Part 7

By the time Madge finishes crying, she feels like she can't breathe, like all the air in her lung have been sucked out by a vacuum. It leaves her feeling dry, heavy and hallow. She doesn't know what to do with herself. She tries to ignore the way her heart beats rapidly in her chest at the speed of lightning, or the way her breaths rattle in her chest with each shaking inhale and exhale as she hugs her arms around her body to keep herself from falling apart. She tries to – unfortunately – focus on the sound of the air raid above them, the steady sound of bombs dropping at a constant rate boom…boom…boom…boom. It never fails to come, just a constant sound like a clock ticking.

She counts. 1…2…3…56 bombs have fallen so far on the country of Seamlyn. Is this what living in Seamlyn is like – the constant fear of attacks, the constant sound of destruction, the constant, quiet recession that everyone turns a blind eye to? Madge couldn't imagine living in such a turbulent place, one filled with so much sorrow and grief and lost hope. She glances around at the people around her to find some people's eyes dead, lost in the sea of their own thoughts and sorrows. The tension in the room was tangible like she could reach out and snatch it from the air. It was like electricity running around in a quick frenzy, connecting the people together, the quiet snaps and cracks and fizzles of it leaking out of everyone's pores. You can tell this isn't the first time these people have been stuck in these bunkers and, by the looks of it, it won't be the last time they see the stainless steel encasing with the heavy scent of fear and exhaustion so deep underground.

No one smiles or laughs or cracks jokes to lighten the mood. The North Street bunker is eerily quiet tonight. So quiet all Madge can hear are the soft breaths around her, a few sniffles from young girls like her who are afraid of what's to come, and her heart beating against her rib cage. Like the bombs, her heartbeat is rapid but steady, constant. That's all she has right now: Constants (the things that will never fail to be there) and Non-constants (the questionably, heartbreaking terror that runs through her veins like wildfire). Constants: the bombs dropping, her heart beating, the sniffles, the silence. Non-constants: the total death toll, Gale's safety, and the time they will spend inside the bunker. The non-constants are like "what ifs." That's what Madge's world is made up of now: What Ifs. And it's no fun.

Giselle grabs Madge's hand and encases it with her old, worn hands. She rubs her thumb along the backside of Madge's in a motherly way that makes Madge's chest hurt. What she would do to have her mother here right now. God, probably a million things just to feel the warmth seeping from her mother's skin into hers, or to hear the beating of her heart against Madge's ear as she cries about the uncertainty of the future. But she doesn't have that. No, her mother is probably in her bed, just hearing the news of the newest attack on Seamlyn with tears in her eyes as she waits to hear about her daughter. By now, there would be no question about Madge's whereabouts, only worries about her safety.

Her chest feels tight again and tear begin to well up in her eyes. She so sick of crying and looking like a fool in front of a bunch of people she doesn't know, but she can't stop her heart from breaking over and over again. Each breath she breathes comes out tight and strenuous. She scrubs furiously at the traitorous tears running down her face and keeps her eyes glued to the cold metal underneath her.

Giselle pulls Madge to her chest, stroking her hair in soft caresses of comfort. Madge continues to cry, counting bombs as she goes, wondering if Gale would ever return.

Stupid him, so ever foolish. She is tired of his bravery; it costs her too much heartache and anxiety. If only he would realize he can't always be the super hero, the prince in shining armor.

The guard at the door announces an hour has past. The fear is palpable among every one of them. Such simple words to utter and yet it builds a giant, roaring fire of uncontrollable terror among the crowd. Glances are passed around and Madge has had enough training to spot fear in a millisecond. These people have been going through this for years and yet they still feel the fear as if it was the first time. Madge can't even begin to imagine what it's like for them. All she knows is the terrors is deeply rooted inside and with each new, quicken heartbeat a new bomb falls. She can only imagine this isn't as bad for them as it is for her, but looking around she can tell this has been the longest air raid recorded.

But who could have such an unlimited supply of bombs to drop? And why keep going? Seamlyn as they know it is always eradicated to nothing but rumble and darken memories.

