A Private Word:
Serena followed the other boy, -Ryan. His name is Ryan- her voice whispered in her head, wordlessly around the room. Her mind was preoccupied, however. Part of it was pondering the most recent developments. -She was to fight? How? Why? Against who? With what?- A million different questions ran through her mind. She didn't understand. At least, not as much as she wanted to understand. There was something that they weren't telling her... she was confused. But they said that she, as well as these other young people, were born to fight. So she would fight. The other half of her mind, however, was still caught up in that moment in the doorway, with that boy. -What had happened?- She'd never felt anything like that before... although, she'd never really been with a guy before either. Was that what it was meant to feel like? She was sure that her friends hadn't said anything about fireworks like that... and this would be something that they would mention. -So what was it?-
She found herself being led to a corner of the room, one that was the furthest away from the adults and the others. There were a couple of chairs there, and the corner was comfortably lit. Ryan indicated that she should take a seat, gesturing, rather than speaking, and so she sat, careful not to touch him as she slipped past him and sat down. He too sat, and the next few uncomfortable moments were spent staring anywhere but each other. It was a stark contrast to the amicable conversations taking place between the other pairs and their leaders, but he seemed content with the silence, and so was she, so she let it lie. Sinking back into her chair, she let her mind wander freely.
Who was this boy? Ryan, they called him. He didn't go to her school; that was for sure. True, she'd only been going there a month, and she didn't know everyone yet, but she'd have thought that she would remember someone who looked like he did. She wasn't popular, not a member of the clique she would love to be a part of, but she wasn't entirely unknown either. She didn't really have any friends, but then again, she hadn't really been there long enough to make any, and most of the kids there had been together their whole lives. People just knew there as the new girl, or the new junior. She was the one that the popular girls made fun of, because she didn't have anyone to sit with. And everyone else made fun of her too, because the popular girls did, and that seemed to make it acceptable somehow. But he didn't seem to know who she was. -That was good,- she supposed. -I'll see less of him.- But at the same time, she was curious... she wanted to know who he was. But she didn't have the courage to ask him. She knew she ought to try and start a conversation with him... after all they were to be partners and all. But a part of her held back... she was scared of what would happen if she met those emerald eyes again.
"Um, Serena?"
"Hmmmm?" Serena turned around, still lost in thought about this new boy, to see Raksha walking towards her, with Rialle and Lupe trailing after her. Behind them, a part of her mind noted that Kherron too began walking over to them. By now, Raksha had come up behind her. "Could I have a private word?"
Serena looked up at her. "Sure." She was partly relieved at being excused from this awkward position, but she wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to be out of his company either. She hesitated a fraction of a second before getting up, glancing behind her as she stood.
"It's only for a second." Raksha seemed to have caught onto her uneasiness. Oh well. It couldn't hurt, could it? So she followed Raksha across the room, through those fated double doors, into the foyer and then into another small room, which was well furnished, and looked like a ladies powder room, lavishly decorated in magnolia, white and gold, with large mirrors and quilted chairs.
Raksha made her way into the room, and Serena followed her, sinking into a plush chair as the older woman did. Raksha waited till she was settled before speaking. "Serena... I'm afraid there's something that you need to know."
*~*~*
Ryan watched as his partner, Serena, got up and left with one of the leaders, Raksha, he thought it was. He was almost glad that she was gone. He wasn't sure how much of the awkward silence he could take. Plus, he didn't want to be caught staring at her, something that he couldn't really help at the moment. So when she left, he felt a slight pang, somewhere inside of him, but he ignored it and breathed a small sigh of relief. Now at last, he could relax, and reflect on all that had happened that day. But just as he started to think about the strange events of the evening, he found that he had company. The male speaker, Kherron, was striding towards him, and behind him was a man that Ryan had never seen before. This man had fair golden hair and piercing green eyes, and he walked with a stately, calm air about him.
"Ryan," Kherron was beside him now "I would like to have a word with you, while your partner is busy. Preferably in private." He beckoned, and Ryan stood and followed him to a room that led off from the main hall. It was a study, furnished elegantly with wooden tables and chairs and cosily lit with a grand chandelier. This, he supposed, was Kherron's study or workroom. He sat as the other men did- he noticed that the other man had also come into the room. "Right." Kherron was talking again. "Ryan, I have some things that I must speak to you about, which are very important."
