A/N I'm going back to add somethings that I missed before posting ch. 11.

Disclaimer: The names and places do not belong to me but to the world of the red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Cal moaned slightly. His sides hurt among other things... he could remember very slice that had been caused in the arena how every bruise had been made ... but it was his head that was throbbed and that was the one thing he couldn't remember a reason to. Very carefully, he brought his hand up to his head... half expecting to be chained in irons...for the moment was very glad that he wasn't.

His fingers softly touched the base of his skull where a knot had formed... how or why... it didn't matter.

Snippets of memories formed. The arena. Fighting for his life. The rescue by the Red Guard. Going somewhere with them... Mare happy to see someone... Shade? Yes ... her brother... then nothing else...

That was fine. He was a prisoner. That was all he could be. Although his captors were very bad had holding someone hostage... no irons so he could try to escape... a little bump on the head wasn't going to stop him very long... neither were wounds that were no longer bleeding...

... Then again, he had no real reason to fight. He had killed his father. It didn't matter why... not when every person had seen him do it... not when everyone that he had known had already decided he was guilty and deserved to die...

... no... He had no reason to fight...

Rubbing his eyes he finally felt the cold around and him and shivered. Nothing in this room he could use to make a fire. His bracelet was gone as were his ability to keep himself warm. Maybe his captors had known how to keep him from being a nuisance.

Trying to focus and anything other than the cold and dirt floor he looked from where he laid, he could make out the silhouette of a door and the light from around it. As his eyes focused on it ... it slowly cracked opened... Candle light.

"You shouldn't bring that in here." His soft hiss filled the room.

For a second the candle stopped moving forward. "If I didn't bring it in here I couldn't see if your were alright."

"Mare?" She really knew better then bring him a weapon. "You of all people..."

Two more steps and she was close enough to see him still laying down..."Give me one good reason that I shouldn't check on you?"

In a very hushed voice he said, "I'm a prisoner."

"If you say so." She shrugged then knelt down beside him, "The way I hear it was that you were rescued and brought here under less than ideal circumstances ... and held until someone was sure you wouldn't do anything rash."

Several things could have been said... none of them would get him anything close to a real answer so he allowed himself to grumble instead, "My head hurts."

Very carefully she let her fingers caress the spot on his head where Farley had rendered him unconscious. "Yes well Farley sends her apologies but she couldn't risk you seeing where we were going after retrieving my brother."

Another grumble, "A blindfold would have been sufficient." Would he have to teach these people how to hold prisoners?

"Yes, well you were very instant on being treated like a prisoner so that's why she did it. After all she did have some experience on how Slivers treated theirs."

Shit. Yes she did. And that was something neither of them were likely to forget. Slowly he tried to sit up... only to quickly lay back down when his head felt like it was spinning and his stomach leaped to his throat. He didn't make the decision to lay his head on Mare's lap but that where it landed. "Is there a healer or someone... handy?"

Mare bit the corner of her lip, "Shade said someone would be here in the morning to look after you. I'm not sure if it will be a ... um... silver or not."

"Chances are not... unless your brother knows someone who the Red Guard could trust."

"I wouldn't know... Shade has always kept his own counsel."

"How is he?"

Since he didn't hear the door open... or see anyone answer... the only logical thought could be that he had fallen asleep... somehow his brain was telling him something else. "He is awake... and his head hurts."

For a moment Shade traded looks with Mare... then shrugged. "Farley has been warned not to do that again."

"How wonderful."

"Cal." That tone sounded like a warning... but there was no electric here... then again...

"It's alright Mare...He's allowed to complain... hell I would be looking for blood if it was me."

Well that gave him a good idea... "And whose blood would you be going after if you were me? Go after your red guard for what happen at the Hall? Go after my ... the queen and her son? Tell me Shade..."

Shade took a deep breath. "First off, The Hall was first time The Red Guard planned to Kill. The List as you very well know came from ... him... his list of people that it would seem would stand in his way... And before you bring up the other attacks. Don't. We have only did the one bombing that we took credit for and the one that you know that we did. The other's ... Were set up by someone else..."

"What other's?" Slowly he tried to sit up again and was gently held by Mare and a very soft shock to his shoulder.

"The dock accident... gas explosion my ass. The whole area has traces of radioactive debris around it... not that anyone is mentioning that... Since that attack more than half of the reds that lived there are dead or dying... But none of the slivers seem to be effected... then again they can get treatment."

"You think..."

"The so called queen did it... Who else?"

She had been playing them... All of them. His father; goading him to make things harder for the reds. Using the threat of the Red Guard to kill more people... getting her son to pose as one to find out where they were and other useful information... Using him to kill his own father... She would pay for everything and so would her son... "You said Maven had a list of names..." Saying his name made him sick but just this once it needed to be said.

