Ch. 7: Revealed Truths Part 1

"I don't want to leave you," Mikyle whined, his arms wrapped securely around Seo-jun's waist.

Two weeks have passed and Seo-jun found himself at the train station. It was the start of the Renmada Holiday and he was on his way to his grandfather's in Carleton City, which was only three hours away by train. 

The steam engine train was a wonder to behold. It had only been around for less than thirty years and was designed by Mikyle's grandfather, the Grand Duke.

The platform was filled with people who were leaving and going for the holiday. The chaotic bustling was a sight in of itself.

Mikyle's grip on him tightened. "Tomorrow. I'll be able to join you tomorrow," Mikyle promised against his ear. Mikyle had wanted to join him but his plans were delayed when he received a message from the palace requesting his return two days prior. 

Seo-jun patted the top of Mikyle's head. "You don't need to rush to my side. Your family obviously misses you." His reassurances did nothing to calm Mikyle down.

"They can see me anytime they want." Mikyle parted from him, but only enough so that he could place a gentle kiss on top of Seo-jun's forehead. "You're my priority right now. I promised to not let you go through this alone and I intend to keep my promise."

Seo-jun placed a hand on Mikyle's cheek and leaned up on his toes to give him a small kiss on the mouth. "Spend a day with your family." He separated himself from Mikyle. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He grabbed his bag which had been by their feet, forgotten, and got on the train. He showed the attendant his ticket before heading to his designated car. It felt weird not having Mikyle beside him and knowing that he will have to spend an entire day apart. The two of them had literally been together every single day since the school year started and the little amount of separation they had had only decreased when they began seeing each other.

Putting his suitcase away, Seo-jun settled himself into his seat, making himself comfortable. He then pulled out a light novel from inside his coat pocket. It was one that Mikyle had loaned to him.

The ride passed by quickly as Seo-jun spent the time wrapped up in the book he was reading. So when it was time to get off, he stuffed the book into his coat pocket and grabbed his bag, feeling relaxed and reinvigorated.

There was a man dressed in a butler's suit standing on the platform, holding a sign with Seo-jun's name on it when he exited off the train. This was only possible because he had sent a letter to the former Countess asking if he could visit during the holiday; he also included the new name he was going by in the letter.

"Young Master Seo-jun?" The man asked when Seo-jun approached him.

"You can drop the young master, Henley." Seo-jun told the man, recalling the name of the servant that the former Countess had included in her reply letter.

Henley gave a slight bow, tucking the sign under one arm when he stood up. He grabbed the suitcase from Seo-jun and led him to the awaiting carriage. 

The Ratcliff estate was located an hour outside of the city. It was a beautiful manor that could belong to any aristocrat. The Ratcliffs were very well established merchants and the wealth they made doing business clearly showed.

The carriage wheels rolled smoothly along the long driveway that led up to the manor. Trees lined either side of the driveway and a beautiful garden showed itself every now and then in between the trees.

The butler opened the carriage door and helped Seo-jun down when it came to a stop. As Seo-jun exited the carriage, he spotted a familiar face among the crowd.

"Mother," he greeted.

Tessia Ratcliff's warm smile froze when she saw him. The warmth in her green eyes darkened with another emotion before disappearing all together. "Ad- I mean Seo-jun. What an unusual name you have picked for yourself." She wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug, the stiffness from earlier gone.

Seo-jun hugged her back, his mind racing with a million thoughts. He hadn't been mistaken when he saw the look in her eyes when she saw his hair. 

They pulled away but Tessia kept a hand on his arm as she guided him into the house, the staff following in after them. "This is the first time you've been here since you were a babe." After that, she gave him a tour of the first floor before guiding him up to the second floor. The room that had been prepared for him was down the east wing, set apart from the rest of the family whose rooms were located down the west wing. "I thought you might want your privacy," she told him when she caught his questioning gaze. "I also had the room beside yours cleaned for that friend you mentioned that would be visiting."

"Thank you." He didn't have the heart to tell her that the room will more-and-likely go unused. After spending the day away from him, Mikyle was most likely to never leave Seo-jun's side when he arrives.

"You must tell me everything that has happened after dinner."

He nodded his head. "I will. I also have some questions for you."

Tessia squeezed his arm before giving it a pat. "I'm sure you do." 

A maid entered the room and unpacked his belongings after Tessia left. He took the unfinished book out of his coat and sat it on the bedside table before taking his long coat off and hanging it up in the wardrobe.

After freshening up in the attached bathroom, he laid down on the bed and picked up the book to finish reading it. 

A knock on the bedroom alerted him to company a couple hours later. A maid entered to inform him that it was time for dinner.

Seo-jun marked his page before placing the book down on the bed. He then got up and followed the maid out.

Tessia was already in the dining room sitting down. At the head of the table was an elderly man with blonde hair slicked back and icy green eyes. When the man saw Seo-jun enter, a smile lit up his face and he stood up to greet Seo-jun with a hug. 

