by Jamie Gandy
The puzzled look in Hector’s eyes quickly reminds me that he has not seen my real father since we were toddlers. “I am sorry, Sir, but I do not know you.”
The Duke chuckles softly as he pats Liraz on the shoulder. “Silly boy, this is my brother, Sir Liraz Ari, your uncle.”
“My uncle?” Hector shifts his gemstone green eyes from Liraz to me “How are you not surprised by this?”
I decide to be somewhat honest. “I have ran into him near LionsSheild before.”
At this the Duke looks at me, his own gemstone green gaze filled with confusion. “How come you never mentioned it?”
I suddenly feel a little uncomfortable, like I have betrayed him by keeping the truth from him.
“For obvious reasons, Richard, I made him keep it to himself.” The taller of the two, Liraz, lets his smile drop off as his focus turns to the King, who is absently staring out at the ocean. “I would love to catch up with you,” he looks back to his brother. “As soon as we get back to the Castle, let’s share a meal together before I have to return.”
“I would like that a lot.”
Liraz sends us a grin before he grabs the King’s attention. “Your Majesty, I am sorry for your loss… she was a truly remarkable woman.”
“It is erie how much you two look alike!” Hector remarks. “Father, did either one of our grandparents look like them?”
“Yes, your grandmother had stunning long orange hair that shone like fire when the sun reflected on it. Sir Liraz took after her.” He looks straight at me, as if carefully considering adding more. Yet he stops himself.
“I know the truth,” the words escape my lips before I can refrain from them. I look from father to son. “Hector… Sir Liraz is my biological father.” The mirror of their shocked expressions as my confession makes my stomach twist with regret. “I have known for awhile.”
“How did you find out?” the Duke questions.
“Sir Liraz told me when we met some time ago near LionsShield. He told me why he left me with you, and he started teaching me how to fight, both with a sword and with my hands…” I meet his eyes. “I am sorry I kept this from you, but he swore it would keep you both safe if you did not know the truth.”
It is not my uncle that looks hurt, rather Hector. “So, you are telling me all this time you knew we were not real brothers and you lied about it? Our whole kinship is a lie?” The betrayal burns across his face. He whirls around and stalks back to his horse and mounts up.
“Hector, wait!” I start to head after him, but my uncle stops me with a gentle hand on my shoulder. I look up into his eyes in desperation.
“Give him time to process all of this, it is a lot to take in, especially for him.”
“Are… you upset with me too?” I question nervously.
“No, rather it is myself who I am mad at for having to deceive you for so long. No matter what though, Sebastian, you will always be my son. I may not be your biological father, but you are my son. I hope you never forget that.” He steps closer and wraps his arms around me briefly.
“I feel the same way, father.”
“It is time to head back,” Adir calls to all the gathered Knights on the shoreline. “Mount up.”
Before I have the chance to return to Obi and mount him Hector is already near the front of the line of Knights, with Adir and Gideon. I exhale a sigh of defeat. I do not nudge Obi forward until the rest of the entourage is moving out. To my relief Liraz guides his large bay stallion next to Obi to take up the rear. “Why did you come?”
“Her Majesty,” his words linger in the air for a few moments in silence, until at last he continues. “Also, due to the death of Her Majesty I have urgent business with the King.” His eyes lock with mine. “You okay?”
“Not really… there has been a lot going on lately…” I silently confess.
“Anything you want to talk about?” he thoughtfully offers.
I look ahead at the row of Knights. “There is a darkness that is threatening this Kingdom, and I honestly have no idea how to fight against it without betraying… a friend.”
“What has conspired to make you believe that the Kingdom is being threatened?” The concern is thick in his voice. He reins in his stallion to make sure the distance between us and the rest of the Knights protects our privacy. “Sebastian?”
“His Highness… in an act of… desperation he sought help to try and save the Queen from a Demonic Sword. He sacrificed the life of a Unicorn for a cure…. That weapon is pure evil…” I turn my full attention to my father when I notice the wide-eyed expression.
