Read the bold here, its important.

I have two song suggestions today, I'll say when to start playing the second song, should you decide to. I interpret the second song as the friendship between Mare and Kilorn.

Also I'm incorporating an Analysis at the end of each chapter. Giving details of symbols, metaphors, etc. and where I'm taking the story and why. Kind of like Sparknotes. Read if you want.

Get ready for a wtf chapter.

Song Suggestion: Oath by Cher Lloyd, then Goodnight by Cher Lloyd.

Mare

It's been hard these last few of days. Early mornings with Kilorn and late nights with Farley. Most days I only get only four hours of sleep, five if I'm lucky.

But right now Kilorn is helping me hold my breath for long periods of time. He claims that his personal best is twelve minutes but on average he can hold his breath for ten minutes underwater. Since we've started I can hold out for four minutes but Kilorn is also helping me adjust to the water pressure and improving my swimming speed.

Now we're in a specific training building that we use to practice. Passing the lobby lies a great pool of water. When I first saw it I was not only surprised by its great size but the how clean it was. I had never seen anything like it before. It must be more than a hundred feet long and fifty feet wide. Davidson had said that thousands of years ago nations would send their strongest to a previously appointed city and they would race across them for sport. I have never even heard of a Silver doing such a thing so it's difficult to imagine.

Although, our use for is not for sport.

As we enter the pool area Kilorn reaches into the backpack and grabs what he needs then hands it to me in routine. Inside is a specific suit for me to wear during this particular kind training, courtesy of Davidson. Funny how he always seems to think of everything.

We both step into our respective locker rooms to change. The one piece's material is soft and light and it reminded me of the silk I use to wear in Summerton and Whitefire the first time I tried it on. However, after getting into the water I found it much more suitable than anything I wore in any palace. It surprisingly makes me feel like myself.

As I emerge from the locker room Kilorn is already there doing stretches. While his suit consists of only shorts. Mine covers all the necessities, but leaves my arms and legs bare. With anyone else I would feel uncomfortable with this much skin showing but Kilorn and I have spent many summers with even less articles of clothing on. We know each others bodies almost intimately. But despite this, he still blushes when I appear from changing.

While he continues to stretch I lean down to gather my hair and pull it into a high bun. Usually after training, my hair is so wet I only have time dry the hair closest to my scalp. So I started wearing it in a bun to hide its dampness from the rest of my family. I haven't told them about the mission and what I need to do to prepare for it. It would only worry them. So I use the Piedmont heat as an excuse to keep it up. By noon when I train with Ella, Tyton, and Rafe, it's completely dry but anyone before then would write it off as morning showers. Only Farley knows about my early training sessions and Davidson of course.

Kilorn yawns, "I still don't understand why we need to do this, this early. I didn't even get up this early when I was an apprentice."

I fight back a yawn myself without success, "You know Farley can only do nights because of Clara. And we have to keep my schedule as routine as possible. It would raise too many questions. Besides it works up an appetite. Which is good now that mom can cook."

"And who says no good can come from war." Only Kilorn can pull off a forlorn joke and get a laugh in return.

"I guess it helps that we have access to decent food now. We no longer have to choke it down. I almost miss stealing for dinner."

"And the some of the smaller fish I could sneak away."

I move to put one hand on his bare chest, "And it meant the world to me." I mean every word of it. If Kilorn was caught stealing any of the day's catch he would have been fired from his apprenticeship.

He smiles at this, "One day we'll need to steal something together again."

I move my hand away and begin stretching. "What are we going to steal, another blanket?"

He laughs at our private joke, "I don't know, you seem to have a surplus of enemies, I'll let you pick. Oh and we do need to get another blanket by the way. I'm not fond of sharing."

This earns him a shove near the pool's edge. But his balance is as perfect as mine, so unfortunately, he catches himself before he could plunge into the water.

"Not yet," he says holding up a hand. "First we must determine who goes in first."

Kilorn and I walk to the to the narrow side of the pool and sit on the edge while our legs dangle in the water. It's cold, a sharp contrast the humid summer heat of Piedmont.

This is a short game Kilorn taught me the first day of training, claiming he learned it from the one of the newblood kids. And we've been using it to determine who pushes whom in the chilling water.

