Writers Note: Thank you to the guest reviewer who pointed out that I had mixed up Theo and Tobias a lot, I knew that was going to happen and I apologize. I did re-read this chapter and I made there were no mistakes. But PLEASE tell me if this happens again, I am SO sorry.

End Game

.:.

The green grass and bright morning helped ease Riley's sadness. Just yesterday, Lucas had told them about the hundreds of bodies that were dropped off along Mystic's beaches. She didn't want to believe it, but when Theo told her all about it, she felt broken.

He described the way they looked and he wanted to stop because he feared that Riley would be traumatized by it, but she refused to stop listening. She wanted to know every single detail.

To show everyone that they would be honoring the lives lost, they decided to host a respectful get-together so that people all over the castle understood the tragedy.

Riley wore a long peach-colored gown that fit her body perfectly. Her hair was curled with a front top braid that helped her look young and healthy. She made a few acquaintances and she spoke with them, but she occasionally looked around to see Lucas. A part of her couldn't help but wonder where he was. They weren't speaking and they weren't anywhere near each other.

He was speaking with a man who had not known a single black hair for the longest time. Her gaze traveled elsewhere when she noticed he was seconds away from staring at her.

This continued up until it was time for them to make a public statement to the people who had attended. They walked from opposite ends of the bridge and walked up until they were in the center facing everybody. A large river ran from under it which made the setting much more beautiful.

"As many of you know," Lucas began. "Just yesterday, hundreds of bodies were dropped off at our beaches. Hundreds of dead bodies. We are viewing this as an attack and we will be discussing our retaliation soon. Queen Riley and I want you to know that we do not want you to fear anything, the castle will be heavily protected but we are on the brink of war."

A heavy silence fell over them and Lucas looked at the people. He will never get used to public speaking.

"This war will re-invent almost everything and if we stick together, if we work as a country, it will change for the better."

He and Riley were handed a small vase and they reached to grab it.

"These are ashes," he began. "They will suffer no longer."

He uncapped the vase and dumped the ashes into the river that ran towards a lake not far from them. Soon after, the rest of the ashes were dumped. As Riley and Lucas stood above the bridge, he could hear a chant began to grow.

Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!

He looked over at her not knowing what to do. When he saw that Riley had shifted in his direction, he could tell that she wanted to kiss him. And they did. His hand cupped her cheek but she pulled away from him before he could kiss back. Even though their kiss didn't last long, it was enough for him to know that his feelings were still there for him. That he did care for her.

.:.:.

During the event, Maya noticed there was something about the way Lucas and Riley were acting. She was confident something was going on between them and she didn't know if it transpired because of their arguments.

As she walked back towards the castle with Josh by her side, she couldn't help but think if that's how her relationship with Jason would've played out if they're arguing potentially lead to their own breakup?

She didn't feel anything like that when she was with Josh.

As they walked up the stairs, he extended his arm for her to take so that she had support. She touched his hand and the more they walked, the more she noticed he wanted to ask her something.

"Has Jason tried talking to you?"

She looked at him with furrowed brows for many reasons. She didn't know why was he was asking and she wondered if he asked because he knew something. The second reason that she found it odd that Jason hadn't said anything at all. Millions of thoughts came to her and one of them made her think that there was a chance Jason didn't get the letter she sent him.

"No," she answered him. "I haven't heard from him."

He found that odd. "Would you change your mind if he did?"

"I wouldn't," she answered. She couldn't help but ask why he was asking questions. "Why?"

"I don't know, I just, a part of me thinks that maybe there are feelings left that you haven't figured out were still left."

Maya stopped him from walking. "You think that a part of me still loves him?"

He half shrugged. He looked hurt by the thought as if this had already been bugging him.

"Josh," she looked at him. "I am going to tell you this once and I want you to learn it."

He nodded but a part of him didn't know what she was going to say.

Maya grabbed his hands and thought about what Josh said, "If there are any feelings left, they are not mine. That's just it."

This made him feel better. Part of him did wonder if she still loved Jason. He never got the strength to ask her because he felt like she would grow offended. He felt like she wouldn't trust him after.

He grabbed her and pulled her closer to him, kissing her on the lips before they continued to walk.

.:.

Riley stared at herself in the mirror and took the decorations out of her hair. When she first arrived her hair wasn't nearly as long and she didn't look as mature as she did now.

Her hand went to the side of her head and she brought out a sun clip that was designed especially for her. She set it down on the table and as soon as it touched the wooden framing, she saw that Theo entered her room.

