Enjoy the silence

The light green and dark brown jewels sparkle as they rest across your body, dropping over your arms and tightly wrapping around each thigh. You wear tight, black leather with a collar that curls around your neck. Your hair is soothed to your scalp and you are ready to perform and corrupt. 

The leather hugs your skin, and beyond your battle-ready eyes, you hold a slight discomfort. You've always loved flowy dresses and slippers for shoes. But you are only allowed to wear leather, with the jewels of your house and the gloves for your cold fingers. 

Words like violence

You pull your gloves on tight, strapping them to your wrist before stepping out in front of the crowd of silvers ready to see your preform. The air is different in the spiral garden. It feels emptier like you are the only person there. You let your eyes scan the walls around you and the electric fence that keeps you from the people you've known for your entire life. You feel like an animal in a cage, being admired for its beauty rather than why it's in the cage in the first place.

You open your mouth, screaming as the walls vibrate and the glass panels shatter all around you. You hold out your hands, aiming your screams at mannequins and letting them scream back as they get torn to shreds.

You have fun with what you do as you feel the vibrations your screams leave behind. It amuses you to watch all of the people and their shocked expressions. It fills you with something you don't think anyone else could experience. 

You smile wide before taking your leave, smiling to the Merandus who accompanies you wherever you go. 

Did you have fun? The blonde girl whispers into your head. You smile, nodding your head.

Surprisingly, yes, you answer back. 

A girl puts a hand on your shoulder, making you turn your head around.

"I love you," Evangeline signs to you before pulling you into a tight hug.

Come crashing in

You sit with the other girls of the Queenstrial as you have your Merandus girl next to you, whispering to you everything Tiberias says. You were born deaf, which you consider something to your advantage considering the presence of banshees around you. Your siblings could even consider you lucky. 

But outside of the House of Marinos, you require a Merandus girl to accompany you everywhere you go. It is the most annoying thing you could ever experience.

And you see Maven sitting up there next to his brother, which makes you smirk slightly. You look at his dashing blue eyes, and suddenly, he looks at you.

And somehow it makes you blush.

Into my little world

Suddenly, the Merandus girl smiles. She giggles into her hand before fixing her posture nearly immediately. Out of respect, you hope. Her whispers drown out your original flusters as Maven starts speaking. 

The Merandus girl stops short of her interpretations as Maven looks at you, holding out his hand. You look at her, suddenly concerned and on edge. Why was he looking at you? 

You're going to marry the prince. You're going to be the princess and the girl who taught you how to read lips is going to be the queen.

You look, face calm but heart racing, at the prince. And slowly you stand up with your Merandus girl, who looks more astonished than you are. You don't know if the girls are clapping for you. You don't know if there is silence as they begin to loathe you if they don't already. 

Painful to me 

Pierce right through me

Maven gives you a tight smile after the Merandus girl says your pledge for you. You sit next to Maven as the interpreter stands, a slight smile still on her face. Evangeline glances at you with a soft yet stern smile. Though you feel out of place, it is nothing you have yet to feel before. Now, you feel powerful and out of place. The best combination in the book.

You can't help but let yourself smile. You should be happy at this moment. You think about deaf reds, ones who won't learn sign and won't have a Merandus. It almost makes you sad. So they will happy for you, right? 

Can't you understand

And you sit in your room with your Merandus girl, your own personal bodyguard. You are happy to be queen, but you wish you could have a conversation with your lover without a sly Merandus in the way. You glance at the girl, and you can't help but squint your eyes. You quickly grab a pen and notepad from your desk.

I'm going to go talk to Evangeline, you communicate with her, do whatever you want. 

She smirks, curling her eyebrows but not looking at you as you exit the room. As you close the door, you suddenly feel relieved. Even though she can still hear all of your thoughts and can control you how she wants, not being able to see her makes you feel all the safer.

You head for Maven's room, admiring the walls and windows for their bright atmosphere, considering the dark houses that take apart of this castle's history. It truly shakes your core, but you knock on the wooden door like it was any other.

