(Let me thank Crypt Tv for the quote about the scalping)

I've had your little message to the universe on loop!

White stockings cling to your thighs from under your suit. Your gloved hands brush down your collar before moving down to your buttons, unbuttoning the top few. Your bedroom is small and the television in the corner of the ceiling plays the news. When it first aired you couldn't help but tape it. It's music to your ears. Mare Barrow. Maven Calore. You hum over the words you know so deep as you brush your hair.

Raising the hairbrush to the air, you chant: "I pledge myself to do the same, to end the Scarlet Guard and the monsters like Mare Barrow, or die in the attempt." 

The same words Maven said with pride.

I just love that part where Pink Diamond spends the rest of her days

On this nowhere planet, with a bunch of nobodies!

You walk out into the castle's hall, your hands folded behind your back. A soft smile falls onto your lips as you begin to walk towards where the wedding would take place, the place where you belong. You straighten your tie, ready to be by Maven's side. Even if he is marrying Iris.

A sentinel creeps up behind you, putting a hand on your shoulder. He seemed uninterested in your hard gaze.

"King Maven requests you to join him in his room."

"He is not outside yet?"

The sentinel grunted, "do you need a guide?"

You laughed, covering your mouth to try and hold the awful noise. He took that as a no, which it most definitely was, and moved out of your way as you turned yourself around.

Maven's room was as clean as you remember it being. He was never a messy person. 

You think about his work desk. Scratch that.

"You needed me?" You purr as you close the door behind you. Maven sits as his mirror, parting his hair and fixing the stray strands. He doesn't smile at you. He doesn't even try to hide his intention.

"I want you to be by my side at all parts of this wedding, do you hear me?" He doesn't turn around to look at you nor spare a glance through the mirror. Even when you place a hand on the back of his chair he doesn't acknowledge you until you answer him.

"I will never leave your side, Maven."

His eyes catch yours for a moment. His hard, stressed gaze melts like cotton candy on the tongue once he heard the sensitivity in your voice. 

You kneel by his side and fight the urge to grab his hand. "Maven, why would you even suggest I'd leave?"

That's right I heard the story over and over again

He places a hand on your hair, soothingly caressing the back of your head.

"I am only safe when you are with me," he leans in close, "do not be afraid to cause a stir."

"Yes, sir."

"And one more thing."

You kneel patiently, waiting for his words. He takes time to place them together. Weighing what? 

He takes his hand back. "Alongside me, you will answer to Mare Barrow as well. This is an order from your king."

Your heartbeat skips. Protect her? Be by her side? You almost show a grimace at the thought. You would rather report to Iris then that red scum. But you nod, whispering a promise to him.

His smile was thin, a strain on his negative mood. It remained that way even when you two began to head outside. He held your hand, holding your fingers and kissing them when you began to heat up. It was quiet. A nice silence. Nobody disturbed you. And he didn't dare show affection once you both hit the spotlight. 

He takes his place, waiting for Iris to come down the aisle. You take your time massaging your hands, getting ready for a fight when one was eventually going to come. Your strongarm knuckles get sore sometimes. Guess that should come with the spot of the king's bodyguard, shouldn't it? You look over at Mare, who stands with the bridal party. It almost makes you vomit. Isn't she having so much fun here?

You could squish her if you wanted.

And you wish you would when you catch Maven looking at her. This isn't their wedding. You're almost happy Iris made her way down the runway. You still clench your fist, even without realizing it. You can squish her too. One day. 

You try not to get too close to Maven. You don't want to cloud him. You wouldn't hear the last of it if you did. Especially if he decides to invite you to his room this night.

The white stockings make your thighs hurt.

Gee, it's swell to finally meet her other friends

Then the sky turns black. 

And you didn't mean it, you really didn't. But when you heard the loud bang that interrupted you started to feel a bit of fear. And you grabbed onto Maven's arm. Your grip was tight, holding him into place. Making sure nobody could hurt him.

And so brushed you off, forcing you off of him as he grabbed Iris's hand. They ran. They ran together, and not in the direction of home. They can towards the train. You watched as Maven ran without you.

You turn to face the rebels, seeing lightning crackle from the sky. People wearing red bandana's crowd the area. You start to wonder if they had heard a word about you. Considered you a threat?

You solemnly started to walk over to Evangeline. It was all you could do. You just wanted to sit. Wanted to sulk. But Maven hired you for a reason. He trusts you. That was why he left you behind, wasn't it? He knew you could take care of it. He'd want to you start a fire. Squish all of this red.

Explosions of red fire and smoke return you to your role. And someone bumps into you, grabbing onto your arms. Their grip is weak. Desperate almost. You can see they have splashes of red blood all over them. Their brown hair is a mess and their clothes are torn. 

Mare Barrow weakly grabs onto you. 

