Scarlet

Well, who would have thought that Scarlet Benoit, a Seven, would actually get a date with the prince. From what she could tell, the prince was a nice person. She saw how Cinder came back from the date with a smile. He also gave Cinder a rose, along with a note. Needless to say, it was the gossip of the day.

After lunch, the prince took Chiyoko on a walk around the palace after much nudging on the emperor's part.

At 3 pm, the prince showed up at Scarlet's door, much to her surprise.

Kai charmingly smiled. Scarlet did everything in her power not to wince. As much as she hated to admit it, she never much enjoyed attention from a boy. This was a bit of a new experience for her. But Kai's friendly demeanor helped to ease any nervousness away.

"Alright," he said. Hesitantly, Kai glanced sidelong at the bold girl, who raised an eyebrow at him. Her personal maid stifled a giggle. He nudged his head towards the back of the palace. "Shall we?"

Scarlet almost smiled at how much of a gentleman he was being, but then that would be dropping her act. So she rolled her eyes and pushed past him instead, brushing his hand slightly as to not seem too rude.

Kai simply chuckled. Walking through the hallways, Scarlet's eye snatched on a form standing at the corner of the hall. Her steps faltered to almost a complete stop. It was a man, very tall. His back was turned to her, so she only caught sight of his unruly hair and burly frame.

But then he turned around and caught her eye. Scarlet's breath hitched. They were the most brilliant green that she had ever seen. And inside, she noticed a wild gleam. And - although she would never say it out loud - she loved it.

Kai's call interrupted her thoughts. "Coming?" he asked from the end of the hallway, pushing open a door. Scarlet stumbled forward, almost tripping over her dress.

"Coming," she echoed.

They walked out of the palace and past the garden, into a gated court. The grass was neatly mowed, and three targets were set at the end of the field, so far that they could barely see the colored rings. White lines were sprayed across the field to indicate the distance between them.

"What did you do at home?" he asked. Scarlet gazed at him questioningly. "You know," Kai elaborated. "Before the Selection."

Scarlet looked like she understood, gazing into the distance as if remembering the past. "Well, I don't do much back at home. Grandmere and I just tend a farm and that's pretty much it."

Kai's eyes widened in surprise. "You like it? I can't believe that's all you do all day. Doesn't it ever get boring?" he asked, imagining what it would be like if he lived on a farm. Living in the palace was about as far from farming as it is.

Scarlet gazed into the distance fondly, thinking of her grandmother. "Life on the farm is never boring," she said after a pause.

Kai nodded. "Any hobbies, then?" he asked.

Scarlet pursed her lips, glancing at the targets in the distance. She pursed her lips, fighting the smile that fought her way to her lips. "Actually," Scarlet said, giving up and grinning fully, "I do target practice."

"Good thing that we came here, then," Kai said, returning her smile. He wandered to the edge of the field, where a bucket of arrows and bows was lying. Picking one up, he held it out to Scarlet. "Archery?"

Scarlet took it and ran her hands lovingly over the smoothly carved wood, plucky at the taut string. Grabbing the quiver of arrows, she strapped it to her back. "Archery," she agreed, heading towards the target.

They stopped at the white line, about 10 yards away from the target. "This far?" Kai said, doubtful that she would be able to even fly the arrow that far.

Scarlet glared at him. "With all due respect, Prince, I've been doing this since I was little," Scarlet said, grabbing an arrow and stringing it to the bow. She was surprised at how easily it pulled back, unlike the old ones she used at home, that seemed like it could break any second. Once it was prepared, she lifted it, pulling her elbow back and closing one eye. Taking a deep breath, she let go. The arrow flew forward, singing through the air.

It hit true, straight in the middle. Scarlet smiled at Kai, who was gaping at the arrow stuck in the bullseye. "I think I've had enough practice," she said smugly.

Kai cocked an eyebrow up, grinning teasingly. "Is that a challenge, Ms. Benoit?"

Scarlet shrugged. "Maybe," she answered flippantly. Kai's smile grew bigger, and he loaded his bow with one arrow. He stared at Scarlet, who boldly stared back. When their eyes met, they had seemed to come to a mutual agreement. Their love was not that which Kai wished to have with Cinder, but more of a sibling love.

"It's on."

Lifting up his bow, Kai straightened out his arrow and freed it from the bow. He watched it fly through the air. Unfortunately, it landed just shy of the bullseye. Scarlet smirked while Kai pursed his lips, disappointed but determined that he could do better. Like I thought, Scarlet reflected.

Kai turned to the redheaded girl. "Your turn."

Scarlet hefted her bow and grabbed another arrow. Through the corner of her eyes, she could see Kai's nervous expression. She turned her focus back to her target, her delicate finger gripping the arrow. Using her strength, she pulled it back, closing one eye. When she released her grip, she already knew that it would hit its mark.

It flew through the air and split the past arrow cleanly in half, once again hitting the bullseye. Kai's jaw dropped.

