Nicholas's POV :
I was completely lost in the colours mingling in a sense of tranquility. As if caressing my very heart with it's warmth that suddenly reminded of me Felix's radiant smile. Though it was rare to see him smiling or showing his emotions so openly, it seemed like his inner self always lose the restraint he had put on himself, around me.
And I wish he could trust me enough to open up just like I did to him, more like he made me do it. Instinctively a shy smile spread over my face and I felt myself blushing just by the thought of being able to spend time with him. He hadn't shifted back to his hostel room yet, there are some complications with his shifts in the hospital and that's what more important to attend first.
Ringggggggg!
The loud ringing of the bell brought me back to reality as professor Jones's voice resonated, "our time for today is up. We'll start again tomorrow, from where we left."
One by one the students gathered their things, then started leaving. As I was about to cross the threshold of the classroom, professor Jones halted me.
"You aren't trying to bunk class to go to the hospital wing again, right?"
His tone though teasing, carried underlying warning.
Chuckling softly, I assured him, "no, professor."
However as I got outside, on the corridor awaited my older brother, Crown Prince Christopher Hammond, though he would bust out if someone called him with that title. His eyes shined on seeing me as if he was already expecting to see me and the glint of excitement made it more obvious.
"Chris! What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to hijack you for a meal and a shopping hunt."
The excitement didn't die down.
"Right now? But I have my PE class then my DS theory? Moreover my birthday is tomorrow!"
"Com'on now, I have already got you free from your two classes! And somehow I'm having this feeling that tomorrow won't be my day to take you on my plans!"
With a teasing smirk, he commented.
With a soft shy smile, I agreed, "okay! But the choices are mine!"
"At your service, your highness!"
And with that we left for the market, at the town just down the hill.
Approx more one hour later, I felt extremely thirsty. We had been scouting the whole market since we entered, stopping by stalls that picked our attention. Chris was already carrying three bags, while two orders were placed to be door to door service, yet I was barely finished, and I was only taking painting equipments.
Clothes and snacks were handled by Chris, only when they needed my measurements, I coperated. It was lunch time, as I was about to suggest my urge to drink and eat, I accidentally stumbled against someone equally strong and firm, turning back I was met with Crown Prince Lawrence's glaring midnight eyes.
"Sometimes you need to watch where you are going, Hammond!"
Though his tone teasing, his eyes signalling me the underlying caution.
As I stared at him in order to comprehend his statement, Chris greeted with a curt nod.
"Crown Prince Matthew."
"Crown Prince Hammond."
Something never changes.
Lips tightly pressed, with blazing eyes, my brother stared into those provoking big doe like midnight eyes as if passing a level of underlying truce.
Instead, he pointed at the bags hanging on Matthew's hands and another one on Julian, "shopping for something special, I see."
They both held a knowing smile.
What the hell just going on?
Nodding his head, Matthew countered, "you're on entertaining trip for your brother it seems."
"Yeah. We're done with the shopping hunt, we were about to head to the meal house."
"What a coincidence! We're too going to have lunch. How about we grab our lunch together?!"
With a soft warm smile, Matthew offered, his eyes seemed to seek approval from me too.
Chris looked back at me, seeking the same approval, and I only nodded.
"Hope I'm not ruining the personal time between the brothers."
Matthew looked at us apologetically as we settled in a private room of a lavish restaurant.
"Not at all, Crown prince Lawrence! It's rare to get a chance to gather the royals in one place."
Chris assuredly dismissed the unnecessary apology.
"Chris, you can drop the formalities when we are in private, you know. Afterall we are same aged and I don't care others' opinion."
Matthew's tone genuinely surprised both of us, only Julian looked unbothered about it as if this man had always been like that.
With an awkward chuckle, Chris responded, "that's much appreciated actually!"
"That's settled then. Let me introduce to you, this person right beside me is my fiance, Julian Hanson, the son of our prime minister."
With a proud smile, Matthew officially introduced Julian. His eyes never leaving Julian who blushed hard immediately.
"The whole campus knows it, Matthew and congrats on that." Chris amused.
