DAMONS POV

"If this is some sort of joke, I'll let you know it's just sick," I said.

"Why will I lie to you Damon? Besides,  I saw that look of recognition on your face. You know I am right but are just denying it for some reason," said Theo.
"Aren't you happy to see me, brother?"

"All of this is just absolutely crazy!" I screamed in frustration.
I felt Amelia's hand tighten on my arm, assuring me it's okay and giving me comfort.
I smiled at her and thanked her silently for calming me down.

Then, I sighed and looked forward to analyze the situation in hand.
"How did this happen, Theo? I thought I lost you that day."

"Well I'm here now and I'll explain everything once we reach home. I'm dying to see that place again," he said with a hint of a smile.

I simply nodded.
"Okay, everyone. Our work here is done. I request everyone to go back to their respective quarters and rest. But before that I'll just like to thank all of you present here for not only helping me get my father back but also my brother."

I then looked at Amelia and said, "The Insurgence Group can return back but I would like to make a request to you."

"What is it?" she asked.

"I have a feeling that once we return back to the Palace I'm going to be learning a lot of things, some which I won't like. It would help a lot if someone I'm comfortable with is around so would you come home with me today?" I asked her softly.

She first looked at me, straight in the eyes and then got her palm from my arm into my hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Sure," she said.

***

"Is it necessary for her to be here, brother?" said Theo pointing at Amelia.

"Yes, it is Theo. I need her here. So now that we have all of that out of the way do you mind telling me how are you standing in front of me right now when I and everyone else in the kingdom too thought that you drowned?"

"Easy, Damon," said Father in a warning tone. "He's just returned."
"You cannot blame him for being curious, Rupert," said Mother. "He has spent years blaming himself for his brother's death."

I saw Amelia looking at her, scrunching her eyebrows. Anyone could easily tell she was very confused and had no idea about what we were talking about. It seemed like Theo noticed too, though, as he soon spoke, "Dont worry, love. You'll understand everything soon enough and if Damon won't tell you, you can always come to me," he winked at her and said.

That ticked me off. I was just going teach him a lesson for speaking to Amelia that way when I heard her say,
"Damon, stop. It's not even that important."

I thought over what she said and obliged but that didn't mean I was going to let him flirt with the woman I love so to send across a clear message,  I put my one arm around her waist and pulled her close towards me. I heard Amelia say something that sounded like "Men," but I ignored her.

Theo simply chuckled, raised his hands and said.
"I get it brother, she's off limits. So can we forget about all of that and come back to where we were?"

He took my silence as the key to continue.

"So Amelia right? " he said looking at her. She nodded.
"7 years ago Damon and I had gone by the nearby river at night time despite our parents constantly telling us not to. We had enemies and they were known to have been located around that area so that place was completely off limits, especially for the two of us. But, being the stubborn kids we were,  we had decided that we were going to be the ones to catch these people and bring their heads back to our Father. I know it might sound stupid of us to think we were capable enough to take them by ourselves at such young age but in our defence, we were really good at fighting. At least, Damon was.

While scouring the area that night we heard a few people in the distance. We, at once knew who they were so without wasting any more time we blew our emergency whistles we were given to call the Palace guards. Now obviously, these attackers heard us too and came charging at us so the two of us, with only a sword in each of our hands, marched forward to take on about 30 skilled men and women. We could hold them off for a while and managed to kill some of them too but mid fighting, one of them got the better of me and held a sword at my neck.

They threatened Damon to drop his weapon and call of the guards or else they'd kill me. Damon was about to agree but I silently told him not to. So he stayed right where he was and did not make any move. The attackers didn't seem to like this but they could now also hear the Palace guards rushing to where we were," said Theo.

"So as a parting gift to me," I continued where he left off, "they threw Theo right into the river in front of my eyes," I recalled and said.
"The water had been moving with a great speed so I couldn't even dive in to save him. And just like that, I watched my brother drown and I couldn't even do anything. The guards came after a minute or so but it was already too late. He was gone. Those attackers were caught but that day I lost someone very important to me. I lost my brother," I said, my voice wavering.

"Hey, calm down okay," whispered Amelia. "It wasn't your fault. Besides he's here now isn't he?"

"That's what I don't understand!" I said now looking at Theo. "How are you here right now?!"

"The locals of a nearby village found me unconscious after a few days. They treated me like family and helped me recover. But once I was completely okay, I still couldn't find it in myself to come back home. I thought I failed everyone. I thought I failed you. It upset me that while you were fighting AND winning for that matter, I was defeated and put not only myself but you too in trouble. So I spent all these years with the people who saved my life. They too were fighters so they taught me how to fight better and how to improve myself. I had made up my mind that I would only show all of you my face again once I was a better fighter and I had actually become one, or so I thought. I was on my way back to all of you when I saw some people who had held Father hostage. I stepped in to stop them but was once again defeated. Just like that. And I couldn't help him."

He spoke the last part extremely softly with his head hung low.
"It wasn't your fault, Damon. If anything it was mine. It was my idea to go by that river and fight and you were just listening to your older brother. I'm sorry."

I walked towards him and gave him a hug.
"Don't even try to take the entire blame because I agreed to go with you on my will. The only ridiculously stupid thing you did was to stay away from us for all of those years and for that crazy reason. It didn't do you any good anyway did it?" I said playfully. He simply glowered at me at first and then chuckled.

"Well I have heard a lot about you and your fighting skills, brother and if I'm not wrong, it was Amelia whose picture had shown up in the newspaper fighting alongside you. Besides, I saw her sword fighting today too, and you Milady, are really good at it."

"Why thank you, Your Majesty," she said.

"Uh-huh," he said. "Call me Theo. Afterall, you and Damon are going to teach me your sword fighting from tomorrow. We're equals aren't we?"

She smirked and replied, "Sure, Your- I mean, THEO. It'll be my pleasure."

"Great! Now that that's settled, why don't you chat with Mother and Father for a while?" I said. "They haven't seen you for so many years too. Meanwhile I'll escort Amelia to her room. It's getting late and she must be tired."

"Oh sure!" he said. "Good night Amelia," he said as I held her hand and we left.

***

AMELIA'S POV

As we walked through the halls to my old room upstairs, I couldn't help but wonder if Damon bought everything Theo said right now. I mean he seemed to have genuinely been happy to get his brother back.

"What are you thinking so much about?" asked Damon getting my attention back.

"Um, it's nothing important really."

"Come on, Amelia, I know you. Something is eating you up. What is it?"

I sighed as we reached my room and turned towards him.
"I just think that something is really off here. Something isn't fitting. Honestly speaking, I thought Theo was just plain bullshitting down there about why he was away for so many years. It just doesn't..... I don't know -"

"Fit?" he asked me with a smirk.
I looked at him questioningly.
"Damon. What's on your mind?" I asked him, scrunching my eyebrows.

"Wow! I really must be a great actor if you bought all of the things I said down there. Hmmm. Guess it runs in my blood," he said and then chuckled.

"Okay, I'm not understanding what's going on right now. Weren't you just beyond happy that you found your long lost brother?"

"Amelia, I have been running a country alongside my Father for the last so many years and I'm damn bloody good at it. I have encountered many 'liars' if you may call them, on my way. You think I won't realise when my own blood is lying to me?"

"Wha-Wh-", I was thoroughly confused and opened and closed my mouth like a fish.

"I know that he was 'bullshitting' me, Amelia," he said while making air quotes. "And am sure as hell soon going to find out why but until then....", he leaned in and said the last part, "Sleep well, my dear, because from tomorrow we have the infamous Theodore Holden to train."