*~*~*
"What I'm about to tell you is extremely important." Keller's face was serious. "And it is also extremely private. Although it concerns you, and is technically your secret, you cannot disclose it to anyone, without permission. I mean anyone. Nobody can know of this. If anyone needs to know, they will be informed, but that is up to certain other people. Okay? I know, this sounds harsh, but you'll understand one day. So you have to give me your word that you won't tell anyone what I am about to tell you. Not even your partner. Okay?" Serena nodded.
Raksha took a deep breath before continuing. "The thing is, Serena..." she broke off. "Well, there is no easy way to say it, so you must forgive me if this is abrupt, but this is the only way I can say it." she paused again. "The thing is, Serena, you aren't who you think you are. Not exactly. You're different from most people. Even more different than the rest of the members of the Night World. You are special. You don't know how special you really are. In the hall, you were told that you are a shifter. You know what that is, right? You, and Ryan, are shape shifters. This means that you can take on the form of a particular animal at will. However, what you weren't told, and this is the part that you can't tell anyone, is that you are a special shape-shifter. You are... well, the princess of the shape- shifters. A member of the shifting royal family, or First House. This has certain... implications on your powers, but in a good way. Basically, you are a royal shape-shifter"
*~*~*
Kherron waited until Ryan had settled before starting to speak. "Introductions first. Ryan, I would like you to meet Galen Drache. He is a shape-shifter, and one that will help you with your shape-shifting abilities, and fighting techniques in animal form. He will be working with you and your partner closely, and will also act as your personal trainer for shifting." Ryan and Galen shook hands politely. Kherron then rifled through his bureau drawers for some papers. "Ah, here you are Galen. This is his schedule. I'll speak to you about it later." Galen stood and left the room quietly.
Kherron sighed, and leaned back in his chair. "Right. Ryan, what I am about to tell you is extremely important. Even more so that what was said outside. This is completely private information, which you cannot disclose to anyone... your parents, your friends, your trainers, your partner... no-one. Even Galen doesn't know. Do you understand? No-one can find out about this. It must remain between you and me." Ryan nodded solemnly.
"Well, as you were told, earlier, you are a shifter, a shape-shifter, who can change into a particular animal at will. However, that is not all." He sighed. "Ryan, you are also a prince. A vampire prince."
*~*~*
Serena sat perfectly still, in shock. "A- a princess?" her voice emerged as a mere squeak.
"Yes."
"How?"
"You were born a princess... you were born on the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, 1984. You were named Serena Celeste Relina Avalon Saphrin Drache, Drache being the ancestral name of the First House of the Shape- shifters. You parents were, and are, the leaders of the shape-shifter race."
"My parents?"
"Your true parents. You see, something happened when you were born. A plot arose to kill you, because you see you are even more special than a shape- shifting princess. Half of the Night World was after you, after your life. There was only one thing that could be done. Your parents had to, hard as it was, give you away to a set of foster parents. The people you live with are those foster parents, not your true parents. But they are not aware of it. They are humans, unaware of the Night World. They were chosen because of this, so that you could not be traced. Your powers were bound and you were given away the day after you were born. When we took you to the Hardwoods, we spelled them. They are not even aware that you are not their biological daughter, which is why they haven't told you this. Their name isn't even Hardwood. They were originally the Smith family, but the name was too common. We needed to be able to trace you, so we changed their name to a mixture of Night World names. Your true parents, you have never met. However, they have not forgotten you, and are anxious to meet you soon, after you have been trained a little, in all your powers."
"All my powers?"
"Yes. You see, you have been blessed with certain other powers, combinations that other people cannot have. When you were born, you were delivered by a powerful witch, who was also a Wild Power. No, I won't explain what that is right now, you will learn it in your lessons, but she had immense power. When you were born, something happened. You see, you were a prophesised child. And when she touched you, a spark leapt between the two of you, a transference of power, from her to you. You inherited nearly all of her powers and more. So you are also a witch, and will have to train as a witch. However, this training, as well as your learning to be a princess, will have to be done secretly. Although witch power can be used for fighting, you cannot even tell or show your partner. There are very few people in the universe with a mixture of powers, and so it would be too easy for someone to trace your powers. And there are people still after you, my child." There was something that looked like pity in her eyes.
"Why?"
"Because, as I said before, you are the prophesised one. Or at least one of them. Your birth has been predicted for centuries. There is an actual prophecy written about you. Let me see if I remember it.
