Clearing the Confusion: (Read if you're confused or if you need a recap.)

Recently a guest commented something that I need to clarify.

So if anyone is confused that is totally okay. It can be confusing. So here we go.

We have to let them kill each other.

So at this point in the series, the Scarlet Guard and the Rift are working towards the same goal: to end Maven's rule. This is still the same. But the Scarlet Guard has secretly turned against the Rift as well.

But as we've seen, not all the rebelling Houses are entirely happy with a Samos King. Haven House does like siding with the Scarlet Guard. And Iral believes that Volo Samos is just another tyrant king. "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Davidson wants to take advantage of this.

So Mare is basically recruited as a spy/mole. The Rift and Anabel think that Davidson is a fool for believing that they will ever be granted equality. Davidson wants them to believe this so they will let their guard down. Davidson, in the Chapter 8 flashback, basically says they should embrace their role as "red rats". Remember these words, "You don't see us and so we are everywhere." They have spies in the Rift, in Delphie with Anabel, everywhere.

Now the reason Mare is working with Maven is this. She hands what information she can over to him so he can have his silver soldiers (or Iris's Lakelander soldiers) sabotage the Rift. Davidson then expects the Rift to realize that they have a mole and eventually the Rift will begin cave in on itself.

But the reason Mare is the one meeting with Maven is because she is the only one he'll listen to. In Chapter 9, Mare convinced Maven that the Scarlet Guard only wants equality. And the Rift is not the answer. And she made a deal that if Maven gives up some of his power and forget about that whole "population control" business, then she promises to stay by his side for the rest of their lives as his advisor.

But keep in mind that the whole plan is to bring the Rift and Maven down and only the Scarlet Guard will be left standing. This is the plan.

So to answer your question, Mare is not evil. And Mare is not on Maven's side. He only thinks she is. This story will be 50 chapters long but throughout the whole thing, Mare is on the Scarlet Guard's side.

I'm also doing this SWEEPSTAKES type thing! Read to the end to learn more!

Two song suggestions this time.

Song Suggestion: I Walk the Line by Halsey

Mare

These past few weeks have been hard. I've barely slept. And on the nights I do sleep it's only because of the night cap I had before.

The pain may be gone, but after a while, a sense of emptiness has crept in. I feel...hollow.

The training never stops. Ella keeps pushing me harder and harder. I've passed off information after information. My body is beyond drained. But I must carry on.

It's July, which by this point last year the once most powerful family in the country vacationed in Summerton. And now only one member of that family remains in a seat of power.

Funny how so much can change in a year. This time last year, I was stealing and brooding about my inevitable conscription. I had only one friend. I had a crippled father, a mother who couldn't cook.

And I had three brothers.

Last week Maven kept up the tradition and returned to Summerton. It was a risky decision he said, but he decided that it was best to show that no war will ever halt such a tradition. Strength and Power and all that. "I can run the country from here just as well," he said.

Riley drops me off on the balcony of Maven's chambers. And normally she teleports away just as quickly.

When I was sneaking into Whitefire, it was Riley's job to get me in, but to avoid getting caught, I had to get myself out. I was able to do so with the this specially equipped belt Davidson had given me. In the buckle is a hidden thin rope, a little thicker than a fishing line but 50 times stronger. All I have to do is pull the buckle out and use it as a hook and attach it the to the railing and jump. And once I safely descend, with the press of a button, the buckle drops from the railing of Maven's balcony and returns to its original position. But scaling down a palace wall is the easy part.

The next part is what I spent weeks training with Kilorn for. The Capital River lies just beyond the bushes of my landing point. No one is looking to guard a river, so it's simple enough to dive into and let the current take me away. I hold my breath for ten minutes. This gives the current enough time to get me out of the Palace's range.

When my head pops to the surface. I press the dial on the modified watch that ticks on my wrist. Davidson said it gives off some kind of signal of my location and then Riley appears by side in the river and jumps us to dry land.

It's difficult and excessive. But is the safest way in and out of Whitefire.

The plan stays pretty much the same now. The Capital River runs just below Summerton as well. I just have to navigate myself through more bushes.

