Chapter 17

                                    

                                          
Hey everyone! I'm updating sooner than I usually do today! I hope everyone really enjoys this chapter. If so, please like and comment. However, for all you MareCal shippers out there, this chapter may be a tad hard..... But don't predict anything, I haven't yet revealed what team I'm on.
                          
As always, enjoy! "I told you to hide your heart once. You should have listened."
                          
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Mare
                          
As I ran through the halls, searching for an exit to the palace grounds, I raised many sentinels attention, whom I all ignored. By the time I reached one of the exits, I had around fifty guards all out of breath, twenty meters behind me. I noted in my head this was the second time Maven's sentries failed miserably at capturing me.
                          
At last, a sentry runs at me from the side and tackles me to the ground. "Overkill," I sing-song. "This is very unnecessary. I wasn't planning on escaping. Although I do suggest his majesty replaces a large percentage of his royal protecters. Now, if you will kindly get out of my way, I need to be outside."
                          
"You need to be outside?" The sentry who tackled me inquiries, in a tone that leads me to believe he's quirking an eyebrow underneath the mask. "I believe you mean you'd like to be outside. Unless of course, you're planning on meeting a member of the wretched rebellion."
                          
"No," I explain, exasperated. "I had a nightmare, or perhaps it was a vision, I'm really not sure. I need some fresh air."
                          
"Fine. Go outside. I'll be watching."
                          
"It's not like you could catch me anyways," I comment loudly as I saunter outside.
                          
*****
                          
As I venture outside, I immediately notice Maven is sitting on a bench at the far corner of the palace garden, apparently doing nothing in particular.
                          
In turn, I find a bench at the other end of the garden, his back to me. 
                          
But after a few moments, I get up from my crossed-leg position on the bench and make my way over to him. 
                          
I plop down on the polished wood bench, as far away as I can from him. Reentering my crossed leg position, I turn my body so I'm directly facing him.
                          
"Shouldn't you be inside the palace, attending to royal business?" 
                          
Instead of answering my question, "I see you've recovered from your mental breakdown."
                          
"As long as you keep me here, I can promise there will be no shortage of those."
                          
He nods in submission, "You really hate me."
                          
But instead of confirming, I only look down to the ground. On the vibrant green grass that has been manicured to perfection, is a monarch butterfly. The one thing in this world that is both beautiful and innocent. I bent over, and put my index finger out, and the butterfly grabs onto it.
                          
I come back up from my bent position and look at the unoccupied middle section of the bench. "No," I say slowly. "I don't hate you. I hate Maven." Before he has the chance to say anything in response, I get up to leave.
                          
"I'd like you to get to know me. The real Maven. The one who is fighting against his dead mother's wishes."
                          
"Me too," I whisper so inaudibly I can't hear it.
                          
*****
                          
I storm back to my room, angry at myself for letting my guard down with Maven for those couple of seconds. I should've simply said I hate him with the depths of my heart, and nothing has changed. But perhaps nothing has changed, perhaps I have never hated him to the depths of my heart, I've only always wanted to.
                          
No, but that didn't make sense. It was now late evening and my mind was boggled and ached of exhaustion. I wasn't thinking clearly. I hated Maven. I nodded to myself as I continued briskly walking down the hallway, confirming what I knew was true.
                          
Perchance the king was messing with my head. The Royal scientists were pure geniuses and were capable of creating a drug that changed my feelings. Or there was a whisper always nearby, gradually changing my opinion about him, despite when Maven said no whisper had the complete capability to change feelings of a person, only to trick them. 
                          
A whisper would explain my latest nightmare, I thought as I ran my left-hand against the papered walls of the hall. The wallpaper was royal red, with intricate gold lines running across the top and bottom of the area. The lines raveled in and out of one another, regardless of the fact it was two dimensional. 
                          
I hated everything about the pattern. The colors reminded me of fire and the pattern reminded me of the lavish things silvers wanted in life. I lifted my right hand to the wall, sparks sizzling at my fingertips.
                          
But the sparks were all I got, no lightning bolts to demolish this wall and part of whatever room lay inside it. But once again, the king proves to not offer unabridged freedom. 
                          
Turning around, I continue to stride at a quick, angry pace, but in the opposite direction, back out towards the palace grounds. When I see Maven, I yank up my right shirt sleeve, and beeline for him.
                          
Catching him off guard, I backhand his right cheek and then deliver a solid blow to his stomach, forcing him into a kneeling position.
                          
"How could you?" I scream, getting the guards attention. "You've taken my lightning from me again," showing him little sparks falling off my fingers, harmlessly falling to the ground. "I'm not an idiot. I get your new, sick game. Give me just enough freedom to not hate you. But this," I say, pausing and taking a deep breath in. "This is my freedom, and you've taken this from me."
                          
Before I have the chance to finish scolding him, two guards apprehend me from the back and drag me back to my chambers.
                          
*****
                          
About ten minutes later, he comes to my room, where I am found sitting in the center of my bed, staring at the blank wall in front of me. 
                          
"I don't want to take away your freedom. But if I were to give you your powers back, about five minutes later, half of the palace staff would be dead and we would be experiencing a major blackout all across the palace and part of Archeon."
                          
"I could create a blackout across all of Archeon if I really put my mind to it," I comment, still staring at the wall, refusing to look at him.
                          
"Exactly. And as a king, that would not be good," he states the obvious.
                          
"Have you been changing," I attempt to find the correct words for this situation. "my head? What I feel?" I decide on the words, turning my head towards him.
                          
Maven raises an eyebrow at me. "You mean, through whispers?"
                          
"Whispers, medications, et cetera."
                          
"No, of course not. I told you, I've decided that's unorthodox."
                          
"Wow. You've gotten to the point where your moral compass is only ninety percent off," I utter dramatically. "How do I know you're not lying to me?"
                          
"You don't. I can't think of any way to prove myself."
                          
*****
                          
By the time our discussion was over, it was late into the evening, and I was mentally and physically exhausted. 
                          
But as much as I wanted to sleep, I was terrified to do so. Several hours ago, I had had the meadow dream, and at first thought, it was pleasant, I didn't like thinking much about it because it reminded me exactly what I couldn't have. And the second dream was simply mortifying. I truly didn't know whether it was my mind that came up with that horror show, or if it was because of him.
                          
I didn't want to have another dream. I didn't want to see any loved ones get hurt, and I didn't want to have my heart questioned further.
                          
So I didn't sleep.