#char: maven

[verdemoth]

Maven! Small guy KEENLY aware of the crushing weight of responsibility. Director of Mission Control after Odyssey’s ‘retirement’. Doing their best.

-> Following after their mentor, Maven is the current head of Mission Control, a small team tasked with monitoring the status of expeditions, keeping the portal stable, and maintaining the technological systems that assist in these efforts. Maven’s the one calling the shots. In the case of a hazardous situation, Maven has to make an assessment with what information they have access to and decide what to prioritize. They’re inclined to recall the field team when faced with any untested issue, but the current owners/investors of the whole project aren’t too happy when supplies get wasted ‘for nothing’.

-> In practice they usually just go along with whatever Odyssey advises to the absolute best of their ability. And they Will Not complain.

-> They’re kind of usually too worried about have a personality for the entire duration of a mission. They fixate on the job and fret over it 24/7 until everyone makes it back in one piece.

-> When they can relax, Maven’s got some hobbies. They’re into embroidery, playing niche card and board games, and enjoys science fiction and mystery stories.

-> Their cousin, Perseverance, bullies them relentlessly for being a nerd </3. Even though Perse is the one who writes essays on oscillating genes, or the influences that parasites exert throughout an ecosystem, just for fun, so. >:(

-> Maven and Perse didn’t grow up very close in both a physical, spacial sense as well as an emotional one. Their teens is when they started to connect, when their families moved closer again. Maven babysat fairly often and helped her out with schoolwork, leading to Perse taking an interest in Maven’s aspirations and making them her own.

-> She’s a grown woman now and can look after herself, but Maven’s still worried for her now that she’s joined the team officially. They don’t want to get her killed. But then she goes and pulls some shit to make them reconsider all the effort they’re putting into worrying. Like showing Maven a big fuckoff moth she found by releasing it into their room. Again. (..it was a cool moth though)

-> Maven has to babysit Perse’s terrariums once she starts joining expeditions. Maven does not like crawlies.. but they are committed to upholding the highest standard of care for these creatures. They were reaaaaaally anxious about it the first time, but Perse said they did a great job, and they kind of grew to enjoy it? The feeling of being able to do right by these little animals and keep them safe. They don’t mind it, actually.

-> Maven was just stepping into the leadership role on that fateful day they lost contact with the field team. It was supposed to be straightforward, one of the first missions they’d be commanding with little input from Odyssey, up until it all went very wrong. When the storm hit, they scrambled to manage the crisis. In the time it took to restore communication, Maven was certain they’d gotten three people killed. Instead, they just got one person killed. Like it really makes a difference. They are quite certain that Opportunity’s disappearance and presumed death are their fault and they’re not dealing with it very well.

-> They look up to and respect their mentor a lot and honestly it’s just.. easier to let em overstep and take some responsibility away from them. Maven feels Complicated about it. Relieved, sure. Patronized too. They feel crushed that Odyssey doesn’t seem to trust their ability.. but is e really wrong? They’ve already proven to be inadequate. They’re not sure they’ll ever move past this.

[doodleduds]

OC INFO

extrie extrie. read all about it

[julie1x1]

She nodded, eyes shifting away from his. The blue tone of Auggie's eyes always forced her to tell the truth, and it wasn't something she wanted at the moment. ❝The shift is a little busy today❞ she tried, some kind of defense for herself or anyone else who made a mistake that night.

releasing his tension with a heavy , elongated sigh , auggie was now calm enough to reply to her. ❝ it's okay. just. . . wait until it's ordered next time , alright ? ❞ he had a feeling she was lying to him , that it wasn't her who had done it, but he wasn't about to call her out on it. if she wanted to take the fall , then that was on her. but he was going to give her a break anyways.

[marzghost]

Red Queen au with everyone from hermitcraft and empires + Martyn, Bigb, and Skizzleman anyone? I know this is such a niche little thing but god do I love this book series and what type of person would I be if I didn't put my little block men into it. 👀

Like imagine it if you will. Scar as Cal ,Grian as Mare, and Cub as Maven (I'm living for the convex drama I also have no clue who would take on the role of Evangeline but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Thinking maybe Cleo but who knows it might change). Might make this into an actual fanfiction with Grian being born a female but identifying and passing off as a male because I can do as I please and who doesn't like the angst that comes from being forced to parade around as something you know you aren't.

if I make this a full on fanfic it'll be called The Red Blood On My Teeth Tastes Sweet On Your Silver Tongue (but our sins turn it bitter like a war over done) on AO3 but for short I'll be referring to it as the Red Blood Silver Tongue AU or RBST Au

Enjoy this snippet so you guys can somewhat see what I'm talking about. If I do make it into a full on fanfic I'll be sure to tag warnings because I know for a fact there will be a lot of misgendering and body dysmorphia since Grian will be forced to parade around as a female despite identifying as a male.

..............................................................................................

Grian was alive. Grian was alive that much he knew for a fact from the way his heart raced within his chest and his blood pulsed within his ears. He was alive when he should have been dead. His body should be nothing more than a charred clump upon the electric dome but here he was ,a mess, being watched by every important silver house there is.

He should be dead. Should be nothing more than a red and black stain upon the electric shield but instead he laid upon the ruined ground of the arena with his once beautiful new uniform burnt and smoking from the electricity that had been coursing through his body not too long ago. He should have felt pain when he fell down to what should have been his untimely demise but no. Instead of feeling anything he thought moments like this should entitle he felt more alive than he's ever felt before. It was like a blindfold had been lifted from his eyes and as he stood to his feet dazed and confused, wide dark eyes locked with intense and shocked lime green ones and like a fool he lifted his hand and waved with a nervous smile crossing his thin lips before saying, "Uhh, hi?"

That was all it took for the dam to break. The metal spheres the ginger and been controlling flew out towards him and in some sad attempt to save himself Grian quickly outstretched his hands in front of himself. One moment Grian was yelling wait at the top of his lungs and the next lightning was coming out of his open palms saving him from yet another untimely death. If the silvers hadn't been gasping before they sure as hell were now.

Then, like thunder, the king's voice cut through the air. "Guards! Seize him!" He commanded and like flipping a switch the guards all around snapped into action. Now Grian was no fool. He knew when to leave and as his eyes landed on his ticket out of the arena he took it. Running past the stunted girl he slid down through the lifted platform that had been used to bring up all the other ladies into the now destroyed area and landed down in some brightly lit hall. He could feel the energy powering each lightbulb but just as he focused on one it would explode in a flash of light and glass. Panic pushed his legs forward as lights exploded behind him ringing like alarms wherever he went and it wasn't long before the sounds of armored footsteps accompanied his own.

Taking another left Grian found himself looking out an open window and just as he hoisted himself up onto its frame two strong arms wrapped themselves around his waist and pulled him away from his only chance at freedom. Screaming and kicking Grian turned to snarl at the fool who had captured him but stopped dead silent for when he did he was met with two now familiar forest green eyes and striking scars.

