15

Devilkghth sat in the great hall with other knights and squires around him as he waited for his turn to take his place next to one of the many noble women at table. The castle had been filled to the brim with nobles since the morning and it didn't seem any closer to emptying than it did when Devillian started out.

It was only a few weeks ago that he was still living with his parents at the village near the capital. There hadn't even been a moment's pause before the old woman announced that she would no longer have two children staying over anymore as they were now older enough to attend school. The old man who was responsible for raising them wasn't happy about it but he had also seen no reason to keep both their mouths shut so he agreed with the old woman. He just hoped this arrangement wouldn't make things harder on the boys when they began to get older.

He watched as a group of younger noble ladies walked by and smiled to himself. It might've been a bit odd for young girls like them to walk through the halls dressed like they were, but they certainly looked beautiful enough to pass as nobility and they made sure to act accordingly. One lady caught his eye and he couldn't help but watch her as she went off into another room with some of her friends. He didn't know much about her other than what he'd overheard and it was obvious why she had attracted his attention. She had dark green eyes that almost glowed in the light and a soft looking red hair. She must've been the most stunning girl in the whole kingdom.

"Devilish," came a voice in his ear, snapping him out of his trance.

He turned to see his friend, Balthazar, grinning wickedly. It was strange to think of someone being able to pull that expression while wearing their normal attire. "What?" Devillian asked.

The grin widened. "You should probably get your head back where it belongs," Balthazar said before grabbing the collar of Devillian's shirt and pulling him up to stand before the lord sitting at the high table.

"Your Majesty," Devillian greeted the king with an exaggerated bow.

He heard the whispers go throughout the hall as the people stared. Devillian kept his gaze firmly fixed straight ahead, keeping himself perfectly calm and collected. After he finally straightened and stood up straight he looked up into his father's face. His father always looked tired. Devillian was glad that he wasn't too close to his father, because he could tell that he would've felt uncomfortable if their positions were switched.

His father sighed. "Devillian."

Devillian bowed again. "My King."

King Raum frowned. "I thought we discussed you dropping formalities when speaking with me?"

"Well I was wondering if I could ask something, sire," Devillian replied, ignoring his father's comment.

There was a pause, and then the king gave him a curt nod. "Speak."

Devillian took a deep breath. "Sire, what happened after I left? I was unconscious for quite awhile."

His father seemed taken aback by the question, but answered it anyway. "You were captured by bandits," he said flatly.

Devillian blinked in surprise. "Bandits? But...but I was never hurt, sire. Not even scratched. How..." He trailed off, realizing that he really couldn't ask a direct question about what had happened without offending the person standing in front of him.

A servant stepped forward. "Excuse me, Your Highness, but perhaps the prince will be more comfortable discussing these matters in private." He nodded toward the door leading to the kitchen.

The royal family followed the servant into the kitchen, away from the curious stares of everyone else. As soon as they stepped inside, the servants quickly disappeared through various entrances into the kitchen. Only Devillian, his father, Balthazar, and King Raum remained in the kitchen, along with the cook and his apprentice.

"Thank you, Darl," King Raum said to the master chef before turning back to Devillian. "When you woke up after being captured, your injuries were severe. You sustained several wounds including the one on your arm and the one across your chest. Unfortunately, you suffered serious internal damage due to bleeding out from those wounds. Fortunately for you, my apprentice here had already prepared your favorite tea, which has already been brewed." He paused to wait until the master chef finished preparing the tea and poured some into each cup. Then he added three spoonfuls of sugar and handed the cups to Devillian and his father. "You must drink the tea first, as it's quite bitter," he said before taking a seat at the long dining table.

Devillian picked up his teacup and brought it up to his lips. He grimaced slightly as he tasted the bitterness on the tip of his tongue. "How do I know I won't end up spitting it all over myself?"

"Oh you won't be doing anything like that, dear. This is not a tea that'll give you a headache," King Raum said before drinking his own tea, and promptly spitting it out onto the plate in front of him. "Oh my word! Why did that taste so terrible?" he exclaimed, wiping the side of his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket.