As our food arrived, we focused on that first, a few minutes passed and I broke the silence finally, "we didn't meet like this for a quite long time."
My voice even, but my eyes held Matthew captive. He matched with the same vibe, a glint of guilt passing through his eyes as he put down the spoon, concentrating on me fully. Julian looked at my brother as if checking if it was convenient to talk and then at me, affirming that I was sure. Chris already attended so many meetings with the Knights, it's impossible for him not to know everything by now, and in comparison to that I knew very little.
"We had been... busy." A clumsy attempt.
Matthew's eyes averted from me. So he was avoiding me deliberately.
"Busy? A sure thing! You didn't respond to any of my words since you came back from your home and it had been six months!" My voice raised a bit.
"Woah....easy, Nicholas Hammond! First explain what's going on here." Chris finally voiced out his curiosity.
"We two had a deal over some insights and I screwed it up!"
Matthew answered instead of me.
"A deal? On what?"
"The Knights."
The simple curt answer was enough for my brother to know the whole truth.
"He had been your source all along?!" Chris's expression almost incredulous as he faced me and I only nodded.
"Since when?"
"My second trip to St Loire."
"That was after you graduated school! And you had been chasing after his resources all along?!"
The shock wasn't over yet.
"Yeah and that with my own conclusions too. I...kind of have this feeling of not trusting him fully. He hides a lot."
My eyes still fixed on Matthew, I let him know how much he lost in this so called only dealings friendship and for a fleeting second he looked helpless as if he was hiding something more precious than his own life.
However it was my brother who retorted, "he has had his reasons which you might not be able to grasp yet.
Turning sharply, looking at Chris's almost glazed eyes, I enquired, "you knew, didn't you?"
Still hesitant, he nodded and Matthew offered, "if you want to know the whole truth right now, we can tell you. But know one thing, you need to act like we never met or talked about it just like before...."
Then looking at me intently, he added, "...this truth might topple down your whole world, Nicholas. And that's the most important reason we hid it."
A knowing understanding glance exchanged between the oldest two as if agreeing on an unspoken truce.
Then they revealed everything...the first attack in Hinoi royal palace, Chris's mother's death, the reason of our departure to St. Loire, father's suspicious behaviours, the second attack in the royal palace, the target being my mom, The Knights's involvement, their rescue, then their reason to hide mom, the man whom I had been knowing as my father being an imposter, The Knights's mission to disclose the whole conspiracy and the Lawrence's all along helping hand in the whole procession. They always had been the hidden shield and the whole Kingdom of Hinoi counts them as enemy just because the imposter made it look like that.
My mind blanked after all those explanations, my eyes wanted to cry out for my mom's grief, for the betrayal I had felt from the man whom I knew as my father, but no tear came out as if someone had already dried the basin of my heart, it felt too numb to recognise any pain and a broken laugh left me involuntarily.
"Why does all this sound like some political drama going on?!"
My voice just above a whisper.
It sounded so distant as if my every organ felt exhaustion just accepting the whole truth. Matthew was right, my world was indeed crumbling and I was being buried in that very debris.
"Trust me, I've seen worse."
Eyes only reflecting the same abyss as mine, Matthew assured me.
As far as my own digging goes back, I only know that their palace had been attacked too and they also lost their second prince, a son, a brother. At least I didn't lose someone permanently.
How does he even cope with that everyday?
Giving an understanding nod, I enquired with the same detached tone, "then any news on my real father's location?"
"No. The Knights also seemed to be clueless. However they assured that he is still alive."
Chris replied, his tone reflecting my struggle.
"What about..."
My throat tightened, gulping the lump down, I pried, "...what about mom?"
"Since all the members are here in Escortia and the whole organization has its main base here, she must be kept closer."
Matthew's reply ignited the brewing frustration in me, "and you are telling me right now? Just what right do they have to keep her to themselves like this? Away from me..." My voice choked, as fresh hot tears rolled down my cheeks.
"Nick, you know the reason now. The Knights isn't just keeping mother safe, they're keeping you safe too. Once you come to mother's presence the enemy will know about her location and that will not only end mother's life but also yours and mine."
Chris tried to convince as assuringly as possible.
