"I know that you have knowledge of your lineage, princess. You don"t need to be wary of me because we are family." Prince Gladiolus takes a sip of his tea casually.
My eyes went wide in surprise. "What did he mean by that?" I thought.
As if prince Gladiolus read my mind, he answered. "It is literally what I meant. You and I are both from the royal blood line of Atlantia. Your mother Leticia, was my mother Patricia"s twin sister." He gave me a smile as confirmation.
"So you mean... we are cousins." I tried to hide my surprise.
"Yes, we are." Prince Gladiolus said.
"Then, how did you become the crown prince of Jennova?" I asked in curiosity.
"It is like how you became a princess of Alvannia." Prince Gladiolus said. "But the difference is, my mother became the queen while your mother just became a concubine."
I was processing the information Gladiolus was giving me. "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 me.
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 me, still shocked me.
"That is why I am purer than you." Prince Gladiolus explained. He takes a bite from a pastry.
I look at the prince before me. 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 me all of this? I can feel that he still have something 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 some famlial feelings since the first time 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 time soon."
"Is it because of your engagement 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 same.
"Maybe I can change your mind and let you come 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 me. I look at it curiously, not sure what is inside that will make me change my mind.
"Go on and open it." Prince Gladiolus encouraged me.
I looked at him and the box with curiosity. Looking at him still smiling made me feel more curious. I stretched my hand towards the small box in front of me and lifted it.
The box was light in weight. I hold it with both my hands. After some moment, I open the lid.
Inside, I see a brooch. The center of the brooch was designed with some kind of family crest. A white tiger standing proudly on a pedestal. Around it were some 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 remember it when I was little. My mother has the same kind of brooch. I remember her looking at it with sad eyes.
***
(Memory of little Alicia)
"Mommy, what is that?" I asked my mother who was holding something s.h.i.+ny.
"Oh this little thing." I see her wipe her tears away. "This was given to me 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 name "Leticia".
"All of us siblings have one of each, with our name 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 momento of my past life and your grandma that I love so dear."
(End of memory)
***
I turned the brooch and saw the name carved at the back.
"Leticia"
My hands was shaking with shock. I remebered 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 me.
"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 mean?" 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 time. When she found her, she thought it was too late. The news of aunt Leticia dead was what came 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 someone 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 me finish first." Prince Gladiolus smiled. "When aunt Leticia"s body came, 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 seemed to stop beating if a regular doctor diagnosed it. But iwith an Atlantian doctor, she was saved from the brink of death."
"Saved? You mean..." I was in shock with prince Gladiolus words.
"Yes, she was saved. Your mother is alive in Jennova." Prince Gladiolus smiled.