"Perhaps it was the sugar, sire?" Darl asked.

King Raum ignored the comment and reached for his own cup. "Hmm...this actually tastes different..."

"What do you mean?" Devillian asked.

King Raum paused mid sip. "Nothing," he said, shaking his head as he took a second sip of tea.

The two princes exchanged glances with each other, both having the same puzzled expressions on their faces. When they got home from their lessons today, Devillian noticed that his father had already cleaned and tidied up their rooms. Even though his mother had told him it wasn't necessary, Devillian had insisted. He wasn't stupid. He knew that their room would look a lot neater if he helped clean it. That was why he and Balthazar had decided to stay home from their lessons early. Now the prince was going to be stuck cleaning the entire house from top to bottom with his father, and it was starting to irritate him.

"I need to finish the chores before the servants arrive," King Raum said suddenly.

"Can't we go out instead?" Devillian blurted out without thinking.

Balthazar's face lit up. "Out?" he repeated. "Why would we want to do that?"

Devillian shrugged. He hated when his brothers and sisters acted like they weren't allowed to do whatever they wanted. Especially since the other kids at the academy acted exactly the same way. "Because the weather looks nice outside, especially since it doesn't seem like there will be any rain tonight," Devillian explained. "And maybe it would make us feel more useful doing this."

His father let out a loud sigh, as if Devillian was talking to a child and not the heir to a great kingdom. "No," he finally said.

"But--"

"Do what I say, and don't try my patience," the king ordered. He pushed his chair back and started gathering his belongings. "Let's go," he said, motioning for his sons to follow him.

They all exited the main doors of the castle, and Devillian could hardly believe his eyes. The sun was shining down from the sky, giving everything a warm glow. The grass was lush and green, and trees surrounded the castle gardens. The sky above them was clear blue and the wind that passed carried with it the smell of the forest. Devillian could barely hear his father's footsteps beside him and wondered if that was because of the silence, or if it had anything to do with the fact that he was holding his arm.

As soon as they reached the courtyard, they all heard the sound of voices coming from inside the garden. At the same time, the king spoke, "I hope you are satisfied with yourself," referring to the boys' earlier remark.

"Of course we are!" one of the voices responded enthusiastically.

Both Devillian and Balthazar were startled. They hadn't expected to hear such a loud voice so close to them. When they looked up and saw what appeared to be the youngest son of a wealthy merchant and the oldest son of the king, they immediately recognized the young man that they had met yesterday in the market. They weren't exactly sure if they liked him, considering how rude he was to their parents, but they still found themselves surprised by how he sounded when speaking to them. Their father didn't seem angry at all and neither was the king, so Devillian had no reason to dislike either one of them. They were simply shocked.

"Are you certain?" the king asked sternly, narrowing his eyes at the boy.

The young merchant rolled his eyes. "Yes, Father, I'm quite certain," he retorted sarcastically.

The two nobles glanced at each other curiously. They had seen many princes and princesses talk to their fathers, often in front of their guards or servants. Some even preferred doing so when their fathers weren't around, but none of them ever behaved in such disrespectful manner to the king. And none of them had such a strong sense of entitlement, even though they have been living under the king's roof for almost eighteen years now. It was completely unprecedented.

Devillian cleared his throat. His father turned to him. "We are ready, Father," Devillian stated while pointing at his brother, who was standing next to him. "Our armor is already packed and waiting in our chambers, along with our swords."

The king nodded. "Very well. We shall depart shortly." King Raum turned to Devillian. "If you're hungry, just say the word and I'll order food delivered."

Devillian shook his head. "That won't be necessary. My stomach can handle its own sustenance."

King Raum nodded his head, his expression softening a bit. "Very well, son," he said before looking back towards the merchant. "Come."