A few guards go around with boxes of crackers and measly bottles of water, but no one complains. One just takes his or her share and nibbles on it quietly while they pray and hope their loved ones are safe and sound. Madge takes her small sleeve of crackers and tears it open. She nibbles on a few bites and takes a few sips of water before she sets them both down and curls up on the floor. She's dreadfully tired by now. She lays there and sniffles, allowing her breathe to catch onto an imaginary wall as each one shutters out of her chest. She bites back the feeling of tears and shuts her eyes, forcing herself to drift off, even if it's just for a little while.

She wakes up to a dull gray interior and the sound of the bunker door being banged on. Flashbacks from all those months ago with Gale and Finnick come back vividly and she allows a small sliver of hope to fill her chest. Gale is here and he is fine. Or so she hopes. But still, her heart squeezes painfully in her chest, just waiting for the worst to happen.

All though her vision is blurry with sleep and her hearing is muffled, she can hear soldiers yelling out orders loudly in some strange communication through the door. Madge can barely hear "1-12-1-12 Royalty" before the door is opened quickly, the metal slamming so hard against the wall it puts a dent in it, and a large group of bloody and dirty men come stumbling through. Their breathing ragged with exhaustion, and coughing harshly to get all the smoke and debris out of their lungs.

All the them seem to hover around one slender man. He was hunched over coughing wildly. So wildly one could see the way his back arched with each body slamming cough. Even through the disarrayed pack of dirty soldiers was so closely knit it was hard to distinguish where one ended and one started, Madge finds that her eyes glued to one man in particular. The slender one in the middle as he started to rise.

If she wasn't so attune to Gale's figure and the way he moves, she might have missed him, but she can see his rough peasant shirt peeking out around a bloody rag pressed against his side. Soldiers flank him, worry blazing in their eyes. They must protect their future ruler. Hands goes out to steady him, but he brushes them off and searches the room. Madge stands up, looking for a passageway to him, but finding none.

His eyes light up the instant they connect with hers. He smiles. The damn fool smiles!

The crowd parts for him like the Red Sea as he moves closer to her. The soldiers yelling at him not to move, but he pushed on. A second later she's in his arms, his nose nudging her hair out of its way. His hug is fierce and protective and Madge has never felt anything better in her entire life. Her heart is beating just as rapidly as his is and tears of pure relief stream down her face like a soft rain.

"Well, I guess my cover's blown." He mutters as he pulls away to look into her bright blue eyes of wonderment. The words: 'Prince,' 'here,' and 'why' toss around the room like an earthquake. She lets out a shaky laugh and swats at his chest, "What?" he teases, "Were you actually worried about me?" his chuckles runs deep in his chest, although it is quiet.

"I hate you." She mutters before launching up on her toes and pulling his foolish head toward hers. "I hate you so much," she mutters and in seconds his soft lips were on hers and she felt a whole lot better. Only when she pulls away does she have to face the grim reality that is him.

She tugs on his bloodied shirt, a look of worry crossing her face as her heart sinks again, "What happened?" she whispers so quietly. She absolutely terrified of the answer, so absolutely terrified. She can't imagine the wound that could cause so much blood flow, but it's clearly on his shirt, soaking deeply through. It is sickly warm against her dress as it seeps through hers. The shirt was completely wasted, but hopefully he wasn't.

He glances down, looking slightly startled, "Oh, nothing. It isn't even my blood, Madgie." When he looks up at her his eyes fill with unshed tears and pain takes a stake in his eyes. His breathing becomes laborious as he tries so hard to control his inner turmoil. He manages a weak, watery smile, "We lost a man," he chokes on his words, "a soldier, Madge." He takes a shaky breath inhale and exhale, squeezing his eyes shut, "I knew him." He croaks so softly it was a whisper. Pain lances his every word and Madge's own chest feels a deep ache.

The world seems to swims in front of her as she imagines all the people he has ever told her about. Was it Finnick or someone else? Dread fills the pit of her stomach like a hot, burning lump of coal. She's petrified to even ask, but she does, she has to know, "What was his name?" she whispers, closing her own eyes in order to lessen the blow. She grips his shirt sleeves tighter, pulling him ever so closer.

