"So, what's so special about me coming to the ball?" Mare inquires, raising a brow. She adjusts her bag on her shoulder to make it more comfortable as we head back to our rooms. "I find it hard to believe the Evangeline Samos is asking me to show up to a Silver ball."

I smirk. "Remember, it's to celebrate the alliance of the Rift and Norta."

"Of course it is."

I glance over at her facial expression which appears more exhausted than puzzled. I'm concerned that I am actually worried for her well being, but I bite my tongue back from asking how she's sleeping at night. It's a comfort to have someone's presence beside me, someone who doesn't know exactly all that I have been through growing up. But I'm not going to grace her with my concern.

"Your Scarlet Guard presence would be much appreciated," I smile. A lie. Mother and Father would only appreciate it because that just means more Reds to show off their power in front of. The Scarlet Guard thinks they're the ones with the upperhand but it is the Silvers who are really controlling the situation. Without our help and tools, they would be at a loss on how the system of the Silvers work. A part of me really would enjoy Mare's presence at the ball though. It would just be another person to share in the suffering at this event.

Mare bites her lip, and I have to look away because of the way it makes my pulse beat faster.

In a low voice, she asks, "Will Cal be there?"

Without missing a beat, I go, "Yes."

"Okay," she sighs. Her shoulders droop, defeated. From the look in her eyes, I can tell she's accepted being around him, but her feelings are still lingering. Part of me wants to grab both of her hands, look her in the eyes, and tell her to forget about him. I want to tell her that boys are stupid, and relationships are too difficult to fret over. But instead, I clench my fists tightly and continue to look straight ahead.

We walk together quietly, lost in our thoughts. Finally, we come to a standstill in front of what I assume is Mare's room. This area of the Rift was originally meant for our servants, but I guess we must have moved the actual servants to a worse section. I choose not to share that fact with Mare, otherwise it would upset her and I can feel my body aching from the sparring session we had earlier. I'm not meant to take on the lightning girl right now.

"Well, this is it."

"So, are you coming?" I haven't forgotten the fact that she hadn't answered.

Mare sighs, and I fight to keep a hopeful expression on my face from showing. I don't know why the anticipation of her answer is making me anxious.

"Yeah, why not?"

I flash her a genuine smile and she seems confused, but too tired to press me on it. She might think I have something bad planned in store for her. I wouldn't put it past me either.

"Perfect, tomorrow when you're free, you absolutely need to stop by my room so we can figure out how to make you look much better than the way you look now."

Mare rolls her eyes at that. "Thanks."

"And don't even think to bring Kilorn. The way you look will be a surprise to everyone in the room." I glare at her.

She holds her hands up at me. "Okay, okay. Girls only."

"And don't eat any junk food from here on until after the ball."

Laughing, Mare says, "If I didn't think you hated my entire soul, I would think you were trying to console me."

The earlier talk Mare and I shared of being heartbroken by our loved ones makes me bitter. We are both lonely souls.

I frown, hiding my true feelings. "This is for me. I would hate for you to look unruly at OUR Samos ball."

"Is this goodnight then?" she says.

All of a sudden, Mare's eyes flicker to down the hall. I look over as well and see a familiar red head with her head down, eyes downcast, walking toward us. Elane. She doesn't even look at us as she passes, intending to simply walk by without any interaction. A stab of pettiness hits me and thinking swiftly, I kiss Mare's cheek. Elane's mouth forms into a shocked O shape, and Mare's face blushes a deep red. She stares at me like I've gone crazy. I'm not familiar with red, but silver. Seeing it surprises even me, but I hold my head up high, aiming to look smug.

Elane stops dead in her tracks, and I'd never seen her look so hurt. Good.

"Goodnight, Mare." I smirk at her and turn immediately to leave the situation. I walk at a fast pace, shocked at my own boldness with another girl, most of all, that girl being Mare. I turn and speed down the hallways that lead straight to my room, even taking shortcuts that I hadn't taken since I was a child. I laugh to myself, wondering what Mare thinks of me now. Scared to know what Mare thinks of me. The only reason I did that was to hurt Elane, and it worked. Why do I feel such a thrill? Elane being hurt should hurt me, but I suppose it doesn't anymore. Is this the first step to moving on?

I reach my door, but before I can open it...

"Evangeline!"

Slowly, I turn back to face her. She chased me all the way down to my room, eyes shiny with tears and lip trembling. It's been a month since the incident now and I'm still not ready to let go of my anger at her.

"You're cruel," she whispers. It's not something she hadn't known. Being called cruel by her is almost a compliment now.

I flash my teeth at her, not in a grimace but not so much of a smile. "As you were to me."

Elane holds her hand to where her heart should be. "Does this mean that you and that Red girl are…?"

I smirk at her.

She shakes her head, calling my bluff. "There's no way. You hate her, Evangeline. You've hated her since you've met her. And Mare is with Cal."

"But is she?" Raising a brow, I put on a façade. "They hardly speak to one another. Cal picked the throne. And Mare and I have been training a lot together lately. Why, just earlier we sparred together. Just like how you and I used to."

Tears roll down Elane's cheeks. I'm so tired of seeing her cry. I'm tired of seeing her act like the victim.

"I don't know if I could forgive you for being with her, Eve."

"We're not together anymore. I don't care about your forgiveness."

Then I enter my room and shut the door on her. Her words trigger some deeply buried guilt but I drown it out with wine.

Author's Note: Hey all, I wrote this fanfic awhile ago and so, if the chapters seem shorter and more out of character, it's because I'm struggling to write this. I intended for this to be written a little bit longer but now I just feel like I'm dragging it out. So for those who have read all of the chapters up until now, thank you. I may end this a lot sooner than expected.