Raydon Cross
"How could you do this to me, Laila? ...No, we can't be together..."
"Laila Cross is a traitor."
"Laila Cross is working as a double agent for the Ford family. She needs to be executed."
"Raydon. You will need to head this task. Only then will the people trust you."
"Why? We have been separated for years now! She doesn't work for them anymore!"
"I want my grandson back from that witch!"
"You should have hidden better, Laila!"
"Do it, Ray. You need to kill me right now."
"Why are you doing this to me!?"
"So that our son never has to make this choice again."
"I will always love you, Laila."
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"Raydon!"
His stern voice jolted me awake from my trance. I glanced at the chessboard sprawled before us, trying to recall where I left the game.
"It's your turn," he smiled at me.
"Yes, ...Chairman."
He pursed his lips and gave me a longing gaze. Then his mouth quivered and slightly curved up into a sad smile. "It's funny how you hesitate to address your father."
"I am sorry, father."
I was playing for black. I stared at my Queen, who was held along with the King in a direct attack made by my father. I picked it up and traced the contours of the piece with my fingers for a few seconds before placing it back on the board and protecting my King. My father picked up his Knight and slew my Queen.
My Queen.
Weird, how I always refer to her as that.
Some sacrifices ought to be made for the larger good.
I had fed myself that lie, all those years, to prevent myself from losing my sanity.
My phone started vibrating on the side table. I briefly glanced at it and noticed my son's picture gracing the screen.
"Go ahead. Receive it." Father told me as he sipped his herbal tea, and I nodded.
"We'll continue the game later." With those parting words, I picked up my phone and walked out of the in-house library. The door clicked shut, and I strolled out in the hallway, away from any listening ears. Sliding my finger across the screen, I put the phone to my ear.
"Kaidon."
It followed a brief pause, but I could hear him breathe. If it were any quieter, I could have heard him gulp as well which I presumed he did before he uttered-
"Dad..."
It took me over thirteen to finally bridge the chasm and get him to call me that again. I lost the right to be referred to as 'father' on that night, and it took the death of his other loved person to bring us together. We weren't there yet, but we were making progress.
"To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"H-How are you?"
He is such an innocent boy.
"We don't need to small talk, Kaidon. You should feel free to ask whatever you want from your father."
I never got to hold him when he was born. As soon as Leander left The Order, we started plucking out all the moles and eradicated them. I was the first person to discover that Laila belonged to the Fords. I was heartbroken. I didn't trust her again. We fought that night, and I asked her to leave, ignorant of the knowledge that she was pregnant with my child.
Leander and his wife supported her. They were evading The Order, and they protected my Laila. We almost caught Leander once, but I decided to let it pass; I needed answers from my best friend.
Leander told me where she was settled.
I finally met my son when he was three. He was trying to learn how to ride a bicycle. He noticed an injured pigeon on the road and turned. He fell on my feet and broke out into a flurry of tears. One glance at the child, and I knew he was my own flesh and blood. His mother came running to him and froze when she saw me.
He was always a quiet and shy child, my Kaidon. Always a kind and hesitant person.
I wonder who he took after.
He would watch from behind the door when I used to visit, with his curious eyes silently asking his mother about the stranger in the living room. I never doubted his intelligence; he was too smart for his age, which was all the more reason father would have wanted him. I never revealed the truth. I let no one know about them until that night.
That horrible, wretched night.
I pinched the bridge between my nose to ward off the impending migraine.
"I want to visit. I have some questions."
My heart filled with warmth, and my eyes widened in surprise. I had always had to summon him under the pretence of a new case. Just to see him, check if he was eating and sleeping correctly. He never once took the initiative.
Why would you do this to me, Laila? Why leave me alone? I am an inept father.
I wanted to tell him a 'yes' immediately. But then I recalled that father was in the house.
"Will you be alone?"
"No. I have Seydon, his fiancee, and... Alex."
Alexander. That kid. He has potential, just like his father. I can't believe I remained unaware of his powers all this time. Father still is.
He can't see them. Any of them.
"Come tomorrow morning to the main house." He'll be gone tonight.
***
I dismissed the staff for the day. I couldn't risk anyone seeing them. They might work for the family, but they were always loyal to my father.
The bell rang, and I jogged towards the main door. Pulling the chain aside, I unlocked the door and yanked it wide open. There he stood. It felt like staring into my own reflection from the past. He received his looks from me, but he inherited his mother's kind heart and short temper.
My fingers curled around the door handle a little too tightly, my breath held in, gazing at the only sign left of the love I shared with Laila.
"Father..."
It was a constricting feeling that I felt in my chest then. An alien emotion gripped my heart so tight, I felt like I was suffocating. It was uncomfortable, yet I had yearned for years to feel that again. My son, who I never got to hold, who I never taught how to walk, who never came to me with his first test where he scored a hundred... At that moment, I regretted every single minute that I spent away from him.
"So that our son never has to make this choice again."
