There was Miranda, sitting on the throne, looking slightly refreshed compared to Cameron, though her red cheeks and glassy eyes told him her tear stains were fresh. Off to her right, Sybil stood, clutching a piece of parchment, her face neutral, if a little… sympathetic? Cameron’s confusion was mounting, but he stayed silent, his inner turmoil reaching a near boiling point as he fell deeper into confusion.

Off to the left, more sidelined than Sybil, but still a part of welcoming committee were Augustus and Lendrick, the Latter of which was staring daggers at Cameron, with the former doing so for Logan. Just what the hell was going on?

“Announcing Captain Logan Rake, and transferee, Cameron Pellyn!” Marcus’s voice boomed, signaling their approach properly, even though all eyes were already on the two. There was a word to his announcement that drew Cameron’s attention. Transferee. Just what did that mean?

“Approach, brother.” Miranda said flatly, snapping Cameron’s attention back to his sister. He gulped, before taking a step forward, standing front and center as Miranda turned to Sybil holding out a hand. Sybil said nothing, not taking her eyes off Cameron as she passed the parchment.

“Captain Rake,” Miranda continued, a slight sharpness to her tone as she called his name that Cameron caught. “Please approach.”

Logan obeyed, stepping next to Cameron, and the prince could see his sister’s eyes glaring at Logan for the faintest of moments before turning back to him, sighing heavily. Then she stood, unfurling the parchment, reading it in an official oration.

“To all parties concerned in the matter of one Cameron Pellyn of the planet Ketris, ordained by EarthGov, Southern Arm, Sector 5 Let it be known that a request for Forced Relinquishment has been made on behalf of the stated party above, by one Logan Rake, Free-Space citizen and current acting ambassador. Request has been acknowledged and approved by one Sybil Moore of EarthGov and one Miranda Pellyn, ruling monarch of previously stated planet. Effective immediately you are hereby stripped of your citizenship -”

“What?!” Cameron exclaimed, forgetting his promise in his confusion. What did she mean stripped of citizenship? A sharp elbow to his ribs followed by warning glare of Logan caused him to quiet once again. He looked to Logan, the man giving an imperceptible shake of the head, before they both turned to look at Miranda. Cameron could see her eyes tearing up once again, but she managed to clear her throat and continued to read aloud.

“Effective Immediately you are hereby stripped of your citizenship, and placed into the care and custody of stated Free-Space citizen, Logan Rake. Should you hold any noble titles or claims you are stripped of those as well. Additionally, the name Cameron Pellyn will be unlisted from the galactic census. Going forward, you’re name as having been assigned by one Logan Rake is the name Cam Ket.”

“W-Wait! Miranda! What’s going -” Cameron exclaimed once again, his mind racing with information and fear induced anxiety. Before he could finish however, a fist had impacted his stomach with a force hard enough to lift him off his feet. In the blink of an eye, Logan had turned and delivered the blow, hitting Cameron with the force of a bullet. His eyes went wide as his breath left his lungs, knees buckling as he collapsed to the floor. His body convulsed, shaking from shock as he fought for air, while Logan knelt over him, his voice coming out as a quiet growl.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Shut. The fuck. Up.” He said, slowly enunciating each word. “Let her finish reading, before they come to their senses and decide to keep you here.”

Cameron eyes watered from the pain, confusion and despair running rampant in his mind, as Logan grabbed him, getting him back on his feet. He sniffled, his gasps quieting as he found oxygen once again.

“Miranda had turned away, audibly sniffling as she wiped her face, before turning back, looking at Logan as she struggled to piece together what she wanted to say.

“K-Keep control of your transferee Mr. Rake. For all our sakes.”

Logan simply nodded, waving with his hand. “Please continue, your majesty.

She cleared her throat one more time, not opening the parchment again, seemingly having memorized the last passage as she looked into Cameron’s eyes, with tears of sadness, and… relief falling freely now.

“You have three hours to gather any possessions that you can carry, and leave planetary orbit. You are forbidden from returning to Ketris. Do you have any questions?”

Cameron had many, but he had learned his lesson, meeting her question with a pitiful silence.

***

The next few hours went by in a flash. Once Miranda had finished her Edict, Cam was escorted off by the guards and taken to his old quarters. There, he was given a duffel bag and a half hour to fill it with his belongings, being supervised the whole time. He packed in silence, his mind cluttered with racing thoughts and emotional turmoil.

How could they do this to him? Strip him of everything and throw him out like trash? His heart ached with pangs of loss and rage. In less than twenty-four hours he had went from having everything, to nothing. He was no one now. A ghost that Ketris would forget the minute he left it.

“They should have just killed me.”

He didn’t waste too much time packing, there was only so much he could carry after all. So he kept it simple. A few changes of clothes, a bottle of whiskey he had stowed away for a special occasion, and a photograph that sat on his dresser collecting dust. He must of passed it thousands of times without giving it a second thought. But today… things were different. He grabbed it off the dresser and looked it. It was an old picture, showing him and his family. The triplets couldn’t have been more than six, Liam bearing a gap toothed grin as Ian and Dean looked to be in the middle of an argument. Miranda was off to the right, standing next to their mother, both women bearing a similar regal demeanor. And then there was Cam, standing next to his father who was seated at the throne, his face contorted into a warm smile, his hand resting on a young Cam’s shoulder.

Those were better days. Days that he could look back on fondly. Days that he could never return to. A bitter taste entered from the back of his throat as his stomach lurched with an empty pain. He felt a sneer tug at his lips, and became aware that he’d been grinding his teeth. It was too much for him bear. These people weren’t his family. They were strangers. And this wasn’t a memory. It was a lie.

“Fuck this.” He growled as he reached up ripped the photo down the middle, tossing it to the ground like old garbage. If they could just remove him so easily from their lives, then he could do the same. He looked around one last time before walking out, not giving that room, nor his old life a second thought.

“Take me to the dock.” He mumbled to the guards as he passed. “Now.”