"Taken care of."

"Shade?" Mare looked at him puzzled.

"Oh well... the mutation in the blood that was found... well let's put it this way... there never was a mutation in the blood. Julian and Sara didn't trust Maven."

"You knew, Julian?!" Both Mare and Cal asked... both feeling like the ground had been pulled from under them...

"Well... Um... Yes I know them. Julian never knew I was part of the Red Guard... he just was able to tell me things. Like this person is trustworthy and to watch out for that one. We had a discussion when Maven "Joined" The guard... He said that the boy might be telling the truth but he didn't think so. So..."

"He wrote the note... knowing that I would give it to Maven..."

"And presto we have a rat. However, if I would have known he was trying to kill the king and to make it look like you did it... I would have came sooner."

"Wait... because he gave you the note you knew..."

"Oh no... Because the night you were waiting for the arena he sent people out to find this mutation and kill those with it. Good thing you can't find what doesn't exist." He took a deep breath. "It's late. In the morning after someone takes a look at you... we can discuss what you want to do... and what the guard can do for you."

Another shiver and Cal grumbled, "Why would the guard what to help me?"

Shade stood and looked at the door for a long moment the mumbled, "Because as it turns out my sister would make a fine politician."

"Oh?"

"Yeah... She can tell you about it. I was too busy not laughing. Mare?"

Even though her brother couldn't see, she rolled her eyes, "I'll stay here tonight."

"Fine. If the general feels up to it, there's a small bit of wood... might make a nice fire." Then he was out of the room.

"Care to explain... anything?"

"Shouldn't you be resting?"

"Head injury... best to stay awake until someone says other wise... beside strangely I'm not tired." If I fall asleep in the cold I might not wake to kill Maven.

"Let me light the wood then we can discuss... things?" Reaching out her hand found not the wood but also a thin blanket.

Something was being pulled over him. Not a soft cover that was in the palace but one that the military might have. "Mare?"

"Shade left it next to the wood." When he didn't say anything else she felt for the wood pile then let a tiny spark form between her finger tips... growing then ... blue and purple sparks and the wood caught on fire with a crack of lightning. Seeing the questions in Cal's eye's she tried to smile, "Lightning plus wood equals fire. Julian taught me."

"Good to know." And some warning next time would be helpful. Then again he would like some time alone with her to really see what she was capable of. "Now, what did you say that your brother found amusing?"

"I don't think it's what I said as it was me and a few of the Red Guard ... lieutenants ... getting into an argument and them realizing that I was right."

He shuddered at the thought, "And the argument was about..."

Carefully she helped him lay his head back on her lap and combed her fingers through his hair, "Oh well, I insisted that you couldn't be held as a prisoner."

Ok... fine... she didn't listen to him most of the time any ways... "May I ask why not?"

"First off... prisoners are usually taken when the person might have some useful information or be worth something for their return... am I correct?"

Might as well agree with her... or he would never hear the whole story. "Correct."

"Thought so. Anyhow. I remembered what you told your back stabbing brother."

"I told him lots of things." Most of which I now regret "What exactly did you remember that helped you win an argument?"

"Oh well... that you don't back someone stronger or better then you in a corner. If you asked me, what he did was a big corner... Furthermore, he thinks that he has you pinned against the Red Guard... So..."

She was right. Maven did back him into a corner... and he would be damn if he let him win that way. "So..."

"It's like this. The guard is willing to help you regain your rightful title as king of you agree to a few things."

"What things?" Like hell he would agree to anything that would undermined his authority after he regained control of the crown.

"First off. No red guard or others will be punished for the attacks that we didn't do."

Reasonable. "Ok. And second?"

"Only the guards responsible for the attack at the Hall will be held accountable."

She couldn't mean..."Meaning?"

"After this is over those of us responsible for the Hall will turn our selves' over to you. No questions asked."

And there it was and not something that he expected. He could condemn them to death... or anything he wanted... or "I'll do one better. Because Maven was responsible for the deaths ... He can shelter the burden himself. I'm sure none will think twice about it if we can come up with the proper details."

For a long time she just sat there to numb to move... finally she said, "I think we can do that. There might be a video of him admitting to the murders and to why "

Too much to think about. Cal closed his eyes... not really trying to fall asleep but letting himself relax... or rather forcing himself to... "Do you think Julian is still alive?"

"If he knew my brother then yes." She paused, "You met him once but you probably don't remember."

"Shade?"

"Umm... he didn't say anything before the meeting with the other Guard... but you met on a battlefield before."

"I don't remember." The again it was possible... he met a lot of people then both red and silver. Most he never knew the names to... and other's... he wished he did.

"He's the reason that I was so believable. He knows what you are capable of."