Broken But Unburnt

Chapter 20 - Aditya

Chapter 20: Aditya

Palace of the Equinox Throne: Kingdom of Delos

The man who called himself The Chaos was still sound asleep when Aditya rose from his bed the next morning. She said a silent prayer of thanks that Delphi's informant had been telling the truth as she stepped into the hallway, shifting her features away from the Princess Seraphina's and back into her own as she closed the door silently behind her.

He was waiting for her only two doors down, frowning and looking as though someone had slipped a skunk into his room the night before. She knew he would be there but, still, she had dreaded the further shame of seeing him this morning just as well.

"Is it done?" Zephyr snapped, gruffly, as she approached. That alone soured her mood so she tossed her hair over her shoulder and breezed past him with a huff.

"The seeds have been planted," she replied as if his fury didn't affect her at all.

He made a noise from the back of his throat and stomped after her. It wasn't unusual for Zephyr to object to her assignments. Though, Maverick hadn't given her this mission. She had taken it upon herself to determine that, in the prince's absence, it was wisest to learn as much as possible about the man whom everyone believed to have ordered Maverick's near violent demise. And who did one tell more information to than a lover? Delphi had supported the plan, though she had warned Aditya to be careful. The future-seer was skittish enough as it was and something about the Chaos made her run and hide even more so than usual. But Aditya tried not to read too far into that and fell into her role with the same grace and decorum she brought to every reconnaissance assignment she was given. Still, no matter how sensible the plan was, she knew Zephyr would be against it. Likely, Maverick would have been against it as well but he wasn't here to object.

After a few minutes of Zephyr's grumbling, she whirled on him.

"If you take issue with my methods, speak your piece," she snapped, having had enough of his surly attitude.

"Why should I?" he growled back. "It doesn't seem to stop you either way."

"I don't take pleasure in it, you know that."

"Do I?"

Aditya's jaw dropped. She blinked at him, jumping as if she'd been slapped.

"How dare you," she spat, leaning forward and raising her voice, preparing for a fight that had been a long time coming. She had told every other person in her life the same thing. They could not control her. She was not to be controlled. And if he couldn't understand that...

"Aditya," someone's voice interrupted sweetly and she and Zephyr both looked up to see Valencia approaching, a swarm of handmaidens trailing just a few feet behind her. "Zepyhr."

"Good morning Valencia," Aditya and Zephyr replied at the same time, bowing their heads respectfully as the king's concubine approached.

"Join me," Valencia said. Her voice was sweet and gentle but Aditya recognized the command for what it was. She and Zephyr had no choice but to fall in behind the woman as she strode back towards her own room, a bedchamber only a few doors down from the king's for obvious reasons.

The handmaidens abandoned them at the entrance to Valencia's rooms. The woman herself glided inside, setting down her shawl and walking towards the window. Aditya and Zephyr hesitated in the doorway.

"Come in, come in," Valencia cooed.

They did as they were told, jumping when the guards shut the door firmly behind them. Valencia had made her way to the window and was looking out at the palace grounds below as if they hadn't followed her here at all, as if she were alone with her thoughts. Aditya had just begun to believe she truly had forgotten their presence when Valencia spoke.