Characters:
Reds: people with red blood. second class citizens. poor, working class, conscripted to fight the ongoing war
Silvers: have silver blood and special abilities like telekenesis, mind control, etc. royals, nobles, merchants and other upper class
Mare: a Red with an ability, controlling electricity. To keep her quiet, the king hides her in plain sight be declaring her a long-lost silver princess, and betroths her to his son, Maven. Mare joins the Scarlet Guard. aka “The Lady Mareena Tiranos”
Kilorn: Mare’s best friend. Also joins the Scarlet Guard.
Cal: the crown prince, son of King Tiberius. Betrothed to Evangeline. Forced to kill his father by Queen Elara
Maven: second prince. betrothed to Mare. joins the Scarlet Guard, but it turns out it’s all a plot to get himself on the throne
Queen Elara: Maven’s mother. Has the ability of mind reading and mind control. Uses her ability to force Cal to kill his father
Farley: leader of the Scarlet Guard
Evangeline: betrothed to Cal. From a highborn family, she has the ability to manipulate metal. Smirks a lot.
Julian: Mare’s teacher. After helping her liberate some captives, he disappears. Before he does so, he gives Mare a list of people who are like her: Reds with Silver abilities. Her brother Shade, who was executed for desertion, is on the list.
Bree, Tramy and Shade: Mare’s brothers, all sent to war. As part of agreeing to be part of the King’s plan, Mare insists he bring them home from war, and spare Kilorn from having to go
Gisa: Mare’s younger sister. A gifted embroiderer whose hand is permanatly destroyed by a Security person during a mob scene.
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When Mare is taken in by the royal family, the secretly joins the Scarlet Guard, a rebellion that is working for Red freedom and equality. Maven also joins. Mare is kind of in love with Cal, even though he’s everything she’s against.
A Guard attack kills 3 important court leaders, resulting in even stricter rules for the Reds. The court flees its summer location for the capital palace. On the way there, Mare sees villages poorer than her own, in particular Grey Town. With Farley, Kilorn and Maven, Mare plans a coup, hoping to get the king to step down and Cal to step aside. The plan hinges on Maven’s belief that Cal is in love with Mare and will choose her over the throne, but in fact he’s was plotting his father’s death, and his own takeover of the throne. Cal and Mare are sentenced to death in an Arena battle, but manage to escape.
On the train underground and away from the capital, Mare discovers her brother Shade, who is not dead after all. His ability seems to be incredible speed, moving from one point to another in no time at all. Cal is with her and the Guard, though the Guard doesn’t trust him and plans to keep him as a potentially useful prisoner. Farley has the list of Silver-Red mutants, but so does Maven. The Guard must find those people before Maven does….