- — Vassilios[1]
Vassilios Nevrakis, a character in The Crown & The Flame series, is Luther Nevrakis's brother. He is placed in control of Thorngate Castle and, by extension, the Kingdom of Bellmere by his brother until Book 2, Chapter 2, where he is killed by Dom. He is first seen in Book 2, Chapter 1.
Appearance
Vassilios is a visibly corpulent man with brown hair, blue eyes and fair skin with freckles. He wears a black and yellow silk and fur doublet with tassels, and a black wide-brimmed hat with white plumage. His clothing is encrusted generously with several jewels.
Personality
Vassilios is pompous, condescending, and sarcastic, looking down at Kenna and disregarding her threats patronizingly. He guffaws at the concept of mercy for the conquered. He has full support of his brother Luther, and does not like losing easily, seen when he set Thorngate Castle ablaze when Kenna and Rowan Thorn were about to capture him. He is also rather sadistic, excited at the prospect of torturing Kenna and her allies upon Luther's arrival.
He is very materialistic, as can be seen with his attire as well as his flaunted wine collection. He also loves to gossip and often speaks without thinking of the potential consequences; Zenobia Nevrakis calls him "the King of Gossip-mongers". Diavolos reveals that his loose tongue has once forced Luther to retreat all the way to Abanthus' border after he disclosed his brother's positioning of his troops in Panrion, and that he once revealed that Diavolos's biological mother didn't die of illness but at the hand of an assassin. Vassilios claims he didn't know that her real cause of death was supposed to be kept secret in order to maintain the safety of the rest of the family.
In addition, the topics of which he is fond can be quite unsavory; these include pneumonia, flatulence, and his own shortcomings in bed.
He has varying opinions on his kin: he considered Baltair, Seoras, and Diavolos delightful children and Luther's favorites; he thinks Marco is bland; and he is absolutely terrified of Zenobia.
Background
During a party at Lykos Castle involving the Nevrakis and the Fydorians, he caught Diavolos and Zenobia discussing Prince Tevan. Zenobia, horrified, tried to drive him away, but Vassilios overheard most of the conversation and promised not to tell Luther about his niece's secret. He then immediately attempted to disclose it upon Luther's approach, prompting Diavolos to intervene.
Chapters
The Crown & The Flame
Book 2
- Chapter 1: The Battle of Thorngate
- Chapter 2: The Burning of Thorngate
- Chapter 3: The Shipbuilders (Mentioned)
- Chapter 4: The Docks (Mentioned)
- Chapter 8: The Masquerade Ball (Determinant)
- Chapter 13: The Wolf's Mouth (Mentioned; Determinant)
Book 3
- Chapter 5: The Uneasy Alliance (Determinant)
- Chapter 16: The Great Protector
Trivia
- According to Vassilios under the effects of Blueblood:
- He had a stomach condition that caused him frequent flatulence. This gave him the nickname "Wind of Thorngate".
- When Vassilios discovered that Luther would be king and not him, he went into his brother's room and hid Luther's crown inside his (Vassilios's) trousers.
- Baltair was a brute and loved raspberry custard, and Seoras was a master strategist known for his sweet smile. Diavolos was his father's shadow, and Marco was bland and insipid. Zenobia was the only one who didn't go off with Luther.
- Kenna had six weeks to prepare for Luther's return.
- The name Vassilios is of Greek origin and means: Basil, royal, kingly, valiant, regal, chivalrous. In Arabic, the name Vassilios is considered a derivation of the name Bassel, which means: Brave, intrepid, fearless.
- The surname Nevrakis is of Greek origin and means "courageous".
- He, along with his brother Luther, are the only members of the Nevrakis Family that die regardless of the player's decisions.