Oh my little girl

You can hear Elara's laugh in your head as you wait for Maven to open her door, which reminds you that you are never truly alone. You look left and right, trying to see where the queen is hiding. You begin to gnaw on your gums before Maven slowly opens the door, to which you notice Queen Elara step out of the room. You purse your lips, dissatisfied with yourself for letting yourself show your shock. Maven looks at you before scanning the area around you. When the only Merandus girl around you both walks away from the room, he appears confused. You only smile at him before forcing your way in. 

Maven closes the door in confusion but doesn't say anything, which you are happy for since you don't want to go through the whole I can't hear thing. 

You wrote on the thick paper, looking at your handwriting instead of Maven's somewhat surprised face. Almost like he didn't think you could write. You laugh a little in your head.

'I want to teach you how to communicate with me,' the paper shows. Maven reads it carefully before nodding his head a bit, squinting his eyes. You write something else. 'Because I hope you don't trust that house more than I do.'

He looks at the paper with no emotion, only nodding slightly. An acknowledgment or an agreement, you don't know. 

Maven takes the paper from your hand, his warm hands grabbing yours as he takes the pen, too. The touch tingles your skin and warms your heart. You wish he would hold your hand for longer.

Maven flips the paper, 'What you and Evangeline do?' 

You nod your head at his cursive writing. After taking the pad from his grasp, you write the name of this new language. 

'Sign language.'

All I ever wanted

"M-a-v-e-n," he signs to Evangeline. She gives him a tight smile, showing the amusement only in her eyes. You laugh as she shakes her head slowly.

She speaks and signs at the same time.

"Don't sign so hard, it's almost like you're yelling."

You giggle louder, making Maven look at you. You slowly stop. Does he think you're making fun of him? He gives you a smile, which makes you smile back. 

"Again," you sing, which Evangeline interprets. 

Maven nods, looking concentrated as he introduces himself in sign again. Evangeline stops him short, almost frustrated as she tells him to look her in the eyes.

You just watch, sitting on the queen's side of the bed as Evangeline sits against the headboard. You all sip tea inside of your room, with the Merandus far from your thoughts. Maven sits across from Evangeline but always finds himself glances at you for confirmation. Evangeline always gently scolds him for it, telling him over and over to look her in the eyes. 

All I ever needed

"Look me in the eyes," you sign to him. He doesn't need to look at Evangeline to understand what you mean. He turns his body to face you, which you admit is semi-dramatic. He gives you a small smile. 

"Hi, my name is M-a-v-e-n." 

You nod your head, admiring his lesson. Nothing to keep conversation with, but it progressed enough. Maybe the first thing you should have taught him is how to say I don't sign. But who knows sign here, anyways.

Watching him sign reminds you of when you first taught Evangeline, who taught Ptolemus, who taught Elane. It was your little group of mischievous children who knew you better than the hearing banshees in your family. 

Maven asks Evangeline a question, which you don't catch until you see her answer. A k from the shoulder to the hip. He asked for the sign for king.

Is here in my arms

You don't think he told Elara of his lessons, as she somehow greatly suggests the Merandus girl be around you. The Merandus girl is a ball of hidden excitement, which you don't appreciate too much. She licks her lips as Maven sits across from you at dinner, signing hello to you as you sign it back. Evangeline is by your side, with Cal across from her. Cal looks at Maven in confusion, though a smile still remains on both of their faces. Maybe you can teach Cal, too. 

It makes you smile, knowing that Maven allows you to give your culture to him. It feels like a secret, though you know it shouldn't be. 

Elara is asking how you enjoy the castle so far.

You look at the queen, whose blue eyes aren't looking at you. 

Tell her I like the bright colors.

Elara smiles, sipping a glance of wine before glancing at you. Her gaze will always be menacing to you. 

She smirks, not saying anything, only focusing her attention back at her husband.

Words are very unnecessary

You close your eyes, sitting in the spiral gardens in a loose, flowing dress. You run your hands up and down it, feeling the silky texture between your fingers. You love the feeling of silky dresses. It gives you the taste of red wine on your tongue, making you feel like you are sitting in a chandelier-lit ballroom. You can see Maven's face, you can imagine him taking your hand and dragging you to the center of the room before holding you close in his arms. And he signs to you, calling you beautiful.

The thought makes you open your eyes, getting confronted by the bright sun. You expect to see someone around you, watching you sit. But you are just alone. Minding yourself with your own thoughts. 

