NOTE: This is a continuation of Kings On The Horizon Vol. 4-6. If you have not read that book, head to my profile and start with that first before reading this. Thank you!

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DOZEN OF GUARDS FORM a line as Étienne, the Lemieux's most trusted butler, steps out of a private jet, Marcus Thompson following right behind him, their expressions filled with worry and panic. They just arrived at Pforzheim, a city that's a 30-minute drive away from Karlsruhe, the city where Max and River were just in last night.

     Étienne has been on high alert since Max arrived in Germany, so when he saw the emergency signal connected to Max's watch go off, he wasted no time and contacted everyone they knew in Germany and sent a helicopter to get the young heir. Fortunately, after tracking him down, they were able to retrieve him and River in time before driving them to Pforzheim where Sinclaire Hotel's German branch is located. (Most of the hotels are still named Sinclaire and have not been changed to Lemieux yet).

     Once it was confirmed that Max was safe, Étienne alerted Denzel before heading to Pforzheim with Marcus, who insisted on coming with him. They still don't know what exactly happened to them, but they could tell that something big definitely unfolded while they were meeting up with the forgotten heir, Klyde Vitus Von Hatzfeld. Neither Étienne nor Marcus was ready to hear the story though.

     "Where's Max now?" Marcus asks as he and Étienne enter a car that would drive them to the hotel.

     "I heard he's resting in a presidential suit. I also instructed that they guard the whole floor and the entire building in case something were to happen," Étienne explains, making Marcus sigh, troubled about the fact that he still doesn't know what really happened to his brother.

     As soon as the two got inside the car, they immediately drove to the hotel.

     "I can't even contact River," Marcus says nervously. "I knew that this was dangerous. I should have come with him, or at least followed him there. Klyde was hiding for a reason. If Max got involved with him then I don't know what I'll do. If Max gets targeted, Madam Luna will—"

    "Sir Thompson," Étienne immediately calls out, making Marcus stop talking in an instant. Étienne reaches out to gently touch Marcus's shoulder. When Marcus felt his warm assurance, he took a deep breath and tried his best to calm down.

     "We did good, right Étienne? We've done our best to protect him. We always have. I-I've...I've done everything. I fucking drugged him. I...I just wanted him to be safe."

    When Étienne saw a tear stream down Marcus's eyes, he was flustered. He didn't know what else to do. Étienne has always seen himself in Marcus. Like him, he cared about Max and would even go as far as to sacrifice himself for his safety. They've watched over him since the very beginning, and if Max ends up in the hands of the very people they tried to run away from despite everything they've done to him, then that would have been a hard punch in the gut.

     "He'll be alright. We'll return to London. We'll make sure nothing happens to Leigh. No one will be able to touch him. We will make sure of it," Étienne can only assure him.

     Marcus, despite being the eldest, looked so scared that Étienne's heart broke for him. Thankfully, after a while, he eventually relaxed, and the two safely arrived at the hotel where Max and River were staying.

    The building was surrounded by police, and some of the guests were even being escorted out of the hotel. As expected, the media was also there, curious as to why the hotel was being surrounded. That would have been a big problem...if Étienne only came with Marcus. As per Estelle Lemieux's request–Max's grandmother– Étienne and Marcus were escorted by the Lemieux's special guard unit that Estelle brought with her from France.

     "Sir Étienne, the area is now clear," the driver announces.

    Étienne and Marcus stepped out of the car as one of the guards covered them with umbrellas so the reporters wouldn't be able to take photos of them. The Lemieux guards then marched inside the hotel as Étienne and Marcus headed inside the lobby. Moritz Fröbe, the President of Sinclaire Germany, was waiting for them there.

     "Sir Étienne, Chairman Denzel has already contacted us. His son is now heavily guarded at the presidential suit. The windows were also covered as requested."

     "Is no one else in the hotel?"

     "Yes, we have told the guests to—"

     "Ask the employees to leave as well. The cleaners, clerks, guards, everyone. I want them to clear the building. We brought our own security with us. They'll handle everything from here on out," Étienne explains with a calm expression.

     "I beg your pardon?" President Moritz asks in shock, but one look from Étienne instantly makes him nod in understanding.

    "Ask everyone to leave. No one must be inside. Don't worry, we'll return to England with the young master after everything is settled so you can resume your business as soon as possible. Also, send our apologies to madam Catalina Delton for causing such an inconvenience," Étienne says with so much superiority that all the president could do was follow his orders.

