Maverick dropped his head into his hands, his elbows resting on the gilded table in his room. No, not room, rooms.

They'd moved him into the King's Chambers, which alone was bigger than his family home back in Treywick. He could have easily housed all of his travel companions in the room with him, but they'd been given rooms of their own.

None of them quite as elaborate as his.

In the weeks since Phoenix had left with Abigail and Trey, things had amplified quickly. In the first day of Phoenix's absence, Maverick had been put through a grueling day of military planning with the Militia generals. They'd allowed Roman to join him, but Youlden and Noelle were nowhere to be seen.

In fact, it almost felt as though he were being pulled away from the people he knew. Even Finny's interactions had been limited.

"There isn't time," General Yow had said, dragging Maverick away from her. "You need an education in how to rule if you're going to be king."

Days of rules, etiquette, training, and strategy bounced around in his head. And all he wanted was to go back home.

A soft knock at the door drew him out of his despondence. "Enter."

"Mav?" Noelle peeked around the door, her heart-shaped face drawn, and her eyebrows furrowed. She slipped inside, her slight frame like a willow in a breeze as she moved across the room to him.

Maverick shifted, sitting upright and forcing a smile onto his face. "Can I do something for you?"

She hesitated at his side, and he realized he was almost as tall as she was while sitting. A flash memory of Aundreya filled his thoughts and he looked away, suppressing a shiver.

"I haven't seen you for a few days and - well I know we've never been very close, but I thought I'd see how you were doing with everything."

He glanced up at her, her brown eyes wide. He could sense a bit of fear in them, as though he might strike out at her with a cruel word or a fist. With a sigh, he forced himself to relax.

"It's not going so well," he said, slumping in the chair. "I wish Laina were here."

Noelle's lips twitched in the faintest smile as she settled herself into the chair next to his. "You were the one who left her behind first, if you recall."

"That's when I was trying to protect her, but now..." he trailed off, glancing around his oversized dwelling space. "I just wish she could tell me what's the truth and what's being overstated."

"What do you mean?"

"The way these men talk, you'd think Bainon was lighting towns on fire and forcing women into a harem. He's from the bowels of the deepest hells and everyone is oppressed."

"And you don't believe them?" Noelle asked, frowning. "Then what's the point of the Militia?"

Struggling to find the words, he traced one of the carvings on the table. It depicted the triumph of Tremaine in the days of first man. "I don't know. Bainon doesn't have an heir, and Narissa can't be trusted. They are killing people - people like Abigail and Trey who never did anything. But I don't think they're quite as bad as the Generals say. They all want me to ride in and destroy the entire Army and force myself onto the throne."

Noelle dropped her chin onto her fist, propping her elbow on the table. "And what do you want to do?"

"I want to help people."

"So do."

Maverick frowned at her. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"You're the heir." Noelle gave a little shrug. "You don't have to do anything they say. In fact, they should be asking you. Not telling you. You should be the one in charge if they expect you to lead. If they don't want it that way, then that's fine. But you don't have to do what they say, either."

"I don't think it's that easy."

Noelle placed her hand on top of his, and he tensed. She seemed to sense his discomfort, for she pulled her hand away, blushing.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--I know I make you uncomfortable." Her eyes shone as though she might cry, and she looked away. "Anyone who's ever met my sister is uncomfortable around me. I remind you of her."

"No. Noelle, I'm sorry." He grabbed her hand, holding it in both of his. "It's not that - well sometimes it's that, but--" he broke off, unsure of how to put the feeling to words.

"Sometimes I wish I hadn't been born - that there hadn't been two of us, sharing the same face." Noelle's words were thick with emotion.

"You don't have the same face," Maverick argued, wanting to ease her pain. At her scathing look, he let out a soft chuckle. "I mean, you have a very similar face, yes, but it isn't the same. Trust me, I remember Aundreya's face. You're softer than she is. Kinder. You're - you're beautiful."

This time she looked him straight on, something unfamiliar in her expression. "Thank you. You're very kind."

"I'm not saying it to be kind."

Her cheeks flushed and she dropped her gaze. Maverick shifted her hand until it was in just one of his own. Brushing his thumb against the soft skin of her palm, he swallowed the lump in his throat, willing himself to speak.

"Oh!" A voice from the door made them both jump, and Noelle jerked her hand away. "I'm sorry, but I did knock."

