The Name You Gave Me

Chapter 6 - Condolences

The next couple of weeks went by without a problem. I kept on the facade of a grieving friend, though I don't know how much of that was actually fake. I had allowed myself to grow closer to the only friends I had made. Kace, Aaron, Jessie, Darius, and Odette. Edric had started hanging around us more, but I suspect that is because of Odette. They have definitely grown closer.

Lilura had tried to bother me a few times, but every time she did, someone would stand up for me. While I knew that I could take care of myself with no problem, I had bigger things on my mind besides Lilura. Things such as what exactly happened to Emilio and who had killed him. A knock sounds at my door as I finish off the braid in my hair.

"Come in!" I call out, since I am decent, I really don't care who it is...as long as it isn't Lilura.

The door swings open and Kace steps in with a small smile. I am glad that he has finally stopped worrying about me and has gone back to his normal self.

"King Ryan and Queen Sarai have requested that all of the princes and princesses meet in the waiting room downstairs," he says as he holds out his arm to me. Right, he has to escort me.

"Yes sir," I reply teasingly as I stand up and walk over to him as he chuckles, placing my arm through his.

I wonder what the king and queen are wanting to talk to us about. We hardly ever see them since they are almost always busy with some important matter or another. As we walk down the spiral stairs, I can't help but to wonder if they know anything about Emilio's death. They should, right? After all, they are the king and queen of Cliden.

"Listen, whatever the king and queen say, just comply. It is probably just time for you all to get your VitaBands," Kace says with a shrug. I furrow my eyebrows slightly as I glance up to him.

"VitaBands? What are those?"

"They are nothing to make a big deal out of, I promise. It is required that all royals get them," he begins, "They are simply bands that go around your wrist to deliver certain vitamins to the body if it senses that you are getting low on them. It shows whole body scans, injuries, vitals, and such. It stings a little when they put it on from what I have heard, but once it is over with, there is nothing to it."

I hesitate as we reach the door. I honestly didn't realize that technology like that still existed. After all, once the Six Kingdoms formed, they ditched the modern society in order to return to more traditional ways. The Rulers destroyed guns, computers, phones, etc. Nobody really talked about those items anymore, but stories were passed down through generations of how life once was. No kings and queens. No Naming Ceremonies. No Meaning Ceremonies. No Six Kingdoms.

"What if I don't want to get it?" I ask as I eye the door.

"Well, I am afraid that it is required, Rohanna. I suspect that if you don't get it, they will send you back home," Kace says and gives me a worried look, as if he is afraid that I will refuse solely so I could leave.

The idea is tempting. I now had a chance to leave this all behind and go back home to my family. But it would be nearly impossible to find out what happened to Emilio from back at home. No, staying at the royal palace and playing my role is the only way to fulfill my goal to avenge Emilio. 

"Okay...Fine" I mutter as I shake my head.

The last thing I want is for them to be able to put some kind of foreign device on me, but it at least seems harmless, right?

Kace opens the door for me and I walk in. King Ryan and Queen Sarai are not there yet, but Nicaise Woods is standing in the front of the room with a stern expression. Next to him is a glass box that is stacked with silver bands. Ah...So those must be the VitaBands that Kace had just told me about. I walk over to Aaron and take a seat next to him.

"Hey there," he says as he looks at me with a smile. I can't help but to smile back, with him it seems to be contagious.

"Hey, Aaron," I reply before I motion to the clear box full of VitaBands, "So... Are you ready to get the band?"

Aaron shrugs before he answers.

"I mean, my father has one. He isn't a royal, but he has enough money, so he put in a request. He says that it doesn't hurt as bad as everyone says," Aaron explains before his usual soft smile turns into a smirk, "Aw come on, don't tell me that you are nervous, Rohanna. Want me to hold your hand?"

As he teases me, he reaches over and grabs my hand. Warmth immediately spreads up my arm as I raise an eyebrow from surprise.

"Oh really? That is the best flirting tactic you got?" I ask, but I don't pull my hand away.

We aren't dating or anything, but the innocent touch feels nice. Some more people start to come in, sadly including Lilura.

"Have you heard if they are having a funeral for you friend yet, Rohanna? I would just love to pay my condolences," the red-head says sarcastically. I instantly tense up, but then I feel Aaron gently squeeze my hand, as if it is a reminder that he is there with me.

