Chapter Five

Kalin and Emilio hurried to see as well, followed by the rest of the Bunch.

By now Radley had gotten over his initial shock and was studying the painting with a more critical eye. "The resemblance isn't exact, but it's sure enough to make you stop and stare," he mused.

"Yeah! And maybe it's only not exact because it was just some guy painting it long after it happened!" Scotch said. "This one really looks like me! And this one like Biff!"

"I see one resembling Billy too," Radley admitted. "But beyond that, the others don't really look like the Bunch."

"That's still pretty weird," Billy said.

"I'll have to ask Grandmama about it, since Grandma doesn't want to talk about the legend anymore," Radley said. He took out his phone and called.

Valentina was happy for the call and eager to talk more about the legend, even though by now it was night in Spain. She beamed as Radley pointed the phone at the painting for her to see.

"Some versions of the legend mention townspeople who idolized Prince Ramon," she explained. "When he and Prince Kalin were hurt, they rallied around them and protected them from the evil until they could get up and seal it away!"

"That's interesting," Radley said. "Were they promised anything for their help?"

"Yes, they were promised that if they wanted, they could be revived when the princes were and share life with them as they longed to do," Valentina said.

"Yes!" Scotch exclaimed, punching the air with a fist. "They had to be us! It all fits!"

Radley had to chuckle at his excitement, even though at the same time he now felt even more overwhelmed. Kalin was right—the more people who had been part of the legend, the harder it was indeed to hope that there was a different explanation than reincarnation.

Kalin finally felt bold enough to speak up with the question that had been tormenting him. "You're sure that the legend isn't incorrect about Prince Kalin's part in all this?" he rasped. "What if he wasn't really as good and loyal as the legend claims? What if he was part of the problem and brought the evil there in the first place?"

Valentina gave him a look. "I don't know where that came from, but absolutely no! Prince Kalin was a good person. The evil was conjured from the people's fear and blind hatred towards each other. The Princes tried everything they could to make it go away, but when the people's hearts remained unchanged, all they could do was seal the demon away." She sighed. "When they died to stop it, the people from both kingdoms were heartbroken and grief-stricken and finally came together in peace and love."

"And had they been able to do that sooner, the Princes wouldn't have had to die," Radley frowned. "Now it sounds like Romeo and Juliet."

Kalin still didn't look placated. "You're sure Prince Kalin didn't distrust too? Maybe if someone tricked him into thinking Prince Ramon betrayed him, he . . ."

"Nonsense!" Valentina interrupted. "Prince Kalin was interested in making friends with Prince Ramon from the start! He sought Prince Ramon out and remained loyal and steadfast!"

Radley laid a hand on Kalin's shoulder. "Is this only a Spanish legend?" he wondered. "Kalin's ancestry is from Germany."

"The legend exists in Germany too," Valentina said. "Germans ruled parts of Spain at various times in history."

"Yeah, I know that, Grandmama," Radley said.

"I didn't," Kalin grunted.

"When does it even take place, anyway?" Radley asked. "I mean, how old is it?"

Valentina paused, pondering. "I'm afraid the exact time period has been lost to the ages," she admitted. "The kingdoms are usually depicted with clothing and architectural styles from around the 18th Century or later, even though it must have been earlier."

Radley quirked an eyebrow. "Wouldn't there be some records of the kingdoms in history?" he said. "We should be able to pin things down."

Valentina shook her head. "Unfortunately not. No one even knows the names of the kingdoms now. Maybe if all of your memories return, you will be able to fill in those blanks yourselves."

Radley sighed in exasperation. "If it wasn't for us already having dream-memories and finding these paintings, I'd say the legends are just fairytales. There's just so many holes in all of this!"

"I'm sure you can provide all the answers, Radley," Valentina assured him. "And you too, Kalin. Maybe your friends as well! All the missing knowledge is locked in your minds! It just has to be drawn out."

Radley just looked weary. This wasn't encouraging or convincing for him. ". . . Grandmama, what do you think happened to the Princes between their deaths and their revivals? I mean, did they live in Heaven until it was time to go back down, or did their spirits time-travel or something and come right to the present-day for their new lives?"

"Hmm." Valentina looked thoughtful. "I guess I've always thought their spirits were just immediately sent here. That would seem more fair, wouldn't it? If they spent centuries in Heaven, they might not want to come back down to Earth for a second go-around."

Radley sighed in a bit of relief. "Yeah, that's what I'm thinking too," he said.

"But it isn't fair anyway, is it?" Kalin blurted. "If we are the Princes, we weren't born into lives where we could grow up together. We were still apart for years, and longer than we would have even had to be because of Radley's grandmother's interference! We experienced so much pain and sorrow, and I caused so much of it!" He clenched a fist. "It could never be fair under those circumstances."

Valentina looked sad. "I wish I had better answers for you, Kalin. I don't. I honestly believe you and Radley are the Princes, but I can't explain why so many things went wrong for you both. I can only be glad that you found each other again at long last."