But when Riley drops me off on the balcony that Maven claimed would be his, she hesitates to leave. Part of me, of course, does suspect a trap. After all, I'm here with only one other person as backup. Maven could easily have an army waiting behind those doors. Riley shifts on her feet. I give her curt nod, and then after a brief moment of hesitation, she disappears before my eyes. Like Farley, Riley is a young mother and although we barely know each other, Davidson said he trusts her as much as he trusts Alex.

As always, Maven never knows for sure what days I'll visit, but he knows I come by in the dark hours of the night. And he always insures that he's in his room.

But as I approach his closed balcony doors, I hear something that I haven't heard in a long time: music.

Its unlike anything I've ever heard. It's nothing like the music Cal and I danced to. Or the music played at any ceremony or ball.

No, the way the notes flow and instruments played and came together to create a variety of sounds...they fit together and created something...enchanting. It was like a thousand different emotions and possibilities flowed with each note. But I can't be distracted.

I no longer need to pick the lock on the door. Maven always keeps it unlocked. So I turn the handle and push the door in.

A rush of cool air flows across my face. The weather makes me want to cry. I'm so close to my home. The house in Piedmont is nice but on some days I wish to be back in our small stilt house. Everything was so much simpler when I lived there. Not easy, but simpler.

I look around the room for Maven. He lays across his small bed, his legs dangling from of the edge. And hand lays on his chest while the other is splayed across the bed. His eyes are closed and his chest rises and falls slowly, in sleep. And I realize that I've never seen Maven asleep before. I've seen Cal sleeping countless times and Kilorn as well.

And it's strange to see Maven now.

And suddenly I see him for what he is: a child. At the end of the day aren't we all children. Yes, Maven and I are both eighteen now, legal adults. But Davidson said that in Monfort people our age are never given as much responsibility as us. He says that child goes to school five days a week for eight hours, for thirteen years, with breaks in between. They even have time for hobbies and after those thirteen years, they are given a choice of what to do their lives. Many even choose to go back to school.

I always hated school because what the teachers taught would be useless in a field of battle-which is where we were all destined to go. So what was the point? Once I was able to read well enough I stopped going.

Maybe one day I might take up Davidson's offer of going. Gisa is still young, I want her to keep what innocence she has left for as long as possible.

I step closer to Maven, his face seems paler than usual. Dark gray circles surround his eyes.

I was able to escape my chains. The memory of the manacles never leaves. I remember how I was wasting away. Dying. Maven did that me, I remember.

But Maven never escaped his chains. I remember when he told me he thinks he's gone too far to go back and so he's drowning himself. And it shows. Even in his most peaceful state, he looks to be in so much pain.

I try to ignore the tug in my chest. The oppressed girl who loved that oppressed boy. I remember Maven's father. How his eyes barely grazed over his youngest son. I understood that pain. And Elara used that against him. Maven is a monster, I tell myself. But only a monster can create another monster. The boy I knew was murdered by that monster.

"We were too weak to survive this world," I whisper.

I go back to the door and close it loud enough to wake Maven.

He takes in a deep breath and sits up. Despite the seriousness of the situation, I find it hard not to smile at the ends of his curly black hair that stand in varying directions.

"Sleeping on the job," I say. "My my, it seems that the former shadow prince now has shadows of his own. Your once gorgeous face has now become hindered by the bags settling in under your eyes."

"Come on, Mare," he says taking the affront in stride. "Pointing out someone's flaws is unbecoming." He runs his hands through his hair in an effort to tame his curls. Then he sets his eyes on me. "And based on the looks of you, a bit hypocritical. But I am glad you find me gorgeous."

I just told my eyes. It's true I don't sleep much these days and as always, Maven takes notice.

"I didn't think you would make it." As he sits up I note how he's dressed. Maven wears the same clothes he used to wear during training.

The music I heard from outside still plays.

"Please, you know getting into a palace is easy," I go over to the couch in the corner and put my feet up. I'm no longer afraid that Maven will call for his guards. "It's getting out that's the difficult part."

"And I could help with that if you'd let me," he says with that mischievous smirk.

"You know I won't tell, so why bother?" I say.

