Chapter 13 - The Other Prince
Adrian read the sentence three times.
NOT EVELYN'S CHILD.
YOURS.
"What does that mean?"
Julian looked toward Beatrice.
She appeared equally confused.
Gabriel took the photograph.
"They know another child connected to Adrian?"
Adrian shook his head.
"I have no other children."
Julian said, "Maybe not biologically."
"Then what?"
No one answered.
The convoy approached.
There was no time.
They blocked the hunting road with an abandoned timber truck.
Marcus's escort vehicles stopped.
Armed men exited.
Adrian and Rowan opened fire at tires, forcing the convoy into the trees.
Gabriel moved along the ridge.
Beatrice remained inside the old station with Julian coordinating the Household Protection Unit.
Adrian reached the armored transport containing Evelyn.
A guard raised his weapon.
Adrian struck him.
Rowan opened the rear doors.
Evelyn was inside.
Alexander was in her arms.
"Adrian."
He climbed in.
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
He kissed her forehead.
"We're leaving."
She grabbed his sleeve.
"Wait."
A teenage boy sat chained to the opposite bench.
Adrian had not noticed him.
The boy was perhaps fifteen.
Dark hair.
Blue eyes.
He wore simple gray clothing.
Adrian stared.
There was something unsettlingly familiar about his face.
"Who are you?" Adrian asked.
The boy said nothing.
Evelyn whispered, "They picked him up at St. Catherine's before coming for me."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
The boy looked at Adrian.
"You're Prince Adrian."
"Yes."
The boy's hands trembled.
"My name is Nicholas."
Adrian cut his restraints.
"Nicholas what?"
The boy looked at Julian, who had approached the vehicle.
Julian stopped.
His face went white.
"Nicholas."
The boy recognized him.
"You."
Adrian looked between them.
"You know each other?"
Julian slowly approached.
"Nicholas was raised inside St. Catherine's."
"Why?"
Julian looked ashamed.
"Because of me."
Adrian's anger returned.
"Explain."
"When I disappeared, I needed someone inside the Council."
"You used a child?"
"He wasn't supposed to remain there."
Nicholas spoke.
"You promised me two months."
Julian closed his eyes.
"It became complicated."
"Eight years."
Adrian stared at his father.
"What did you do?"
Nicholas rolled up his sleeve.
A Bellmont crescent mark was tattooed onto his skin.
Not a birthmark.
A tattoo.
"They trained me to be you."
Adrian felt cold.
"What?"
Nicholas looked directly at him.
"Your voice. Your signature. Your military history. Your habits."
The fraudulent royal authorizations.
Adrian finally understood.
"The electronic orders."
Nicholas nodded.
"They forced me to sign them."
Gabriel climbed into the vehicle.
"Why train a replacement Adrian?"
Nicholas answered.
"Because the Council doesn't want a new dynasty."
Everyone listened.
"They want the existing one."
He pointed at Adrian.
"But obedient."
Beatrice whispered, "A puppet."
Nicholas nodded.
"They planned to create evidence that Adrian died during a military deployment."
Adrian remembered his recent attack on the eastern border.
Nicholas continued.
"After enough reconstructive surgery, they would present me privately to ministers."
Evelyn looked horrified.
"People would know."
"Some would."
Nicholas looked at her.
"Most people only see the prince through screens."
Adrian thought about deepfake recordings, controlled appearances, carefully managed state broadcasts.
Impossible.
Yet terrifyingly possible.
Nicholas reached inside his shirt.
He removed a small key.
"I stole this from Marcus."
Gabriel examined it.
"St. Catherine's master access."
Nicholas nodded.
"There's something underground."
"What?" Adrian asked.
"A room full of children."
Silence.
"How many?"
Nicholas's voice broke.
"Forty-three."
Evelyn hugged Alexander tighter.
Adrian looked toward the northern mountains.
St. Catherine's waited beyond them.
Marcus had escaped the ambush.
Which meant he was going there.
May you like
Adrian checked his weapon.
"We end this tonight."