He holds out his hands in the familiar way. The rules are to it are simple, but I haven't really grasped the idea of one move. I understand that scissors cut paper. And a rock can crush scissors. But I'm pretty sure that if you try hard enough a rock can easily tear or puncture paper. Using this logic, after Kilorn shoots paper to cover my rock, a satisfied grin spreading across his face, I push him into the pool of cold water with all my might. Caught off guard, Kilorn goes down with a satisfying splash. Drops of water land on me causing goosebump to rise on my skin, but I'm laughing too much to notice.

All the lights of the building are off except the lights beneath the water. So when Kilorn maneuvers within the water I can clearly see him. But he only surfaces as far as his eyes. One might think he's angry but I can tell he's trying to hide his mischievous smile. It only increases my laughter.

Once his head is fully out of the water he says, "You've just declared a different kind of war." He moves to shift his dripping hair from his face but last second he tugs on my hand and pulls me underwater. But he doesn't stop there. He swims down to the bottom with a firm grip on my hand. Luckily this is the more shallow end of the pool and the bottom is only ten feet deep.

Kilorn sits cross legged and holds onto my hand long enough so I can do the same. He knows about the manacles Maven forced me to wear and makes sure to never to touch my wrists.

Now as we sit next to each other he lets go of my hand. And for some reason I feel disappointed that he does. We sit facing one another for a while. And Kilorn insists on making goofy faces in order to get me to laugh and let go of my gradually decreasing oxygen supply. Finally I cave in and point a finger up gesturing my decision to surface. He nods and together we push off the pool floor and collectively take a breath of air.

Kilorn moves to the edge of the pool and picks up a watch he's been using to time me. He turns to me with a blinding wide smile.

"You added 37 seconds. Making it-"

"Five minutes and twenty four seconds."

"You're getting better everyday."

"Well you know my teacher's...he's alright."

"Oh, I was talking about your math. And here I thought your only talent was pickpocketing." He receives a splash in the face but it's quickly returned.

"Now that you're done goofing off," Kilorn wipes remaining water from his face. "Let's start on laps. I'll go easy on you."

"Please, you know I can easily beat you by this point."

"Careful who you challenge Mare, you may not be able to win this one." He gets into position. One hand on the pool's edge and both feet on the wall.

"How deep are we going?"

"Let's do three feet deep and back again."

"Mark the time," I say. Kilorn uses his free arm to check the watch.

"And...go!"

We both dive deeper into the water to the approximate depth of three feet below the surface. Swimming so far below the surface makes it more difficult, but not impossible. Although my muscles do not get as tired as they do when running I do feel my lungs' desire for air. However, I know that I took in enough oxygen to get across and back.

Kilorn is taller than me by a foot which means he has longer legs which gives him more force to push off the wall. But I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Half way through the second lap I can see Kilorn is a good five feet ahead. It's now or never.

I focus on the the electricity that flows through the lights that illuminates the pool. I try to maintain my pace and just like that I switch off all the power to building and the pool is consumed in darkness.

Although this move might not be enough to stop Kilorn, it will certainly take him by surprise and slow him down. I swim faster and my hand touches the pool wall in seconds. As it does I will the lights to the pool back on. But when I surface I expect to see Kilorn grin or maybe a look of frustration, but what I see is something else entirely.

Enter: Goodnight by Cher Lloyd

He seems...lost.

"Kilorn?"

After a second he responds, "You cheated," he smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes.

"Kilorn, what's wrong?"

"You used your powers to win," he says trying to play it off, but without success.

"Kilorn, you know when I'm lying and same goes for you." He swims over and holds onto the pools edge to rest. He sighs and looks up to the ceiling, trying to form his words. He then brings his gaze back down to me. His green eyes more vibrant and glassy in the pool lighting.

"When the lights went out it reminded me of Corros." Some might think he's talking about Shade but I know what's he's referring to.

"You mean when we first ambushed those guards and I took the lights out."

"Yes," he says with a shaking breath.

The barrel smokes, and there are at least two bodies riddled with his bullets. Anyone else would think him unaffected, but I know better.

How could I be so selfish, so self absorbed as to not notice Kilorn.

"No matter who they are, a life is a life all the same." I say. "Killing is not supposed to be easy, if it were we would be no better than Maven." But how many times have I killed without a second thought. In Corvium it was either me or them and same goes for Caesar Square. I tell myself that everyday. But in Corros I killed those men in the command center just because I felt like it. But I push those thoughts away for another time. And return my focus to Kilorn. He shivers next to me, but not because he's cold.