"I'm so sorry Grian but go to sleep."

Scar whispered to him and just like that Grian watched as the world blurred around him and turned black with the last thing he saw being Scar's ,no Prince Rayn's, eyes glowing slightly gold in the light of the now setting sun.

(yeet there ya go btw I know it's very close to his real name but i didn't know what other name to give him and I really liked Rayn (pronounced rain) despite it basically being his real name with only the Y and A swapping places.)

[bleaksqueak]

Now that my brain has had sufficient time to process that six nine revelation...I'm still reeling. I had a feeling he was going to be taller than the boys based on some of the comments you'd made about Audric when he was younger and holiday mascots but for some reason six nine has broken my brain. As a tiny five two myself, on a good day, I cannot comprehend being that tall and am just going to keep thinking about it for a while

I spend way too much time amusing myself over scenarios of them meeting, fwiw. Lyra and Audun, that is. She's kind of a lanky beanpole herself (like 5'8. I think she's the tallest femme char in the cast, well, of the magi. Pretty sure we'll see Mrs. Rosewood at some point, given that family hails from Lichgate, as stated in the fading bg chp 0 convo between Thackery Rosewood and Grian From HR. She'll definitely take the prize in any magi/maven combination lineup, while Maddie's the shortest adult femme.) But back to the Thorncrofts/Papa, we kept musing that it only felt right if he was the tallest in the already Vertically Proficient family. It especially means that, in full masked/hooded uniform (especially with aura manifested), he must look quite intimidating even to madness consumed, high level corruptions. Hopefully! It'd make the job easier if they did a little pause. Might not lose any extra body parts at least...

[tastesoftamriel]

You’ve dined with all the Jarls. Who has the best cook? (I mean, it’s probably Anton Virane, but then who’s the NEXT best cook?)

If I can't include Anton, or myself (I worked as a chef for both Jarl Balgruuf and Maven Black-Briar), I would say that surprisingly, that it is Helvard, housecarl of Jarl Siddgeir of Falkreath. While a housecarl's job does not normally include cooking, the intimidating-looking Helvard actually started off as a cook's son before taking to warrior training as a young lad. However, he makes the meanest venison dumplings this side of the Jeralls, and hunts his own game to boot. Also a formidable opponent in ale and mead-drinking competitions.

I have nothing but respect for Helvard, especially because he has to put up with Jarl Picky-Ass (who, according to his followers, will only eat well-done bear steaks because he enjoys an acrid char). ~Talviel

[linnealaylay]

Hello everyone in the Red Queen fandom, I have something I have been eager to share with you!

I have made and play tested Maven Calore and Cal Calore Character AI’s.

Cal: https://beta.character.ai/chat?char=qDFIK53Tfy93dFZaix_GYlhhzbTRZgwXFl_EkGnp3J8

Cal’s chat starts when he is getting used to his new life and the scarlet guard. He is going though a lot of mental stuff.

Greeting Message: “Cal is making repairs to his motorcycle, completely unaware that she walked in. His tongue was stinking out the side of his mouth as he readjusted some gears. Heavy rock music was playing from a speaker somewhere inside of the old garage. Ever sense his step mother forced him to kill his father and Maven, his brother betrayed him Cal has been withdrawn and angry. Often blowing up for little reason and harming those around him. His only comfort now was spreading time working on his motorcycle.”

Maven: https://beta.character.ai/chat?char=y2ZCLaLSZZcaJVV2L8UJBf-mSWE3HWypoKdL_6_6txM

Maven’s chat is within the period where Mare is stuck with him in Kings Cage. In this chat you have taken the place of Mare in this situation.

Message Greeting: “Over the rim of her water glass, you watch every tick and flash in his face as he read royal reports about Norta. Narrowed eyes, tightening jaw. Bad news.* You watch so much I wonder if you can see the reflections in my eyes. *He muses as he flips a page of a report down, hiding what he hold, as he looks up. His ice blue eyes meeting hers. He has forced her to eat breakfast with him every morning since he kidnapped her six months ago. It only grow his obsession with her.”

[bramblemantle]

sooooooo myself and my friend @skies-seas have accidentally gotten extremely invested in some incredibly self-indulgent ocs and I have created a lot of art, so to start with heres refs for the chars that are mine, I haven’t drawn Sky’s two yet but I will so much 👀

Maven & Perse are relatives, while Tune & Odyssey are qpps, they all work for the same organization trying to research & explore the world beyond the portals in Sorneith (such as the forbidden portal venue but I think they’re stationed at a different one) I’d share more but I would ramble for far too long if I explained the setting n such but for a taste of the vibes, Orpheus by Minimall is the song that first pushed me to make these dragons into actual characters. Pronouns are in their broadcast messages

(perse & maven aren’t done yet, F)

More art coming soon!

[wandyrlust-a]

starter for @eterneaty ♡ for maven.

iron  clinked  against  the  concrete  every  other  moment  from  the  expansive  garage.  aside  from  a  few  on-site  mechanics,  cal  was  the  only  one  who  ever  spent  much  time  in  there,  and  an  increasing  amount  as  of  late.  he'd  increasingly  heard  whispers  of  what  the  future  was  meant  to  be,  all  usually  coming  back  around  to  queenstrial,  something  he  often  tried  to  ignore.  it  was  still  a  year  out,  but  that  timeframe  felt  increasingly  claustrophobic,  not  that  he'd  ever  voice  that  out  loud.  he  was  usually  quite  good  at  it,  finding  ways  to  busy  himself,  often  leading  to  later  hours  with  his  bike.  if  he  couldn't  find  something  to  pull  his  thoughts  from  the  weight  of  the  crown,  then  he'd  create  it.

a  shuffle  from  behind  had  his  heart  lurching,  cheeks  leaching  white  as  his  head  snapped  over  his  shoulder.  maven.  he  relaxed  at  the  sight  of  his  brother  in  the  doorway,  but  only  for  a  moment  before  bronze  eyes  fluttered  with  newfound  awareness.  "shit.  how  late  am  i?"  he  didn't  wait  for  an  answer  as  he  squinted  toward  the  clock  on  the  wall,  cussing  under  his  breath.  he  hoped  he  hadn't  kept  him  waiting  too  long.  cal  wiped  his  hand  on  his  shirt,  streaked  with  grease  and  a  few  marks  of  silver;  emblems  of  his  busywork.  "sorry,  mavey,  i  think  julian  fried  my  brain  today.  how  badly  did  you  wanna  see  that  movie?"  

[imjulia-andilikecats]

Hiii Julia

Would the Calore brothers habe dragons if they existed in the Red Queen universe?

Since I have finished watching House of the Dragon, I'll use that as reference.

Definitely! The Calore Brothers will both have dragons.

Though I would set it on medieval/middle age Red Queen universe, cause if dragons exist alongside the technology in the canon RQ series, those flying lizards are toast.

Warning: Very lengthy Headcanons for the dragons of each Calore. (I know dude, you only asked if they have dragons but…I’m feeling extra today 😉).