"Officer Boggs." The name means nothing to her, but it clearly means something to Gale. But like the ruler he will be someday, he straightens his shoulders, wipes under his eyes, and plasters on the fakest smile he can muster and damn is it impressive. Only she can see the way his heart breaks under the façade.

And like any great ruler would, he addresses his people have a long and hard battle.

"My people," he begins, forcing an even brighter smile on his face, "I'm so glad to see so many of you here, safe and sound. Although it is frightening, it is a wonderment that so many of us continue to survive, to strive, to live. Although we are not completely sure why or who continues to attack the great people and nation of Seamlyn, we know one thing: We will survive. And if we burn, they will burn with us." A small cheer goes around the room, "Yes, some of you are surprised I am here at all, but I want you to know one thing: I will never leave you stranded. In times of great struggle, we just remain united like we are now, like we will be until the end of time!" he walks in a small circle in order to face everyone in the room as he talks, "We must survive in order to live. And we must live in order to reign. And we must reign wisely to show our enemies that we will not perish! We, as a small nation, are powerful in our own way! We show resilience in times of death and war. We show compassion in times where no one shows us compassion. And we stand tall when the game, the odds, are not in our favor. Do not, I repeat, do not lose hope. We cannot bear to lose hope when it's our last weapon. A weapon that is greater than any sword made of the finest metal."

The room is stunned into silence. That doesn't deter Gale from standing with his back straight and his head held high. Although the silence is heavy, it holds the strength of a thousand bolts of lightning and the courage of a million brave men and women. Yes, the fight, the war, may not be over, but Seamlyn will not go down without a fight.

Giselle, ever so motherly, grips Gale's elbow softly, guiding him towards their group so he can sit down and rest after his speech. Madge notices the look of concern on Giselle's face, whose is focused on Gale's. Quickly turning her head back around, she notices too that Gale's face is a little pale. She didn't notice before, blinded by the pure joy of seeing him standing on his own two feet and watching the ruler come out in him. But now, the surprise and joy has worn off and she can finally see the exhaustion pushing his shoulders down, the dark, heavy circles under his eyes, and his pale complexion under all the dirt and dust caked on his face from the battle raging above their bunker.

Madge takes his other elbow and helps a heavy footed Gale maneuver through the crowd to their small circle. He sits down and Madge slides in behind him, wrapping her warm legs around his hips snuggly and wrapping her arms tightly around his middle. He leans back against her chest, his head lolling off her shoulders, his eyes staring straight up to the artificial light illuminating the bunker. He sighs and snuggles closer to her, the scene of Boggs' death playing on repeat in his mind. Over and over and over again…

"Are you sure you're alright, love?" Madge mutters into his shoulder. Despite the heavy smell of gunpowder and dirt and blood, he stills smells like himself. A strong scent of peppermint swirls off him into her nose and she finds comfort in it. He moans something out, letting his eyes drift shut and letting the weight of sleep press down over him like a warm blanket. She says something else, but he doesn't quite catch it for he's already nodding off.

When Madge looks up at her group, everyone is staring at her – or more at them, but he's already sleeping. Their eyes are wide set on their faces and some have even gone slack jawed. Madge doesn't know where to begin. There must be a million questions flying through their minds and on the tip of their tongues. The small lies they strung together for the short time they've been here have all unraveled into a big mess like a ball of yarn. Gale and Madge were no longer the newlywed couple that just lost everything due to the bombs. They weren't in need of someone to take them in when they have a big palace waiting for them in the best part of Seamlyn. And they definitely weren't poor. Oh no, they had more money than they know what to do with, at least in accordance with the people surrounding her.

Her heart sinks in her chest. Like these people didn't already have trust issues with their government. Now they find out they have a government leader hiding amongst their mist, and for what reasons?

"What…"Giselle starts and then closes her mouth to formulate her thoughts into words and her words into sentences. Even she doesn't know what to say, "What…You're not…" she scratches the back of her head and absentmindedly pulls the little brown haired girl closer, "You're the Princess from Capitola, and…and he's…he's the Prince of Seamlyn…Prince Gale."

Madge nods.