The heart of a parent is the most complex specimen that can be studied. When acting like a human, they work in their own favour, but when thinking about their child, every sacrifice appears worthy. It is only when one becomes a parent, do they truly learn the meaning of love.
Laila, I will forever hate you for not giving me a choice, yet I will always love you for making me a father.
"Son..."
"Cough lame cough." Seydon mock coughed from behind Kaidon, which was when I noticed the rest of the company.
The ever teasing nephew of mine, a bored expression on his face. I felt sorry towards him and everything he suffered. I had no clue, but that wasn't an excuse. I failed a lot of people.
If only my little sister were alive.
Kaidon shot him a glare, and I let out an involuntary smile, but then quickly regained my composure.
"Please come in."
Kaidon stepped in, followed by Seydon, and then Alexander. Alex as they called him.
I wonder if he will allow me to refer him that casually.
My eyes settled on the young girl Seydon was betrothed to. The red-haired Ford daughter who joined The Order as her family's representative. She was weak and vulnerable as an assassin, but she possessed a unique power which gave her the upper hand in battle. People started calling her The Red Princess.
How very apt. It's amusing. They aren't even aware why that name fits her so perfectly. It's her legacy.
She meekly bowed to me, her soft hair falling over her shoulder.
The resemblance... She really looks like her... that woman.
"Ariel!" Seydon walked past me to wrap a hand around her shoulder and escort her inside.
I smiled. Interesting.
***
"Where's the staff?" Kaidon asked.
Ariel looked around the interior of the house, giving curious glances. I could understand the reason for her inquisitiveness. After all, it was exactly like Seydon's mansion. Or rather, his was similar to ours. Seydon may never have expressed his contempt, but he resented his association to the Cross family with all his core. The very reason he always competed and tried to better us.
"I gave them off today, " I answered as I placed the plate with the kettle and teacups on the table.
"Please, sir, allow me." Ariel attempted to help, but I smiled and turned her down.
"How's work?" I asked as I placed a cup before Kaidon. "When did you return from your undercover mission? You never told me you were back."
I had sent a man after him. Father did too. We had eyes on every move he made. He was in a delicate state, and we didn't want him making reckless decisions.
"A few days ago... I had a lead, but I lost it."
He initially suspected that we ordered the attack, he had every reason to. He still thought we had a hand in it, but he chose to give us the benefit of the doubt.
"Shit!" Alex growled as he coughed on the tea he just sipped, and we gave him a confused look.
"I-I am sorry!" he frowned. "But is this hereditary? Your cooking skills?"
We took a sip and then stared at each other blankly, except Ariel, who struggled to gulp in the liquid and then rushed to check the contents. We gave her a doubtful look, and she facepalmed.
"Nevermind. Please allow me." she picked up the tray before I could utter a word of resistance and scrambled away towards the kitchen.
"Screw the pleasantries!" Alex barked. "Tell us about Killian Gilaan."
Gilaan? It's been a while since I heard that name.
Kaidon probably noticed my confused look because he added, "We met him last night."
My eyes widened in horror. Killian Gilaan was not a person I would want him meeting, ever. He had one of the deadliest powers. To be able to plant an idea into a person's mind and make them believe in it. Only Leander was one person immune to it because he could detect lies.
"H-how did that happen?" I stammered.
"We think he was involved in Alice's accident, and he has someone backing him."
"Kaidon-"
"I will not stop until I have his head, father. Don't even think about deterring me from my revenge."
I pursed my lips together. His thirst for vengeance had always fueled him. I wonder if it will ever be quenched. How long will it take before he completely destroys himself?
"Tell us about him, uncle," Seydon asked.
I glanced at him, wondering if Gilaan fed him something as well.
Does he know?
I hauled in a long breath, reminiscing my old days. When we were team Alpha, working against the largest syndicates to establish peace.
"Gilaan. Nobody knows where he came from, who his parents were, but that name... It's a modified version of Gilanhall... Lucius Gilanhall."
"Lucius? Lucius XV?" asked Alex, and I nodded.
"The founding families of The Order of the Black Knights weren't two, but three instead - Crossient, Reegaford, and Gilanhall."
All three of them gawked at me, puzzled and perplexed. Ariel appeared out of the kitchen with a fresh tray in hand and peered at us all dazed. The confusion was expected. After all, this was never reported in any of our archives.
"Did I miss something?"
I gestured her to take a seat and continued, "A king alone cannot create oppression, not without the support of corrupt officials. In this case, Lucius was, in fact, the kind king who stood powerless before his cabinet. Even though he was a descendant of one of the three families, he wasn't gifted, which made it easier for the officials to subdue him.
He decided that a coup was needed—one headed by the two families, which were the ones most respected by the people. A coup without a surrender was insufficient, and hence he decided to become the scapegoat, one who would take the blame down in the history books to render his cabinet weak. The truth wasn't reported, but the uprising led to the dawn of a new era.
