They were all seated around a long table in the meeting room. Keith and Clara waited
outside. Inside, only Luren sat beside Craige, while across from them sat Duke
Cassian, with Gab at his side. At the center of the table was the former Duke, Castelo.
"Before we begin," Castelo said, placing an object on the table, "I want to know, who owns this necklace?"
He held up the pendant he had picked up earlier outside.
"It's mine!" Luren gasped, eyes widening. "Oh no… it's broken," he added softly,
staring at the familiar trinket lying motionless on the polished wood.
"Where did you get it?" Castelo asked, his voice suddenly stern, almost desperate.
The room stilled. Everyone's eyes were on the necklace, and on Luren. There was
something unsettling about the way the former Duke was reacting to it. Why would he be so concerned?
Luren hesitated. Only the Seravelle brothers and his family knew the truth, who he really was. That he was the hidden son of the late King of Elarion.
"M-my mother gave it to me when I was a baby," he said, his voice uncertain as he
looked at Castelo. There was a flicker of recognition in the old man's eyes, did he know something?
"May I know who your mother is?" Castelo pressed, voice quiet but urgent.
"Why are you suddenly interested in his family tree, Father?" Cassian cut in, clearly
annoyed.
"Shut up, Cassian. This is important," Castelo snapped, his voice rising with
uncharacteristic intensity.
Luren turned to Craige, unsure, seeking silent permission to tell the truth. Craige
gave a firm nod.
"Whatever you hear," Craige said with authority, glancing around the room, "you must promise to keep it a secret. No one must know, not yet."
Cassian and Gab straightened in their seats, watching carefully. Castelo nodded solemnly.
"My mother is… Queen Ariala of Elarion," Luren confessed quietly.
The silence that followed was thick, unbearable. Shock flashed across Cassian's face. Gab blinked in disbelief. But Castelo… his eyes welled up.
"Does Elarion… has a royal survivor?" Gab murmured, barely audible.
"The pendant…" Castelo whispered, reaching for it with trembling fingers. "It
belonged to my father."
All eyes turned to him, confusion rippling through the room. If the pendant was from
Castelo's father, then… why did Queen Ariala have it?
"My father gave it to his child before sending her away to another land, for her safety,"
Castelo said, his voice breaking. "Ariala was born here… she was my younger sister."
Luren's breath hitched. He stared at Castelo, unable to speak.
"Why did she have to be sent away?" Craige asked softly. "She could've stayed at the
manor, couldn't she?"
Castelo shook his head, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"My mother died giving birth to me. My father was shattered. He leaned on his secretary,
Viscountess Arin, who helped raise me. For the longest time, I thought she was my mother."
He paused, his voice trembling with buried pain.
"They had a secret relationship. Ariala… was their child. But an illegitimate child was
seen as a vulnerability. The nobles would never accept her. She wasn't the heir,
they targeted her to bring down my father. To protect her… she was sent away. To Elarion. To where Viscountess Arin's brother lived."
Luren's eyes shimmered with tears as the truth washed over him. All these years… and
now, in a room full of rivals and allies alike, the pieces of his origin had finally fallen into place.
Luren's hands were trembling on his lap. The weight of the revelation sat heavily on his shoulders. For a moment, he couldn't breathe. He had always known he was
different, but to know he was born of royal blood, and to see that bloodline
reflected in the eyes of the former duke across the table…
"I have a family…" he whispered.
Cassian leaned back in his chair, disbelief etched on his face. "This is insane," he
muttered. "You're saying that… he's my cousin?"
Craige's jaw clenched. His hand moved slightly, brushing Luren's knee under the table, grounding him.
"You do have the same emerald eye color!" Gab muttered in awe.
Everyone turned their gaze toward Luren's eyes, then to Cassian's. The striking
similarity between them was undeniable. Yet, Castelo's pale blue eyes set him apart.
"Cassian got his eye color from his grandfather," Castelo explained gently, "just like you, Luren. Mine came from my mother."
Luren's breath caught in his throat. His lips trembled as he looked at Castelo, emotions flooding him all at once.
"You're...you're my uncle," he whispered, tears welling up in his eyes. A soft smile
broke through his overwhelmed expression.
Overcome by emotion, Luren began to tell them everything, his voice shaking as he spoke about the tragic night Elarion has been at war, how his parent entrusted him at
his loyal people, the years of hiding, and the two people who saved him.
"Do you want to visit your parents' grave?" Castelo asked, his voice steady but filled
with unspoken weight.
Everyone fell silent, stunned.
Weren't Luren's parents executed in Elarion? Weren't their bodies hung on the castle
walls as a warning?
The room thickened with disbelief.
Castelo met their shocked expressions calmly.
"I bribed the soldier who was stationed on the castle wall," he admitted, looking away
briefly.
Luren stayed quiet. He didn't even remember his real parents. For him, the past was a blur, what mattered was the present. Revenge? How could a mercenary like him
dare to challenge the mighty Kingdom of Velgarith? Even Seravelle had avoided
war for the sake of its people.
"This is…really a shocking revelation," Cassian muttered, scratching the back of his
head. "I didn't know you had a sister, Father."
"This was a secret your grandfather wanted to take to his grave," Castelo said. "But I
can't keep this from Luren anymore. He needs to know, he is part of this family."
Before anyone could respond, the doors burst open.
A beautiful woman with pale blue eyes and long brown hair stepped in confidently.
"Arabelle!?" Cassian exclaimed, standing up in disbelief.
"Daddyyy! I'm back!" A small boy ran in and leapt into Cassian's arms. "Grandpa, I'm
back!" He turned to Castelo with a beaming smile, then looked at the others in the room.
"Hello!" he greeted cheerfully, bowing slightly at Luren and Craige.
"Hello, young man!" Craige said with a warm grin. Luren offered a gentle smile to the child.
"Craige, long time no see. I heard you were here, so I came to visit," Arabelle said with a radiant smile, moving to hug him.
"It's good to see you again, Arabelle." Craige stood and embraced her.
"I've been waiting for you and Cassian to make up," she teased, shooting her brother a
playful look. "But my brother is just so stubborn. He still can't handle rejection."
"Shut up, Arabelle," Cassian grumbled, but his ears turned pink.
Castelo chuckled. "Well, since you're here, maybe you can knock some sense into these two boys." He turned to Luren. "Also, meet your cousin."
"Whoa! I didn't know I had a cousin!" Arabelle exclaimed, stepping closer. "Hello! wow, you're pretty for a man! We must really
be related." She winked playfully, lifting the mood even more.
"Hello, I'm Luren," he said with a warm smile.
"I'll tell the butler to prepare lunch," Gab said, standing up.
"Take Codie to his nanny and get him changed," Cassian said, passing the boy to Gab.
"Uncle Gab, I have something to tell you!" Codie giggled, wrapping his arms around Gab's neck.
"Alright, tell me on the way," Gab said with a fond smile, carrying the boy out.
Once they left, Arabelle took the seat beside Cassian, her expression shifting to something sharper.
"I heard why you're here. Tell the King this, Cassian will support him. And if the southern faction dares to interfere…" Her voice dropped slightly, but the edge in her tone cut through the room. "They'll see the full power of the West."
Cassian blinked at her. "Are you the Duke now?"
Arabelle smirked. "Did you forget I'm your advisor? That was my advice."
"And as far as I remember, you resigned from that position to marry your knight."
They bickered, throwing jabs like old times, until Cassian finally sighed, rubbing his temple.
"Alright. I'll send a letter to the King."