Chapter 44: Augustus Aiden Xavier (Part 2)

Augustus

"Wait, you shall not be there?"

"No, Aiden. I shall not. Besides, Father thinks I am a rich, spoilt, tomboy brat already. We would not want to ruin our family name, would we?" Hazel said, emphasizing the word tomboy.

Honestly, I hated the thought of leaving her behind alone in the castle. We might be out for months or even a whole year. What would she do while we were gone? Do not get me wrong; I was not anxious about her. She could handle herself quite well. 'Twas the castle I was worried about.

The last time she was kept alone in that Spain villa of ours - she managed to burn that down within an hour. I did not doubt her for even a second that she might be capable of doing that a second time around. I loved this castle more than anything, and burning it down would be the last thing I would ever wish.

However, the thing that hit me was the way she said 'tomboy'. I knew she loved being who she was. Although, being a tomboy was a difficult job on its own - going against the usual grain? 'Twas hard. Our society was not so open-minded to treat tomboys the same way they treat the traditional girls. 'Twas not their faults that the tomboys were wired that way. To be frank, 'twas no one's faults. Then why should we believe otherwise?

"You are not a disgrace, Hazel. Remember that. Just because you are a tomboy does not mean you are anything less than a usual girl. You just have a flair of your own that is attractive," I paused to see her face lighting up with my words. However, as an older brother, 'twas my right to mess with her. "Although, I cannot guarantee if any Prince or a commoner would like you for that,"

She playfully punched my arm, laughing, "I do not care if there is no Prince in the world or a commoner to like me for me! I can forever stay single and independent. Although, I would like to believe otherwise. If my own brother thinks that tomboys are not a disgrace to society - there might be others who share the same thought,"

It had a fifty-fifty probability of happening. Either there were or there were not. Though, I would like to see on the bright side and wish that there was someone like that for my sister. Someone who would understand my sister and deal with her crazy tomboy-mess, the way I had dealt for the past twenty-one years of her life.

"I pray there is someone like that, someone to deal with your crazy self." I smiled.

She mirrored my smile. "And I hope you find the one for you after you are done with the whole 'Mission: Call Off Engagement'. Also, I just pray to god that you happen to find a tomboy for yourself," She said the last statement, dreamily, as if already planning my imaginary wedding.

"Why do you say so?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

She smiled, proudly, placing a hand on my shoulder. "'Tis because that tomboy would consider herself lucky if she found my brother who understands tomboys and does not treat them like the society does. A tomboy goes through a lot all her life and if she finds someone like you, imagine how blessed she would feel! Moreover, you never liked the usual princesses, did you? You always wanted someone different, unique, charming, attractive, had a mouth of her own that ran faster than a sword, and last but not the least - who stood up for herself and did not need a man to take care of her for she could handle herself just fine!"

My eyes widened at her detailed description of what I wanted in my girl. I was astonished to know how much she knew about this. I clearly remembered till this day, I had never shared this information with anyone, not even my own self!

Then how did she...?

She moved in a swift motion and opened the drawer which revealed a diary. She waved it in front of me and said, "'Some things should be better left unsaid, for these are words felt by the heart and said by the very eyes that are windows to the soul' Honestly, I never knew you wrote such beautiful and marvelous piece of poetry, Aiden. I am clearly envious of you now,"

"Give me my diary!" I dived to snatch the diary from her, however, she was quick so she moved from the way swiftly, causing me to fall on my face.

She laughed, watching me dramatically fall on the wooden floor.

---

I laughed, staring at the diary in my hands. It had been almost a year now since that very day. For a whole year, I was away from my sister. 'Twas the year I met the Princess, 'twas the year I met Annie, 'twas the year I finally decided to drop that plan of ours.

Until today.

Today was the day I realized that the Princess was an imposter. The lady I had met a year ago, wasn't the Princess but someone else who shared the same face as her. I was disturbed when I heard this from James. I did not believe it at first, thinking Annie would not lie to me. No, she would not lie to me!

However, she did.

Although, she never admitted it her eyes said everything. James told us why she had done it and that everything she ever told us was a lie.

Her real name was Charlie Robinson.

And she had done all of this because of money.

She was a gold-digger.

A bloody gold-digger!

I could not believe I had fallen for someone who did nothing but lied to all of us in the palace just because she desired the money. Of course, she did all of this! At first, she desired the money, and when she found out that the Princess was supposed to be engaged to me, she dropped her previous idea and then wished to get married to me.

That was what James had told us.

That was what Father had believed.

That was what my mind believed.

Not my heart.

She was everything I ever wanted. She was a tomboy, she had an attractive flair, she was charming and she was fearlessly independent. She did not keep her mouth shut when her father was asked what her plans were for her life. I still remember her outburst. I laughed remembering that memory. I clearly remembered that I had made mentally checked the point 'mouth runs faster than a sword'.

I understand that I sound contradictory at the moment. My heart and mind were at constant war with each other from the moment James revealed every intention of the Princess and the tomboy.

Ever since that, I locked myself in my room, away from all people, and just read the diary while laughing at the memories.

That was when my cell phone rang. I picked it up without looking at the caller ID.

"I'm not in the mood to talk, so please don't..."

"Aiden?"

My eyes widened and I quickly scanned the caller ID.

"Hazel? What a pleasant surprise! How are you doing? Is everything alright? Is the castle alright? You did not burn it down, did you? Please tell me you didn't do anything like that. Please, for god's sakes..."