It's an old argument by this point, and so is our bickering. It's a wonder how we ever managed to work together in the first place.

Maven just shrugs, "Worth a shot."

"So, what do you have for me tonight?"

"There will be a meeting between the Rift and the Scarlet Guard soon. One that I'm actually invited to. Your sabotage is working, we want to make sure it stays that way. I can get more but we have to convince them that our spies are working against you. So I need some kind deflection. What do you need me not to mention and what can I ask for you?"

Maven sighs, "Well, what you've given me has been helpful, but we need more. There's no point in taking down Laris when the problem lies with Samos. But I know you're working on that. But if you can get anything from my grandmother...i can work with that."

"Sounds doable."

"As for a deflection...I would go with Iral. They have directly lost two heads of their House because of a Samos. And from what you've told me they weren't too keen on being part of the Rift anyway."

Slowly, I nod my head. "It'll be difficult, but not impossible. But there is one more thing."

"And that is?"

"Its has to do with the ten-week plan." Now eight since I first proposed it to him. "I need diamond glass. Lots of it."

"Intriguing," Maven raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Samos House has this annoying habit of dodging bullets. Every weapon we have has some aspect of metal in it. So we forge a new one. One they have no control over."

"So cunning you've become," he says with a look of pride. "How you've changed since you fell into our world. Sometimes I miss the girl you were."

"Many will," I say with a sigh. "She was easy to kill."

His smile widens, like he's proud that he made me a killer, a monster just like him. Because it's true. The first time I took part in taking someone's life was at the Sun Shooting. A foolish plan that he pushed me into. It almost makes me want to smash his teeth in. Almost. But I know that I can't blame every person I've killed on Maven. Because I went along with it anyway.n

Queue: Love the Way You Lie by Skylar Grey (Not the Rhianna and Eminem version)

"So why the music?" I ask. It's still playing.

"Passes the time." He shrugs again, trying to play if off. But I know him better than that.

I just raise an eyebrow and wait. With an exasperated sigh, he says, "I like it. It's one of the few things that I know is mine."

One of the things that Elara never touched.

"Well, it's certainly not like anything I've heard. Why do you like it?"

He stands and walks over and I move my legs so he can sit. But he still sits a reasonable distance away. "You remember when I had our guards take us to that theater so we could rendezvous with Farley."

I nod.

I also remember the long minutes of kissing that took place before Farley graced us with her appearance. And I don't miss the silver flush creeping in at Maven's collar, mimicking mine. He remembers the same thing.

"Well after I came back from the war front, after...you know, I would go to that theater. And for a few hours, I could forget my pain and force myself into another's world. The acting was good, but the music… I always found it fascinating how they could get the music to go along perfectly with the plot. It was like the music told a story of its own. That's the music you here now. As to why I listen to it now…," he shrugs. "For the distraction I guess. The temporary peace it brings. It helps me sleep."

His eyes are far away now. Every time I try to find something that could make me hate him, I stumble across the exact opposite. His story certainly makes sense for more reasons than one. It explains how he knew where Hexaprin Theater was. How he knew where the best seats were.

You asked how much of it was me...some. Enough.

Maven is a liar and manipulative. And I might be fooling myself to believe him again. But I can't help but do so. He lied to me about his allegiances, but something tells me that's the only thing he lied to me about.

"I have something for you," Maven says breaking the silence.

This catches my attention and it makes my heartbeat quicken. When I was his prisoner the only time Maven bothered to give me something was either to apologize or torment me.

Maven stands up and goes over to a small dresser in the corner and opens a drawer to retrieve something. But when he turns I realize it's two somethings. He keeps them tightly held in each hand. As Maven walks closer I see what it is.

I can't believe he went to my old room to get it, much less bring it with him to Summerton and keep it so close by.

I'm so entranced by this fact I don't even notice that I've moved to the edge of the couch. Maven returns to the place he was sitting before, we're almost shoulder to shoulder now.

He places the black silk cloth in my already outstretched hand. "You seem to have difficulty keeping up with this." I run the strip of cloth over in my hands. It's the strip that Gisa was working on before that silver office broke her hand. The same cloth she gave to me before I left for the Choke. The cloth Maven gave me for my birthday. Everything happened so quickly, in my desperation to escape, I never got the chance to go back for it.