Tiberias Calore VII (Cinnamon Calore)

Dragon name: Syndor (Which means “Shadow” in Valyrian, I used google for this) 🐲💛

Cal was one month old, when the dragon egg near his cradle hatched. It was strong and healthy, nearly bursting out of its shell, as it emit a mighty shriek. With it jet black scales and ruby spikes, it looked like a menacing lizard, as it immediately wrapped itself around baby Cal for warmth. Though as it slowly grow, they noted the odd coloring of it underbelly, a bright shimmering gold, contrasting its wings and scales.

As it grew thrice the size of a horse, Cal road Syndor as often as he was allowed. Even convincing his younger brother, Maven, for a ride. Since he often saw him look longingly at his dragon and even the other dragons on the pit. After the ride, Maven patted his should, thanking him then emptying his belly on his boots.

As Cal grew of age, sixteen, he flew Syndor towards his first battle against the Lakelands. They won of course, with Cal’s strategic genius and Syndor’s hellfire. The war ended in just a day.

Years went by, as the mighty Syndor flew over distant territories or would be territories of the crown. Its black wings grew massive, almost covering the sun.

Battle-hardened, it looked menacing. Enough to make any unruly lord swear loyalty to Cal, just by looking at it.

If other lords chose to challenge them, Cal would simply fly Syndor around the their castle walls making his dragon flap his wings hard enough to rattle their castle guards. Landing Syndor at the gates for everyone to see, as it release a bone rattling roar, its underbelly gleaming like molten gold, glowing red spikes and midnight wings shown in full display. Earning its title “Golden Shadow”.

Note: Cal would be like Aegon the Conqueror but without the double incest, cause he would be too busy swooning over this brown haired beauty, who manage to steal silver coins from his saddle that was strapped on Syndor.

Maven Calore (The Drama King)

Dragon name: Seeker (It has no Valyrian translation. Google why!)🦇💎

Maven's Dragon on the other hand, took multiple tries. As the dragon egg laid near his cradle did not hatch.

Nor did the second, third or even fourth.

Which deeply madden Elara, leading her to exile the royal servants that brought the eggs to him.

At the age of seven, Maven desperately wanted his own dragon, that he sneaked his way into the dragon’s den to get himself an egg. Which he successfully acquired, as well as the ire of its mother. Maven would have been a charred lump, if it weren’t for the dragon keepers.

Maven patiently waited for the egg to hatch, hovering it close to the fireplace and even sleeping on the floor next to it.

He obsessively watched over it, that he was not tending to his princely duties. Which annoyed his mother, as she stormed in his room, demanding him to give her the egg.

Maven, not wanting to part with it, threw the egg away from his mother and into the fire.

To the surprise of both, a crack started to bloom on the shell and there it was, a dragon.

It was small but chatty. Its beady eyes already trained on Maven, as it waddled its way to his cupped hands. It had dark grey scales, the color of gravel. It would have looked like an unremarkable lizard, if it weren’t for the dark purple spikes lining its spine, like gems embedded on dark rock.

However, what caught their eye, were its wings. They were uneven, one looked normal but the other, barely the size of a pebble. Incapable of flight.

Which displeased the queen, as she wanted her son’s dragon to soar high above everything, especially over his perfect half-brother's squealing demon.

She wanted to get rid of it, have her son go to the dragon pit again to claim another. However, the sight of him, smiling happily with the flightless thing kept her from acting upon it. She’ll convince him another day. (That didn’t came).

Maven did not mind its wings. He never liked flying to begin with, as the memory of Cal making him ride Syndor and vomit covered boots, made his stomach grumble unpleasantly.

Maven’s dragon eagerly followed him around with its long, gangly limb. It stayed by his side during his studies, nipped at the teachers when they upset Maven, snatched cooked meat from his plate as he eat and even dove head first in Maven’s scented baths.

As time passes, Maven’s dragon grew 12 feet in length. It scales hardened, its teeth, a sharp pearly white. It slithered elegantly among the lords and ladies that reside in the Whitefire castle, as it grown accustomed to human interaction. Even becoming fond of the brown haired serving girl, that its master seem quite smitten with.

It developed a habit of poking holes on the castle walls, climbing at the highest ceiling and crawling through tunnels with its narrow body.

Rumors said that Prince Maven would ride his dragon, as it silently climb outside the castle, listening to court gossip. Which earned its name of “Seeker”, others would mockingly whisper “Little Seeker” as it looked minuscule compared to Syndor.

It won’t be “little” for long. As the sudden death of King Tiberias, the heir accused of murder and branded as a kinslayer, the moment Cal and the servant girl, rode away with Syndor.

Lead Maven to usurp the throne with the help of his mother.

Seeker was given a new purpose. It could never fly, nor could it spy as it grew too large not to be detected, but it was still a dragon.

The non-believers that proclaimed their loyalty to Cal, either in public or in secret, were brought before King Maven and his dragon.

As a proud lord, pushed to his knees to swear his loyalty to Maven, only to spit on the floor and call him a pretender wearing a warrior’s crown. King Maven, emotionless, motioned for Seeker, who was wrapped around the foot of the throne.

 The loyal Seeker, raised it large head towards the lord. It had grown massive, after devouring those that stood against its master. The lord faced Seeker defiantly, as the dragon bath him with its flame, illuminating the throne room with a sickly blue light.

Note: Maven would be like Aegon II, but like...minus the drinking and being a mega creep.

[eb-moved-blog]

          m.are  barrow  :     character  tags

[ravenayres-blog]

Sorry about the blood in your mouth. I wish it was mine. I couldn't get the boy to kill me but I wore his jacket for the longest time. 

[LISTEN]

[lucy-the-cat]

Lover's Curse Chapter Forty - Hold On

Mare

Eleanora swoops in before I do, grabbing his arms and pinning them behind his back. “I’m giving you one chance to explain yourself. Make it good.”

Maven cranes his neck to face me. He’s exactly as I remember him, save for a few muddy scratches. Same cerulean eyes. Same unruly hair. If I brushed a finger over his lips, would they still be soft?

“I’m waiting.”

“I’m not here to attack you.” He wriggles, but she holds fast. “I’m not sure who you are, to be honest. Let my consort join me, and we’ll be on our way.”

“Kidnapping.” Rosalie shakes her head. “How charming.”

“I’m not seducing you.”

“Thankfully.” I sigh. “Leave you alone for two seconds and you get yourself held at knifepoint.”

Eleanora grunts. “He deserves it.”

“He does.”

“Yes, yes, I’m very stabbable.” Maven sighs. “Please unhand me.”

“Yeah. I want a turn.”

He pauses. “You know, I wouldn’t object to that.”

Eleanora winces. “Too much information.”

“There’s more where that came from, if you insist on keeping me.” Maven chuckles, wrenching an arm from her grip. “So many details I could share.”

She shudders. “Come on, Rosie. Let’s get out of here.”