All I heard was her pleasant laughter.

"Hold on, hold your horses, Aiden. Nothing like that happened. 'Tis just a year,"

I retorted. "You burned our Spain villa within an hour,"

"Now, you are digging up buried matters, Aiden. We have talked about it. I was not to be blamed,"

I sighed. One could never blame her for doing things. She always had a way of getting out of any troubles whenever she wanted with a little sweet-talk.

"However," She continued. "That is not the reason I called,"

"Yes, I believe there is something else to discuss,"

She took a pause, possibly taking a deep breath before starting.

"The reason I called was that there has been a rumor about the Princess of Titania fleeing and an impostor taking her spot. Is that true?"

Every emotion that I tried to bury within me came flooding back - every memory, every feeling, every thought, all of them hit me. However, I decided to not let myself get carried away in the emotions. I steeled myself before answering.

"Yes," I said, in my thick, British accent. "That is true,"

"How are you doing, then? Are you okay?" She asked, concerned.

I had decided that I would not let her know what I felt at the moment or well, anything that had happened in the last few hours. However, the news on the t.v would not let that happen.

"I am okay," I lied, desperately hoping she would buy it.

"Oh no, mister! You do not lie to me! I know you are not doing okay at the moment - because no one in your place would be okay after they know that the person they had known all these months was nothing but an impostor! I know, I would not have been okay. Although, if you really are okay - then you are not a human, Aiden."

She did not leave any space for me to be able to defend myself. She had cornered me completely and if I lied further, I would have to keep doing so because she would not rest until she was truly assured that I was really doing fine.

"Fine," I huffed. "I yield. Yes, you are right. I am not okay," I admitted.

I was far from being okay right now.

"YES! A-HA! I KNEW YOU WERE LYING TO ME! NOW WHO'S THE GENIUS?!" She screamed on the phone and jumped around in victory. Plus, I was ninety-nine percent sure Theo was closeby who was saying that she was indeed a genius who had solved a puzzle.

"Calm down, woman! You are scaring Theo!"

"Oh, he has left already - he could not bear to see my crazy dance,"

Oh, thank god!

Poor Theo, always witnessing the crazy Hazel and having to keep his lips sealed about it.

She calmed down after around three to four minutes and spoke.

"Now, tell me the whole story,"

---

"That is everything,"

I told her everything she had to know - from the start to the end, sparing her no detail. She silently listened to every detail and after I was done, that was when she spoke.

"Hmm, I understand. So that is what exactly happened."

"Yes, that is what happened."

"Do you not think it is a little odd?" She asked, which made me wonder.

What was she hinting at?

"What are you talking about?"

She clarified herself. "I mean, think about it. I understand James is Princess Francine's cousin and all. However, he has not met her or her brother in a long time. Moreover, as you previously mentioned, he just showed up a month ago. Then how did he know all this? How did he figure that Princess Francine had an impostor? And this was not the Princess who was in the castle but rather the impostor herself? And how did he know about the impostor's intention? Do these questions not come to your brain? Have you just simply believed James without even clarifying it from the impostor - I mean, Charlie herself?"

"No, I have not. Why would James lie about something like this? These kinds of things are common here, are they not? Girls desire Royalty because of its luxurious lifestyles. 'Twas pretty obvious she would do something like this."

"She might have some other reason behind doing this, might not she?" Hazel argued.

I snapped. "Why are you defending her?!"

She snapped back. "Why are you not defending her?! You have known her for almost a year now, not the Princess. Does she not deserve your trust at the very least?!"

"SHE BROKE MY FUCKING HEART!" I yelled on the phone, losing my temper completely. I did not understand why my own sister was defending someone she never met? Why would she do that? Charlie had done nothing but lie to me. Every single time we talked, all of those were lies!

LIES!

LIES!

LIES!

BLOODY LIES!

"You trust someone you barely know over someone who you had known for a year? Aiden, I cannot believe you sometimes! Moreover, I am damned sure now she had some other reason because this James sounds like bad news to me. Believe it or not, from what you have told me, he does not seem right. Something is definitely wrong. There is something that we are not aware of."

Have I ever mentioned that my sister loved detective work?

Well, she did, unfortunately.

That was why she always had to suspect things - a real bad habit if you ask me.

"You overthink a lot, Hazel. This is it. This is the reality. Charlie did everything for the money and Princess Francine has been found and they are all locked up. Soon, all of them shall be executed because of their crime. Justice shall be served."

She sighed. "That is not Justice, Aiden. You are completely blinded by your own emotions, you are not thinking straight. Think about what I have said previously. I shall talk to you when you have calmed down. Good day."

I sighed, "Good day,"

I hung up, threw the phone on the bed, and hugged my legs. I had never felt this pathetic in my whole life! My life had turned from a bright and colorful morning to a stormy night in just about a few hours. Never in a million years had I thought this day would come.

A day when Crowned Prince Augustus Aiden Xavier would get his heartbroken from a commoner!

And not just any commoner.

A commoner who played the role of my fiancée.

Charlie Robinson.

However, Hazel's previous words played in my mind on repeat. As far as I knew, Hazel's deductions were never wrong. She was always at the top of her class and her reasoning skills were impressive. She could have made one hell of a detective if she had continued her studies.

And so, if what she deduced was right, or well, even had the slightest possibility of being right, then I had to find the truth. The real truth. The one that no one knew.

I had to find out.

At any cost.