Prisoner To the King

Pet

A/N: I do not own any of the Red Queen series. Please read the description, do not read if you are triggered by any of those subjects. What I want to portray is that Mare does not love him, she loves the old Maven, her betrothed. The real Maven is ruthless and is obsessed with her, which is not necessarily love. If you want a quick loving couple, a sweet Maven, or a submissive and loving it Mare, this story is not for you. Please review!~

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{Mare}
The last thing I felt was pain. Now, all I feel is nothing, a harsh weight of numb. Instead of feeling content and comforted, I feel uneasy and uncomfortable. It's like someone is suffocating me, yet I am alone.
I am conscious and confused, yet unable to move. With nothing left to do I let the past few events resurface, allowing me to take note of my situation.

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I limped my way across the Bridge of Archeon, my wrists and ankles throbbing from cuts and bruises. An Arven flanked me on both sides, their grip deadly and their silence even deadlier. We slowly made it to the King, to Maven. Dread hung over me, making me feel suffocated.

Gleefully, although it was well masked under a look of fake grief, Maven attached a jeweled collar to my neck. My face burned with embarrassment and his touch, and he tugged on the leash attached to it to show his control. My head bent with it and I gagged from the harsh force, making him smirk.

Like this, I look like a dog, a slave to the king. Through the pain I wonder how badly this will hurt the guard, to see their lightning girl on a leash, beaten and bruised, at the hands of a cold King.

"Come." He commanded.

Humiliated, I obeyed and together we walked to the microphone. I felt his burning smirk before I saw it, causing anger to flare up inside me. Oh how badly I wanted to watch his body flail helplessly as my lightning came down on his neck. To strike him with purple lightning, over and over until he was charred and black. In the end he'd look just like his mother, and like his mother he'd die at the hands of the lightning girl. I can't help the crooked smile that spreads on my face. It doesn't go unnoticed.

"Kneel." Maven yanks the leash down with the command, giving me no time to do as he asks by myself. The crowd in front of me snickers as I fall forward, my face slamming into the white marble with a sickening crack.

I stifle my cry, trying to maintain a brave and defiant façade. A few tears of pain slip out against my will, and I curse silently before wiping them away. The more submissive I seem, the more damage the Guard will receive. I tell this to myself over and over, trying to ignore the hateful stares of the Silvers.

'Head up, chin up, look in their eyes defiantly.'

Maven begins his speech, detailing my many offenses to the kingdom: helping Cal murder the king, murdering the Queen, organizing against the Crown, etc. The crowd roars with anger and hatred.

Maven pauses before continuing, speaking of my ruthlessness and the innocent people I've killed. The latter makes my face waver with shame.

"Death is too good for a killer. I will make sure she suffers, for the late Queen and King, and for my people." Maven finishes with a harsh glare of determination.

He is an exceptional liar. If I hadn't known otherwise, I would've believed Cal killed his father. I would've believed that I was a terrorist that killed innocent children. I would've believed that Maven was a kind and forgiving king. But I know better. I know better than to hope for the latter, and I know better than to believe anything he says. Maven is a cruel, obsessive, and merciless boy.

And I am his pet.

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The first thing I notice when I am forced awake is the silence pressing down on me. The cell walls are made from silent stone, the weight bearing down on my throbbing body. To make it worse, two Arvens stand guard outside my cell. Their silence makes the pressure triple, and I am surprised I can still breath.

"Help!" A young girl screams. I struggle to sit up, turning my head to the cell in front of me. My breath catches as I see a young girl strung up, a Strongarm crushing her. She's no more than 15 years old.

Our eyes meet, mine blurry and confused, hers wide.

And in that moment, I recognize her. She was one of the maids that would bring in my clothing when I was betrothed to Maven.

She seems to recognize me to because she glares at me in hatred. I don't remember her name, but she sure knows mine. As soon as she was associated with me they probably stuck her in a cell, leaving her to anticipate her death.

The silver in the cell crushes her hand in his and I am reminded of Gisa. Like her, she was punished because of me. I can do nothing but watch, a scream stuck in my throat as the girl thrashes in pain. Her limbs crushed, her body mangled.

And just like that, its over. I see the Strongarm lift her up and I finally turn away, eyes burning from unshed tears. He takes her body away, leaving me to my own, destructive thoughts.

"This is all your fault," a voice inside me hisses. "That girl was innocent and you put her to death." I sigh shakily, trying to banish the voice. I've saved many and killed many, but those that I've saved strongly outnumber the ones that weren't supposed to be killed.

"This is what happens when you disobey orders, Mare." A voice purrs. "All the killing, all the destruction the little lightning girl has caused. You must be punished for it."

I whip around, face made into the harshest glare I could muster. Maven steps into view, smirking at me.

His message is clear. The girl was tortured in front of me to show that if I do not comply, if I do not obey, anyone I love or know will pay the price. Rage shakes my body, causing his smile to widen. I growl and attempt to lunge at him, but I only get so far. I hit the floor hard.

I am not prepared for the pressuring silence that weighs down on me. Breathing is difficult, let alone walking. Everything becomes blurry and distorted as I sit up, the cells bars less than two feet away. Maven is behind them, chuckling at my failed attempt to hurt him. My hands ache to wrap around his delicate pale neck until his heart no longer beats.

As if he senses my murderous thoughts, the collar around my neck tightens. I gag, clawing at the metal. The force drags me to the bars where a rough hand clips the leash onto my collar. Two bars are stretched apart and I tumble out, laying conveniently at the King's feet.

I spot Evangeline beside him, controlling the metal. She must've been there all along, waiting for me to do something. Waiting until she can hurt me. Still unable to breath, I wither in pain. I cough, I choke, I heave. Cold eyes stare down at me, unsympathetic. Blue eyes. His mother's eyes.

Just as black threatens to take over my vision, Maven tells her to release.

With the smallest huff of frustration, she does as he commands. Sometime while I was recovering, Maven dismissed her. That left me, Maven, and the guards. My throat still throbs as he pulls the leash up, leaving me breathless. I gasp, trying to relieve the pressure. I am on my knees, yet he held the leash uncomfortably high. This causes the collar to tilt in to one side and bite into my neck. Enjoying my discomfort, he bent down so we were face to face.

"The people want to see you suffer. Who am I to deny them that?"