Two years after the fight is done, After the battle is lost and won, One child will rise above the rest, Alone to face the final test, Belonging to all worlds of day and night, The warring nations she will unite, With beauty that will never fade And magic of the purest shade, She must learn to put herself aside, And as the chosen one reside, The Superior must rid the world of hate For with her lies the world's fate.
And the slip that you received, yes I know about that, will have something to the same effect on it. You see, the millennium battle was scheduled to take place today. The battle between all the species. And we won. For now. But the other side will always be waiting, watching for an opportunity. And it is you that must prevent that from happening. You see, your life has been planned. Almost entirely planned. I tell you this now, because soon, we will start to unleash your powers at times, and you must know the rules."
"The rules?"
"Yes. There are a lot of rules, I'm afraid, that you must abide by. You don't really have a choice. I know this is kind of throwing you in at the deep end, but it'll get easier to follow them. Most of them are quite easy, too. For instance, you must listen to the advice of your teachers and protectors, and be in the company of a guard or protector at all times. You must attend all your lessons here, and the secrecy is a very important rule. The most important, for now, however, is that concerning your partner."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, he can't know about this. And, as you are a princess, and a witch, your powers have been extended somewhat. Most shape-shifters are born with the ability to change into a pre-set animal, and the animal is hereditary, but the royal family can pick their animal, although they only get one choice. You, on the other hand, get a different set of options. You see, both your parents are shifters that change into one member of the Big Cat family, like Tigers, Panthers, Leopards, Pumas, that sort of animal. So therefore, you have the set ability to change into a Big Cat too, but you are not limited to one. You can change into any of them. You also have the ability to change into certain other animals at will, and then, on top of all this, you have the provisional ability to change into any animal you like. This is entirely dependant, however, on your health and the state and condition of your magic. So we call that an Omni-changing power. The thing is, most shifters don't have this power. To make sure that your partner doesn't get suspicious, we have spelled it so that he too has similar, though more limited, abilities. He will be told some excuse to explain why he has so many shape-changes granted to him, but in truth, it is so that he can keep up with you. He may be told something along the lines of it being you that need to keep up with him, or something like that, so whatever he says or thinks about it, just go along with him. When you take your Night World history lessons, you'll probably learn more about yourself and your family history, as your family is a royal and important one. However, you would be known as Princess Relina, so that people don't try and connect her with you. And you are not to talk to him about this, however, okay?"
"Okay."
"There are other rules, but we will get into that another time as they become necessary. Any more questions?"
"Um, no. Not now."
"Good. If you have any at any time, come and ask me, okay? I'll speak to you a little bit later about certain other things. Now, I think it's time we got back, and started getting ourselves sorted, don't you?"
*~*~*
"But you said I was a shape-shifter." Ryan was confused.
"You are. But only half. You are also half vampire, and that half of you is royal, making you a prince."
"So my parents..."
"Um, yes, your parents... well, your real parents are the King and Queen of the Light Kingdom."
"My real parents?"
"Well, you know that you have been moved from home to home through your childhood. You've had many sets of foster parents. Well, none of them have been your real parents. They are all human, and unaware of who you really are, unaware of the Night World. When you were born, many people were after you, because you have powers that could be used for great deeds, good or evil. Your parents had no choice but to give you up, and so you were given up the day after you were born. To humans, who knew nothing of you or your heritage. But both your parents were vampires, and powerful ones at that."
"So, how did I become a shifter?"
"Ah. Well, that, I'm afraid is something that no-one can really explain. You see, you were prophesised. People have been waiting for you to be born for centuries. I think that it may have something to do with your parents. Your father was a very strong vampire, and your mother... she had some extraordinary powers. She was... well it's called the Wild Powers- you'll learn about them later- and so some of the extraordinary magic must have passed from her to you, and just had a strange effect on you. This may describe a little about the contents of the note you received. Yes, I know about that. I sent them. Your parents are vampires, so you are one as well, and most strong vampires have the ability to change into a bat or a raven. However, you were born with that ability as well as that of a shifter. And a powerful one at that. You have the ability to change into several shapes, which will be decided later, with your partner. Oh, that reminds me, that is something else that we need to discuss."
"My partner?"
