Chapter 2

"William, our sister has already married a nobleman from the Hallvadur faction and all of us are just thrilled. I know the man, very charming and I am certain he will make our sister happy. How have you been? Our family misses you dearly, please write as soon as you're able..."

Lord Radcliffe to William Radcliffe

(In the Decané Hall)

Ah...it is still a wonder to see Decané hall—tis' the towering abode of the Cynthia Clan's overseer and now it is also the temporary home of the mysterious "Prince" in question. The head of the faction, one Magnus Bellfax, rarely frequents the place but when he does, he would always enjoy it. Ignore the mounds and mounds of unfinished documents on the desk infront him, long as he felt the wonders of time pass by with his novel, he was at peace.

"Intriguing..." He says softly as his eyes widened in shock. Seems he was just getting into the better parts of the book.

He was a literature tycoon. In every romance he read, all that he saw was crimson—one might think of the violent kind but no, he gazed with amour, his deep viridian eyes shimmering pleasantly from the flame as did his red hair. Without his status, one might think this could not possibly be a controversial villain—unfortunately he was and this mere illusion of a refined man of culture is just a guise to occupy the trust of the people.

"Why did you call me, your grace?"

Opening the door...Oh goodness!—he bears quite the striking resemblance to the late sovereigns! That must be the false prince but oh how paradoxical. None in the kingdom possess the same tint of red eyes like that of the late king's nor would harbor such fine smooth raven black hair like that of the queen's. It was just impossible!

"Oh come now, Pierre. I just wanted to check in with the country's sovereign. The season is coming in a few months time, and you should be ready." Magnus says smiling at him.

The false prince, Ezequiel Pierre, was of unknown origins (only the duke knew such), but one thing is for certain, Ezequiel's resemblance to the late sovereigns was truly odd. How could the duke find such miraculous specimen? Granted, the duke has an outstanding array of allies in the gentry and even more so with the commonfolk so it is possible that he has eyes all over the kingdom, but to have found a young man with such superficials is almost astronomical—ridiculous even.

"I still believe announcing me in the season would prove lethal to your plans, your grace." Pierre says standing in front of the duke with hands behind his back—clearly he was worried. He held his hands tightly, while the duke turned another page smiling.

"Your youth is a breath of fresh air in these halls, Pierre. You do not know the ton as much as I do. Long as you'll exact the image of a prince I shall handle what comes after amd I'm certain you'll manage yourself with this facade." Magnus replied.

The season they speak of is when each of the noble families from different factions stay in the capital to establish beneficial political negotiations. It is also where the most prolific marriages come to form. It is a chaotic spiral of controversy but frankly—it is also most sensual time of the year. One can witness such sultry romance unfold should two or more individuals come together in a play of seduction. 'Tis quite fun to read into the gossip of nobilities from time to time but in the case of Magnus, it was the perfect stage to stir the minds of society's upper echelons.

"Every season, other than the parade of debutantes, the palace holds a marvelous ball to commemorate the start of new beginnings. It sounds like the perfect setting is it not?" Magnus closed his book, crossing his legs looking at Pierre.

"..." Wild eyed, Ezequiel could only do so much as to gaze. His eyes furrowed as he looked to the side.

"Lose the edge on your face, Pierre. It sours the room." Sneering, the Duke's eyes slowly wandered unto Ezequiel's direction.

"I apologize, your grace. I was thinking of the Regent, I was hypothesizing how he would react to such spectacle." That frown etched on Magnus' face stretched to a faint smile.

"Edmund will not pass an opportunity to address such a scene especially in front of the factions. The man is not an idle thing—he thinks himself a hero and I am certain he will do everything he can to soothe the nerves of everyone attending. He will be easy to get through." Magnus laughed.

"You sound like you know him well..." Pierre replied.

Oh! The regent, Edmund Avaristia, he is of the Stanton Faction. A year after the heir jad gpne missing, the royal court held a retreat to discuss who will administer the kingdom until the heir resurfaces. Other than the factions, gentry and aristocrats of course, representatives from the commons were also in attendance and despite the Cynthia clan's popularity in the lower class, the Stantons, at odds with the Cynthias, won by one vote. Although the Cynthias denied allegiance at first, the regent proved himself an incredible leader and the factions cannot deny his refulgent governance.

"We indeed have some history, but that is not important. Catching his eye could invite the possibility that you will be held in court. I just hope that given the circumstances, the other factions would not go against it."

Magnus was the regent's friend, in fact he was Magnus' only friend. Magnus knew that Edmund was far from cruel, he was fully subscribed to the fact that he was still his friend and though years of bad blood between their factions bittered their eyes, Magnus' view on the regent never changed—he was still a brilliant nobleman and a fine friend to have and vouch for.

"Understood, your grace."

"Good, I believe I had spent the last of my free time with you. Best be on your way, Pierre." With a sigh, Ezequiel left.