“Have you set eyes on this Sword? What does it look like?” his words are much more impatient than before.
“Yeah, I did see it. The blade was black with ancient symbols engraved on it. It has dragon claws at the base of the sword, where it connects to the handle…” I am surprised at how vividly I remember the appearance of the demonic weapon. “It was surrounded in a dark haze.”
“The Hell’s DragonBlade…” he remarks.
“That is what he called it… how did you know that?” I inquire. The panic on his face makes my heart skip a couple beats. “Father… what is it?”
“I have read a legend about a demonic sword that satan himself created in the pits of hell. It was given to a corrupt and ruthless King who desired nothing more than to dominate the whole Realm. He could summon any demonic creature from hell, at any given time. This same weapon was known as the Hell’s DragonBlade. During that time the Creator reigned down His supreme love for the human race and raising up five divine Warriors who destroyed the evil King. However, when the King died the Hell’s DragonBlade was never seen again. It resurfacing after a thousand years, it means trouble…. We have to go to the King this instant and tell him everything you just told me. We will put a stop to this!”
I recall Kage’s words from yesterday about the King and their trip to DragonsDome. “Wait!” I stop him from urging his steed onward. “You cannot tell the King... I am worried that if he knows about the Sword he will take possession of it.“
“Why would you worry about that?” he demands. He seems angry at me even implying that the King would do such a thing.
“His Highness and Hector went on a trip to DragonsDome with the King. His Highness told us yesterday that the meetings that were held between the King and Sir Aeron were… about sacrificing children from our Kingdom in order to defeat the Kingdom of SteelBorn in battle…. If he gains power from the Hell’s DragonBlade…” my words trail off at the expression of disbelief on Liraz’s face. “I would never lie about this!”
“Alright then, I believe you. We will have to proceed with caution as I get to the bottom of this. I will have to get Sir Adir alone long enough to get his aid in dealing with this issue…” he hesitates a second. “Is Sir Adir still trustworthy?” he questions.
“Yes, he is. There is no one I trust more than him. He will help us,” I relieve his fear.
“Good. Stay quiet about this until I am able to discuss it with Sir Adir and comfort His Majesty.”
“Yes, Sir.” We both urge our steeds onward until we resume our position at the back of the line of men. “I told Hector the truth about you being my father,” I quietly change the subject. “He is furious with me for lying to him…”
“Telling him the truth was not necessary. There was no harm in him continuing to believe that you two are brothers. Richard raised you, not me, he has all rights to be your father, and Hector your brother.” After a moment’s pause, he adds. “Do not misunderstand, Sebastian, I am proud of the young man you have become. However, that is no thanks to me.”
I slowly nod my understanding. “That may be true, but Hector still deserved to know the truth.” I pull off a halfhearted smile. “Just look at us, it is as clear as day that I look just like you, not my father… I mean…”
His laughter draws my attention to him again. “Growing up with people thinking he was your father must have been annoying,” he smirks
.
“Yeah… you could say that. Not so much for me, but for him and mom it was hard. When I was really little people even called him out and accused mom of having an affair with someone.” My smile drops off as the memories come flooding back. “She never let it bother her though.”
“She was always a gem when it came to dealing with difficult situations.” There is a silence that freezes our conversation for nearly a minute before he seems to find the strength to speak again. “My wife, your biological mother, died during childbirth with you. Honestly, the last thing I wanted was to look at your face afterwards… for the longest time I blamed you for killing her. Lady Elizabeth was there during the birth, even though she too was very pregnant with her own child. I can still remember seeing the pure light of love shining on her face the moment she took you into her arms.” I watch as Liraz shakes his head a couple times. “There was nothing on this earth that could have stopped her from loving you as her own son. You were hers, never mine.” Our amber eyes lock when he turns his gaze on me. “I will forever be grateful to them for loving and raising you, when I was not strong enough to do it myself.”
