Hi, everyone!

So I know the last chapter was a lot like a story named Silver Dawn (By steffy106) and I'm sorry. I should really work on that. But it's a great story; you should all check it out. And the writing is great, especially the plot.

This is definitely the longest chapter I have written so far.

I hit 2000 views! Yay! Soon, I'll hit 3000! I love this story and I hope you all love it like I do! Anyway, as you all know, I love hearing your thoughts, so feel free to leave reviews! I can't keep you guys from reading this chapter, and I hope you all like it!

Chapter 7

He grabbed my hand, pulling me into the room with him. The girls waited at the door but I could see them holding in their laughter. Maven opened his mouth, about to say something to me, but then he saw the girls behind me.

"Uh... You're dismissed." He said. I turned and mouthed a silent thank you. They smiled and left, closing the door behind them. I looked back at him. He cleared his throat, moving away.

"Mare, Evangeline thought of staying with us before dinner." He muttered, gesturing towards the elegant girl, dressed in black and silver.

"Oh. Yes, your Highness." I curtsied. I was hoping that tonight would be just us. I wanted to demand what he was playing at, visiting me in the middle of the night, bawling his eyes out. But there would be no chance of that happening since she was going to stay.

Maven sat beside her on a regal chair, not unlike Evangeline's.

"Sit." He pointed at a cushioned chair in front of them. I walked over, uneased by the silence. What was Evangeline doing? She seemed much more interested in me now than I thought she would be. We sat in complete silence, only broken by Maven starting a conversation.

"So... Mare, I hear you dismissed the maids which had helped you."

"Yes, your Majesty. I am sorry. It shall not be done again." I answered a robot. Evangeline's stare was like daggers, cutting into me. One wrong move could get me killed.

"No, it's fine..." He trailed off, noticing the way his fiance's head spun around when he said that. "I mean... Good Mare. You are learning to control your tongue. But still, you're going to be punished for your actions."

I frowned. Something was wrong. It was like she was controlling him. I thought that all of his actions were done out of his own will.

"Did I forget to mention that tomorrow, we are having another fight in the arena? Yes, but instead of Maven vs. Mare, it'll be me vs. Mare." She had finally spoken.

"Oh, and the rules are changing a bit. You see, to make you actually want to fight, we'll bring the age line down from 15 to 12 if you lose. But if you win, we'll bring it up a year." She continued, clearly enjoying the horror on my face. Maven stared at her as if it were the first time he had heard of this decision.

"Mare, would you please excuse us?" He said hoarsely. They stood up and opened a door behind the tables which I hadn't noticed until then. When they left, I stood up, looking around. Everything was so regal.

When they left, I stood up, looking around. Everything was so regal, all the fabric was a colour gold so pure, that I believed it was woven from a gold chain so thin and fragile like thread. It felt like silk, just like my new hair. I walked around, seeing the door to the balcony. I reached for the handle but a cry stopped me. I recoiled, hearing shouts of Evangeline and Maven arguing. I sat back in my seat, praying they didn't notice me.

"... I did as you asked, Evangeline! You can't ask more from her, she has nothing..." The muffled shouts of Maven.

"... You know what I can do if you don't obey! The lives of people..." She shouted back. Footsteps. A door slammed. I jumped. The door opened and slammed shut, Maven walking in. I stared at him.

"Sorry, Mare. Evangeline left to go relax and won't come back. At least, not tonight." He looked up at me, a hand through his hair. He was standing in front of me. I looked up at him, fear leaking in me.

But he pulled me close to him, hugging me hard, squeezing me as if I would disappear if he let go. It took me by surprise, and I stiffened. He noticed this, pushing me away. I studied his face.

It was Maven. The old Maven. My eyes widened and I pulled him close, hugging him. He sighed, kissing the top of my head.

"Oh, how I've missed you, Mare." He murmured against my hair. He put his fingers in my hair, running through it. I stopped, stepping back, remembering where I was and who he was.

"Maven, if this is really the old you and not some trick, why now? And why were you like that, psychotic and killing? Why do you come to me in the night? What changed you? I have so many questions and-"

"And they will be answered. But Mare, first let me explain." We sat down. "Mare, you remember when I had agreed to help you and the Scarlet Guard?" I remembered how he had betrayed me, tried to kill me and my friends.

"Yes," I whispered.