(Back on the valleys)

It was dawn when William returned and fortunately, Felix was still in slumber. He sat himself down by the table. The exhaust and the frustration he felt went with his groaning sigh. He wanted to cry but for someone like him, he cared not that he had possibility of being free from his duty nor the unimaginable amount of fortune he'd gain but the fact that he and Felix were going their seperate ways frightened him—it scared him a great deal.

"...Because you and Felix are leaving first thing tomorrow."

"Pardon?"

Bitterly while walking, he didn't think about the carriage the mayor was going to prepare nor the safest route he planned but he thought about how Felix might behave after hearing this divulgence. Felix might not seem like it but he adores the life in the country and although he wished to see the city, he only hoped take a glimpse of it to amount to his friends. The last thing he would expect from it was that he was the lost sovereign.

Oh how can William—

"Good morning brother! I see you—Has something happened?" Felix asked slowly descending the stairs looking disquietingly at his brother.

"Sit down, Leon. We need to have word." Felix brows raised as he sat down, clearly there was something amiss. He could not tell what it was but the way William's tired eyes gazed was something he has never seen before.

"Have I done something wrong?" Felix asked looking down. It was always his first response when William was moody. He always assume that it had something to do with him and right now, that wasn't exactly far off.

"Oh it's nothing like that, there is new word from the mayor." William says glancing on the side where he could see the home they have built in its entirety. Some joyful memories began to come back to him. Moments where they've laughed, argued and cried for all of those times, William was truly thankful that they were brought together...however—

"What about it then?" Felix asked his fingers drumming on the tabletop.

"We need to leave today, as soon as we are able." William says sternly.

"Pardon?"

"The mayor was...busy all night preparing a carriage for us. We...well...you—Oh I don't know how to say it." William slid his hand across his hair then he looked intently at Felix's confused set of bejeweled blue eyes.

"L-Leave?! Pray tell, is this a joke brother? Oh...Do you intend to humor me so early in the morning?" Felix asked laughing—Genuinely, did he think that it was all just mere stageplay.

"What I say is true, Leon—I could not even call you that anymore goodness..." He muttered. Felix continued to mock him, rolling his eyes and playfully passing this performance to the side.

"I don't understand...call me "that" anymore? Then what—"

"You are Felix! The son of Nightingale..." He stood slamming the table scaring Felix out his laughter and comedy, he looked up at his brother's frightening face as his shadow swallowed the lot of him.

"You think this is a joke? The whole kingdom is on a cliff and as someone who has the prince as his ward, I would not let it idly standby because my duty—my responsibility to the crown...to you...I pay...a great deal...of love and care..." Slowly he sat back, the pain in his voice slowly faded and his muscles set at ease. He had been holding that revelation back for the past seventeen years...He meant no intention to scare Felix but that was not apparent in his sudden outburst.

"You are aware...about how the Prince was presumed dead after they stormed his palace, right?"

"I-I do..."

"That wasn't entirely true, I was a knight stationed there and indeed, I was young with a heart full of fire, the least that I wanted to do as a soldier was stay idly in palace walls."

"..." Felix in earnest, though disbelief was in one's heart, a heart that beats so fast with fright and anticipation.

"When the occult attacked...my fellow soldiers fell, my friends slain and burnt while I rushed to the Prince's rescue. Narrowly, did I escape but without knowing who they were, it was best to hide away from the eyes of the public until everything has settled down..."

"Not long after that evening, I found my way into the mayor's home unknowingly, and years had gone by he has been helping me and the Prince survive..."

"The Prince I speak of is you...Leon was merely an alias so that no one would recognize you. Assuming that the occult members would hear word of it."

Felix was in awe, gulping as his eyes moved corner to corner trying to take all of it in. There was certainly room for rumination, but his brother meant every bit of word he said and he believed him but he didn't want to. All the time spent in the valley was a path of lie when in fact he...was a nobility...a sovereign...but that would mean—

"Then...we are not brothers...are we?"

"All this time, you lied..? To protect me and the kingdom?"

"I did everything that I can to raise you, to protect you, and to adhere to my oath. Felix...I had to lie but that did not mean I never loved you as family..." Felix's teary eyes began to shed waters. William walked to him and kneeled beside him like that of a knight's repose. Taking in Felix's hand while looking at him softly in the eyes.

"I may have left my family behind, but in turn, I went on an adventure no one would expect. Though we may not be born from the same blood, we are of the same soul p. I only hope that we won't ltime won't drift us apart..."

"Brother..."

William raised himself slowly, before Felix hugged him as tightly as his arms allowed him. He still did not understood every bit pf detail he hard but what he did know was that William would always be his family. Felix's world started to shift and William's was reverting back to it's normality...but before that could be so, a knock came to their soon to be empty home.

"William! The carriage is ready!"