The Selection AU

The King was about to give the orders of punishment but his words were cut off when he was attacked. He retrieved a gun from his belt loop and pulled the trigger wildly. Guards moved to pull Sebastian off of him. Warren reached out but was stopped by soldiers. He gritted his teeth and gave Talia a look at that said do something but she stayed put.

Sebastian didn't care that what he was doing was stupid. He was going to get revenge. His mother was dying because of him. It was all his fault. Everything was his fault. When he pulled the trigger to his gun, he was hit. He yelled out in pain, but it get even more when the guards grabbed him and pulled him back. He looked down, already feeling the blood trickling down. He had been shot in the shoulder near his heart, and everything hurt.

The King slowly stood and brushed himself off. "Take them to the cells! They will be executed in the morning!" he snapped. The guards took Warren by the shoulders and forced him out the door. He tried to fight against them. He didn't care if he died. He had to get to his son. Yet, he couldn't seem to fight hard enough.

Sebastian looked down at the ground. His father could die. His father wasn't replaceable, but he was. He looked up at the king, and he tried to stop the guards from pushing him out of the room, despite the pain in his shoulder. "Listen! I'll do anything! Just don't kill my father. You can do whatever you want to me," he said. His father supported his family. He couldn't die.

The King scowled but stopped the guards. "Anything?" he repeated, scowling at him. He then motioned for everyone to leave the room. As soon as the door clicked shut, he crossed his arms over his chest. "Your request is quite funny. I am merciful, though. Instead of killing your father, I will let him go. However, you will be staying here." A small smile slipped onto his face. "Don't start rejoicing quite yet."

Sebastian nodded quickly when he asked him if he would really do anything. He would do anything if it meant that he would save his mother, and maybe if he mad it back he would be able to save her. She wa getting worse as the days went by, and they still didn't have money for medicine. When he said that he wouldn't kill his father, he let out a sigh of relief.

The King scowled at him. "You...you will be here as a six," he said sourly. "Your freedom for your father's life. That is what you are betting on," he said with a fluid anger. He headed for the door and was about to open it. "But you better change your mind if you are going to," he said. "I will be watching your family like a hawk."

Sebastian bit his lip as he listened to the deal, and he nodded. "I'm sure this is what I want to do. There will be no backing out," he said, and he looked toward the ground. He was more than likely never going to see his family again, but if his mother was okay, that would be okay with him.

The King nodded and said, "All right, Mr. Sebastian. You have a deal." He then left the room. He whispered to the guards. They nodded and filed down the hall holding Warren tightly as they did. A malicious smile slipped onto his face. Sebastian was stupid if he thought he was going to let him go.

Sebastian watched the king closely. No matter what was at stake, he didn't trust this guy one bit. The way that he acted and carried himself made him skeptical. He was going to make sure that his father got out of the stupid palace alive, even if it was at the cost of his own life. He didn't matter to anyone. His father on the other hand was crucial to the northern rebels.

Warren fought to get out of the soldiers grip but was thrown into a prison cell. He cringed as he fell on his side at a wrong angle. He sat up and gritted his teeth. How was he going to get out of there? He felt the walls. He remembered the secret passage. He knew it was there. He needed to get to his son.

Sebastian bit his lip, finally feeling the pain of his wound. He knew that he couldn't fight, so it was going to be hard to get out. He sat down and tried his best to stop the bleeding, but it wasn't working. The red was now bright and visible on his shirt. "I'm going to need medical treatment," he said to him, trying not to sound so annoyed.

Iris stepped from her hid position behind the curtains. When she had been taken away, she had fought her way away. The soldiers didn't seem too keen in messing with her since she didn't pose much of a threat anyway, so they let her go. Quickly, she stepped back into the office and glanced to Sebastian. "What... what happened?" she asked, dropping down beside him.

Sebastian sighed to himself, and he pulled his hand away from his wound. His whole hand was stained a ruby red color. The metallic scent of blood was all around him. He looked up as he heard Iris's voice, and his eyes widened. "What are you doing back here? Get out now! It doesn't matter what happened to me," he said, and he bit his lip nervously, looking around the room for anyone else.

Iris shook her head and muttered, "No can do. You are hurt." She reached out to help him hesitantly. "You saved my butt back there," she muttered, then realized what he said. Oh, if their instructor had heard her words, she would have had a stroke. It was so unladylike. Well, she hadn't been acting but like a lady from the start anyway. "Let me help."

Sebastian sighed to himself, and he shook his head. He didn't think at all that she should help him. She helped him enough trying to get him out of there. He bit his lip, and he looked up at her. "Please, don't. You are already in so much trouble. We don't need anymore," he said to her.

Iris glanced over her shoulder hesitantly before she stood and ran to the door to lock it. "But Sebastian," she whispered, dropping to his side once more. "If they don't kill you, this surely will," she whispered, glancing away. "Besides, you already said I was in trouble. What is the worst than can do to me? Kill me?"

Sebastian bit his lip, and he shook his head. "No no no. Iris, get out, now. I am fine okay. I am going to be fine," he said, but he new that it was a lie. Everything hurt, and the king was more than likely going to kill him, but that was okay. "I'm replicable," he said.

Iris frowned at his refusal; he was getting rid of her that easily. He was in for a rude awakening if he thought he was going to. His statement made her eyes widen. "What are you talking about?" she asked, shaking her head. "No one can replace a son," she stated, feeling a pang. "I would know. I lost a brother."

Sebastian sighed, and he shook his head. She would never understand, no matter how hard she tried. he would appreciate her efforts, but in the end, they wouldn't help him. "Maybe to you, but would you honestly think the same about me? I have a twin who is skilled so much more than I am at everything. My father wouldn't care if I died," he said quietly. His mother would though, but what did it matter. The king wasn't going to help him. His mother would die of her sickness.

Iris hesitated at his words; she worried with her bottom lips. Finally, she took his hands. "Sebastian, I have had a good life. Sure, it was tough, and my family and I were hungry most of the time. But compared to what little I know about yours, it sounds like a five star quality life," she began, pausing to contemplate her words. "You have trained and fought all your life. Let me have something to fight for." With a long sigh, she whispered, "Let me see the wound."

Sebastian sighed as he listened to her. Sure, her life didn't sound all that great, but it sounded like paradise to him. "Iris, you are insane if you think that my life sounds five star," he said, and he bit his lip as he thought about his mother. When she asked to see the wound, he took his shirt off, and he looked down at his shoulder. It hurt, and it looked pretty bad from what he could see.

Iris glanced around; there had to be a first aid kit somewhere. Sighing, she looked through drawers. Finally, luck seemed to be on her side. She returned to him and began to gently dab at the wound with cotton swabs before coating antibacterial lotion over it. She tried to not look at how major it was. "If I help you leave...would you ever come back?"

Sebastian bit back a few cried of pain as she disinfected his wound. he had seen it happen to men before, but to had never happened to him. And it hurt bad. He closed his eyes tightly. When she spoke, he opened one eye and sighed. "It's a death wish to, but I'm probably stupid enough to do it," he told her with a small smirk.

Iris threw him worried glances; she knew it pained him, and she wished she could help it. But the only way to insure he would get through it was to clean up the wound. She bandaged it the best she could and sat back. His answer made a half smile slip onto her face. "Good. Because if there was one thing that would encourage me to stay....it would be you," she whispered. She flushed at her own words. "I mean...I would love to see you again."