Gwen stood, her lips pursed as though to keep from laughing as she stared at the pair of them. Maverick cleared his throat, wishing he wasn't so red in the face.

"It's fine. I'm just - I was just leaving." Noelle leapt to her feet and scurried out the door. Gwen watched her go with an amused expression.

"I didn't mean to chase her away," she said, pointing back toward the door. "I only wanted a word. She needn't leave."

Maverick mumbled something unintelligible, noticing the drink glasses on a tray in Gwen's hand. "What are those?"

"Something they were going to bring up to you, but I figured if I was already on my way up, I'd bring them. Hope you don't mind. I was presumptuous enough to make one for myself, too."

"No, please. Sit." Maverick gestured to the chair Noelle has just vacated, and Gwen plopped down into it after setting the drinks before him.

"I think they're grapefruit juice - or pomegranate? I haven't tried it yet." She lifted her glass into the air. "To the heir apparent. Maverick Tremaine."

"Knight."

"Huh?" Gwen stopped her glass halfway to her lips, her auburn brows quirking.

"I'm a Knight - my mother was a Tremaine, but my father was a Knight."

Gwen smirked, her expression friendly and familiar. "They'll likely call you a Tremaine, since that's the royal line, you know." She took a sip of the drink. "Mm, I think it's pomegranate. It has an interesting aftertaste - I can't tell." She downed the whole drink, and Maverick laughed.

"You could slow down a bit," he said, taking a drink of his own. The fruity tingle and tang danced on his tongue.

"Well this way you can call me a royal taste-tester. You probably should have one, you know - after that man attacked the boy for no reason."

Maverick gulped down a bit more of his drink, thankful for the refreshment. "They put that man in the dungeon, you know."

"I'd heard. Did he ever say why he did it?"

"Just said 'she told me too'." Maverick paused, the glass suspended in midair as the thought hit him. "There's a woman in the dungeon who was trying to kill Trey."

"Do you think it was her?" Gwen asked, eyes wide.

"Probably. She was determined to cause him harm when we captured her on our way here. If she had one man roaming around the castle, who's to say she doesn't have more?" Maverick set his glass down and ran a hand through his hair with a groan.

Gwen's face scrunched up. "You doing all right? Things have seemed a bit - stressful for you, from what I've seen."

"It's been a lot."

"Do you - I mean, is it what you want?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, do you want to be king?"

Maverick blinked at her. "I'm the heir. I don't have a choice."

Gwen shrugged. "If you refused, a new ruling family would just be chosen. Would that be so bad? For the Tremaine line to stop ruling?"

"But the right to rule - "

"Is something the other countries have. Not ours." At Maverick's shock, Gwen nodded. "It's true. Braskey is the only country without magic like the other six. We don't have sorcerers born into our midst. We are all gifted. There's the royal birthmark - but that's the closest we get to anything denoting someone as a ruler. And that's a family trait."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean all the Tremaines have them. Not just the next in line to rule. Your mother had one, Tarvril had one, and Bainon has one. Not all of them were going to rule on the throne - but they all had one. They kept the family lines small to prevent having too many with that sort of power, but surely there's a cousin out there with a birthmark that could easily step up to rule, even if he's twelfth cousin once removed.

"Or maybe a new family entirely. Why does one family have to rule forever? Why not let someone else do it? It happens all the time in the histories of other countries. When a family dies out, magic chooses a new family. We don't have that magic - so someone would just rise up to rule."

"Yes," Maverick answered, "but they might not be a good ruler."

"And you will be?" Gwen asked.

"I - I want to be."

A soft smile spread across her lips. "Good. If that's what you want, do it. But don't become king just because you feel like you have to, Maverick. You don't have to do anything, all right?"

"Why do you care?" Maverick asked, blinking as a haze filled his vision. He could see Gwen blinking rapidly.

"I just want - I just want to make sure you're doing it for the right reasons."

"I want to help. If I can help people by being king, I'll do it."

"Good. I'll go - that's all I wanted to say." Gwen stood, but the world seemed to tip where Maverick sat.

"I think - that - something isn't - " he couldn't finish his sentence.

Everything went black.

Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun. What happened to Maverick?!?? Oh no!

Do you think he should be king, or should let another family rule, as Gwen suggests?

Also - Mav and Noelle...just sayin'.
Leave your thoughts below!