"How old is Prince Lyle?" 

Louise takes a moment to process my sudden question. "As the second prince of Lorain, he is of age sixteen." He answers firmly. 

I paused momentarily in surprise as I expected him to be older. He seemed too mature for his age... But, I wasn't one to talk now, was I?

I shook away the thought of the prince for a moment as I open the drawer of my study table. I eyed the neatly folded papers inside hesitantly before deciding to bring them out. "Louise, can you bring me some tea?"

"It's already late, my prince."

I peak out the window which overlooked the back garden and kept my eyes on the stars that seemed to glisten on a dark blue backdrop. "Some late night tea won't do any harm now, would it?" I say softly. The night seemed to be chilly, but not too cold. I might as well enjoy it with my favorite drink.

"As you wish," Louise tells me, knowing I wouldn't head to bed anytime soon anyways.

I unfold the papers when he left and my eyes roamed over the words written by my own hand. I read over the ten or so pages I had written of my past life, my mind remembering each scenario put to paper.

"My baby brother gained a good impression of my lover from the first moment he had laid eyes on him. His bratty nature led him to hog all of Daniel's attention for himself and dragged him around to show the man all the possessions my little brother was too proud of as a child. Daniel never complained and played along, actually enjoying the presence of the happy go lucky little brat." 

I chuckled as I remembered Athen - said baby brother - ranting about his favorite transformer figurine for a good twenty minutes or so without a single pause, leaving Daniel crouching next to him. He suffered a cramp right after. 

"He had always wanted a sibling, whether older or younger didn't matter to him. It saddened me a little to hear this, as his father had passed away when young, and his mother was too attached to marry again. Athen was his chance to achieve this dream."

I started my memoir from when Daniel and I were already dating. Maybe I should write from when we first met?

I was too caught up about my writing that I hadn't noticed Louise coming in with someone stepping along beside him. 

"A memoir I see."

I jumped and spun around, crumpling the papers as I hid them behind me. "Prince Lyle?!" I exclaimed. Said man stood laughing only a mere two feet away from me. I sent an accusing glare towards Louise, who showed an apologetic expression in turn.  

"I would say I'm sorry, but I thought teasing you a bit would be worth my time." The prince moved to my desk and sat on the chair. He crossed his legs and put his elbow on the table to support his head on his palm as he kept his eyes on me. Seeing my slightly irked behavior, he chuckled and waved his hand as if to brush off my surprise. "I came to have a little chat." He said.

"I don't see why at such a late time -"

"I had to ditch my attendant one way or another. The man believes I head to bed right as the time hits midnight." 

I cautiously scour my gaze upon his relaxed figure. He wore his pajamas - sophisticated as they were - they did little to hide his lean but built figure. The casual wear changed the feel of his presence in a strange way, that it left me a little baffled. He felt more familiar, unlike how foreign I had sensed him to be when he was fitted in his more formal clothing. He didn't seem to want to start trouble nor confront me about anything. He really did seem to just want to have a little chat.

"How can I help you?" I asked after a moment of thought.

"Not help me. Talk to me." He corrected as he gestured towards Louise. "Alone if you can."

Louise was quick to decline, "I am to watch over Prince Eli in any sort of occasion as long as the King and Queen are not present."

"He can order you to leave, can't he?" The smirk on Prince Lyle's lips sent shivers down my spine. A familiar tingle I had never expected to feel again. 

"Louise..." I was surprised that my body acted on its own. My tone left Louise disbelieving for a good minute before he hesitantly headed for the door.

"I'll be right outside only for ten minutes my prince. Ten." He emphasized.

I showed him a reassuring smile and sent him away before I continued observing the odd prince. After what seemed like a good minute, I said, "I don't see what there is to chat about."

"Really now?" Prince Lyle sounded amused. "After seeing your memories and learning about the little secret you have going on... I'm sure there's plenty."

I bite my lip in an attempt to distract my nerves. I took in a deep breath. If Prince Lyle already knew, there was no point of beating around the bush. "You've been here for three days already. Why come to me now?"

He grabbed a glass and the pitcher full of water that was on the desk before pouring himself a drink without reserve."I like to observe before approaching. I kept an eye on you and tried to figure out your character." 

"And?" I push.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"First of all, I respect that you have a goal. I heard about it in a conversation with King Sinnette. You wish to research the Mythical Beasts."

Unsure of where this was leading to, I hesitantly answered, "Yes, that's correct."

He takes a sip. "And that's where it gets pretty boring." I furrow my eyes in confusion. Before I could even ask, he continues, "You die. You get reborn. You retain your memories. You have a goal... You have a second chance, yet you choose to stay cooped up in this room. To me, you're a bird kept in its cage." 

I part my lips to speak, but the words felt as if they were stuck within my throat. I let out a disbelieving scoff, but I didn't feel angry.

"A bird in its cage?" I repeated in a low mumble. My eyes roam around the room that's been the same ever since I was a newborn. Books change on the bookshelf for me to read. The bed sheets color is different every week. And I am fed breakfast in this room, only taken out to see my sister, or eat dinner in the dining hall when mother and father are available. Of course, when I also have lessons with Mr. Reinhardt.

