This is a short story version of Sypris Weaver's new novel edited by Reena Shuartz to suit the middle school audience. Please enjoy.

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful happy couple ruling a far off kingdom. The king and queen loved eachother with all their hearts.
However, the couple faced a crushing pressure to start a family and secure the royal lineage. Time after time they tried for a baby - for five years they did everything they could, but the babies never made full term.
Heartbroken and afraid, they knew they needed to find a child fast, one they could call their own and name the heir.
And so they traveled to the kings ancestrale country of Spain to proceed in their secret plan of adoption. There they found a newborn baby boy in an orphanage who had captured the heart of the queen.
They went through with the adoption, and soon the little baby prince was brought home to the castle.
Instead of hiring a governess or a nanny for the child, the queen decided to raise him herself, caring for him as often as her duties allowed her to.
Just over a year later, she discovered that she was pregnant. The queen did not have high hope for the baby making full term as none before him did, but soon enough another little prince was born.
Now the king and queen were worried. They had adopted the eldest prince and named him heir, but now a true blood royal was born. They would never consider giving the eldest prince up, but surely the people would demand a true royal to rule.
As time went on, the king and queen stayed silent about the eldest prince's adoption, and both boys grew happy and close.
And then there was another pregnancy.
The queen nearly wept for joy as a baby girl entered the world. Finally she felt their family was complete.
Her happiness was short lived, as it wasn't long after when a letter arrived from the rebels.
"Dear your royal majestiness," it began in a mocking tone, "please surrender your last born royal to the rebels and our attacks will cease. If you do not choose to follow through, we will attack until every one of the royal family is dead. Give us your youngest royal and you all will live. Perhaps after that we will consider negotiating. Sincerely, the rebels."
The queen was desperate and afraid. She didn't want her family torn from her. She couldn't stand to give up her babies. The queen felt she had only one option - fake the princess' death.
And so the princess was hidden away since she was a baby, remaining hidden and protected in the walls of the castle.
The princes grew fast. They were closer then ever as they grew, getting into all kinds of mischief together, including playing some embarrassing pranks on the regents and doing some late night swimming.
It was only when the youngest prince reached 16 that things changed. The middle child was a romantic. He loved to read all sorts of fairy tales and love stories. He dreamed of finding his One. And he did. Much sooner then expected. He met a girl, about his age in the nearby village. He initially didn't want her to know of him being a prince, so he went in disguise to spend time with her. They fell in love, and when the prince revealed his true identity, he brought her to the castle for her to be his bride.
Not a year later, the happy couple prematurely got pregnant. They promised they'd raise the baby together and get married after she was born.
But then tragedy struck. The rebels attacked and the woman died in the princes arms.
After a quick and intense surgery, a little baby princess was born called Faun. She was born a couple weeks premature, and struggled when she was brought into the world.
The youngest prince was heartbroken, after all, the love of his life had died. He stayed with little princess Faun as she struggled the first few weeks, but eventually needed a way to drown out his despair. Instead of turning to the loving arms of his family, he isolated himself and chose to use alcoholic substances. They often made him angry and irritable.
Princess Faun grew up under the care of her father and the castle maids. She was never really aware of her father's drinking problem. He never spent time with her under the influence.
However the youngest prince began to notice how the older prince always seemed so happy. He grew jealous and wanted the eldest prince to know suffering like he had. Insults were thrown at the eldest prince in seclusion, causing him to lose confidence in himself. Every word from his brother pained him to hear. This went on for four years.
Then a change.
A Selection was called for. Contestants from all over Illea came to the castle and met with the princes.
Some of them connected.
And some did not.
Then the secrets began to spill.
First it was little princess Faun, and the youngest prince's story of tragic love.
Then it was the youngest prince's verbal assault on his brother. After that, the walls fell, and the selected learned about the eldest being adopted, and the secret of the princess.
Shock was a common expression to all of the secrets shared - but they learned to love Princess Faun. They learned to forgive the youngest prince, just as the oldest prince did every time he was hurt. They believed that the eldest prince should still rule because it's heart that makes a king. And finally, they grew to accept Eloise as the princess.
Not long after, the selection occurred.
The eldest prince - Prince Dimitri - chose Kai as his One, and Aaron as he regent, the youngest prince - Prince Levi - chose Esmeray as his moral supporter and best friend, and as a motherly figure for Princess Faun, and the forgotten princess - Princess Eloise - chose Raven to run away and live happily ever after with. And that is the whole truth to the lives of Prince Dimitri, Prince Levi, Princess Eloise, and Princess Faun, who is the oldest royal of the next generation at four years old.
Now Prince Dimitri rules with Prince Kai at his side, and a whole kingdom of supporters, while Levi works on becoming a better prince, brother, father, and friend.
And Eloise... she's making her dreams finally come true.

THE END