One person never believed it though. Lucius XVI, the king's son. He was convinced that it was a conspiracy fabricated by the advisors, and thus he escaped that night."
"The third faction..." Kaidon muttered and then glanced up at his cousin, exchanging a knowing look.
"What is that?" I asked, but they shook their heads. "He formed his own cult, one set on burning down the hegemony of The Order. For years he created friction between the two families. Over time this led to bad blood between the two clans, despite knowing that they were being exploited at the hands of a third person.
Gilaan was a crucial development amongst them because he held the unbelievable power to alter people's opinions. He is the direct descendant of the royal bloodline. We finally managed to restrain him a few years back until the escape in the hostage situation."
"Then... when he... when he said that the Crosses are my enemies, he tried to get me to fight them," Ariel mumbled, and I jerked my head in her direction.
"He manipulated you?" I asked bewildered. "Stay away from him. Trust me. He isn't a person you should be crossing paths with."
"We didn't know he was there..." Kaidon murmured. "Nevertheless, he needs to be persecuted."
"Kaidon! No! Let the elders handle it. We'll do something about it. I'll talk to the Chairman."
"Why don't you understand?! I can't-"
"No! I let you do what you wanted for the last five years. This is different. We made an error in keeping him alive, and we will be the ones to fix it."
"But-"
"You will focus on other jobs. Don't let your personal grudge detract you from your responsibility. There are other people who need you."
He clenched his jaws, and his fingers curled into fists beside him. I wanted to comfort him and give him the closure he wanted for his beloved's demise, but his involvement would only complicate matters.
***
I walked them to the main entrance where their car was parked. I could feel the fall in temperature between my son and me, but I needed to do that. He had a different path set out for him, and I couldn't let his mother's sacrifice to protect him be in vain.
I watched as they boarded the car, and I was ready to step back inside when the younger Reed called me out. He jumped outside the vehicle and hopped towards me, clambering up the stairs to the main gate where I stood.
"I had a question, Mr Cross."
He had the same eyes as his mother, but the rest of his features resembled his father's. It felt like starting into a youthful version of him. But a wiser one. I had been following his tests records and his on-field performance. Alexander Reed was more perceptive and prudent than the legend his father was. He just might surpass him someday.
"By all means, please go ahead."
He paused for a moment to think and then asked, "Do you know Riannon?"
My grip on the door handle fastened, and I cleared my throat as I answered, "I don't."
He waited and let my answer sink in. He gave me a thoughtful look, and I prepared to move back in and bid him farewell when he retorted, "It's weird, Mr Cross. You must have an impressive memory."
"What does that mean?"
"I asked the same question to your son, and he reacted in a very different manner. He took a moment to mull and wonder if he knew such a person. Hence, I must say, It didn't take you even a moment of hesitation to give me an answer. Almost making me ponder if you had rehearsed it."
I took step back and tried to school my reaction, but I gave myself away. He indeed inherited the best of his parents.
"Goodbye, Mr Cross." He lightly bowed to me and jumped back inside the car, and I just gaped as they exited the compound and drove away.
***
I sat behind the table in my study room, the heels of my wrists jabbed on my eyes. I talked to my father as soon as they left. He sounded too calm as if he was already aware.
I felt his presence. I knew he was lingering in the shadows, and the next moment, something sharp cut through the air, heading in my direction, and I raised my hand up to create a defensive shield. The weapon halted mid-air and then dropped down on the table before me.
"Seriously? Shurikens? Where did you learn that from, Leander?"
I raised my head up, and my pupils adjusted to the dim lights inside the room. A man clad in dark clothes appeared in my vision, and I glanced up to stare into his familiar face.
"I had a lot of time in the hospital." He smirked and flaunted his weapons to me.
"I thought you were supposed to stay dead."
He took the liberty of seating himself on the chair opposite.
"I have a new mission at hand."
"You are seriously considering assisting that child?"
"I am not considering, Ray, I have already made my decision."
"But why? You know you are putting yourself at risk, right?"
"Thr Chairman chose him to chase Gilaan because he is the only other person his powers will never work on. I can't let him go alone."
"Leander-"
"I should have protected Sharon. She trusted me, and I abandoned her. I was too selfish. Her son is my responsibility."
Sharon was devastated when he suddenly left The Order without a word. The A-team broke up. Sharon disappeared, and Eldon retired. I was the only one left.
My sister loved him with all her heart. I knew he didn't feel the same way, and hence I never encouraged it. Perhaps in some corner of her heart, she still held some hope. Leander always blamed himself for fanning that flame.
Perhaps this was why he wanted to accompany Seydon in his new mission that father assigned to him. This was his way of redeeming himself.
"I won't stop you. It's your decision to make."
A/Ns: Finally! I managed to update it! What is this secret mission for Seydon? I'll reveal it in the next chapter!
How was it? Lol, I have been so scared to update. I don't think I am doing justice to the Black Knight story in Red Princess. :/ Let me know your thoughts.
Take care!