"She isn't worth the fight," he whispers against my ear, his warm breath blowing the fine strands of my dark hair slightly.

I slowly let out a breath before I force that most fake cheerful smile that I can manage to conjure. If I got into a fight, they would probably kick me out and well...that just isn’t an option at this point.

"No, they haven't actually. Once they receive his body, they will be though."

Lilura just rolls her eyes and walks away, taking a seat next to Ryker, Otis, Elodie, and Simone. Otis instantly tries to flirt with her, but she just whispers something to Ryker and the prince turns to glare at me. Strange... Then Jessie walks up with Odette and Edric in tow.

"Rohanna! Aaron! Why have they gathered us here! Did..." Jessie trails off as her eyes drift down and she sees our clasped hands, "Oh? And when did this happen?" She motions between us as she asks.

I can feel my cheeks heating up, but when I glance over to Aaron, he looks as cool as a cucumber.

"Well, it seems that Rohanna has gotten tired of my terrible flirting, so she is letting me hold her hand," he says with a chuckle.

"Hmph. Well, I am just glad that it finally happened. I was sick of seeing you two being awkward around each other," Jessie declares as she plops down next to me. Odette and Edric sit down and are quietly talking to each other before Edric frowns and looks at Aaron.

"Hey, where is Darius?" He asks.

I am mildly surprised to hear him even speak because he hardly ever does so. But personally, I think that Odette has brought him out of his shell some. Which is quite ironic since she, herself, is very timid as well.

"I think him and Kamran have some bet going as to who can go the longest without speaking. So, they are sitting next to each other in the back to make sure neither cheats," Aaron answers with a little chuckle.

Edric rolls his eyes at the news as if he is a tired father who has grown weary of his children before he turns back to Odette and begins talking to her again in a hushed tone. I glance over my shoulder towards the back and sure enough, there the two boys are. Darius keeps reaching up and tugging on strands of Kamran's black hair, probably trying to annoy him into speaking. Kamran's eyes are narrowed as he glares forward.

"He's pouting again," I say before I turn back around in my seat and glance at Aaron. At my words, he scoffs lightly.

"When is Kamran not pouting?" He questions sarcastically.

"Oh, definitely when he proves his point or answers a question correctly," Jessie chimes in, "I swear, his grin gets so big when that happens that I think he is a fake or something."

We all three begin to laugh quietly, but then the sound of the doors opening and then closing cause us to grow quiet again. When we look up, King Ryan and Queen Sarai are walking into the waiting room. A hush falls over all twelve of us as the king and queen make their way to the front of the room.

"Good afternoon, princes and princesses. It is a pleasure to be able to see you all again," King Ryan begins speaking, his voice echoing in the bare room, "So today, as some of you might have guessed, you will be receiving your VitaBands. This should be considered and seen as an honor because by giving you this band, we are saying that we now trust you and that you are officially part of the royal family for the next year."

"Indeed. As my husband has said, you are a part of our family now. And we are so happy to have all of you in our home," Queen Sarai speaks up, her voice is gentle and motherly as she looks across the room, her eyes landing on each and every one of us.

"Well, with that being said, let us get started so you all can get back to settling in," the king says as he motions for Woods to step forward to assist them. "Lilura Ethelfled."

When her name is called first, Lilura is sure to turn and give all of us a knowing smirk as she stands and then walks to the front of the room.

"This might sting a little, but it doesn't last long," King Ryan warns.

"Oh, I am sure I can handle it," Lilura scoffs, causing the king to nod to Nicaise.

The head guard then reaches over and grabs the bracelet. When he shifts it, I can see four needles poking out from the backside of it. Ouch... The moment that the bracelet is snapped around Lilura's wrist, she flinches back and her eyes widened.

"That is not just a sting!" She snaps as tears well up in her eyes.

I watch as the queen offers her an apologetic smile before motioning for her to sit down. I can hear Darius laughing under his breath from behind me. One by one, the princes and princesses are called up to get their VitaBands. Some of them tear up, but others put on a brave facade as they get it put on. No one reacts near as dramatically as Lilura did though. When my name gets called out, I realize that I am, of course, last.

I stand up and walk to the front, putting a small smile on my face despite the suspicions that I have for any of the royals.

"Hello King Ryan and Queen Sarai," I say as I bow my head down to them. My eyes then shift to the band that Nicaise is seemingly preparing for me and I hesitate. "So does the VitaBand only monitor our health?"