Rosalie turns to me, extending a hand. “My offer still stands.”

I hesitate.

Of course I have to. Maven would wreak havoc without me to manipulate him, to whisper instructions in his ear and let him believe they’re his own. It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

But this doesn’t feel like a sacrifice.

“You came.” The words rush past my lips in a breathless whisper, a foolish, foolish whisper that won’t lead me anywhere I wish to go. “I didn’t think you would.”

“Of course I did.” He softens. “Why would I want to be without you?”

Damn my heart. “How did you get here?”

“Unimportant.” Maven points ahead. “The Rift brought trains. Shall we steal them?”

I snort. “Do you have to ask?”

“No.” A grin spreads across his face. “I don’t.”

The surface is a war zone, riddled with metal shards and charred bodies. Largest of all is the train tipped on its side, which distinguishes itself from its comrades through a jagged hole in the ceiling.

It twitches. The metal groans, shuddering as the wheels realign themselves with the tracks. For a moment, nothing happens.

Then it begins to move.

I spring forward, hands outstretched, but my fingers clench around naught but air. The metal bar is tantalizing, a lucky lunge away from freedom. My legs burn. My lungs ache.

I won’t miss this chance.

The metal jostles my foot to slip, but I hold on, teeth grit, thrusting the door open and tumbling inside. I wait for the impact to shatter me, for the wind to blow me onto the rocks.

It doesn’t.

Maven grasps for my hand, barely in reach, his legs too frail from misuse to rival mine. I don’t have to help him. I could laugh as he stumbles and falls, powerless to stop the train from carrying me away.

“For colors sake.” His hand fits in mine like a lost glove found as I haul him up. “You need to start Training again.”

“Why, so you can watch?”

“In your dreams.” His pulse pounds through my palm, rapid and relentless, a painful rhythm which cannot be faked or hallucinated. I don’t need to hold his hand anymore, but I don’t let go.

At Whitefire, he was a ghost, fading beneath my touch into sleepless nights and desperate pleas. Ephemeral then, ephemeral now.

Silver trickles from a cut on his cheek, and I seal it with my lips. He laughs. “Did you miss me?”

I snort. “Not as much as you did.”

My kiss presses him against the wall, drawing my name from his lips, my name, breathless and strained, like a drowning man gasping for air. Heat flares beneath my fingers, growing hotter as sparks dance on his forearm. He might burst into flames if I’m not careful.

It’s manipulation.

This means nothing.

His hand leaves my cheek, and I whimper, a pathetic whine which draws him to my lips with renewed passion. You’re in control.

Control.

“You’re here.” The words slip between pants, fevered and desperate. “You’re real. I--” His collar tears with the force of my grip. “Don’t leave.”

“Never.” Maven tugs me onto his lap. “We’re staying together. Always.” His gaze is intoxicating. “I love you.”

I kiss him before I have to respond.

All the things he’s done, the murders, the manacles, are distant as a dream, a muddied reflection the rain has washed clean. Focus. Ignore his silken voice and velvet tongue. Ignore the way he shifts to keep you comfortable. Ignore the hand tucked around your waist, and the other nestled in your hair.

He’ll never let you go.

[omegaplus]

# 3,838

Magik Markers: Inverted Belgium (2006)

Peak hipster A.D. at its finest (2004-2009) when I attended Stony Brook University and double the money when I was WUSB program director, so that’s my cred- right there. Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace! label issued their debut I Trust My Guitar, Etc. and it was one of the best things I discovered during the Aughts. Then Prurient / Dominick Fernow issued this 12″ single-sided vinyl pressing of the Connecticut noise mavens’ May 9, 2005 Tienen live show back when places like Providence and Lowell were hotspots for noise music and RRRecords and Load Records took precedent, and notable for the face-slashing incident where lead singer Elisa Ambroglio took a band member’s bass to the face. Consider this the younger sister of Harry Pussy’s Ride A Dove (1996): it’s an explosive distorted mess that pins itself on red and over-amplifies surrounding areas to (about) an 8 on the Richter scale. Though only half as long and Ambroglio’s not screaming her lungs out in a psychotic chaotic vision like Pussy’s Adris Hoyos, the Markers’ mission of vacuumed guitars, crumbling drums, and buzz-bee frequencies cooks the surface to a scraping char and gets the job done.

We couldn’t believe we skipped this over until now, so we owed it a complete spin on this past summer’s bonus noise volume, which was Omega WUSB’s 275th broadcast.

[lilyharvord]

The Chain (Part 9)

Thank you to everyone for being so patient with my update for this fic. I’m officially done with my first semester of graduate school and since I’m on break, I want to try and post as many chapters as possible to get as close to finishing this as possible. We’re time jumping after this by the way everyone. It’s about time we kicked it up a few notches and got to the meat and bones of this fic. 

Tag list: @delilahlbard, @king-maven-calore, @thatoddgirl777, @elliekratzzz, @evangelineartemiasamos, @evangeline-of-montfort, @scxrletguardsdawn, @freaky-freiday, @petergrantkavinsky, @kuwei, @whatsup-gorls, @katiemoore,  @redqueenetwork, @tranquil-dusk (I’m trying to add you but for some reason it wont @... the same problem happens with @thatoddgirl777 and I have no idea how to fix it)

Find the rest of the fic here: part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 4 / part 5 / part 6 / part 7 / part 8 

Enjoy everyone (: 

(/Mare/)

When I run from my lesson with Julian, it feels fake and I wonder if he even buys into it. I have far too much control over my ability now, and it is hard to fake going out of control. Still, the rain feels good on my face when I finally find a balcony. I couldn’t care less about the paint that is most likely being washed away. I tilt my head back and inhale, letting the rain drench my hair. Today is just a bad day, and it is only set to get worse. 

The rain is warm as if washes over my face. I wish it were cold. I’ve felt too much lately. I want to be numb for a few minutes. 

Thunder rumbles in the distance. A moment later, the air changes as another bolt of lightning prepares to races across the sky. The storm is right overhead. I miss the electricons more than anything as the pressure escalates around me. 

We’d go storm chasing on a day like today to hunt down the elusive bolts of lightning so that we could harness them ourselves. Harnessing natural storms is like wrestling with my brothers when I was little. It’s pulling against an impossible force, but the power that roars through my veins when I manage to get what I want out of it is exhilarating. 

Gripping the banister, I inhale the smell of ozone and open my eyes to watch the flash of white as it shoots across the sky. Change, lightning is change. Storms come and wash away the old to bring new, brighter things behind it. Tyton had taught me that. Ella taught me it could be elegant. Rafe taught me it was beauty. I taught them it could bend but never break.

A hand closes around my arm and I almost yelp at the freezing touch. Two Sentinels stand over me. They must have followed me out here and given me a careful berth until they were certain I wouldn’t electrocute them. 

“My lady,” One of them growls, his grey eyes like dirty snow. Probably a Gillican judging by his touch. He’s twice my size, but nowhere near as powerful. I still hate the sight of them. 