"(Y/N), do not hurt the scarlet guard, that is an order."

You look down at her, grabbing her wrists. Free. Who freed her? What would Maven want? You don't even take offense by her order. You don't know what to do. You should bring her to the train, throw her in to make Maven happy. He doesn't even want you there. But you know he wants Mare. Protect her. That was his order. You report to her now, don't you? And you want nothing but for her to die. 

"What do you want me to do?" It came out more sarcastic than you intended.

"Samson. That's all I ask. He's got Cal."

"And then what?"

Mare Barrow backs up, looking at you. She tries to size you up but you do not get intimidated by her small size. 

That's right I heard the story, don't really like how it ends

"I'll leave you two be."

The smell of blood washes over you as a body gets thrown against your back. You don't move, it just bounces off. And you roll your shoulders. Samson. That's all it takes. Maven's cousin. 

"Deal."

And you begin to rush, putting a hand behind her back and running with her. 

"Where's Samson?"

She growls, not answering me the way I want her to. "I'll work on numbing Cal and you go stop him, got it?"

She runs away as a fireball comes her way. You slide into the sidelines of the fight, scanning the arena. And a speck of blond hair peeks out behind a hiding space. You grin to yourself. You know Maven is long gone and he'd never know it was you.

You look down at your palms as you calmly begin to stroll across the battlefield to the blond. These hands have done so much. They've straightened your tie, unbuttoned your undershirt, pulled up stockings. But they were made for fighting.

Samson didn't struggle. He didn't have time to. You just put your palm against his ears and squished him. It was easy. Like when you were a child, blowing up water balloons to throw at your siblings. Sometimes you miss those times. 

Blood drips from your fingers. You look down at his body. Maven will most definitely know this was you. And suddenly that doesn't matter to you.

Gee, it's swell to finally meet her other friends

A woman runs past you before stopping abruptly. She looks back, piercing you with her gaze. She wears a braid close to her scalp and a bandana around her neck. She nods in acknowledgement before returning to her pace.

Okay?

What did she say about me? What did she say?

You wash your hands in a bathroom. Maven's absence haunts you, but you appreciate the presence. The blood dried under your nails and scrubbing it off was almost impossible. Would Maven notice? 

He would take it was a job well done, wouldn't he?

After drying your hands you walk out, taking a moment to feel the carpet under your toes. Not as soft as it used to be. The castle is old and worn and needs some changes. Though, that is what the Scarlet Guard is for, right?

You step into Maven's office and sit down in the seat across from his designated seat. The castle seems so lonely today. Everyone is recovering. Samson can't keep you company anymore. Not that you'd want him to, anyway. The guilt of killing is unrecoverable. 

You cross your legs and eye his desk. Papers. Definitely not a neat person in the workspace. You don't want to go snooping in his stuff. But one thing stood out to you. It was the paper with the pen left on it, handwriting sloppy and rushed. Not that his handwriting was ever not sloppy.

You pick it up, pinching the corner. Just to be careful. 

It was addressed to Mare and it was never finished. God, you cannot read his handwriting.

You read it slowly, knowing no time is being wasted. 

It's about when Mare went by Mareena. You cannot tell if it's supposed to be an apology letter or a complaint. But you are mentioned. You are mentioned quite a bit.

But one thing stands out to you.

"The words you say about (Y/N) have been through my mind. Perhaps you are right. But I cannot do this alone."

What did she say about you? You shouldn't have let her go, you shouldn't have. 

What did you do without me? What did you do?

You run down the halls of the castle, mind racing faster than your feet can take you. You can hear your heart in your ears. Your head is spinning. You can hardly think. Only accuse. 

You rush into Maven's room, familiar with the space. Maybe too familiar. You pull open the drawers, going through pajamas and socks and bracelets. You open the last one as you kneel onto the floor. It's empty. You almost close it, almost scream in pain, but you see something in the shaded corner. It's a folded up piece of paper.

You open it quickly, even tearing it a little. This letter to her is more comprehensive about its intent. It is a love letter. It's filled with hate and passion and everything you ever wanted from him. And it speaks about times when they were alone. It speaks about kisses. You stop reading, throwing it back into the drawer. 

Stupid. You feel so stupid. So stupid for devoting your life to Maven. He only wants you as an object. 

You rest your head in your hands and try to still your breaths. Getting worked up doesn't lead to anything but pain. But you are already in pain.

You wipe the tears away before they come. You need to trust Maven. He'd tell you if he didn't like you. He'd be honest. Because he loves you.

Did you play games without me? What did you play?

You sit on his bed, pulling the sheets over you. You feel disgusted even being in here. Had she been in here before? Taken a place in his bed? You put the thought away. Gross. This is your home.

You will never let anyone else into his bed.

