Golden Hearts |Completed| ✔

Book II - Part 19

Unedited.

Third Person POV

"You said you still haven't regained your memories." Adam asked a still astounded Emma.

"I did." She replied.

"Yet, you know the name Elias Wagner?" Adam's tone held a hint of disbelief.

"Knowing the name doesn't mean I remember anything, Adam. I remember I told you Müller filled me in on almost my whole life." She told him.

"What did he tell you about him?" He asked her.

"Quite a lot," she said. "He told me enough to make the old man that died two decades ago, my role model. The tales of his brilliance, compassion, and ruthlessness made me realise how long I still have to go to be half the person he was. I admired how he showed leniency to those who deserved it, and ruthlessness to those who challenged his position. The only thing he failed to mention was him being the leader of the underworld once." Emma informed.

"Did he tell you about your kinship?" Adam asked cautiously.

"You don't have to be so cautious about it, Adam." Emma laughed lightly. "I know Elias was my maternal grandfather, and I'm honoured. The man is a legend on so many levels." She added.

Adam exhaled loudly in obvious relief, he was expecting her to have a different reaction, but thankfully she proved him wrong.

"Tell me this, Adam," she said.

"Yeah?"

"What happened after the leaders of the other families were executed for treason after the second attack? Who took their places?" She asked.

"The families of the workers that died on the first attack the heirs did, took their places, your grandfather, the head of the Monarchs picked them indirectly." He told her.

"Indirectly?" She asked.

"Yeah, since the identities of both the Monarchs and the Protecters were to be kept a secret, he had to do the selection indirectly. Therefore, he sent one of the palace workers, since they were his trusted personals, to deliver a message sealed with the Monarchs' seal to each family head of those families. He kept an eye on their whereabouts, knowing that one day he would need them to fill in some of the other families' places." He said.

"How did they do the oath without the one whom they'll serve missing?" She inquired.

"Your grandfather didn't miss it, he gathered them all outside the palace, after they accepted the invitation. He was standing on the wall of the palace behind a curtain, they only needed to see his ring and the unique tattoo of lion, lioness, and their pup on his hand, to know he's the head of the Monarchs." Adam said.

"You keep saying the Monarchs in plural, just how many people were in my family beside my grandparents and mom?" She asked.

"They were like every other family, the whole family was together, your aunts, uncles, and cousins. My grandpa told me that despite them being a big family, they had an incredible amount of harmony. Everybody cared and looked out for each other." Adam replied.

"How come Müller said my mom was always alone then? Where were they?"

"They all died in an attack on the palace by bandits, only my family was sure it wasn't the bandits' doing. Only your mother was found hidden in a secret in the kitchen that was specialised for transporting food to and from the palace. Your grandmother was found laying in a pool of her blood after her throat was slit few feet away from her, she apparently was the one who hid young miss Elsa at the time."