     "Now lead us to where Master Leigh is," Étienne says next, and two guards immediately escort him to the top floor where Max can be found.

     Étienne opens the door for Marcus so he can enter first. When the two got inside the room, they immediately saw River in the living area being treated by a doctor. River was covered with cuts, and he even sprained his ankle. Étienne and Marcus still don't know what happened to them, but they could already guess that he and Max were definitely running away from something based on River's injuries.

     "Marcus," River says in shock. He tries to stand from the sofa, but before he can do so, Marcus runs to him to give him a tight embrace. "Thank you...for protecting my brother...thank you."

     River was surprised, but he took a deep breath before giving out a small smile. "It's no big deal. Max would have done the same for me."

     "What exactly happened to the two of you?" Étienne finally asks, making Marcus pull away from the leader as Étienne walks towards him.

     The doctor excused himself and left the room while River composed himself. When they were finally alone, River looked down at his hand and tried to recall everything that had happened.

     "We were escorted to meet Klyde, and we did. He was hidden on this island. I thought no other soul would have known where he was, but that eventually got debunked. During our meeting, I asked him what I came there for but he didn't know where his brother was, so he and Max talked in private after that. But while we were waiting for their conversation to end, we heard a gunshot," River explains, and the two men in front of him instantly looked shocked.

     "A gunshot? Did Klyde shoot—"

     "No," River quickly defends. After taking another deep breath, he looks at Étienne and Marcus and reveals, "It was Klyde who got shot. He got killed on the spot, just like that. None of us saw it coming."

     Marcus covered his mouth in shock while Étienne remained calm. He didn't look surprised, but it was obvious he was trying to think of the right words to say.

     "So I ran to Max and grabbed him. Adelheid, Klyde's caretaker, helped us escape. We were on a boat, and then out of nowhere, Max started to panic. I didn't know what happened, but after a while, he fainted. When we arrived at shore I clicked his watch, he mentioned it before, and then I carried him as far away as I could. We hid in the woods for about an hour, and then a helicopter arrived. They must have tracked Max's watch," River explains, which also explains the cuts he got, probably from carrying Max's unconscious body in the woods for an hour.

     "Did you see who shot Klyde? Or if you were being followed?" Marcus asks.

     "No, I didn't. I'm sorry."

     "It's okay. Thank you, sir River Karlsson," Étienne says this time, making River nod his head to acknowledge it.

    "How's the master now?"

     "He's been asleep since last night," River answers, gesturing at the door on the left. Marcus and Étienne were about to walk towards the door, but River stopped them and said, "I don't know what Max heard from Klyde or what he remembered after their conversation. But I suggest you be cautious. Because the entire time he was out, he only ever mentioned one name."

     "Who?" Marcus and Étienne ask at the same time.

     River paused, looking at his hands again before saying, "Grey."

     Marcus's eyes widened in shock as he turned to Étienne who was equally dumbfounded.

     "Could it be..."

     In fear that Max's memories finally returned, Marcus and Étienne immediately went inside the room to check on the young heir. But as River explained, Max was still in bed sleeping. The two practically sighed in relief, glad that Max was safe and sound.

     "Marcus, you stay with your brother while I contact Master Denzel," Étienne says before leaving the room.

     As soon as the door closes, Marcus walks to the bed, taking a chair with him so he can sit beside Max. He reaches out to gently touch Max's warm cheek, and in an instant, a tear fell from his eyes again.

     "You're okay," Marcus says in a soft voice, remembering the time after Max's car accident when he thought he lost him forever. "You say I'm overprotective but you make me worry like this all the time. How am I going to repay your kindness if you're always in danger?"

     When Max doesn't respond, Marcus grabs his hand this time and squeezes it. He then notices a familiar bracelet, instantly recognizing who the emblem belonged to.

          "You know, when we were younger, you were such a crybaby. I always teased you about it, and you always got mad. But one time, when Madam Luna scolded you, you didn't cry. I asked you why you didn't and you said your friends weren't there. You said you only want to cry when they're with you because they'd instantly wipe your tears away, and that always made you feel better," Marcus shares, still squeezing Max's hand.

