A/N: Sorry for taking so long. Hopefully, it is not too off, it's been a while.
"Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand, Blood and revenge are hammering in my head."
- William Shakespeare
Chapter Three
No longer knowing whether it was day or night, Mare laid awake, staring at the ceiling, staring into a dark void. She had lost count of the days since Maven's last visit. Thoughts and images of what could be occurring while she is locked away, continues to plague her mind. Feeling that each second takes from her life. She kept telling herself if the worse happens, then Maven would let her know, probably present Cal, Kilorn, and the others heads to her. Or maybe he would grind them into pulp and force her to consume it. Shaking away those morbid thoughts, she would try to listen for the guards and their gossip or for the footsteps of the girl who brings her a bowl of gruel and stale bread. She would listen for each step. That at least means that most of the day is over.
The locks clicked and the door slowly opened. The light from the doorway blinded Mare. The girl was only a little taller than Mare. She was not sure how old she was, but she had light colored hair, tied into a braid that went down her back. She always had a cheerful air around her and always greeted Mare politely.
"Miss Barrow," the girl said, with a smile that reached her eyes. Placing the tray down in front of Mare, Mare noticed that the girl gave her a strange look, turning away quickly, and closing the door behind her. She heard the locks and bolt. Leaving her once again alone.
Mare sat for several minutes staring at the narrow strip of light under the door. She then moved and picked up the bowl of gruel. A napkin slipped from under the bowl, when Mare went to place it back on the tray she noticed that there was something written on it. She quickly read what was written while taking a spoonful of the gruel into her mouth.
Mind the food. It might be a little crunchy.
What? Before she could understand what just happened, she felt something hard between her teeth. Spitting it out, she studied it. She knew that she has seen the material before...It was Dragonstone?!
She quickly spilled the contents out of the bowl and finding two more of the chucks. Did that girl know what was in it? What is going on? Why?
She asked herself those questions, but decided to wait on it. There was no time to waste. There was now a chance she could get out of this cell. The pieces of Dragonstone in her hand should be enough for her to get the collar off. It may take a while but if she keeps at it, she could use her abilities again.
Mare began to work at the collar. Minute by minute, hour by hour she scratched and scrape against it. Loosening the collar at her neck. Inch by inch she managed to enlarge the space around her neck. After another firm jab between the hinges of the collar, it gave way, clattering on the ground as Mare felt the air around her neck. She could breathe easy again.
Her relief was cut short as she heard a thud outside the cell and the door suddenly opened. Mare curled her fingers ready to attack whoever it was.
Instead, the serving girl walked through the door, this time no longer in a formal uniform. She smiled at Mare.
"Oh, good, you managed to take care of it yourself, Miss Barrow."
Mare cleared her throat and attempted to find words, before she was cut off.
"Now, now time is of essence," the girl quickly said, amused by Mare's bewilderment. "Here get changed, you don't want to continue wearing those rags now do you?" She said, handing her some clothes.
"Wait, wait!" She realized her voice rose and quickly lowered her voice. "What is going on? Why are you helping me? You serve Maven and the Silvers. What are you getting at?"
The girl paused and turned to look at Mare, there was almost no trace of the cheerfulness that she always shown. Instead, it was replaced with such hard coldness, that even Mare was taken aback by it. "Ha, servitude...some of us are only here because of coercion, force, or just because it is our fate," she said, her eyes flashed with disgust. She turned her back on Mare. "We will talk," she said. "But not here and we have to get moving."
Mare sighed and passively obeyed. After changing quickly, she took a deep breath, and went near the door of the cell. Curling her fists behind her just in case. The girl then dragged the bodies of the guards into the cell, after taking whatever that, they had on them.
"Are you ready?" The girl asked. And when Mare did not answered. "Good, now follow me! Hurry!" She said grabbing Mare by the wrist.
They peered around the corner, they could almost see all the way to the end of the corridor, to the barely illuminated doors. The girl gripped Mare's wrist tightly as she followed the her down the hall, the echoes from their footsteps made Mare feel uneasy. She felt exposed, with nowhere to hide. The corridor felt so long and menacing as if it were leading them the wrong way, and towards their doom. Finally, crossing the door, they kept going towards where the kitchen supplies are. She then went into a deeper room what appeared to be a cellar. Finally, they reached another door, and led them outside. The girl began tapping on each part of the planks, until she found a certain one, and opened it. "This is a little passage way for the servants to meet secretly," she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Mare was aware of the freshness of the air outside, barely remembering how it felt after being locked in the cell for who knows how long. The serving girl's fingers curled around Mare's wrist, pulled her down into the grass, and started crawling towards another side of a wall. There was another fence in sight. Perhaps it had been the surge of adrenaline that is said to accumulate and be of help when in a tight spot. They both made a mad dash towards it, seeing a blur of trees and images pass, neither looking back. Once the both of them reached the fence, the serving girl started to tap on the fence, once more looking for a particular spot.
