As soon as the grand spectacle was completed the ball resumed and Emery...prince Mikhos was immediately swarmed. He stayed close to Gani for most of the time and with the exception of him he practically ignored the rest of us. It was so strange to me. The boy I had hated and fought with for months...the boy whose face I had both punched and kissed...he was the false prince. About an hour later I crossed over to Sullivan who had been standing there stunned almost the entire night as well. I couldn't shake the feeling that people kept staring at me. There were a few whispers as I passed and I hoped I was just being paranoid.

"How did none of us ever realize...how the hell did he get away with this?"

"The hell if I know," Sullivan said with a snarl looking away from me quickly. I tried to put it together...tried to understand every bit of evidence.

"There was one thing. When we were in town I noticed quite a few of the royal guard there. Emery...I'm sorry...prince Mikhos had tried to play it off like they were just in town but..." the fucking bastard. "The royal guards must have been around to insure Mikhos was safe while he was out and about without Orla's protection." I could still hear those words Emery had spoken to me that day....'I love disguises'...suddenly the weight of them struck me as more important than I could have ever realized. The fucking asshole had literally told me and I had been too much of a blockhead to even realize what he meant.

"How did no one know he was missing?" Sullivan suddenly asked.

I thought for a moment.

"Gerner said the crown prince hadn't been seen in weeks because he was mourning the loss of his mistress. That must have been the excuse they gave everyone while he was pretending to be a Kingsmen trainee? What that doesn't explain however was his 'meeting with the prince'-"

"Quite right." There was a voice behind me and Sullivan and I both turned to face Mikhos and Gani who stood there. Mikhos gave us a little wink.

"I was summoned to the castle because of some urgent business so we had to come up with an excuse to get me away for a few days without anyone getting suspicious. Not only did it work brilliantly but it also it added some extra motivation for the training. Did you like my little show? I was excited to see your reactions when I came down those steps." He gave me a playful shove causing me to scowl. "You bought my disappointment at not being chosen as a Kingsmen so well Nicky. Haha, I'm almost worried that you're too gullible to be a proper Kingsmen. Anyways, there are quite a few more people I need to talk with. You see 'prince Mikhos' has been missing for quite some time as you may have heard." He left and as Gani went to go with him I grabbed him by the arm to stop him. I needed answers. Gani turned slowly finally meeting my gaze.

"Yes Nicky?"

"You knew?" He was silent for a moment before nodding slowly.

"Yes." I took in a deep breath, still trying to understand everything.

"And Emer-...Mikhos... he knew as well?"

"Yes." Gani gave me another small nod. "It took him a little more time...a day or two but then he realized." It was all making sense now. Gani's blind defense of 'Emery' our first few days of training despite having never met him, those strange looks Emery was giving Gani in the town. Gani continued, his head bowed low. "We couldn't speak to each other in front of the others. Mikhos was already walking a thin line of being discovered so if someone somehow connected the dots of our connection in our youth it might not have taken them long to put the rest of the puzzle together. I hope you understand...that's why Orla wanted you out of the program. For quite some time all the two of you did was fight and she was concerned you wouldn't get along well enough that you could protect him."

"So what changed...why am I still here?" Gani sighed softly.

"Prince Mikhos. After the attempt to get rid of you he came to Orla absolutely furious. He demanded you be given a second chance...hence why you two were paired together during the town challenge."

"Wait...he was the one that made sure I stayed?"

"Yes. See! You hated him so much yet he was the one who tried to make sure you stayed all along. You can thank him later." I couldn't believe it. This was wrong...there was something strange. I kept thinking back to the night when 'Emery' told me he knew I one in a rigged match. Was this some part of another master plan? Was he planning on using me to get to Edgar? I swallowed hard. Maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing....then I wouldn't have to kill him. I shook my head, what was I thinking? This was what I had been trained for. What I had waited years for-

"Nicky." I blinked and Gani gave me a small...slightly forced laugh. "You blanked out for a minute there."

"Ah...sorry." I felt his hand on my arm and I looked up slowly to meet Gani's gaze.

"Are you going to be alright? I know this is quite a shock and all..."

"Yeah I'm fine uh..." I leaned in closer to make certain that only Gani could hear me.

"How about Mikhos. Does he uh...know about your feelings for him or um...return them?" Gani just shook his head, a slightly sad smile on his face.
"I don't plan on telling him any time soon. As for him well...if you hadn't noticed he's still in mourning. I think it will be awhile till he moves on. The woman he loved...I think she might have been the love of his life."

"What? You mean the story about the mistress was true?" Gani just shook his head.

"I don't think we should talk about it."

-------

We had been summoned to prince Mikhos's chambers. He sat in a large velvet blue chair, a white cat curled up in his lap.

"Well," he said loudly. "Now that the ball is over we can get right down to business. First of all this is Alabaster. If you're cruel to her don't expect your stay here to last long." As he spoke he petted the cat fondly. "Second, I have an announcement. In a few days time we'll be leaving the castle to go to Idoria."

The brought out a wave of surprise from the other Kingsmen.

"Idoria? But that's across the yellow ocean?"

"Sire...why would we be making such a journey ourselves? I heard they're savage there."

"Why so soon?" Mikhos held out a hand to silence us.

"We'll be traveling there because the princess Aasiya has offered a marriage proposal. Idoria is an extremely vast country but hasn't exactly been friendly with our royal family in generations, hence why we are journeying there first to examine every prospect." He gave us a thin smile though his expression looked almost bored. "Well then, you've been informed, You may make your way back to your bed chambers. I myself will be retiring. Good night."

---

We made our way to our rooms one by one but I found myself lagging behind. In the middle of the hall leading from the prince's chamber was a giant portrait covered by a black curtain. I caught sight of a maid making her way from it and I called out to her.

"Excuse me...miss?" When the maid turned and saw me her face fell ashen as if she had seen a ghost. When she finally spoke her voice was meek.

"Everything...alright sir?" I nodded slowly before gesturing to the picture.

"Why is that covered."

"Oh that. Uh well...it's a portrait his royal highness had commissioned of her. By her I mean his lady. I mean...not his lady his uh..."

"His mistress?"

"Y-Yes sir. Ever since she died we've had it covered." I was curious...extremely curious. I waited for the maid to disappear before I slowly approached the portrait. One little peak to satisfy my curiosity wouldn't hurt anyone. I approached it slowly and then in one brisk movement pulled back the curtain. What I saw made my heart feel like it was about to jump out of my chest. I pulled back the rest of the curtain to make sure I wasn't imagining it, that this wasn't just some strange coincidence. As the black curtain fell back and the woman in the painting became clear I could feel my stomach drop. There could be no mistaking what I was seeing. The woman in the painting appeared to me as if I was looking into a mirror. My chest felt tight and my throat felt dry. I wanted to believe this wasn't real. There she was....hanging up there in silence.

The woman in the portrait was my sister. I could feel the sting of tears welling in my eyes as I approached it. This couldn't be possible...she couldn't have been his mistress...she couldn't be...she couldn't be dead. Emery's words rung in my head now...those words he had spoken in a sex hazed whisper that night at the ball...

'You look just like her.' I reached out, my hand resting gently on the cool paint of the portrait and felt her name escape my lips slower than the tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Mira."