The king and his two sons then proceeded past the merchant and entered the carriage. Devillian climbed aboard and took a seat opposite of his father. They were silent as the carriage rumbled on its way. Devillian leaned against the wall as he watched the scenery pass him by, while Balthazar sat beside him, also leaning back against the wall.

After they had ridden for another twenty minutes, the carriage stopped at the edge of the forest.

The king gestured to Devillian and Balthazar to get out of the carriages, and once they had done so, they headed straight to the tree line. Devillian frowned. "Where are we going now?" he asked in puzzlement.

"To visit some friends," the king replied.

Devillian raised an eyebrow. "Your friends are out here?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"Some of my closest allies from the Dark Kingdom." King Raum led the way, heading deeper into the woods. After about five minutes, they came upon a clearing where two people were sitting on the ground, playing chess and drinking tea together.

One of them stood up as he spotted his companions approaching. A moment later, Devillian recognized the person that he recognized. It was Prince Shadi. The dark skinned prince's smile widened when he recognized Devillian and Balthazar. "Ahh, you arrived safely." He turned to glance at the merchant that was following behind his master. The merchant gave a small nod and sat down, pulling out his chess piece and setting it back in its position in the board.

Prince Shadi glanced at Queen Layla, who was sitting on the grass beside the chessboard. She nodded her head and smiled when she made eye contact with the young prince. The rest of the chess pieces seemed to join the party as they gathered around the game board. Devillian and Balthazar couldn't help but feel proud of their achievement in bringing their father home from his meeting with Mr. Trelawny this afternoon. But they didn't dare show it. They kept their faces neutral and remained silent, observing the players.

"Well, gentlemen, have your minds already been filled with ideas and suggestions? If so, please share them with me," the prince said turning to his partners. All six of them moved their pawns forward to attack.

Queen Layla looked across the chessboard at her husband. "My dearest love, I think they've probably come up with quite a few ideas," she said.

"Indeed they have. Perhaps you might consider a move that will take all their rooks and castles," King Raum suggested.

"That seems like a good idea. Let's see what their ideas are first," Queen Layla replied. She put her hand on the board and began moving all the pawns back onto the field of battle.

Devillian noticed that Queen Layla played much better than her husband and sons. As he watched, Devillian couldn't help but think that this lady was indeed someone very special.

"This is boring," Devillian complained, rolling over onto his side to rest his arms over the bedsheets.

He was bored. Being the only child in his family, Devillian rarely had a chance to interact with children his age. Although their father usually took turns watching over him every day during school hours while their mother was working on some important political matters, Devillian never got a chance to play with his siblings until now. And it pained him that their father and their cousins didn't find the experience as pleasurable as they did. He didn't know whether that was normal or not, but sometimes, he thought they would prefer spending time with him than spending time with their cousin. Well, he guessed that it made sense, considering how many other people their father had married in the last century. Devillian was the only one left of his generation who hadn't married yet, and he didn't know why. He supposed that he should be happy that he was able to spend so much time alone with his father, but it still irked him whenever his relatives talked about marriage and having children.

"I don't think I can stand being in my bedroom anymore," Devillian whined. "Let's play with the dolls again, please." He sat up and tried not to grimace as his muscles ached from lying down on one spot for so long. "Please."

Balthazar looked over at Devillian and shook his head. "There's nothing fun about being cooped up in your room all day. You'll be more comfortable with us playing something else," the prince insisted.

"But you said that there was nothing fun about that either," Devillian argued, although he couldn't stop thinking about playing with the dolls again, especially after hearing that there was nothing interesting going on in his life anymore.

His father chuckled, then placed his hand on top of Devillian's curly black hair. "There is always something to be found in a palace," he assured his son. "And the gardens provide lots of things."

Devillian sighed. "Fine. Just let me stretch my legs a little bit longer." Then he jumped off the bed and went downstairs.

As Devillian entered the garden, he was glad he wasn't wearing boots today, because he couldn't feel his feet anymore. It felt strange walking around barefoot, especially since he had grown used to wearing shoes. In fact, most of the time, he preferred wearing shoes, even if they cost too much money and hurt his feet.