"Yes. You see, this is a confidential secret. You cannot let anyone know about this, because people would still like to know who and where you are, to use your powers for their own good. And your abilities are rare and extraordinary. Most shape-shifters do not have the ability to transform into multiple animals. So, if you were to have several rare talents, she and others may become suspicious. Therefore, we shall spell her, so that she has similar shifting abilities, so that she will not think it strange. We shall spin some story to explain it to her... whatever it is, you must go along with it. Let her think that you are equal. She is not to know that you are a vampire, and so we shall train in this area of your power, as well as your training as a prince, in private. Yes?"
"Yes. So I am a prince?"
"I'm afraid so, your highness."
"Please don't call me that. Prove it."
"Well, there isn't really a lot of proof. You see, you had to be hidden so that no-one could trace you, or know who you were."
"So how do you know that I'm the prince. How do you know it's not someone else?"
"Well, there was one thing that your parents did to ensure that it was you."
"Which is?"
"Well, it is in your name. Your current surname is Drache, the surname of the first house of the shifters, so that no-one would suspect you of being a vampire. And the rest of your names formed the clue to your real identity."
"The rest of my names?"
"You were born as Prince Alexander Nicholas Ryan Blackthorn. Redfern is the surname of the most powerful vampire family in existence. Your mother was a Redfern, your father a Blackthorn, which is another renowned family. So although by marriage, your mother, and then you, became Blackthorns, you have Redfern blood. And most of the Redferns, including your parents, are royals. However, when your parents realised that you were going to have to be given up, they changed your name to Drache, and gave you some other names. Your full name became Prince Alexander Eric Nicholas Ryan Edward Roberto Fredrick Drache. And when you were given up, to make you more inconspicuous, you were called Ryan."
"Why so many names?"
"Ah, that is the ingenious part. You see, all these names were given to us as a way of tracking you. The initials of all the names are A, E, N, R, E, R, F, D. And when you rearrange these letters, you get the words, A REDFERN. This meant that the boy named Ryan Drache who had the corresponding DNA match to that on his birth certificate was actually the lost prince."
Ryan sat still, trying to take it all in.
"Are you okay your Highness?"
"I told you not to call me that."
"Yes, your Highness."
"That's not funny. Call me Ryan"
"Okay, your h- sorry. Ryan. So, do you have any more questions?"
"No."
"Well, if you have any questions, you know where to find me. We'll talk a bit more later about your training. Right. Now that we're done with this, shall we go back in?"
Serena followed the other boy, -Ryan. His name is Ryan- her voice whispered in her head, wordlessly around the room. Her mind was preoccupied, however. Part of it was pondering the most recent developments. -She was to fight? How? Why? Against who? With what?- A million different questions ran through her mind. She didn't understand. At least, not as much as she wanted to understand. There was something that they weren't telling her... she was confused. But they said that she, as well as these other young people, were born to fight. So she would fight. The other half of her mind, however, was still caught up in that moment in the doorway, with that boy. -What had happened?- She'd never felt anything like that before... although, she'd never really been with a guy before either. Was that what it was meant to feel like? She was sure that her friends hadn't said anything about fireworks like that... and this would be something that they would mention. -So what was it?-
She found herself being led to a corner of the room, one that was the furthest away from the adults and the others. There were a couple of chairs there, and the corner was comfortably lit. Ryan indicated that she should take a seat, gesturing, rather than speaking, and so she sat, careful not to touch him as she slipped past him and sat down. He too sat, and the next few uncomfortable moments were spent staring anywhere but each other. It was a stark contrast to the amicable conversations taking place between the other pairs and their leaders, but he seemed content with the silence, and so was she, so she let it lie. Sinking back into her chair, she let her mind wander freely.
Who was this boy? Ryan, they called him. He didn't go to her school; that was for sure. True, she'd only been going there a month, and she didn't know everyone yet, but she'd have thought that she would remember someone who looked like he did. She wasn't popular, not a member of the clique she would love to be a part of, but she wasn't entirely unknown either. She didn't really have any friends, but then again, she hadn't really been there long enough to make any, and most of the kids there had been together their whole lives. People just knew there as the new girl, or the new junior. She was the one that the popular girls made fun of, because she didn't have anyone to sit with. And everyone else made fun of her too, because the popular girls did, and that seemed to make it acceptable somehow. But he didn't seem to know who she was. -That was good,- she supposed. -I'll see less of him.- But at the same time, she was curious... she wanted to know who he was. But she didn't have the courage to ask him. She knew she ought to try and start a conversation with him... after all they were to be partners and all. But a part of her held back... she was scared of what would happen if she met those emerald eyes again.
