I give thanks to everyone who has decided to continue this chapter. I know it's been a while, but I think all of you will enjoy the 'meadow scene' in this chapter. I poured my heart and soul into the writing of it. As always, please star and review!

Enjoy! "Cal stares at the floor, silent for a long, stoic moment. "I never thought Maven would do that to her," he mutters finally. "She probably didn't either." Then you're both stupid, my brain screams. How many times does one wicked boy have to betray you people before you learn?"

Mare

Most of Maven's guests are gaping at me at the moment. For one, I just gave a highly dramatic speech to a lowly red servant, and now I've just told the king "I'm ready." I knew almost all of the silvers despised me, but now they also believe me to be crazy.

Adding to the silver's opinion about me, I faintly whisper 'I love you' over to the lounge area. While Maven believes he's simply going to wipe my memory about all of this and murder the real Cal, he is so wrong.

Maven raises an eyebrow. I'm not putting up a fight like I should be, which concerns him. The King believes by the end of the night I will be his and have no recollection of his plans. But because of that wretched cup of coffee, my memory is saved.

But because I should be scared, I act like it. But in reality, I don't need to be scared, as long as I have the pill in my system. I take off both of my shoes, walking casually towards Maven as if I'm surrendering with sore feet. And then when I'm in a close enough range, I chuck both of the heavy stilettos straight at his temple. He momentarily falls down, long enough for me to leech the electricity out of a large portion of the palace. Amidst the confusion, I run towards and up the grand staircase and out the main door. I run at a medium pace, getting further than 75 meters, over halfway to the forest. As I run, I think to myself, if it was actually my goal to escape, it seems I would be able to do it pretty easily, I'm just beginning to hear yells and I haven't been going anywhere near my top pace.

I begin to intentionally leach energy from myself, by conjuring large storm clouds, long rods of lightning with huge veins, pairing it with wind. Escaping from the palace appears much easier than usual, perhaps it's because of the large amount of Scarlet Guard members inside.

When I'm nearing the forest, I finally have a reason to turn around when Maven shouts over the claps of my thunder. "You really want Cal to die right now?"

I roll my eyes and grin before turning around. Maven stands in front of me, paired with three Sentinels holding a now visible Cal between them. Someone has confiscated his flame maker bracelets, as well as silenced him, although the rain and wind most likely wouldn't even give him a spark.

"You're going to kill him anyway. I'd rather kill myself then spend a day as your brainwashed wife!"

"He's trying to marry you now?" Cal screams.

"Yes," I answer to his question. "You realize it will never be real?" I explain to Maven. "I may act like I love you even with Cal's appearance-"

"He plans on taking my body too?"

Ignoring Cal for the moment, "Why don't you just brainwash me to fall in love with you instead? Why do you want to look like your brother?"

"I don't. But the most powerful whisper energy will never be able to do that."

"So you want the rest of your life to be based upon a lie? I will never love you."

"Well, I always will."

"Maybe none of this would be a problem if you hadn't let your mother kill your father. Cal's father."

"But then, of course, reds would continue living in poverty and et cetera."

"Well, reds are still living in poverty. So nothing much has changed in that aspect. Either way, this world is a terrible place."

"So-"

"Your mother is still controlling you, even from the grave, Maven Calore. I believe she has even more influence than before I killed her," I say, spitting the last part.

"I've heard enough. Silence her." Maven spits back, motioning his head to the guards.

After a few seconds, the Sentinels wear puzzled looks, apparently having trouble confiscating my ability.

"Must have been the coffee," Cal comments.

"You never told me it did that too."

"Ada never told me it had that effect. Perhaps she didn't even know."

"Perhaps," I conclude, as I send three small bolts of electricity at the Arvens, which is just enough to knock them unconscious for awhile.

But just as I've taken care if the previous guards, reinforcements take their place, only tripling. And before I get the chance to destroy the rest of them, a tranquilizer dart hits me square in the chest, lulling me.

