The Key to the Oleander

Chapter Twenty Three - Athena

I'm still thinking about the nickname when I get back inside Ace's house. Where is it from?

"What's wrong?" Ace asks sleepily, sitting up. I look at my phone to check the time.

7:00 A.M.

"Nothing, I'm just trying to remember where something's from." I mutter.

"Okay," He stands up out of bed. "We have to get ready and-"

And that's when it happens. When I realize my whole life is a lie. What I thought was my life crumbles into pieces. When my heart breaks and my trust disappears.

FLASHBACK...

"We must evacuate, your majesty." A girl that looks to be wearing a maid's outfit says. I look where she's looking and see a young blonde holding a baby in her arms. But she looks familiar...

Felicity.

It seems that they don't notice my presence. A loud bang causes them to jump and the baby to whimper, but Felicity rocks slowly, comforting the baby.

"You need to get Athena to safety first." Felicity looks down at the baby and my heart drops.

"Your majesty-" The maid sounds surprised. Felicity looks up at the maid.

"No, my daughter is my first priority," She looks back down at the baby- me.

"I love you, my angel." She kisses the baby's forehead before handing her slowly to the maid.

"Get her to a safe home, please. She isn't safe here, not when we're at war." Felicity looks down at the baby with pain I can't describe.

The maid hesitates before nodding. "Yes, of course, your majesty." She hurries away. Once she's out of sight, tears fall down Felicity's cheek and I can tell she's trying her best not to make a sound.

FLASHBACK ENDED...

I gasp, covering my mouth with my hand.

"Ace, I need to go." I grab my gun and dagger out of my night stand drawer as fast as I can and put them in my hollister.

"What? Why?" He looks at me in confusion.

"Look, I can't explain it right now, okay? Just trust me." I don't wait for a response from him and head out of the room and straight to my car.

The destination? My parents.

"Athena! What are you doing? You can't just barge in here and tear the place down!" My mother exclaims, and the fear in her eyes feels like a punch to the gut.

"My whole life has been a lie, you could've at least told me!" I yell, opening the last drawer in my father's office. Nothing.

"Tell you what? I don't have any idea of what you're talking about." She yells back at me.

"Why didn't you tell me that you aren't my real mom?" I slam my hands down on the desk.

She flinches. "You know." She whispers, looking down.

"My real mother has been visiting me." I walk up to her. "Why didn't you tell me?" My voice cracks, tears begin to blur my vision.

"I couldn't. She told me not to, plus..." She sniffs before continuing, "I couldn't get myself to tell you."

"Is that why Fath- Richard, hates me so much?" I already know the answer, but I need to hear it outloud.

"He didn't like the idea of you taking over the kingdom one day when you're not his actual daughter, but I couldn't bear child, we had tried for years but I never could get pregnant." Tears start to brim up in her eyes. "So, when we were offered to have you I didn't hesitate to take you in." She tries to reach for my hand but I pull it away.

"Did you actually love me?" I ask. She sighs, shaking her head.

"I love you, I never saw you as anything but my daughter." She smiles sadly.

"I have to go." I quickly wipe my eyes.

"Please don't go." She grabs my arm, tears stream down her face.

"I have to." A tear falls from my eye as she looks at me desperately.

"Please, don't have this be the last time I see you." She begs. "I can't lose you."

"Yeah, but you were perfectly fine when Richard kicked me out." I scoff. She flinches at his name.

"I had no choice, Athena. You know I would never have let that happen if I had an option." She shakes her head.

I want to believe her, I really do, but she just held back something that has shattered my identity.

I wiggle out of her grip and walk away with no words to offer.