“Let go.” I insist as I tug my arm. But he grips me tighter and steel panic laces through my bones. They had found me before, but who knows why they have come looking for me now. Has Elara decided to make a move? Has she found something out? 

Tugging against him, I bring my other hand up to grab his wrist and shock him into letting me go. I never get the chance though. 

“You heard my bride.” Maven. My blood runs cold as he steps onto the balcony, looking over the two guards like they are common dirt. “Let her go.”

The relief I should feel is replaced by cold fear. I’ll take the Sentinels over him any day. I’m not in the mood to play games with him. 

“Apologies your Highness, but we must keep Lady Titanos to her schedule.” The one holding me speaks in a baritone that makes Maven’s lips pull down in a frown. His grip is already loosening though. I can’t believe I never realized how in pocket Maven and Elara had the Sentinels. These soldiers stopped serving the king a long time ago. “It’s orders, sir.” 

“Then you have new orders,” Maven’s voice is colder than ice. It reminds me of the freezing nights in Paradise Valley when the wolves would howl at the moon and the wind would answer back. “I will accompany Mareena back to her lessons.” 

I’d sooner let him walk me off a cliff. But the Sentinels drop my arm none the less and leave us on the balcony. The buffer they put between me and Maven leaves with them, and then I am alone with the man who destroyed me. 

“We have working showers inside, you know.” 

I push my wet hair out of my face before turning away from him. Jokes aside, I don’t want to see him. My nightmares have returned in all their supernatural fury. Every night I dream of chasing him down a hallway, the burn of the knife as it cuts my side, and feeling of dying in a Silent Stone room. I wake gasping and on the verge of screaming, but no sound comes out. I’m grateful for that at least. Still, I miss Cal’s warmth, and being able to curl against him to tether myself to reality when the dreams refuse to leave. 

“I want to be alone.” I murmur, setting my head in my hand. My patience is holding, but not for long. 

“I understand that.” 

Oh, I know you do. I keep my lips from curling into a sneer by sheer will alone. Lightning flares across the sky again. The storm is creeping beyond us, but I could still pull a bolt down and hit him if I wanted. My aim is perfect. I could cook him to a crisp like I did Elara. 

I grip the banister again to settle my thoughts. I can almost feel the char of her hair between my fingers and the weight of her head if I close my eyes. I can hear the hum of the cameras as I hold up the head of a she-wolf and promise to come for the pup. 

“I understand how difficult it is.” He continues as he steps up next to me, bolder than he ever was. My eyes snap to him, but I’m more curious now than wary. What has made him so certain? Before, he had still been wary around me. It wasn’t until we joined the Guard together that he truly pretended to open up to me.  

His eyes are cold as he stares out over the palace grounds. “These people. They make it impossible. I can’t say what I want, do what I want—with my mother around I can barely even think what I want. And my brother—!” 

“What about him?” My blood runs cold. What has Cal done now? He promised he would stop prying—

The words stick in his mouth, and he pales with a blush. He’s not the perfect statesman that locked me in a cage yet. He’s not the boy listening to a ghost in his head yet. There is still a part of him that is Maven, and not the thing his mother created. “He’s strong, he’s talented, he’s powerful—and I’m his shadow. The shadow of the flame.” 

The part of me that always understood that part of him, and even loved it quakes. I step out of Gisa’s shadow because of him, but he never does leave Cal’s. He never gives himself the chance. He keeps chasing the edge of Cal’s shadow like there is one. Maven casts his own shadows though. They haunts me and they haunts Cal in the future. If only he knew that. 

When the words come to me, they are true and that is what makes me feel sick. “Then maybe you should try to be more than that.” 

His eyes widen at my words, and I find myself unable to stop. “You could be more. I think you could. Stop chasing the edges of shadows, you’ll never find them. Find a way to be alone with your own heart, and be happy with it.” 

His entire face folds in on itself, pinching in places I never saw before. I’ve never seen this emotion from him, and I have no idea what to call it. For a moment I wonder if I’ve said the wrong things, and done exactly what I told Cal not to do. But a part of me still wants to save the boy that I thought was trying to save me. Even if its hopeless, and he is too far gone to save. Monsters aren’t born, they’re made. Julian told me that once. Well if monsters can be made, they can be unmade too.  

“That’s something you should know about us Silvers. We’re always alone. In here, and here.” He gives me a tired smile as he touches his head and then his heart. The line sends a shiver down my spine though. He’d said the same thing last time too. It only reminds me that perhaps we’re on a track, and there is no getting off. There are no other exits, only the ones that I know are coming. 

“I don’t believe you.” 

“You better learn to hide that heart of yours, Lady Titanos. It won’t lead you anywhere you want to go.” 

My heart aches more than he could ever know. This is the boy, this is the truth. There is nothing to save. I am trying to fix a shattered mirror and cutting my hands on the pieces to spill my blood for nothing. I turn my eyes back to the sky, closing them as lightning strikes again, and thunder roars above us. Battle lines were drawn before; I have to redraw them now. 

“I think I can help with your problem.” 

I turn my eyes back down to him, and instantly he is the Maven I dreamed about. The mask is so perfect. I forget there are cracks that the darkness slips through. 

“What problem?”

“You’re homesick.” Holding out his hand to me, he nods down to it when I don’t take it. His skin is like ice when I slide my palm into his. I thought I remember him being warm by this point. Instead, he’s a corpse before I make him one. “I can fix that.” (/////)

The wind cuts through my hair, ripping it from its braid as Cal and I race toward the Stilts. I’ve ridden a cycle with him numerous times since this night. Nothing takes away the rush or competes with the feeling of flying that this generates though. Usually we tear down mountains roads and I close my eyes, trusting him to keep me safe as he cuts around turns. He’s taken Gisa once too. I had to peel her off of him when they returned because she was gripping his body so tightly. 

Right now, his body is warm in my arms, warm and real. It reminds me that I’m safe with him. Even if I’m terrified of the situation we’re in. 

When we finally reach the branch in the road that will bring us into the Stilts he brings the cycle to a stop, and cuts the engine. I’m the first off, and I peel away from him like a second skin. He pushes it into the trees, his eyes dancing to me every so often as he does so. I know that look he is throwing over his shoulder. I’ve seen the worry that creases his brows and the concern that flares like a light show in his eyes many times when he’s uncertain what’s going through my mind.

“Do you want to talk?” He eventually asks after throwing a few leafy branches over the cycle to hide it. I tuck my hands into the pocket of my coat to hide the shake in them. 

“There really was nothing to save.” It’s a thought that’s been going through my mind since Maven confronted me on the balcony. 

His expression melts into true concern faster than I can swallow my words. But he swaps that for a different mask of emotion. There’s no jealousy in his eyes, but I can see the beginning flares of his panic. His one true fear before we started this was that I would choose Maven this time around; that maybe he really was the consolation prize all along and I only chose to try again because I lost my chance to be with Maven. 

