Yep another chapter! Man I am so bored, which is why I'm able to post so many. If you can't tell this book is almost done! :D 

And I can't thank you all enough for the support, after this book GAMEOVER will be my main priorty. The final book of this series will be second because I don't want to make you all wait, and Calamity remains third.

Also, please read my note at the end for something cool, now I'll stop interrupting your reading time! <3

Grasping Fate

Chapter 22

"Inhale the future, exhale the past"

The man that stood before the crowd clutching his broken arm in a pained and strained expression was none other than the prince of the kingdom they hated.

There was silence as the reality of who was before them sunk in. Jason was right, that fiend of a prince really had snuck into their ranks, and no doubt the people he was with knew who he was too.

"Don't you see! We should kill him now!" Jason snarled in wrath, Tyler and Wag still held him back.

"No! Adam is a good guy!" Mitch defended him, he wanted to go up and protect his dear friend, but he was helping Jerome support Ty.

"Shut up, king or not you've been lying to us!" One rebel shouted in rage, "You've been secretly hiding an Emedian prince!"

"Bloody bastards!"

"Stop!" It was Alesa who spoke up, eyes turned to the young princess of Neim, she faced Adam. He quietly accepted her rage filled eyes, "What reason do you have to be here?! Here among these people, your father must be a lowly bastard to not only hire a traitor but send his own son. What is it you planned to do, murder."

"Adam has no affiliation with his father," Ian stepped in.

"Silence, this has nothing to do with you, you're just his advisor aren't you. You stick up for him, as is your job, we have no reason to believe you."

"He is my friend!" Ian defended.

"Friend? Don't make me laugh!"

"Do not tell me who is and isn't my friend, none of you know the kindness Adam possess, he is fundamentally different than his father," Ian defended.

However people were far from believing Ian.

"Don't make us laugh, he's a lowly bastard that does what his father wants, give me one example of this kindness?"

"Seto," Ian simply said.

"What?" Alesa wasn't quite sure what Ian meant by saying just one name.

"I will admit, I was never for sparring Seto's life at first. Despite Seto knowing he was a sorcerer he revealed his identity in front of Adam to save his life. By law Seto should've been put to death on the spot, but Adam is a man of honor, he would never end the life of one who has saved his."

"Not only that, Seto was later being tried as a sorcerer in an Emedian court, again against my better judgement, Adam, Mitch, and Jerome all worked to save Seto's life before fleeing to Eflido where we were told Seto would find refuge. Now why would the prince of Emedo, who you all call a murderer, and cold-blooded save the life of a sorcerer. A race he is supposed to hate. Why would he go against his own kingdom for one person? Why do you think the king wants Adam dead! It's because Adam doesn't stand by the same beliefs his father does!"

"We can't believe someone like you," Jason spat.

"Then believe me, what Ian says is true. Adam did help me, even when my parents were murdered he helped me. Even when I wished to help a friend, he agreed to help despite knowing that friend wanted him dead and tried to kill him. Whatever it is you think of Adam, is..is wrong. You've never even met him, even when I first met him I hardly believed he was a prince. His attitude was too much like a...child. But he..he really is a good person."

"Seto...you can't be saying that he's a good person..." Alesa whispered

"Thank you, all of you, but this is a matter I must settle," Adam took in a deep breath, he cradled his broken arm and winced, "I don't deserve your kindness, or your belief in me. I am the prince of a kingdom that has done more wrong than right, I see that now. Perhaps I did do more harm than good, I was blinded by an ideal that I now find false. My father is not the person who I always thought he was, and I still struggle with discovering who he really was throughout my entire life. And though my words may ring empty to your ears, I am no longer a prince of Emedo. I lost that title the moment I fled Emedo alongside Seto."

Adam looked to the crowd who was silent, "My name is Adam Xanthous Azure, I was born into Emedo as the second prince. My brother was assassinated, and I soon took his place as general. I was expected to create an army that could protect Emedo and it's allies. I gave orders with my father's permission, I never questioned. I simply believed he knew what he was doing. I am not saying I am not at fault, only that I ask for your forgiveness in my ignorance...and that I firmly believe that my father...shouldn't be king anymore. My father's rule must end in order to bring peace to the entire realm... So please allow me to help you. Leave my companions out of it, they are not to blame, not even Ian who has been my closest friends for many years, he only acted as friends should. I accept any punishment you see fit, you have my word--"

"Shut up! Don't listen to his honeyed words! He's still a murderer! I bet you don't even remember the names of the people whose death are on your hands, a pampered prince in ignorance is what you are!" Jason wrenched himself free from his captors. He rushed to Adam and jabbed a finger in his chest, his contorted to one of pure hate, "He's dead because of you, It should've been me! He was always smarter, and stronger, he should've been the one to stay behind! Because of you my twin is dead, do you know the feeling of emptiness, the only one by my side throughout my life dead because of you! You killed him, you murdered my twin Jeffery." (NOT the pig, i just like the name).

Adam did in fact know exactly who Jason was talking about. He actually figured it out quite a long time ago, the resemblance was uncanny, and the young recruit spoke of his brother Jason fondly and all his siblings...

Adam not only remembered Jeffery, but he made it a habit to remember all the people that died because of him. He had all the names written down, of course the book with all the names remained in Hyrrka with the army, but he remembered their names. Because he felt responsible for their deaths. Each and every one he wrote a few sentences about them, so he could always honor them for who they were.