"Then why didn't The Knights get attacked yet? Why are they still safe?" My mind wasn't just grasping the hold on my emotions.
"The Knights aren't safe either, Nicholas. They had been ambushed, cornered too many times and every time they had secret backups. Be it from the Jensens, Lawrences, Yeagers...now from the Kaisers. The Khirighans doesn't seem to know their individual identity or I can't even fathom what kind of calamity would have happened!"
Julian Hanson, the ever silent man finally spoke. His eyes understanding, voice reasoning.
My mind finally settled down, The Knights didn't disclose mom's whereabouts, not just because they were protecting her, they were safekeeping her and they're themselves at that very dangerous arc where they also could get killed. Of all the people, why these people, who had a well settled rich comfortable life chose to thrive in this dangerous political game. That suddenly reminded me of one person who also vanished with mom, severely wounded, becoming a complete shadow.
"Then Felix... Felix Lawrence...he is also in that group...is he still around..."
In the mention of that very name, the whole room shifted, Matthew and Chris exchanged a glance, while Julian looked really troubled.
So they've known him all along.
"Nick, that night when he alongside with The Knights, rescued mother, he was severely injured and in a duel with an assassin, someone saw him. He....he was exposed. He is now in the same position as mother." Chris's voice became quiter.
Just how much cruel this game could become for me?
"So he is indeed around, but stuck in the shadows because of this whole conspiracy."
My heart felt an immense throb just by thinking about Felix's hardships. He was such a carefree, happy sunshine type of boy in his childhood, I wonder how on earth he is tolerating this cage.
"Nicholas... I am really sorry for hiding all this... I just didn't know how to face you with all these truths...but now... The Knights is just one step away from the face off. So I think you understand how pressurized we are..."
Matthew's soft unyielding determined voice broke my trance.
And I could only assure him, "I'm not angry on you, Mat. Now that it's all cleared, I'll wait, wait until it's time for me to interfere. Just inform me when you need one more hand, I'll be there. Afterall it's my battle too."
With a genuine appreciated smile Matthew nodded, Julian literally beamed with relief and Chris gave me two light pats to ensure that I held back well and I'm not alone in this anymore, more like I've been finally accepted in the truth, in the political game.
As we finished the neglected food, Matthew broke the the indulgence of our minds, "Chris, is it true that you are graduating earlier?"
I stared at my brother, surprised, and he confirmed, "hmm. I had been in here for so long. Now they think it's time for me to get back to real life hardships."
Though he smiled, that didn't reach his eyes. He didn't want to return to home, not when there is no one who can make it a home.
Matthew's expression reflecting the same worry as mine, "when do you leave?"
"I don't know the exact time. But professor Klein spoke of processing my progresses already. So I think probably in few weeks." Chris's voice involuntarily became heavy, reflecting the turmoil in his heart.
"Chris, you don't need to return to Hinoi immediately after graduation you know. You can just travel around. That palace is nothing like the home we used to know."
I assured him with my insights.
A broken chuckle resonated, as heaving a deep sigh, he countered, "do you think the imposter will leave me to that? His spies had already been alerted by now that I've been in touch with The Knights. I don't want to create more trouble for them."
"But, Nicholas is right, Chris. Returning to Hinoi means walking into the deathtrap!" Matthew agreed with me.
"Do I have a choice?" Chris asked. Helpless, hopeless.
"You do have a choice, Prince Christopher..."
Julian started as he shared an understanding gaze with Matthew and Matthew only nodded in approval.
Julian continued, "just like Matthew suggested the truce with the Kaisers, I'm offering the same with you. You're the crown prince of the Hammond Royals, in absence of both the king and queen, you're the official incharge of political decisions, wheather the court agrees or not."
For a moment, I thought I was looking at a much more superior official. The same with my brother who took few seconds to absorb the impact of the words.
"The Lawrences are surprisingly taking everything head on. Why though?"
As expected from a crown prince, my brother asked with caution.
"Just think that our blood fued with the Khirighans runs deep in our veins. So an enemy of the enemy makes us friends and our ultimate goal is to get rid of Theodore. Nothing else...not even the throne of the Khirighan!"
