'Only through true pain can you find true love. I knew the moment I met you that you were going to be important in my life, but I never knew how much I would come to love you until I faced the pain and hardships I did.'

Ch1: Separation Anxiety

CAL

I struggle to breathe, forcing cold air into my lungs to ease the fatigue. I want to feel numb to the pain; to forget what just happened. But I hurt so deep inside, further than any blade can pierce.

I am not alone in this feeling.

I hear Kilorn to my left. He runs a tree ragged with his punches, hopelessly yelling the same question that burns inside my heart.

"WHY?! DAMMIT…WHY?!"

Over and over, he says the words I think to myself. Each repetition cuts deeper.

To my right I see the despair tearing silently through Mare's brothers. Bree stands against a tree looking down at the dirt beneath him. Tramy is near Bree, holding his head in his hands and trying to hide silvers of tears for his sister that he only just got back.

The others in our group are silent, including Nanny and Cameron who both hold expressions of deep thought. No one intervenes with Kilorn's tantrum and no one comforts me, which is not unexpected. There is nothing to say, and no one will bother voicing the answer to the question that echoes with each of Kilorn's punches.

There is no need to answer him, because we all know why.

She gave herself for us. For all of us. She bargained her life away to save ours.

I think back to the conversation we shared at the Notch…

"Maven wants you more than anything else on this earth." I say, hoping Mare will understand how deep Maven's obsession is.

"Well, he can't have me." She replies.

"Not even if it stops the killing? Not for the newbloods?"

"I won't go back. For anyone."

I bite back the urge to join Kilorn in his screaming. If only she would have kept her word. If only she didn't lie. My heart aches with her decision and the consequences it has, for both of us and for the war. Every thought of Mare strikes a new fear throughout me. What is he doing to her at this very moment? How much torment will she suffer before he is finally done with her? Will she be cast aside, murdered, with nothing and no one there to save her?

The questions eat away at me, and with a sigh I stand tall, pushing back the pain as best I can. My eyes lock with Kilorn's and he knows the pain we share, he understands. Defeat echoes throughout the group and waits for someone else to take the lead in where to go next; what to do next. The stresses of leadership have always been on my shoulders, I was raised for this, and the pain of the past few months have only increased that stress. I pull together whatever composure I can muster, and face the others.

"I know this is difficult, trust me. I know. But we need to regroup with the Scarlet Guard. We have to find a way to get Mare back before it's too late." I say, staring into the eyes of the wary group. They know this is the next step, but they fear taking it. The lightning girl was their leader, and her loss weighs heavy on everyone present. However, I know Mare will only suffer in our grief. She can only be saved with action. Even so, not everyone can see past the pain…

"No! Are you serious?! …We can't just run back to the Guard and stand around planning while Mare is with that bastard! God knows what he will do to her and we can't just abandon her!" Kilorn yells; his eyes glossy and strained with holding back tears that threaten to escape. Bree steps up to Kilorn and puts a firm hand on his shoulder while shaking his head. I know his pain, but I can't let him succumb to a hopeless plan that would only get us all killed.

"What is the point of her sacrifice if we run in blind to be killed anyway? She gave herself up to save us. Let's look beyond the situation and not waste the opportunity she gave us to live." I try to stay as calm as possible, but it's hard when my mind is running a mile a minute in Mare's direction.

"Kilorn, he's right. We can't save her now." Bree says, still not meeting eyes with anyone.

"Bullshit! …Fuck!" Kilorn barks, turning to the tree to release his frustration. He knows what I say is true, but he doesn't want to abandon her, and neither do I. 'Why, Mare….' I think as I look over the group.

I would give anything to have switched places with her. If only it was me Maven really wanted. The brand he left on Mare's skin is still vivid in my memory, a testament to the obsession Maven has with her. My only hopes are that his obsession keep her alive until I can get her back. Regret aches deep within me, but I focus on the task at hand, if only as a distraction.

"We need to locate the nearest Scarlet Guard outpost to get transportation back to Tuck. From there we can form a plan with the Colonel to retake the lightning girl." I inhale deeply, feeling the shudder in my breath, "Then we can end this once and for all and bring down the King."

