Broken But Unburnt

Chapter 11 - Maverick

Chapter 11: Maverick

Palace of the Equinox Throne: Kingdom of Delos

Maverick was feeling far more uneasy at court now that he had sent his most trusted ally away. He had others, of course. Aditya and Zephyr and Delphi, he would trust with his life just as well, but there was something about the calming presence of the silent Neva that he missed whenever she was absent.

She had been surprised by his orders, questioning why he would send her to their new allies, maintaining that, if war was coming, surely it would come from the south. It would. But war was not the only thing that Maverick was concerned about at present. Delos needed to know just who they were allying themselves with. The Idorian King had left his country in the stewardship of a common soldier rather than his own heir. The oddity of such a choice was enough to warrant Maverick deciding he needed to learn more of this man calling him the Chaos. And he knew no one better to get answers for him than Neva.

She left the very evening that he sent her. Idoria's king left the next when a messenger had arrived from his kingdom and alerted the entirety of the gathered court about a situation in which representatives of his country had burned a Karilish embassy to the ground, sentencing everyone inside to grave, fiery deaths. The Idorian king hid his reaction well but Maverick could see the surprise in his eyes all the same and wondered if he would be hearing the true story from Neva any day now.

Despite the fact that the king of Idoria had seemed to both arrive and depart amidst scandal, Helios had not budged in his declaration that Orion should marry the Princess Seraphina and Maverick's constant attempts to question him had been met only with angry dismissal. Desperate to avoid binding his country to one in as precarious a state as Idoria, Maverick only had one other option.

Straightening his lapel and clearing his throat, he knocked once on his half-brother's door. Orion answered a moment later. Shirtless, goblet in hand, lips stained wine red, he grimaced at Maverick as he stood in the threshold.

"What do you want?" He spat. Maverick silently reminded himself to stay patient. Things had always been tense between the two brothers but it was important that Orion listened to him now.

"Can't a man visit his brother without needing something in return?" Maverick asked innocently, spreading his hands in a warm, welcoming gesture and giving his half-brother a smile. Orion's brow furrowed and he frowned but he opened the door wider as he turned away and headed back for the decanter and more wine.

"Not usually," he grunted. Maverick took the unspoken invitation and entered. "Do you want some? Father ordered ten barrels of it for my betrothal."

"No, thank you."

For a moment, it was quiet. Both boys just stared at each other in uncomfortable silence. Then Orion sighed and leaned back against the table holding the decanter.

"Well, if you're not here because you want something, why are you here?" He asked.

"Seraphina," Maverick replied and Orion smiled.

"She's a pretty one, isn't she?"

"Sure."

"Not very bright but none of them are, you know. Princesses."

"I don't—"

"But what about her? You jealous?"

The very idea of Maverick's envy had Orion smiling like a kid on Christmas Day.

"No," Maverick answered. "I'm concerned. Orion, you don't even know her. You don't love her. Aren't you worried that perhaps your fathers are rushing you into an arrangement that isn't what's best for everyone involved?"