"Yeah." Radley sighed. "Well, thanks anyway, Grandmama. I'm glad we finally know these things so we can try to figure out what to do about them. You really have helped a lot. Do you think it would also help to come out there? Grandma said you have more artifacts in your collection, and maybe there's some chance we could find at least one of the missing kingdoms."

Valentina's eyes brightened. "I think that's a wonderful idea! I would love to see all of you, and maybe being back in your homeland really would unlock more mysteries for you! There's a box that was passed down through the Ramon family that can only be unlocked with the pendant. If yours is truly the correct pendant, it should be able to open it! Some of your answers might be inside!"

"And you have it with you?" Radley said in surprise.

"Yes, Lucia made me take it when she grew fearful of the legend," Valentina said.

"That's good enough for me," Radley said. "I'll see if at least some of us can fly out today." But he paused again. "Why would the kingdoms be missing anyway, though? Did they just fade into obscurity because the heirs were dead?"

"Maybe they're in suspended animation until the Princes find them again!" Scotch suggested.

Radley winced. ". . . If something like that really was the case, we wouldn't be expected to reclaim the kingdoms, would we?"

"I don't think so, Dear," Valentina said. "The idea was that you could live together as you were unable to do as princes of separate kingdoms. You are the Princes, but you are also Radley and Kalin in your new lives, with new responsibilities. Those responsibilities will always come first."

"If any of this is true, I hope you're right about that," Radley said. ". . . Oh, and last night we found an article written about Prince Ramon. The website had just recently been updated. Has anyone else been asking about the legend lately?"

Now Valentina looked surprised. "No, they haven't. It's largely been forgotten outside of our families."

"Hmm. I wonder how that guy knew, then," Radley frowned.

"Print the article and bring it with you," Valentina encouraged. "Maybe we can find out!"

"I'll do that," Radley said. "Okay, if we can, we'll start out today. Thanks, Grandmama."

"Of course, Dear!" Valentina said cheerfully. "We'll look forward to seeing you!"

They said Goodbye and Radley hung up, looking bowled over. ". . . Wow."

Scotch ran over and hugged him. "Everything's going to be okay, Radley!" he insisted. "You'll see!"

Radley heaved a sigh. "I hope you're right." He hugged back, but still looked far away. "I really don't know how to process any of this. It just gets more confusing and more complicated every minute. I keep thinking of new questions that have no answers."

"We could watch Sailor Moon?" Scotch suggested. "Maybe you'd get some ideas or maybe memories would even start coming back!"

Radley had to weakly chuckle at that idea. "Maybe," he said. "We'll have to see what happens if we're able to fly to Spain. Some of the Bunch would probably need to stay back to watch over the town. I have no idea how long we'd be gone."

"Maybe the box is filled with all kinds of magic and will tell everything!" Scotch said.

"Or maybe it's just an empty box," Radley said wryly. "I don't know, guys. I really . . . just don't." He walked over to a padded bench under one of the paintings and sank down, leaning forward with his hands clasped in front of him.

Scotch gave Kalin a helpless look. He had no idea how to help Radley feel better.

Kalin looked back. He didn't either, especially when he was also struggling.

Emilio climbed up next to Radley on the bench and hugged him around the waist. "It's okay, Radley," he said. "You're my brother no matter what!"

Radley had to laugh in touched surprise at the sweetness. "Yeah," he mused. "You're right, I am." He hugged Emilio close. "I'm Radley. Whatever or whoever else I am, I'm still Radley."

"The prince was really you, right? I mean, if you're him, it's not like you're different or anything," Emilio said.

"The idea does seem to hinge on our souls being one and the same," Radley mused. "It wouldn't even work if it was that we each have a different soul. As much as I don't wanna accept reincarnation is ever true, I'd rather accept the version where I really am the same person all along."

Kalin sighed to himself. That factor was also what made him fear that the prince could have his twistedness and mental instability. But he didn't want to believe it. He walked over and sat down next to Radley.

"If it's possible, we'll find the truth," he said. "We'll defeat the evil when it comes back again . . . if it comes back again, and we'll keep living our lives. We'll be happy, just like we were before all of this came up. Maybe it will bring us closer together."

Radley had to smile. "That's a nice thought." He straightened, leaning against Kalin. "I want it to be true."

Kalin wrapped his arms around Radley and hugged him close, resting his chin against the top of Radley's head. "Me too."

xxxx

They lingered for a time, continuing to examine the paintings and sculptures and other artifacts in the room. Before they were done, Marisol approached the doorway and looked in. "Radley?"

Radley looked over with a sad smile. "Hi, Mom. I heard you knew about this legend."

"I knew, but my mother told me it was nonsense." Marisol came in further. "I never knew what to believe, especially after Kalin appeared."

"It really messed up our lives to be kept apart," Radley said. "Maybe the tragedies in Kalin's life wouldn't have even happened if he'd been raised with me."

"They probably would have," Kalin muttered. "I couldn't have abided living with that woman."