"Why are you here?" the man that questioned their arrival earlier, James, barks. His thick eyebrows are pulled together roughly, a thick crease forms between his eyes. His eyes are on fire with rage and disappointment and mistrust. The longer it takes Madge to answer the harder he tightens his jaw and the more his hands slowly creep into fists.

"We're here to help," James huffs out an accusatory breath, not quite believe her. She ignores it, "Gale wanted to help you, but he was afraid you would recoil away from him if you knew his true identity. He needs your help just as much as you need his. The government is struggling to help stop the attacks on Seamlyn. Gale was hoping you had ideas to implement…We didn't mean to lie." She adds the last part quietly. She didn't want them to be repulsed by her or Gale, especially Gale. You know how bad it would be for them to reject Gale? The entire country would fall to shambles, and whoever is attacking them would surely hop on the idea of dominating the country. Seamlyn wouldn't be Seamlyn anymore…but is it now?

"He's far too valuable to be here. And he's just a kid, as are you! You shouldn't even be here. This shouldn't even be in your line of work. You're much too young to deal with strategies of war." The man next to James, Arthur, says, his anger growing with every word.

Madge has no reply. She feels like she losing them already.

"I…" Madge starts and trails off. What do you say to a group of people that think you're still too young to hang out with the older kids? Don't they realize Gale and Madge are about to the age where coronation is right around the corner? On top of that, Madge doesn't know or understand why Gale decided he wanted to stay incognito. To her last recollection, all Gale wanted to do was go home, to be with his people and help to the best of his ability. She didn't realize that meant literally with his people. As much as she supports his decision, Arthur is right; it is far too dangerous for someone like Gale to be the bunkers of lay people, surrounded by more dangers than he would be at the castle.

"I…" she starts again.

The little girl places her hand on top of Madge's, "It's okay. There's nothing anyone can do for us." She shrugs, "This is just what Seamlyn is like. There's no saving us," she nods toward Gale, "not even he can save us." A grim look crosses her face briefly; she squeezes Madge's hand once before curling up against Giselle's chest.

Madge wishes there were words of wisdom and encouragement to utter to the little girl about how everything is going to be okay, but even she is unsure of Seamlyn's future. Madge stomach twists painfully; she knew coming into this Seamlyn was bad. Everyone told her, uttering it quietly like it was a scandalous secret. She saw the looks the maids and butlers gave Gale when they passed him in the hallway, you could see their burning questions on the tip of their tongues. But no one dared to whisper a word of their curiosity to Gale. Not with the fragile state of his home.

Madge's maids had once asked if Gale was visiting Madge so often to escape the horrors of his home. She remembered being startled and shocked that someone would think his motives for being here would be something other than her. Now, looking around her at the haggard, exhausted citizens of Seamlyn, she knows she was sheltered from the worst of it. She can now understand her father's hesitance to help the broken country…There was no going back after this.

Madge's heart breaks at the thought of something more astronomical than this happening to Seamlyn. Although they are small, they are brave and loyal allies. Seamlyn works hard, every single citizen. And now what? In the times of their greatest need, no one steps up to help them? They are left broken and to be broken. And yet Seamlyn's spirit still blazes fiercely.

She understands the stress that lines Gale's shoulders every time he arrived. She now understands his hesitancy to speak about Seamlyn. She now understands the haunted look that never leaves Gale's eyes. It's all she sees here in Seamlyn. Everything is broken.

Movement catches Madge's eye, Giselle. She's nodding toward Gale, "When we are cleared to leave, whatever you do you need to get him to the castle. His parents are waiting there, you will have no trouble getting in." she's quiet for a moment, looking at Gale with great admiration in her eyes and…what looks to be…love, "His place is there, even if he doesn't see it now." She reaches out and squeezes Gale's ankle lovely. She really is fond of her Prince. And yet, Madge feels the betrayal and mistrust rolling off the woman in waves. She's losing them, Madge can't lose them. They can't afford the people's hatred and disloyalty.

Madge nods, a small tinkering laugh trickles out of her. It surprises even her, "What if he doesn't go along with it? What am I supposed to do? Drag him by his hair! I don't even know where the castle is."