"Um, Serena?"
"Hmmmm?" Serena turned around, still lost in thought about this new boy, to see Raksha walking towards her, with Rialle and Lupe trailing after her. Behind them, a part of her mind noted that Kherron too began walking over to them. By now, Raksha had come up behind her. "Could I have a private word?"
Serena looked up at her. "Sure." She was partly relieved at being excused from this awkward position, but she wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to be out of his company either. She hesitated a fraction of a second before getting up, glancing behind her as she stood.
"It's only for a second." Raksha seemed to have caught onto her uneasiness. Oh well. It couldn't hurt, could it? So she followed Raksha across the room, through those fated double doors, into the foyer and then into another small room, which was well furnished, and looked like a ladies powder room, lavishly decorated in magnolia, white and gold, with large mirrors and quilted chairs.
Raksha made her way into the room, and Serena followed her, sinking into a plush chair as the older woman did. Raksha waited till she was settled before speaking. "Serena... I'm afraid there's something that you need to know."
*~*~*
Ryan watched as his partner, Serena, got up and left with one of the leaders, Raksha, he thought it was. He was almost glad that she was gone. He wasn't sure how much of the awkward silence he could take. Plus, he didn't want to be caught staring at her, something that he couldn't really help at the moment. So when she left, he felt a slight pang, somewhere inside of him, but he ignored it and breathed a small sigh of relief. Now at last, he could relax, and reflect on all that had happened that day. But just as he started to think about the strange events of the evening, he found that he had company. The male speaker, Kherron, was striding towards him, and behind him was a man that Ryan had never seen before. This man had fair golden hair and piercing green eyes, and he walked with a stately, calm air about him.
"Ryan," Kherron was beside him now "I would like to have a word with you, while your partner is busy. Preferably in private." He beckoned, and Ryan stood and followed him to a room that led off from the main hall. It was a study, furnished elegantly with wooden tables and chairs and cosily lit with a grand chandelier. This, he supposed, was Kherron's study or workroom. He sat as the other men did- he noticed that the other man had also come into the room. "Right." Kherron was talking again. "Ryan, I have some things that I must speak to you about, which are very important."
*~*~*
"What I'm about to tell you is extremely important." Keller's face was serious. "And it is also extremely private. Although it concerns you, and is technically your secret, you cannot disclose it to anyone, without permission. I mean anyone. Nobody can know of this. If anyone needs to know, they will be informed, but that is up to certain other people. Okay? I know, this sounds harsh, but you'll understand one day. So you have to give me your word that you won't tell anyone what I am about to tell you. Not even your partner. Okay?" Serena nodded.
Raksha took a deep breath before continuing. "The thing is, Serena..." she broke off. "Well, there is no easy way to say it, so you must forgive me if this is abrupt, but this is the only way I can say it." she paused again. "The thing is, Serena, you aren't who you think you are. Not exactly. You're different from most people. Even more different than the rest of the members of the Night World. You are special. You don't know how special you really are. In the hall, you were told that you are a shifter. You know what that is, right? You, and Ryan, are shape shifters. This means that you can take on the form of a particular animal at will. However, what you weren't told, and this is the part that you can't tell anyone, is that you are a special shape-shifter. You are... well, the princess of the shape- shifters. A member of the shifting royal family, or First House. This has certain... implications on your powers, but in a good way. Basically, you are a royal shape-shifter"
*~*~*
Kherron waited until Ryan had settled before starting to speak. "Introductions first. Ryan, I would like you to meet Galen Drache. He is a shape-shifter, and one that will help you with your shape-shifting abilities, and fighting techniques in animal form. He will be working with you and your partner closely, and will also act as your personal trainer for shifting." Ryan and Galen shook hands politely. Kherron then rifled through his bureau drawers for some papers. "Ah, here you are Galen. This is his schedule. I'll speak to you about it later." Galen stood and left the room quietly.
Kherron sighed, and leaned back in his chair. "Right. Ryan, what I am about to tell you is extremely important. Even more so that what was said outside. This is completely private information, which you cannot disclose to anyone... your parents, your friends, your trainers, your partner... no-one. Even Galen doesn't know. Do you understand? No-one can find out about this. It must remain between you and me." Ryan nodded solemnly.
"Well, as you were told, earlier, you are a shifter, a shape-shifter, who can change into a particular animal at will. However, that is not all." He sighed. "Ryan, you are also a prince. A vampire prince."
