Hello. I'm here to add a story to this wonderful book series. The main pairing, as you probably already know, is Maven x Mare. I mean sure in the story they had a bit of problems, but I still ship them with my entire heart. So here's a story for them.

This takes place a year after the story ended in Glass Sword.

Mare's Pov

A full year has gone by.

One year as a pet.

One year as a prize.

One year as a sign.

A sign that says "even the strongest will fall going against the king".

A full year of torture.

To be honest, I've grown used to it. I've grown used to the collar around my neck. I've grown used to not having my lightning. I've grown used to being the obedient pet I am supposed to be.

I've even grown used to my chain being in his hand.

The monster who is my owner. The monster who is King.

Maven.

He said he I would pay for killing his mother. He sure meant it. He made sure I lost all will to fight. All dignity I had. He paraded me as a pet, an animal, to the throne.

Sometimes I believe it would have been better for him to kill me. Death would have been better than the humiliation he put me through. He never hit me once this entire year but a hit seems less painful than the destruction of my pride and dignity.

I look down to the M branded into my chest. I belong to him. And only him.

The thought disgusts me yet thrills me. Something about it sends shocks up my spine.

I am snapped out of my thoughts as I hear the doors open. He walks in. No surprise there since it is his room.

"Hello Mare dear. Did you miss me?" He says with a smile.

He walks towards me and bends down to my level. I learned not to turn away or else that would anger him. Sure he has never hit me, but his anger is something I never liked facing.

I simply nod in response to his question. Lie or not, he'll accept it.

"Good. Do you know what today is?" He asks.

I shake my head no.

"How could you forget? Today is your birthday. You can't tell me you forgot you turn nineteen today." He says with fake shock.

My birthday. Today is my birthday. A year ago I turned eighteen, a number I once dreaded because it meant fighting in a war I was sure to die in. But today, I am nineteen. Another miserable year of my life.

Where did this all go wrong?

When I tried to escape conscription for Kilron and I?

When I tried to steal from Cal?

When I discovered what I was?

When I joined the Scarlet Guard?

When I fell in love with two princes?

Or when I didn't choose Maven when he said he could make me his red queen?

His red queen.

The thought goes through my mind everyday. What would've happened if I chose Maven? Would he have sheltered me from all the problems that could happen? Would Shade still be alive? Would I be happy?

Sometimes it feels more like a regret than a regular choice. I feel no regret for giving myself up to protect my group. My friends and family. I feel no regret for being able to kill so easily. Yet something in my heart stabs me at the thought of betraying Maven. Of leaving him. Of hurting him.

"Someone seems to be in the clouds today. I'll tell you what, because it is your birthday and because you've been such a good girl this year, I'll give you anything you want. Just ask." He says with a smirk.

My eyes widen. Anything I want. This can't be real. He can't really mean this. It must be a trick or something.

"Anything?" I whisper.

"Anything." He confirms.

Assuming that this is real, what do I want? Clearly I can't ask for my freedom or anything. I doubt he'll give that freely. I can't ask for him to take off my collar. He still needs to have power over me.

So what do I want?

Finally a thought comes in my head.

"I want you to stay here and spend the day with me." I say quietly.

"I beg your pardon?" He asks, clearly not expecting that.

"I want you to stay in the room with me and spend some time together. I'm lonely and I don't like being out there." I say a bit louder.

He stares at me intently trying to see if I am tricking him. But I'm being honest. I'm either stuck in here by myself or out there where people look down on me.

"Okay then. If that is what you wish for. I'll spend the day with you in here." He says using his royal tone.

He stands up and motions me to stand up. I do.

"But first, you need to get cleaned and dressed properly. I'll have the maids come fix you up. I'll come back though." He says.

He leaves the room and in a matter of minutes maids come in. They drag me into a bath and scrub me harder than ever before. It's almost as if I was Mareena again.

I don't say a word as they dry me and dress me up. They do not put any makeup on me, which almost surprised me. Every time I get cleaned up like this, I get a house load of makeup put on me.

I look in the mirror and for once I see the old Mare. I see her red cheeks. I see her bold eyes. I see her neat hair.

But I know I'm not her. I'm a shell of her.

The maids leave, proud of their work, and Maven steps back in the room. His eyes look me up and down.

"The maids did a fantastic job with you. I almost forgot how beautiful you actually are." Maven compliments.

Just like that, my cheeks tint redder than before. Somehow this monster of a king can still make me blush.