He was quick to close the door and lock it. When the door was locked, he stepped closer to her and grabbed her hand. They were eye to eye and he pulled her closer to him, kissing her.

Riley pulled away from him because she didn't know what it was for.

"I just wanted to show you how it was done," he said referring to the kiss she shared with Lucas. He wanted to prove that he could do it better.

When she heard this, she gave him a faint smile and returned her attention to her hair.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

She shook her head no, but when she realized that he was going to dismiss it, she brought it back up again. "I just don't know if I handled the situation with Lucas in the best way."

He took a sit on her bed, "He's the one that accused you of seeing me - "

"He did," she agreed with Theo. "But that's what I am doing now. Seeing someone else during our engagement is just what he said."

"Riley," he sighed, he didn't want her to feel any doubts. "Why don't you talk to him? Know that I am one hundred percent behind it."

It used to sound like a bad idea but in a way, coming from Theo made it sound much better. "I'll talk to him," she agreed.

He stood up and kissed her forehead before walking out.

.:.

Tobias walked in an empty hallway. He was on his way to his room after the event Riley and Lucas hosted. He didn't expect to see Farkle but when he did, he decided to talk to him. Farkle was near his height but he was slightly taller. When he called his name the first time, he didn't hear him. So he tried again.

"Farkle!"

He turned around and looked at him. "What is it?" They barely knew each other but when it came to events, they spoke professionally.

"I know," he spoke in a hushed voice when they were closer to each other. "I know about Riley. About what she's up to."

His body relaxed and he looked at him, "When did she tell you?"

"I found out two days ago," he confirmed. "Why aren't you doing anything? Why aren't you stopping her? It can kill you, everyone, you know?"

"I can't do anything. Her decisions are way beyond mine and a part of me still believes she'll make the right decision when it comes. I know she will."

Farkle knew Riley. He knew her heart was in the right place, but it didn't prevent the fact that there was a chance she wouldn't. The truth was that he didn't really know her well enough to know what her final choice would be.

Theo looked back towards Farkle who was prepared to say something else.

"I know she'll make the right decision and save us all. If Dalaeo wants to take over Mystic, I know she'll stop them."

.:.:.

The walk to Lucas room was dreadful. She wanted to stop many times and to walk away, but she forced herself to keep going. She didn't dare to look back and to fall into temptation.

Her hand touched the knob of his door and she was seconds away from opening it but then she remembered that she no longer had that right. She had to knock.

Her knuckles tapped against the wooden door and she waited a few seconds before it opened. From the look on his face, Riley knew that he wasn't expecting her. "Riley?"

"Can I come in?" she asked. He stepped out of the way so that she could enter. "I wanted to talk to you."

The room looked exactly the same and nothing had changed. "What about?"

Riley played with her hands again. It was something she did when she was nervous and Lucas had caught on to it. She found herself taking a few steps closer to him and when she realized she was more than close enough, she stopped. "I don't want us to act like this. It doesn't feel right to me."

Lucas was still angry about the fact that she refused to tell him where she went. He felt like it was his right to know about the places she went during the night. Lucas looked into her brown eyes and for some reason, he was able to see a side of Riley that truly felt sorry. He could see that Riley really wanted them to be okay with each other and it made him feel better. "This is stupid," he agreed. "We're not kids, we shouldn't be ignoring each other."

She was glad he agreed.

"My mother and father lived exactly like this. They weren't husband and wife they were...enemies who were together by law. They were only married for power and I don't want that at all. I want us to be more than that, Riley."

She gulped because she didn't want that with him. "Look, I am not angry anymore. I don't care about what was said...I just want to know that we will no longer ignore each other. I want everything to go back the way it was."

He smiled. It was wide and his bright white teeth showed her a side of him she had not seen in a while. "I'm glad you said that."

He grabbed her hand and kissed it before he leaned in to kiss her lips. He stopped when he saw that Riley had stepped away from him. Lucas' face grew red with embarrassment, he didn't know why she rejected his kiss.

"I don't understand," he spoke. His hand was still touching hers and a part of him felt like he did something wrong. "You said that you wanted everything to go back to normal - "

Riley let go of his hand and sighed. She wasn't angry. She was scared she would have to tell him about what she was doing and she didn't want to.

Lucas watched her hand leave his. He watched her take a step back and stiffen as if she was about to tell him some terrible news. It didn't help that he was thinking about something that would hurt his feelings. Noticing the silence, he decided to confess something that had been frustrating him for a while. "You've been spending a lot of time with Theo lately," he said half-willingly. "I can't help but wonder if you two are more than friends."