Pulling the board aside, the serving girl peered around to make sure everything is clear before she pulled Mare to go through. "We're almost there!" she whispered excitedly.
Once the serving girl readjusted the board, with the sudden realization that freedom was within their grasp, the both of them breaking into a run towards the forest. Mare still had the advantage of the adrenaline still coursing through her and swiftly stomped over rocks and branches, never once stopped running.
They weaved through the trees while the twigs and branches brushed harshly across their faces. They kept running and running. It could have hours before they stopped, hands on their knees, their laughter came out breathless and sporadic. After a moment of rest, the serving girl finally spoke. "Don't worry, they won't catch on yet, I made sure of it. We have at least a day ahead of them."
"After all I planned this the moment that I heard that King Maven had his hands on you," she said his name with such disgust. "My family had already fled and I just have to finish and meet them later.
"How can you be so sure? They are always watching."
The serving girl sighed and spoke as if she was explaining to a frightened child. "Well I do share kitchen duties and that includes handling food, my family are merchants so there are many interesting spices and herbs to play with," she paused to take a deep breath. "Also, the ability my family has does help a little."
"Of course that is a story for another time," she quickly added.
After pausing for another second, Mare took a deep breath, and looked at the serving girl. "We're away now, so could you answer my questions."
"So, you wanted to know why a servant, a Silver of all things is helping you, Miss Barrow; the little lightening girl," she said giving Mare a cheeky grin.
They both stared at each other in silence. She finally spoke again. "There are quite a number of us who are either born from families who have always served them, or ones who were caught and their families are forced to sign a contract of servitude for the next few generations," she said, her gaze staring into the night sky.
"My family came from a smaller county that always remained neutral and indifferent to Reds or Silvers, you could say we live a more nomadic life," she continued with her eyes slowly filling with anger. "My grandfather was a merchant that was accused of a crime that he did not commit. His punishment? They decide to throw him into a fight pit; they thought it would be even more amusing to suppress his abilities even though it didn't amount to much, giving his opponents more of an advantage."
"Even with that my grandfather held his own against them; after all he traveled, interacted with so many kinds of people, worked through hard labor. He may have been just lowly common Silver, but all of that had strengthened him," she said with such smugness.
"He should have been freed when he defeated his opponents, but instead they forced him to sign a contract of servitude or else they will kill the next of his few generations."
The serving girl looked at Mare. "I have wanted to see the elite destroyed," she said keeping her gaze even with Mare. "I believe that you, Mare Barrow, might be able to make that true."
"After all you did fry that wretched queen," she said with a toothy smile spreading across her gentle face. "She was the very image of a roasted pig prepared for the big festivities."
"You're putting too much faith in me...," Mare finally said. Pausing once again before Mare continued. "I never believed this before, but now I am not so sure..."
Looking up towards the sky Mare continued. "I believe anyone can rise to be on equal stance with the Gods, maybe even become the Gods themselves, when they rise up for what is right."
"Then do you still challenge them, Mare Barrow?"
Mare looked at the serving girl again in silence. "Yes, I do still challenge them," she said, she has not forgotten her vow of vengeance against Maven.
With that, the usual cheerfulness spread onto the serving girl's face. "This is where we must part Miss Barrow," she said, holding out her hand. "What will you do now?"
Taking her hand, Mare though for a moment before speaking again. "It's best not to ask, who knows what may happen to either of us."
Nodding with understanding. "That is true, I have to disappear," she said amusingly. "If our paths ever cross again and if you are ever interested in exotic goods, speak of the name Somerled."
The girl crossed her arm across her chest with her fist in a salute to Mare. "Godspeed, Mare Barrow, the uncrowned queen of the Reds."
Mare shifted slightly as she watch the girl turn and leave. Her hair flying behind her, racing to her destination, desperate to reach it before time runs out. It was a strange title; she did not do anything to even to have a thought to be acknowledged with that, let alone deserve it.
Tilting her head up towards the sky, staring at the pale moon peeked out from the stars. She asked herself what she would do. In front of her was uncharted territory and unclaimed freedom. There are places that are neutral, if she could gather their support, convince them to rally against them, maybe, just maybe they could gain a bigger advantage.
The other answer, the simplest answer was to go find the others, but that would be the first thing Maven would go after once he finds out that she had escaped. It would add more danger and risk to go find them. Besides what could she say to them?
Until she is physically stronger or at least become more morally weaker, she will have to do something else for now.
Yes, it is certainly not over.
Maven Calore, King of Norta, you will die by my hand. A very fitting end to die by a Red's hand.
A/N: Thanks for reading!
-I hope whatever grammatical errors there are didn't make it too difficult to read.
-I hope that this third chapter was interesting enough. It was something I though about after a while. Also, it has been a while since I've read the series...just been distracted with other fandoms and writing other stories.