Kyle let me see Aaron by taking him into my bedroom. I was happy and relieved to know that he was alive and well.  He was a bit scared when he arrived in my room and only changed expression when he realized who I was.

“Princess!” He called and started crying.

He hurried towards me but was stopped by two royal guards.

“Let him be and leave us.” I ordered.

When he let them go, he kneeled beside my bed and cried. Jayden suddenly entered the room and frowned when he saw Aaron. He looked at me with a confused face.

“Princess, I heard what happened to you. I am sorry. But I was able to do what you asked me to.” He stated while wailing like a kid.

I smiled at him and held his hands.

“I’m okay. And thank you. You’ve been a great help. But because of that, your life is now in danger. I asked my brother to keep you here in our quarters. No one should know that I gave you the royal seal.”

He nodded, but I could sense his fear when I told him he was in danger. 

He looked at me then Jayden, as if he wanted to tell me something but was hesitating.

“It’s fine Aaron. What is it? What happened after I gave you the royal seal?” I asked. 

He took a deep breath before telling me everything.

“Before I tell you about the royal seal, I would like to report something important to you and the king first. I went out of the palace as you ordered. I didn’t know what to do so I stayed in an inn for a while. I don’t know if it was a coincidence, but I overheard someone talking about your mother, Princess Catherine. At first, I thought they were talking about you. Later on, I realized, no, I was sure it was your mother that they were talking about.” He started in a trembling voice.

I frowned and raised my hand, signaling him to stop. I took my phone and dialed Kyle’s number.

“I need you to come here. You have to hear this.” I said, then ended the call.

After a few minutes, Kyle arrived with Emily. The queen walked towards the bed and sat beside me. Kyle and Jayden stayed on the couch across the bed.

“Start from the beginning.” I requested.

He told Kyle what he just told me then continued.

“The inn has a small diner where men would gather and drink. I think they didn’t realize they were talking so loud. Nobody tried to stop them from talking about the royal family because they looked like someone from the mafia. I noticed one man had a tattoo on his hand, a skull with a knife pierced on it.”

Jayden suddenly stood up and rushed into Aaron. We were surprised when he suddenly grabbed him on his collar.

“Love!” I called.

“Where did you see them? What does that man look like?” Jayden asked with a dark expression.

“He’s from here. The man has a burnt scar on his face.” Aaron stammered.

“Love, can you tell us what’s going on?” I called him again, confused.

Jayden looked at me, and suddenly, his expression softened. I don’t know why either; I could see pain and loneliness in his eyes.

“I saw that tattoo when I was a kid from one of the men who murdered my mother.” He exclaimed.

He let go of Aaron and walked towards the window, looking at the night sky. I wanted to run to him, to hug him tight, but I was still too weak to stand on my own.

“But father said he killed those men, right?” I murmured.

“Yes, but he didn’t really say he killed all of them.” Jayden responded.

He breathed, then looked at Aaron. “I apologize. I was just surprised. You can continue.”

Aaron nodded and fixed himself. He was still kneeling on the side of the bed.

“The man with a tattoo said that the boss asked them to move the princess to a different place. That’s when I thought they were talking about you. I thought they kidnapped you. But the other guy suddenly mentioned Princess Catherine.  Why would he ask to move Princess Catherine into that house? That’s too far from our base. That’s the exact words he said.”

I don’t know what I would feel from what Aaron told us. Is it possible that Benjamin was hiding my mother’s body? But she was already dead for twenty-one years. Was she cremated?

I looked at Kyle, who was also staring at me blankly. My heart started pounding loudly; my head felt so light.

“Kyle?” I called.

Kyle stood up and got closer to me. “Did he ever mention to you where our mother was buried?” He suddenly asked.

My eyes widened when I realized what Kyle was thinking. I bit my lips then shook my head.

“She’s alive, Peggy! Mom is still alive!” He exclaimed.

I didn’t want to believe what Kyle said. How could she be alive? Benjamin said she died because of cancer. I saw all of her medical records and her death certificate. Was it all fake?

“K-Kyle, that’s crazy! It’s been two decades. Why didn’t she approach any of us if she was still alive? I saw all of the documents confirming her death. It’s impossible.” I hollered.

Jayden turned to face us. “It was Benjamin who we’re talking about, love. He deceived everyone. You have all the proof that your mom was dead, but who gave you all those papers? I hate to tell you this, but I think he kept your mom all along. He held her hostage for twenty-one years. She would be his last resort in case everything he planned fails.”

I gulped. I still couldn’t believe what we had just found out. Up to what extent could Benjamin ruin our family? How could he do this to us? How could he be so evil?

We heard a few knocks before the door opened, then Father came inside with a dark face, staring at me with a cold expression. 

“I swear I will kill him! Don’t you ever ask me to forgive him!” He shouted with gritted teeth.

Then he threw an envelope on the bed.. Photos of my mother were inside, blindfolded and chained into what seemed like a big cage.