Red Queen One-Shots

Not The Epilogue

A/N: One more day until War Storm, one last day for denial! Enjoy this, dear followers, as long as you can. A little late, but here's a requested Thank You for 500 followers on tumblr!

Love you

Mare POV

"Monfort pledges to back the installment of King Tiberias," Davidson announces and takes my breath away.

A current of heat ripples in the air. Cal has to be angry, violently so. But still he stands next to me like a column of basalt. A frozen heat, his hand grabbing mine. I feel sweat of fear on my neck, on my back, as my heartbeat accelerates. Shock and confusion are the emotions I see on Farley's face, ones I share, whereas smug satisfaction has overtaken the Samos king and the Lerolan queen.

"Premier Davidson," Cal says, "what does this mean? You've never implied – "

"My dear grandson," Anabel Lerolan cuts in, "I am very grateful for the Premier's cooperation in restoring your birth right. Truly, this alliance will be a blessing."

Davidson betrays no emotions, sitting down in his chair again.

"No," Cal objects. "No, Grandmother." His voice is strangely calm and cold compared to the heat he emits, travelling from his veins into mine. He clears his throat. "I am sorry, but I cannot agree to this. I fear this is a misunderstanding."

"Young Tiberias," Samos snarls, and I suspect he intends to chastise Cal like he did with Iral, "you are the one who misunderstands. We offer you our daughter as your queen, a princess and your equal, along with our troops to depose the usurper you called brother and restore your throne."

A low chuckle escapes his chest. Only I can hear it, I think. But when I look to Evangeline, I see fingers crawling into her metal armour, drawing inconspicuous silver blood. Desperation mixed with a wild hope shimmers in her eyes.

She doesn't want this.

Finally, Cal moves again, even if he's just changing his balance. "You say I should be happy for your support, King Volo?" he asks. "I am, and I should, since you so gracefully saved our day as our alliance demanded. But I doubt that entitles you to decide my fate – nor that of Norta, since you pride yourself of having divorced your territory from hers.

"If that is what your people desire, so be it. I'll grant you that. But I fear, Your Majesty, that you too much to demand. How can I trust you – or your daughter – with my life after I saw you change your prime allies four times in less than a year? So, whom do you even serve but yourself?"

His words turn the room into a powder keg, even without my sparks or his flames. Just with words, as Maven prefers to. But while very word of Maven's is calculated, aimed to achieve a specific result, I fear Cal's speech will spread a wildfire in this assembly.

Volo Samos certainly fumes, as if his armour was made of mercury and its poisonous vapours.

Yet Farley is the first to jump up, her fists crashing onto the table. "Comrades," she hisses, "I think we went into these negotiations with incorrect expectations. It'd be for the best if each party re-assesses their objectives among themselves once more." Her voice is harsh and strong, cold as the winters of her homeland. "Do you agree, Premier Davidson?"

Davidson straightens, fingers twitching. Maybe in preparation for his shield, should things really escalate. "I agree, General Farley," he says. "We'll meet again in two hours hence, ladies and gentlemen. Some of us might still be exhausted from our victorious battle." He rises and leaves. Behind him, I see Farley mouth something to me.

It's a bait.

I could've asked Farley for more, but I understand easily enough. Davidson planned a bait to lure in Silver allies, helping us defeat our mutual enemy. Maven. And I can see more unfolding later on, as those factions will undoubtedly turn against each other in their hunger for power, sooner or later.

Davidson thought Cal was one of them, yet he was wrong. The ex-prince stays with me, holding my hand and dashing off to search for a lone corner in the corridors of the administrative tower of Corvium. Not with his Nanabel. Not falling on his knees to make a proposal to Evangeline Samos.

He chose me.

"You botched their plans, 'Tiberias'," I say, smirking and he finally stops in his tracks. He's graver than me.

"I'm done being someone's puppet, Mare," he says. "They think they just need to tell me something, 'advise me', and I'll jump. But I know their ilk better now. They just use different ways, but all of them want to be Elaras."

"They?" I mumble. He shakes his head, likely remembering what the whisper queen made him do and how horrible it was. I let myself fall against his chest. I feel his heart beating, fast, while my body quivers. It's the thrill of the fight lingering in me. Yet it's also a different blend of fear and excitement, not for the threat of dying but for betrayal, a betrayal that was barely avoided.

His hands slightly roam over my back, with their comforting warmth. I pull him tighter. "What will we do now?" I murmur.

He understands well enough. "We'll see, Mare. There's always another day to come."

I have to chuckle. "A little naïve, isn't it?" But it's also true. We'll face the uncertain future together.