For centuries, the royal family of Aridia has hosted The Choice, the competition where the eligible daughters of the Nobles of Aridia, come together to vie for the hand of the heir to the throne. This year, Prince Carlos is the heir to the throne a...
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"This can't be, you died. I...I attended your funeral," Carlos shook his head in disbelief.
"You told me your father was dead, Amancio," I couldn't believe anything that was going on.
"I guess...I lied," Amancio shrugged.
"What else have you lied about?" Carlos demanded.
Amancio thought, "Caring about you, supporting the monarchy, my father's death apparently and oh- my mother's as well."
"What?" I sputtered.
A familiar looking woman appeared beside Amancio, a smug smile on her face.
Queen Amelia
"I don't understand," Carlos muttered, his eyes darting between Amancio and the Queen.
I didn't know why I'd never seen it before. The resemblance was uncanny. They both had the same grey eyes and structural face. I couldn't believe it. How was it even possible?
"How is this even possible?" I thought aloud.
"Patience is a virtue, Maddie. All your answers will come in due time," Amancio's father tsked.
"Amelia is your mother? That would make...," Carlos trailed off.
"Princess Barbara my half sister and you my step brother, yes," Amancio smirked.
"Can you...explain how all this is real?" I couldn't fathom what was happening. I couldn't believe any of it. I felt like I was in some sort of twisted nightmare.
"You might want to get comfortable, this story might take a while," Amancio's father smirked, before crouching in front of our cell, his eyes glinting maliciously.
***
"My father was a Payton, I'm assuming you know the real history of Aridia's monarchy. My ancestor, King Ralph, was murdered in cold blood by a man he considered his best friend. That same man banished his supporters and took over his throne," He started, his voice filled with hate.
"King Ralph was a cold blooded murderer," I retorted.
"King Ralph was a disciplined King," He snapped. "My family has been a part of The Dark Lords for as long as I can remember. The Dark Lords, after King Ralph's death, retreated. We were quiet, waiting for the right moment to enact our plan. My becoming friends with your father was no mistake, Carlos. I knew that the day would come where Albert would die- and I looked forward to it."
Carlos prepared to lunge at him but he didn't even flinch. "Amelia, you see here, was my wife. We loved- and still do, love each other very much. But we planned this out very elaborately you see, no one knew Amelia was my wife. Everyone thought she died during childbirth- but it was all part of our plan. Albert and I became closer, we became very good friends, you see. I had to admit, I might have even gotten a soft spot for him.
