I can't believe my dad is so happy; he hasn't smiled in months and turned into a new man just by seeing Theodoric. I knew this was going to work, but what about Fautina? Will I see her more often now? What if she sees my wrist? Would she think I'm ugly now? I'll just wear my long sleeves until we get married, and maybe then she'll understand my mind is running. I need to quiet down this voice, damn it.

I grabbed my little box, pulled out my little window glass, and looked at my wrist when I heard her voice.

“Octavius, what are you doing,” Fautina said as a hint of worry fell through her voice.

I dropped it and threw it under my bed, getting up like nothing was happening. “ Oh, Faustina, what are you doing here? I thought you would knock if you were heard with your father. I was sitting on the floor, thinking about my king duty, our marriage, and how soon it's coming up”.

“ No, Octavius, what was that? Are you upset? What was that? What were you doing? This is serious,” Faustina continued. “ This isn't okay; we need to tell your parents or something; just tell me what you were doing.”

I looked down at my wrist and knew I couldn't do this to her.” It was nothing like I said; I was just on the ground thinking.”

She looked so disappointed but knew I would mislead everything. I felt so bad, but I couldn't let her find out; it would ruin everything completely. We had just sat there in silence, looking at each other, until Theodrico came in to grab his daughter back. She began to leave but looked back at me with a sad smile. As they left, I felt the emptiness fall back into me, but my mother came in.

My mother told me, “Oh my, your father is smiling and in the best mood he's ever been; you need to see this, my boy.”

I looked down and shook my head. “ I would ruin that mood just as fast as he got it; Mom, just leave me alone.” My mother lost her smile and just walked away with a nod. I couldn't look myself in the eye anymore. I had destroyed everything, and there was no stopping, but one way helped me. I went under my bed, grabbed my sharp, happy glass, and pulled up my wrist. I looked at all the fresh scars that were healing slowly but too quick and made my wrist soon turn red as I continued to reopen my cuts.

I wake up on my ground just when the sun rises and quickly clean up everything I did last night. I barely remember it; all I saw was red. I wrapped my wrist and began looking up at the ceiling, hoping to fall back asleep until I heard my father screaming again. I raced up to the hall and saw my mother on the ground while my father was on top of her in and hit her straight in the head. He backed away and fell straight back. My mother pushed me while going to my father to help him and put him back on the bed. She was screaming, but I couldn't hear anything through my sobs. I ran to my room as if I had caused this, but my mother and she yelled at me, and I just couldn't breathe anymore, so I ran.

I finally stopped, but inside these woods, I had no idea how far or how long I had run for, but I knew I was lost, and I hoped I was. I looked around and found this weird-looking cabin wholly blocked from the forest. So, I decided to check it out, but it had a lot of survival needs that would keep me safe, so I decided to stay there until I knew it was time to go home.

I wake up, and it's completely dark. I realize I stay here for the night. It would work since nobody came to find me anyway. I'll just show up tomorrow; it would be better anyway. It was to fall back asleep. I wondered about the area; hopefully, I would stay aware of the situation. I wrote a letter to Fautinaa, hopefully convincing her that what she saw wasn't true. I needed to talk to her about something that was happening.

Dear Faustina,

I just want to ensure you are okay and that what you saw wasn't what you actually saw. I was just scared of what would happen if you didn't believe me. My window had broken a couple of days ago. I was still trying to clean my room of any broken shards left, and when u walked in, I freaked out thinking you had thought the worst, which you did, and I didn't know what to say at the time. I'm sorry I scared you when there was nothing to be warned about. I also have a feeling I could stop my father's death, and I would need your help in putting this idea into play. It going to be hard, but I just need you to be a helpful distraction into the part as I can get into the library long enough to find all the evidence I need, which should be easy as I know where all hidden things could be I will explain more when I can come to see you. Please write back to me as you have read this letter and would like to help me.

Octavius

This was the curtail part of the whole plan. I first needed the advice so that it could explain this idea more fully, but I knew I needed to get this letter back. I needed to head home, which I did.

As I went here, many more knights searched every inch of the grounds.

My mother was in the front of the castle in tears. She looked around and finally spotted me. She ran into tears.

“ Why would you do that? Your father has gotten worse. You were gone for days. We had thought you were killed”. My mother yelled. I was baffled I wasn't there for more than a day, but I couldn't really remember as I fell asleep. How long was I sleeping, I wondered.

“I'm sorry, Mother, I didn't realize how bad it made me. I was upset and went into the forest for a little while. I didn't realize it was days after,” I told my mother. She couldn't care less, but either way, she was glad I wasn't killed for a weird reason. My mother giving me that bizarre face, saying she was happy I wasn't dead, proved my idea needed to be done even more. I sent the letter a few hours after I had explained where I was for about a week. A week later I got a letter sent back and a day later she was here.

Dear Octavius,

Thank you for telling me all that. I'm sorry. I thought of the worst; it was how you acted, and of course, I would have believed you if you told me the truth. Still, I can see where you came from, and with this plan you have, I will be coming when I know the letter has arrived, hopefully within a week.

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

Faustina

As I read her message, I knew I had to act fast, so I told my mother that Faustina was coming over to talk more about the wedding. She had agreed, and I finally told her the plan when Faustina arrived.

“ So before I fully explain, I need to get into my father's library, and what needs to happen is you need to distract my mother so I can find the paper, please.” I began begging her.

“ Fine, but you had to promise to tell me what exactly is going on immediately. “ She stared at me with her glaring eyes. Her eyes stared at me, and I said,” I promise.”