*~*~*
Serena sat perfectly still, in shock. "A- a princess?" her voice emerged as a mere squeak.
"Yes."
"How?"
"You were born a princess... you were born on the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, 1984. You were named Serena Celeste Relina Avalon Saphrin Drache, Drache being the ancestral name of the First House of the Shape- shifters. You parents were, and are, the leaders of the shape-shifter race."
"My parents?"
"Your true parents. You see, something happened when you were born. A plot arose to kill you, because you see you are even more special than a shape- shifting princess. Half of the Night World was after you, after your life. There was only one thing that could be done. Your parents had to, hard as it was, give you away to a set of foster parents. The people you live with are those foster parents, not your true parents. But they are not aware of it. They are humans, unaware of the Night World. They were chosen because of this, so that you could not be traced. Your powers were bound and you were given away the day after you were born. When we took you to the Hardwoods, we spelled them. They are not even aware that you are not their biological daughter, which is why they haven't told you this. Their name isn't even Hardwood. They were originally the Smith family, but the name was too common. We needed to be able to trace you, so we changed their name to a mixture of Night World names. Your true parents, you have never met. However, they have not forgotten you, and are anxious to meet you soon, after you have been trained a little, in all your powers."
"All my powers?"
"Yes. You see, you have been blessed with certain other powers, combinations that other people cannot have. When you were born, you were delivered by a powerful witch, who was also a Wild Power. No, I won't explain what that is right now, you will learn it in your lessons, but she had immense power. When you were born, something happened. You see, you were a prophesised child. And when she touched you, a spark leapt between the two of you, a transference of power, from her to you. You inherited nearly all of her powers and more. So you are also a witch, and will have to train as a witch. However, this training, as well as your learning to be a princess, will have to be done secretly. Although witch power can be used for fighting, you cannot even tell or show your partner. There are very few people in the universe with a mixture of powers, and so it would be too easy for someone to trace your powers. And there are people still after you, my child." There was something that looked like pity in her eyes.
"Why?"
"Because, as I said before, you are the prophesised one. Or at least one of them. Your birth has been predicted for centuries. There is an actual prophecy written about you. Let me see if I remember it.
Two years after the fight is done, After the battle is lost and won, One child will rise above the rest, Alone to face the final test, Belonging to all worlds of day and night, The warring nations she will unite, With beauty that will never fade And magic of the purest shade, She must learn to put herself aside, And as the chosen one reside, The Superior must rid the world of hate For with her lies the world's fate.
And the slip that you received, yes I know about that, will have something to the same effect on it. You see, the millennium battle was scheduled to take place today. The battle between all the species. And we won. For now. But the other side will always be waiting, watching for an opportunity. And it is you that must prevent that from happening. You see, your life has been planned. Almost entirely planned. I tell you this now, because soon, we will start to unleash your powers at times, and you must know the rules."
"The rules?"
"Yes. There are a lot of rules, I'm afraid, that you must abide by. You don't really have a choice. I know this is kind of throwing you in at the deep end, but it'll get easier to follow them. Most of them are quite easy, too. For instance, you must listen to the advice of your teachers and protectors, and be in the company of a guard or protector at all times. You must attend all your lessons here, and the secrecy is a very important rule. The most important, for now, however, is that concerning your partner."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, he can't know about this. And, as you are a princess, and a witch, your powers have been extended somewhat. Most shape-shifters are born with the ability to change into a pre-set animal, and the animal is hereditary, but the royal family can pick their animal, although they only get one choice. You, on the other hand, get a different set of options. You see, both your parents are shifters that change into one member of the Big Cat family, like Tigers, Panthers, Leopards, Pumas, that sort of animal. So therefore, you have the set ability to change into a Big Cat too, but you are not limited to one. You can change into any of them. You also have the ability to change into certain other animals at will, and then, on top of all this, you have the provisional ability to change into any animal you like. This is entirely dependant, however, on your health and the state and condition of your magic. So we call that an Omni-changing power. The thing is, most shifters don't have this power. To make sure that your partner doesn't get suspicious, we have spelled it so that he too has similar, though more limited, abilities. He will be told some excuse to explain why he has so many shape-changes granted to him, but in truth, it is so that he can keep up with you. He may be told something along the lines of it being you that need to keep up with him, or something like that, so whatever he says or thinks about it, just go along with him. When you take your Night World history lessons, you'll probably learn more about yourself and your family history, as your family is a royal and important one. However, you would be known as Princess Relina, so that people don't try and connect her with you. And you are not to talk to him about this, however, okay?"