"Well, Evangeline was there. She saw and heard everything. After I had left, she confronted me. At first, I denied it, but then, she threatened me. If I didn't do as she asked, she would make sure that you would die and all the others there. I couldn't be responsible for so many lives, especially for the ones I loved-" He looked at my eyes, his ice-blue ones melting. "But she took it too far. Cal had tried to protect your secret but couldn't stop her from seeing. Evangeline then set the bar even higher, saying she would reveal your blood to all Silvers, knowing they would kill you.

"I did as she asked, but Elara had discovered what she was doing. Elara and Evangeline went against me, seeing as they both hated you. But they wanted me to betray you and Cal. I know Cal and I had never been on the best of terms, but I wasn't going to betray him. He was my brother and I loved him. But I found a loophole, seeing how you could all survive. You got away, and I said it was an accident. But that wasn't enough. They always had you in their grasp, threating to take your lives if I didn't obey. I once asked, why me? Why not Cal? Evangeline saw how his love made him weak, but not as weak and desperate as I was.

"She said that Cal would never betray his throne for anyone, not even you, whom he loved." I didn't show it, but deep inside, I knew Evangeline was right. "Eventually, she had nothing to hold against me. But she had many people like you in our cells, people with red blood but with powers. So she came up with a new threat. Every time I failed, she would torture one to death before my eyes. Mare, please, I never intended for this to happen. I wish there was some way I could go back and undo all I had done."

I sat back, stunned. This was all too much. I couldn't believe him. And yet, it seemed so true. But I had been tricked once and wasn't ready for a second time of betrayal and heartbreak.

"Mare? Mare, please, do you believe me?" He looked at me hopefully. I slowly looked up at him, into his eyes. Mine said it all. He swallowed.

"Okay. I see. You may not trust me at the moment, but soon you will. I won't force you." His eyes were filled with sadness but tinted with love.

"Maven..." I said quietly, reaching to touch his cheek. He turned away, sitting down across the room. We sat in silence. I looked at my hands, feeling as though he had ripped out a piece of my heart. It would have hurt less if he actually did than what he did just now.

He stood up, holding out his arm for me to take. "Well? Come on, the food is getting cold." I stood up, not saying a word, not daring to breathe in case it drove him away. I carefully placed a hand on his strong arm, feeling the muscles and veins bulging beneath my palm. He smiled.

"It's all right. I don't mind. You have no idea what that means to me." He whispered softly. "Let's go."

The whole way through dinner, his mask was on. After dinner, however, was a different story. He walked me back to my cell, which would have been romantic if it weren't a cell or I wasn't a prisoner with the fate of my life in his hands.

When I entered, my old clothes had been washed, ironed and placed on my mattress. Just as I finished changing, I heard a soft knock.

"Come in," I said, confused. People didn't care about my privacy and didn't mind barging in whenever they wanted.

"Hi, Mare," Maven said, pushing the door open. "I'm sorry for the way I acted before. It's just..."

"Maven, a small part of me believes that you're back to the old Maven. But that small part and the rest of me doesn't believe that Evangeline had followed you. It's impossible." I said, hoping that I wouldn't regret my words later. He nodded solemnly.

"I know it's hard for you. But if you ever want to talk, I'll be waiting." He said. He walked towards me, cupping my cheek with his hand, leaning in close. Maven's eyes flicked to my lips and studied my face. All I could think of was how close his lips were to mine.

He closed the small gap between us, his lips soft. I melted into his kiss, sinking into the warmth. But in my mind, it wasn't Maven I was kissing. He softly held the back of my head, pushing me closer and closer. I put my arms around his neck. Everything was hazy, unclear. All I needed was to be wanted.

He pulled away, studying my face carefully. I opened my eyes in surprise.

"Mare, do you love me? Did you love me?" He whispered in doubt.

"I..." A lie almost tumbled out of my mouth, but seeing his expression, I knew this wasn't the time for it. "I don't know..." I answered truthfully. He looked away, avoiding my eyes. "Maven, I need time and-"

"Yes, yes, I know. You need space. But you keep saying that. You need to make up your mind quick, or you might just run out of time." He finally looked at me again. It broke my heart to see him like that. He straightened his back and walked out of the room briskly.

My knees buckled and I collapsed on the mattress. Crying silently, I lay, never sleeping.

That night, Maven didn't visit me.