"Welcome back! I was starting to wonder where you'd gone," Queen Layla said, greeting her son and friend with a hug. "It's good to see you, Devillian," she greeted, smiling kindly.

"Hello," Devillian replied softly, returning her hug. "How was your meeting with your ministers?" he inquired.

She chuckled slightly. "Terrible," she confessed sadly. "They're so incompetent that they can barely do anything right!" She paused and laughed again. "Oh, I'm sorry, dear! What I mean to say is-" She stopped laughing abruptly. "Wait...what is it that you wanted to ask?"

Devillian shook his head. He didn't want to ruin his mother's mood with something trivial. "Nothing," he muttered quietly.

"Alright. Whatever you say," she reassured him gently.

Balthazar walked over to Devillian. "Do you want to walk through the gardens for awhile?" he asked quietly. "You look as if you need some fresh air."

Devillian nodded. "Okay, sure," he answered happily, unable to hide his smile.

The prince smiled. "Then let's go." He then wrapped his arm around Devillian's shoulders, leading him away, leaving his mother standing in the middle of the garden, wondering where all of her sons had run off to.

***

Devillian and Balthazar spent the rest of the morning together playing with the other boys. They spent hours in the gardens, running around freely. When they grew tired, Devillian's father decided to lead them inside where they could enjoy some light lunch. Devillian enjoyed seeing his cousins having so much fun, which was why they had decided to take their time eating rather than rush their plates. Once they finished their meals, Devillian helped Balthazar clean the dishes.

A couple of hours later, the two of them returned inside. While their parents ate dinner, the twins sat down near Devillian's bedroom window to play with his new toys. Devillian and Balthazar were the youngest ones in the group, and they were allowed to play any game that interested them. Since Devillian was the eldest, he was responsible for supervising his younger cousins, even though his mother, brother, sisters and cousins often tried to persuade him to take a break from his duties. However, Devillian knew that he couldn't allow himself to relax and take it easy. For whatever reason, Devillian still needed to remain vigilant, despite his fatigue. Besides, his father needed him to maintain his vigilance.

Devillian had a feeling that something major was going to happen soon. And he had a bad feeling that it wasn't going to be good.

Chapter 13

The next few days passed without incident. After a week of staying locked in Devillian's bedroom, it became routine for both Devillian and his parents to get up early in the morning. By eight o'clock, everyone was awake and ready to start the day. Devillian would usually get up before anyone else in order to make sure that his breakfast was already prepared, making sure everything was perfect before anyone else appeared. His favorite task was to set the table, since he enjoyed cooking and serving food all by himself. Even though his brothers loved eating all kinds of food, Devillian enjoyed preparing all sorts of foods for them. Devillian knew that they enjoyed getting the attention of their family while devouring the food that he cooked, so that meant more work for Devillian. On mornings such as these, he would wake up earlier than his older brothers and cousins, just so he could be the last one awake in the house. When he finally got everything ready, he would quickly dash outside to join the others who were already walking toward the stables. Once everyone was inside their horse, Devillian was given his own mount along with the horses his brothers, sister, and cousins owned. Sometimes, the horses ran wild on the grounds, but today they had all been trained to behave and keep themselves under control. That was one of the perks of being an heir; no one in the royal family had to worry about anything other than training their horses.

Devillian would then ride his own horse back home. After he dropped his brothers and cousins off at the front door, Devillian would enter his room again. Devillian would then open his closet and pick out clothes. After he was dressed, Devillian would brush his blond curls before sitting down in front of his vanity. Usually, he would stay in front of his vanity until the sun went down. Devillian's favorite part of the day was watching the sunset. The colors of the sunset were always beautiful. The orange, red, and blue blended beautifully into each other, creating a beautiful sight that could only be seen once every thirty years or so. But Devillian could never get enough of looking out the window, staring at the colors change.