I find myself in a golden meadow, littered with flowers of varying sizes and colors including brilliant reds, deep blues, and bright yellows. Looking up above me, I notice the gleaming gold sun, lighting the entire earth with it's light. The sky is nothing less than picturesque, as it is a perfect blue, with fat white clouds sauntering through the sky.

"Mama!" I turn around to see a little girl, no older than five, with long brown braids and a large bouquet of flowers between her arms and chest. "I got you a pesant!" I notice, because of her small age, she mispronounces the last word. She runs the opposite way of my direction, appearing nearly giddy to show her mom the present.

I follow the little girl, jogging to catch up to her. It's always cute to watch small children run, they try so hard, yet often they trip and fall. But this little child doesn't. She runs with such determination and grace simultaneously. After several seconds, I notice something I hadn't noticed previously. A woman, with her back facing me is lounging on a picnic blanket, which holds an array of sustenance on it.

The small girl plumps down next to her mother, handing her the assortment of flowers picked from the field. "Oh sweetie, they're beautiful! Thank you so much," the women speaks in a familiar tone, reminding me of how my mother used to speak to me when I'd pick her the rare dandelions growing in the Stilts. The daughter gives her mother a hug, and then leans over to grab a white bread roll.

I walk towards the two, getting a closer look at the each of them. My eyes first wander to the little girl, who's in a white sun dress, going a tad past her knees. She's barefoot, and judging by the bruises on the backs of her feet, it appears she enjoys running around without shoes quite often. Last, I look directly at her face. She has fair skin, a good amount paler than mine. When she smiles, it's a huge toothless grin, having just lost a top tooth. And her eyes. Bronze.

Realization hits me like a wave crashing down. My gaze flickers in the direction of of the mother, who is wearing a gigantic, floppy sunhat. I'm forced to get to my knees to see her face, But when I do, my suspicions have been confirmed. I'm the little girl's mother.

Judging by the looks of me, I appear to be in my late twenties, still with a similar face, and shoulder length brown hair. And for the first time in centuries, it seems, I look completely and utterly healthy. No bloodshot eyes, no dark rimmed eyes, and hair that isn't lined with grey. I look happy.

I also look pregnant.

I hadn't noticed before, but I now see I have a small bulge under my white and black striped shirt. Perhaps around four or five months pregnant with my second. Before I have the chance to examine myself any further, my future self looks up from the corn she was scooping on to her daughter's plate to a figure approaching them from a hill parallel to where they're sitting.

"Did you find it?" Mare asks.

The figure continues walking towards the girls, and then holds up a jar. As he approaches, I conclude it is an aged Cal. While he is now around thirty, he is still as handsome as ever. I also notice the jar is holding pickles. Must be the pregnancy cravings.

Older Cal comes to sit down next to Mare, as their daughter runs away to fetch more flowers.

"Thanks for the pickles. You know how I get nowadays."

"Of course. If pickles keep you from assaulting me at random times, I'll buy you a lifetime supply."

Mare's eyes wander off to the flower field, not seeming to look at anything specific. A smile plays at her lips.

"Cal. It's a boy," she reveals.

His eyes go wide, immediately his mouth bursting into a smile. "That's amazing. I love you. I love you," he says, then pulling Mare into a passionate kiss. They fall over together, both now laying on the green grass, tangled in one another, laughing and kissing.

I momentarily close my eyes to remember that feeling, personally with Cal. Although it wasn't long ago, so many events have occurred, forcing us apart.

As I open my eyes, I see Cal rubbing Mare's stomach, whispering 'I love you.'

When I hear him, tears begin to slip out of my eyes. It just then hits me. This is merely a dream. But not any ordinary dream. This appears to be a dream of the best possible future for Cal and I, the future that I wish to have.

Cal's focus then shifts to his wife. "I love you," Mare smiles endearingly, about to return the gesture.

"I love you too," I say, bursting up from my position in my bed. Immediately emerging from my haze, I take a look at my surroundings. Mareena's room. And last, and certainly least, Maven is here.

"How kind of you to say. I love you too," Maven proclaims, getting up from his position in the chair, wearing a wicked smile upon his face.