     "There was also a time you said you'd marry Gavriil. Your mother thought you were joking while Father said it might be difficult since both your families are way too powerful and the world won't be ready for that bond yet. I remember laughing when you told Gavriil that he has to leave his family so he can be a normal boy, that way you'll be able to marry him without a problem," Marcus says next, this time he had a smile on his face while he told the story.

     "During parties, Luna didn't allow me to get out of my room so the guests wouldn't see me. You always snuck food in, and you even introduced me to Cindy because she once told you she had a crush on me. She got so mad at you but we ended up becoming close thanks to your help," Marcus continues to say, now laughing as he remembered such heartwarming memories. But as he was laughing, another tear poured out of his eyes again, and Marcus ended up crying instead.

     "I always...always wanted to share your past with you like this. I wanted you to remember the memories I also cherished. When you lost your memories I thought I lost my brother too, so I prayed that the old you would return someday. But then...your past cost you so much pain. And if I have to let go of those precious memories in order for you to be safe then I'm willing to take that risk. Just tell me what I have to do again Max."

     Marcus pulls Max's hand close to him, pressing it against his forehead while he tries his best to let go of the little brother he once grew up with. But as he was holding onto Max, Max suddenly squeezed his hands back. Marcus lifted his head, and to his surprise, Max was looking back at him with a warm smile.

     "I was just sleeping but you're acting like I'm dead," Max manages to joke, and without even saying anything, Marcus got up from his seat and immediately gave Max a tight embrace.

     "Max! You're finally awake!" Marcus shouted, now bawling his eyes out with glee. "Are you feeling okay? Are you hurt? Hungry?"

     River, who heard the commotion from outside, quickly entered the room despite his sprained ankle. When he saw the two brothers hugging, he smiled and sighed in relief.

     "Y-You can let go of me now," Max tries to say, his head squished against Marcus's chest. But when Marcus wasn't letting go, River walked towards them and pulled the prince away. "He just woke up Marcus. You don't want him fainting again," River says before turning to Max. As soon as their eyes met, Max looked apologetic.

     "River, I'm so sorry I brought you into this mess. I even fainted and—"

     "Hey, enough of that," River cuts off, reaching out to pat Max's head. "I'm just glad you're okay."

    "Thank you, River, for protecting me. I owe you my life," Max sincerely says.

     "Don't worry, we're even now," River answers instead, and Max finally smiles,

     When River pulled his hand away from him, Max looked around the room and asked, "By the way,  where on earth are we?"

     "You're in a Sinclaire Hotel at Pforzheim. I also came with Étienne but he's talking to our father right now. Father said you should rest for a while before we can—"

     "No, it's okay," Max interrupts, sitting up from the bed so he can stand.

     "Max, what are you doing?" Marcus asks, stopping Max from getting up. "You have to rest for now. We can return to England tomorrow."

     "I want to go home today," Max stubbornly says, making River and Marcus look at each other with worry.

     Just in time, Étienne walked into the room. He didn't even have to say anything for River and Marcus to step out, leaving the two alone together. As soon as they left, Étienne looked at Max and didn't even beat around the bush.

     "Leigh, did your memories return?" he asks.

     Max was surprised by the question, but he laughed soon after.

     "Wow, you're not even going to ask if I'm okay?"

     "Leigh..."

     "I didn't," he then answered. "Unfortunately, even if I wanted to, my memories didn't come back. But I did remember...something."

      Max took a deep breath and looked out the window. He remembered his conversation with Klyde, the involvement of Grey's father with the Hatzfeld brothers, St. George being sold to him, and then the gunshot that ultimately killed Klyde. He remembers it all from the shocking truths up to the littlest details.

     But what he remembered the most...

     Was Grey's chilling words from the past.

     "Leigh, I've made my decision... I'm renouncing my title as the fifth member of Crème de la Crème. I warned you, didn't I? The marks they branded on us... this Fleur de Lis... it was never a gift. They have treated us like animals, marking us as their property, marking us so we wouldn't be able to defy them. That's why you should never trust what others may say. Bear this in mind, my sweet Leigh. One day... we'll shatter the illusion of the paradise they've upheld. One day, the five of us...we'll destroy it all."

     Max clenched the sheets, trying his best to remain composed.

     "Grey was planning to leave Crème de la Crème," Max finally reveals, turning back to Étienne who seemed to be surprised about that information.