"You probably don't remember me, huh? The last time I saw you, you were just a wee babe"

Seo-jun returned the old man's hug, guessing that he must be Mr. Ratcliff, Adrien's grandfather. "You must be my grandfather. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

The man smiled and patted Seo-jun on the shoulder. "Come. Sit and eat."

Dinner passed by in a mostly comfortable silence. Every once in a while, Seo-jun would catch the grandfather openly staring at him.

After the scrumptious meal was over and the table was cleaned, the old man excused himself to finish up some paperwork while Tessia led Seo-jun to a private sitting area. She guided him to the small ornate couch where they sat down beside each other.

Tessia grabbed his hands and held them in hers. "I hope you don't mind if you tell me about the months you've been on your own." There was a small tremble in her hands, though her voice did not betray her emotions. "I'm afraid you won't want to talk to me after I explain the reason behind your change in hair or the new element you have more that likely gained."

Not letting his shock show, he squeezed her hand to try and comfort her, playing the part of a dutiful son. "I don't mind. And I won't hate you." He had never mentioned him gaining a new element in his letter. So it seamed that Mikyle's guess was correct, Tessia Ratcliff had been hiding something about Adrien's birth.

A small smile spread to Tessia's lips at his words.

"I should probably start by telling you that I entered Tris Academy as a scholarship student." A gasp escaped from Tessia. He couldn't blame her since Adrien was known for his atrocious grades, so becoming a scholarship student was kind of far-fetched. "I'm also seeing someone." It was best to start with basic information and to play the part of a dutiful son to lower her guard.

"Who is she?" Tessia's curious expression morphed into a neutral expression but there was a hidden cognizance in her eyes. "Your friend that will be joining us tomorrow," she stated before he could say anything. "His name was Kyle?"

Seo-jun nodded. "Kyle is actually a nickname. Mikyle is his first name." He intentionally hid Mikyle's surname, knowing that Tessia may hold some ill will toward the royal family.

"Mikyle?" She mumbled. She turned her green eyes onto him, and he could see them trembling. "There is only one person I know who has that name."

Seo-jun blinked in surprise. He hadn't even realized that Mikyle wasn't a commonly used name in his generation. No one of nobility would dare to name their children after royalty. 

"Does he know? No, of course he knows. How did he find out?"

"He knew from the beginning because of the way I blush." He embarrassed himself with his own answer but it was unfortunately true. He had asked Mikyle about it before and that was the answer he had given. 

"That. . ." Tessia paused, unable to formulate the right words. "He seems to be very. . .attentive." Though her words were hesitant, her voice and eyes no longer shook with fear. "you must be very dear to him for him to be able to pick out that detail." 

Seo-jun couldn't help the expression his face morphed into.

"Is he not like that?" Tessia asked upon seeing her son's expression.

"You'll see when he gets here."

They fell silent after that. Seo-jun stayed silent because he no longer knew what to talk about and Tessia was silent while she organized her thoughts on where to begin so as to answer any questions Seo-jun might have.

"I guess it's my turn to explain about your second power, the shadow element," she finally said after a while. "It was nineteen years ago when your father, my younger brother, met your mother."

______

Nineteen years ago

The carriage was quiet and dark. The rope around Liona's wrists bit into her skin, forbidding her from fighting against them. Laying against her neck was an ice cold stone that was dark purple in color, almost black, with white lines coursing through it. A dampening stone. Dampening stones were rare, so rare that they were only used on the worst of criminals, and their purpose was to temporarily bind a person's elemental power.

She had been on her way to the Velron Kingdom for their biannual ball as the representative for the Shigaron Kingdom. Before she had crossed the border, her guards had been taken out and she had been captured. 

The curtain on the carriage parted, letting in the light from the moon hanging high in the sky. Based on the position of the moon, she must have been out for approximately three hours.

Standing in the entrance, holding the curtain up with one hand, was a familiar face. Her stomach flopped and heart squeezed. It seemed that her sister had finally made her move.

"A fine sight, you make, your highness," Joshua sneered. Joshua Ashgrove was Blythe's personal guard.

"What does my dear baby sister have planned for me?" Liona asked, keeping her voice and gaze even. Her hands moved behind her back, careful to not make Joshua aware of her movements. Hidden on the inside of the ribbon tied around her waist was a small pocket knife. If she could get it, then she could cut her hands free. She was just lucky enough that her captors were too cocky to tie her ankles together.

Joshua chuckled coldly. "You'll find out soon enough, princess," he spat her title like it was an insult. "We've just reached our destination." He walked closer to her and she stopped in her movements. There was no way she could free her knife unnoticed with the man so close. Jerking her up by the arm with a jar wrenching yank, Joshua pulled her to her feet and led her out of the cargo carriage, not caring that she stumbled with each step.

Outside, the Vienna River glistened underneath the moonlight. The Vienna River was a river that ran through the Shigaron, Velron, Bestian, and Fersia Kingdoms until it reached the Nostram ocean. She shivered, not from the cold but from fear.

