HUMAN - The Son

Chapter 22

Amaury

"Amaury?", she asked softly after he had taken her to his aunt and uncle's living room.

"Yes?"

"Why are you so nice?"

Confused, he sat down next to Aili on the soft sofa. "Nice?" How did she come up with that? What had this Nio done to her? Amaury felt the anger boiling up inside him, but he suppressed it. Anger didn't help.

"Yes. Nice." She nodded. "I thought Nio was nice, but then he wasn't. And if I compare him to you, he probably never was. Right from the start. I just thought he was. I was so stupid! How he looked at me from day one... Like a trophy. Why didn't I see it? I'm stupid... And... Do you think my siblings will really be separated? And I? What will become of me?"

"You're not stupid, Aili!" What would happen now? How could he answer this question for her? "Maybe your grandfather will be back soon and take them in. And Aunt Julia likes you. She will help you." She probably would, too, if she didn't like Aili.

"And if not? If she can't help me? My brothers and sisters! They could be scattered all over the country. Coming into unknown families. Maybe I'll never see them again." Sobbing, she buried her face in her hands. "Birger used to joke about us selling drugs. All the time! Dad told him to stop the silly jokes before anyone believes him and we bring trouble for anything. That those weren't drugs. We believed him. We never thought it was possible. I was so stupid! Again! I should've known. But we didn't want to admit that our parents could be criminals."

Carefully, he stroked her back. "Of course. They're your parents. Why should you think badly of them?"

Aili winced at the delicate touch. "Why? Because mom was never a good mother. And dad? He is constantly away. At least he wants the best for us... Well, that's what I thought. But he let us pack drugs. He never got in Mom's way. For a while we were poor. We lived in misery. I was still very small. Dad always said we deserved a good, rich life. Cared-for and safe. This powder has made us rich again. He was proud of that, I think."

"Maybe he thought it was best for you?" Amaury was grateful to be a simple baker's son. His parents were not involved in any criminal dealings. And he didn't feel the weight of a crown on his head either. He did not live in misery. If he wanted to, he could live in an estate and play prince. But he wasn't one. "Maybe he thought it was the only way out of poverty?"

Aili shrugged. "Maybe." She snorted and looked at Amaury. "Your parents. What are they like? And your siblings?"

"I also come from a big family. Not as big as yours!" Amaury leaned against the sofa and sat cross-legged. "I have fewer siblings than you. My parents are wonderful. And my siblings... Three sisters and a brother. I am the oldest. After me come Ava and Aleidis. They are twins. And then Adaliz and Ethan. He's in first grade. Adaliz regularly tries to convert the house into a zoo or laboratory. Once she dragged a raccoon in. It was full of fleas." Laughing, he shook his head. "My father is the queen's older brother. One of her older brothers. Dad gave up his title and everything for Mom. At that time, the tyrant still ruled. He could've had his title back, but he and Mom turned it down. I'm a simple citizen, not a prince. And that's how I like it."

"Don't you sometimes dream of being a prince?"

Amaury shook his head. "I could have a title, but I turned it down. And you? Would you like to be a princess?"

"Nio called me his princess in the first week, unlike Oswald. My fiancé... former fiancé. Mom wanted all of us kids to get a title. She and Dad fell out of favor with your aunt and lost everything." Aili nervously played with one of her strands of red hair. "Nio doesn't have any titles. He does not belong to the nobility. I would have given up a title for him at any time. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a princess." She wiped a few tears from her face. "Nio bragged about me. He introduced me to his friends. In the last month of the first year of school, I spent a lot of time with him and Arne. I listened to their conversations. Nio never wanted to spend time with my friends. I thought that was normal at first. For him, however, I was just an achievement. Possession. I know that now."