They can only do harm

"Beautiful," Evangeline interprets as you sign it, looking Maven in the eyes as you do so. He gives you a small smile, something vague to his eyes. He copies it, never breaking eye contact. You can feel your heart begin to race. Beautiful. It made you smile, though you tried to hide it. You wanted to be the strong Banshee that the prince married. You want to be stone like Evangeline. But his beautiful eyes are making it so hard.

Maven begins to speak to you, which makes you feel a bit anxious before Evangeline turns to you. Her eyes are dark, she looks like she wants to roll her eyes.

"If you had the choice to hear would you try it?"

You look between the two of them, a small smirk on your lips. You look at Evangeline, not even wanting to look Maven in the eyes. By the way you're signing, he purses his lips in silence. 

"If a healer comes out of the closet I will kill you without hesitation," Evangeline interprets in a straight voice, not trying to hide her grin.

Maven thinks for a second, nodding to himself. Almost like a mental note. Though, you do suppose that if you did become hearing that that damn Merandus would leave you alone. No, but you like who you are. You wouldn't sacrifice who you are for anything.

Vows are spoken

To be broken

I pledge myself to you, you think back as you begin to knock on Maven's door. You patiently wait, holding your wrists and staring at the doorframe. You hold a tight smile, growing more and more uneasy as the time you spend in front of Maven's door grows longer. You stand patiently, beginning to chew on your gums as you anxiously start glancing around.

A hand touches your shoulder, which sends an alarm through your body that you try to shield. You turn around to Elara, who smiles at you. She puts a finger to your lips before saying something you don't understand. You stare at her white teeth as she smiles at you. She takes her hand off of your shoulder.

This is why you make the best bride, Elara says to you.

You blink, turning your head away as you pick up the front of your dress and begin walking away. You don't turn around. Your cheeks flare red as your breathing gets heavy. You just want to escape. You can feel the blood pulsating through your head, filling your ears and plumping your lips. 

You just want to know where Maven is. 

All you want is Maven.

Feelings are intense

Words are trivial

You purse your lips, squeezing the arms of the chair you sit in as Elara speaks the silvers nearby. You have thrown away your interpreter, you never want a Merandus to be near you again. You never want to look Elara in the eyes; not the woman who didn't know you could read lips; not the woman who told you herself that her son was going to kill the king.

Elara puts her hand on her cheek, showing sorrow on her face with her silence, blue eyes. You close your eyes and try to block everything around you out. But you found out that only gives you more anxiety than you feel.

You just want to know so many things. Things you know you will never understand. You just want to know why Maven would do something like that. You want to know how. You want to know when. 

Was he murdering his father as you were missing his warm presence?

Pleasures remain

And so does the pain

You step into your room, face down and pale. Your hands tremble and your feet pulse. All you want is for the day to be over. You want nothing but for everything to be like it was when you were a child, around the only people who would ever care for you.

The moment you reach the middle of the big area you were gifted, you see the man you've been thinking about all day. Maven sits on your bed but immediately stands when he makes eye contact with you. 

Your chest bubbles with happiness and tranquility. You feel safe. You feel like nothing in the world will ever harm you. But you also feel like he is the only thing that can bring you pain.

Still, you wrap your arms around him and hold him as tight as you can. For now, he is with you, and he the killer will know what it is like to be loved by a deaf girl. 

He stands still, almost surprised by your embrace. But he hugs you back nonetheless. He is grateful you can't hear what he confesses so loudly.

Words are meaningless

And forgettable

You pull back from the hug, holding his shoulders tightly. You shape your hands into a sign he only vaguely remembers. All your fingers are up except your middle and ring. 

"I love you," you sign. He looks confused before you point to yourself, cross your arms over your chest, and point to him. You do the hand sign for I love you again.

"I love you, too." He puts his hand up to yours, smiling as he looks you in the eyes. You feel like crying. 

Maven pulls you into a small kiss, and his lips are soft against yours. It makes the bottom of your stomach tingle like is a rainbow's growing inside. You hop up and down slightly, a big smile on your face.

Maven puts a hand on your cheek, and with his dominant hand, he signs.

"You're the queen now."