55. A hidden royal secret

IN THE SAME EVENING

XAVIER'S POINT OF VIEW:

The castle loomed before me. Home. Or at least, that was what I had always believed. I should have felt relief returning, but instead I felt worried. Something was wrong. The air was thick with the scent of firewood and aged wine, but beneath it was something else something I couldn't quite name. As I stepped inside, the dim torchlight cast long shadows against the stone walls. The voices of my parents drifted through the great hall, low and urgent. I needed to tell them what was happening but instead I found something else instead.

"…Not even our real son, Clara."I heard my father's voice.

I froze. King William's voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a blade. A thick silence followed. Then, my mother spoke.

"William, please. He must never find out."She said.