"Okay."
"There are other rules, but we will get into that another time as they become necessary. Any more questions?"
"Um, no. Not now."
"Good. If you have any at any time, come and ask me, okay? I'll speak to you a little bit later about certain other things. Now, I think it's time we got back, and started getting ourselves sorted, don't you?"
*~*~*
"But you said I was a shape-shifter." Ryan was confused.
"You are. But only half. You are also half vampire, and that half of you is royal, making you a prince."
"So my parents..."
"Um, yes, your parents... well, your real parents are the King and Queen of the Light Kingdom."
"My real parents?"
"Well, you know that you have been moved from home to home through your childhood. You've had many sets of foster parents. Well, none of them have been your real parents. They are all human, and unaware of who you really are, unaware of the Night World. When you were born, many people were after you, because you have powers that could be used for great deeds, good or evil. Your parents had no choice but to give you up, and so you were given up the day after you were born. To humans, who knew nothing of you or your heritage. But both your parents were vampires, and powerful ones at that."
"So, how did I become a shifter?"
"Ah. Well, that, I'm afraid is something that no-one can really explain. You see, you were prophesised. People have been waiting for you to be born for centuries. I think that it may have something to do with your parents. Your father was a very strong vampire, and your mother... she had some extraordinary powers. She was... well it's called the Wild Powers- you'll learn about them later- and so some of the extraordinary magic must have passed from her to you, and just had a strange effect on you. This may describe a little about the contents of the note you received. Yes, I know about that. I sent them. Your parents are vampires, so you are one as well, and most strong vampires have the ability to change into a bat or a raven. However, you were born with that ability as well as that of a shifter. And a powerful one at that. You have the ability to change into several shapes, which will be decided later, with your partner. Oh, that reminds me, that is something else that we need to discuss."
"My partner?"
"Yes. You see, this is a confidential secret. You cannot let anyone know about this, because people would still like to know who and where you are, to use your powers for their own good. And your abilities are rare and extraordinary. Most shape-shifters do not have the ability to transform into multiple animals. So, if you were to have several rare talents, she and others may become suspicious. Therefore, we shall spell her, so that she has similar shifting abilities, so that she will not think it strange. We shall spin some story to explain it to her... whatever it is, you must go along with it. Let her think that you are equal. She is not to know that you are a vampire, and so we shall train in this area of your power, as well as your training as a prince, in private. Yes?"
"Yes. So I am a prince?"
"I'm afraid so, your highness."
"Please don't call me that. Prove it."
"Well, there isn't really a lot of proof. You see, you had to be hidden so that no-one could trace you, or know who you were."
"So how do you know that I'm the prince. How do you know it's not someone else?"
"Well, there was one thing that your parents did to ensure that it was you."
"Which is?"
"Well, it is in your name. Your current surname is Drache, the surname of the first house of the shifters, so that no-one would suspect you of being a vampire. And the rest of your names formed the clue to your real identity."
"The rest of my names?"
"You were born as Prince Alexander Nicholas Ryan Blackthorn. Redfern is the surname of the most powerful vampire family in existence. Your mother was a Redfern, your father a Blackthorn, which is another renowned family. So although by marriage, your mother, and then you, became Blackthorns, you have Redfern blood. And most of the Redferns, including your parents, are royals. However, when your parents realised that you were going to have to be given up, they changed your name to Drache, and gave you some other names. Your full name became Prince Alexander Eric Nicholas Ryan Edward Roberto Fredrick Drache. And when you were given up, to make you more inconspicuous, you were called Ryan."
"Why so many names?"
"Ah, that is the ingenious part. You see, all these names were given to us as a way of tracking you. The initials of all the names are A, E, N, R, E, R, F, D. And when you rearrange these letters, you get the words, A REDFERN. This meant that the boy named Ryan Drache who had the corresponding DNA match to that on his birth certificate was actually the lost prince."
Ryan sat still, trying to take it all in.
"Are you okay your Highness?"
"I told you not to call me that."
"Yes, your Highness."
"That's not funny. Call me Ryan"
"Okay, your h- sorry. Ryan. So, do you have any more questions?"
"No."
"Well, if you have any questions, you know where to find me. We'll talk a bit more later about your training. Right. Now that we're done with this, shall we go back in?"