The only time Devillian ever rode a horse was on rare occasions when they were going somewhere. Like today, when his father brought him riding lessons, but they weren't as common as it seemed. Devillian had never experienced a horse before, so he was excited to experience this new skill. He was also curious about what the different types of animals looked like. Most times Devillian rode horses that were a mix between horses and mares. Other times he rode horses that were mostly purebreds. These were the horses that his father had ridden the past two times he had taken Devillian out riding. At least that was how it felt like; it was difficult to distinguish whether a horse was a mare or a stallion. And sometimes Devillian didn't know exactly which animal he was riding, but he knew that the colors on its coat changed according to which way it turned. And if he didn't know what color it was, then he would have to choose which horse it represented, which was usually a lot harder than it sounded, because Devillian had trouble deciding what horse he actually was riding. The only thing he was sure of was that, unlike most horses, he never fell off the horse. If someone told him that it would be dangerous to fall off the horse, he wouldn't believe them. If someone told him that he would hurt himself if he didn't pay attention, he wouldn't listen to them either. He trusted his instincts and he trusted his ability to protect himself against danger and injury.

So Devillian was quite excited when his father started teaching him how to ride a horse. It was a bit difficult at first because there was too much information to absorb in such short amount of time, but he managed. As soon as he figured out how to ride properly, Devillian would turn toward his dad and give him a big grin. His dad laughed and patted his shoulder. "I'm glad you're enjoying it," he praised him.

"Now we can proceed to our next lesson," Mr. Oli announced, giving both Devillian and his father a pat.

Devillian and his father took their seats on a nearby bench that rested between bushes. A few minutes later, the instructor arrived; a man with brown hair and pale skin, who had dark bags beneath his eyes. Everyone called him a 'paleo,' but Devillian thought that it was funny since he wasn't the best looking person in the kingdom. His white shirt was wrinkled at the bottom of the collar, so many stains had collected there that they looked almost black, and his trousers looked completely dirty. Although Devillian was a bit shy and nervous around strangers, he still stood up politely when the paleo approached. "Good Morning, sir."

The man simply grunted. "Good morning," he replied in a hoarse voice, trying to mask his emotionless face, although his eyes betrayed him.

"My name is Devillian. I'm the third oldest child of the royal family. It is my pleasure to receive your lesson."

The paleo simply rolled his eyes. "Let's begin," he replied coldly before turning around and heading toward the stables.

"Well, I guess that concludes our lesson for today," Mr. Oli murmured as he watched the paleo disappear from view.

"Are you okay?" Devillian asked cautiously.

Mr. Oli sighed. "Yes, it doesn't really matter anymore," he responded nonchalantly.

"What do you mean? What happened earlier? Did something bad happen?"

The king glanced at Devillian. "No, nothing like that. It's just...well...you'll see. Now, come here." Mr. Oli motioned to Devillian.

Devillian hesitated. He wanted to ask questions, but he knew better than to ask inappropriate things, not knowing what the consequences might be if he did. He slowly walked across the courtyard to stand in front of his father. "Why don't you sit next to me? I want to tell you something," Mr. Oli said. He reached out his hand, and after a brief moment Devillian accepted it. "How would you feel about living in your own room? You don't have to share with anybody. Your privacy will only be yours. We won't disturb you when you sleep or during the day."

Devillian stared in surprise. He knew that this was an important decision. In order to live a peaceful life, he should probably spend a little bit more time alone. He didn't know how to explain that to his father though. "Do you think that I shouldn't be with everybody?" he eventually questioned quietly.

Mr. Oli frowned slightly. "You are still my son. There is no need to question why I made the decision. If you truly wish to live alone, then you must choose a place where you feel comfortable, where you can be yourself, and where your brothers, cousins, and nieces can visit you whenever they wish. That's how my job works; the rest you decide for yourself. But if you don't wish for that to happen, then I will understand," Mr. Oli said gently. "Is that alright with you?" he continued when Devillian remained silent.

