A Promise Kept [Maverick]

Marriage, betrothals. The boy stirred in his sleep. He'd been sleeping a lot lately, so much so that many had wondered if he'd fallen ill. Perhaps he had. No matter what his ailment, it was clear the boy was not adjusting well to the idea of marrying someone he hadn't met before, particularly the sister of the girl he was absolutely head over tail for. It was no joke that he would have been unhappy at almost any pairing his father had arranged for him.. but Chrysanthe? This was beyond cruel and unusual punishment. Of course he knew Gerhardt was only thinking of Seracia, just as Maverick often did. But was a marriage really necessary? He shook his head, opening lime eyes in frustration. Yes, it was. He would just have to concede to the fact that he would forever remain the brother in law of the girl of his dreams, tied eternally to her sister whom he did not love - and did not even know. Word on the streets was that Chrysanthe was a looker, but looks could not make him love her, nor could anything else. She would never be Epiphron, would never come close.

There's nothing you can do about it, so just move on with your life, try to enjoy your freedom. Freedom. The word was foreign even in his mind. He had limited freedom, especially now. His duty was to Seracia, his entire life indebted to his father, his home. He would be dead if not for Gerhardt, the least he could do was use his life to aide his father's cause. That meant being a productive Prince, not some layabout like his brother. Lifting his head off of his paws, Maverick would stir. This was not his usual den, but it had done for the night. He had not bothered to go into the main circle where the rest of Seracia - or most of them - slept the night away. He had not wanted them to see how he was coping with the decision that had been made. The wedding was soon, he could feel the date creeping up on him like the angel of death, threatening to end his life as he knew it. Like it or not, the boy was getting hitched.

He tried not to think about that as he stood to his paws, stretching and writhing on powerful legs. He was filling out considerably, especially now that he was so active and youthful. Now standing at an impressive thirty-six inches, and weighing in somewhere around one hundred and twenty pounds, the boy was nothing to snort at. Lean muscle replaced puppy fat, and his fur grew in length and increased in luster. White pocked rump shone brightly in the sun as he emerged from his den, noting a figure looming on the horizon. She was at the border, and looked familiar. However, this distance would not allow for a clear identification. Strutting forth with every bit of Princely pride he could muster, Maverick's swagger would carry him at a gentle pace. He had all the time in the world, and this woman - whoever she was - could wait until he got there.

Oy, I'm Prince Maver... Insomnia? He cut his speech short, offering a smile and a frenzied wag of his tail. What're you doing here? She was a face from his youth, a figment of his childhood. For quite some time he'd wondered if she'd even existed at all, or if he'd just dreamed the whole ordeal. But she must've existed, for here she stood before him, intent upon.. something. Had she simply come back to say hello? His hind end swayed back and forth with his tail as lime eyes danced over her frame curiously.


Speech!