3 The Familiar Man

The man quickly closed the door behind him, making sure not to make a loud sound.

He looked to be at least ten years older than Nicholas, he had much lighter skin but the same white eyes as Nicholas.

Unlike the prince, he seemed frail and more bookish with his brown hair that was tied behind his back.

He gave Nicholas a confused look before speaking.

"You're awake?" He asked Nicholas.

The prince couldn't help but feel that the man was familiar, someone he trusted, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't recall a name.

"Are you alright, your highness?" The man asked as he examined Nicholas. "I thought I'd have to come up with an excuse why you can't be at dinner tonight. The king, your father, has started to notice your absence over the past week."

Nicholas nodded as he tried to figure out how long he had been unconscious.

"Well, we have an hour until support, so it's best we have you ready." The man said as he walked over to the far end of the room and pulled a golden rope with a tassel at the end.

The man had spoken so much that Nicholas didn't even have time to react. A servant suddenly entered the room through the door which Brie and Ryenne had left.

"The prince will be joining supper tonight, draw him a bath and get his clothes ready." The man said, to which the servant simply nodded and left.

"Wait, wait." Nicholas practically shouted as soon as he and the man were alone in his room once more.

"Is something the matter, your highness?" The man asked as he gave Nicholas a confused look. "If you aren't ready to join your family for supper, I can come up with an excuse, but his majesty might send someone to check up on you and we both know how dangerous that is."

For some reason, Nicholas understood what the man meant. If the King sent someone to see if he were sick, they would notice how much his mana reserves had grown, something that couldn't be achieved by the weakest son.

"That's not what I meant." Nicholas managed to say. "I'm fine, I guess I can join them for supper, but I'm sorry, I can't recall who you are."

The man was clearly shocked by what Nicholas had said. He took a step back and observed the prince.

"Are you sure?" He asked Prince Nicholas.

Nicholas nodded in reply as he sighed and sat down on his bed.

"You shouldn't trust people so easily, your highness." The man cautioned. "Not everyone can be trusted in the palace of lies."

"I know that! I remember things, and I know I can trust you, but I don't know why and I have no idea who you are?" Nicholas frantically said.

The man nodded as he tried to calm Nicholas.

"I know you need me to go to supper, but I don't even know how I'm supposed to act or how I'm supposed to behave. The people there will notice something is off and immediately recognize that I'm not exactly me!" Nicholas continued to say.

The man calmly crossed the room and sat down next to Nicholas. He placed a hand on the prince's back.

"Why don't I introduce myself quickly before your servant arrives." The man suggested, to which Nicholas simply nodded in agreement.

"My name is Dion, and like your mother I am part of the Corporalis Clan, the healer mages. I am your chief aid, you can trust me with everything." Dion explained.

Nicholas simply nodded, in his heart he knew that the man was telling him the truth. For some reason, despite not knowing the facts, Nicholas knew how to tell the truth from lies based on a feeling coming from his lost memories.

"What happened to me? How did I end up in that alternate world and how did I forget my memories?" Nicholas asked Dion.

Dion was about to respond when the servant returned with others carrying buckets of warm water.

"You should wash, your highness. Tonight is an important night, it's your mother's death anniversary and your father, the king, expects everyone to be at the banquet wearing your best clothes." Dion told Nicholas as he made his way to Nichola's closet to pick out clothes for him.

Every inch of Prince Nicholas was scrubbed, washed, and cleaned by the servants. They made sure no to miss a spot.

When he was finally done, an elegant black military uniform was laid out on his bed.

"The king demands that we resin in mourning over Lady Liira's death." Dion explained.

"Liira." Nicholas repeated his mother's name.

She felt like a distant memory, a name that didn't belong on his lips.

"Quick, get his highness dressed." Dion urged him, snapping at the servants. "Do you expect him to stand in the cold?"

The servants sprang into action as they picked up the garments and placed it on Nicholas. His body moved as if he had done this a thousand times over.

He had, of course, been dressed by these people since he was a child. He was born a prince and the king lavished his children with every luxury under Merlen's three suns.

"Leave us." Dion said in a much more serious tone, making the servants rush out of Nichola's room.

"You've always been the silent one." Dion told Nicholas. "You've always taken all of your brothers' blows in silence. You don't need to do anything tonight, just eat and be silent no matter how much they try to bully you."

Nicholas nodded as he looked at himself in the mirror, he looked much more like a regal prince in black as he adjusted the medals on his chest.

"Expect that they will do everything to get you to react badly, remember, you are playing the long game. In the end it's the crown that you'll be taking." Dion said, sending Nichola's mind into a frenzy as memories flooded, begging for attention.

In all the confusion of losing his memories and trying to gain them back, Nicholas forgot a key fact.

He wasn't just trying to be king, it was kill or be killed. Only one son could live in the end, and that prince would be the king.