"Yes," Devillian whispered, his eyes beginning to tear up slightly. "Thank you for understanding."

"It's fine; don't thank me yet," Mr. Oli chuckled. "There's something else I'd like to talk to you about. You see, I've decided to go out and purchase a carriage to travel on trips. While we are working at Devillion Castle, we don't have a driver. So I am going to buy myself another carriage to use. However, I haven't gotten around to hiring a driver yet. Would it be possible for you to be my driver?" he asked with a hopeful expression on his face.

When Devillian heard Mr. Oli say that he wanted a driver, he instantly felt happier than he ever imagined he could be. He couldn't wait until Mr. Oli bought the carriage so that they could drive somewhere together! But it would definitely cost money, especially to get a driver. Devillian tried to figure out how to calculate exactly how much it was going to cost. Even if the cost of a driver was small compared to other costs that would be incurred, it still meant that a person could not eat, sleep, and shower without spending money that would otherwise have gone toward buying their necessities. Plus, it was expensive to hire the services of a driver; there was a lot of paperwork involved. It wasn't something that people normally did unless they were rich or famous.

After some more consideration, Devillian answered. "I think that is a good idea. Why don't I help you with that tomorrow? I know how much you love learning new things and how much fun it is to learn them!"

"You're right. I do love learning new things," Mr. Oli laughed. "Alright, then it seems that we have a deal. We will discuss it further tomorrow night. For now, let's get back to work," he suggested.

With a smile on her face Devillian nodded. "Alright." As the lesson progressed, Devillian learned all kinds of new things, from riding a horse to practicing archery and how to read the weather. After a while, Devillian's father told him that it was his cue to leave, so he waved goodbye to both Mr. Oli and his father before walking back home with a huge smile on his face.

Chapter 2

That afternoon, Devillian went over to his bedroom to take a quick nap. The last time Devillian had fallen asleep on his bed was when he was five years old, so he figured that taking naps after school was a good idea. Of course, his parents didn't mind it, although he knew that they always woke him up in the middle of the night so he could study before dinner time. But tonight, Devillian wanted to sleep in instead of reading. Just as he closed his eyes, he heard a knock coming from his door, making him jump slightly. He knew it would be rude not to answer whoever it was, especially since it was his father. He quickly got out of bed and opened the door, hoping that maybe one of his friends would stop by to talk to him, even though everyone was supposed to stay away from him for now, until his father deemed it safe for them all to interact again.

But as soon as the door opened, his hopes disappeared. Because standing there, a man with blonde hair and blue eyes wearing an unbuttoned purple shirt and trousers was not a friend.

He was none other than Prince Michael.

Devillian immediately shut the door and leaned his forehead against the wood. What did I do?! he thought to himself worriedly. How did Michael find out about me? He didn't seem to recognize me. Does anyone recognize me? Is Michael going to kill me? I didn't mean any harm! No, he isn't going to kill me, I know he isn't! But still! What am I going to do?!

His thoughts were interrupted by loud shouting coming from outside. The shout sounded familiar, but it was hard to pinpoint who it was coming from. Soon, Devillian caught a glimpse of someone running past him and towards his bedroom door. Without thinking twice, Devillian ran as fast as he possibly could to his window. When he reached the window, he jumped through it with a yelp as the glass shattered under his weight. With a trembling hand, he pushed the curtain aside and crawled onto his roof. He could hear people yelling downstairs, making it harder for him to focus on his task. He had to get as far as he could away from Michael without getting recognized. He climbed higher and higher until he finally found the perfect spot where he was able to observe everyone below. And there they were: King George, Queen Victoria, Mrs. Simpson, Miss Williams, Sir Benjamin and Mr. Jones. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion in that moment as he stared down from his perch on the wall with horror, unable to believe what he was seeing. He saw his mother fall to the ground, followed by Miss Williams, and the king grab a knife from his belt as Mr. Jones began to speak.

"Please, my lord..."