     "He wanted to leave, but he wasn't like Vesper. The organization could stomach Vesper leaving because his rank was low and his family wasn't as influential as the others. But they couldn't stomach Grey, their precious rank 5, leaving on his own accord. That was the biggest disrespect an heir could do. No one leaves Crème de la Crème. You either lose your title as heir, they kick you out themselves, or you fucking die," Max says, sounding angrier as he spoke.

     "So you think Crème de la Crème killed him?" Étienne then asks, and Max takes a deep breath and massages his temple in frustration.

     "That's the problem. I don't know," Max truthfully answers. "I don't know who could have killed him because while I was talking to Klyde I discovered something else that might be another reason for his death."  Without even waiting for Étienne to react, Max continued, "Mr. Alfred Stetson Cullen...St. George was sold to him."

     "What did you just say?"

     "He was also involved at the Hatzfeld Island. That disgusting fucker...Grey's father...he was...children...he was..." When Étienne noticed that his master was gripping the bed sheets too hard, he immediately stopped him.

     "Alright, that's enough. You're still tired. We'll talk about this when we get back to England. For now, you should rest. I'll contact your father again and we can return tomorrow," Étienne says, turning around to head out of the room. But before he could grab the doorknob, Max got up from the bed and started grabbing his coat and shoes.

     "No, we're going back. I can't waste any more time here. There's no point resting," Max suddenly says, making Étienne look back at him like he was crazy.

     "No point resting? You were unconscious for hours, Leigh. You haven't even eaten anything,"

     "I don't have to eat. I have to return to St. George Academy. I only have a week left before the Exchange Program ends and if I don't get PHD back to J.S. High on time I won't be able to face my protectors," Max explains, and Étienne finally snaps.

     "Leigh, have you lost your mind? You almost got killed. You were involved in something...big! Those people already know what you know. The best course of action for us now is for you to stay hidden and—"

     "And what?!" Max suddenly shouts, catching Étienne off guard. "Klyde hid his whole life for nothing. He was assaulted as a kid, and then St. George fucked him over, and now he's dead...so is Grey, so is my mother, and so is the rest of Viktor's family. Who is hiding that is still alive today, Étienne? Tell me. Because all I know is the people who are still alive are the criminals who deserved far worse than death," Max says, the memory of Klyde suddenly flashing before his eyes again like a train.

     He remembered the gunshot, the blood beneath his feet, and how Adelheid–the only person to have truly cared for Klyde–cradled his corpse while she blamed herself for her master's death.

     Max didn't want that life.

     He didn't want to stay hidden, only to be killed in the end.

     "I have to do something. St. George Academy...J.S High...Crème de la Crème...they're all connected somehow. If I were to die, I want to die while doing something different. I will not let them scare me away so I can hide and be hopeless. I will not be another heir to be buried six feet under. Do you understand me?" Max asks, his eyes now red and watery as if it was inches away from shedding tears.

     "I will not let you hold me as you watch me take my final breath like Adelheid did to Klyde. I will not allow us to walk the same path as they did. And I will not suffer the same fate as those fools. You are my butler, Étienne. You have the responsibility to protect me and you will obey my command even if you have to kill everyone in the way. Do you understand me?! You won't fail me, Étienne. I won't allow it!"

     Max's voice echoes as the tears finally pour out of his eyes. He tried to say more, but Étienne finally walked to him, grabbing his maser so he could give him a tight embrace.

     Max finally started sobbing as soon as he felt the familiar warmth of the only person who stood by his side when everyone else left him.

      "I was so scared, Étienne. I was so scared," Max cried, hugging Étienne back with his trembling hands. "I don't want you to see me like that. I don't want to leave you and everyone else I have finally learned to love. Please don't let them kill me. Please..."

     "It's okay," Étienne whispers while caressing Max's head like he always did to calm him down in the past. "We'll go home. Nothing will happen to you, okay? We'll go home, and I'll take you back to St. George. Whatever you want to do, Master Leigh, I'll make it happen."

     "I'll even let the whole world burn for you, so hush now. I will protect you till the end, Leigh. I promise," Étienne thought to himself as he looked out of the window, staring at the horizon, his expression different from what others are used to. 

     Because if there really is someone out there who is now going after Max, they'll have to face his protectors first...as well as a butler who the Grimm Reaper himself is afraid of.

- END -