MARE

When I think there are no more tears left for me to cry, my body replies with a fresh wave of wetness down my cheeks. My eyesight is blurry, but I can still see the malicious smile that hovers on Maven's face above me. Flashes of a different boy, a soft and gentle boy, flash before me in a cruel moment of irony. Maven was never that boy, not in my eyes.

I drop my head and stare at my knees knowing this is but the start of something much worse. Briefly, my mind goes back to Cal and Kilorn, and my heart aches again. I want to feel relieved, happy even, that they are both alive along with the other newbloods in our group. My sacrifice kept them breathing, and for that I am glad. However, it is hard to be optimistic with glares of every silver around me pointed deep at my soul. They would choose to kill me now if they had the option, but Maven clearly has better plans than death for the lightning girl. Things more humiliating and painful than death.

A tug at the collar surprises me, and the points within tighten against my skin until I am forced to look up. Maven still stands above me, dark as a nightmare.

"Up."

His command is short and without emotion, and I abide. I have no strength or lightning to fight him, and the stifling silence of the Arven guards make my breath labored as I rise. He turns to address the crowd, and I stand next to him, broken and defeated before the world.

"My people, you have recently suffered long and hard at the hands of the reds. Your kin have been slaughtered, your friends wounded, and we have watched the reds attempt to lay claim to what is ours. We have even lost my dear mother, the Queen, to the madness of the Scarlet Guard and those who support them." Maven's mention of the dead Queen turns the vast faces of the crowd into even more horrible scowls, if possible, and some even look sick at the thought of the body that was broadcast to every person present. A small part of me revels in their disgust, knowing the broadcast did its job.

"They think themselves invincible now, even powerful! But we will show them the true meaning of strength and power and remind them that we are greater than they could have ever imagined!" His voice raises and the crowd reacts with fervor. "Now, we have the Lightning Girl, the symbol of their rebellion," Maven tugs on the chain and I wince at the pain it shoots through my neck. A fresh wave of warm blood trickles from the punctures that have been agitated by his pulling, dripping down onto my white shirt, "and nothing will stop us from destroying every last one of them. As for their supporters who lie within our cities, we will show them the error of their ways through the suffering of their children. The tenth legion will walk to their deaths in the Choke, and those lost will be replaced with the loved ones of those who rebel against us."

The tears will not stop, and I cry for so many. They will help no one, but my heart breaks for every family we will never reunite and those who will be ripped apart in this brutal war against the guard. So many children sent to die and the intention to kill more when anyone steps out of line. 'If only I could have seen the ambush coming. If only that bastard Jon would have told us the outcome, we could have avoided everything that happened today. I could have avoided this fate; Shade might still be alive. But this was the future he saw, and he chose to stare at me with those sad eyes rather than save me from a future I couldn't back out of.' My thoughts sear though my aching head, making even my own thoughts hurt. I glance at the Arven guards at my sides, and silently curse them for their powers.

Maven ends his speech with a crowd gone wild with excitement and anger. Eyes shoot daggers at me while others stare adoringly into the face of their King. After a quick wave, Maven and his entourage turn from the crowd and I unwillingly follow by the leash he holds.

"Take her to her chambers. We will gather later to discuss how we will deal with this rat." He scoffs in disgust while handing off my leash to an Arven. I am pulled away from him and for a single moment I am more terrified than before. While Maven may hate me, the brand on my chest reminds me of a bond he struggles to sever. The other silvers, however, have no such bond, and would see no problem in my immediate execution. I only hope the King's subjects are loyal to their new king so that I have a chance to survive when he isn't around.

I am led into another transport with my silencing jailers sitting around me. Quietly I wait to be chained and curl into myself once the transport begins moving.

x.X.X.X.X.x

The ride back is shorter than I expect, yet the suffocating feeling kept it from being pleasant. I feel the transport halt and glance at my jailers. They make no move to unchain me, so I stay on the floor and close my eyes. A moment later, as expected, Maven enters.

His eyes bore into mine, but his face is neutral.

"Release her." He commands.

The Arvens comply and I feel the chains fall from my limbs. Maven comes closer to me and grabs ahold of my leash. He does not give me a command, instead, he yanks on the leash much harder than he has before and my throat burns with slightly pierced flesh. My yelp of pain does not go unnoticed by him, and be he stares ahead, unfazed.