"Don't be ridiculous! Don't you dare call him my 'lord' when you are kneeling at his feet!" shouted the queen angrily.

"I beg your pardon..." Mr. Jones mumbled sheepishly, looking down at his wife lying on the ground, bleeding profusely. Devillian shuddered. It was obvious that Mrs. Simpson wasn't going to make it, and that made things even worse for him; his poor mother would never be able to move again after losing a baby! He needed to help his mother, but there was no way he could approach anyone from this distance. Not only was it dangerous, but also extremely stupid. He wouldn't even have been able to climb down the wall anyway since his body was too weak; climbing from that height wasn't an option either. All he could do was hide himself behind a tree and hope that Michael hadn' noticed that he was there.

"If anyone tries to take a step closer to him, I'll slit their throats, starting from the left hand, then the right, and finishing with their heads," the king threatened, pointing his knife to the right side of each throat before continuing. "Now get up off the ground and come here! I want you to take care of my daughter, Lady Mary." Devillian looked at Lord Simpson incredulously. What kind of sick, twisted joke is this? he thought. Are you actually serious? Why does he have such a strange obsession with my mother and sister? Devillian shook his head, trying to get rid of these disturbing thoughts as he climbed up from the ground and approached his mother. "What happened to her? Was she hit with a car?" he asked in astonishment. He had never seen anything quite like it before.

"A car?" repeated his uncle. "No... She fell. That's what's important. Now give me your hand. Don't touch the wound on her forehead," he added as he raised the knife towards Devillian.

Devillian took hold of his mother's hand and lifted it as high as he could manage. "This is the first sign of infection," observed his uncle, examining the wound carefully before proceeding to cut the fabric on her dress. Once that was done, Mr. Oli pressed a cloth soaked in alcohol against the injury before wrapping it in bandages.

"She needs a doctor," announced Mr. Oli in concern once the wound was covered completely with bandages.

"We will find one tomorrow. Right now, I just need to ensure that there won't be any complications," declared Lord Simpson determinedly.

Devillian's breathing came out ragged as his hands trembled slightly. They can't be serious, can they? My sister is dying in front of me, and I'm sitting here doing nothing!? he thought angrily. His whole body was trembling from the sheer amount of fear he was feeling at that moment. If anyone found him sitting there, hiding behind a tree, he wasn't certain what they would do to him. He couldn't allow that to happen. If only he could find some way to sneak out! Then, an idea popped into his head. Maybe if he somehow found a way to distract someone during his escape, that might save the life of his beloved mother and sister. If he could just keep someone distracted, hopefully long enough for Devillian to run off safely…

"Father?" he said hesitantly. "Can I ask you something?"

The king nodded his head curiously. "Of course."

"Could I have permission to leave the palace tonight? I'l go visit my best friend who lives in town and spend the night. My parents would like that very much. Please? If I promise to come back before midnight, I won't be gone all night, so please just don't worry," begged Devillian nervously.

The king sighed. He wasn't sure what was going through his son's head, but at least he was willing to try and make his request. "Yes, you may leave, but only because your parents wish for it. You have to be back here by eleven, alright?"

"Thank you Father," Devillian replied, smiling brightly as he rushed off to his room. Once in his room, he grabbed some clean clothes before changing out of his dirty clothes into his favorite pair of jeans and a black tee shirt, which he placed in his backpack. He picked his bag up and ran out of his bedroom. Before he got to the bottom of the stairs, he paused when he felt two arms wrap around him, squeezing tightly, causing him to squeak in surprise.

"Whoa, there little birdie!" exclaimed Devillian's Aunt Meryl before letting go of Devillian and hugging him. "Your mom and dad told me all about what happened to you today, and that you tried to sneak out to visit your best friend."

Devillian looked up at her nervously. He didn't understand why he was suddenly in the presence of his aunt Meryl, or why his parents had ordered her to see him, but he decided that he better accept his fate and not complain too much, or else he might scare her away even more.