Giselle smiles a real smile, laughing too, "Find the nearest guard, they'll help you." The two smile at one another. They might have smiled all night if it wasn't for the shuttering storm above them. Not again…

Round 2 has begun…

Boom…boom…boom…boom

Will it ever end?

Throughout the first few waves of air raids, Arthur and James' eyes never leave Madge and Gale, especially Gale. Madge can't decide how she feels about the identical expression in the men's eyes, the way it gleams in a certain way that almost seems to scream danger, but then it doesn't. It was like a conundrum that only the pair could figure out, one that Madge would never be smart enough to unravel and display in front of her own two eyes. It was chilling, bone chilling. It was like dull sword blades against her skin.

She watches them just as intently as they watch her. One of them almost always has eyes on her and the other was on Gale. Clearly, they didn't trust the couple. But it felt like more than that. Not hatred, no, something…something Madge couldn't put her finger on. Something cold, mysterious, dark…murderous.

She tries to ignore it as she absentmindedly pulls Gale's tighter against her chest, like the small fraction he moved away was like a mile farther from danger. In reality, it was a mere fraction of an inch, something that not even the clearest of eyes would catch the difference. She knows she must be crazy, but she can swear Arthur and James seem to move the same amount of space too. It was unnerving, thinking that they could possibly be a danger. It wasn't like it wasn't clear to Madge or Gale that they were the least accepting of the pair, always silently questioning their existence and purposes.

The bombs go off again and Madge jumps. She shakes her head, chastising herself for being as silly as to assume Arthur or James made a move. Madge closes her eyes and breathes, tightening her grip on Gale again. Her breaths shutter in her chest like the windows on a really windy, stormy day back in Capitola. If only she was there now with the sun on her face and the beautiful knowledge that she was safe. Where the concept of time didn't consist by the numbers of bombs dropping as the seconds tick by, or where the more dangerous thing in her world was the fear of breaking one of her expensive heels. Here that wasn't the same. Time was measure by bombs, not the sun. Here the most dangerous thing was death, destruction, debris, and death. The 4 D's. Here was a warzone, not a dream cloud like her home.

Madge can imagine running around in the bright green forest by her home, or swimming in the ocean outside her window on a hot summer day. Where her biggest worry was managing to find an excuse as to why Gale needed to take his shirt off. Or why they had to kiss. She misses those days. How could her whole world change in such a short amount of time? It wasn't even two days and yet her world went from bright colors to dull black and white.

Boom…boom…boom…boom…boom…boom…boom…boom…boom

Madge slowly, against her will, falls into a restless sleep.

The next day was the worst. Madge and Gale wouldn't know it, but it would be of the worst days of their lives.

They were released from the bunker the next afternoon. Madge woke up to Arthur and James grabbing Gale, making her heart race. They explained themselves, saying they were only waking them because they could leave. But their eyes…oh god, their eyes told her a different story.

Madge let it go.

She picks herself back up and straightens her clothing, brushing off any dust or dirt on her. She helps Gale heave himself up off the ground by interlinking their hands. He leans in and pecks her sweetly on the mouth, muttering a quiet good morning against them. She smiles, although forced, back at him, "Good morning, Gale. I'm glad you're alright." She whispers back, not looking him in the eyes. Instead she was looking at Arthur and James.

"Me too." He mutters, stretching his long arms above his head. Then he looks at what she's looking at and watches the older men wake up Giselle and the little brown haired girl. No matter what James was doing, he never takes his eyes off Madge's. She narrows hers at him and he gives her a smirk.

Giselle notices and slaps James' chest. "Stop." She mutters, "Don't, don't, even think about it, James. You too Arthur!" she whispers fiercely at them. Madge has no clue what she was warning the men, but it clearly wasn't good.

"Shall we?" Gale asks, extending him dirty hand to her. She takes it.

"We're going to the castle. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Understood?" this time she narrows her eyes at Gale.

"Yes ma'am. I think it's about time we go back. This isn't anything else I can do here." Madge sighs in relief.

It takes them a lot longer to get out of the bunker than she expected. A lot of citizens come up to Gale to either gush or question. He smiles politely like any politician would and wishes them all a good morning, avoiding all questions as much as possible.

