This is a continuation of "Royal Pains." If you wish to read from the beginning, you can find the link here.

The boy seems familiar, yet I am unable to understand why. I did not know him. He was not the son of any of the nobles that I knew personally. He was not an established knight. I will need to explore his background to satisfy my curiosity, but what could a young man such as him do that could interest my subconscious so much.

Ulric was speaking, though I wasn’t listening, as we walked through the corridor that lead to my study, and I waiting for him to conclude his anecdote before I asked “Ulric, old friend, I must know who that young knight was that came with Admiral Ferros. Do you happen to recognize the lad?”

“I apologize, my lord, but I do not. Why are you interested? As far as I could see he was a simple fellow hoping to make some coin for his family,” Ulric seemed confused, as was I.

“I do not know. He seemed familiar to me, and I wondered if maybe he was a nobleman’s son or maybe a former servant. Whatever he may be, I am curious.”

Ulric, knowing me well from the years he has spent by my side, simply nodded and offered to summon Pavven to my study for a meeting, which I agreed to readily.

Pavven was a lean fellow, small enough to sneak around without detection and strong enough to hold his own in a fight, necessary attributes for the Captain of the spy network. He was undeterred by my strange interest in the knight and agreed to look into his background as far and as fast as was possible.

It wasn’t long before he brought his results back to me, startling even myself with his efficiency. Unbeknownst to me, he would continue to surprise me with the information he gathered.

“Your Highness, I have received the information you requested. May we meet privately, my lord?” the sunlight coming in from the dining room mirrors caused Pavven’s face to become unyielding.

“Of course. We will meet in my study after breakfast has concluded,” I replied just as Yana, my wife, surreptitiously glanced at us from over her glass. I matched her look with one of my own, warning her from asking questions.

“Very well, sire. I shall meet you then,” he bowed his head before turning on his heels and retreating back through the grand double doors.

“My dear husband, what information has Pavven found for you this time?” She could barely conceal the conniving tone in her voice, as angry as I am sure she was to be left out of a conversation.

“Yana, dear, I simply asked him to research a knight I invited to the castle in order to learn from the masters. It is nothing of your concern. Boring matters of knighthood have never been part of your interests,” I attempted to appease her by smiling, though I imagine I produced more of a grimace.

“Well, it would have been nice to know of our guest before now,” she replied with a malicious smile.

“He will surely not return for at least one month. I was trying not to worry you with matters so far away.”

“Hmmm, I’m sure you were, my king.” She continued to glance my way throughout breakfast, though I steadfastly ignored her so that I could better enjoy my meal.

“Well, the chef did a wonderful job, and I must return to my study. I will see you soon, darling, and I hope your day is blissful.” I stood and nodded my head in her direction before walking out the doors and closer to the information I have been seeking.

Once I arrived at my study, I could see Pavven standing guard by the door, and I called for him to follow me inside. Too intrigued to waste time with pleasantries, I asked, “What information do you have for me Pavven?”

“Well, my lord, it seems Ulric was right. This boy is simply a poor boy hoping to become a knight so that he can provide for his family,” Pavven’s face alerted me that he had more information.

“Elaborate, Pavven.”

“Sire, his mother, Emmalie Osmond, used to work as a maid here at the castle when your father was still with us, but she left around the time she would have begun pregnancy,” Pavven paused for merely a second when he saw my reaction to the name, but continued, “She found refuge in the northern town of Charbrooke, but was unable to find work for quite a while due to her pregnancy. Because of this, she was forced to stay with an older couple and help them around their home. She continued to stay there after her child, Maddox, was born, and up until they both passed away. Since then the mother and child have barely scraped by.” My sweet Emmalie was forced to go through pregnancy nearly all alone. I can hardly bare the thought of her alone, cold, scared, hungry. I never could. “Maddox was merely fourteen when he joined the army, and he has since been the sole provider for his mother.”

Pavven continued, despite me barely hearing him over my own thoughts, “He is now eighteen and a highly skilled soldier, but has not been promoted due to his age and reluctance to take responsibility for others’ lives. So far, my men have not discovered any living relatives,” of course not, Emmalie’s parents died while she was but a child, “neither have they discovered the identity of the father. Apparently she refused to tell anyone.”

I knew there had to have been a reason she left, and pregnancy was as good a reason as any. Did she betray me? Surely she would have told me if the pregnancy was my doing. She knew that I would welcome a baby. The idea of her betrayal stabbed me in the stomach with painful twists and jabs. I had loved the short, dark-haired maid with everything I had, even though I knew it was forbidden. For her to so easily play me like a fool devoured me, from the inside out.

