The room was an echoing void for too long. Too long.

Aurora’s eyes flashed, their poison ivy green shifting to an enchanting blue. Then the world exploded in color for Aurora and her grip loosened on the knife against Ferihn’s throat in shock. Color filled every inch of the room, blue, purple, orange, red, and gray swirling. Each person radiated a mix, everyone.

Ferihn was emitting purple and orange. Aurora knew that it meant fear and anxiety instinctively, but she didn’t know how. She’d never learnt or seen or done anything like this.

Then a splash. It was inside her, deep inside a place she had never tried to reach, had never even known it existed.

Aurora stumbled back. Everything was more intense, more vivid, more alive. Then she looked around and-

What was going on?

She whirled frantically to see that everyone was frozen. Frozen in place… even her. Aurora turned back around and saw herself pinning Ferihn to the wall with a dagger to his throat, just like a second ago before the color burst. She - her frozen self, that is - was such a mix of colors that it was indistinguishable. She looked down at herself, and saw nothing.

She couldn’t see herself. She was invisible and she was in a frozen moment of time where she could see everything. The colors were still radiant from everyone. Her father was vivid orange and gray, anxiety and shock, she knew. But how did she know? And what in Luxemere was going on?

But she couldn’t even collect the thoughts in her head that were as scrambled as eggs, before she was shoved back into her body by a force acting on her entire self. She slid back into it, and saw a soul, hers, and an empty space that was perfect. The moment they collided, there was a click within her and her senses snapped back into place.

Aurora gasped and her eyes, now back to their green shade, laser-focused on Ferihn. Casimir, she reminded herself.

“You. What did you just do? How did you do that?” The words tumbled out of her mouth.

He was just speechless. “I- I- Princess, I-”

The King yells, “You tried to kill my daughter!” He stalks up to Ferihn and holds Aurora’s blade instead. “Treason. How could you? I’ve known you for 30 years,” his voice shakes.

Aurora fell back from the wall as there was no grip keeping her steady anymore. But then she looked at Ferihn’s frozen face. She was saying before she could stop herself, question herself or even think, “Wait.”

King Alderran faltered upon hearing his daughter’s hesitation and looked back at Aurora, confused for a beat.

Something’s wrong. I can feel it- what was that color explosion? And why is everything clearer now, my senses better?

“We… Something’s not right. Who are you?” Aurora addressed Ferihn with an expression and intensity that would make anyone bow down to her.

“Ferihn, your Highness,” he stammered. “I’ve always been Ferihn.”

Aurora wanted to roll her eyes. “Yes, that’s what you’ve been yapping about. But how do we know? And how did you- how did you do that… color… explosion? Did you enchant me? But you’re not magical, unless you’ve been hiding it all this time. But you must’ve, I- that couldn’t be caused by anything other than magic, you must have enchanted me-” She was grasping at straws here. She knew she sounded like she was a hallucinating madwoman, but how else could she explain it? And no one understood. Like no one else had stepped back in time and could see everyone’s feelings.

It sounded pretty far fetched to Aurora herself. She wouldn’t blame anyone if they didn’t believe her, although she might punch a wall in frustration.

Ferihn was dazed, his silver streaks of hair shining. Casimir’s weren’t silver. They were orange… he must’ve dyed them. But dying hair takes four days, it doesn’t happen overnight. “Princess Aurora, I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. I came to the Legacy Hall for the Circle meeting, because I was delayed by the staff situation. I just now hurried here, but when I found all this, I’m sure you can understand how incredibly bewildered I am,” he rambled.

Aurora felt a pang of sympathy but then shoved it away, glaring. “Is this what you’ve done for the past 30 years? For the whole eighteen years of my life? Guilt tripping and causing sympathy in all your enemies?”

“What-” Ferihn blubbered.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“How do we know you’re not a scroll smuggler or working for the Darknight Organization?” King Alderran growled. The Darknight Organization? Has Father not told me about this? As if he noticed his slip, he glanced at Aurora and then back at Ferihn. “You might be Casimir, the smuggler who’s working with Lyn.”

Ferihn went still. Utterly still. “Casimir?” He whispered. “Where- where did you hear that name?” he demanded.

Aurora paused. He knew. He knew who it was, who he was-

“It doesn’t matter!” She suddenly shouted, overcome by anger. “It doesn’t matter because he - you - tried to kill me, I shouldn’t be giving you this chance, you should be dead-”

“No,” Ferihn said, so quiet Aurora had to strain to hear, but in a tone that made her stop, narrowing her eyes.

