Broken Birth

Chapter Two: Weeping and Whispers

I hear a knock at the door. "Mare? Can I come in?" 

I sigh at hearing her voice, but I knew she would come eventually. "Yeah sure, you can come in."

The door creaks as Farley enters the room, nervously biting her lip as she sits on the edge of my bed. I see rare pity in her eyes. "Mare...listen I'm sorry." Ahh, I knew this was coming. "I know that Cal would be alive if I hadn't let Maven get that knife, and I just...I understand if you can't forgive me but I really am sorry that he's dead." 

I look up at her bold eyes, frown, a scar across her face, and I know she is telling the truth. "It's fine, Farley. I don't blame you. It's not your fault." She exhales, and I know she is relieved. I reach for her hand, to have someone to hold onto, and she lets me. We sit like that until there is another knock at the door. I let them in, and it's--

"Davidson?" Farley and I both say in surprise. Farley lets out another noise of shock and rage as Ptolemus and Evangeline walk in. The latter shields her brother as I hold Farley back.

"Hello, Mare, Farley. I'm sorry to disturb you, but you must meet Anabel and Julian in the throne room right away," Davidson says. 

I begin to protest but Evangeline interrupts me. "Trust me, you're going to want to hear this," she says in a voice full of wonder, and that alone gets me to stand up and leave the room I've been in since Cal...since then. Farley comes with me and we all walk to the throne room. 

When we arrive, the first thing I feel is someone's long, skinny arms hugging me to his chest. I blink back tears and smile. "Hi, Julian." 

He looks down at me and smiles too. "Hello, Mare." When the hug ends, I look over to see Anabel standing by the throne, turning over what would have been Cal's crown over and over in her hands. I see her eyes are just as red as Julian's and mine are, and that makes me dislike her just a little less.

Anabel clears her throat and begins talking in as much of a regal voice as she can muster. Still, it cracks just a little bit. "Hello, everyone. This is an official meeting of our alliance, with leaders of each country/group present. Due to the..." her voice trembles. "The succession crisis, I am acting as queen. Since Volo and Larentia were killed by Iris and Cenra, Evangeline and Ptolemus are standing in as queen and king. General Farley, you are a command officer representing the Scarlet Guard. And of course, Premier Davidson, you lead Montfort." She clears her throat and looks at me and Julian, standing a little off to the side. To my surprise, her face softens and she speaks in a gentler voice. "You are probably wondering why you two are here. While you aren't needed persay, we thought it best you are here, because you are...were Cal's loved ones. And this matter greatly concerns Cal, as it has to do with his killer. And brother. Someone both of you have cared for at some point, same as me." She gulps, unable to continue. But I can.

"Maven," I whisper. 

Anabel nods, and he is brought in by a mix of Laris windweavers, Iral silks, and Red and Newblood guards, some in Montfort green and others in Scarlet Guard red. Shackled with Silent Stone manacles, trailed closely by Cameron, Maven Calore enters the room. He glares at us all, and even has the gall to blow me a kiss and wink. I hate him.

"Maven Calore," Anabel begins in a ringing voice. "You stand here convicted of treason. You have murdered your brother and the rightful king of Norta as well as countless others."

"You have ripped your country into pieces as you started a brutal civil war, and damaged relations with all of our neighbors, especially Piedmont." Julian continues.

"You treated Reds like dirt and insects, content to persecute them because you saw them as inferior, killing thousands in the process. You treated Newbloods like freaks, snatching them to your palace and holding Mare captive." Farley thunders.

"You had us as friends, as soldiers, as allies, in the beginning. But you threw the might of Samos away for petty power plays that were doomed to fail." Ptolemus shouts.

"You are a jealous, little boy playing with fire, following under the orders of a dead woman, blaming your mother for your every fault." Evangeline adds on. She looks at me, and I land the final blow.

"Maven Calore, you are a monster." Finally, he flinches. Just a little bit, so subtle I think everyone else missed it. But no, Julian saw it too. We exchange looks, and I see he is every bit as shaken as I feel. 

"As summed up by our entire alliance, you have done terrible things to your family, friends, allies, and country as a whole. You do not deserve to live, Maven Calore. You should be sentenced to death." Anabel proclaims, staring daggers to her grandson. 

He just rolls his eyes. "Well, can't say I'm shocked," he says with a smirk.

"I stand by what I said, Maven, It's too bad you have no soul, for you could have been someone worth saving." Farley says sadly. 

"I won't be held responsible for anything an alligator does," Maven muses, twirling one curl of black hair. "Yes, I remember."

"But what if there was?" Anabel says softly. "What if we could fix him? What if we had a Newblood whisper who could try and undo what Elara did to him? To my grandson?" she ends in a whisper. 

Suddenly it's really hard to breathe. "No," I say in complete shock. "No, it's not possible. We looked! Cal...Cal looked."

"And he found someone. I found someone. There is a powerful Newblood whsiper in Montfort, who is willing to give it a shot. To try to piece together the puzzle of Maven Calore." Davdison replies, looking me in the eyes. So this is what Evangeline said I needed to be here for. They can fix...they can heal...they can bring back my Maven. 

"Cal tried to help me?" Maven asks no one, sounding like a broken little boy.

"Who?" I simply ask, my voice surprisingly steady. 

Davidson clears his throat, and looks at Anabel, who nods. "I think it's time you all met Harlow." The big doors ring open as a girl walks in.