Chapter Six: Secret Revealed
"Ah, I've just hit upon a brilliant idea for a punishment; come up here beside me."
Cately walked gracefully to his side and stood facing her friends, but she was watching only one person, her sister Elysia who looked on the verge of tears. She hadn't seen her elder sister all summer, and now she was going to have to watch as she was punished.
"The rest of you, stand so that you will have a better view."
They did as they were told and stood straight and tall, facing their prince. Desmond smirked as he thought of the looks that would be on their faces when he revealed himself. He lifted his hand to his mask and removed it, and suddenly, the room was full of exclaiming voices.
"Desmond?!"
"Bloody hell, what's going on here?!"
"Fuck, you're the Shadow Prince?!"
"What's going on here?!"
"He's not the prince; he's a fake!"
After deciding that enough was enough, Cately brought her fingers to her mouth and let loose an earsplitting whistle. Instantly, everyone fell silent and stared at her.
"That's better; all your noise was giving me a headache. Now, if you want to know what's going on, then you have to shut up, and let Des explain."
"Uh…thanks, Cat; though, could you do it a little further from my ear next time?"
"How about next time I let you figure it out yourself?"
Cat glared at him and went to stand next to her sister; she put her arm around her shoulders as she awaited Desmond's explanation. 'Oh, this will be interesting,' she thought as she looked at Draco's outraged expression. 'That look always means trouble; I'm just glad I'm not on the receiving end of it.'
"Guys, if you could just keep quiet, and hear me out, I'll let you ask questions at the end."
He looked around and continued when they all nodded in agreement.
"Ok, well I'm the same Desmond you all met over the summer, with the exception of the younger kids of course. Only, I'm not just the son of one of the Dark Lord's elite like I told you; I'm His son. My official title is now the Shadow Prince, and I didn't tell you before because I had to make sure I could trust you first. You are the only ones who know who I truly am, and you are to tell no one. Any questions?"
Cassie immediately raised her hand, and at Desmond's nod, she spoke.
"You said that we weren't to tell anyone. Does that include our parents? Cause it'll be pretty hard to hide this from them, some more than others."
She glanced pointedly at the younger members of their group.
"You needn't worry about them; my father is informing them as we speak."
Nervana was next with a question.
"If you're the Shadow Prince, then who's the Dark Prince?"
"He's my elder brother, and his name is Dorian. Beyond that, I can't tell you; it would be his choice if he wished to show himself to you; just as it was mine to show you."
"Fat chance of that happening anytime soon," was Cately's opinion on the subject.
Kera posed the next one.
"What are we supposed to call you now? I mean we used to all call you Desmond or Des, but what about now?"
"Call me whatever you used to, except for when I'm wearing the mask or in front of others; then you'll have to address me as Shadow Prince or Your Highness. We're friends; nothing's changed. You just know more about me now."
Draco stepped out of the crowd, and from the look in his eyes and his stance, Cat knew there was going to be trouble.
"Except that now, you're a prince," he said sarcastically.
The incensed look on his face hadn't dissipated at all; if anything, he had only gotten angrier.
"Yeah, now when we annoy you, you can Crucio us, but you're right, nothing at all's changed," Blaise agreed, his eyes shining maliciously as he moved to stand at Draco's side.
'Blaise, must you always join in on Dray's side?' Usually, she was happy about that, but today, it only complicated things. Desmond opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Draco.
"Why is it that Cately didn't seem at all surprised when you removed your mask," was Draco's shrewd question.
"Good question, Malfoy; it's because Cat already knew. She was under the Dark Lord's care this summer, and he thought it better if we got to know each other. So, she and I spent much more time together than I did with any of you; she's the one who assisted me in deciding if you were trustworthy or not."
Draco didn't seem satisfied. 'When does a simple answer ever satisfy him?'
"Why is it she got to spend the summer with the Dark Lord's son, while the rest of us were languishing at home, and why is it we never saw her when we were with you?"
"I'll answer the second question, but I think I'll let her explain the first one. You never saw her because she was always hidden in another part of the manor when any of you were there. Father felt it would be better if you didn't know she was staying there until we had decided if you were trustworthy or not."
Desmond looked at Cat amusedly.
"Your turn, Cat."
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