Mare and Maven head out, and none of the guards stop them because Maven is part of the duo and apparently he gets to do whatever he wants.

Hey, remember last chapter when he was all “look, I know oppreshun and all, but I NEVER GET TO DO THE THINGS I WANT”?

Also, what do these guards think is going on with Mare? They obviously have orders to keep her in approved areas (last chapter they tried to make her go inside before Maven showed up), but if they don’t know she’s a Red under threats then…do they think it’s normal to treat their prince’s fiancé like she’s under house arrest?

Well, Maven takes her to see Cal, who is mid-disrobement because love triangle. Turns out Cal is the one good at sneaking out to slum it, so Maven convinces him to take Mare home for a visit.

But just because he isn’t coming doesn’t mean I will forget what he’s done for me already. Without thinking, I throw my arms around Maven.

…So what did he do? I mean, it took two sentences to convince Cal, so basically all Maven did was walk.

But of course Mare would think he’s just such a darling for expending the least possible amount of effort.

The brothers share a chuckle, laughing just for each other like I’ve seen my brothers do a thousand times before. When the door shuts behind Maven, leaving me with Cal, I can’t help but feel a little less animosity toward the princes.

“Yes, just like my brothers. Except also they support a system that kills people.”

The problem with this entire line of thinking is that it’s not changing the second half of that equation. Literally everything is incidental to the “and kills people.”

They’re friendly brothers who kill people.

They’re generous guys who kill people.

They’re helping Mare and then killing people.

They pet puppies and kill people.

If you don’t change the “and kill people” part then guess what PEOPLE STILL FUCKING DYING .

Frankly I would rather have a rude, obnoxious, prickly snob with no friends who is actively trying to beat the system than the nicest prince you can find who is complicit in killing people. It’s really not a hard concept.

Now, I mean, they’re princes and pretty insulated, so as characters who still need to grow I could understand it. But Mare is losing that awesome bitterness and self-awareness that was making this shit bearable, and I’m just not on with that.

Mare looks around his room and sees it’s filled with armor and doesn’t not suddenly remember “oh, yeah, he fights, and this book started off with me hating Silver fighters because it was a demonstration of their power over me and mine.”

She does note that he’s got a bunch of books and papers on warfare with a thought about how, even though all the troops are just markings on a map in this room she remembers that they’re real people she loves. But then Cal comes out of his changing room showing skin so she stops thinking about all that.

Cal takes her down to a storage room as they talk about the lie they’re going to tell her folks, and then he shows her the motorcycle that he built, because of course.

For some reason none of the other military bigwigs think motorbikes would be useful in a war.

Because they’re idiots.

Look, book…do you just not realize that armies have been using those things since they were invented? I mean, your war seem to want to be WWII style, and motorbikes were totally a thing in that one.

So Mare, after some convincing, gets on the bike with him and…apparently they can sneak out of the palace with it, because Cal only invented and built the thing and has the only one around, not like that’s distinctive or anything.

They arrive back in the Stilts and hide the bike and then talk about Cal’s escape exploits. He says he sneaks out and visits all over the place, so he can “get to know” the people.

“You don’t know how precarious things are, how close this world is to falling back into ruin. My father does everything he can to keep us all safe, and so will I.”

…all so he can be more effective at keeping the status quo, apparently.

Mare points this out, and Cal tells her that equality is impossible because all the countries around them operate the same way and therefore if Norta did Red = Silver they’d get invaded and torn apart.

Aren’t they already being invaded?

Also aren’t all the other Reds in just as shitty a place? What are the other countries going to do, send their Red footsoldiers in to…mass defect to the better country?

Mare points out that change could beget more good change instead of just mass destruction, and Cal just straight up doesn’t answer.

They make to Mare’s old house and go inside to see everyone sleeping, two of her missing brothers back home as well, and everyone wakes up to greet her with much hullaballoo and hugs.

“Brilliant, isn’t it? The government finally doing something for us,” she says, kissing Bree on the cheek. “And now you, with a job.” The pride radiates off her like I’ve never seen—usually she saves all of it for Gisa. She’s proud of a lie.

I am fairly certain that she doesn’t care. Like, at all. I’m not sure why you do, either.

They meet Cal, who lies and says he’s a fellow servant, and the brothers figure they’re probably knocking boots. I mean, it’s a reasonable assumption to think the boy you brought home to meet your family “means something” to you.

But then the happy times are interrupted when they have to explain where brother #3 went. Sadly, he was executed for trying to desert, and it all went down right before his discharge would have saved him.

Mare goes into shock and accidently turns on all the electronics in the house, but Kilorn shows up out of nowhere to scold her out of it. He’s all angry and asks if she’s “one of them,” to which Mare says she’ll cut herself right now and prove she’s still a Red.

Um…not really sure what’s going on here. Do they know about the “lost” Silver girl? I mean, it makes sense that they would, since how can anyone be “placated” by her Cinderella story unless they actually know her story? But in that case, they should already know (unless there’s no pictures; how do they get any news?). So if they don’t already know about the Cinderella thing…why do they suddenly think she can be Silver? I mean, it was such a “shocking” thing when it came up, you’d think no one would leap to that conclusion without help.

so I leave out the Guard and Julian’s findings, to lay out the last three weeks as plainly as possible.

…what did Julian find? Just about her being able to create? I don’t think that makes the story any more secret than it already is.

They ask a few questions about the palace, change Cal’s cover story to being her bodyguard, and then say they have to leave, unfortunately. But before they go home, Mare goes to see Will the peddler again. That guy already knows all about the goings on because he saw her on the news. So I guess the Reds didn’t get that particular broadcast. I’m sorry, but I still want to know, how is she supposed to appease any rebellion if no one knows about her?

Also with Will is another Scarlet Guard guy, this one named Tristan and openly carrying a firearm. ‘Cause that’s not suspicious or anything.

Mare tells Will she’s figured out that Brother #3 was killed for being part of the guard, not desertion, and now she wants to join up and be their spy in the palace. Then she goes back to Cal, who was waiting out of eartshot, and they head back to the bike. Kilorn stops them and is all flustered and upset that she’s going back to the palace, “to be one of them,” so Mare lies and says that she just needs their help controlling her powers.

I really don’t understand why “um, they’ll stab me if I don’t?” wouldn’t work here.

Whatever, Kilorn is still upset and mentions going to join Farley, since Cal is there and he can’t outright say “join the Scarlet Guard.” Dun dun dun.