And hours later, you pretend to be asleep when he comes in. You can hear his deep breathes and you listen to him undress. All you want is to hold him. Tell him you love him. But the thoughts of the letter and the fact that he was with Iris the whole day holds you back. How many people does he hold above you?

He sits on the bed for a second, hesitating before swinging his legs under the covers. His warmth brushes against yours.

"(Y/N)?" 

You stay quiet. He doesn't move. You're facing the wall and he's facing you.

"Did you go into my office?"

Again, no answer. After some time of silence, he scoots closer to you. Not close enough to be comforting but close enough that he can place his hand around your waist. You exhale slowly, squeezing your eyes shut. You want him to be honest with you. You love him. 

Did you think all this time that I wouldn't find out about you?

"Yes, I did." You whisper. He responds not by words but by abruptly pulling you close to him. His long arms wrap around your body. You could easily escape if you wanted to but something about his intention rendered you motionless. He held onto you tight. He didn't want you to leave.

"Don't forget that I loved you first."

"That doesn't mean you'll love me more, Maven."

"But I do!" He made a grunted noise after his outburst, heat pouring from his hands into your skin. You almost whimper at the feeling.

He backs up, "it's just complicated."

You turn around to face him, looking into his eyes for the first time in a long while.

"You don't have to explain yourself to me."

Oh that's right I heard the story over and over again

The sun poured into the room every day since that night. You felt secure. You felt safe by his side. But he never stopped being careless.

No white stockings this time. You're dressing for a battle. Again, you dress yourself head to toe in blue with a yellow tie. Fancy. You don't need much room for fighting but you are sure to pick something more comfortable for you.

You practice a punch just to be sure. You're flexible. You're safe.

"Maven don't you dare meet up with them."

"You will be by my side I will be fine."

"And what if they take me down? Surely you wouldn't be protected then!"

Maven stops buttoning his shirt to grab your hands. "I believe in you."

You look him hard in the eyes, "and they know that."

He takes a second to consider, strengthening his posture. He slips into his king persona so well. He opens his mouth to speak but you cut him off by putting a finger over his lips.

"Don't order me around. You know I'll do it anyways, sugar, I'm just voicing my very important opinion."

He pulls you close to him, "Don't call me sugar."

"Don't order me around." You grab his collar and pull him into a kiss. Under all the butterflies in your stomach is a deep feeling of dread. You don't want to see how this will end.

Gee, it's swell to finally meet her other friends

You tried to occupy your gaze with the look of Cal. He looks older. Doesn't look as gentle as he did in the castle. You think back to the past year. So many things have happened. So many betrayals. So many deaths. You clench your fists.

The silent stone weighs on your shoulders. You've never had to fight under it before. Would you win? Maven is looking at Mare. You have to settle your head. Somebody will notice. You want to protect him. But you'll have to be strong.

You look at her and notice something you hadn't before. An M on her collarbone. Engraved into the flesh. Your look alters for a second. Your breath gets caught in your throat and she notices, leaning forward so you can take a better look. You were never taught how to react to something like this. All you can do is close your eyes as Maven starts to notice what has halted your devotion towards him.

Maven is a natural at arguing. You keep your mouth shut, listening to Maven attack everyone sitting with him. You don't know any of these people accept his brother and Mare. How does he? But you can notice a queen where she sits. Cenra eyes your lover, examining him for herself.

Maven hollers to his brother, knocking him away with as little as a gesture. The elderly woman by his side shakes her head. And suddenly the paintings on the walls you've spent hours staring at benefit you. His grandmother. You immediately straighten yourself. Will she be present at your wedding?

You hope she will. You wish when this was all over Maven would be friends with all of them and invite them all to your big wedding. 

You haven't been outside much. Maven usually doesn't even let you out of your room unless it's to go with him somewhere.

"Get off of my island!" Maven growls out, sending chills down your body.

You look around the table. Evangeline looks at you. She just nods. Why does everyone just nod? You wish this never had happened. You wish you were friends again. She would have been a bridesmaid.

Cal leans in, grasping onto the table. "Remember this day, Maven, when you are abandoned and alone, with no one to blame but yourself."

You roll your eyes, leaning forward to look at him. "Tiberias, you have never had a proper relationship in your life."

He lets out a grunt, speaking too quick for Maven to even interrupt. "And who are you again?"

Who am I? Who am I? What are you even saying?

You swallow hard, his words meeting your breaking point. "Wh-What?"

Maven stands up aggressively, turning around, his cape going with him. You quickly follow by his side. It's all you can do. You feel helpless, defeating. When the silence weakens it's the only type of fulfillment you feel. And then the water comes.

It came crashes, sweeping guards off of their feet. Like a grey sheet covered the horizon, there was only one reason for it. 

You began to cry. 