“He’s still a ghost.” I whisper to him before reaching out for his hand. He lets my fingers interlace with his. I squeeze them tightly, trying to get him to understand. “That doesn’t mean I won’t mourn a chance lost.” 

He nods tightly, his jaw squeezing until a muscle in it feathers. I cup the spot with my other hand, caressing it to soothe him. “I love you, you know that. Even if you drive me up a wall sometimes.” 

With a light laugh, his worry melts away, and I’m glad for it. We can’t be questioning each other right now. There’s too much at stake. There can be no edges. We filed them down after the war so we could fit together after all. That is where the real truth lies though. 

Maven carved himself to fit with me. But Cal and I smoothed down together, cutting off the edges that mattered so we could fit. I didn’t need to change for Maven because he melted what he needed to make the perfect mask. It had been a lie from the beginning. A beautiful, wonderful lie. Cal had been real though, had never bothered to hide what he was, even when those parts hurt. He made me better, and I made him better. Nothing about Maven had made me better. He made me strong sure, but a brittle kind of strong that hurt anyone that got too close. 

Reaching out, he pushes my hair away from my face, his smile falling fast. “I wish you didn’t have to go through this.” 

He could be talking about anything. Shade. Maven. All the New Bloods. Losing myself. Losing people I love. Even losing him for a bit. 

“I don’t.” I insist, even though the words cut up my insides like glass as I speak them. The truth cuts sometimes. I’m used to the sting. (////////)

The meeting with my family still stabs like a knife. Kilorn’s rage burns like a brand. Gisa’s wish rings in my ears.  I feel like I’m drowning, being swallowed up by the old emotions. It’s like reading a book where I know the ending and hesitate to turn every page. I hate every second. Even as I make my way straight of Will’s wagon. 

Cal trails me, making sure to stay hidden in the shadows so Kilorn doesn’t see him, and so Will’s spies don’t notice him ether. Kilorn knows who Cal is, I know he does. He had known from the moment he first saw him. I couldn’t be more grateful for my friend keeping his fat mouth shut around my family though. I think my dad would have found a way to stand and kill Cal where he stood if he knew he was the Crown Prince. 

I hold my hand out, telling him to stay back silently, while I take the final ten meters to the wagon on my own. He melts into the shadows, playing the part of a shadow so expertly I have to do a double take. But even his eyes are gone. Maybe he turned and went back to the cycle. I hope he did. When I step into the wagon, it’s to see Will smiling, already waiting for what I have to say. I tell him everything. And just like he did last time, he admits to knowing everything.

Tristan waits behind the curtain, ready to pounce. I can see the toes of his boots before he announces his presence. He’s more arrogant than I remember. I still see the pole Ptolemus shoots through him though, and the mental image makes me shudder. 

“The royal monkeys have chosen a queen this past week.” Tristan’s smile is cold as he looks me over. “You’ve been all over the screens Lady Titanos.” 

I hate that name, and all the implications of it. “They aren’t all monkeys.” I insist, and the fire that lights in his eyes makes me wish I hadn’t said anything. 

“Are you talking about the prince you’re engaged to or the one waiting outside in the shadows?” Will asks as he leans back and rests his hands on his stomach. 

My heart does a jump and a skip, and I’m sure all the blood drains from my face. I thought we’d been careful and I had been incredibly impressed with how Cal disappeared. Still, I should have known, Will is a spy in the Guard for a reason. 

Tristan erupts though, and takes two quick steps for the door, his hand flying to his pistol. I leap and grab his wrist though, twisting it expertly and spinning to put myself between him and the door. And ultimately between him and Cal. 

“You brought a Silver here?” he hisses down at me, even though my hands are already lighting with sparks. “The Crown Prince? Do you know what we could do if we took him in? What we could bargain for?”

Relax, I want sneer, you get him eventually. And he will do far more this time than he did last time. My words when I do speak are low, like thunder in the distance as I glare him down. “You leave him alone.” 

Tristan’s lip curls in disgust. “A few weeks in the lap of luxury and your blood is as silver as theirs,” he spits, looking like he wants to curl his fingers around my throat and throttle me. “Do they take turns?”

“What?” I gasp in surprise. That’s not in the script. 

“Do they take turns rolling in the sheets with you?” His lips curl at the surprise on my face. “Or do you pick one over the other? I’m going to guess the one hiding out there gets the most time.” 

Fury like nothing before sears through me. I bring a hand up that sparks as I sneer. “You idiot. I’m protecting you from him. He’s a trained soldier that would turn you inside out like a shirt if he wanted. And he’d burn this place down if you so much as tried to go after him.” 

You’re only alive because I haven’t burned the oxygen from this room. A real threat, one I believed when Cal said it the first time, and one I believe now. I have to keep Tristan away from Cal. I can’t have a stray bullet finding its way into his chest or his head. 

Tristan deflates, his anger melting away as I slowly lower my hand and disburse the sparks. Will lays a hand on Tristan’s shoulder, calming him further. “That’s enough,” he whispers. “What did you come here for, Mare? Kilron is safe and so are you siblings.” 

This is what I came here for. To put the pieces in motion finally. To start the game for my side. “Shade was a member of the Guard, and they killed him for it.” The only fact I can trace. “I have to pretend it doesn’t bother me.” 

“You’re dead if you don’t.” Will reasons. 

“I know. I’ll say what they want. But I’m in the palace, the center of the royal family. I’m quick, and quiet. And I will help the cause.”  

Tristan sucks in a ragged breath. His eyes light with a new fire, this one vastly different from his anger. He rises to his full height, beaming at my words. “You want to join up.” 

“I do.” My words are final, and I don’t bother to look at Will, only Tristan. 

“I hope you know what you’re committing to. This isn’t just my war, or Farley’s or the Scarlet Guards—it’s yours. Until the very end. And not to avenge your brother but to avenge us all. To fight for the ones before and the ones to come.”  

The ones to come. My chest squeezes as I picture Clare’s toothless grin at the same time that her laugh rings through my ears. My own hand curls into a fist on my stomach. There are plenty to come. I swore myself to the Guard to protect them before I even knew about them, and now more than ever my heart pounds for that future. I will fight tooth and nail for it. I will spill my blood and others so that someday, someday I can sit on my porch and watch a little dark haired boy run rampant in the backyard. So my brother’s name can live on in his daughter. So that someday my family never has to be hungry. So that someday, I never have to be afraid. 

I slip my hand into Will’s gnarled one. Cal warned me of war once, of what it brings. We both know the cost now, but I know what waits for us on the other side. There is a light, there is hope, there is good. I will do whatever it takes to get back there. Even if it means mucking my way through blood and mud once again. 

“I am with you.” 

“We will rise,” Will breathes in unison with Tristan. The words are like hope burning in my chest, lighting up the room around us as I speak them too. “Red as the dawn.”

