ROYAL BLOOD

VOICES

Rufus sat down beside Grivald and told him, "Tell us the story."

"What story?" Grivald asked.

Lore sat down in front them, looking forward to an interesting answer.

"About the King and Queen. How did you know?" Rufus replied.

"You tell me about my identity first." Grivald replied.

"It's you first."

"Screw you, I came with you because you said that you know."

"I do but-"

Grivald got up and interrupted, "You know nothing, right? You tricked me to tell you the story."

Rufus didn't say anything and Grivald gave all of them an angry look and walked out of the house. His head was full of mixed thoughts as, he headed into the forest. He reached the same Mulberry tree again and climbed down the trapdoor to meet Gary.

Gary heard the trap door open and he looked out in the dark corridor. He saw Grivald approaching and asked him, "Where were you? Where's the bread and the paper?"

Grivald had an angry expression hanging on his face yet he replied calmly, "They had caught me and I escaped."

"Did they do anything to you?" Gary asked with curiosity.

"No. They were asking questions but I didn't say anything. Hopefully, I was able to escape. I lost the bread and paper there."

"Good thing you're alive."

Grivald didn't tell Gary about the mansion and the voices. He just sat there doing nothing and kept thinking about the voices. He had never heard them before but he heard them today and the same thing happened to Lore.

Gary was reading the dusty books and he told Grivald, "Find yourself something to eat."

Grivald grabbed a dusty pot and added water and some herbs in it. He lit a small fire in their cooking area and placed the pot on the water.

"Tea?" Gary asked him.

Grivald nodded and Gary said, "Give me a cup too."

Grivald nodded again and sat in a chair opposite to the door. He looked at Gary who was engrossed inside the books. He couldn't control himself and asked Gary," Gary, who am I?"

Gary looked up from his books and replied, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you never told me how we met. You said that I was with you ever since I was a kid but you never told me what our relation is."

Gary was taken aback when Grivald said this. He hesitated for a bit and said, "I found you in a barn."

"A barn?"

"Yes. I was returning back after doing some errands when I saw a crowd gathered up near a small barn. I pushed my way through and saw a man and a woman lying dead on the floor. Someone had murdered them. And you were sitting beside them crying and wailing."

"How old was I?"

"Maybe a few months."

"Months?!"

"Yes. You were wrapped up in a cod and you were crying. No one volunteered to take care of you. I had no family so, I took you into my arms and that's how I raised you. Named you."

Grivald was confused because Gary did not mention the royal blood again. He was assured that Gary was hiding something so he asked again, "So, I have nothing to do with the royal blood?"

Gary paused when he heard that question. He met eyes with Grivald and replied, "The Royal blood? Why did you ask this all of a sudden?"

Grivald did not want to make Gary have doubts on him so he laughed and replied, "I was just curious if the royal blood killed my family because I seem to the them from within as well."

"Very well."

"How long are you going to be here?"

"For a while."

"I'll go to sleep then."

Gary nodded and watched Grivald move into their sleeping room; which was built inside their study. Gary was having doubts now. He felt that Grivald knew the secret but somewhere deep inside him, he also felt that Grivald knew nothing. He was in a dilemma and couldn't focus on the book he was reading. He looked down and saw Dravite's name on the book which made his blood boil. He scribbled Lore's name beside it and scratched it like crazy; thinking of it as the real Lore. He stopped when the paper teared and he threw the pen away.

--

Lore was thinking about Grivald while preparing the mattress to sleep. He glanced at Rufus and thought about who he is. Rufus hadn't told them how he was the royal blood. Lore started having doubts. In order to clear them up he asked him, "Rufus, you didn't tell us how you we are connected."

Rufus looked at him and said, "Now is not the time."

"When are you telling us?" Lore asked, getting annoyed.

Rufus smiled and did not utter a word again. Lore felt extremely annoyed because of Rufus so, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

"Where am I?" Lore thought as he looked around him. He was in the middle of the woods.

"Leo! Rufus! Wisteria! Jackson!" he cried and he looked here and there. No one was around. The sky was covered with thick grey clouds. He didn't know where to go so, he looked around him frantically. Suddenly, he saw Grivald and he cried, "Hey!"

Grivald looked at him and ran away. "Stop!" Lore cried as he chased him. Suddenly, he heard the same voice whispering his name and he stopped running.

"Who are you?" Lore cried looking here and there.

All of a sudden, he fell down on the ground and heard multiple voices whispering his name. He closed his ears and struggled to keep the sound away but it was hurting his ears and he screamed.

Lore woke up breathing heavily. He looked around saw everyone else sleeping. He was sweating all over and laid down again. Just a nightmare, he thought and stared at the ceiling.

Gary closed his eyes to sleep and suddenly found himself standing in the middle of the woods. He looked around and saw Lore staring at him. His eyes met Lore's and Lore cried, "Hey!"

Grivald didn't want Lore to catch him again so, he ran away his feet thudding on the ground. He looked back and didn't see Lore running behind. Strange he thought and suddenly, he fell on the ground.

"What the-?" he exclaimed as, he tried getting up. Something was pulling him close to the ground. Then he heard the voices again but this time there were multiple voices all whispering his name. Those voices were hurting his ears so, he tried getting up and he screamed.

Grivald woke up and looked around. He was still inside the room and looked out. He could see candle light flickering from Gary's table and he sighed.

Just a nightmare he thought and tried to sleep again.