*Note: the text at the beginning in italic is from the book (somewhat shortened).
"In another life, I might be jealous."
Maven's words send shivers down my spine and not in a good way.
Cal jumps to his feet quicker than I thought possible and throws himself at the bars making the metal sing. But the bars hold firm and Maven, cunning, disgusting, awful Maven is just out of reach. To my delight, he still flinches away.
"Save your strength brother," he says, his teeth clicking together with every word. "You will need it soon."
"Will it be you in the arena?" Cal snarls through the bars, his hands tight on the iron.
"We both know I could never beat you with ability, so I beat you with my head."
Cal growls low under his breath. "How could you do this to father? To me? To her?"
"Are you really surprised? Poor Mavey, the second prince. The shadow of his brother's flame. A weak thing, a little thing, doomed to stand to the side and kneel."
He shifts, prowling from Cal's cell to stand in front of mine.
"Betrothed to a girl with eyes for another, for the brother, the prince no one could ever ignore." His words take on a feral edge, heavy with a wild anger. But there is truth in them, a harsh truth I've tried to forget. It makes my skin crawl. "You took everything that should have been mine, Cal. Everything."
Suddenly I'm standing, shaking violently but still standing. He's lied to us for so long. I can't let him lie now.
"I was never yours, and you were never mine," I snarl. "And not because of him, either. I thought you were perfect, I thought you were strong and brave and good. I thought you were better than him."
Better than Cal. those are words Maven though no one would ever say. He flinches, and for a second I see the boy I used to know.
He reaches out a hand, grabbing at me between the bars. He holds me tight, like I'm some kind of lifeline.
"I can save you."
"Your father loved you Maven. You didn't see it, but he did."
"A lie."
"He loved you, and you killed him!" The words come faster, spilling like blood from a vein. "Your brother loved you, and you made him a murderer. I-I loved you. I trusted you, I needed you. And now I'm going to die for it."
Again, he flinches, and I see the boy he was. I loved him. I love him. And a part of me wants to save him.
"I am King. You will live if I want you too. Choose me, and you can live. My red queen, my betrothed, my wife, and my lover."
"I-" If I live, I might be able to still aid the rebellion. Keep my family safe. Maybe save Cal. And maybe find the boy I used to know inside Maven. I still can't believe none of it was true. I reach through the bars and grab his hand. "I choose you." I say, my voice shaking. I glance back at Cal, and see the hurt and betrayal in his eyes. I'm leaving him to die alone. I hope he understands.
"Sentinel Samos." Maven says to the shadows. A sentinel appears out of the darkness and opens the bars. Maven grasps my hand firmly and pulls me up out of the cell. He pulls me close and whispers in my ear, "I lied to you earlier. Cal will never choose you. But I will. I choose you everytime, Mare." He smirks at Cal, and sneers "Goodbye big brother." And then, he walks away. And I follow, into the next trap willingly walked into.
Maven blames it on Fredrix Merandus, who was blackmailed by the Scarlet Guard to do their bidding. Fredrix used his ability to make me convince Cal into killing the king. He made me help the rebels, feed them information. Thankfully, none of it was important, none of it a threat to Norta. He tells the world who I am. A red with abilities. He tells the people that his father thought it would be better to hide the fact that I was red, as not to upset and scare people. He says that he believes that the time for lies is over. And that he will be an honest king. He will not hide anything from his people. How ironic. He is a lie. Everything he is is a lie.
But Maven ends the Measures. He even raises conscription age to 20. And he makes me his red queen. Instead of scaring the rebels out of existence, he is giving them less fire to fuel their cause. Giving them fewer reasons to fight. With a red on the throne, the people might be satisfied. They will not see injustice and join the guard. They will shame the guard, for fighting against such just and fair rulers. How wrong they are. We, the reds, are still in chains, just slightly loosened ones.