I rise quickly, hoping to avoid another strong pull. My hands fall to my neck and feel the small lines of blood that fall from the collar. Flesh wounds, but they add to the collection of bruises and cuts that weaken me along with the draining silence from the Arvens. I follow Maven from the transport to the familiar palace that haunts me with the memories of the Kings murder and Maven's betrayal. To the Nortan Castle.

CAL

"I'm sorry for how I acted back there…" Kilorn mumbled as he walks in step with me, heading to the nearest Scarlet Guard outpost. I look over to him and instantly regret meeting his downcast eyes. He looks so defeated.

"What happened wasn't easy on anyone. You don't need to apologize to me for acting as any rational person would. I mean, look at Bree and Tramy." I reply as we both glance at the brothers in unison. They walk together yet away from our general circle of people.

"Does that make you irrational, then?"

"…I always am, in a controlled way. I can't begin to explain how bad this situation hurts me, but I was raised to rise above pain and push forward for everyone else. It's a gift and a curse." Kilorn looks deep in thought about my statement and finally replies a moment later.

"A burden I could never understand…" Kilorn sighs a deep and haunted breath, "I have never had the level of responsibility you or…Mare had." His pause is evident, and it digs the dagger deeper still. I attempt to change topics before either of us fall deeper into despair.

"Let's take another look at that map. I feel like we have been heading in this direction for ages. How much further is this Guard outpost?"

"You can say that again. You even sure were heading in the right direction?" Cameron's retort was quick and scathing. I don't bother replying. She has been more critical of me than ever since our departure from the Blackrun's crash site. I would bite back, but I feel like this is her way of sorting through her mixed feelings for Mare and her sacrifice. We have all been dealing with it differently these past few hours.

Kilorn removes his bag and hands me the map given to him by the Colonel. On it is a handful of scribbles and circles noting different Scarlet Guard outposts and bases. We are currently heading towards an outpost due northwest of where the Blackrun fell. On the map is a circle over a location not too far from where we are that marks an outpost with an entrance to the undertrain system that could take us back to Tuck and the Colonel. 'We should be there soon, thankfully.' I think to myself.

"If we have been going in the right direction, we should be there before sundown. Hopefully we can get on this undertrain before nightfall so we can get back to Tuck as soon as possible." I looked around to the group and there is a varying amount of unrest in them all. Hopefully that carries them the rest of the way.

x.X.X.X.X.x

Before long, we could see the signs of the old world's civilization. As we got closer there was more movement within the town and eventually a male figure began to walk towards our group. His features are not discernable, but he looks to be the one in charge of the outpost.

"Let me talk to them, Cal. Not everyone in the Guard knows you are on our side." Kilorn said as he walked ahead of the group. Standing back, I watched as he approached a single person walking in our direction, away from the safely of their encampment.

"You wear the colors and symbols of the Guard. State your name." The man demanded.

"I'm Kilorn. I work under Captain Farley. She told me to show this emblem to any guard member if I was ever doubted." Kilorn then reaches into his bag to show the person a circle emblem. While I can't see it from here, it seems to do the job and I silently thank Farley for this mystery emblem.

"Fine. What is your business here?"

"We need to use the undertrain to reach Tuck. We have urgent news for the Colonel. We really need to get there quickly."

"…Tell your group to follow. I will take you to the substation." The man begins to walk away and Kilorn rushes back to the group.

"Cal, put this on. We don't know how they will react to you and I just want to get on the train and get out of here before anything happens." Kilorn begins fidgeting with a jacket and hat for me and I don it quickly.

"This too, your majesty." Cameron quips sarcastically as she hands me a red linen scarf to wrap around the bottom half of my face. I pull the jacket hood up and keep my head low, hoping this will work out as well as Kilorn is selling it.

"This better work, Kilorn. Do I look average?" I mutter from behind him as we head to the decrypted town.

He turns and glances at me, "You look as plain as a Prince ever could." As if that was comforting. "Trust me, we don't want to test their knowledge of your allegiance to the Guard and be wrong about it." He sighs and turns to glance at me.

