"Not all secrets are sins."
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'Do you think she's Lady Kaitlyn's too?' I ask.
'Probably. You said she has red hair?'
'Yeah.'
'Then she's probably Lady Kaitlyn's.'
'But why is she out here, then? She should be living with us in the palace.'
'When was Lady Kaitlyn pregnant, though?' Brother Xander muses.
'Dunno. I don't think I've heard of her being pregnant after the stillborn thing…'
'…Stillborn… Do you think the little girl looks 8?'
'I'm not sure. She certainly looks like she's under 10, but I can't tell.'
'The only way we're going to clear this up is if we talk to Brother Brutus.'
I shudder at the thought; the hairs on my arms prickling with danger.
'T-talk to Brother Brutus?' I gulp.
'I know,' Brother Xander shivers. 'It's a scary thought.'
'Do you think you can defend against him?'
'Probably not… He has battlefield experience…'
'…True…'
'…Shall we go…?'
I nod, slowly taking off my seatbelt.
'Do you think he'll kill us?'
'Probably…not?'
We look at each other, take a deep breath and open the car door.
'Last chance to leave,' I say quietly.
'Let's do it,' Brother Xander mumbles, his hands in fists.
Stepping out of the car, the sun shines bright, warming us almost instantly. Despite that, my skin still feels cold as we approach the house.
The little girl notices us first. We watch as she points and Brother Brutus twirls around, his face twisted in fury. We pause, Brother Xander sidling to stand a little in front of me, waiting as Brother Brutus storms towards us, the little girl at his tail.
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Spending time with Emilia is the only happiness I feel these days. She is innocent and loves playing, something I never really got to do as a child. I'm just glad she doesn't have to deal with the mess that comes with being a royal.
God, please let Emilia live a peaceful life away from the palace.
I'd spent nearly an hour listening to Emilia chatter on about her days and the friends she's made at school. She's really enjoying it. But, that all changed when I was leaving.
'Are you alright, Emi?' I ask.
'Of course, big brother! I'll be fine, so come back soon,' she smiles.
Seeing her smile like that makes my heart ache. She's so young, yet so understanding. Why is my sister so cute?
'You know I'm going to miss you.'
'Yes. I'll miss you too. You'll be safe, right?'
'I'll be safe. You know nothing can hurt me.'
Emilia looks at me disapprovingly.
'Stop lying, big brother. You know you get hurt like everyone else.'
Stepping away from the front door, I can't help but smile.
'I can't hide anything from you, can I? But I promise, I will not get hurt.'
'How will you keep that promise?' She asks, her eyes narrowing.
'I'll stay a commander. I won't go to the front lines.'
'Are you lying to me?' Her eyes narrow further.
'I'm not lying,' I reply.
She smiles.
'Very well.'
She notices something behind me and points, sending a chill down my spine. Terror seizes me, as I pray it's no one who would hurt her.
'Big brother, there are two people coming,' she blurts.
Twirling around, I glare at the intruders. To my surprise, it's Adira and Xander, two of my half-siblings. My glare doesn't lessen as I place my hand out in front of Emilia.
'What are you two doing here?' I growl lowly.
Adira steps back, while Xander moves in front of her. At least he's protective of her, but my focus is on keeping Emilia safe.
'W-we just came to s-see you…' Adira stumbles.
'Why?' I bark.
'Because we wanted to see what you were hiding,' Xander adds.
'So you followed me?'
They nod.
'Well, leave. Don't come here ever again and never speak of this to others. Otherwise, you'll regret it.'
'Why does she have our eyes?' Adira blurts out.
'None of your business,' I snap.
'But she's our sister, right?'
'It's. None. Of. Your. Business.'
Emilia pokes her head out.
'Why do you say I'm your sister?' She asks.
'Because we have the same eyes,' Adira mentions.
I close my eyes, frustration taking over.
'Be quiet, Emilia.'
'No! I want to know!' Emilia demands.
'Fine,' I sigh.