Pain. Fear. Disbelief. Overwhelming memories clouding his head. Everything Ferihn’s eyes were telling Aurora, tell-tale signs of exactly what he was feeling.

“I didn’t try to kill you. That was Casimir,” Ferihn took a deep breath. “That was my twin brother.”

Sharp inhales sounded from across the room. “Twin brother?” King Alderran repeated.

Ferihn nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty. My twin brother. I’ve always wondered what he’s gotten to, but I never imagined it would be something like this. Princess, I’m so sorry. If I’d known he’d try to attack the royal family, the heir to the throne, I’d have taken measures to prevent it.” His eyes flitted down in genuine shame and remorse.

“That’s… okay. You didn’t lie, Ferihn, you just hid the truth,” Aurora contemplated.

“Okay?” Garnoy shouted indignantly. “How is that okay?” He shot a glare at Aurora.

“Watch your tone, Garnoy. That’s my daughter and your future queen you’re talking to,” her father snapped. He had stepped back from Ferihn’s chokehold and had been watching him carefully.

Garnoy immediately straightened and bowed his head. “Yes, my King, sorry. But, if I may contribute,” his head raised right back up and Aurora wanted to shove it down, “this is not okay. That Ferihn–”

Ferihn muttered something that sounded a lot like “That’s Lord Ferihn to you.”

“--technically did lie. It’s a lie by omission because he intentionally left out crucial information that he had a twin brother. He manipulated you into thinking he was completely innocent! Not that- well, my King, you of course weren’t manipulated,, but all the same!” Garnoy hurriedly backtracked in fear of accidentally offending King Alderran.

King Alderran looked exasperated. “Yes, yes, Garnoy. But even if Ferihn had told us about Casimir, we wouldn’t have interrogated him like some detectives getting information out of the person they’re torturing.” Garnoy’s eyes widened at that visual, and Aurora ducked her head to hide her grin. Well, Father, looks like you’ve been reading the book I gave you for your birthday.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Ferihn says gratefully. “I will explain, if you give me the chance.”

“I think that would clear up a lot of confusion here, Ferihn. Please go ahead,” Aurora said patiently.

Ferihn took a deep, shaky breath, and then began to speak.

“From the very beginning, right out of our mother, we were inseparable. Completely inseparable. We were born with the gray streak in our hair, becoming more prominent as we aged. Casimir and I were identical twins. Even our mother could barely tell us apart, and she mainly mistaked us for the other. We played so many pranks on people, everyone knew us as the Devil Duo.” Ferihn chuckled. “In school, Casimir was always the protector. I was more of the bookworm, always studying and learning and teaching. Casimir was the popular type, but he got in fights all the time. At first, it was just against my bullies, but then it began being more frequent with people he didn’t even know. People who even put a toe in his way had atleast one broken body part the next day,” he swallowed. “And that was when we were eleven.”

Official Edwin’s eyes widened in horror. “Eleven?”

Ferihn nodded. “It only got worse. He threatened anyone and everyone who didn’t do something for him. He… became the bully. I tried to stop him, but he ended up breaking my cheekbone. So far gone he didn’t even feel remorse,” he whispered while staring at the ground. “I was… scared of him. Scared of my own twin at thirteen years of age. And when we were fourteen, we were out of school and we got jobs. I was the topper of my class, but I remember wishing to trade that position for the nonexistent love my brother had for me. I got a good job, Casimir was doing drug deals and mafia business with the lowly society. Everyone was avoiding him even at the cost of their own life, because whatever Farrah would’ve did to them would be merciful compared to Casimir.” Ferihn shuddered. “When his job was going bad for him, he hit us. Our mom, dad, me. At that point, I hated him. When he was sixteen, he hated us too. The last time he came home, he had dyed his gray streak of hair orange. Wanted nothing to do with me, no ties to this family. And he…”

“And?” The King prompted.

Ferihn was silent for a long time. “He killed our father.”

Gods above. Patricide at sixteen. Aurora found herself wishing for Soren, just wishing he was by her side. Eyes across the room were wide, impossibly wide.

“Oh my,” King Alderran breathed.

Ferihn nodded silently. “Because it was part of his job. And then he fled, leaving us with Father’s dead body. When he left, Mother was heartbroken. Not just because her husband was dead, but because her son was gone. He was gone. And then she fell into depression, had a heart attack, and died. It was just me then. Casimir didn’t come back. I assumed he had gone deeper with his drug business. I never thought… never thought it’d come to this. Not in my wildest nightmares.”