I had tried to discover a way in which we could stay together, but our backgrounds simply forbid it. My parents would have possibly allowed the marriage, but the advisors and nobles would have never accepted a lowly servant girl as their queen. When my father announced the engagement to Yana, a young nobleman’s daughter at the time, Emmalie and I were devastated. It was then that we knew that there was never going to be a future for our love. But for her to go to another man, another lover, another bed, it was not at all what I would have expected, not from the ever loving Emmalie.

I had always believed that she left because she couldn’t bear to see me with the horrid woman who was to become my wife. Now I know that she left out of something else. Fear? Obligation? Anger? Desperation?

Two months had passed since I had invited the boy, Maddox Osmond, into my castle so that he could learn from the masters of the arts of war, and I was positive that he and his mother, my former lover, would arrive any day. I was prepared to meet with them, or so I thought.

A squire, young and full of energy, walked into the throne room and directed himself towards me. When he arrived at my throne, he bowed and announced, “Your Majesty, two guests have arrived, Lord Maddox and Lady Emmalie Osmond of Charbrooke. They have been escorted to their chambers, but they wish to meet with you. When shall they be granted a meeting, my lord?”

“As soon as possible, lad. These two are special guests and will be treated as such,” the squire seemed shocked at my announcement, but he quickly hid his expression in favor of a stoic nod.

“Very well, my liege. I will escort them here shortly,” with that said, he backed away and returned to, presumably, gather the guests.

A voice beside me spoke up then, “I see your special guests have arrived. Im sure you are positively thrilled to have a new student for your teachers.”

“Yana, my queen, he is a highly skilled young lad, I could not waste the chance to have him trained and possibly join my royal guard. It would be foolish of me to do so. I assure you, you will not be required to interact with the guests, they are commoners, and I know how you hate commoners,” I replied to her jab. She hated having guests that were less than noble, seeing them as a waste of rooms and food, which only divides us further.

“Well, I better not. I will not tolerate any ignorant and filthy peasants running amuck in my castle.”

“I imagine it is a good thing that this isn’t your castle then, isn’t it?” I couldn’t help reminding her of her lack of power due to our fathers’ negotiations. In response, she turned toward me quickly, sent me an icy stare, and walked out of the room, toward her chambers.

Before much time could pass, the same squire escorted my guests into the throne room and towards me. Before he was able to do anything else, I asked the squire to leave and to keep anyone else from entering the room unannounced. Soon the room was quiet.

Maddox and Emmalie bowed, and rising again, Maddox announced, “Your highness, it is an honor to meet you once again. I am here to study under your grand masters, and I have brought my mother with me.”

I looked the boy over once, a strange feeling coming over me, and said, “Yes boy, I have heard amazing tales of your skill as a soldier. Do not mistake me, it is I that am honored for you to have agreed to such rigorous training. Maybe one day, you will be inducted into my Royal Guard.” I glanced at Emmalie for the first time since she arrived and my heart quickened. She hadn’t changed much, the beginning of wrinkles have begun on her face and her hair had begun to sprout a few gray hairs, but she looked so much like she had when we were younger. “Lady Emmalie, it is a pleasure to see you again. It has been so long, and we never were afforded the chance to say goodbye, but now I see why you decided to leave when you did.”

She stared into my eyes with something akin to sadness and said, “Yes, my lord it has been quite a long time and the castle has ceased to change though many other things have.”

I could not contain my feelings anymore and walked closer to her and said, “My lady, I must ask. Why did you betray our love? Who managed to steal you from me?”

She looked shocked, but it could not compare to Maddox’s reaction to my words. “Mother? I thought you and the king had never met while you were here? You never mentioned him.”

I could see that Emmalie was deeply affected by our words when she looked away.

“So you do not know?” she seemed to deflate.

“What do I not know, Emmalie? Should I know something?” I was near bursting with confusion at the situation, and I knew that the boy was feeling similar.

My words seemed to bring my Emmalie back, the one who was not afraid to share her feelings with those around her, and I was further proven correct when she spoke with a ferocity matching that of a lion’s roar. “How could you not know?! These years must have diminished your eyesight! He is your mirror image and you ask me whose he is. You dare ask me if I betrayed you for another man when you were engaged to be married to another woman. You dare question my loyalty! I have never betrayed you! Maddox is yours! He is your son! How can you not see that he is your family?!”

I stood, shocked at the revelation, unable to move except to look at the boy, my son, only to see him staring at his mother in shock as well.

We stayed there, stealing glances at each other until a voice boomed over the silence, “You harlot!”