I look at Adira and Xander for a moment before walking back to the house.
'Come in, but don't touch anything. You're not staying long.'
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We glance at each other before following Brother Brutus into the house. It's all white with high ceilings. It has hardwood floors and is two stories high. The large windows brought ample light into the house, making it look large and open.
Brother Brutus takes us to the living room, where a huge crystal television hangs on the wall.
'It's a really nice place,' I say in awe.
'Of course it is. Emilia deserves the best,' Brother Brutus grumbles.
'You bought it?' Brother Xander asks.
'Yes. I bought it when I had enough money.'
'Where'd you get the money?' I ask.
'After every battle, I come home with cash. Sometimes it's a small amount; other times, large. I ended up with a rather large amount after some time.'
'Wow! How long did it take you to save up?'
'One year. I was nine when I bought this place.'
'Nine?!' We exclaim, surprised.
'Yes, nine.'
'You went to battle at 8?'
'Of course. As princes, we can go to battle as young as 8.'
'But why?' I ask, feeling sad.
'To learn how to survive.'
'You could've died!'
'But I didn't. If I did, then that'd be my bad luck.'
'You shouldn't say that!' Emilia and I say at the same time.
We look at each other, smiling sadly. Who would be cruel enough to send a child into a war zone?
'So, what do you want?' Brother Brutus asks.
'Who is Emilia, really?'
'That's a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?'
Brother Xander, Emilia and I look at each other and nod.
'Yes.'
'Very well. It all started 8 years ago…'
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'Why? Why? Why?' Lady Kaitlyn screams as she throws things onto the ground. She may be my mother, but she hadn't been one in a very long time.
'What's wrong?' I ask.
'Cardinia,' she snarls. 'That's what's wrong!'
'What about Lady Cardinia?'
Lady Cardinia has always been very nice to me… Well, to everyone. And you can see just how much Father liked her.
'She needs to disappear! I won't be able to fall pregnant after this pregnancy, but she can…'
She paces around the room.
'I need to do something…but what…' she mutters to herself, biting her thumb.
Frustrated, she throws things again. Eventually she settles, tired and panting.
'Mother, please rest. You're giving birth soon.'
'Giving birth to a mistake! If the King didn't know I was pregnant, I would've gotten rid of this burden in my stomach months ago!'
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'…I'm a mistake?' Emilia asks.
'Of course not. You're my Emilia,' Brother Brutus says, hugging her gently.
'Did Father know the baby was Emilia?'
Brother Brutus shakes his head.
'Father thought the baby was a boy. Only Lady Kaitlyn and I knew the baby was a girl… and the doctor that was helping her.'
'So what happened next?'
'Well…'
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Lady Kaitlyn decided to go for a walk. She's nearing her due date, but she still doesn't want to sit still. In fact, she's in a chipper mood.
'Let's go. I want to walk in the courtyard today.'
'Yes, Mother.'
Following Lady Kaitlyn, I remain silent the whole way. Not long after, we spot Lady Cardinia and my little sister… what was her name again? Adira? If all goes well, Lady Kaitlyn will end up giving birth to a second sister, one I can cherish.
I hope Big Brother comes back on time. Then, he can cherish her too. I watch as Lady Kaitlyn moves closer to Lady Cardinia and Adira, brushing past them, when she suddenly falls away from Lady Cardinia, her stomach facing the ground. With no natural instinct of preservation as a mother, she slams into the ground, belly first, only protecting her face.
Shock fills me, as I can only stare at the mayhem before me. Lady Kaitlyn lays there, pain clear on her face, while Lady Cardinia holds Adira who doesn't understand what's going on.
'How dare you?' Lady Kaitlyn screeches as she holds her stomach, that just hit the ground.
Blood began pooling at her legs.
'If my little prince dies, you're going with him!'
Little prince? What is she talking about?
'Guards! Guards! Detain them! Quick! I need my doctor!'
