The Empyrean | Fourth Wing |

Chapter 13

Xaden is my cousin? We are related? A shudder goes along my back

Did you know? How could you keep this from me? I sent to Xaden on the verge of crying
Wouah, wouah... Violence. What are you talking about?
The fact that we are related?
I am sorry, what? Repeat that again one more time for me
So he didn't know. Well, at least that's that
According to my dad, your dad was his brother. We are related.
No offense Violet but either your dad is lying or he just meant my dad is his brother as Liam is/was mine. Not related but brothers nonethless. Also, what are you doing past curfew at your mother's house?
How did.. Right the bond. I found a message my dad left me in the fables to go to his secret study in his office. So I did. Figured it would be important. This place is incredible. Look I say as I pull him to me through the bond. There are maps everywhere with names I don't recognise
I do but it just must be a coincidence
What?
Well the names are cities that rejoined the first rebellion. Theses maps are identical to the ones my dad had. I still have them to this day. See the house on the map, that's where Aretia is. My dad used to say that the house meant home. So how does your dad have identical maps on the ones my dad had? 
I don't know but maybe I can find out by reading the rest of his letter. I only read the first 2 lines
Wait, so you panicked and called me a liar based two lines. By the way, totally not offended that you thought I knew we were related and still thought that I ... I can feel his disgust through the bond when it cleary says it on the line just after
You read the letter?
Well, yeah, you pulled me to you. Plus I wanted to know. I promise I only read the part involving me so the 3rd line.
Fine, I believe you and I am sorry for accusing you. Can you stay? I mean if you are busy, you can go of course but...
If you think I am leaving you have another thing coming
I chuckle relieved as I continue the letter

''Before you panick, no we are not related. I just grew up with him in a small village near the frontier named Aretia. We spent our childhood together, we were neighbor and our mothers were best of friends. If I wasn't home, I was at his house and vice versa. We were always together and happy. However, Aretia was often attacked by vernin and wyvers. Our beloved King (I say ironnically) just became king and his 1st decree was to hid Navarre from the vernin but to do that, they had to be erased from everyone's memories, well the memories of the people who lived on the frontier because a part from them, no one knew. Vernin was already considered myths. So protect their secret, they bombared a city called Oakencoast. Before you try, you will never find a mention of Oakencoast anywhere it was wipped from this earth entirely. The dragons used too much power as such killing everyone, everything, leaving the land barren.

We knew about it because they lost so many friends that day so we promised that we would do everything we could to enter Basgaith College: one as a Rider, the other as a Scribe. One would be on the front lines and the other would write the truth. So we did. We became the best in each of their quadrants.

We stayed best friends. Yes, we rarely saw each other but we trusted each other more than anything. I was his bestman and he was mine at our respective's weddings: I was the first to get married to Major Lilith Sorrengail. I took her last name because she was higher in the hierarchy. We had a son: Brennan Sorrengail whose godfather was Fen Riorson and a daughter a year later: Mira Sorrengail. That same year, Fen Riorson got married to an member of the Healer Quadrant: Doctor Ellinor Therese who later became Ellinor Riorson.
A few years after the wedding, they had a son: Xaden Riorson whom I am the godfather...
I feel Xaden through the bond, pride is swelling in his eyes before I continue
and a girl: Syrena Therese. I think that by now, you are getting the drift. You guys bascially grew up together in Aretia. That's why it seemed familiar but different. Xaden rebuilt the castle identical to what he looked like before. I recognised the place without realising it before I grew up there.  We, parents were true friends, you kids were siblings. We were all heads of the rebellion. We had this plan to expose everything and it would have worked if not for..., until, one patrol...