The Secret Prince: The Story of Galen Nightwater

New and Improved Developments

    Aunt Mary was bustling around the kitchen, humming to herself, as she worked on the soup. It was going to be a nice big pot, full to the brim of all of the things that makes a body heal very quickly. As she chopped up the vegetables, she thought proudly of her niece, and how she had grown into a beautiful, kind, and God-fearing young woman. She had been given Jade when she as just a toddler, only three years old. There had been a carriage accident that killed her sister and brother-in-law and left her sweet niece scarred. But that had been a little over sixteen years ago, and she and Jade had been through quite a lot of ups and downs, mostly because of her scar. There was a time when she was very worried about Jade. But Aunt Mary could not have been more proud to see how Jade turned out.

    The biggest reason for Jade's boost in self-esteem was Galen. Aunt Mary smiled widely as she remember the look of both of the young people's faces when she brought up how they felt about each other. They both turned into cherries and gave themselves away. And while Aunt Mary played the fool in front of them, she could not have been more happy. She had always hoped that Jade and Galen would fall for each other eventually, because frankly there was no other man that Aunt Mary would pick to be with Jade. No one understood Jade like Galen did, no one had done for Jade what Galen did. She knew that they had probably not admitted their feeling for one another yet, but she hoped that soon they would tell her something.

    Then Aunt Mary's thoughts turned to the little boy in the clinic that she had yet to meet. Her heart went out to the child. He was not loved as a child should be. Instead he beaten and hated upon because...well, there was no because. There was no reason in all of this world why a child should be beaten like that. And yet there he was, a back full of scars, all alone in the world. Until now. Jade and Galen had told her all that had transpired, and she had heard the anger in their voices as they described his condition. She too, was angered and heartbroken to hear about him. No one as of yet, knew who he belonged to, but Aunt Mary hoped that the person never came looking for the boy. She knew that, as a God-fearing woman, she should not be wishing judgement upon anyone, but it was very hard not to when she saw the pain that was inflicted on an innocent child.

    A knock on the door interrupted her musings and thoughts of judgement. It was almost three o'clock and the rain had started to pick up so she wondered who it could possibly be. She made her way to the door, and opened it just enough to see who it was.

    "Marcus!" She was shocked at the state he was in: his clothes were wet and muddy, and his face haggard with exhaustion and worry. There was a tear in his sleeve, as well as a few scratches on his face. She opened the door fully.

"What has happened to you?!" She exclaimed as she moved aside to let him in. He trudged in and stood there in the hall dripping wet, but not saying anything. She closed the door and came around to face him.

"Marcus, is everything ok?" She was beginning to get very worried. It was so unlike him to act like this. She couldn't even remember the last time he was in her house. They were not great friends, he was always standoffish around her, but they did have a mutual connection because of Galen and Jade. And he knew Jade better than he knew her, because Jade was always around Galen. But tonight seemed different, she just didn't know how.

"Is Galen here?" He asked, his voice was raspy. It didn't even sound like Marcus.

"No, he and Jade are at the clinic." Aunt Mary relplied, at little confused as to why he didn't know that.

Marcus's eyed focused on her face, almost in panic. "Is he ok? What happened?" He clutched Aunt Mary's arm tightly as if she would keep him from falling over.

Aunt Mary gave him a very confused look. "I thought Galen came home last night? Didn't he tell you or leave you a note? He said you were asleep in your room but I just assumed he left you a note and explained."