The Protectors: Book 1: Reunion

Chapter 22: I Should've Told You

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Keviar" Dante said as everyone sat around a table.

"Yes I know," he replied.

"First off, how did that boy slip inside the palace and manage to kidnap you?" Hassan asked.

"I keep telling you guys he didn't kidnap me," he answered, annoyed. "Do you guys think I'm that helpless I can't avoid being kidnapped?"

"No, but even in the event, I severely doubt the likelihood of a boy so young to slip past our increased defenses from the outside... only to be caught and surrender so easily in the end," Ekon said, his hand on his chin.

"That's because he didn't," Keviar said.

"Then what did  happen?" Kameron asked.

"I'm not sure where to begin," he said.

"Start at the beginning, before today if you need to," Ekon continued.

"Okay, well after that night when I had a panic attack in front of you guys, I had this nagging feeling that something was coming...and it wouldn't go away no matter how hard I tried. I knew I had to figure it out so I thought I'd start with why it was happening," he said.

"And so the next morning I was looking for a book in my room, which is when Kameron found me," he continued. "And as the day progressed the feeling only got louder and I was losing my mind."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Kameron asked.

"And give you guys more to worry about?" He said. "That's the opposite of what I wanted to do."

"Continue," Dante said.

"And so Kam and I went to the library so I could find an answer to why this feeling came on suddenly, but that didn't help, so I thought Priestess Inoru Akari could help, so I waited to see her at the gathering, but she wasn't there."

"That's why you were so stuck on her not being there..." Kam muttered. "Sorry, keep going."

"Yeah, and I asked Yohan if he'd heard from her and he said she wouldn't be available for the next three days. I couldn't wait that long," he said, gesturing with his hands. "So I decided that I had to leave and find what was calling out to me."

"That's where Yohan caught me trying to sneak out... and I lied to him saying I would just go to sleep and snuck out anyways," he said, sharing a look with Yohan.

"Before you continue, I have something to admit," Yohan said, standing.

"Yohan, no it's okay," Keviar said.

"No, I cannot let you lie for me Keviar," he said.

"Your majesty," he said, turning to Dante.

"Yes, Yohan?"

"It is true that I caught Sir Keviar trying to slip out of the palace and instructed him to stay, however, I also aided him in getting out of the palace this morning and enlisted young Guntai to escort Keviar to and from the grounds within two hours," he said, his face full of shame.

"Yohan!" Hassan yelped, his eyes widening.

"Yohan, you understand what you have done?" Dante asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Yohan replied.

"This...this is treason," Dante said, shaking his head.

"I understand, Your Majesty. I should've told you, but I will accept any form of punishment you see fit," he replied.

"Dad, it's not his fault, I made him help," Keviar said, trying to help him.

"Keviar, Yohan is a grown man, you could not make him do something he did not want to do," Dante said, standing. His face was emotionless.