The Golden One, she was called. It suited her. With gold, glowing hair cascading down her back, bright and warm sun-kissed skin, and emerald eyes that shone as bright as gold, that never dared to look away, she was a vision. A vision that made my stomach turn.

She entered the dark, oval-shaped office with her chin reaching the sky. It was a wonder the crown did not fall from her head, it was held so high. When our eyes met she beamed at me. “Embry!!”

Her eyes lit up, she smiled so big you could have sworn the corners of her mouth touched her ears. I tried to move my face, but I only managed a twitch. “Claire.”

She tilted her head. The smile slowly dropped and a nervous chuckle escaped her. “Is something wrong, Sister?”

_Sister. _

__

__

I was going to throw up. My mouth tries to move again, but it doesn’t. Instead, I throw the burnt letter on the desk in front of me for her to see.

She picked it up and scanned it with a serious face, the concern growing with each second. My heart kept stuttering each time she went down to the next line. The pressure on my chest made me want to gasp for air. I couldn’t stop squirming, or unclench my fists.

My whole world stopped when the realization hit her and it painted her whole face. She looked at me, the golden glow from her skin long gone, her jaw on the floor. I couldn’t move my face, I wouldn’t.

“Tell me that’s not real.” I tried to speak softly, but I sounded mean and cold, I hated it.

I expected her to start arguing and defending like she’s always done, our little golden lioness, but instead... She did nothing. She froze up. My heart stung with shock. The Golden One... Froze up.

“Embry...” She managed.

“Forgive me, is that too hard for you? No worries. I’ll pose a simpler question. Why were you sent this letter on September 5th, 2197? At 10:30 pm?”

She scoffed. “How do you even know-”

“Why did you receive a letter from the woman conspiring to sacrifice me to slaughter my people, one week before the attack on the Red House?”

Tears welled in her eyes. Her lips trembled and twitched, her face as pale as I have ever seen it, as anyone has. After a second, she cleared her throat.

“Mecca wanted to send me information-”

“What information?”

Claire took a deep breath. She straightened her shoulders. Her chin tilted back up. I could hear her trying to keep her voice steady as she spoke. “Her alliance with the Lycans. Her alliance with the Hoax Gang. Her alliance with the three packs.”

“Did you tell King Nicklaus this information?”

“Embry-”

“Yes or no!” My voice raised. She flinched, but my heart didn’t even twitch. “Did you tell Nicklaus that Mecca planned to attack the Red House?”

Her face dropped, and her nose turned pink. “No.”

I stood up and walked around the desk. My eyes felt wide and strained like I hadn’t blinked. I couldn’t blink. I wanted to see every twitch im her eyes as I looked at her.

“I was shot in the chest, because of this information.”

She ran forward. “Embry!-”

“Lady Katherine lost her life to this information. Right in front of me as I lie there dying.”

“Embry, please! It was an accident!”

“152 humans, 2 hunters, 5000 vampires, and tens of thousands of wolves lost their lives, men, women, and children, to this information.”

“Please, Embry!” She cried. “Forgive me!”

“They poisoned us, Claire. We had so little warning that they managed to sneak into the heart of our society and poison us. Which is fine if there is no information to be warned of , but there was, and you recieved it. You received the chance to warn us or send something or someone to protect us, to prevent thousands of deaths, the death of my mate’s last remaining relative, the life-threatening injury I obtained, that Abigail obtained, and more, but you did not take it out of fear of your ego being harmed, and you want me to forgive you?” I ask softly.

“That’s not what happened!”

Her whole face was red now. Tears stained her cheeks, sobs escaped her lips, and tremors overtook her body. “If I told Nicklaus, he would have gotten mad! I wanted to prove to them that I was worthy, that I could stop it without bloodshed!”

“And Nicklaus wouldn’t have if his queen asked him? I wouldn't have if you told me?” I demanded.

“Embry-”

“No,” I whispered.

She stared at me with wide eyes.

My eyes burned at this point, but I would not cry. I couldn’t. My face was numb.

“I forgave you for everything already. For attacking me, for trying to kill my mate because he did not submit to you after you gave him no reason to, for using the power of his worst enemy to force my bonded brother Luscious into submission, for considering my death over something that had nothing to do with you because your feelings were hurt, for claiming you will be a good queen but then proclaiming that every treasonous, commoner, and noble vampire shall die if they did not bow to you in the same breath, I forgave you for EVERYTHING. But I will not _forgive_ this.”

“Sister-”

“Sister?” I scoffed. “They tortured me, Claire. You let them. You are no sister of mine.”

She gasped. The look on her face made me want to hug her. I remember the first time I had. The airport when we met up for the Blood Gathering. I expected her to stand on ceremony, but she opened her arms wide and squealed and everything, because she was so excited to see me, not caring about what other people had to say. She smelled like warm air and pancakes, like she always did, and she was as warm as she smelled. My heart twitched to see that same woman like this. Still, I did not feel myself blink.

“You are no longer my bonded sister.” I stated. “You are no longer my queen. I’ve had enough of the vampires in my ear, complaining about you being too weak to rule them, and as far as I’m concerned you’ve proved them fucking right. As of now, North America is an independent kingdom for as long as King Nicklaus insists on having you as his queen, and you are an enemy to this kingdom. If you’re still here when the sun rises… I will cut off your head, and throw it into the sea.”

(Waayy more than three hundred words, triple it in fact, and is more of a brainstorm than anything, and I hate it, but enjoy cuz why not.)