"We had no choice, it was either them or us. And they were silver." He says. It sounds like a reminder or a prayer.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" I ask.

"When was there ever time?" I take one of his hands and squeeze.

"Kilorn, you have always been my anchor. Out of everything I've been through you are the one person I can truly count on. That I know for sure will always be there and put me first. And I'm sorry I haven't seen it until now. But Kilorn you have let me be that for you too. I know you are not a duckling. I understand that now. But I am still your friend, no matter how much has changed. But please don't hold it in like I did. Your heart doesn't have to stop beating in order for you to die." I choke on those last few words.

He pulls his hand away and places it behind my ear and let's his thumb trace my cheek.

"Promise me you won't die," he says.

"Promise me you won't let me," I say.

He nods with sad eyes. "I promise, and I will never break a promise to you. You know that right? I'll never turn my back on you, I'll never hurt you."

I move closer to him, my hand reaches out unconsciously in the same way he holds me, "Prove it."

He's unsure at first, but my meaning becomes clear when I bring my lips up to meet his. It feels strange kissing Kilorn. Back in the Stilts, before everything happened, I thought if I survived conscription, I might have married him. It might not have been true love for me but it would have been fulfilling. Now that I know how he feels about me, I realize our union might have been more satisfying than I initially thought.

Kissing him now might not be fair. Because I don't believe I could ever love him the way he wants. But I can tell that he knows that we need each other now more than ever. The thought of living without the other is unbearable. And it brings tears to my eyes. Because it wasn't when Maven kissed me on the boat sailing to Archeon, or when I slept next to Cal in the Notch, or even when I held my mother for the first time after escaping Maven, it's in this moment I feel safer than I ever been. His touch warms me in a way that Cal and Maven never have. To think, all these years I've been trying to save him and he ends up saving me.

He pulls away, blinking, wondering if this is real. I nod in confirmation. Then without hesitation this time. He takes a deep breath-I do the same-and he takes my face in both hands, I let go of the edge of the pool and together we sink down, the water consuming us. And we intertwine ourselves in a bond that will never be broken.

Okay, guys, I have to admit that I had a lot of fun writing this chapter.

Don't worry it's all going according to plan. I am still a Mareven fan, but I want to be true to every ship that's out there. Everything I right has some kind of basis to go on. Like Mare thinking about being married to Kilorn (mentioned in 1st and second book) and Kilorn feeling guilty for killing(mention in 2nd book), even in Chapter 3 when Mare talks about Shade(mentioned in 2nd book). It says in the book that Shade spent a lot time in the woods.

It takes me time find a song suitable for each chapter. Once again if anyone has a song suggestion don't be afraid to review or PM me. It might help me post faster. Thanks!

I don't own any of the characters and other Red Queen stuff, Victoria Aveyard does.

Thank you guys, for even bothering to click on this story.

Stay tuned and Stay Awesome!

Love ya!

The ANALYSIS is something I'm incorporating just to make this story a little interesting. You do not have to read it in order to move on the next chapter. It is purely optional.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

How much do you think Cal heard or saw?

I don't know if there is an official ship name for Mare and Kilorn so I'll make one up. How do you think Marelorn develop?

Do you think Kilorn will keep his promise, will he be able to stop Mare from "dying"?

Why does Mare need to practice holding her breath?

What is Farley's training like? And why is it necessary?

What is Davidson planning?

ANALYSIS:

Down to my song choices. I decided on Oath by Cher Lloyd because it's a fun song about friends. And I felt it was the spirit of what Kilorn and Mare's friendship is like on a daily basis. But my second song choice was more like what I thought what their friendship is like during hard times: the friendship at its core. The one thing I would like to stress is Mare is so completely broken. And the one thing I love about her is how flawed she is. You have to remember that she's still only eighteen years old. She doesn't have everything figured out.

Cal's decision really hurt and does feel like a betrayal. The second scene of them sleeping together Mare made Cal make a promise.

"Promise me. Promise you won't leave. Promise you won't go back. Promise you won't undo everything my brother died for." His low sigh washes over me.

And we know what that Cal breaks this promise. But it's the last promise I think that hurts Mare the most.

Kilorn is Mare's constant. That's what this is all about.