But mentioning such a thing would be pointless at this point, unless he had it with him, "Don't tell me that anyone here will believe his bullshit!"

It became unclear what anyone should believe.

"Jason..." Jason's siblings moved to the front, Jason's eyes softened.

"Get away from them, they don't understand, not the way we do, right?"

"You promised you were done with this...this hate of yours! You promised!" Glen stood in front of her younger sister and brother. She kept them from going to Jason.

"But, he would want this, revenge--"

"That's what you want! We just want peace."

Jason didn't speak, his eyes filled with shame. He looked at them for some sign, he looked to the crowd for someone that agreed with him, but no one met his gaze. He glared at Adam and took a step back.

"Just you wait." Jason turned and fled, Tyler moved to stop him.

"Let him be Tyler...this is his choice," Jordan told Tyler sternly.

"But--"

"No buts, for now, please take Adam and Ty to medical care and under 24 hour watch. The rest of his companions will be restricted from activities and must also be placed on watch... A meeting will be held in the camp center in 10 minutes, I ask that everyone be present. It is important."

Seto watched in helplessness as Adam and Ty were lead away from them. Adam who held his head high and Ty who looked down sadly. He, Ian, Jerome, and even Mitch were escorted to a recently completed building meant for storage. For now this was their place of imprisonment. The rebels could not trust them, not after knowing that they knew Adam's idea. As for what Adam's punishment would be, that is what Jordan will be discussing in 10 minutes.

~~~~~

"Are you sure Jordan?"

"Yes Wag."

"Not exactly how you hoped, huh?"

Jordan laughed quietly before saying with a frown, "No, not at all."

"Come on Sparkly butt, time to get your little speech on the road,"

"Knock them dead...wait don't do that, that would be bad."

"Thanks Tucker, Sonja. All of you have been great for these past 10 years and more."

Jordan put on a brave face before exiting his tent with his 4 friends following behind him.

"Good afternoon everyone, in relation to earlier events, I understand that once again we are without engineerical support, and what I say next may make the future even harder to accomplish. However, I believe now is the time. We all fight for the same thing, we all want slightly different results and have slightly different reasons. And many of you know mine..., but not the specifics."

~~~~~

I was born in the year 2475, I knew not of good and bad yet. I was only a child, my mother cared for me and nurtured me. But as soon as I could speak words I spent less time with my mother and more time with my father.

As a child it was hard to know right and wrong, when all you know are what you've been taught by your parents. Namely my father as all contact with my mother became restricted.

He told me how the world works. Power was something to be taken, and free will something to be controlled.

Horrible, yes I know.

At age 4, my life was changed. And as you all know my wish for when we dethroned the king together, I would save the life on my brother. Who no longer knows of my existence. Just as many of you want to free loved ones, or create a better world.

If not for my brother I would've fallen to the same cruelty as my father. I have the same ambition as him, I have the making of the same attitude as him. Me and my brother are two very different people. He who was always loved by my mother, and me consumed by my father's expectations.

I was 17 when I was forced to be away from my younger brother. My father knew I was straying from what he wanted, from what he planned. And it was because of that we were separated.

However things still did not work as he expected. And thus he wanted to move to my younger brother who was naiive enough for his words... But to do that I couldn't be in the picture any more.

If this story sounds similar to another, that is because.

"My name is not Jordan Maron, but instead Jordan Eton Azure. Yes, I am the first prince of Emedo, supposedly assassinated. The body was not mine..."

One twist after another, Jordan wasn't fully sure if revealing this now would ultimately destroy the organization he's worked 10 years to create, or give it more hope and more strength. Either way, it was too late to go back.

"I was the general of the Emedian army at the time, it was my trusted friends, Tom, Tucker, Wag, and Declan who caught wind of the assassination plan. I was willing to die, but if not for them I would never have fled to defy my father. Ours plans did not works as well as we thought. The explosion meant for me, was instead taken by our friend Declan who never made it here with us. We fled with him in our memory and ran into Sonja in Keuta who provided us shelter. To the entire realm I was dead. I lived in Keuta for sometime, used dyes to change my hair from brown to black, I got a pair of glasses. Sold my amulet and made a new name. I wasn't Jordan Azure anymore, but Jordan Maron."

"With all that I have said, I ask you to believe me not because I have been your leader, but because I have been your friend. Please see this as an opportunity for us all to grow stronger with the advantage of a lifetime."

"A chance to finally end things."

~~~~~

First off, since this book is almost done, I wanted to  showcase any art anyone of your readers may have. And if you do have any art, shoot me a pm and maybe it'll be in my thank you at the end of this book.

Next, if I work hard and still do homework, this book may be down this week O: Which is cool and neat :D I won't lie, the ending is batshit crazy. So I'm a little skeptical of how it will be seen, hopefully it isn't to crazy that people will get mad at me. 

And yes, many people saw Jordan's relation to Adam from a mile away. I didn't hide it very well. You can call the both of them stupid or something. Just keep in mind Adam hasn't seen his brother in like 10 years, and has much longer hair and never took off his glasses. Jorda as he said did die his hair, change his name, and get a pair of glasses, and a tan. So you know, it seems logical they were just dumb, right?