"Well, God bless you all safety!" Gale calls when it was their turn to go up the stairs. Madge was finally happy to be free. Until Arthur and James offer to help them back to the castle.

"Just to make sure everything goes alright. Extra protection."

"I think I know where my home is." Gale states firmly, narrowing his eyes.

"It's just…well, you're our friends now and friends protect each other." Arthur supplies steadily.

"He said no." Madge glares.

"Princess Madge, it would be in your best inter –"

"Fine." Gale snaps. Clearly he's not in a mood for this. Madge stomach drops but as they walk in the direction of the castle, she feels better. She even finds herself laughing and joking with James and playfully shoving Arthur around. It was like being with family. Everyone was comfortable around each other and everyone was light.

It was long way to the castle. Most of the roads they walked on were cobblestone and used to be brightly lit by gas lamps. Now the cobblestone was broken and the lights were blacken and blown out. Each step they took little puffs of gray dust smoke up, making the phrase Seam Gray surface again in Madge's mind. She hates to say it, but Seamlyn was dirty.

She intertwines her hand with Gale's. He looks down at her and smiles brightly, drawing her closer and throwing an arm around her shoulder. Leaning down, he whispers, "I have a bad feeling about these two."

Her eyes widen in response. So he feels it too. And as if someone flipped a light switch, the sky turned dark and a heavy downpour starts.

"Oh golly! It's raining!" Arthur cries, pulling his thin jacket over his head, not before throwing a glance at Gale.

"It's alright. It's just water." Gale says calmly. He shoots Madge another look, questioning her silently to see if she agrees. Before she can even nod yes, hands fly out and grab her. She screams and she sees James going for Gale.

Gale tries to fight but he was blindsided by James. Despite James nearing his sixties, he was inevitably strong for his age and overpowered Gale easily.

Lightning cracks and thunder roars in the background. Rain slide down their cheeks like tears and the dirty ground was slick under their feet. This day was miserable. Life in Seamlyn was miserable. And yet, the world just keeps beating them down.

Madge kicks and screams and bites Arthur, but his agonizingly strong grip never wavers. "No!" she screams, "No! What are you doing!" her voice is raw with fear. She watches Gale struggles and she watches as James pulls out a knife, shoving it deep into Gale's back. He falls to the ground screaming, his hand reaching back to press it against his wound. Arthur throws Madge to the ground into a deep puddle that shallows up half of her. Her knees hit the ground roughly as she cries out. Her hands sink into the mud puddle up the elbows. Her hair falls into her face, sticking to her.

Helplessly she watches Arthur assist James in gathering Gale off the ground. He was still fighting, but he was losing. She regrets ever wanting him to stop being the knight in shining armor. She tries to stand but slips against the mud again, landing face first into the mud. She cries out again in frustration.

"Madge!" he screams, "Madge! Go north; you'll start to see the tip of the castle in about a mile! Head there don't stop…"he screams as James stabs him again. It was so raw and heartbreaking Madge feels every fiber of her body ripping inside of her in pain that she's too numb to feel, "Madge! Madge…" it comes like a whisper to her, "I love you." It hits her.

"I love you too." She sobs. She really does love him. And she doesn't even know if she'll see him ever again. Her heart breaks, shatters, explodes her in chest and it is the most excruciating pain she has ever felt. Nothing can compare to this. Nothing ever will. She loves him. She loves him. She loves him. She loves him. She loves him. There would be no one else, only him. And she was losing him too.

Love was a funny thing. It could start out slow. It could start out fast. It could hit you like a breeze on a spring day. It could hit you like a bullet to the heart.

Love was unpredictable.


A/N: chasingcarsaroundourheads, I've been meaning to get back to you and then I never do! I love that you were excited for this chapter and your utter disappointment and agony over the ending of the last chapter. Yeah, kind of a cliffhanger, lol. I hope this chapter makes up for all your expectations and the loooong wait! A lot goes on in this chapter and I hope you like it!

Same goes to everyone else! I love to hear your guys comments and thoughts! And sorry about the long wait!

Shoutouts to chasingcarsaroundourheads, mylove4klaroline, and travelingstarship for the follows, favs, and comments.