Monday, September 21st, The Year 2220

Tristian's POV

"Uh, Divis, can you repeat what you just said?"

"King Lachlan and Queen Nerina are my parents, and you are my brother."

"That's what I thought you just said. After all these years, how could you keep the fact that Divis was your son, and my brother, away from me?!" I handed Dalis to Talise and left the room before I said something regretful.

I can't believe my parents would do something like this, not telling me I have a brother. And, is Divis older? Or, is he younger than me?

I heard footsteps following behind me. I turned around and saw Divis.

"I had no idea that we were brothers until the other day."

"I'm not mad at you. I left the table before I said anything regretful to my parents. Well, our parents. We lost out on doing so much together, as brothers. I'm beyond angry."

"They obviously had a reason to keep the fact that we were brothers to themselves. Maybe it was like the situation with Talise and her parents. I'm sure it was hard for them."

"I'm sure it was. But how about how hard it was for me, missing out on having a brother? How old are you? I always thought we were around the same age."

"I thought we were the same age too. The parents that raised me told me I am two years older than you. I am 38 years old. They didn't tell me much because they said I should hear it from the king and queen. We both want answers."

"Darn right. But not today. I need time to let go of the anger that I have with my parents. Sorry, our parents."

"I understand. You don't need to apologize, Tristian. I need time as well to process what I found out." Divis walked one way, and I walked to my room. I sat in one of the chairs on the balcony.

***********

Tuesday, September 22nd, The Year 2220

"Tristian, it's time to go to bed. It's the early part of Tuesday morning," I heard being whispered in my ear. I woke up from being tapped by Talise.

After yawning, I made my way into our room and crashed on the bed.

*********

After opening my eyes, I noticed that I was alone in the room. When I checked the time, I saw that it was, "Noon?!"

I just got up and proceeded to get ready for the day.

********

I heard giggling coming from Dalis' room as I was walking towards the kitchen. I peeked inside and saw Karael, Dalis, and Talise. Dalis was giggling while Karael was reading her a story.

Talise waddled over to where I was standing.

"We have a little less than three months to go, and Junior will be born. I need a massage because my back is killing me. I let you sleep in after what happened yesterday. How are you feeling?"

"Upset and hurt. Divis and I lost out on doing so much together."

"You didn't really miss out on anything, Tristian. You guys were always close friends. Divis and I chatted for a bit last night. He told me you both treated each other like brothers since you were kids. So, think of it this way - you always traveled together wherever you went, attended royal parties together, etc. Did you really miss out on anything?"

"Well, when you say it like that, we didn't miss out on anything. But it still would have been nice to know that Divis was my brother. And what if he is supposed to be the king? Divis is two years older than I am."

"I can't answer that question, Tristi. When you are ready to talk to your parents, let them know your concerns. I will support you, whatever you decide. Whether you are a king or not, that will not change how I feel about you. You will always be my king. And, I will always be your queen. No one can take that away from us."

"Will you be there by my side when I speak to my parents?"

"Of course, I will. Don't wait too long to talk to your parents."

"Right."

***********************************

Friday, September 25th, The Year 2220

I really wanted answers, so I didn't wait too long to talk to my parents. Talise and Dalis are with me. Divis is here too.

We are gathered together in the sitting room of our castle. I figured we should sit in a calm atmosphere.

"Thank you, Tristian, for remaining calm throughout this week. Your father and I understand why you left the dinner table on Monday. We will explain why we couldn't tell you that Divis was our child. We are sorry to both of you, Tristian and Divis, for what happened."

"Mother, my first question is, was this similar to what happened to Talise?"

"Yes, it was. Paerus may be the most powerful and prosperous planet. But it is also desirable in terms of the power you can gain from being the ruler. Krohals wanted that power so he could change how things were run. He wanted to not only rule Paerus, but also the galaxy. Paerus is a very secret society, and he knew that. It would no longer be a secretive society if he were the ruler. He even knew who would be the future rulers of the planet. Krohals knew about Divis but didn't know what he looked like in person. So, we had Divis placed with another family. He also knew we had a second son but didn't know your name. By that time, you were living in Cebromia."

"He must have figured out who I was. I remember him calling me Prince Tristian on several occasions. I didn't even know he was Krohals until I saw Max and Drake before we made the rescue attempt."

My father started talking this time. "We didn't realize Jason was Krohals either until Max and Drake mentioned that the girls saw how their friends died. Krohals was a shifty and dangerous alien. He would do anything and everything to get what he wanted. You and Divis were our only kids. So, if something happened to either of you, Talise was the next in line for the throne. That's why he wanted her so much to be his bride."

"But, Chanelle is older than me. Wouldn't she be next in line after Tristian and Divis?" Talise asked.

"According to Paerus rules, not necessarily. When the planet was first inhabited, the rule stated that the firstborn child of the king and queen would be chosen. But, over one century ago, the rule was changed to the second-born child. So, the order is Tristian, Divis, and then you, Talise," my mother replied.

"Okay, that was the second question I was going to ask. So, that would mean our son is next after Talise, then Dalis?"

"That is correct. We really are sorry for not telling you. That was the only way to keep you safe. But we did lose Divis for five years. How did you get kidnapped?"

Divis' POV

"My friends, including Tristian, planned a trip to Kabos for two weeks. Tristian was the only one who couldn't make it."

"That's right. I remember that trip. I was so sick that I had to check into the hospital," Tristian says.

"The first week of the trip was great. The group had a great time. It was during the second week where the kidnapping happened. While the group and I waited for a ride in the lobby of the resort, a massive group of Duamians stormed inside and took everyone as their prisoners. I was the only one of our friends who survived the trip to Brisothea. Once we came back to Paerus, I visited with the families of our friends and told them what happened. I was held captive there until Tristian and Talise's brothers was thrown in my cell. I did what I could to survive, even ate the most disgusting food ever."

"We are glad to have you and Talise back with us. These are happy times for the royal family. We will hold a memorial service for the families next weekend. Please let them know and extend our condolences for their loss."

"They will appreciate that. I will let each family know."

Tristian's POV

"Uh, Dalis, Junior, and I are going to the dining room for dinner."

"We'll join you, Talise," my mother says.

"Wait! Before anyone leaves this room, does anyone else have any hidden secrets? I'll start the conversation with a no for myself."

"No, we don't have any more hidden secrets, Tristian," my mother says.

"No, I don't have any secrets either," Divis says next.

"Tristian, you already know I don't have any secrets. Now, can Junior, Dalis, and I get something to eat?" an irritated Talise says.

"Let's go."

Never mess with an irritated pregnant woman. Hopefully, no more drama will occur so we can concentrate on the big day.

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