"Thank you." I reply politely.

It's as if these things were programmed inside of me. I can no longer respond in rudeness. I can no longer step out of my boundaries.

"So tell me Mare, what is it that you want us to do?" He inquires.

"I want us to talk. Like we used to do." I respond.

He raises an eyebrow at my request but doesn't say anything.

He sits down on his bed and motions me to join him. I hesitantly sit down next to him.

"Tell me, why do you all of a sudden want to talk to me? I'm sure you made clear you wanted nothing to do with me." He says.

"I missed talking to you." I reply honestly.

I missed the boy I knew. My fiancé. The one who made me feel safe. I miss him.

"I always did miss talking to you. Even when I was on the run, I miss the times we spent together." I add quietly.

I don't know why I said that, but I did.

"You should've thought of that before you made your choice to side with him instead of me." He spits out.

After all this time, that's what still bothers him. That I chose not to become his red queen. That I fought alongside Cal and not him.

I don't have a response to that so instead I say, "My brother died trying to help me."

He turns to me and I lower my head.

"That day I killed your mother, my brother tried to help me escape. Right before he could reach me he was struck through the heart by one of Ptolemus' deadly needles. I was supposed to die that day not him." I explain.

"Are you expecting some remorse from me? You did say you killed my mother that very day." He responds.

Though his voice holds a cold tone, I know there more to his statement.

"No. I'm telling you this to explain how I feel. He was the only one in my family who truly saw the good about me. He was my closet brother. He never compared me to my sister, the perfect one, the lady like one. He believed in me. He was all I really had. But then he was taken away from me. After a few months of still feeling that pain, I realized what I did to you. I took away the one person who was there for you your entire life." I say.

He grabs my hand forcefully and uses his other hand to lift my head up until I look him in the eyes.

"Don't you dare tell me you feel sorry now after all this time." He forces through his teeth, trying to control his anger.

"Honestly I don't feel bad for killing her. I couldn't stand the pain of her constantly in my head. I couldn't stand the fact that if anyone wanted to get to you, they had to go through her. I couldn't stand the fact that she only saw me as a pawn. I couldn't stand the fact that she looked at me as if I will never be good enough for her son." I say.

His eyes widen and I see he is about to speak but I cut him off.

"But I do feel bad for the pain I caused you. I feel bad that I put you through the pain I went through when I lost my brother. I feel bad that I took away the one person who was always there for you." I add.

A bunch of emotions flash through his eyes. Anger. Confusion. Sadness. Pain. And even hope.

He lets go of my face and hand.

"You feel bad for hurting me? Why? Why think of me all of a sudden? Is it because without your prince here you're lonely?" He sneers.

Cal. A year ago, my heart would've skipped a beat at the sound of his name. A year ago I would be worried sick about him.

But now, he's just a passing thought. I remember how mad he was at who I've become. At the fact I kept thinking about Maven.

I look down again.

"I thought of you plenty of times. Even nights when I slept next to him, I was up reading your notes. I was up thinking about you. He was mad at me because I couldn't stop thinking about you. I thought of how bad I hurt you. He got everything he ever wanted while you stayed in his shadow. I was the one thing you had that he didn't, and I left. I helped him. I worried for him. I hurt you." I respond in a near whisper.

"It's a bit too late to regret not choosing me Mare. You made your decision." He says.

I did, didn't I? That decision lost me my friend.

"I know. But it doesn't mean I can't feel bad. I never was a girl who made smart choices. I was and will always just be a sneaky thief." I reply.

I look up once more to him and I see the softness in his eyes, despite the fact his voice is so cold.

I look him over and actually notice for once how much he's changed.

Even while sitting, it's clear to see he is taller than before. He is also no longer the scrawny Prince he was when I first met him. His clothes that once fit loose now fit perfectly against his body. It's easy to see his muscles through his clothing. His face is more mature but still attractive as ever.

I grab his hand and move it towards the M on my chest. I run his finger over it and I feel a light burn from his touch.

"You may not forgive me, but all I want for this birthday is my old friend back. My old fiancé. My old Maven." I say.

He wraps his hand around mine and pulls me closer to him. I subconsciously lean into his chest, being drawn by the heat.

He lightly gasps but doesn't push me away.

I start to close my eyes, for the first time in a long time I feeling warm and safe.

"I'm sorry Maven." I whisper.

I drift into a dreamless sleep. Dreamless but peaceful.