Just a Coincidence

Levoria Orphanage’s name came from Baron Eclette’s deceased wife, Baroness Levoria Eclette. The Baroness was known to love children ever since she turned 13, Levoria is from a commoner family and doesn’t dream of becoming a Baroness until she met her husband, the successor of the Eclette House, and gets married. Just like every other woman, Levoria also dreamed of taking good care of her child but a piece of sudden news from the physician broke her heart piece by piece. Baroness Levoria is infertile, that’s how she built the Levoria Orphanage.

Kalen and the Crown Prince get off their horse and see a lot of running children. There are a couple of children who even poke them before running away, not recognizing the face of Eleanor Empire's Crown Prince Luriel.

Rhysand also gets off the horse and looks around. It’s peaceful and relaxing, unlike in the capital where thieves are wandering around. Children start flocking the three as they saw the swords on their sheath.

“Oh! Look they’re a real knight!” A child with gray-ish hair claps his hand then shouts. The children start glimpsing on them, eyes sparkling. Boys start jumping up and down while girls start backing off.

“Mister, can you give me a ride?” One of the girls said, pointing at the horse. She’s looking at the Crown Prince with a hint of excitement in her eyes. Rhysand looks at Luriel then smile. His smile reaches the girl’s eyes making her smile as well.

“You still can’t, little girl. And I’m not a mister.” Luriel purses his lips then cross his arms, brows slightly frowned. The other boy beside the chestnut steps forward. “Then are you a knight?” the boy asked.

Luriel’s golden irises’ landed on the boy as he kneel down in front of him. His red shining hair flutters as the strong wind passed by. Kalen went to the other children while Rhysand carried the crying girl near him. Seeing the children’s happy faces sightly gives them hope that they might be victims, not criminals.

“Am I a knight? As far as I know, I’m a Prince though?” Luriel jokingly said as he pats the young boy’s head. He looked at the boy’s wooden sword then smile, rosing from his own two feet. The children’s eyes suddenly averted as he said that. “But a Prince isn’t cool as a knight. Princes just told them what to do and laze around.” The black-haired boy muttered under his breath as he tried to look into Luriel’s eyes.

“Who said that?” Kalen asked. He lowered his gaze to the boy and look at him. His pink irises were fixated on the boy. Rhysand on the other hand continued on making the girl stop crying but the girl just cries even more.

The young girl’s voice resounded in everyone’s ear as an unexpected silence occur. The three of them looked at each other as if they are talking to each other. They came here to inspect but seeing the children unable to continue their words intrigue them.

“Everyone, please hurry. Ray’s here!” Upon hearing the woman’s voice, the girl on Rhysand’s arm stops crying all of a sudden as she tried to jump from his arm. Everyone shouted and runs as they heard the news. The three of them give each other a knowing look before nodding to each other.

“Ray’s here! Come on, there’s a lot of food again!” One of the energetic boys shouted before going to the garden where Ray is. The garden was filled with everyone’s exciting screams and whistle.

“What? I thought that Ray was nowhere to be found? How come he’s here?” Luriel’s voice has a bit of disappointment in his tone. Rhysand laugh as he saw his cousin’s disappointed face. Eleanor’s Crown Prince is known to be a gentle person and gets offended easily but he’s a responsible man.

“Maybe he heard you’re going to take his place.” Kalen looks at Luriel before averting it to the man’s back at the garden’s entrance. A couple of children runs towards the man and shouted; “Ray!”

Three children run towards the man with their hands in the air. The three of them stops to look at Ray’s face but he didn’t move and just stand there as if he didn’t hear what the children just said.

With that, Luriel’s face starts to beam in satisfaction. He pokes Kalen’s stomach with bright eyes.

They start walking towards the garden and look at this Ray. Their curiosity about the respected Ray begins to eat them up. Getting nearer and nearer, the children stops beside the man then said; “Zeke, what food did you bring today? Oh, yeah. There are three misters earlier, one said he’s a prince but you’re a knight, so you’re cooler than him!” The three children give the man a thumbs up before running off.

Hearing the children’s words, Ezequiel slowly turned his back to the men behind him and there he saw his master’s older brother, Kalen together with the Empire’s Crown Prince and Young Grand Duke, Rhysand. He respectfully bows his head then greeted them. “Greetings, the sun of the Empire, Crown Prince Luriel, and to the star of the Empire, young Grand Duke, Rhysand.” He said.

“Greetings, Young Master, Kalen.” Ezequiel’s voice is calm as ever even though they got caught by these three futures of the Empire. Kalen’s eyes meet Ezequiel’s while the two beside them just silently examine the situation.

“It’s been a while, Ezequiel.” Kalen greeted. His usual demeanor was evidently deteriorating apart. Ezequiel’s existence has one meaning, and that’s his sister, Kiha. Feeling the tension between the two, Luriel asked Ezequiel.

“Why are you here, Sir Ezequiel?” The Crown Prince's gentle smile but the majestic tone didn’t budge his calm appearance. The sound coming from the garden resounded in their ears as the children starts telling stories.

As if feeling the tension between them, two girls tug Ezequiel’s and Kalen’s sleeves, looking at them with expectation in their eyes. Ezequiel carried the girl in his arm while Kalen just look at her, not knowing what to do. The girl in Ezequiel’s arm signaled Kalen to carry the young girl since she’s younger than her.

“Zeke, come. Rae’s telling a story about her sister.” The knight smiled at the girl then walk towards the garden. The three of them looked at each other with a confused look on their faces, the girl said the word “her” not “his” which made them more curious.

Their slow yet elegant stride makes it harder for the employees to focus on their designated place. “Ray’s a beautiful girl, she visits us every now and then but these past months she stops which makes us sad. She’s our only source of foods and toys and we loved her very much, much more than to our parents.”

The five-year-old girl in Kalen’s arms said as she tried to tie her ribbon. Her sincerity reaches the three of them. “She will sometimes come here with Zeke and play with us. She told us that she came from the capital so she would always come here by horse.” The little girl added as she buried her head on Kalen’s shoulder, hugging his neck tightly.

There’s a hint of loneliness in her words and even her eyes that resemble the ocean. They stop behind the woman wearing a brown plain dress with a hat. She looks like a commoner but her ginger hair is far from normal. Ginger hair is a unique color of hair and only the descendant of the Empire’s shield can inherit it.

“It’s Kiha.” Luriel and Rhysand muttered at the same time. They only saw her back but the fact that Ezequiel’s here means she’s here as well. Even the alluring waves of her hair are somehow unique as other young ladies in Eleanor have straight hair.

“No, it’s not. It’s Rae. As in R.a.e, our beautiful Rae.” The young girl points her finger at the two, scolding them. Her brows creased and her forehead was furrowed. “Rae, sister Rae, I’m here with these handsome men!”

“Shael, you don’t need to shout.” The woman beside Kiha rebuked but the little girl just looked at her with a bright smile on her face. Shael points at the three before whispering something just enough for them to hear.

“You three are lucky, our Rae likes handsome men like Zeke!” Rhysand burst into laughter as soon as he hears what the little girl said. It’s true though, there’s a rumor that Kiha likes handsome men.

Kiha turned her back then slowly rose from her seat, striding towards the three. Ezequiel put the girl down then watch his master’s elegant steps. She only stops a few inches away from the three then grabs the hem of her plain dress for a courtesy.

“Greetings, your highness. I’m Rae, It’s nice to finally meet the sun of the Empire, Crown Prince Luriel Cleon Von Eleanor.”