All three of the adults seem to be taken back by my question and King Ryan and Nicaise share an unreadable look.

"Well of course, dear, there is no other use for them," Queen Sarai speaks up, as if she is unaware of anything else.

Before I can ask any more questions, I feel a cool and hard surface brush against my wrist before suddenly pain shoots up my arm. A gasp escapes my lips as I jerk away, my other hand moving to rest on my wrist. My eyes move to look at Nicaise, who has an emotionless look on his face.

"You can go and be seated now," the king said, his voice much sterner than before.

Why did my question affect the two men so much? The queen seems to be oblivious to whatever is going on as she offers me yet another smile. I frown as I turn and head back to my seat next to Aaron, the pain in my wrist already beginning to subside.

"What took yours so long?" Aaron asks as he looks at me. I can tell by Jessie's quizzical look that she is wondering the same thing.

"Oh, I just had a question to ask. It wasn't a big deal," I reply as I shrug, trying to not make a big deal about what had just happened. After all, I didn't figure anything new out. It had just been an awkward and rather uncomfortable moment.

"Come on, Rohanna. We are your friends. What is going on with you?" Jessie pushes as she gently nudges me with her arm.

But before I can answer, the king clears his throat. I look back up to the front of the room to find him already watching me. This whole event was getting more and more odd as the seconds ticked by.

"Now that you all have your VitaBands on, we would like to remind all of you that any acts of rebellion will not be tolerated. We have allowed all of you to stay at our home for a year, so we expect you to show us the same respect," King Ryan says. His eyes move around the room as he speaks, but the way that his lips purse when they land on me lets me know that something is up. Perhaps the question I had asked was too much, though to me it seemed that it could be seen as harmless.

Everyone nods in the room, agreeing with him and then Nicaise escorts him and Queen Sarai out of the room. I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I was holding in once the door shuts behind them.

"Okay girl, what is going on? You look like you have seen a ghost," Jessie says as she turns to face me.

"You have been acting weird these past few weeks."

I jump as I hear Darius' voice suddenly pipe up from right behind me. I turn in my chair and look at him.

"I thought that you and Kamran had some bet going on about not talking," I snap slightly. The last thing that I need is more people asking me questions. I did not want to drag anyone else into my mess.

"Well, we were. But Otis threw something at Kamran and Kamran yelled at him," Darius says with a light shrug and moves so that I can see Kamran sulking in the back and glaring at Otis.

"Wait a minute- No! You are not going to use Darius as an excuse to dodge my question, Rohanna," Jessie exclaims as she grabs my arm, forcing me to face her, "Now tell us what has been going on with you. Maybe we can help. Is it about Emilio?"

Hearing his name causes me to pause as Darius takes his leave to go and rub his win in Kamran’s face. Is this about Emilio? Of course, it is. Someone killed him and they got away with it because of his name meaning. But this is also about finding myself again. About saving myself from a corrupt system.

"They still haven't delivered his body to his family," I finally speak up, my voice going dull.

"Well, maybe they are just preparing it for the funeral?" Aaron tries to comfort me as he puts a hand on my knee gently. His touch does cause me to relax slightly, but it does nothing against the thoughts running through my mind. Should I tell them?

"It has been over two weeks. I don't think that it takes that long to prepare for a funeral..." I say quietly, "I wanted to ask the king and queen about it. But King Ryan seemed rather upset about my question about the VitaBands so I didn't want to push it."

"Wait, what did you ask about the bands?" Aaron asks me.

"I just asked if the VitaBands only monitor our health."

"What else would they do? Aren't they to just keep us healthy? A gift?" Jessie pipes up from beside me.

I bite my bottom lip as I run a hand through my hair in a stressful manner. Maybe if I tell them they can help. Or maybe they will think that I am crazy and will ridicule me. But I have to go for it. I can’t do this alone anymore.

"If I tell you both something, do you promise not to tell anyone?" I ask.

"Of course, you can tell us anything," Aaron promises.

"We are your friends, Rohanna," Jessie assures me, "We can keep a little secret."

Oh, how I wish that this is just a little secret.

"I think that the system is made up...I don't think that the Counsel is some all-knowing being. If he is, then why would he even name someone knowing that it would have them killed in the end?" I begin before I shake my head. "I want to find out what really is going on. I want to find the Room of Names."