"I know that you have knowledge of your lineage, princess. You don’t need to be wary of because we are family." Prince Gladiolus takes a sip of his tea casually.
My eyes went wide in surprise. ’What did he an by that?’ I thought.
As if prince Gladiolus read my mind, he answered. "It is literally what I ant. You and I are both from the royal blood line of Atlantia. Your mother Leticia, was my mother Patricia’s twin sister." He gave a smile as confirmation.
"So you an... we are cousins." I tried to hide my surprise.
"Yes, we are." Prince Gladiolus said.
"Then, how did you beco the crown prince of Jennova?" I asked in curiosity.
"It is like how you beca a princess of Alvannia." Prince Gladiolus said. "But the difference is, my mother beca the queen while your mother just beca a concubine."
I was processing the information Gladiolus was giving . ’So I still have a blood relative.’ I thought.
"And another difference is, I am of purer blood than yours." Prince Gladiolus looked my way. "My mother and our uncle, the crown prince of Atlantia were engaged. Their wedding took place before he went to war, so I was conceived before he died. My mother was smart to let the king of Jennova think I am truly his."
"O-Our uncle?" This was not news to .
I have learned that the royal family of Atlantia has practiced incest, to preserve and strengthen their magical blood line. But to think that a product of such incest is right before , still shocked .
"That is why I am purer than you." Prince Gladiolus explained. He takes a bite from a pastry.
I look at the prince before . It doesn’t look like he is lying. The fact that his physical apperance is proof that he is of Atlantian royal blood, he might really be my first degree cousin. But why is he telling all of this? I can feel that he still have sothing to say.
"I am happy to know that I still have blood relatives living. I thought I am the only one left alive." I give him a smile.
’I need to get his trust and to get on his good side.’ I thought.
I can’t deny that I have so famlial feelings since the first ti I saw prince Gladiolus. But as Regaleon said, he is dangerous. I can’t really put my finger on it, but I feel he has hidden plans.
"My mother would love to see you in person. Why not visit us in Jennova?" Prince Gladiolus said.
"I am happy with your invitation." I smiled. "But I am afraid that I cannot visit any ti soon."
"Is it because of your engagent with prince Regaleon of Grandcrest?" Prince Gladiolus smiled casually.
"Yes." I answered. "After the grand parade after a few days, I will be departing and travel towards Grandcrest. I will need to take my bridal training in preparation for my wedding with prince Regaleon."
"I see." Prince Gladiolus take another sip of his tea and I do the sa.
"Maybe I can change your mind and let you co to Jennova instead." Prince Gladiolus suddenly said. There was a mischeavous smile on his face.
I see him insert his hand inside his pocket. He taked a small box inside and put it on the coffee table in front of . I look at it curiously, not sure what is inside that will make change my mind.
"Go on and open it." Prince Gladiolus encouraged .
I looked at him and the box with curiosity. Looking at him still smiling made feel more curious. I stretched my hand towards the small box in front of and lifted it.
The box was light in weight. I hold it with both my hands. After so mont, I open the lid.
Inside, I see a brooch. The center of the brooch was designed with so kind of family crest. A white tiger standing proudly on a pedestal. Around it were so kind of letters I don’t have knowledge of.
"Those texts are of ancient Atlantian writings that are long gone and forgotten now." Prince Gladiolus said. "It is our family crest, the crest of the Atlantian royal famiy. The text says ’The one that rules all, above heaven and earth’."
I look at him and then the brooch. I have the feeling I have seen this before. This brooch, I rember it when I was little. My mother has the sa kind of brooch. I rember her looking at it with sad eyes.
***
(mory of little Alicia)
"Mommy, what is that?" I asked my mother who was holding sothing shiny.
"Oh this little thing." I see her wipe her tears away. "This was given to by my mother. All of us siblings have one of this. See this?"
Mother truned the brooch, and on the back was a carving of her na "Leticia".
"All of us siblings have one of each, with our na on the back." My mother explained.
"This is from grandma?" I asked. "So this is your treasure, right mommy?"
"Yes." Mother nodded. "This is a precious monto of my past life and your grandma that I love so dear."
(End of mory)
***
I turned the brooch and saw the na carved at the back.
"Leticia"
My hands was shaking with shock. I rebered that this brooch was burried with my mother. My mother’s body was burried at the town where we lived in before she died. She had asked my father the king to burry her at a hill overlooking where the sun sets behind the mountains.
"H-How did you get this?" I asked forcefully. My eyes were looking at prince Gladiolus with anger.
’If ever he have deconsecrated my mother’s grave, I am sure to skin him alive.’ Anger was welling up inside of .
"Easy Alicia. You would not want to use your magic here now, would you?" Prince Gladiolus calmly said.
He was right, the palace has many eyes watching. I cannot move as I please. But still I stare at him with anger, demanding an explination.
"Don’t worry Alicia, we never moved even one rock from your mother’s grave. In fact your mother was never burried there in the first place." Prince Gladiolus said.
"What do you an?" His words makes no sense at all.
"The body that was burried in that grave was a body double. Another’s body, so to speak." Prince Gladiolus said.
My eyes went wide in shock. "How can that be?!" I said with a forceful tone.
"My mother was searching for aunt Leticia for a long ti. When she found her, she thought it was too late. The news of aunt Leticia dead was what ca to her. My mother loved your mother dearly, being the older one and aunt Leticia the younger of the twins. My mother didn’t want to let your mother’s body be burried at the country of the people that killed her. So she sent soone to steal her body before the burial." Prince Gladiolus explained.
Now my anger was being intensified. "All this years, I was visiting a grave of an unknown person?!" I stood up and shouted in anger at him.
"Let finish first." Prince Gladiolus smiled. "When aunt Leticia’s body ca, there was still a small life force burning inside of her. But it was faint. With our body’s magical abilities, your mother’s life force was saved. Her heart seed to stop beating if a regular doctor diagnosed it. But iwith an Atlantian doctor, she was saved from the brink of death."
"Saved? You an..." I was in shock with prince Gladiolus words.
"Yes, she was saved. Your mother is alive in Jennova." Prince Gladiolus smiled.
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