(////////)

Cal is quiet as we walk through the halls of the palace. And I am too. My silence is contemplative though, his is patient while he waits for what I have to say. He’s always waiting, waiting for me to cross the bridge. He waited for me to say yes too. He asked seven times before I said yes to him in the dead of night wrapped up in cool sheets and half delirious with sleep. I’d pressed a kiss to the space between his brows and said yes without him asking. He waited almost two years for me to say that word after he asked the first time. Now he waits without asking. He knows I will talk eventually. 

“I have to tell you something.” I eventually whisper, and grab his wrist. The cameras whisper around us, and I turn my eyes in their direction before saying, “Your rooms are safe.” 

When Maven brought me there, I made sure to do a sweep. There are no cameras in Cal’s room. I wonder why, but I don’t bother to question it too much. It’s a silent blessing, the perfect meeting place. I don’t have to wait until the guards change to speak with him. 

He nods and takes me a back way. For a moment, I fear we’re lost, until we turn a corner and he brings us to his door. He glances over his shoulder at the same time that I swipe my hand to surge electricity through the camera’s wires, shorting it long enough for me to slide in the room and him to follow me without us being seen. 

In the dark of his rooms, I feel like a ghost. He goes to turn the lights on but I catch his hand. And for the first time in a long time, almost shock him. The hairs on his arms rise as my sparks threaten to explode out from under my skin. I haven’t been this nervous in so long. It makes him jumpy. 

“What happened?” He asks quickly, spinning to face me and grabbing my shoulders. His shadow looks different in the dark, smaller and less imposing. Strange how that is what made him most human to me the first time as well. 

I slip out of his grip only to dive into his chest, wrapping my arms around his middle and burying my nose in his shirt. He smells just a hint like the river as spending a couple of hours in the Stilts, but underneath it, that scent of burning wood clings to him. It relaxes every muscle in my body as I inhale. 

He wraps is arms around my shoulders in response. For a moment, I think he’ll repeat his question. Instead he just reaches up to threads his fingers through my hair that I pulled out of the braid long ago, tangling them in the slightly wavy locks. I can’t hold the secret in any longer, not now that I’ve signed up for this, and he will someday too. I should have told him the moment I found out, but I wanted it be a surprise, a little secret that I could tell him with a laugh. Instead, I feel like I’m telling him before we walk to the gallows. It taints the joy, the happiness of what is to come. 

“I wasn’t completely honest with you before all this.” 

His shoulders stiffen as I bring my hands up to close them in fists on his back. I’m never good at starting conversations like this and I immediately regret the words I spoke. He’s already on edge, and I made I worse. Squeezing the fabric of his shirt softly, I murmur, “before we got here.” 

He relaxes again, and disengages from our embrace to lift my chin. He needs to know, deserves to know. 

“I didn’t want to go after Giselle that night. I told you I was tired, but there was another reason.” It has never been so hard to put something into words. I wish I had just told him in the first place, maybe this whole mess could have been avoided if I had. 

His brows furrow and his face twists as he tries to think back to that strange night and morning. I grab his hands and squeeze tight, willing him to pay attention to my words, more than the memory of what I said. 

“I was going to tell you we had to call off the wedding—”

His eyes widen in surprise, and he opens his mouth to speak. I press my finger to his lips to keep him from doing just that. “For just a little while. Something came up.”

He sits with baited breath, his expression confused and fearful. A mix that’s dangerous for a soldier, especially one like Cal that is used to knowing everything. My lips curl into a weak smile as I say, “We have to get back because something’s waiting for us. Or it may have come with us. I’m not sure. If it did, I have to be more careful than I thought.” 

His eyes dart around the room like someone might be listening, and he slowly takes my hand to pull me into his closet where our voices will be furthered muffled. Has he grasped what I’m about tell him? Cal’s observant, even with all his bullheaded tendencies, and he’s not stupid. He knows me well enough to notice when my habits change. And they had been changing, little by little. I’m a subtle creature, but he’s very good at reading me now. 

In the safety of his closet, I can smile bright. I can let the warmth of my news pulse out of me like sunlight. It had terrified me the moment I knew what was happening, but slowly that panic had been replaced by a strange joy, a strange curiosity. And now, it was longing. 

“You can talk freely now.” He whispers. 

The words die. They won’t come. Like stones, they sit in my throat and choke me. Maybe I shouldn’t tell him. Is it cruel to get his hopes up about something we may never be able to return to? And yet, this is not just my burden to bear. This is our future. I am in this to get back to my family. He is in this to get back to what we had in Montfort. He may need something else, something to fight for that isn’t just me. Even if it’s not as tangible as it is for me. 

I’ll just have to say it, push the words out one by one. “I was pregnant.” 

They come easier than I thought, and honestly come out more like a garbled rush than the wonderful phrase they should be. As soon as I speak those words into existence though, the joy leaves, only to be replaced by trepidation and the air around us is leeched of its warmth. 

“What?” Cal’s question is a wheeze, a word not quite formed. 

“Three or four months, I wasn’t sure.” I grab his hand and squeeze as his eyes widen in the dark to the side of moons. “I told you we had so much waiting for us. That’s what is waiting for us. We have to follow everything to the line because of that future.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He whispers, his eyes darting as he thinks back over everything, every action I committed before that night, every word I spoke. 

“I was going to tell you that night, but then we got called to deal with Giselle.” I shake my head, laughing quietly. It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I am not the only one privy to this secret knowledge. 

His eyes darken though. Storm clouds gather in his irises as he leans down to whisper.  “You said you didn’t know if it came with us.” 

“All my knowledge and memories came with me… and I’m in the same body theoretically just--just five or six years younger. It might have come with me.” It’s a long shot, but if I’m right, we have far bigger problems than we originally thought. 

“You don’t look like—”

“I didn’t look like it in Montfort either.” I reason dryly. He would have noticed if I did. His lips twist and he nods. 

“What do you want to do?”

“I’m going to wait and see if anything happens.”  

He pales at the prospect, but I grip his fingers tightly again, forcing his gaze back down to me. “This is what we are fighting to get back to. Why we have to be so careful.”  

“I wish you’d told me sooner.” He murmurs before reaching down to circle one of his arms around my waist. In the dark I’m not quite sure if he’s smiling or grimacing. Not until he cups my jaw and presses his lips to mine. He pours every ounce of the joy that is about to explode out of him into that kiss. It mixes with mine until I’m certain we are glowing like a small sun. 

And in that closet, nestled in a nest of snakes and wolves, I finally let myself breathe.

[themadauthorshatter]

I haven't worked on this in a long time. And I now know what Universe Alterations are😁

If Cal and Iris were arranged to marry! PART 4!!!!!

A month or so has past and Tibe and Orrec are no longer trying to kill each other, though that doesn't fully translate to trust.

Elara hasn't tried reading either of the Cygnet's minds because their guards are always ready to shoot her if she tries, and because they barley take off the silent stone rings.

There's talk of Cal's and Iris's wedding, and their future as the new king and queen of the allied Norta and Lakelands.

