The Twins • Book One • Wattys2017

Chapter 5- The Truth

Author's Note: I hope you like my story! Feel free to ask questions, voice your opinion and point out any mistakes.

Antonia's POV

I wonder when I should ask them. The attack was yesterday, and nothing crazy has happened since then. Then again, I have a bit to ask about. I know my dad and Travis were lying when they said they didn't know why the Dark Hounds came after them, and I still need to ask about my dream. But, they're going back to the village today. I need to get my parents alone to ask them to stay here. I sigh, and walk back into the house from outside.

"Mom? Dad?" I holler. Footsteps can be heard moving down the stairs and then my parents appear.

"Yes Antonia?" My mom asks. Why they can't call me by my nickname like practically everyone else who knows me I have no idea.

"Can you guys stay here for a bit? I have a couple questions I want to ask you privately." I shakily request. My parents look at me weirdly then look at each other, but agree.

"Alright Antonia, we'll stay for today and you can ask us your questions, okay?" My dad states and I nod.

"Okay, thanks!" I hug them both and quickly run back outside to the cool inviting air.

"Hey Nia!" Saber calls out to me from the left. I whirl around to look at him. "Are you going to ask them?" I nod. "Do you want me to be there with you?" Saber offers, but I decline.

"No thanks Saber, I'll be okay." He shrugs indifferently

"Okay, if you're sure."

"I am, but thanks." I change into leopard form and leap into the forest, cutting off any reply he might have made. I need to relax; the thought of asking my parents about the dream has me more freaked out than I would have thought.

After about an hour of running around the forest, my stomach starts to growl. I decide to head back, knowing Saber's family is going to leave soon, if they haven't already, which gives me the opportunity to ask the questions I need to. Back at the house, I can smell that Saber's family left about 20 minutes ago.

"Nia! You're back, finally!" Saber yells with a wide smile.

"Why are you still here?" I smile back.

"Oh wow, please try and sound more disgusted by my presence. I'd like to hear you try, since I don't think it's possible." Saber teases. I laugh

"I could never be disgusted by your presence. I could just tell your family left and was wondering why you hadn't gone with them."

"Well, Meredith and Alaric wanted to make some lunch and asked me to find you. I was actually about to try and follow your scent through the woods when you appeared." I smirk

"So sorry to have your expedition to find me not happen, but I want to ask my parents the questions I need to ask so let's go inside."

"Okay." Saber sighs in mock disappointment, then waits for me to turn back into my human form. He follows me inside as I call out a greeting and get called into the dining room, where lunch is laid out on the table.

"So Antonia, is Saber staying for your questions?" My dad asks, looking at Saber slightly confused. I look at Saber as well and see his stubborn straight face on, and I'm not in the mood to argue with him.

"If he wants to stay, he can. He knows what the questions entail, and suggested that I ask them." I declare. Saber looks at me with a lifted eyebrow, silently asking if I'm sure. I know that if I really wanted him to, Saber would leave. I nod my head slightly to let him know I'm serious. It might be easier to ask with him here as support.

"O-okay then." My mom says as she sits down. "Do you want to have lunch before or after the questions?"

"After if that's alright with you." My parents agree, but I tell them my final request. "When I ask you these questions, they are very serious and I want a serious and truthful answer. I can tell when you two are hiding something from me, so please answer my questions with honesty. That is all I ask." I sense my parents' alarm, but they nod in agreement again. I breathe deeply to steady myself before asking my first question.
"Are you my real parents?"

Shock fills my parents' expressions and they tense in alarm. I wait as they calm down, having a burning feeling in my gut that because of the way they reacted to the question, I don't believe they are my real parents. Finally my dad answers, gripping my mother's hand tightly.

"N-no, we are not. But, we are still related."

"What? How?" I wonder, confused and hurt immediately.

"You are my niece, my brother's daughter." My dad states.

"Brother? I didn't know you had a brother!" I exclaim, my voice starting to escalate in panic and shock. I feel Saber's hand on my arm, and his presence calms me as my uncle explains.

"Yes, I do have a brother, but he doesn't live in this village, since he's... actually the king." My whole body freezes and my brain whirs, trying to process the information. Not only are my parents not actually my parents, but my dad is actually my uncle and his brother is the king of Gato Reino.

That means I'm a princess, the heir to the throne, in fact the only heir. Or maybe not, maybe I have a twin sister that's the other baby in the dream. I mean, it could be true since the people in my dream are my real parents. Looking at my uncle closely, I can see resemblances that went unnoticed by me before between him and the man in my dream.

"Okay, so why did my parents give me up?" I ask, scared to know the answer. My aunt breathes deeply, and answers instead of my father, who seems distraught.

"When you were born, a prophecy was announced that put you in danger. The prophecy is that you will either unite the two kingdoms in the realm or destroy them and the whole realm with your sister..."

"Ivory." I interrupt. Surprisingly, my parents don't look that shocked at me knowing my sister's name.

"So you've been having the dream. For how long?" Aunt Meredith asks.

"Since my 16th birthday. I had it once every month until they started to become more frequent about 2 months ago." They nod as if it makes total sense.

"Then it is time for you to reunite with your sister, for better or for worse." Uncle Alaric declares. It is still so bizarre to think of them as my aunt and uncle when my whole life I've thought of them as Mom and Dad. I understand why my parents had to give me up - kind of - if I was, or am, in danger. Wait...

"Is that why the Dark Hounds were here? Were they trying to find the princess, so they sniffed out royal blood and instead found you?" I question. So the Dark Warriors invaded the village and nearly killed people because of me.

Mine and Saber's families were put in danger because of me.

I can't stay here, not anymore, not knowing this.

"Yes, we believe so. That's also why the Dark Warriors invaded the village. They know you are coming of age and will reunite with your sister." The information, the grief, and the guilt are too much. My mind can't take it. I feel myself falling out of the chair as my vision goes black.