The Lost Mark

Chapter 10: New jobs

New beginnings start all the time

A new job, a new family member, moving

Even ending starts a new beginning

Leaving, death, lost relationship

***

"I am a woman."

Rina nodded. "That's why I trust you."

"You cannot marry a woman," Alex said, enunciating every word slowly.

"I can be a man."

"You want me to live my life as a man?"

Rina shot her a guilty look. Alex sighed.

"Well, the only other option is Gregory and he is no good, so I guess I could marry you and live like a man. People already think I am one."

"I did." the unknown prince said.

Alex peered at him." Are the other royals trustworthy?"

Adam nodded. "They don't know everything, Luke is harmless and the others are children."

The youngest prince looked at me for the first time. "Mama Alesta?"

Rina turned to me and Gabriel started to cry.

" They told me...they told me you died!"

"I escaped."

" I told them you saved me."

"I know."

" They did not believe me. They said you brainwashed me. I don't know what that is, but they were wrong."

I smile at him and open my arms, he comes running into them, tears running down his face. "Mama!"

I patted his head and started to hum. "It's okay."

He sobbed into my arms nonstop.

"I learned to cook and I was told I act like a real mother at times. I adopted again though this time it's a real orphan, not a runaway prince. Her name is Daphne, but we call her Nee. she is much older than you. I have a family now. Are you proud of me.'' I felt him nod in my arms and continued talking. "I have a huge birthmark on my back. I am told it looks like a sun or a flower.''

"Really?"

"I would show you, but it is on my back. Alex has seen it though and so has Rina."

Alex and Rina nodded in confirmation.

"Why didn't I see it?" Nee asked

"When was this?"

"The first time you fainted."

"Oh."

" Is she sick." the youngest asked.
I shook my head. "Not the kind of sickness you are thinking of. It is not the contagious kind. You cannot get it."

"But it is deadly," Alex muttered.

I closed my eyes. "Everything will be fine,'' I said more for myself than for anyone else. Gabriel rubbed his eyes and squirmed out of my arms.

" That's it. A real man doesn't show his emotions to those who he doesn't know. To those weaker than him."Alex said.

Gabriel looked at her. "Yes." then rubbed his eyes again.

Alex patted his head. "Good."

Adam looked at the clock. "We should be leaving soon."

"Yes it is getting dark and I need to make dinner." I ushered them out after we all said our goodbyes. When it was just me and my newly made family I asked a question that had been on my mind for a while. "how do you get married anyway."