Speaking of the lovebirds:

Arguments. NOTHING BUT ARGUMENTS. ALL DAY, EVERY DAY. Iris instigates, much to Orrec's annoyance, and Cal reacts, which really annoys Tibe.

It doesn't help that the two have differing opinions on what to do with Scarlet Guard leaders; Iris wants to find and kill them, but Cal would rather arredt them and get information from them as bloodlessly as possible.

It gets serious in training, when Iris and Cal must fight each other. There is some back and forth, at first, until Iris roundhouse kicks Cal in the face, taunting that he wouldn't hit his intended. He proves her wrong with a punch in the cheek.

They toss ability to the wind and just beat the hell out of each other. There's hair pulling, biting, scratching, kicking, some below the belt, some aimimg for the eyes, and just hell in the ring before they whale on each other with their abilities. Their fights leaves the training room floor soggy, the room itself full of fog and smoke, and the smell of smoke, and the walls charred black.

It also ends with the two of them glaring at each other from across the room as healers tend to them.

"This is not over," Cal snarls.

"I will gladly rematch you right now, Tiberias."

"Neither of you are fighting again until you are properly healed," Arven snaps.

Cal backs down, but continues to glare at Iris, who glares back and manipulates water aroind her hand; 'Try me/ I dare you to try it.'

Orrec is very frustrated with Iris, who asks if they're going through with the plan of taking over. He reveals that no, they're not. Things are going well between the two sides and restarting this war all over again would be a terrible idea, so she needs to play nice.

Tibe does the same with Cal, telling him to at least try to get along with Iris. Cal, however, counters that it's impossible to get along with a girl like Iris. Tibe admits that she may be difficult, but their current circumstance is better than fighting a war.

After the day is over, Maven and Cal are playing some chess to shake off the day's "scuffle," to say the least; Orrec brought up how Cal and Iris basically tried to kill each other, and Tibe simply stated that young love appears in funny ways, not wanting to talk about how the fight was a draw between the two or debate whether or not Cal won that fight against Iris or vice versa.

"You're doing again."

"Doing what?"

(Maven scowls.) "I don't need a Whisper to know what you're thinking, Cal, you wear it on your face."

(Cal moves one of his pieces, more a little more annoyed.) "'I will gladly rematch you, Tiberias.' I completely won that fight. She's just mad she lost."

"Are you sure you won that fight?"

(Cue some serious murder eyes from Cal, and Maven backs down.)

"I mean... from where I was standing-"

"Don't. Go there."

(They're quiet for a few minutes, until Cal sighs.)

"I get we're supposed to be allies now, but why is it THIS hard to at least get along with my betrothed?"

"Well, if it makes you feel better, Evangeline and I aren't really friends either. They probably won't trust us for a long time. We have been at war with them for years on end."

The two talk a little longer befor they go to bed.

Cal isn't exactly in bed long though because he hears the sentinels arguing with someone outside.

Turns out Princess Iris went out for a nightly walk and the sentinels still don't fully trust her.

Cal steps in and the sentinels back off, giving the two time alone.

"I could have escorted myself to my room."

"Knowing sentinels of House Gliacon and Eagrie, they wouldn't have let you round the corner alone."

(Iris hides an eye roll and folds her arms.) "Well, what do you want?"

"Why are you up so late at night? It's two in the morning."

"Why are YOU awake?"

(Cal also folds his arms.) "Mavey and I usually stay up and play a game before bed. One for strategy. We meet up almost every night."

(Iris raises an eyebrow.) "Does your father know you're both so close to his least favorite son and intentionally sabotaging yourself?"

(Too much salt for Cal's liking, but he answers anyway as he chuckles.) "I'm willing to bet he doesn't. As much as he says he doesn't mind being alone, I'd rather spend time with my brother behund my father's back."

"I'm guessing the lack of alcohol helps."

(Again, too much salt, but he has a counter.) "Don't pretend you and your sister didn't spend time together."

(Iris is surprised Cal knows about Tiora.)

"Maven did some digging while my father and I were talking. A thankless favor between brothers."

(Iris sighs and hugs herself, the battle won by Cal.) "I used to walk the halls at night, when I couldn't sleep. I'd watch the moon reflect on the waves of the shore, stand on a balcony and listen to them. You're too far away from open waters, so I tried simply walking, but it clearly didn't work."

(Cal drops his shoulders as Iris looks out the diamond glass window.)

"It's foolish, and childish, but I miss home. My mother and sister. Having my father here has made this easier, all the same I just..."

Neither speak, but Cal understands, as he was training with a legion away from the palace and missed Maven, who was taken home after a certain incident that left him scarred for life and a Red burnt to an extra crisp.

The two talk a little more, about how they trained in combat and whatnot, before Cal escorts Iris back to her room and then goes to bed.

In her room, Iris kicks herself for being vulnerable, while Cal, in his room, laments that this nice little chat will be forgotten when the next day arrives.

Good news: It isn't.

Iris isn't as annoyed with Cal, and doesn't start any fights with him, and Cal is more courteous towards her.

They don't really talk because it's awkward and they're not there yet.

In training, to break the ice, Cal goes to talk to her, but Arven calls for them to run laps instead. Iris doesn't miss it and starts a race between the two of them, which Cal accepts. Soon enough they're both sprinting as fast as they can as they dodge and evade obstacles until Iris backpacks Cal, when he gets ahead of her. He calls her a cheater and she tells him that no fight is a fair fight.

Iris is pitted against Evangeline and Cal tells her to keep her hair up because Evangeline will pull it. She ignores him, which leads to her being yanked around by her hair before she damn near drowns Evangeline.

"Instead of tying up my hair, I should cut it."

"You're father would skin you."

"I'll blame you, then."

Cue a 'Wait, what?' Face by Cal and a smile Iris hides behind her hand. Yeah, she's pulling his leg, and Cal laughs with her.

TIME JUMP TO A BALL!

Everyone is having a good time and is getting along fairly well.

Iris and Cal dance and have a small conversation that if Tibe hadn't offered for Cal to marry Iris, then they'd most likely be killing each other.

At this point, they've bonded and are starting to fall for each other(I'll touch on that in the next part), so the words sort of rattle Cal to his core.

NOT ENOUGH FOR HIM TO NOTICE A SERVANT TIP SOMETHING INTO ORREC'S GLASS WHEN HE ISN'T LOOKING.

The dance ends and the kings toast to the alliance of their kingdoms, though Orrec notices that his is slightly less ornate and decorated with flames and filled with water.

A few moments later, Cal starts coughing and gasping, Maven and Iris at his side first as he tries to make himself vomit, which fails.

Tibe shouts for a healer as Orrec spots the servant and quickly subdues him with the water.

Cal foams at the mouth and passes out, dropping Orrec's glass

WOW! ANGSTY!

Yeah, I haven't worked on this in a while, and I'm basically playing a game of catch up with a lot of stuff I've made

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed!!!!!