Red Queen One-Shots

Catch the Flag (the teams)

I saw this and I just thought, this deserves a one-shot. In it, Shade's alive because I needed him, but I know he's forever dead.
It's set about a little more than two years after the Cal's last chapter in Broken Throne. I believe by that time they're all happy and mostly healed from their PTSD, specifically Mare.

Kilorn's pov:

I stare out at the lake, bored. The fishing rod next to me remains still, as it was for the last two and a half hours. Glancing beside me one more time at the unmoving fishing rod, I give up.

I start packing my things, my mind somewhere else. On a very certain techy girl who's staying up in the mountains. Cameron was a big part of the reconstructions in Norta, now the States of Norta. She has been a big part in my life as well, and a bless.

I thought I liked Mare. I thought I loved her, and I did. But this love, which is free from worries and doubts feels much better. And it grew much larger than any emotions I ever had.

Standing up, I feel someone blowing in my ear. Squirming, I turn around to a smirking Shade. Seeing him, alive, was a surprise, so to speak, for everyone. We thought him dead, long cold from a stab to the heart. But he wasn't, which took everyone time to adjust.

To his words, he doesn't remember anything after we split up in that damn Corros prison. Just that he woke up in some shack, with no idea where he was. And in there, Jon was as well. He told him the future is in stake, and he must stay. So he did, until he finally got permission to leave. Following Jon's directions, he reached us.

He didn't believe us when we told him it was a year and a half. And when he was told of his daughter, he nearly fainted, crying uncontrollably. He held us all, sobbing with his family, who was pretty much mine as well. They all took it hard, but no one's shock was as hard as Mare's. She blamed herself for Shade's death for so long.

Upon seeing him, and realising he's real, she collapsed. After she woke up, and heard his story, she ran upstairs and didn't leave her room for a week. She locked herself in, sobbing and mourning and trying to process those odd events.

Gisa, who shared the room for the time being, had to sleep on the couch for a few tense days.

Eventually we called Evangeline, who became one of Mare's closest friends, to use her powers and open her door.

Cal flew back from Norta, where he was for the three weeks of primary meetings he has to go to every six months, so the rest of the time he could stay in peaceful Montfort, in a cozy house he shares with Mare for the past nine months of their relationship. But when he's gone she stays at her parents house, since she doesn't enjoy being alone.

Eve and Cal comforted her, and got Mare out. Despite the different blood colours, which if not for the little lightning girl, would've meant they could have never even been allies, much less a friend and boyfriend. Which reminds me, now that they live together, it's probably the time to tease them about a proposal...

I'm forced out of my thoughts as Shade snaps his fingers in front of my face. "Hello, fish boy, you're there?" I roll my eyes, grumbling. "Yes, I am. What do you want?" The smile on his face in response makes me already weary of what I got myself into.

"I wanted to ask if you wanted to play capture the flag." He says.
I shrug. "Who's playing?"
"Whoever I want." He replies. Grabbing my arm, he teleports me to the edge of the forest. I stumble, dizzy, and try my best to not throw up.

As my vision clears, I see the people standing around me. Shade leaves me to get to Farley. Evangeline stands next to Elane and Cameron, who made my heart leap in my chest, and Mare leans against Cal on the far side of the compound. He says something, and she laughs, playfully smacking his chest. They lean for a kiss, and I evert my gaze, not wanting to watch their make out session.

Luckily for me, Shade has the same idea, and he jumps in front of them, pulling their heads apart. They glance at him in anger and annoyance. Mostly anger, in Mare's case. "You two are not playing together." Shade announce. They stutter, protesting.

Farley, who obviously supports Shade, meddle. "You need to be focus on the game, not busy tumbling in the mud." She smirks, as they both blush. I don't know why Farley always makes mud jokes about them. It feels rude to ask, and I doubt Mare will answer.

Evangeline, on the other hand, is grumbling. "After all the work I put in those two, you're going to separate them?!" Everyone rolls their eyes at her arrogance. "And you and Elane aren't together either." Mare adds, pissed at the magnatron.

"So Shade and Farley aren't too!" Eve replies, clearly upset, while Mare shrugs. "Fine with me." She says, leaning closer to Cal again. "Oh no!" Cameron yells, experated. "Can't you keep your tongues apart for five bleeding minutes?!"

"So!" I shout, to stop the argument, and they blissfully stop. "The teams?" I ask Shade. He rubs his neck, thinking. "Perhaps one team will be Mare, Farley, Kilorn and Elane?"
There are nods around the group, accepting. Cal backs from Mare, murmuring something with her ear with a smirk, probably inappropriate, as she rolls her eyes. it doesn't pass unnoticed by her brother, but he lets it slide.

"That leaves me, Evangeline, Cameron, and you." The prince says, nodding at Shade. He takes a flag out of pocket, and then he looking confused he searches for the other one, patting his pockets. I hear chuckles besides me, and turn around to see Mare holding a flag, a look of mock innocence on her face, while she plays with her hair and glancing at the surroundings exaggeratedly.

I shove my fist into my face to keep from laughing, and it gets harder as she playfully winks at us. Cameron eventually breaks out giggling, and Shade scowls as he looks at his sister.

He trots off holding his flag, Evangeline and Cameron after him. Mare pulls Cal and leans against him, determined to get a kiss. Their eyes are closed and their lips almost touching when Shade teleports Cal away, stopping them for the third time.

She opens her eyes in confusion, probably wondering why she didn't get her smooch. She looks at me, and I shrug. "Your brother isn't a fan of your public romance display." I comment. "Third time's ain't the charm, at least in your case." I add, winking.

She frowns, muttering something about idiotic brothers and some inappropriate things to be shoved up Shade's ass.

I smile as I walk into the forest with her, listening to strategy discussion.
Let the game begin.

I changed the teams, because I prefer having Cameron playing instead of Ptolemus🤢
I can't help but laugh when I think about Shade constantly ruining the MareCal moments🤣🤣🤣
I might write a part 2, so keep reading 😊