Waves of Ruin

Chapter 22

After what feels like years, he finally explains to me what has happened. He is a prince and his brother who died, was to be the next crowned king. However, because Atlas is the youngest of three brothers in line, he was still not going to be king. That didn't stop the worry of his older brother, he needed to make sure no one become king over him. So Atlas's life was at stake. He was being taken north to be hidden until a plan could be arranged.

"I heard ships go up north and figured it was the best option to stay hidden and far out of reach from my brother, I got a friend, the Giant," he almost smiles at the nickname. Almost. "to help me gain passage on a ship, your ship. I thought I was careful, but I guess he found me." He pauses for a moment, then continues "I don't even want to be king, my older brother wanted this life, he was going to be great. But when he was killed in a hunting accident, the truth about my family and all it's secrets came out and instead of trying to make it right, my brother deemed it necessary to keep this secret and stop anyone who wouldn't. Soon my whole family will be dead."

I realize that his brother was murdering his family and the hunting "Accident" was nothing close to that. I didn't even know how to respond, this made me almost pity him. In any other situation I would, but he brought his problems onto my ship and now we'll all die for it. I guess it is my fault just as much as his. I could have said no to the money, but I was desperate, "what is the worst that could happen?" I remember telling myself. I never could have imagined this.

"Why would he go to such great lengths to keep this unknown secret, he is already going to be king, I don't understand how bad it could be." The ship losses another piece, but it looks like Vinnie was able to hit there ship, not enough to stop us from dying, but enough to slow them a bit.

"This secret isn't just something that will make us look bad, that would be something we could fix with some money and a few lies. This would change everything. Everything my family has known, I have known." He stops, running his fingers through the dark waves of his hair, disheveled with sweat and grime.

I look at him. "So you lied to me, even after pretending to tell me the truth."

"It was for your own good, the less you knew the safer you would have been. I didn't want to lie to you, but I had no choice."

"There is always a choice, you just didn't want to make the right one." The ship tilts and I fall, becoming unbalanced with the shift.

Atlas sitting on the ground jumps to brace my fall, but I am able to stable myself. "I'm sorry. I really am Lily."

"Don't say my name, you have no right to say that name." I growl, only anger in my soul. My Nana's name, someone who is looking upon me with grave disappointment right now.

He nods. "Of course, Captain." And something changes about him, like a sheet of glass sliding into place. He sits up straighter, and any tears stop, pain gone, a switch flipped. "I suppose now you want the truth, about what the secret is?" He says, with absolutely no emotion.

I am stunned at first. "Yes, I do. It's the least you could give me after destroying my life an ruining my ship, the dead expose your secrets anyway." And that's what we'll be... dead.

"True enough. Well, My father got the crown after his father became too ill to rule, but we didn't know that my grandfather had another child, one that was actually older than my father, one who should have become king. This was unknown to my father, not that he would have later cared, once you have power it changes you. However, my grandfather kept this secret until about about two months ago we found prove that my uncle, someone I didn't know existed, was actually the true ruler of Midoriya."

I think about what this means. If his uncle should have been king, then that means his cousins should be next in line, not him or his brothers. "I don't know the laws very well, but can't you abdicate from being ruler, it doesn't have to go to the oldest?"