Where It Went Wrong, A Red Queen Fanfiction: Completed

Chapter 14

I get in line with the rest of the Scarlet Guard, standing in the front along side Kilorn and Cameron. I wish I was like Bronx and Xena. They aren't required to stand in the front. But, it's better me than them.

Before, I was mostly worrying about myself more than the others. Now, I worry for the other members of the Scarlet Guard. I even worry about the Nortan soldiers, although they are Silvers. Bronx makes me worry the most. His personality reminds me of that of small child who's been hurt too many times to count, even though he's the same age that I am. I'm scared that the Lakelanders will go too hard on us. That our fighters won't always fight.

I stare at Cal, putting all of my well wishes into my gaze. My Cal. Be safe, be strong. I don't know what I would do if you left. Always have hope. Although Cal is one of the strongest men that I know, the Lakelands are rumoured to focus on their military. The royalty apparently spend majority of their money on the army.

The Calore brothers of Norta stand tall on the podium, thousands of seemingly willing men and women flanking them.  My heart swells with pride, but I also anticipate the fight with bees in my stomach. Within the Silver nobility, I can spot Marcus Lerolan standing amongst the countless other nobles there are. Behind me, I can see Xena whispering into Bronx's ear, looking too serious for a young teenager.

Mutters flow like a breeze through the crowd as everyone begins to bore of the grand entrance. Even Cal is tapping the toe of his shoe against the podium in his anticipation. Honestly, we'll be spending more time here waiting for the Lakelanders than when we actually begin to fight.

I close my eyes, wanting a moment of peace before the fight. Finally, the slight rumbling underfoot stops. As I look up, I can see that the Lakeland army has finally reached their destination, and the strange throne has been placed carefully onto the podium.

The two people who were seated on the luxurious accessory finally stand, and I can spot something glinting in the afternoon sunlight. Crowns. These two must be the royals of the Lakelanders, the Cygnet family.

Our side of the field is quiet as the Lakelands begin to give an eerie applause to their rulers. Something in the action doesn't seem completely genuine, as the soldiers sport dull faces and an uninterested stance. Part of me hopes that they'll keep this attitude up as we meet in combat.

King Cygnet of Lakeland and his Queen step out until they are standing opposite of the Calore brothers. The Queen stands tall, almost as the same height as Cal. Her slender frame looks frail, and it doesn't help that her long hair makes her appear taller than she really is. Even from the distance that I stand from them, I can see how her dark brown hair pops against her pale green eyes. Maybe the King purely chose her out of beauty. Her hands are clasped together in front of her, which makes me wonder if she's nervous. Perhaps she is purely bored.

Her husband shouts above the din of their applause and the hushed muttering of the Nortans. "We have come today on a serious note of the relationship, both politically and socially, between Norta and Lakeland. As of late," he announces, glaring in our direction, "there has been some disagreements between the Reds of both districts."

I marvel silently at how he manages to have the whole expansive area of men and women listening so intently to him. Being almost as short as he is, I can understand how demanding that can be. But from where I'm standing, he almost appears to be shorter than I am. I've got to hand it to him, that takes a lot of effort. But he does have the podium giving him extra height and the label of being a King behind him. The very appearance of the King seems to order attention, his dark eyes boring into what he beholds. His cropped blond hair brings out a sharp jawline. He's attractive.

No, I chastise myself. He's the enemy, and you've got Cal.

Gripping the spear nervously, I try to tune back into what the King is saying. "Although this has mostly been occurring within the ranks of the Reds, we," he says, gesturing towards his wife, though she shows no recognition, "believe it stems from their rulers."

Cheers sound from the Lakelanders. As they begin to settle down, King Maven of Norta begins to speak. "I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, but I disagree. Norta has been nothing but allies with the Lakelanders since we were both small cities in the beginning."

"Balderdash!" The King shouts. "Their resistance has to stem from something. I have heard about the rumours of political upheaval during your reign. All the accounts have told me that it was your Reds who started the fight."

Kilorn and I exchange a puzzled look. Of course, his accounts would be from the Lakeland side. They would always favour their own side when they report back to their King. Perhaps it was the Reds from Norta, but it's hard to judge from what your subjects tell you.

Cal voices my thoughts as he speaks. "Perhaps it was from both sides, Your Majesty. The upheaval was when our mother passed away," he says, not bothering to mention that Elara was his stepmother or that she was murdered. "This matter would be solved better in a conference room, not a battle field. This is not an issue we should fight over just yet. Let's try to be civilized before we resort to violence, shall we?"

The Lakelander King snorts, and raises his arm confidently into a fist, high into the sky. "We have waited long enough. Let the battle begin!"

Author's note:

Please note that I still haven't read King's Cage (I'm the first hold on the copy at my library!), so I don't know much about the Cygnet family. The King and Queen in this AU are from my imagination. I am looking for reader suggestions for the first names of the King and Queen of the Lakelanders. If you have an idea, please comment and tell me the names that you would like to see. I will give a shout out to the winner. Thank you very much for reading! I really appreciate all of the votes and comments.

- Inkpen_Scroll