However, ever since my ninth birthday, I hadn't had any further lessons. I was taught what I needed to know apparently, and the rest would have to be up to me to decide.

Eventually, my blue eyes settle back to meet the hazel eyes of Prince Lyle, who kept the smirk on his lips. His cheek was back to rest on his palm with his elbow on the desk. 

"A bird in its cage, huh," I repeat again. I look down at my feet, my mind seeming to not want to think anymore.

"Yes." Prince Lyle said. "You've just had your ninth birthday as well. It's a milestone meant to signal an expansion of the individuals' bubble. Yet you refused."

"I had a very good reason." My tone came out defensive.

"I know." He assures. "You had a good reason, but it's also an excuse."

"You speak as if you know everything of how I feel or think."

"Oh, no." He lets out a chuckle that was somehow effective in calming my building irritation. He takes another sip of water. I watch in a bit of entrancement as his constant smirk slowly, barely, changed into an actual smile. "I just understand... When I first opened my gates, nothing really happened. The aura left and returned to me, but I had no powers like that of my older brother."

I shook my head trying to follow the prince's words. "But you do have some power... The aura of being able to see other people's memories and block them."

"Yes. But I was ashamed of it."

"Ashamed?"

Prince Lyle sighed. "The Kingdom of Lorain is a kingdom of military might. We're not the largest, but we're definitely one of the strongest. My brother has a strong aura, an offensive one. The way he could control to what seemed like untamable flames is amazing." The prince paused to finish his glass of water and didn't say anything more. He didn't need to say anymore. I understood.

"You hid what your aura is," I state.

"I did. Even if it is a unique form of aura, it was not standard to a family of fighters. I thought people would find me a disappointment. Weird. Just something negative. So I understand why you hide the fact that you remember a past life."

Prince Lyle no longer seemed like someone to be cautious of. My eyes brightened to see more than just an 'easy-going Prince who didn't understand boundaries'.

"I still don't understand how that helps with me being a bird in a cage," I tell him after there was a shared moment of silence.

The smirk was back on his lips. "As you can see now, my aura isn't hidden away anymore. My father wasn't a retard who believed me when I said I had nothing, nor did my brother." His tone turned fond. "My brother told me; "I know you're scared of what others might think or say, but that shouldn't control your life. You have to prove to them that you can be someone... Better than the someone that they want you to be."

I swallowed down a ball of questions to why I was being told an entire life story. I wasn't complaining, however. I was intrigued, actually.

I wanted to know more.

"So what did you do?" I ask.

The prince shrugged his shoulders and leaned further into his seat. "I started to use my aura to help the guards in interrogations. Well, more like steal information from a person's memories, to help solve cases of crimes and accusations of course. I even help to have people forget trauma's that haunt them so they could move on. Many give in requests to the palace now."

I chuckle. "It's like your the kingdom's therapist."

The prince creased his brows in between as a sign of confusion. "Therapist? What's that?"

 "Therapists... You don't know what that is?" I say baffled.

"Is this from your old world?"

"I thought it was in all worlds," I answered in disbelief. "People who help others overcome their struggles. That's a therapist."

Prince Lyle raised his brows in understanding. "Oh, that's something new. People here, as far as I know, never reveal their problems. It's a sign of weakness, after all."

"Then how do they deal with their problems?"

He shook his head. "They just do."

"That's..." I wanted to argue on this, but what was there to argue in the first place? No wonder I always see Brother Elias keeping his complaints silent. I could see them in his eyes, the tiredness of a child who was expected to do too much.

"But they still come to you," I tell the Prince.

His smirk seemed smug. "Because they know of my abilities and are assured that I know how to keep it confidential."

"Then why are you telling me yours?"

"Why not?" He says half-heartedly. "I know so much of you. I just thought it'd be fair to let you know a little bit of me personally too."

Prince Lyle faced away to pour himself another glass of water. As he did so, I kept my eyes on him. That seemed to be a trend between him and me. There was just something about him that wouldn't let me look away. 

I flinched when my bedroom door was knocked on and opened by Louise. "I've given you ten minutes, my prince."

Ten minutes? Why did it feel as if we've spoken for much longer?

"Just in time too," The prince said. He finished the newly poured water in one round and faced me. "I had a nice time talking to you, Prince Eli."

I was able to smile at him genuinely, for the first time, in response. "As did I."

Something in me was reluctant to see the prince leave. Even as he was long gone, my gaze was glued to the door.

"Your tea went cold... Should I go warm it up?" Louise asks from the side of the bed.

I shake my head and walk myself to bed and under the covers. "I'm sorry Louise. I think I'll just sleep for now."

Louise smiles at me and made sure the covers were firmly encasing me in warmth... I wonder if he was curious as to what I and the prince had spoken about. It made me feel guilty. Louise was someone I trust with my life, but I still kept things hidden from him. Louise would never ask me questions himself, which makes it harder, and I more guilty.

Would he understand like Prince Lyle?

"Goodnight then, my prince."

I close my eyes and focus on where Louise put his hand on my head. As always, his presence allowed me to relax enough to let the drowsiness overcome my thoughts...

"Goodnight."