"Fair enough." I reply.

x.X.X.X.X.x

Once we walk into the town, I feel like everyone's eyes are on me. I could be imagining it, but it doesn't help my tension. Bree and Tramy flank me in an attempt to hide me between them both in a non-suspicious way. The man who approached Kilorn earlier is forging the way through some confused guard soldiers to a partially standing building ahead that seems to be a type of station for the undertrain. Our group seem just as on edge as I am and keep close together.

"Just through this arc. The undertrain is down the stairs and to the right. Just let the guard down there know Captain Killingly sent you. Tell him to prep the train to Tuck and help you in any way he can. If you see the Colonel over in Tuck, let him know Outpost Braven could use some extra supplies." With that, the Captain gives Kilorn's hand a firm shake and walks away from our group. I quickly exhale, feeling a little relief.

"Let's just get this over with." I say. Hurrying down the stairs we enter a large and dark room with arched ceilings. "I will never get used to these places. They look like the royal crypt."

Kilorn seems to agree and heads over to the first man he sees who is lounging against a wall near the train. "Captain Killingly sent us to take the train to Tuck. We're with the Guard." He said as the guard looked him over.

"The Captain said that? Fine enough, guess you wouldn't have gotten this far if not. Let me open the doors and you can head in." The guard said.

I stand on edge in the middle of our group. Everything seems too easy, like it's going too well. I know I may be feeling paranoid after everything we went through in the past 24 hours, so I settle down and continue looking as inconspicuous as possible.

The guard returns and announces that the doors have been released. He takes us to the train and waves us in while puling Kilorn aside.

"Do one of your people know how to run the train or will you need me to take you over to Tuck?" While he speaks to Kilorn I pass by them and feel his eyes hot on mine. The thought of this man on the train for the duration of the journey makes my stomach drop. Once inside the train, I locate a seat far and away from the entrance and wait for Kilorn to come in. When he does, Tramy follows him and he closes the door of the train without the guard ever entering.

"Will the guard be coming?" I call out to Kilorn. A small smirk flashes across his features before Tramy replies next to him.

"Nah, I can work the train." I feel an instant weight off my shoulders. 'Thank God it's Tramy driving the train and not Kilorn.' I think to myself as I attempt to get comfortable on the old and ragged seat nearest the window. The train starts moving shortly after and I feel the complete exhaustion that I have been fighting all day finally take me over.

MARE

I am tossed unceremoniously into a room by my Arven jailers. One of them, a woman, sneers at me before slamming the door and locking it from the outside. Looking up, I take in my surroundings and intake a sharp breath at the lavishness of it all. A queen bed sits in the middle of the room with fluffy blankets and pillows and next to it is an end table with a small lamp as the only source of light in the room I can access. Across from the bed is a door, presumably leading to a bathroom. The room seems less like a prison and more like a room set aside for visiting nobles. However, there are two standout features that remind me that this room is meant to keep someone from escaping. The far wall holds no window and the entire floor is made of suppressing silent stone that drains my energy even now.

It shortly seems obvious that no one has any plans for me tonight, so I take this time to better look around the room. 'This bed really makes this all feel surreal.' I think to myself as I drop to the floor to peek under it. 'Damn, no convenient trapdoor to get the hell out of here.'

Standing, I walk over to the door I can open and peek in. The bathroom is very barebones and only contains a bathtub/shower combo, a sink, and a toilet. I immediately notice the lack of a mirror and figure it best I not see what I look like at the moment. My neck still aches from the collar the guards recently removed and I run the water to wipe off some of the dried blood that ran down my chest.

On my way back to the bed I glance down to the end table and notice a single drawer in it. Opening it reveals nothing and I silently curse at myself for thinking there would be anything of use in it. "I guess there's nothing else to do but sleep…" I say to myself as I fall down on the bed.

Alone with only my thoughts to keep me company, I imagine what Cal is doing now. I figure he is beyond pissed at me, and I can't blame him. I never intended to turn myself in when I woke up this morning. I just couldn't stand to think of how little mercy Maven would have with our group. I'm only lucky, in a very ironic way, that Maven really only cared about me and was willing to let them walk with their lives if I surrendered.