Riley's eyes widened when he said this. She looked at him and saw his heartbreak. It made her feel guilty and horrible.

"You're not even denying it - "

"Lucas," she tried to speak.

"That fast?" he asked frustratingly and wiped a tear from his eye. "Was it really that easy to move on?"

"I - "

He waited for her to say something. To say anything. But she never did. "Get out..." he yelled at her. Riley had never heard this sound from him.

"Please - " she tried to tell him something, but it was already too late. He did not care.

"Get out!" he commanded and Riley had no choice but to oblige. She felt the door slam shut behind her and a breeze to cool her back.

She didn't know where this would lead, but she hoped that they wouldn't have to pay for this.

.:.

"There is some good news I would like to share," Victoria said the next day. She was starting to notice a distance between Riley and Lucas but she didn't want to ask because it didn't concern her. She looked at the brunette and then returned her gaze to the people in front of her. "Kalpse, a country that is withdrawing its support from Valemore has decided to grant Riley, and I don't know why but such a generous gift, one hundred thousand men," she confirmed.

Riley was left speechless. She didn't know how to react to the news because she was still overwhelmed with the number of men that now belonged to her. People around her began to clap and when she looked at Theo and saw that he was smiling and clapping too, she felt much better.

"Thank you," she found herself muttering.

From the corner of her eye, she could see that Lucas walked off. When her gaze returned back to meet Theo, she could see that he had noticed it too. Looking back at Riley and giving her a slight nod, he stood up and followed after him.

Theo didn't know exactly why he chose to follow Lucas but he felt like he had the right to. He felt like it was his job now to look after Riley and to protect her when she needed it and right now it was clear to him that she wanted to know if Lucas was okay.

"Lucas," he called. "Lucas!"

He didn't stop walking until Theo called his name the second time. He heard him the first time but he didn't want to stop and talk to him.

"What do you want?" the manner in which he said this made Theo realize that he was angry.

"Did Riley tell you?" he asked. He didn't really think about his question. If Riley hadn't told him, Lucas would respond with no and then he would be forced to tell him the truth.

He saw that Lucas had balled his fists and before he knew it, Theo was hit on the side of his cheek. He felt his rough hands cling onto the hem of his shirt and he was pressed against the wall. "If you weren't my cousin, I would have you hanged!" he snapped.

"I know falling in love with her was wrong," his breath quickened because the pain on the side of his cheek had begun to sting. "But I'm not sorry for it."

Lucas released his grip from him and stepped back. "A woman's infidelity can kill her and the man she's with, you do realize that?" he cautioned. "She's engaged to me!"

He sighed frustratedly. Theo knew that only a king can survive a queen's love, but he didn't want to stop loving Riley. He couldn't.

"I won't be able to be able to help you," Lucas' voice quavered. He didn't have anything else to do so he walked away.

.:.:.

Theo went about his day with the pain on his cheek. It wasn't until later that day when he noticed a large bruise was starting to form. He planned on avoiding Riley all day so that she wouldn't notice the bruise, but he realizes he wouldn't be able to hide it from her.

She sent word for him and he walked towards her room. When he entered her room, she was sitting down with candles on either side of her mirror in order so that she could see her reflection.

"How did it go?" she asked as she turned around to see him. When she did, Theo was quick to turn his face to the other side so that he wouldn't see the bruise.

She furrowed her brows as she noticed this and immediately knew he was hiding something. "Look at me," she commanded.

Theo did and her jaw dropped when she saw the bruise. "Did he do this?"

"That's not what we should be worrying about," he told her, his voice was calm because he knew this would be the only way she would listen. "He wants us to know about the consequences we face about ...us."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that we can die if we're caught."

Riley froze because she had not thought about it. She was engaged to Lucas but had feelings for a different man, that was illegal and the punishment was death. She returned to her mirror and resumed her attention on her hair.

"Then we'll do our best to not get caught," she adviced and Theo nodded.

.

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Writers Note: In case you guys think that Riley and Theo are making a big deal out of it, know that back then it was illegal for a woman to cheat on her husband. The punishment for this was death by decapitation. This, of course, was back in the sixteenth century and I don't know when it stopped. I don't know when this law stopped but it's true. Many women died for it. And don't forget that men were allowed to cheat ALL the time. It was completely legal. Well, thank you guys so much for reading and let me remind you that in the next chapter you will find out about what happened with the King of Valemore and Riley. You will not want to miss it. Plus, the ending will have you guys shook.

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