One of Us

XI

      "Princess?" Lord Tobias's voice preceded him down the curved hallway.

     Rowena controlled herself as best she could, wiped her eyes and picked herself off the ground as he came round the bend, "Yes?"

     "Princess, I think you need to see this!" His voice was the most animated she'd ever heard it.

     "What is it?" she asked, but he didn't notice her watery tone as he pulled her into a small chamber and locked the door behind them.

     Surprised Rowena repeated "Tobias, what is it?"

     "My lady, you know how I've been researching the royal lines and lineages in preparation for declaring you the true heir to the throne at your coronation?"

     "Yes."

     "Well I found a few discrepancies, so I turned to the royal diaries to help me. You remember me telling you that there once was an order of brave men and women sworn to protect the king with their lives?"

     "Yes" Rowena nodded, "The throne wardens. You said the order was broken up when the Mulrovians attacked us several hundred years ago."

     "Very good." Tobias exclaimed, raising his eyebrows, " You were listening during our lessons. Well you see in these diaries it tells a secret story that when the Mulfovians conquered us, they killed so many of the royal line, it was in danger of dying out completely!"

     He pulled out a weathered leather bound book from his pocket.

     "I have just finished decoding this encryption which tells us that in those days to save the man next in line, the last known throne warden switched places with the king and was killed in his stead. The king then went into hiding as a peasant, marrying and raising children, never betraying his lineage and the son of the throne warden was raised by the Muldovian King Eldon to be the next ruler."

     "What does that mean Tobias?" Rowena asked slowly

     "The name of the throne warden who saved the line" Tobias answered softly, "was Theofell."

     Rowena narrowed her eyes, "Theofell? As in my great great great grandfather?"

     "His father actually. You see Theofell, the first saved the throne as he had sworn to do and his son continued to do so by taking the throne himself."

     "So you're saying," Rowena faltered, " you're saying I'm not a princess? I'm a throne warden?"

     "Yes."

     "And my family has been protecting the throne and the true king all these years by pretending to be of the royal line?"

     "Yes."

    "Well-" she began then stopped still processing, "-then- who is the real king?"