Hopefully Maven's obsession will be his downfall, but I have no idea what he has in store for me. I can only imagine it isn't anything pleasant. My eyes finally close with only one thought left in my mind as I drift to sleep.

'Cal…'

x.X.X.X.X.x

"Mare." Cal looks deep into my eyes as I fight to move to him. My body feels like lead and I can't move a single inch in his direction. His eyes look through me as a figure approaches from my peripherals towards him.

"No, please no!" I scream in my head, but the words never escape my mouth. I can't speak, can't move to warn him, and I can only watch, unable to look away as Maven approaches him. Cal doesn't move his gaze from mine as Maven looks my way and begins talking.

"This is all your fault Mare. You could have stopped this. You did this to him." He whispers to me as he lifts a blade from his waist to hover above Cal's throat. Cal looks on to me and I attempt to struggle to scream his name. He won't look away from me, won't stop Maven.

"All your fault…This is all your fault…" Cal repeats in tandem with Maven.

All I can see is the blade as it drags across Cal's neck and the gush of silver that leaks from the wound like a deposit of mercury. It glistens as it falls and stains his shirt and then pools around his boots. Cal doesn't fall to the ground, but keeps standing and staring at me. His words, choked with the blood running from him, rip me apart piece by piece.

"Your fault. Your fault. Your fault…."

x.X.X.X.X.x

I wake to the sound of the door slamming open against the wall. My body is drenched in cold sweat and my heart thrums widely within my chest as I try to get my bearings on what is real and what isn't. "Get up, it's time to go." One of the Arven guards bark at me. Quickly I note my surroundings and feel a rush of sorrow as I remember my situation. The guards have no remorse as they grab me by my arms and link them together with cuffs before pushing me along to the exit of my room.

"Where are you taking me!" I yell as I struggle against the restraining grips on my arm. The Arvens only scoff at my question and continue on down the hallway. We pass places I remember from my time in the Palace before entering a room with stairs that lead down to a basement level hallway.

The hallway seems too clean, too white and I begin to feel nervous at what this hallway could lead to and what that means for me. 'They won't kill me here. This is too secluded. They would make my death as public as possible…right?' I think to myself as we take two rights and a left. We stop before a simple white door and the Arven guards open it and push me inside. I feel them unlocking my arm guards before quickly grabbing my wrists and pulling them above my head. When my eyesight rises, I feel the urge to vomit rise to my throat and I suppress a cry.

Before me is an equally white room with no discernable features aside from a set of chains connected to cuffs hanging from the ceiling. Beneath them are a similar set of cuffs, obviously meant for ankles. I knew what may happen if I gave myself up to Maven, but this room makes everything so much more real.

I struggle against the guards as they wrap the cuffs around my wrists and lock them tighter than they should be. Next, my feet are chained to the floor and I feel completely vulnerable strung up before their disgusted stares.

I don't bother to stop the guards as they walk from the room and promptly shut the door. 'Oh my God. They are seriously going to torture me…' I think as I struggle against my chains looking for any wiggle room to remove my hands. 'If I could only get one hand out…I could…' could do what? Nothing. The Arven's are just outside the door if the suppressive silence tells me anything. The room doesn't have silencing stone, so I am the only one who will be denied my powers here. That thought makes me shudder.

'I won't let them get to me. I have to hold on…' I think to myself as I stand alone, arms suspended above me in this small room.

I have never felt so alone and terrified of the unknown as I do now…

Author's Note:

While I have read and thoroughly enjoyed King's Cage (go check it out if you haven't already), I have always expressed an interest in writing my own idea of how the events would have unfolded after the cliffhanger that was Glass Sword's ending. I originally started this story right after I read Glass Sword about a year ago (long before King's Cage) but had a renewed interest to continue it. While I will try my hardest to keep as much influence from King's Cage from my story, I won't guarantee anything. As a disclaimer, this story will be much darker than the series has ever seen before (and currently) and I want people tto know what they are getting into. Also, the first chapter is much longer than any subsequent chapters will be to give you a better introduction to the story. From here on each chapter will have two POV sections; one for Mare and one for Cal.

Either way, if you enjoyed this chapter and are interested to see where this journey takes us, let me know!