Chapter 10: Zant's Story

Times were pretty uneventful for a while after my 18th birthday. Like I anticipated, restrictions lessened, much to my joy. I could now go outside anytime within a certain range of the mansion by myself. The Royal Family was the most talked-about topic in the news right now, especially articles dealing with myself likely becoming the future ruler sometime in the future. I suppose me turning into an adult is a pretty big deal with the media, too.

Zant seemed quite depressed lately. He was never as lively at the dinner table anymore, and when I talked to my parents about it, they just shrugged it off. Everyone just assumed he was extremely busy these days. Regardless, it's strange that not even my father knows everything that he does.

I was truly curious about Zant's background; he never really explained it in depth to any of us. All I know is that there had been some tragedy involving his parents' deaths, and that he lived with his aunt and uncle before coming to us. I decided today I would ask him about it.

Normally I don't go around asking "so could you tell me all about your life?", but I was sincerely interested this time. Zant was so mysterious, and it was sometimes impossible to make out his emotions. So I was a little nervous as I walked to his workroom…

Cautiously, I knocked on the door a few times before a reply. Zant came out quickly, immediately shutting the door behind him. He gave a little sigh before talking.

"Do you need something?" he asked me.

"Well… it's just that you're so mysterious and quiet…" I began awkwardly. "I was wondering about how you grew up exactly? I just wanted to get to know you better."

It wasn't a lie exactly. But to be honest, I was still wary about his behavior sometimes, and maybe he would tell me something linked to that. I was hoping he would take it well, since we had talked so much before in the past.

"If you insist," he replied. "Come."

We began to make our way to his bedroom, leaving the workroom behind. When we arrived, he sat on a chair across from me while he let me sit on his bed. The bedroom had become more organized since Zant spent most of his time in his workroom. I prepared to listen intently before he started.

"I suppose it's only fair you know about me since you told me about yourself," Zant said.

"Thank you; please, go ahead," I replied.

"I may have been young, but I will never forget when it happened," Zant began his story. "I was nearly 7 years old when I last saw my parents. We grew up in the middle class of wealth, not too poor, not rich. My family was still grateful that the war hadn't taken as large of a toll on us as it had less fortunate Twili people. My life was fairly simple; I went to school for a few years, but never made any friends. I didn't need any, nor were they interested in me."

"My parents were the only people I was close to, aside from a couple other family members. Regrettably, they were suddenly taken away from me. At that point I realized that nothing at all should be taken for granted. They never caught him…"

"Caught who?" I asked.

"The man who killed them," Zant answered somberly. "He had been hit hard by the outcome of the war, and struggled to feed himself. He threatened my parents with a knife, demanding they give him all their money. When my father refused, he stabbed them both in front of me… for whatever reason, he decided to let me live. As of now, I am not sure whether that has been a curse or a gift."

"Since they lived only a few houses away, I went to my uncle and aunt. As you know, they decided to take me in; they called the police, but like I already said, they never found the man. It haunted me every day since, knowing I might have been able to save them…"

I thought about this for a moment. Naturally Zant would feel guilty over this, but he was so young at the time; I don't think he would have been able to stop him. Despite this, I remained quiet.

"My aunt and uncle were always kind to me, taking care of all my needs. They supported me with almost all my decisions as I finished my education and planned on getting a job. Since I heard the Royal Family needed servants, I decided to apply for that. I worked several odd jobs around town to help support myself and my aunt and uncle. Of course, as I've already mentioned, my uncle's paintings sold well enough to keep them living well, too. I haven't seen my aunt and uncle in a long time now; they live far away from the palace. Anyways, I was fortunate enough to acquire the job, of course, and ever since I have been living with you and your family."

"Prior to recent events, I have never known the feeling of having power over anyone. It made me feel weak initially, but eventually the idea of recognition became my motive to live. I've clawed my way to this point, and I hope to make something out of it…" Zant finished.

"Zant, I'm sure power isn't everything," I said softly.

"You wouldn't know, would you?!" Zant suddenly became angry. I wish I hadn't said anything.

He went on. "You've grown up not knowing what it's like to lose loved ones, or having to work hard to survive… and I still never had nearly as much gratification and recognition as you have!"

The words pierced my heart, but I had to say something. "But Zant, everyone respects you now! You're Twilight's Hero, remember?" I tried to remind him of his heroics.

But he didn't seem to care about that. It was as if he had been looking for something more the entire time. What more did he want?

"It's impossible to explain to you," Zant decided. "We're very different people."

With that, Zant left the room. I suppose he was headed back for his workroom. I felt like I had said something wrong, even though my gut told me I hadn't. I sighed heavily, unsure of what to do now…