Let Me Tell You a Secret

Chapter Seventeen

The boy was escorted out of the throne room and politely led through the castle to the living quarters of the Royal family.
 
At present it was only the King that lived there, however a room had already been prepared, awaiting the arrival of Arlene's son.
 
When they walked through the heavy doors guarding the building, the boy was met with a large empty room, marble floors, decorative pillars holding up the ceiling, and a large flowing staircase, leading to the sleeping chambers.
 
But what struck the boy most, right in the centre of the large staircase, where it parted leading to two separate wings, an enormous oil painting covered the wall.
 
It's golden, gilded frame looked absurdly expensive and elaborate. It perfectly matched the painting within that must have taken an extremely skilled artist months to complete. Each stroke prominent on the canvas.
 
The boy gaped at it and realised - this is the painting the guards kept referring to.
 
A painting of Arlene.
 
A painting of his mother.
 
The boy stared at it curiously, the maids gently leading him to his new living quarters. The boy really had to wonder, just what sort of relationship did his mother have with King Jahad?

After being taken to his new living quarters, the boy was given a short tour, the maids then scattered to the edges of the room, quietly observing the boy.
 
They were under strict instruction to never leave the child unattended and also to cater to his every whim.
 
If the King had ordered this to prevent any attempts of escape, then his efforts were in vain. Why would the child leave such luxury only to return to the streets?
 
The child gawked at the room. The kind of luxury he had only ever read about in books, or heard of from his bluenette friend…
 
The bluenette…
 
Collapsing onto the queen size bed in his bedroom, the brunette was reminded of his friend.
 
His heart felt a jab of pain.
 
He had some closure regarding his parents, though he had come to terms with the news long before he had even had it confirmed.
 
But as for the bluenette…
 
The boy had no idea where he could be and his heart ached when he thought of him. The bluenette had no idea just how the memory of him engraved into the brunette's mind had helped to keep the young boy sane these past twelve months.
 
Laying on his back, his golden eyes surveyed the room. The most luxurious furnishings he could have ever imagined. He wondered if this is how his older friend had lived as a Prince.
 
The boy suddenly sat upright on the bed.
 
His friend is a Prince!
 
What if he had been taken back home!?
 
Then, isn't the brunette currently in the best place to search for his bluenette friend?
 
That thought playing on his mind, finally a small smile graced his lips, his eyes shone with newfound hope, and the boy lay back down on the comfortable bed, allowing his exhaustion to take over and claim him.

Startled, the boy rolled across the mattress, leaping to his feet and taking up a defensive position. His groggy eyes still adjusting to the low light in the room, he stared in confusion at the two maids who had been leaning over the bed attempting to wake him.
 
It took a few moments for the boy to realise where he was.
 
The castle.
 
A royal suite.
 
His royal suite.
 
The boy had slept for hours, until the sun had set and night washed over the castle grounds. The comfort of the bed compared to the rock hard ground he had become used to, a stark difference and overwhelming for his exhausted body.
 
"The King is calling for you."
 
One of the maids explained to the boy as he calmed his pounding heart.
 
"Please come this way and we will prepare you."
 
Prepare him?
 
Curious, it wasn't as if the boy had any choice in the matter as the maids pulled him away.
 
The two females then set about bathing the boy yet again and dressing him in yet another fancy outfit that hung from his malnourished frame. Once they deemed his appearance adequate, the boy was taken to the main area of the castle, guided to a large room with a long table, the King already sat at the head.
 
Pushing the boy gently forward, the maids seated him near to the King, his harsh gaze scrutinising the hands placed on the boy's shoulders, as though disgusted the maids dared touch the son of Arlene, his son . The maids were waved away once the boy was seated.
 
"So, how are you finding your living quarters?"
 
The boy glanced between the king and his empty plate before him. He was generally quiet and shy by nature, only coming out of his shell slightly the older he grew.
 
"Fine, thank you."
 
Gesturing to the boy, the King waved his hand over the spread covering every inch of the table, inviting the boy to eat as much as he would like. Sparkling, the boy eyed the feast, swallowing the pooling saliva in his mouth.
 
Nervously he watched the King helping himself to the food, he copied King Jahad's movements so as not to offend the man, something the King obviously picked up on as his eyes rarely left the boy.
 
The King led some idle chatter over the course of their meal, finally resting upon the boy's future.
 
"We should think of a new name for you, so as to avoid suspicion when you are formally announced when you come of age."
 
A pout of the boy's lips as he coined the King's words. There wouldn't really be much point changing his name, no one other than his family knew it and they were gone.
 
"Your surname shall be Grace. Grace-Jahad."
 
A pleasant smile curled the King's lips and he patted the boy's head. The boy froze for a moment, affection had been something he hadn't felt in a while. He then registered the King's words.
 
Grace-Jahad.
 
It suddenly made sense to the brunette. Of course his surname would need to mimic the King's if he were to act as his son, he assumed the other name was that of the concubine who had birthed his real son.
 
"What would you like your first name to be?"
 
The King offered the boy first choice of his name. He pondered the idea over in his mind, it's true that his name wasn't exactly regal sounding, but his parents had given him that name…
 
Watching the boy, the King's features held a certain fondness as he matched the different expressions with those of Arlene. After a short while, the boy seemed to have come up with something.
 
" Viole. "
 
The King choked on the wine he was drinking, his face turning red and a reminder of the boy's true father shoved in his face. A vicious glare had manifested however, the boy's next words quickly dissipated the King's fury.
 
"Mama told me that she wanted to call me Violet if I was a girl… so… Viole."
 
A sharp nod of the boy's head and a sorrowful look in his eye, as soon as the King heard the name choice was linked to Arlene, of course he wouldn't refuse.
 
"Fine. Then you are now Jyu Viole Grace."
 
A toast was raised to the boy's new identity, to his new life.
 
The pair finished their evening meal peacefully, few words being exchanged due to the child's nature. The boy was dismissed shortly after they finished their meal, he was already falling asleep at the table, his stomach full for the first time in twelve months.
 
Seeing the luscious spread, he hadn't been able to help himself, stuffing his face until he could burst though he was very much aware that his stomach probably would not be able to handle the sudden change in diet and pure quantity of food. Fortunately the King was forward thinking and all of the food prepared had been designed to be easy on the child's stomach.
 
The sleepy boy bowed before his maids escorted him back to his living quarters, preparing him for bed.