Song Suggestion: Like That by Bea Miller

IRIS

"So this is what it's come to, lying in the shadows hiding from our enemy. You were once better than this, Iris. Father would have attacked at broad day, wanting to look our foe in the eyes as we drowned them."

"And look at where that got him. He is not here for a reason, instead, we stand together sister. It's time they learn the price of crossing true royals."

I square my shoulders and look out onto the terrain. Ridge House is vast for a family estate but is nothing compared to the palaces my sister and I've lived in. She stands beside me near the edge of a bank from a nearby river. And because it is summer, it adds to the humidity. To others, the thick air is disgusting and foul, a place where no queen, let alone two, should be. But we welcome it. I can feel it as it floats around me. I can pinpoint every last molecule, and calculate from gallons down to every once of moisture. I know my sister feels the same.

We are similar in appearance. With her raven like hair tied in an in neat bun and golden skin and eyes as dark as storm clouds.

"What of your husband?" she asks, breaking the silence. "He should be here to witness the purge of his silver rats."

"The Scarlet Guard keeps careful watch and if they see their king is absent from his throne the Rift will be immediately alerted. I've taken up the responsibility of training the soldiers we've brought. They are well suited for this."

"And how does it go in your Kingdom? From what I've heard it's...quaint."

"It is warmer than our home but cold in its own way as well."

She turns her head to me with enough speed I am shocked to see her neck doesn't snap. "You mustn't speak like that, Iris."

"Like what?"

"Like the Lakelands is still your home."

The jab cuts deep but I learned long ago to not let my feelings be known. "Norta is your home now," she says.

My mask begins to slip and I look in the opposite direction, needing a moment. But of course, she notices. "I mean well, sister, but you have to understand that this game will never end for us. When father was murdered I had a kingdom thrust into my hands, as did you when you married. Father taught us the only fight worth fighting is for ourselves. Do that and you will win and the pieces will fall into place."

"And in doing so you abandoned me," I whisper.

She sighs, "This again."

It's my turn to snap, "yes, this again. Our father was cut down and I was left alone in that godless palace, with no comfort but prayer. And there were times when it was enough but there were also times when I needed my sister. I needed my friend. You rose to be our top general and left me behind when we were young and then not so much as a letter after father's funeral. One of which I wasn't even able to attend. Only brief one lined messages dismissing me."

"That is enough, Iris." She says sternly. "Our generals will begin to question our capability to lead if we do this now."

"It's always about what we look like and never what we are," I huff. I'm well aware I'm acting like a child, but I can't hold it in anymore.

"That's the way it has to be, I don't need to tell you that," she says softly. "We will always have to prove our strength simply because we were born daughters and not sons."

I know she's right, but it doesn't matter how many times I receive this lecture, it always leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

"Which is why once this is over you need to focus on making one," she says. I'm not shocked by this. It's a truth I've always known.

I always found it pointless that in Norta, dozens of strong and powerful women compete over a crown, when once in hand, is their duty to breed the next king while holding a teacup in one hand and silk skirts in the other. We are capable of so much more.

Mare Barrow may have been a prisoner and dressed as a trophy, but I could see that underneath all that she was her own person. True to herself and her beliefs. Something I admire in every woman who dares to show it.

"An heir is vital to your survival in Norta," she continues. "It will secure your place."

The air becomes thicker, as I struggle to maintain my temper. Only she can make me this angry.

Maven hasn't touched me since that brief kiss at the wedding ceremony and I doubt he'll change his mind anytime soon. I contemplate telling my sister but before I can decide, one of my generals walks over.

"It's almost sunrise, your majesty."

"Make sure our soldiers are alert," I say in my best commanding voice.

The general gives a curt nod and turns away. I turn to my sister, "the poison's was delivered twelve hours ago."

"Poison," she scoffs. "A coward's weapon."

"Perhaps, but a victory regardless of how it was achieved is better than no victory. The healers were our first target. Everyone ate their dinner last night. We couldn't slip anything into the royal family's food but the prime healer along with others will not be waking up this morning. So those that are mortally wounded will stay that way."

"Good, but something about this doesn't seem right. After all this trouble it can't be this easy."

"You give them more credit than they deserve."

She opens her mouth to say more but a sudden gust of wind erupts from nowhere and then I'm flying backward. I flip through air and land hard on my stomach. There is a ringing in my ears, but above me I see large metallic objects soaring over us. I feel the earth shake beneath me as they drop their load. My hearing clears enough only hear my sister, "it seems you don't give them enough."

I look over to her, she moves to stand, a bit of blood bleeds from for temple. Her once perfect bun has come undone.

"They knew we were coming," I say. "That's impossible. All that knew of our plans were our top generals. Not one red or newblood was ever in those meetings."

"Then someone's loyalty is not as strong as you believed. But what matters now is that we need to shift strategy."

I don't need to argue, she's right. I stand, with effort, my breaths are short. I must have bruised some ribs. But there is no time to seek a healer. I quickly scan the terrain. The trees that we used for cover are swiftly coming down with every explosion. Smoke poisons the air making it difficult to breathe.

Chaos has erupted around me. Someone's end is near. I will make sure it is not mine.

ANALYSIS

I have some explaining to do. Let me start off by saying: I tried. I really did. For like a week and I couldn't do it. I felt you all deserve the best that I can give you. And I realized I could not write a battle chapter that is worthy of your time. So I'm going to take a small page out of Uncle Rick Riordan's book and leave the specifics of what happened up your imagination. I will write what the outcome was. Who survived and who didn't in a later chapter.

Moving on.

I wrote the struggles of Iris and her sister growing up for reason. I follow our queen, Victoria Aveyard on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram. She is a feminist icon. Exhibit A: Diana Farley.

But I also said I wanted to make this realistic and I wanted to show the similarities and differences between Cal and Maven growing up as princes and Iris and her sister growing up as princesses.

So what I did was combine both ideas into one chapter. And I watched a lot of Reign. The importance of an heir was stressed in nearly every episode so...yeah.

And that's it.

Remember, as much I want to be like Victoria, I'm not so please be patient also I would like to do a quick disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I am not responsible for what happens to your device while you are reading my story.

The next chapter will be from Cal's POV. Wish me luck.