Episode Seven, Part 1:
Y o u r   H e a r t   H a s   a   S e c r e t

When all of this is over, love me like there ain't another day. 
Lead with the heart; ain't that the only way? 

Once Elara was gone, Kodiak shut the door behind her, sighing as he retreated back over between Dreea and Aeryn. He folded his arms, one hand scratching on his chin as he tried to begin conversation. 

"Anyone have any suggestions?" 

Sol and Wynn both stood up from their seats, tiredly walking over. They visibly weighed down from their losses. 

"Obviously their deal is irrelevant," Sol said nonchalantly, not even considering it. "But on the upside, it makes them look desperate." 

"Hold on," Dreea slowed her down, "we at least need to talk about it." 

"What?" Wynn breathed out, feeling somewhat betrayed that Dreea wanted to acknowledge their offer. But fighting back just as fiercely was Sol, who having known Dreea her entire life, couldn't believe what she had just said. 

"Are you out of your mind?" She asked. 

"Are you out of yours?" Dreea turned the question on Sol, folding her arms. "Did you not hear what they said? Not only will Targo be gone, but Riders, Riv. Basilisk has been at war against them before either of us were even alive. I don't know about you, clearly, but it feels part of my duty as Sovereign to weigh out their deal." 

"Your duty is to protect your people, not sacrifice them to the enemy," Sol spat. 

"Then what do you suggest? Give me something I can go on so that I know we have a plan." 

Sol breathed heavily, searching her mind for the first thought that came up. 

"We call war on them - just like we were prepared to fight against Riders. Our people are recently trained for that attack so they'll know what to do!" So exclaimed. "Or... Or we create a diversion somewhere and send out our shooters to kill Rhea. Without their leader, both clans will fall apart." 

"This aim is to protect our people, Riv, not get them killed. The fire that stopped Rider's march is the reason we're all still alive!" 

"Not all of us," Sol said. The anger suddenly dissolved from her voice, and in its place was a great heartache... Noah died in the fire, and now Jonas was dead as well, and nothing in the world felt like it was going right. 

Realising that things were beginning to get out of hand, Dreea turned to Wynn. "Can you go out, please." She asked. 

"Why?" Wynn questioned, looking to Sol to see that she was just was confused by Dreea's statement as she was. 

"To be honest, there's not a lot of point to you being here," she said bluntly. 

"The whole reason we're here is because of my sister..." Wynn scoffed, "and the message we just received from my dad. I belong in this room." 

"I get your reason, but if this was anyone else from Basilisk facing this kind of problem, you wouldn't even be allowed in the Sovereign's Quarters. This is a problem the three of us are supposed to deal with. I'd appreciate it if you leave so we can get on with that." 

"Dreea..." Kodiak pressed. He was becoming nervous at how much tension there was in the room, and that no one seemed to be working together. More than anything, he was worried that nothing was being done to help Elara. 

"What, Kodiak?" She sighed. "If the whole reason Wynn is here is so we have more people coming up with suggestions, then we might as well get Joren in here instead, or Bianca." 

Sol tilted her head, figuring out what Dreea was implying.

"If that's what you're really suggesting, then you should realise that means Wynn has just as much right to be here." 

"What are you two talking about?" Wynn asked. He grabbed onto Sol's wrist to get her attention, his hold gentle but firm as she looked up at him. 

She exhaled, trying to predict how annoyed he would be after she told him. 

"Joren and Bianca are her's and Kodiak's Nominated. You know, who step up to their place if they're gone. And you're my mine, but," she turned her attention back to Dreea, "for some reason that's not the same." 

"You know it's not the same," Dreea emphasised. Despite how angry Sol was, she was still trying to keep her voice calm and composed, not wanting the argument to affect their relationship. 

Sol was taken aback and somewhat nervous by what Dreea has said. "What do you mean by that?" 

Dreea drew in a sharp breath, looking between Sol and Wynn, debating whether or not she should say it. 

"Aeryn, can you take Wynn outside please," 

Sol didn't protest any more. She was too focused on figuring out what Dreea meant, trying to shut the one truth out of her heart that she knew it could be. 

Wynn was just as confused, slowly letting Aeryn grab onto him and lead him to the door. He hoped Sol would ask him to stay so he could learn what she was holding back, but she didn't. She didn't look at him this time as he disappeared out the door. 

Sol raised an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation, but Dreea wasn't done. 

"Kodiak, can you leave as well, please." 

The boy's face softened in hurt, wondering why his friend didn't want him there, especially since he was a Sovereign. 

Dreea held onto his arm, squeezing reassuringly, trying to tell him that he hadn't done anything wrong. 

"Please Kodiak," she whispered, her voice gentle towards him. 

He flickered his eyes from her hand up towards her, contemplating for a few seconds. Then he looked to Sol, checking to make sure she would be okay before he made his decision. 

Dreea waited until Kodiak was out of sight before she finally answered Sol. What she hadn't realised was that Kodiak hadn't closed the door completely and he was standing outside with his ear pressed against close to the gap, listening in. 

"When Kodiak and I decided our Nominated, we made that decision with our head. Joren used to be a Sovereign so there's no question to why I chose him. Bianca was next in line to become a Sovereign if one of us weren't selected, and she's tough but she's also fair when it comes to making decisions." 

Sol folded her arms, waiting for Dreea to come out and make assumptions about Wynn like he wasn't experienced on the Ground, or he couldn't make decisions because he was too involved in his family, or he simply wasn't strong enough, but he was. After all, that was why Sol had chosen him. 

"You chose from your heart, River. Because of how you feel... For him... You can't even admit it to yourself, but you-" 

"I made the right decision, no matter how I chose," Sol argued. She was trying to avoid having to face what Dreea had said, and what she knew she was about to say if she hadn't cut her off. "But isn't that really the only way to go? By how you feel? By what matters and who you lo-" she composed herself. "And who you care about." 

"Can you honestly say that if something happens to you, or if you get killed in one of these stupid ideas, that you think Wynn would do a good job at being Sovereign? Because that's what a Nominated is about, Riv. Regardless of what you think, anyway, I don't want another Nobel, I want you." 

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't because of him. Neither would Kodiak or any of the people from his Bunker. Maybe he's irrational sometimes, I get that, but he doesn't quit. Okay? You don't give up on the people you love." 

"Maybe sometimes you have to..." Dreea sighed. Despite what she was asking Sol to do, she wasn't her usual coldhearted, thick-skinned self. She was letting herself be intimate and sympathetic, and it took a lot for her. 

"Dreea-" 

"Riv, you're suggesting we put our entire clan at war against these people because of one person!" 

"I know. But Elara-" 

"I'm not talking about Elara... The only reason you're prepared to do so much for her is because you're doing it for Wynn!" 

Sol's breath hitched in her throat. She tried to deny it. She cared about Elara - of course she did - but was her friend right? Could Dreea see what Sol hadn't accepted in herself yet? 

Dreea dropped her head, noticing that Sol was beginning to figure it out, and she was overwhelmed in her emotions. 

She took a step forward, holding onto her arm firmly. 

"You should take some time to think about it. We can try again tomorrow. Whatever you decide, I'll be with you either way." 

Seven // Part One
Because of how you feel... For him.

I need to start putting the date that I wrote the chapters in because if I go back and change the title or something, I always lose track of what I have written. 7th April.