Eyes dead serious, Matthew's dark expression was enough to convey the hatred as his voice only spit venom.
A little taken aback, Chris asked in a trance, "what do you suggest then?"
Expanding a hand-palm-sized metalic thing to Chris, Matthew offered, "an invitation to the Royal palace of the Lawrences. My parents might be already expecting a lots of guests. And that is your pass."
As Chris checked the metalic thing carefully, it came out to be an identity badge, silver in colour, containing a few details and...a pattern.
"It's your identity badge! You can't give this to me! What about you?"
My brother visibly panicked.
"That's not my identity badge, not anymore. Yes, it used to be when I wasn't the crown prince. But it is still useful. It will lessen the hassle in the checkpoints. The adress alone can get you through any city gate and the name...well that's for the Elite forces, they will know who has sent you."
Matthew elaborated the whole matter with much patience.
"You guys have varities?!"
Both me and Chris asked in unison only to look at each other in disbelief.
Matthew gave us an understanding nod as if he expected this much surprise.
"We initially didn't have, but the first invasion in the Lawrence royal palace changed everything. We have three varieties now. The bronze one, for netizenship purpose, it's given to every individuals registered under the official population record. The silver one, who lives inside the royal palace, holds a job in there, all the habitants of the royal palace has that badge and it's complimentary to carry this with you all the time. Be it officials, the ministers, the second class assistant ministers. And then the gold one, that one only given to the Royal family members. Me, my mother, the Queen, and my father, the King has that."
Heaving a deep sigh, he paused as if he was complimenting himself for not getting annoyed after explaining the whole badge thing.
Then he continued, this time with a smirk, "trust me the bronze one and the silver one is enough, you don't wanna see the gold one, it literally freaks me out too sometimes!"
Those words alone conveyed the weight of the badge.
"Wow!"
That came out of me, before I could stop.
We had our badges too but not with all these varities. Just a name, adress, post if designated to any job or else just your occupation and a signature that's all. No wonder they are all easy to duplicate, only making it easy for the trespassers. Then again when the king himself is an imposter what precautions can you expect from him?!
"I accept." Chris's agreement brought me back to reality.
Julian responded with a genuine smile, "I'll arrange an official note with his majesty's consent then. So that it can stay in a document form."
As Chris nodded, I could not help but admire the soon to be king of the Lawrences alongside with Matthew, no wonder the Lawrence royals cherish him so valuably.
We finally made it out of the restaurant, the sun already had started it's destination towards the horizon. The walk back to the university was weird, as me and Chris took a straight way back through the market place, while Matthew and Julian vanished into the suburbs, deciding on taking detour. Act like we have never met, like we have never talked, like we never sealed a truce.
As we entered the hostel area, we both were halted by a voice, "prince Christopher, Nicholas."
Crown prince Kaiser literally jogged to us, "Nicholas had only two periods off, professor Klein is registering the names for today's class, prince Matthew has the rest of the day off, so professor Klein suggested that Nicholas shouldn't miss the class if that can be helped."
"Of course. I only applied for two periods off. It's only fair if he returns to the class now." Chris agreed.
And the always ignored me, only followed the orders, as I was about to follow Tristan, my mind drifted to a particular thought, a thought that was spoken aloud.
"So Felix also had to hide from me because of this."
Both Tristan and Chris froze, as if I've just cursed them with some spell.
"And why do you think that?"
A cold yet eerily deep voice responded that belonged to none other than the crown prince Kaiser, eyes trailing to Chris, sending a final warning.
Chris only shrugged as if complying the message that no Felix was involved in today's matter. I almost forgot how much protective they're towards this Felix.
However it didn't take much time for me to confirm the ingrown suspension. Felix said that he didn't know the other Felix, however after today's explanation, I'm sure that he also works as a spy under The Knights and he is very much aware about mom's and the other Felix's whereabouts and for the sake of everyone's safety, he chose to hide. No wonder he always supported me, understood me, soothed me, cause he knew this feeling all along, all too well.
"Umm... nothing. Just remembered something..."
And I sprinted towards the arena, leaving the other two completely dumbfounded.