:D

I was sick of pacing this underground prison, I’ve been doing it all day everyday. Ever since these Scarlet Guard idiots locked me up, I’ve had too much time to think, too much time to regret.

And too much time to think of everyone I lost.

Don’t be weak, Maven.

Mother’s voice still rung sound in my head, although not as much or as loud as it would without the silent stone quietening it. This prison was a blessing and a curse, it seemed.

As the minutes dragged on, thought after thought came streaming down, with very few comments from Mother. Everything that’s been trapped underneath the thick hide of my skin, and every feeling I once thought to be lost with the rest of the imperfect son - the shadow of a flame, a disappointment to a family with a throne of nothing but bloodshed - came slowly, like water over rocks.

First, I thought about Mare. How I betrayed her and scarred her to no end. How I loved her and love her still. I chose a thrown over her but I was greedy. I was gonna have my cake and eat it too. Even if that meant I had to make her suffer. Oh, how I hated it…

After Mare came Thomas, the boy I never got over. And probably never will. I can still remember how kind he was…how forgiving he seemed to be. Would he forgive me now?

“Maven.” 

For a second, I could hear his voice, as if the torture of my mother’s wasn’t enough. This somehow felt worse… If Death is at my doorstep, I wonder why they just won’t come in.

“Maven.”

There it was again, sweet and laced with a faraway longing. I could still remember when he-

“Maven!”

Now that one scared me. It was as if he was in the room with me.

Out of pure confusion and shock, I looked around, not willing to believe more than just his voice was haunting me. My eyes landed on a pair of piercing hazel irises before I swore I was dreaming.

“…Thomas?”

“Long time no see,” he blew his long brown bangs out of his eyes, an action I recognized all too well, “Maven.”

I blinked and rubbed my eyes, certain that my mind was playing tricks on me. This is all Mother’s doing. It can’t be real. I saw him…

Images of fire and red, crimson blood filled my vision, his screams audible even with all the noise that surrounded us. His last words…were a terrible, horrible shrill, still hopeful even when I was the one spelling his doom. They were nothing but my name…a dead name that was replaced with “Monster”.

“How…are…”

I couldn’t get the words out, still too in shock to even move. It’s not everyday you see dead people come back to life.

“I’m a Newblood, Maven. A healer, kind of like a merge between a skin healer and a blood healer,” he gestured to his body, “See? No burns.”

“But…I killed you.”

“Uh, no. You and everyone else thought I was dead. Then you left my unconscious body to rot which gave me time to heal.” He smiled at me when he said that, seeming to not have a care in the world. I always suspected he was a Newblood ever since we found out about Mare. Even if my mother was petty…it was still hard to believe that she made me do it only because he weakened me. And now I know I was right.

“…Why did you come here?”

He shrugged, looking to be as calm as ever. Just how I remembered him. “I wanted to see you. Is it that hard to believe?”

Yes. I briefly wondered if he even heard of what I did and how I got here before I laid eyes on the medal stuck to his jacket, indicating that he was a private eye for the Scarlet Guard. Did I just turn blind today or what?

I looked at him with the eyes of a deer in headlights, not willing to believe he knew what I did and was okay with it. He just sighed and spoke again, “I know, you did some pretty awful stuff,” he paused, making sure to look me dead in the eye as he said his next words, “But that wasn’t you, Maven. Not the Maven I know.”

Instinctively, I donned the mask I perfected all those years ago, the mask of an uncaring king, a manipulator and monster above all else. If I wanted to protect him in any way…he had to believe.

“The Maven you know is long gone.”

Even with my practiced words that I have said so many times to so many people, he didn’t look convinced in the slightest. Instead, he smirked.

“Not even Elara Merandus can take away all of you, just like she couldn’t take away all of me,” he said so matter-of-factly, “Or all of the lightning girl.”

His tone made me shiver slightly, though I had no idea why. Seeing how his smirk widened and how much he knew, it was intimidating to say the least. I wonder if Mare told him anything…

Without another word, Thomas took a key out of his pocket and gingerly placed it into the keyhole of the prison lock. Was he supposed to escort me out?

As the key turned and the prison bars swung open on unoiled hinges, he stepped into the cage of silent stone with no hesitation and slowly made his way towards me.

“I would risk anything for a second chance right about now.”

One step.

“Especially if I won’t get it again.”

Second step.

“So if the Maven I know is still in there…” 

Third step.

“Let me meet him one more time.”

I wasn’t aware that tears had appeared until he touched my face. It made me aware of how painfully close we were. I couldn’t deny that I still loved him, and that I’ve always missed him.

And between all these lies and betrayals, I couldn’t make the choice to choose another lie when it would be seen through so easily.

And so, I cried openly when his arms wrapped around me, finally managing to let the old, imperfect Maven come into the light. It was so difficult to where a mask around him…

@lumieregod there ya go, broski! I wanted to end it on a better note where they run away together but I thought that this was also a good place to end it. Tell me what you think!

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