"Why?" I whisper.

"You have taken a lot of stress off my shoulders. This is my way of thanking you. As is this."

Maven reaches over and takes my hand in his. And then I feel something cold in my palm. When I look down, I realize it's the medal I had snatched from his uniform when I was his prisoner. I had pushed him and taken it and it hid it under my mattress. The fact that he looked that thoroughly sends a chill through my spine.

"I found it under your mattress," he says, confirming my thoughts. "Along with a series of shards from broken plates and glasses. I hadn't even noticed it was missing until the next day. I figured I hadn't pinned it properly and it had just fallen off. It wasn't until I went back to your room that I figured it out. You're a thief at your core, Mare. And somehow I had forgotten that. But what got me was the coincidence of it all."

"What do you mean?"

He gives me that smirk again. "I won't entertain the illusion that I deserve any of the medals I parade around in, but I found it interesting that it was this one in particular that you managed to snatch."

I inch closer and look down at the medal in my hand. "What does it mean?"

Maven looks down at the trinket in my palm and then his fire blue eyes meet mine. "It means sacrifice."

"And you're giving this to me?"

He reaches down and curls my fingers around it.

"I can't think of anyone who deserves it more. We both know the only reason I agreed to your deal was because you offered to stay by my side for the rest of your life. Even when you hate me more than anything. Keep it."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Never in my life would I have ever imagined that a king would ever thank me or give me an honorary medal because he thought I earned it. Or even give me a gift like Gisa's handiwork simply because he knew it belongs to me.

"Thank you, Maven" I whisper, barely audible over the horrible music. He doesn't have to ask what I'm talking about.

"You don't ever have to thank me." His voice is strangely deep, almost breaking as his eyes darken. "Not for anything."

This is the closest I've ever been to him, my nose inches away from his neck. I can feel his heart beat beneath my hands, hammering in time with my own.

The sound of the music still fills the room. And somewhere deep inside me, I feel a pull. It's something that I thought I would never feel for Maven again: gratitude. And before I can breakaway, that pull takes hold and with Maven's hand still around mine, I lose what little control I have left and pull him to me.

His lips are warm against mine and by his touch, I can tell he's shocked. But so am I. Distantly I remember it's like our first kiss. I now know that wasn't entirely planned either.

After that moment of uncertainty passes, Maven kisses me back. Then I feel my back go down into the couch's cushions, taking Maven with me. And pretty soon our kiss becomes heated in more ways than one. I feel his temperature rise. In a matter of seconds, we become entangled in a series of limbs. We could have spent minutes, hours this way. But when Maven's hand moves to the hem of my shirt, I stop. But it's not just because I don't want to stray too far but because his hand grazed too close to my belt. But it's enough to knock some sense into me.

"We should stop," I whisper. And then I'm on my feet. "I need to go or otherwise my people will suspect something is wrong." I take the cloth and medal and move for the balcony door.

Now Maven is standing. He's breathing as heavily as I am. "Mare-"

I make the mistake of looking back. The look in his eyes makes me want to jump off the balcony without my belt. "It was a mistake, Maven. It won't happen again."

And then I'm running and before he can say more, I slam the balcony door in his face. The doors have a curtain draped over the windows. So Maven can't see me standing there. But I certainly feel him standing on the other side. But instead of his heat, I feel an overwhelming cold as Maven leeches all the warmth from the room and some from outside. And if he knows I'm still here, which I'm willing to bet he does, he doesn't move.

I stand there for who knows how long.

What just happened? I ask myself that about a thousand times, but come up with no answer.

I hate him. I know I hate him. Everyone knows I hate what he's done, not just to me but to my family, to so many families. So why did I do it?

Is it because of the loneliness? Kilorn and I are still barely on speaking terms. Maybe it's what I had Alex do. Maybe it was a mistake to have her take away my fear of Maven as well as my love for Cal. Does it mean I'm not as cautious as I used to be?

But another part of me says this is a good thing. Right now I can bet that Maven is pondering just like me. But his obsession won't allow him to lose me. He'll have no choice but to continue on with the plan, as long I promise to stay by his side.

