Hey, guys! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long, but I've been busy with mass amounts of History homework. Thanks to everyone who has continued to read my story, I really appreciate your commitment. As always, like and comment with negative and positive suggestions!

Enjoy! "You should know the difference between secrets and lies."

Mare

"What do you mean? What's so important you need to tell me right now?"

"Why I chose the crown."

I looked down at my palms, as a dead silence rushing through the room. "You told me already, it's your responsibility," I said, a tight, remorseful smile on my face, as I raised my eyebrows.

"No. That was a lie. I don't feel the throne is my responsibility whatsoever. I don't want the crown, I haven't the wanted it since the moment I met you. I don't want to be responsible for the things that have happened to the country."

I knit my eyebrows together in immense confusion. "What do you mean Cal? You made it very clear the throne of Norta was paramount."

Cal smiled sadly. "Promise you won't abort the mission, and commit mass murder if I tell you?"

I looked at him with a look of surprise and horror on my face. "Okay. I promise," telling a possible lie.

"Farley. She's not with us."

"Please elaborate," I whisper, horrified at the five words Cal spoke.

"She's silver. And don't tell me you've seen her blood because even if you have, it was just an illusion."

"What are you even talking about? Can I please have more than half an answer to all of my questions?" I spoke, dragging a hand across my face.

"Have you noticed her uncanny ability to know what other's are thinking?'

I think back, a thousand memories of Farley rushing back to me. Two jump out at me in particular. "Now that you mention it, she did that in the car earlier, telling me to not to turn off my electric wanted signs. And Clara- I know it sounds ridiculous, but she answered a question I mentally asked her." Cal purses his lips and nods in a bitter fashion. I continue, "So she wants you to take the crown?"

"Yes. Farley- Operative Diana Farling, as she calls herself, is a Lakelands spy. I assume she was ordered this mission before the old king died. The Lakelands want to take over Norta, they have for decades. But as long as Maven is on the throne, the Landlands see no way to have any influence on Nortan decisions. But if I get on the throne, they'll have influence, to the point in which Norta crumbles and the Lakelands take over with ease."

"I have a question, why will they have influence on you but not Maven?"

"I know I'm considered "The Weak King," the one who will fracture over decision making, making it much easier to be controlled over than Maven. Also, the Lakelands believe Maven has nothing to lose. If he has nothing to lose, it will be quite hard to blackmail him. I on the other hand, still have people I love. Also, the most obvious explanation, Maven sits on a throne of silent stone while making his decisions, making it nearly impossible for any whisper to influence him."

"I don't understand. How is she making you do this, what does she have over you?"

"She's a Lakelands whisper. She's threatened me that if I don't follow through with her plan, she'll force me to kill you."

"No," I say the single word, so small, but yet so big. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? Do you have any idea how much misery you've caused? Some days over the last few weeks, I would have taken death over living another moment not knowing this information. So why tell me now, why tell me at all?"

"You don't understand. I don't expect you to understand. I would have told you sooner but it wasn't ready yet." Cal explained. "Ada has been working on a slab of silent stone, altering it's properties. She was able to change it so, while it has no effect upon your lightning, it makes you immune to whisper powers."

"Genius. How many people know about Farley? Did everyone know but me?"

"No, no," Cal repeats, shaking his head and smiling bitterly. "I didn't tell Ada, or anyone else. She's been working on them for months and she completed the first one about a month ago. I had to beg her to give it to me, and she gave it to me, out of what seemed like pity. The only precaution she told me was that the pill took one month to take effect. She didn't ask questions, I suppose she trusts whatever I was going to use it for, it was for the right reasons. Remember that coffee you drank exactly a month ago? It was lace with the altered silent stone powder, coffee doesn't usually taste awful, but you were drinking crushed cement."

"So, by drinking the powder, in one month's time- today, Farley cannot my access my mind?"

"Yep."

"But what about you? She still can go into your mind, she'll know what you did."

"Ada came up with three servings, I also was able to get one, and she kept the third to replicate it."

"So Farley can't control either of us, and you told me you still wanted the Nortan crown, because you were forced to, or let me die," I say, staring deeper into his eyes than I thought possible. "You went through more pain than I did, keeping that lie inside of you every day," tears welling in my eyes, as well as his.

"You have no idea-" he explains, "how much I savored dancing with you that night, I was able to see the old you, who was able to enjoy herself every so often."

"Lately you've been so sullen when I could see the man I loved- love, I couldn't resist. Every time we kissed, the ballroom, the meeting room, I scolded myself for remembering how much I love you, I just couldn't let go."

" I couldn't either. I couldn't resist going to see you, even if it was just for a few minutes of silence."

"Thank you for saving my life. I love you, more than you could ever know."

"I love you too. And when this is all over, I want to live a long, happy life with you. I want you to be the mother of my children and I want you to be happy. Because out of all of us, you deserve it the most."

"I want that too. I want you to be happy too," tears spilling uncontrollably out of my eyes. "Do you know what else I want? I want you to kiss me."

Not a second later, Cal leans in, cupping my head in his hand, pulling me towards him.

The kiss was unlike every kiss we had ever shared. Starting out slow, reaching to a much more passionate level, full of hope. The emotion of hope was never high for me, even as a small child I never believed much would change in my world. But yet every last detail was altered the moment I reached into the Prince's pocket.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

I wake the next morning, to find Cal still sleeping soundly with a smile plastered on his face. I creep out of his arm, careful not to wake him. Walking into the closet, I find my entire collage of accessories, as well as my plain black flats, and my elaborate sapphire dress, adorned with lace trim, and what seems like gallons of sparkles. I cart my apparel out of my room, straight into the room in which Ella and "Diana" are staying, where we are to paint each other in the white paste. I should be scared to face Farley today, now that I know the truth, but as long as I keep my oblivious act up, Farley will merely believe her powers are "malfunctioning."

I walk through the halls, without worry of being recognized, because we rented the entire floor, and Ada manages to glitch the entire security camera system at random intervals, which I've been told occurs occasionally here, because of the large number of rooms in need of electricity.

When I enter, after a quick knock, I find Ella and Farley reviewing the plan, for the tenth time.

Farley glances at me upon my arrival, acting as she usually does nowadays, after Shade died. Now that the occurs to me, I wonder if she ever truly loved Shade.

"Alright Barrow, are you ready to have that disgusting white stuff painted onto you?" she asks in a sarcastic tone.

"Of course not," I roll my eyes at her, " why couldn't I have been the lowly red servant again?"

"Because you have had minimal dance training, as I have had none."

"Fine. Let's get this over with."

I strip down to a white slip dress and draw my arms out horizontally, as I close my eyes taking in the deja vu of my past experiences as Mareena.

After ten or fifteen minutes pass, I am face to face with Mareena in the mirror, pale as ever. We then paint Ella, she and I looked a tad like twins with our identical skin tones. We then slip on our corsets, not tying them nearly as tight as silver elites would. After that our dresses, and so on until we're finished with our masks in our hands.

I turn to look at Ella in what was supposed to be my dress. She looks beautiful in the dress, fitting it nearly to the same size as I did.

"You look wonderful Lady Mareena," I say in a dramatic tone to Ella.

"As do you, Lady Julianna."

As we're applying final touches on lipstick, Cal and Harrick enter.

Cal quickly glances at me, not long enough for Farley to notice anything strange.

"Lady Julianna, your ride awaits. Cal says with absolutely no emotion in his voice. At this, I laugh internally.