“Given your situation… the fact that I did kill your wife…” I feel too uncomfortable calling her my mother. ”I do not blame you for letting them raise me. I have been blessed to have them as my parents. ” I return my gaze ahead as the Castle appears in the distance. I catch a glimpse of Hector near the front of the entourage with Gideon and Kage. “Hector…”
“I am surprised to see Hector acting so close to His Highness,” Liraz’s comments draws my attention.
“We have been through a lot since we came back to TigersKeep. Hector and His Highness have become really close at that time,” I remark. “His Highness has come to really trust Hector.”
Liraz nods slowly. “No better position worth having in all the Kingdom than being a trusted ally to the future King,” he states. “It may come in handy one day.”
It is not until we reach the Castle that he nudges his heels into his stallion’s sides to urge him towards Adir. I encourage Obi to follow a few feet behind. “Greetings, Sir Adir.”
Adir is already dismounted with his horse’s reins in his hands by the time we reach him. He looks up at us. “It is good to see you, Sir Ari. It has been a long time.” His gaze shifts from Liraz to me. “How are you faring, Sebastian?” his concern is obvious.
“I am okay,” I assure him.
“Good.” His eyes are hollow with sadness, though it is clear that he tries to hide it.
“Sir Adir, shall I have a word with you for a minute?” Liraz questions. “It is urgent.”
“Of course.” Adir motions the stableboy over to retrieve both Liraz’s and his own horses before Adir leads the way into the inner Castle.
My gaze just finds Hector still with Kage and Gideon, our eyes lock for a few heartbeats before I hear Liraz call out to me, “Hurry up, Sebastian.”
I exhale a defeated sigh before dismounting Obi. I guide my steed to the stables and tie him to a post for the stableboy to tend to him. “I will be back later to check on you,” I reassure the horse before turning and jogging after Adir and Liraz.
Adir pushes open the door to the study. Books, old and new, fill the countless of bookshelves that line the walls. Near the center of the room is a desk with a chair behind it, and a couch up against a wall, between two shelves. My eyes move across the study a couple times in awe. “This is incredible,” I breathe quietly.
“I think so too,” Adir agrees. “It is one of my favorite places to spend some time alone. There are books and Scripts about nearly every subject under the sun, especially the history of our Kingdom. Feel free to join me here whenever you like.” He motions towards some ancient looking books on the small table near the back of the study. I follow his direction and pick one of them up. “What is it you wanted to discuss, Sir Ari?”
“Have you read about a Demonic Sword known as the Hell’s DragonBlade?” Liraz inquires.
The expression on Adir’s face farrows with curiosity. “Yes, I have. Why?”
“Sebastian tells me that the Sword has come out of hiding after all this time.” He glances at me; I look up from the pages to meet his gaze. “Tell him what you told me,” it is an order and I quickly obey by setting the book down and sharing everything with Adir. About Kage and about the King. “That Sword… it is completely evil.” I conclude.
The betrayal written across Adir’s face is clear. He leans back in his chair, as if considering what his next move should be. “For tonight keep this between us. Let them mourn the Queen’s death, tomorrow we will destroy that sword, and set things right.”
He rises to his feet and walks over to where I stand to rest a hand on my shoulder. “Coming forward with this took a lot of courage, Sebastian. Thank you for doing so. Go get something to eat and rest up.”
“Yes, Sir.” I bow to him and nod towards Liraz before I turn to leave the study. Once the door closes behind me, I lean my back against the wooden frame and exhale a defeated sigh. ‘Did I do the right thing by telling them? Whatever happens next, good or bad, I will be the one to blame for it…’
Chapter Thirty:
♘ Hector Ari: ♘
‘How could he keep something like this from me? Did he never trust me to begin with because he knew I am not his real brother? Has our entire lives been nothing but a lie? Did he never see me the way I have always seen him?’ The questions continue to bombard my mind, driving the doubts deeper and deeper until I am left believing our whole relationship is nothing but a phantom.