But I also know that sometimes things never go according to plan. The best I can hope for is that everything even out.

So I take the cloth and the medal and tuck them close to my chest before securely placing them both in my pants pocket. And then I latch my belt buckle onto the railing and with one last look at the door, I jump.

SWEEPSTAKES

Okay, so I was trying to think of a good way of thanking you all for being so supportive and here's what I've come with. I will do this for more than once so everyone has a chance to win.

So 1st place gets a direct spoiler. It won't be too big because I want to surprise everyone. 2nd place gets a future song suggestion. So what this is in every song I choose, I always listen to the lyrics first before deciding if that's the pace I want to go with. And of course, that song had to go along with what is happening that chapter. So although it is not a direct spoiler, the song quill give hints of you really listen.

And 3rd place will get a book quote. So want all to know I try to make this Fanfic as realistic as possible. And I often book quotes to build my story on. So this quote will have something to do with a future chapter.

I really like hearing when people theorize and that is what this is. So when you all get your clues, let me know what you think.

So how do you win?

Just leave a review! It's that simple. But the review has to be well thought out. Although, I love it when you guys say you can't wait for the next chapter, leave a review that will catch my eye. You also need to answer the following questions: What do you think will happen in War Storm? Who is your favorite character in the series and why? What was your favorite scene in King's Cage? Also, do you read the ANALYSIS? Also, if you listen to the song suggestions do listen to the lyrics? It won't hurry my feeling of you don't. I'm just curious.

So that's all there is to it. But remember that I need to be able to PM you, so I can give you your prize.

Thanks, I love you all!

The winners will be revealed on the posting of Chapter 20. And the next day or so I'll PM those three.

ANALYSIS

Okay, guys, it has been such a thrill to write this chapter. And I hope I did it justice. So first things first.

Okay down to the music. Not once in the books is it mentioned that Maven even likes music. We know Cal does, but not Maven.

But in the trivia section of Maven's fan page, it states that our queen, Victoria Aveyard, said that if our music still existed, Maven would be listening to artists like John Williams and Hans Zimmer.

For this who don't know, both of these artists create music for movies. John Williams: Jaws, Star Wars, ET, Schindler's List, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, etc. Hans Zimmer: Lion King, Interstellar, Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean. And Maven would also listen to other Movie soundtracks like Last of the Mohicans. So there. As for the way he described the music, that was just me being me.

You see, I actually happen to listen to Movie Scores as well. So when I found out this piece of trivia about Maven, out just made me love him more.

Also, for the first song suggestion, I Walk the Line, for me is Mare being a blade. Everyone knows, this one: "I see the world on the edge of a blade. Without balance, it will fall." So it's like Mare holds the fate of so many people in her hands. The weight of the world on her shoulders. And if she strays too far to the wrong side, everything could be lost. Or fall. So to me, walking the line is like walking the line that balances everything out.

And as for the second song, this was a last minute change. I had another song in mind but I think this one best suits this chapter and Mare and Maven's relationship in this moment. But I do want to clear up one thing. "Just gonna stand there and watch me burn, buts that's alright because I like the way it hurts." To me, it's Mare using that pain as a driving force. To remember that what Maven did was awful and that he is not the person she thought he was. As for "I love the way you lie." That's more like Mare remembering that he did lie to her. He lied when he said he was her side in the first book. So Mare wants to remember so she doesn't lose herself. And there are a number of lyrics that you might find confusing but I don't have the address them all. But if you are confused or have a question about a specific lyric, leave a review or PM me.

Moving past the music. Let's get into what I know drove everyone insane. The Mareven kiss. I did have to work up to it. And it will, of course, make a lot of things more complicated. We all know Alex took Mare's love for Cal away, but taking away her fear of Maven was a big deal. But I felt it was necessary so Mare's sudden feelings for him would make since. You'll see.

Also, if none of you knows by this point this whole story will be 50 chapters. Chapter 50 being the epilogue. But I will post a Chapter 51, in which I will reveal all the foreshadowing and other clues I drop in each chapter. The clues can help you predict what will happen. And believe me, they're all over the place.