A.N: Hey All!

I loved Glass sword so much i decided to write my own version of book 3. If you haven't read book 2 just stop reading now or you're going to be VERY spoiled! Thank you so much to oneaquaberry for using her amazing skills to beta this chapter!

Don't hesitate to leave me a little review- I love to read you!

Steffy2106

Chapter 1:

I knelt by the throne, my eyes fixing onto the crowds of people that surrounded us. Their faces were twisted into mocking smiles as they threw insult after insult at me. They fed off his smile, and ate up his reaction like a homeless person at his very first feast. But if they hoped to humiliate me-if he hoped to humiliate me-they were mistaken. I've already been humiliated enough. Mere words could not hurt me now. The collar at my neck, and the hand that held my leash was humiliation enough.

Maven pulled on my leash, forcing me to slide closer to him. I kept my eyes glued to the crowd, but a quick glance to the left showed me that Maven's well-polished black boots were close. Way too close. I tried to shift further away, to put some distance between me and that thing, but the leach was pulled tight.

Would he hit me in public? I didn't even need time to consider it. Of course he would. Closing my eyes, I willed my lightning into existence. But instead of that familiar, comforting spark, I felt nothing. I let out a faint gasp, my mind running at a million miles per minute, trying desperately to find a meaning behind the madness.

No silencer. No drugs. For the first time in god knows how many months, I actually felt like myself. So where the hell was my lightning?

Beside me, Maven let out a low chuckle. "There is no need to try, Mare. You're only going to waste your time, and frustrate yourself. I had this collar made especially for you. Consider it a welcome back present. Call it wishful thinking, but I knew you would be returning to my side eventually.

I cursed myself for not considering this sooner. It made sense, in a Maven Calore kind of way. He could silence my powers, and torture me at the same time. It was a win-win situation, at least in his eyes. And of course, he probably requested for the collar to be extra tight, just to rub it in.

Maven chuckled again. "I knew you were smart Mare; it's why I was drawn to you in the first place." His fingers landed on my hair, rubbing a strand of it between his fingers thoughtfully. I wanted to pull it off.

He sighed, dropping his fingers to his side. "I think I humiliated you enough for one day." He stood up, pulling me to my feet. I winced at the pain, feeling hot trails of blood slowly run down my back. I stood up-my legs shaky- and realized that I might have been kneeling for much longer that I initially thought.

Maven started to walk back to his carriage, pulling me back with him. My eyes searched for Jon in the crowd. I hated myself for trusting him, for hoping that maybe, just maybe, he'd help me.

He probably was the one that sold us out to Maven. Now that my mind was clear, it made complete, cold, calculating sense. My cheeks burnt red with anger and betrayal. How many times will I trust blindly, believing the best in everyone? Anyone can betray anyone.

I expected him to throw me into the armoured transport and back to my prison cell, but instead he pulled me towards his own carriage.

I couldn't stop the surprise from showing in my face- something Maven picked up on immediately. He'd always been able to read me-like I was an open book, there for him to study-and though I had once found that charming, now I just found it annoying.

"Don't act like you're surprised, Mare," he said with a smirk. "Without your powers, you're just a weak and pathetic little girl."

I snarled at him, though I had promised myself to stop antagonizing him. "We're the same age, Maven in case you haven't realised."

He rolled his eyes, brushing me off with a wave of his hand, but I continued, edged on by being able to speak freely for the first time in god knows how long.

"And look around, Maven. If you think I'm as weak and pathetic as you say, why do you feel the need for guards? Guards that I'm pretty sure are meant to protect you from me."

This was the most words I've said since giving myself up to him, but somehow, even though the burning in my throat, I managed to continue. "Tell me King Maven, what does that say about you?"

I saw him flush pale with anger, his eyes a vicious fiery inferno. And then his hands moved, faster than I expected, faster than I could react. His slap hit me across my cheek, the force of it causing my head to ring. "When will you learn to keep your tongue, Mare?" he said, clucking his tongue. "I guess I will need to remind you that your actions will have consequences. Goodnight, Mare."

Before I could react, Maven pulled out a needle from inside his pocket, and plugged it into my throat. I didn't even bother to fight. This was not a fight I'd expected to win. His smirking, pale face was the last thing I saw before I blacked out.

I was roughly shaken awake.

Maven nudged me with his foot, sighing when my eyelids slowly fluttered, betraying my state of consciousness. "Come on Mare, we're losing daylight," he said, smiling when I opened my eyes.

I tried to stand, but he roughly shoved me down. I winced at the pain, but it was something that I was used to now.

It seemed that my leash was attached to a metal chain on the wall. I looked around and frowned. I was not in my cell but in what looked like a sitting room. There was a thin mattress by the wall, my new kernel, I supposed.

"You're in my quarters; I believe that having you near is better for everyone." He crouched in front of me and I noticed the hunting knife in his hand.

"Maven-" I began hesitantly, but he cut me off with a wave of his knife.

"It's Your Highness for you, Mare. You've lost the right of calling me anything else when you chose Cal over me."

"I didn't –"

"Lies!" he snarled and I saw the hand holding the knife twitch.

There was blood on the knife, red blood. I couldn't feel any wounds on my body, so whose blood was it?

Maven saw my eyes on the blade and twisted it lightly to give me a better view." Don't worry, little lightening girl, it's not your blood." He gave me a mirthless smile. "I realized that you don't really care about your life or what might happen to you."

He twisted his mouth in clear displeasure. "That complicate how I might punish you. But I have a solution now: for every time you don't obey an order, for every time you defy me, I will hurt one of yours. Believe me; I have plenty to choose from in our jail."

He looked at his knife. "I believe this blood is from…" He trailed off thoughtfully. "What was her name again? It was hard to understand in between her screams. She was a seamstress with your sister. Well it might be hard for her to ever do that again with three fingers missing. But don't worry she knows you're the one to thank for this."

I stared at him, dumbfounded. I knew Maven was cruel, but I didn't think that he would torture innocent people just to get back at me.

"You already have so much blood on your hands; you wouldn't want to add anymore would you?"

I shook my head. I knew he was talking about his mother and the people who died when I thought he was my friend. He had no idea on how badly I screwed up, how many more lives I had destroyed.

My hands were probably just as soiled as his but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing the extent of my failure; the monster I had become. "No, Your Highness."

He stood up, putting the knife away. "See it's going to work just fine." He pointed towards the mattress. "Go to your spot now, we have a long day tomorrow."

He watched me with a glint of malice in the eyes as I crawled towards the mattress.

"Good girl," he said as he turned around briskly and left the room.

I looked at the fire, doing my best to stop my tears from falling. I swore that I wouldn't go back to him but I did, I swore that I would never bow to him and I did, and I swore he would never break me but he was doing it. But now, looking at the fire, I swore that King Maven of Norta would never see me cry.