Joshua gave her a hard shove in the back. Liona stumbled and fell face forward into the ground. Before she could stand up, a ticklish feeling brushed against her ankles before it tightened almost painfully. So much for having her ankles free.

"Say your last prayers," came Joshua's roguish voice, increasing the cold fear in the pit of her stomach.

There was a split second of silence before she was hoisted up and slung over the knight's shoulder. With unhurried steps, they came closer to the river's edge. The sound of water slapping against rocks reverberated loudly in the otherwise quiet night. 

Liona felt the weight underneath her shift just before she was picked up and flung into the water's surface. Unable to move her arms and legs, she was dragged under and around by the rapidly moving water. At one point, her head broke through the surface, where she hungrily gulped in a deep breath of air before she was dragged down once again.

The water beat against her skin and she was rammed into various rocks of all sizes. But still, she did not release her breath or give up. Turning and twisting every which way until she could reach the back of her dress, she released the knife in her ribbon, thankful that the thread holding it in place had held out against the pummeling water.

She released the blade and slid it against the rope on her wrists. It cut through the rope like butter, slicing a piece of her skin in the process. Rolling into a ball, fighting against the water current, she cut the rope around her ankles. Still holding the knife in her hands, she gave a strong kick with her legs, breaking the surface of the water. She hungrily gulped in breaths of air as she swam to the riverbank.

Pulling herself out of the water, she flopped to the ground, her wet and heavy dress sticking to her skin and her lungs burned with each breath. No one was around so she laid there for a few good minutes before standing up.

Lights in the distance drew her gaze.

On shaky legs, she made her way to what was hopefully a town. She held her arms close to her, trying to stop the shivers that were wracking her body, which was growing colder by the minute. The hand that she had sliced earlier had finally stopped bleeding and she was numb to the pain.

The night air, although warm, did nothing to ease her chilling body. With slow steps and a determined heart, she willed herself to keep moving, to keep living. 

After an hour of walking, she came upon a town that looked to be a small city. Still on the outskirts, she looked around. She looked to be in the rural part of the city from smaller sized houses and their close proximity.

Hanging outside one of the houses were a variety of men's clothing that looked to belong to two different people, an adult and a child. She grabbed a set of the adult men's clothes and quickly stripped out of hers. Realizing that she was still wearing the dampening necklace, she chuckled it off of her.

The new clothes were damp, but mostly dry. A luxurious comfort compared to her still soaking wet dress. She tucked the loose tunic into the pants, which we're hanging off of her. She then twisted a part of the pants lining and tied it into a knot so that they wouldn't slide down off of her. She then tucked her pocket knife into the pocket of the gray slacks.

Balling her dress up, she discarded it a little ways away from the house where she had stolen the men's clothing from. 

After coming to a decision, she pulled the knife back out and cut off her long black hair. Joshua was certain to have someone scour the river and the bank for her body to confirm her death. It would be better to pass off as a boy than to be caught.

She continued down the streets, looking for a warm place to crash. A place where she would not be disturbed by passing strangers.

. . . . .

Savion looked around the small city of Flounders. It was located West of the Vienna River. He was there at the request of his father instead of being back home, where his sister was getting ready to birth twin sons. He vowed to himself to be there for the next time his sister gave birth. 

He had just finished inspecting the building that his father was going to buy. They were slowly expanding their merchant business all over the kingdom and even in to other kingdoms by opening up small subsidiaries. His purpose was to inspect the building and to interview the person his father had picked out to run it.

It was now noon and he was ready for a light lunch. He was heading down one of the smaller streets off the main street, looking for a decent place to eat.

"Stop him!"

He looked up to find a young man, more of a teenager really, running away from an old woman selling fruit. In his hands were two apples and an orange.

Savion, without thinking, took off after the boy. It was probably stupid of him to give chase without a weapon or back-up but he could not turn a blind eye to the crime.

The boy, whose head was ducked low with a hat covering half his face, ran towards the poorer end of the city. Not wanting to lose him, Savion picked up the pace, not used to this kind of exercise but enjoying it. It was thrilling! Maybe he should have become an officer, but then who would succeed his father's business since his sister had recently married a Count?

Before long, Savion had caught up to the boy and tackled him to the ground. The boy weakly fought back, and Savion was shocked with how weak the boy really was.

Savion looked into the boy's face, ready to lecture him for stealing but paused. The words died away on his tongue.

The boy had lost his hat during their scuffle and Savion couldn't believe what he saw. Short, lustrous black hair that sparkled under the sun's light and a pair of blue eyes the color of ice stared back at him. High cheekbones and pink petal shaped lips adorned the soft features of what was clearly the face of a woman. And not just any woman. Laying underneath him dressed in men's clothing was princess Liona.

Savion had met the princess from afar once before when he had accompanied his father over to the Shigaron Kingdom for business. He had fallen in love with the beautiful yet headstrong woman the first time he laid eyes on her. There was no way he could ever mistake her for someone else, she would always be someone he could point out even in a crowded room.

"Princess Liona," he whispered in a daze. Why was she here? Why was she in the Velron Kingdom dressed as a street boy?