“They are beautiful,” Catherine’s voice pulls me up out of the darkness to make me look up to see her crouched in front of a patch of purple flowers in the Royal Gardens. “Her Majesty told Esther and I once that the meaning of these purple Hyacinth is forgiveness.” She reaches down her hand to tenderly stroke the elegant petals. She does not look at me until I am standing directly behind her. “You have been acting strange ever since yesterday when we left the Queen’s funeral. By the looks you sent at Sebastian, I am guessing he did something to make you mad?” she thoughtfully inquires.
“You can say that,” I mutter out my response. I peer past her to look at the flowers. “It would take a lot more than a flower to make me forgive him.”
“What could he have done to receive such anger directed at him? Surely his crime is not worth you feeling like this,” she remarks. She slowly stands up and brushes her dress off.
I allow a silence to answer her for a few moments before I exhale a tired sigh. “He told me that we are not really brothers, my uncle is his father…” I confess. “He has known for awhile, yet he never told me… why would he not tell me something that monumental? Did he not trust me? Was he ashamed of me being his brother, but he could not confess it?” I shake my head a couple times. “I feel like our entire life has been a lie.”
Her response does not come quickly at first, as if she is carefully thinking about everything I just told her before speaking. “If he did not treasure your brotherhood why would he risk his life to save you when you were kidnapped by those bandits? He could have stayed behind at the Castle and trusted the Knights to Rescue you. However, he demanded to go. Regardless if you are his brother, his cousin or just a friend, he would give up his own life for you in a second to keep you safe. I cannot defend why he kept such a secret from you, that is something you have to ask him. From where I stand, you not being his brother by blood makes no difference to how he feels about you.” Her beautiful golden-yellow eyes shimmer with affection and kindness. “Just go talk to him… or let me go find him for you and have him come here.”
Before I can give her an answer she is already turning around and walking towards the entrance to the Royal Gardens. She stops at the door, looks over her shoulder at me and points to the purple flowers. “Forgiveness is easier than suffering in the darkness alone.” With that she disappears.
“Forgiveness is easier than suffering in the darkness alon
e.” her gentle, warm words resonate inside of me. ‘Maybe she is right… maybe all I have to do is talk to Sebastian to clear this up…’
Catherine is not gone by a couple minutes before she frantically jerks open the door again. “Hector, something is wrong!! A troop of guards were running down the halls to the Throne Room.”
“Stay here!” I do not expect her to listen to me, so when she runs after me, I just let her. I come to a stop only when I see the door to the Throne Room wide open. with three armed men charging inside. “Lady Catherine, please stay out here!” I withdraw my sword from its holster and follow the soldiers inside. Instantly I see Sir Adir, Liraz and Sebastian surrounded by guards. Beyond them the King is standing face to face with Kage. The black substance from the other day spewing down my friend’s blackened hand.
“Huh, boy? What strength do you have to make any demands against me?” the King demands.
“Let them go!” at the sudden sound of order all eyes turn to me. The surprise, and sorrow, in Sebastian’s expression take me back a second. It is this moment of not paying attention that two guards come up from behind me and one of them slams his fist into the back of my head. Sending me to my knees.
“I am surrounded by maggots who think they can dethrone me…”
Chapter Thirty-One:
♚ Kage Tora: ♚
When I step into the Throne Room, I am surprised to see Sebastian standing next to Liraz and Adir. I break the distance to where they are. “What are you doing here? I thought my father was going to talk to Sir Liraz about… whatever it is that he does.”
Liraz bows his head in greeting to me. “I got His Majesty’s approval to let him attend. I might be bringing Sebastian with me as an apprentice in the near future, so I want to let him learn about as much as possible,” he explains. Although his voice seems convincing enough, I find it hard to believe that Sebastian would up and leave Hector. I glance at the older boy and raise an eyebrow at him.