never gave my word, I merely nodded. Therefore, I never pledged. They became mad, and then they attacked. Then you know what happened."

"Well," King Maven says, a triumphant look on his face, "I am glad we have fighters like you on our side, Xena. I am so glad that you and your brother decided to join the Scarlet Guard in the Lakeland fight, despite your youth," though everyone forgets that Bronx is the same age as Maven and I, Xena two years our junior, "you still fought. I apologize once again that I was so careless in accusing Bronx of being a traitor."

Underneath the table, I find Maven's hand and wrap mine around it. He looks at me questioningly, but I shake my head and smile gently. Maven looks away quickly, ridding his face of emotion for the Silvers. Evangeline tries to frown, but I can see that the corners of her lips are tilted. She and Marcus exchange a look, and she laughs shortly underneath her breath.

Marcus manages to keep his face straight, but he still looks amused. Maven says nothing, but he wraps his hand around mine so that his fingers encircle my own.

"I believe that this meeting is complete," the King of Norta says. He waits until the Silver nobility have nodded. I know that they cannot say anything, for it is the King speaking. He has made his decision, and his people must follow as he says. I remember when he would have used that to his advantage.

King Maven stands abruptly, forgetting that his hand is in mine. My arm goes up with him, and my face turns bright red as he pulls me up. It's hard to tell that it's an accident before he glances down and lets go roughly.

Forgetting where we are, I stare wide eyed at him. Maven turns back to look at me quickly and smile apologetically before he looks at the Silvers.

He is a king. Nobody can question him, but they can question me. After all, I would be at fault for this situation in their eyes. Those who use tactic will side with the most powerful. It's like when one has to choose between an easy life and a harder one. They will choose whatever is easier, except those who are ready to face the challenge.

Everyone else stands, and I hope that they all didn't notice what just happened. Yet I have a sneaking suspicion that they all did.

*()*

"Yesterday, they obtained the information pertaining to where the Lakelander prison is. It's where we believe Cal and countless other Nortan prisoners are being held at this very moment," Maven tells me.

It's been a day since the meeting. Xena gets better with each passing day, and Bronx hovers over her nervously. It's as if he's worried that he's going to lose her again. Cal's presence not being here leaves an emptiness that I find, strangely, to be filled by Maven. He's well aware that I'm pining for his brother, so he distracts me by talking. I never knew that he had so much good advice about so many different things. That Atessa gave him many different book recommendations that he says that he's never been able to read. His mother would never let him have the time to do anything that he wanted to after she left.

"Oh, really? Is it somewhere secluded?" I ask, ready to prepare my revenge. Queen Lilith herself infuriates me, so it shouldn't be too hard to muster the courage to stand up against her husband. Especially because he's taken Cal to a prison with countless others.

Maven shakes his head. "In actual fact, it's near the palace. Now that we have something to bribe the King with, we may have a better chance of infiltrating their prisons. And coincidentally, the Lakeland capital is very close to the Nortan border."

I smirk. Stupid Lakelanders. All the better for us. "Works better for our revenge. This should be simple if the King accepts our offer. Yet, knowing him, it probably won't be that easy. He was the one that decided to call a battle against us. But I would fight for Cal."

Maven sighs. "You're right, about both things. He won't be easy to fight. To counter that, you've got the willpower to fight. You're forgetting that Cal is my brother - and I will fight for him. I'm not sure if he would for me. Not only is he my brother, but you love him. If finding him made two people that I love happier, then I'll do it."

My eyes find his, and I smile gratefully. He's watching my expression carefully to see what I think. "I'm sure Cal cares for you. It wasn't just me that lamented you. I think that he missed his brother too. Not only that, Maven - I have experience with with rogue kings."

He flushes in response before smirking. "So you do, and I have experience with rogue newbloods."

I shake my head jokingly before replying. "And we've both had to deal with rogue princes of Norta and their tempers. If we tempt that flame with taunts, then we'll have to watch out. He'll come for us. Now we must do that for him, although we're not trying to joke around. This is serious."

Maven nods. We both know that the Lakeland king could very well kill Cal if he wanted to. It hurts my heart to think that he might already be dead. Something in me hopes that I would be able to tell, but I have doubts. A poisonous voice creeps into my head that I recognize as my own, though the way that it enters my head reminds me of how Elara would creep into my mind.

Who knows what could happen in the time it takes for us to find him?