Destiny Divided

Chapter 29:

Kaito's POV:

I had calmed down considerably by the time I had reached my castle. Obviously the peasant girl had been in shock. Otherwise she would have been overjoyed to have been able to come to my castle.

I entered the great hall and was stopped by a servant. "Your highness...A letter from Princess Rillian." He handed me the letter and left quickly. I sighed. She never let me have so much as a minute of peace.

I turned the letter over to open it, when the high priest approached me. "Y...your highness." He bowed. "Your father's condition...it has significantly worsened. I believe he was trying his hardest to hang on so he could see you one last time." The priest led me to my father's chambers.

"Kaito...my son." My father's raspy voice whispered from the bed.

"Father." I bowed stiffly.

"Come here my son." My father reached out his shaking hand for me to take.

"Did you want me for something father?" I asked.

"I wanted to see my son one last time before..." He broke off into a fit of coughing.

I watched him curiously. He obviously wanted something.

"Take care of the princess. Rule wisely." The king whispered.

I didn't meet his eye. He seemed to realize what this meant.

"Promise me son...promise me you'll be faithful to her." My father pleaded.

I looked him in the eye. I refused to make that promise. I wasn't about to lie even though I hated this old man.

My father's eyes widened. "Son...a war...this could start...a war...be...wise..." He began coughing again and the physicians came running in.

Five minutes later my father was reported to be dead. My mother was devastated but I really didn't see why. She was too good for him, the old fool. All he ever did was try to control my life, but mother let me do as I pleased.

I remembered the letter that was in my pocket and so I took it out and read it.

Princess Rillian had proposed to me it seemed. Ah well. My father wasn't around to force me to marry her any longer. I commanded for a servant to bring me paper, pen, and ink. I would write a cordial refusal but make it very clear that I would not ever change my mind. I had always quite hated that spoiled child. She clung to me like the strangler plant clung to the trees. I would finally be rid of this weed.

Emi's POV:

I sat quietly with my friends. They were all talking and laughing. I was the quiet one I didn't talk much but I noticed much more than any of them. Like Miku and Len for example. The way the would always look at each other and the difference in how they acted when away from one another...it was so obvious. Miku must have told Ilsie because whenever Len's name was so much as mentioned her entire face darkened. She hated him so much for getting so close to Miku.

Ilsie was a wonderful person over all, but like all of us she has her flaws. Her biggest flaw is how possessive she is over Miku. Miku was her first friend. Before Miku, Ilsie had been taunted and bullied over her appearance. Then she met Miku (They never talked about it so I don't know how) and Miku stood up for her wherever they went.

I also know that Len is hiding a secret. Not a bad secret though...just a personal one. But it must be big because whenever we start talking about certain subjects...

My mind started to piece together the puzzle. I was incredibly bored of what my friends were talking about just then so I let myself zone out to think more properly. Len was very mysterious. He never told us anything about his past. Although I suspected Miku knew a little

The topics that made Len most uncomfortable were the one's about family and also about anything related to the royal family in particular.

Had he had some sort of bad run in with them?

No...it wasn't a bad secret.

Then Gumi pulled two dolls out of her pocket. One was of the princess and another of a boy. "Tada!" She cried. "I got them because this one looks a little similar to someone we know." She waved the boy doll in the air, and then passed it around.

"Oh that's the doll from the store down the road that way!" Miku cried. "I remember because when Len was getting a present for his...teacher... he asked the shopkeeper about the boy doll. I didn't know who it was, Len was confused by it, but the shopkeeper said it was the prince..."

The prince? Why would a boy care about a doll of a prince and princess? The only reason was because Miku might have wanted them, but Miku hated dolls so I knew that couldn't be it.

Actually...Len seemed to know quite a bit about the prince. He had told us that whole story after all. It was nothing like any of the mixed rumors I had ever heard. And why had he told it? Because Miku was scorning the prince.

I recalled the hurt look in Len's eye when she had talked about the prince angrily. Didn't Len have sort of a regal air? He always wanted to be a servant when we played pretend even though he already was one. Why was he so happy to be a servant?

My mind cleared as I came to a conclusion. It was a wild guess but it made sense to me.

What if Len was the lost prince?

It hurt him to have Miku talk ill of him because he liked her so much. And if he was a servant he got to serve his sister. Len was always trying to serve all of us so I knew he was the kind of person that would do anything for someone he cared about. I thought back to the last time the princess had come out in public. It was at the funeral procession for the king. I remembered the princess's features and they looked exactly the same as Len's. Or at least what I imagined Len to have looked like that long ago.

Len never joined in when the boy's bantered about the princess. And whenever a remark about her being a tyrant came across he would get a flash of anger in his eyes.

So many things made sense now. I wonder if I'm correct? I assume I am. I haven't ever been wrong yet...but this really was a little far-fetched. I guess I wouldn't know unless I asked or tested Len. I wouldn't though. If he wanted it to be a secret than I wouldn't try to see if I was right.

Wouldn't it be funny if I was though?