As she went to talk to my mother, I slipped into the library, knowing exactly where I was going under the bookshelf into the hidden floor. I lifted the boards and saw the box I was looking for, but then I found a red box named Katria, so I also decided to grab that one. When I finally grabbed everything, I rushed back to my room, put everything under my bed, and went to catch Faustina.

As we returned to my room, I knew she needed the entire idea, so I finally told her.

“ I believe I have a sister, maybe a sibling. I heard my mother talking with Theodico about Katria. I believe it was my sister, and when I finally came back for my week-long forest trip, I guess my mom was glad I wasn't dead. Still, her face gave a different look. I wish you truly were,” I said in one full breath, as I couldn't breathe when I finished.

She just looked at me blankly.

“ Oh, and I found two boxes, not just one. The box I found was written in a pen, maybe named Kartia, so I also picked it up. It was two full boxes, so we have a lot of work to do tonight. Do you think you can stay?” I could basically be rambling now.

“ Okay, stop saying too much all at once, so start with the twin slowly because everything you just said had too many words,” Faustina Hegan says.

I took a breath and told her everything. “ So I heard my mother talking to your father, and I heard the name Kartia, and my mother had said He can't know if Octavius ever found out, it would be the end of his father's life; this is the only reason Lusicus has survived this long,”” I think Kartia is my twin which is why they couldn't kill me as the firstborn because I was indeed not the firstborn. They hid Kartia to slow down my father's process,”. I told her with a look of hope in my eyes.

“ Okay, so if this Kartia is your sister, if they kept her away to keep your father alive, why do you want to find her out,” Faustina said with a look of concern.

“ Maybe it can help the curse. None in my family have had twins since the curse was made, so what if we found her, and she could help us?” I was so sure of it, and it looked like I was finally proving it to Faustina.

“ Find, let's look through these boxes, and maybe we can see if there is anything about this Kartia,” Faustina said. I was so happy she eventually agreed, so I pulled out the first box; it was small, hoping it was my birth certificate or anything about the day I was born. As we opened the box, we saw many baby things like me, so we started digging into the box and found two birth certificates. Both were for me until we saw them. It was my death certificate as well, but it said I died at my birth. That couldn't have been true, so we kept digging and finding another death certificate, but it noted Kartia. She had died on the same day I was born, but it said she was 3 years old, which could still mean I was her brother, but my father's death wouldn't be happening if that was true; something besides my death was false.

“ Maybe the curse wants the parents to kill the kids, not just some accident to happen?” Faustina said with her hands up on the arm as for a question.

“ No, that can't be; the curse wouldn't work like that because it has killed many people without having their parents or a family member hurt them. I mean, look at my father; it is taking him slowly; there has to be another reason”. I said, baffled.

We decided to get the second box with something valuable, and lucky we did. We had found many things for kids, and a letter was written to one of the maids who had left long before I could remember.

Dear,

I wish you the best of luck with Katria. I hope you will treat her well and the cruse will never find her, and hopefully, it doesn't happen to her; if she doesn't know her family history, please, when she turns 18, take her back to me,, after my husband is dead, just so I can explain why we had to give her to you. Still, if the curse truly believes we have killed her, maybe it will leave my family alone; I know I should tell you in person, but sadly, Octavius is always with me. Honestly, I feel like he's a brilliant kid and will remember this one day, so I gave you a letter, and if you would like, I will keep it safe until it's time to see her again. This means the whole world to me, and please, if something soon happens, please just make sure she is safe; she can't know she is a twin, or she might look, and as of right now, seeing her brother could worsen the cruse knowing the true that we didn't kill her and she was the firstborn.

I hope you understand why we had to do this. I will put money into your bag before you leave until she is 18.

Domitlita

“ Oh my, you were right, Octvous. We must find her; maybe she is the key to breaking the curse,” Faustina said excitedly.

“ I can't; my mother would have me. I met her when I was 18. I think I could just wait, but my father would die, yes, of course, but they did this, didn't they? They had a choice.” I said with many details that this letter was a lot of information for me to take. I don't think I can do it. I have to make sure Faustina leaves soon.

“ Okay, how about this? We both come up with a plan. I'll send you home with some things to keep for information. You tried to see if your dad would talk about her, but promise me you won't tell him it for me; just make a lie to make sure he doesn't get suspicious,” I said firmly.

“ Of course, I will make sure of it. What will you do for the time being?” Faustina said with concern in her voice.

“I'll make sure to have a plan as well; ill keep looking through these boxes hopefully to find where she took my twin, and maybe we can start looking, but it's going to take a lot of planning, so I'll write you when I find something useful to use I promise”. I said as if I knew it was the truth for now. She nodded and soon left the castle and promised she would write me if her father had any more information, but for me, I went straight to my room and got my box with the glass I shattered. All I thought about was the lies my father told me, and they couldn't kill their daughter but could send her away and punish me for it because they couldn't live life with a son. I took the glass and used all my strength and just held it till my blood was spilling from my hand. I felt relieved seeing the red turning into a puddling, but adjusting wasn't good, yet I needed more. I looked down at the blood and opened my hand, and just blood flowed through. And rolled up my sleeve to see the head-up scars turning pink.

I couldn't breathe once the glass touched the warmth of my skin. I inhaled deeply and let it slide across my soft arm, turning it into a deep red. I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding; tears stung my eyes, and I lay on the floor wondering where it started. The next day, I woke up on the floor with my wrist all wrapped up in white gauze, but my door and window had both been locked. I couldn't remember anything from last night, so I must have wrapped them up before I went down.

I couldn't remember anything, so I was worried someone had walked in and just hoped I had fallen. I had to quickly cover this up as Faustina was coming over with hopefully more evidence about this Katuia.