Red Queen One-Shots

The Necklace III - War Storm

A/N: This takes place after Mare and Farley return to the Piedmont base and before they travel to Montfort.

III

The knock showed an uncannily good timing, beginning exactly between finishing one bag and before Farley started the next. She bid the visitor into her room, then she realized who they probably were, and cussed under her breath. She rushed over, picked up Clara, and took a seat at the table, just as the colonel crossed the threshold, saluting. Farley had to swallow her grin, even more so with a wriggling Clara on her lap. She waived the urge to kiss the baby's brow once more, and instead awaited her father as proudly as a Silver queen.

"I appreciate your timing, colonel," she said. "We need to brief before my next relocation." His face moved marginally, but that satisfied her. He was, after all, no one to display strong reactions, so she had to content herself with the small signs of displeasure. She asked him to sit and he did, while she shoved pen and paper in his direction. She couldn't write with Clara on her lap, so he would have to do her the favour.

"The Monfortans invited the Barrows, me and several Silvers," she announced. "There are matters to discuss where my presence is vital, thus you'll have command of the base for a little longer."

He nodded and they began to talk, to prepare the base and their troops for the next steps. The colonel offered information without prodding and his cooperation, with her as his superior, still felt astoundingly good, after she'd feared he would never comply.

It was a play with reversed roles that she enjoyed way too much. Focus on the cause, General, not your ego, she told herself. But he'd been the one to teach her, and she's been an apt student. She issued orders that he, as her second in command, would have to implement in her absence, and informed him about the plans with Montfort, so he could feel appreciated.

"This stay is very temporary, since Montfort is waiting and those Silvers ... we had to bring them, but I would've preferred to have them fly the direct route."

He refrained from his usual snarl against Silvers, to her surprise. She cleared her throat and shifted Clara to get up. "That's all, Colonel," she said, about to turn back to her packing.

"You'll take the girl too?" he wondered in her back.

Slowly, she turned around again, glaring, and in a low voice, she said, "Mare's bartered to bring her family. Clara's part of her family."

What a lie that was, as if she cared about that argument. Am I part of the Barrows? Montfort was safe, she had to bring Clara there either way. Clara stayed with her or with Ruth, not some stranger. She didn't want her daughter away from her, the last days had been hard enough. She hadn't ever been separated from Clara for more than a few hours before, not for a year if she counted the pregnancy. Now Farley didn't intend to let go of her before duty and war forced her once more. She loved to see Clara smiling at her too much.

But no need to get sentimental in front of the colonel. Let him think she kept her so prominently in his sight to annoy him.

Farley broke the eye contact after she'd seen him swallow; she wanted him out. Putting Clara on display was one thing, tending to her in his presence another. She gestured to the door. "You have your orders –

He remained sitting. "Diana, wait – "

"Don't – "

"Just a moment, please."

Please was the only reason to allow him to stay. She stared at him while he searched for words. But he didn't utter a sentence, and instead revealed a pouch he laid on the table and shoved in her direction.

"For your girl," he said, and it irked her he'd said her unused name, but not Clara's. Unnerved, she freed a hand and opened the pouch to peek inside.

There was a golden chain, a necklace like the one she wore. Her mother's necklace.

She gulped, closing the pouch. "She's too small for that," she groaned. She tried to return it to him, but only so his hand could cover hers. She shivered.

His eye fixed her. "Thank you giving it back to me last year," he said. "But it was your mother's. Clara should have it."

He couldn't do this. Not now. Not after all those years he didn't allow her to grief, or just to miss her mother and sister while they had to give all their energy to the Scarlet Guard.

How dared he making her cry?

She pulled her hand away from her father's, shoving the pouch aside with the motion, and hugged Clara tighter.

"She's too small for that ...!" she repeated with a hiss. Clara moved and looked around curiously, but Farley's hold was firm now. "Give it to her yourself when she's older!"

She stormed out of the room, embarrassed she was the one to leave her own office and lean against its walls. Hopefully, the colonel could take a hint.

What did it mean, him thanking her, trying to give Clara that necklace? Did he think they wouldn't meet again? Well, now he would've to make that happen.

She didn't look up as he entered the corridor and went in the opposite direction. Her focus remained on Clara and she took a deep breath, breathing in the baby's sweet smell. Her little girl, the only family she had left.

He had stopped treating her like his daughter long ago, so she didn't treat him like her father either. He couldn't start with that suddenly, not after he as good as called her stupid for having Clara.

Farley waited until the shivering waned, until the sobs were swallowed, and Clara's smile made her smile, too. For once, the girl was wide awake and lively, fortunately at day and not at night, nor during the flight to come if she was lucky. Her tiny fingers reached for her mother, they always did, and Farley craved to give Clara all she desired. She had to make her happy, even as her only parent. Then Clara found the necklace under her mother's clothing and her eyes gleamed as brightly as the metal. Farley sighed.

She had hesitated to wear it for so long, didn't want to put it on like her sister was forgotten, had never existed. It wasn't hers. She only decided to wear the necklace because the threat of the chain breaking and having it stolen was smaller when it was around her neck than when carrying it in a bag that might get lost any time, given their way of life. Now she knew better. The necklace wasn't her sister, but Madeline had loved it so much that Farley had to cherish for her sake instead of hiding it.

She'd only needed time to look at it without pain.

She returned to her room, gave Clara a kiss and placed her in her cot. "You should have that necklace," she whispered. "One day." She knew she was being hypocritical. She missed Shade all the time, wished Clara could meet her father, while she shunned her own. It was like a scar, a wound that couldn't ever fully heal. I preferred to be alone, she thought. I rather lived in solitude than with the pain he reminded me of. But she was alone no more, had given that up with meeting Shade, Mare, their family, Clara.

"Maybe things will change again, dove," she whispered to her daughter who became sleepy after all. "But sadly, this war is in the way, and I have to settle that first." Travelling to Montfort was the first, important step to accomplish that. She smirked, despite the fear that always crawled under her skin when she thought of the battles t come since Clara had entered her life.

"I'll change the world for you, dove. And once that's done, we might think about your grandfather again." She could give Clara a chance to know her grandfather, even if she didn't know how to forgive him.