"Is it really true that we're gonna go visit Lord Michael? Can I meet him?" asked Devillian eagerly, his face lighting up in happiness.

Aunt Meryl smiled warmly. "Why of course you can, darling. We should all go together! After all, he is the one who saved you!"

Devillian felt his cheeks grow red at that statement, embarrassed at how well he knows everyone was talking about him. Although he liked people knowing that he was special, he didn't want them to know that the person who saved him was actually his own guardian angel. "It's okay, Aunt Meryl. I can look after myself," he stated as calmly as possible as his cheeks grew darker.

"Don't say things like that, Devillian!" scolded his mother as she entered the dining room, holding Mrs. Simpson's arm in her arms. "You've gotten yourself into trouble again, haven't you? What did you say your name was?"

Devillian's stomach clenched. His mother knew! His whole family knew. This time he couldn't hide his shock anymore.

"My name is Devillian," answered Devillian timidly, fidgeting nervously.

Mr. Simpson chuckled before saying, "That's an unusual name. Is it Welsh?"

"Nope, actually."

His aunt cleared her throat and spoke. "He's American, Mr. Simpson."

"So English then?" asked Mr. Simpson curiously.

"Yep, my name is Devillian O'Connell." He watched as his mother frowned and his aunt looked like she wanted to slap his uncle upside the head.

"Do you think that's such a good idea?" hissed his mother as they walked through the entrance hall.

"I already explained why we can't tell him yet," replied his father softly. "Let's just hope he takes the news well."

As they turned towards the kitchen, Devillian noticed a flash of bright green across the dining hall. He turned his head to look, but it disappeared as soon as he spotted it, which confirmed his suspicions that it was none other than his savior, Michael. Devillian quickly turned away, feeling as if he had been caught being suspicious of him. He hurriedly turned back to face his parents, who were speaking quietly among themselves. Devillian held his breath and waited anxiously for them to finish.

"…You can't stay here alone, Devillian," his mother began after a few seconds. "Come here and let us take you home."

Devillian blinked a couple of times, confused. What's wrong with staying here with them? There are plenty of empty rooms. "I can sleep with you tonight," he offered tentatively. As soon as the words left his mouth, he instantly regretted it. Why would he offer something like that in his situation? What does he have to offer? He has a big, empty bed, and no one will ever be able to take that away from him! His mother raised an eyebrow questioningly, while his father smiled warmly, apparently not noticing Devillian's uneasiness. But his mother looked a bit worried. What's wrong? Why doesn't she trust my offer? Devillian felt as if everything had suddenly become tense, and he began to feel uneasy.

"Alright," agreed Mr. Simpson with a smile. He turned to his wife. "And you? Would you rather stay here?"

Mrs. Simpson smiled apologetically. "I'd love to, but I still have another engagement waiting for me outside…"

"Well, I'll go get my horse and ride home with Devillian, and come back to pick you guys up later. Sound good?" suggested his uncle enthusiastically.

Mrs. Simpson smiled again. "Yes, sounds perfect," she replied happily.

They then said their goodbyes and started making their way outside. As soon as they reached the front door, Mr. Simpson stepped aside.

"Goodbye, Devillian," he said. "See you later." And with that, they both went inside their house.

Devillian was left standing on the porch for a few minutes before following them inside. Once the three men had vanished down the driveway, Devillian closed the door and locked it. It seemed to him that his father's attitude towards him changed a lot since the incident the day before. He seemed more cheerful and kinder, almost as though he had gained some understanding regarding the nature of the illness his daughter was suffering from. Perhaps I should try to change his mood, thought Devillian. But why? What am I trying to prove to him? I'll have to wait until he tells me exactly what the problem is, he concluded.

Devillian followed his uncle upstairs to where he lived with Devlin, who was waiting patiently in his room. "Let's just forget about our plans for a short time. How about you start packing your bags for tomorrow morning," urged his father.

Devillian nodded and ran over to his bed. He opened his backpack and started to rummage through its contents. The sight of all his toys, his coloring books