A promise is a promise. February 24th like I promised.

Song Suggestion: Monsters by Ruelle

When Jon first approached Mare, or whether, he let her approach him, it was difficult to not be taken aback by her. He had seen her birth, her upbringing, her entrance at Queenstrial, and —once he told her of Corros Prison—her brothers death.

Jon knew that Mare hated him but, in a strange way, Mare was like a daughter to him.

He had tried to make himself believe that it wasn't his fault. It was Ptolemus who had killed Shade, and Mare had chosen to go with Maven. But, in the end, he had let it happen.

It was infuriating.

But it was necessary.

Just like it was necessary that Mare's hatred for him was pure. It hurt him to to make her believe that he was only in it for himself.

But it was necessary.

He repeated it over in his head like a mantra, constantly trying to convince himself it was true. When Shade died, when Mare gave herself up, and as long as the future held, he would keep up the facade of his loyalty to the crown.

Jon's visions had peaked the young king's interests when he told him of the Scarlet Guard's plans to liberate the Dagger Legion. However, once he got around to Mare's part in the operation, Maven threw his lot in with Jon. If not for the outcome, Jon would have been excited. Maven blindly gave him his trust and sought advice from him regularly. In a way Jon was the king's unofficial advisor. The power he possessed was addicting, but he remained in check on his plan.

When they brought Mare out from wherever they were holding her, Jon did his best to keep his composure.

It is necessary.

Now Mare was stuck sitting between him and Evangeline at the king's feast.

Two minutes, thirty-nine seconds.

Sonya Iral sat across from him. The houses, Iral, Haven, and Laris planned to make it perfectly clear where they stand. If they succeed, which they wouldn't, the king would be dead and the three High Houses would take control and wait for former Queen Anabel to place her eldest grandson, Tiberius back on the throne. If they failed in the assassination attempt, which they would, then Maven would be weakened.

Without Laris, Norta has no air force.

Without Iral and Haven, Norta has no spies.

Sonya, though young, was a fighter and when the tree houses began planning, she was the first to sign up.

One minute, twenty-seven seconds.

She and the rest of House Iral had suspected the tales of the late queen Elara and and her son Maven, but there was no clear confirmation until Mare's near escape. Iral was told that their former head of the House, the Panther (Sonya's grandmother), was away reaching out to old contacts due to the recent "disturbances" by the Scarlet Guard.

After Corros Prison, it was too easy to say the Guard was responsible because they were. However, the doubt remained.

Thirteen seconds.

Mare was looking at Sonya now, probably remembering their previous conversation. Mare flinched when Sonya suddenly catches her staring. Jon took a drink of his wine.

Five seconds.

"Mare, could you do me a small favor?"

She turns to with a menacing glare.

"Excuse me?"

The shots ring out first.

Mare flinches at the shots, the bullet meant for her scraping her cheek. She knocks into Jon causing him to spill the wine in his hand.

Evangeline Samos is dodging bullets and redirecting, playing her part well. The Samos bunch are a peculiar group. But there was no time. He needed to act quickly.

The sentinels are distracted, they rush to protect the king from more bullets, but even though Jon couldn't see Maven he knew the king had been struck in the neck. The wound will be healed of course, but it provided enough time for him to flee.

Mare pushed herself off the floor and grabbed a knife from the table and quickly worked to free herself from the manacles Maven keeps well hidden.

Jon struggled to his feet, limping his way to the door. In the caos, those allied to Maven were focused on battling Houses Iral, Laris, and Haven.

When he saw Houses' attempt on the king's life, he chose not to warn him. Maven would have him executed for his possession of this knowledge and doing nothing about it. The boy relied on him more than any of his advisors. But more importantly he trusted him on the subject of Mare-thinking back to their previous conversations.

Jon managed to make it through the door and with the help of his ability out of the palace.

It took time, he had to take many detours to avoid being seen, but for him it was simple. His ability allowed him to see when other guards and healers were headed his way, making their way towards the ballroom.

Jon had looked into many futures as well as Mare's, he recalled the exiled prince's now. The greatest part of his ability was that upon seeing their future he could remember their pasts.

Jon first knew he was different when he was five. His first visions were only that of the immediate future. They were small things, like knowing when something would fall or be knocked from a table. Then it was knowing what others would say before they said it. As he grew older, he began to see farther into the future, into other's future. He found it a miserable existence. At thirteen he would look around to fellow reds around town and then suddenly he saw suffering in a thousand different ways.

Then he saw Mare.

It was strange, seeing her mother give mother birth to her. She was a small thing.

Food was something every red lacked and her mother was no exception. The lack of nutrition Mare was given was obvious from her birth. But the lack of food wasn't the only factor. When Mare was born, she was smaller than most malnourished newborns he had seen, with a wisp of brown hair on her head, yet to become faded by years of oppression and hunger.

Of course he wasn't seeing any of this in real time, they were only visions of things to come. Mare wasn't the first future birth Jon had seen, but it was a recurring one.

For months he had seen her birth in his dreams as well as during the day. It then became clear to him that she was important. Maybe even vital to his own he began to look further.

Jon was only fifteen when he first saw Mare, it took him two years to see her future to seventeen years, but when he did, couldn't believe what he saw.

Mare was like him, born with red blood and an ability she should not have.

When Jon discovered he was not meant to have his ability, he decided to tell his parents, but as soon as he made the decision, he saw a horrific future that if he told anyone, silver soldiers would to hurt him and his family, so he kept it secret.

Mare was different and her existence was something that wasn't going to be hidden. At first he didn't want to see what would happen to girl he spent the better part of two years trying to perceive.

He thought it could only lead to an unmarked grave.

But reluctantly he began to see farther.

Jon pushed on pressed past the Queenstrial and saw her struggle with two princes, and when saw her engagement to the would be king Maven and further, Jon knew he had to intervene.

His own conscription was soon and he had already a perceived a way out of it, but now he had direction. When he ran away, first thing he did when he got to safety was see into the future of both princes. Including Prince Tiberius VII.

Right now as Jon made his way through Whitefire, he recalled his memories of the exiled prince's upbringing. Cal would sneak out of the palace when he could and when he did he used the same exit. This is the exit Jon used now.

It took him several minutes to get out of the palace, but thanks to Cal inability to stay in Whitefire it was easy. It also so helped all the guards and sentinels were focused the High House's revolt. No one would be missing him and he would be well out of reach before all the necessary interrogations were over.

At that thought Jon thought back to Mare, her interrogation would go swiftly but not without pain. He did feel a little guilty for leaving her behind, but she would escape in a few months: on the day of Maven's wedding in fact.

Jon would see Mare again, although he wasn't looking forward to her trying kill him, but he would talk her down and convince of his plan. She would be hesitant in trusting him again, but his ability was something she couldn't ignore. All she needed was time to get there.

It was only necessary.