You got swept away as the water missed Maven. All you can see is guards coming. Running. Guards that don't belong to you. Water fills your mouth as you try to scream. It scrapes against your eyes, goes up your nose. You can't breathe. You don't want to breathe. The corpses of those less than you float past. And before you know it you were face-first in knee-deep water. You lift your head, water pouring out of your mouth. Air. You can breathe again. You don't even take a second to control yourself. You can't. All you can think about is Maven, who is being dragged by Lakelander guards. He's kicking and scratching. And he needs your help.

I'm the loser of the game you didn't know you were playing!

You stand up, tripping over mud and rocks as you try to run over to the love of your life. The blood under your nails from all those days ago gets replaced by the mud of your devotion and the start of your corruption. 

You scream, one of your shoes missing and the other one soaked. Your suit is torn. Your tie is missing. It weighs you down so you strip off the jacket and throw off your other shoe. 

You tackle one of the guards, crushing his head quickly. His blood sprays onto your face. It takes metallic. Lakelander blood is sweet.

The other guard draws his gun but Maven throws his fist, the gun falling from his hand as you drag him down into the mud. Maven runs as you grab onto the guard's head and force it down. He struggles and you don't stop putting pressure. You are a strongarm and nobody here will ever put you down. You are Maven's lover. You will always protect him. 

Let's play another game, this time I get to win

Iris walks by, holding the fire bracelet in his hands. In her other, Maven's shackled wrists. You'll kill her. Even if it starts a war. You won't hesitate. 

You begin to stand, blood dripping from your chin. You charge, ready to take her down. You know she hears you. She does not fear. She doesn't even turn back. You realize where she is heading. You try to stop yourself, but you can't. You can see the bullet before it hits you. It hits you in the shoulder. You fall to the ground.

It missed. The only person who could have shot that far was Evangeline. She wouldn't miss. 

She was gonna be a bridesmaid.

The pain is indescribable. You want to call for a healer but there is none. You are alone on a battlefield and Maven is being husked away. Before you know it, a hand grabs your collar and starts to drag you. 

You flex, feeling the bullet move inside of you. Tensing hard and harder suddenly it comes out. You can feel the warm blood pooling from you. Is this how it feels to lose? To be weak?

You get thrown and you try to pick yourself up. You struggle. But you don't dare move once you feel the cold metallic barrel of a gun pressed against your skull.

"I won't be so kind next time."

You smile, coughing up blood, yours and others, and more water.

"You called that kind?"

Evangeline didn't make a noise as she crouched down to you.

Lives on the line

They let you fly on the same jet as Maven. He is quiet, looking down. He never wanted to show weakness in front of a crowd. Why can't he show love instead?

You look up and down the plane, getting a sense of the people inside. People you don't recognize. At least.

You cough, still choking up water. It falls down your already wet shirt. Unlike Maven, you didn't get the pleasure of handcuffs. You got a harness that keeps your arms tied behind your back. To keep you held in. Not like you'd even get held back by that.

You look at the pilot. Cal wanted to stay in the jet with his maniac girlfriend.

You take a deep breath. Nice and calm. You need to be prepared.

Winner takes all

You first go for the legs, ripping each one off at a time. The blonde woman stands up tall, pulling a gun out of her waist. They were right, you did take a time to get the arms out. She put the gun against your head.

"Sit down!" She warned. You growled at her, refusing. She can put a bullet in her head all she wants.

She falters a bit but doesn't let it get to her posture. She points the gun at Maven. He looks up, staring at her face. She's just looking at you. You think fast. Your arms are loose but not loose enough to be quick. 

You inhale, closing your eyes before snapping them open and kicking the gun out of her hand. You break your arms loose, pushing his grandmother away and grabbing onto the blonde's hair. Grandma Calore smacks her head, bleeding, and unconscious. She punches you in the gut but it does nothing. You are stronger than her. 

She struggles, scratching your legs and trying to get you to let go. 

You drag her up the plane, propping her up against the seat with your foot against her back. She screams loud, unable to reach behind herself.

"The human hair can take up to ten tons of pressure," you pause to look at Maven, "and luckily for us, the human scalp cannot."

You pull her hair, the skin parting. It was just a little off of the top. But her scalp was pink and bubbly. She falls, twitching.

You drop her hair and take another breath. Just be calm. Everything is fine. This is happening the way it was supposed to.

You look at Maven. 

"Do you know how to fly a jet?"

He looks at you. "Maybe."

"Would you like to try?"

Gee, it's swell to finally beat her other friends

You pull him out of his restraints, breaking the cuffs. You smile. He smiles back. It's weak, like he was thinking of what a smile might look like. 

"Thank you." He whispers with no taste in his voice.

"Do you want to go home now?"

He pulls you into a hug, holding you tightly. His grip is also tight on you. And he kisses you. It's warm, gentle, full of security.

"Take me home, (Y/N)."