Her maids, in a flurry, help carry her back to her room as I trudge behind, looking back at the stricken Lady Cardinia and screaming Adira. I have to figure out what Lady Kaitlyn's up to.
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'That's horrible!' Emilia cries.
Brother Xander nods, his arms folded in front of him.
'Lady Kaitlyn is a real piece of work, but I didn't think she was this bad.'
He looks at me, sympathy shining through.
'It must've been so traumatic, Adi.'
He hugs me.
'Do you remember any of it?'
I shake my head.
'I don't remember a thing…' I mumble.
Hearing Brother Brutus talking about that day made my blood run cold. My hairs are standing on end, and I can't seem to calm down. But with a hug from Brother Xander, I feel much better. I just wish Mamma was still here. I close my eyes, take a deep breath and then let go, looking Brother Brutus square in the eyes.
'What happened next?'
Brother Brutus looks at me, then Emilia. She nods, wanting to know more. Sighing, Brother Brutus continues.
'While we were away…'
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'Hurry! Call the doctor! Natalie is also in labour!'
I grab one of the maids.
'What happened to Nanny Natalie?'
'We're not sure, Your Highness. She just went into labour.'
What's going on? First Lady Kaitlyn falls and needs to give birth to my little sister, and now Nanny Natalie's in labour? Something's definitely fishy.
I move over to the bed to watch over Lady Kaitlyn. I hope the fall didn't hurt my little sister. She's going to be so precious. But why did she say the baby is a son? Does everyone think the baby is a prince? That's not right. The baby is definitely a princess. It's why Lady Kaitlyn's been so moody lately. So how is she going to hide a princess when she's born?
In any case, nothing can happen to my baby sister. I must watch Lady Kaitlyn so she doesn't do anything to harm my sister once she's born.
The doctor is quick to arrive, and the birth is rather quick for both Lady Kaitlyn and Nanny Natalie.
But there is only one cry.
'Your Majesty, the child is stillborn as requested.'
'Good. Place it beside me,' Lady Kaitlyn's tired voice rings.
In the distance, I hear a cry and frown. I move closer to the maid. The doctor had taken my sister because he needed to check something. When the maid returned, however, I knew something was wrong.
Looking closer at the child, I know it's not my sister. The child looks strange and is definitely dead.
'What's happening, Mother?' I ask.
'Quiet,' she orders.
I remain silent as a knight announces Father's entrance. He walks over to us, and when I look back, Lady Kaitlyn already has tears falling from her eyes.
'Please punish her, Your Majesty,' she sobs. 'Our child is dead!'
She hugs the dead baby as if it were her own child, but her eyes held no love.
Aah.
So that's what's going on.
She's framing Father's fifth wife.
'What happened?' Father asks.
I stop listening as Lady Kaitlyn recounts her version of the story, my mind still on my sister who's somewhere else.
Father leaves after comforting Lady Kaitlyn, but my mind is still on my sister.
'Where is she, Mother?' I ask.
'She'll live elsewhere.'
'Where?'
'With your Nanny Natalie, of course,' she smirks.
'Why?'
'Because you care for her.'
'What do you want?'
'For you to become King. Your older brother is useless, as is your sister. You're the only one I can rely on now.'
'What if I kill you after I become King?'
'Doesn't matter. You'll be on the throne, and my bloodline will continue as part of the royal family.'
I frown.
'You're cold.'
She shrugs.
'It's what I want; what I've been striving for this whole time.'
'Can I visit her?'
Lady Kaitlyn pauses a moment.
'Sure. But no one can find out.'
'No one will know.'
I think for a moment before asking, 'How did the baby die?'
'It was killed by his own mother.'
'Why?'
'Because she's loyal to me, and me alone.'
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We sit in silence. Just listening to the story made our hearts heavy.
'And so you joined the battlefield?' I ask.
Brother Brutus nods.
'Lady Kaitlyn wanted it, so she got it. Emilia can't be hurt because of me.'
'And everyone else that knew?' Brother Xander asks.
'Dead. All dead.'