"Not so confident now, are you, Prince?" Scarlet teased him.

Kai awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "Not really," he admitted. "I've always been a better shot with a gun."

Scarlet startled. "A gun, you say?" she asked, fingering the pistol she kept tucked in her waistband. Kai didn't catch it. He nodded enthusiastically instead. "Oh," she said simply, touching the cool metal again.

"Do you know how to shoot one?" he asked.

Scarlet hesitated to tell him, but when she studied his question, she found no catch.

"Yeah," she answered in the end. Swiping back her worn, red hoodie, she revealed the handle of the pistol tucked into her dress (which her maids had unwillingly shoved her into).

Kai's eyes brightened. "Wow. You would be of much help if the rebels or Lunars ever invade." Scarlet chuckled, but her heart wasn't in it. Her eyes nervously flitted to the guards, who were still stationed at the door.

One had blonde hair and his eyes were narrowed directly at her, catching the glint of sunlight reflected by the pistol. Hastily, she covered it back up. Kai, however, didn't seem the least surprised about the weapon she carried. He looked to where her eyes were staring at.

"That's Captain Thorne," he said, introducing the guard that was suspiciously watching over them. "Captain of the guard and our air fleet. He may look unfriendly, but he's really fine, once you get to know him." Kai shrugged.

Suddenly, the sounds of screams and gunshots echoed from the other side of the palace. Both of their heads shot up, and immediately, the guards ran forward to circle both of them. More screeches reached their ears, making Scarlet recoil into herself. "Where is it coming from?" she asked, voice not betraying any of the fear she felt. No answer. She could see from the Prince's eyes that he was just as clueless. But he got his answer a moment later.

Lithe forms jumped over the palace walls. From far away, Scarlet's keen eyes caught the gleam of pistols that they held in their hands. And they were trained directly towards them.

"RUN!" Thorne roared, pushing the lady towards the direction of the palace. Kai grabbed her arm and started to run, but her feet held firm. He looked back.

"What are you doing?" he hissed. Scarlet glared back at him with all the ferocity of a tiger. The rebels were getting closer. They caught snippets of their shouts, something about Lunars, invaders, and how they didn't belong. One word stood out more than the other. Murder.

"I want to stay and fight," Scarlet answered back with equal intensity. Kai's eyes softened, flickering to the men with the guns. Beside them, one of the guards fell with a cry, blood gushing from his chest. His gaze hardened again, and he tugged once more.

"Fighting doesn't always have to do with combat," he vaguely told her. That moment of hesitation was enough for him to drag her across the field. Shouts and gunshots rang around the field, bullets piercing the ground after them. Sprinting, they burst through the door. Kai barked at the guards to lock them.

"Go, go, go, go," he murmured fervently. His hands roamed over the marble walls, finally reaching a spot. He pushed. The wall twisted slightly, revealing a dusty hallway lit with dim lights. Kai gave Scarlet no time to admire it. He pushed both of them inside, the wall twisting back in place with a snap.

They twisted through many corners, so many that Scarlet became dizzy. The tunnels were like a maze, but Kai seemed to know them like the back of his hand. Soon, they reached a large joint room, where frightened voices could be heard.

They burst through the opening and was revealed a large room, still caged in by hidden walls. All of the other thirty-four girls swiveled to them.

"Kai!" The Emperor's rough bark broke the silence. He rushed forward and embraced the prince, who looked immensely uncomfortable. "There you are, my boy." Scarlet chuckled at the expression on Kai's face, still in shock about the rebels. The scene of the guard falling to the floor, dead, replayed in her mind. Her eyes wildly searched the room for Cinder, but instead fell on the mysteriously handsome man that she had seen before.

The one with the stunning emerald eyes. But just as quickly as he had appeared, he vanished back into the crowd. A sinking disappointment filled her chest. Startled, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She spun around to see Kai.

"I'm sorry that our date had to end this way," he apologized, looking sincere.

Scarlet shrugged. "It's fine. I don't think we really… relate to each other in that way." An unspoken agreement resonated between the two. In the end, she was the first one to hold out a hand. "Friends?"

Kai looked relieved. He took her hand and shook it. "Friends."

Scarlet teasingly smiled, now that she knew they were on good terms. "So, Prince," she taunted. "Who do you like the most?" Kai looked unprepared by this question. He scratched his head and laughed. Scarlet stayed expectant.

"I don't know," he ended up answering. Kai was interrupted by Torin trying to draw him away.

"Your Highness. There is something I must speak to you about," he said into his ear. Kai nodded, willingly walking with him. Before he exited, however, he threw a name over his shoulder.

"Cinder," he called, the answer to Scarlet's question. "I think I like Cinder quite a lot."

So, what do you think? Don't forget to review, follow, and favorite! We could also use some one-shot prompts, and we would prefer canon pairings. Remember to check our profile for some guidelines on prompts!