So, your wait is over... let's get back into the story. What mistake did Kiana's father make that cost him his life? Well, he's not gone... he's alive.
Sorry to have hurt you a little bit. But Kiana, Astra, and Ivelle were also alive...
So, first, I'll tell you why Knight Koa was executed. His second name is Ryu... yes, guys. He's the one who helped Noa, the 7th son, escape from prison.
AT SOMEWHERE YOU'LL KNOWđ :
Ivelle woke up and saw a beautiful house. IVELLE ~ Whoa..I'm in heaven,
( She shook Kiana and Astra awake. Kiana's eyes fluttered open, and her face was red.) IVELLE ~ Kiana, we're in heaven
(Astra rubbed her head, confused)
ASTRA ~ What?
IVELLE ~ Finally, I'm in heaven with you..(smiling)Where's your father, Kiana?
ASTRA ~ Can you please be quiet??
(Kiana asked, still disoriented.)
KIANA ~ Where's my father?
ASTRA ~ We're in someone's house.
(Ivelle's eyes widened.)
IVELLE ~ What? I'm not dead again?
(Kiana looked at Ivelle strangely.)
IVELLE ~ Kiana, can you touch me?
(Just then, a stranger said,)
STRANGER ~ Should I pinch you so you'll believe?
(The two strangers arrived and The stranger was none other than the 5th and 6th prince, Slater and Joh respectively..)
(Astra stepped forward to protect her friends.)
JOH ~ Calm down..
SLATER ~ What are you doing? He just saved you from that crazy man.
(Ivelle's eyes narrowed.)
IVELLE ~ Crazy man?
(Joh nodded.)
IVELLE ~ You mean the emperor?
(Ivelle's face twisted in anger.)
IVELLE ~ He's the most horrible person I've ever met.
(Astra's expression remained stern.)
ASTRA ~ Why did you save us?
SLATER ~ We can't let innocent people die in our kingdom.(Straight face)
(Astra raised an eyebrow.)
ASTRA ~ How did you know we're innocent?
JOH ~ Knight Koa, or Mister Ryu, was our trusted person. We would only help those who are truly innocent.
KIANA ~ My fatherâ
(Joh nodded.)
JOH ~ He's in the next room. You can see him.
(Kiana rushed out of the room, frantically searching for her father. The stranger gestured to a room.)
SLATER ~ He's in there.
Kiana ran to the room, everyone followed her and found her father lying on a bed. He was unconscious, but breathing. She was happy that her father was..alive.
KIANA ~ When will he wake up?
(Slater's turned somber.)
JOH ~ It might take years.
ASTRA ~ Years?
(Ivelle looked confused.)
IVELLE ~ What do you mean?
SLATER ~ The sword he was stabbed with was poisoned. It's a rare poison that takes a long time to cure.
(Joh and Slater exchanged a knowing glance, nodding in sync.)
JOH ~We need to tell you who we really are..
SLATER ~ Follow us downstairs..
(Kiana, Astra, and Ivelle trailed behind them. Once they reached the lower level, Slater began,)
SLATER ~ Your father was sacrificing to save us.
JOH ~ Because we're the true royal-blooded princes.
KIANA ~ What? My father was protecting you?(Slater nodded.)
SLATER ~ Yes.
(Astra's voice rose in skepticism.)
ASTRA ~ And you're royal princes? Are you kidding me?
(Slater's expression turned serious.)
SLATER ~ Can any of you recall the last emperor's death, 53 years ago?
(Kiana thought for a moment.)
KIANA ~ Yeah, there was a war, and Emperor Daven, the current emperor, won. The previous emperor died in battle, but nobody knows what happened to their families.
IVELLE ~ OMG, that's so tragic.
(Joh's voice took on a hint of sadness.)
JOH ~ I'm the 6th son of the previous emperor, Alfred. He's my father.
(The royal families of Atarah have a distinct sign - a blooming tattoo on their neck, shaped like a sword and crown mixed together. When Joh and Slater revealed their glowing neck tattoos, Astra and Kiana's eyes widened in recognition. They quickly bowed their heads.)
JOH ~ No need to bow, (said with a smile.)We're not in the palace.
(Ivelle looked at them curiously.)
IVELLE ~ Whoa, what should I call you?
(Joh chuckled.)
JOH ~ For now, just Joh and Slater.
ASTRA ~ Why didn't you go back to Orville?
(Slater's expression turned grim.)
SLATER ~ Because the cruel emperor would kill us.
KIANA ~ Why?
(Slater's voice was laced with bitterness.) SLATER ~ Because he's the one who made our lives hell.
(Ivelle's eyes widened.)
IVELLE ~ Hell?
(Joh nodded)
JOH ~ He killed our parents, separated my brothers, and made numerous attempts on our lives.
It all started when Emperor Daven, our great uncle, attacked our home on the day the people of Orville were celebrating my younger brother Noa's fifth birthday. He killed innocent people, and... he was supposed to be a trusted friend of our father, Emperor Alfred.
(Slater took over, his voice filled with pain.)
SLATER ~ He made our lives hell. First, he killed our father, and then he came after us and our mother. But a lady named Kyra, a kind woman from Orville, tried to save us. She took us to a cage, but our eldest brother escaped and ran back into the war.
(Kiana's eyes locked onto Slater's.)
KIANA ~ Kyra... (Her eyes filled with tears)
(Slater's expression softened.)
SLATER ~ Yes, it's your mother.
JOH ~ Kyra was caught by the soldiers and killed. We were chased and we got separated, but slater and I managed to stay together.
(Kiana's voice was filled with emotion.)
KIANA ~ My parents were protecting you? They were sacrificing their life to save you..
( The room was filled with sadness, So Joh changed the topic)
JOH ~ We seven brothers haven't seen each other in 53 years.
(Astra's curiosity got the better of her. )
ASTRA ~ Why?
SLATER ~ Huh?
ASTRA ~ You said your beloved uncle killed your parents... but why?
(Joh's voice took on a melancholic tone.)
JOH ~ Because he was jealous. He liked my mother, but she loved my father.
(Ivelle started humming a tune.)
IVELLE ~ Jealousy, jealousy...
(Joh's words hung in the air before he spoke again.)
JOH ~ And you, did you know why you ended up in Atarah?
SLATER ~ Because you're carrying Atarahian blood.
JOH ~ You and Astra are twin sisters. You thought your biological parents abandoned you, but that's not true.
SLATER ~ Your biological parents tried to escape Atarah with their youngest twin daughter, but they were killed by the emperor. In Atarah, they abandoned Astra because they sold her to the current alpha, but her powers weren't awakened back then, so he left her in the Arden Forest. Mr. Sakon took her in.
(The room fell silent, with everyone shocked into stillness. No one uttered a word. Joh broke the silence.)
JOH ~ What did you think? Was it just a coincidence that you both were abandoned by your biological parents?
The silence hung heavy in the air. Kiana's eyes were wide with shock, Astra's face was pale, and Ivelle looked like she'd been punched in the gut.
Kiana finally broke the silence, her voice barely above a whisper...
KIANA ~ You're... You're sisters?
(Astra eyes welling up with tears.)
(Ivelle stumbled backward, like she'd lost her balance.)
IVELLE ~ This is... this is crazy.
(She collapsed onto a nearby chair, her head in her hands.)
Joh and Slater exchanged a sympathetic glance. Joh spoke up, his voice soft.
JOH ~ We're sorry. We didn't mean to drop all this on you at once.
SLATER ~ But we needed you to know the truth.
STAY TUNED FOR NEXT CHAPTER..