Marisol sighed. "I am glad you finally found each other again," she said. "I felt terrible when Mother told me you'd learned of the legend and were coming out to see everything. I should have told you before."

"What do you believe about it?" Radley asked. He was standing next to a sculpture depicting the Princes collapsing to the floor after the defeat of the evil, reaching for each other's hands as they fell. "Do you think they were us?"

Marisol shook her head. "I honestly don't know, my son." She advanced into the room and gently ran her fingers over the sculpture. "I am in the same situation as you as far as being taught all my life that reincarnation is not real. Even if I were to believe it is, this is not the past life I would have ever wanted for you to have."

"And my parents. . . . If I'm the Prince, I had different parents," Radley said. "Only . . ." He frowned. "I had one dream about Ramon talking to his mother. It was a lot like talking to you. Maybe my mind just made it up, but I'm getting so confused I don't know what's just a dream or what's a real scene from the past now, if anything is!" He shook his head. "Oh, this is getting too crazy! We couldn't have all lived before and ended up sent here to live again!" He threw up his hands in frustration and distress.

Marisol paused, pondering this information. At last she went over to Radley and laid her hands on his cheeks. "I don't know if it could be true or not, my son. But I do know that if such a chance was offered to me, to live again and have my precious son again, I would want to take it." Tears filled her eyes. "But it would have been better had I not, if she was me. I have only failed you and hurt you so much in this life."

"Mom. . . ." Radley laid his hands on hers. "Maybe, but . . . if this stuff really is real, I'd rather think I had the same parents. I don't wanna think of somebody else as my mom . . . or my dad."

"Dear Radley. . . ." Marisol drew him close in an embrace. He clutched her, trembling.

Kalin exhaled sharply and looked away. He hadn't even thought of that aspect. Given the choice, he would rather think Prince Kalin had better parents. Only . . . if that were true, why wouldn't they have come to this second chance if Ramon's parents had?

He ran a hand down his face. This truly was a headache to sort out.

Billy looked over at him. "Mind-blowing, isn't it?"

"Yes," Kalin grunted. "Radley's coming up with things I never thought of . . . but then I'm coming up with things he didn't think of either."

Billy shrugged. "It's weird, but I don't want my life to be taken over by this." He paused. ". . . I guess you guys have that responsibility on you, though, don't you? I mean . . . the evil maybe coming back kind of forces you to worry about it. If it wasn't for that, it'd just be some trippy thing that you could try to ignore."

"Yeah," Kalin said. "You're right. It'd be hard to ignore it, but as long as it wasn't actually potentially dangerous to ignore it, we could relax a lot more and maybe even shrug it off after a lot of soul-searching."

That brought a sigh. "I wish I could be more help."

"You're supporting us. I know that means everything to Radley," Kalin said. "And . . . I'm glad you're here too."

Billy smiled a bit. "Really?"

Kalin nodded. "Of course."

Emilio looked deep in thought. "I wonder if I was in the past too."

Kalin winced. That was probably one of the things Lucia didn't want the boy thinking about. "It's better if you weren't," he said at last. "It was a mess back then."

Emilio frowned. "Yeah, I don't want to think that I was there when my brother died. But . . . maybe I came after and I always wanted to meet him and I was told I could if I came to his second chance too."

Well, there was likely no way to get the kid to stop thinking about this now that he had started. Kalin just shook his head. "Maybe. Who knows. We'll probably never really know."

"I hope we will," Emilio said. "Maybe if you know once and for all, you and Radley won't have to be so upset anymore."

"Maybe," Kalin said noncommittally. He imagined the distress would continue if they learned they really had been reincarnated. Although . . . if they did know it for a fact, maybe they could start coping with it and come to accept it as Emilio said. When they had that doubt as to whether it was real, they would always keep wondering, and probably hoping it wasn't true.

"I would like to offer all of you lunch before you leave," Marisol announced.

"Food?! Yes!" Scotch exclaimed.

Radley laughed at that enthusiastic reaction. "That sounds great, Mom. Thanks." He looked to Kalin for approval.

Kalin nodded. It would be nice not to just run off. Radley and Emilio should have some nice memories of this trip, and Radley had already suggested that they could do something fun while they were together. He was certainly not opposed.

The rest of the Bunch cried for joy too. Food was one of their favorite ways to deal with problems.

Marisol smiled, pleased. "It will be ready soon," she promised. "In the meantime, maybe Emilio would like to show you the way he's fixed his room."

"Yeah!" Emilio beamed. He took Radley by the hand and led him out of the secret room. Radley chuckled, happy to go with him.

Marisol looked to Kalin. "I don't know how all of this will affect Emilio," she confessed. "My mother was concerned about that as well."

Kalin grunted. "He was definitely talking about it. He seemed to like the idea that maybe he was brought to this life to be with his brother, if they didn't get to be together in the past."

"Oh dear," Marisol sighed. "I don't mind as much, but I know his grandmother will."

Kalin gave a half-hearted shrug. "I don't think it will hurt for him to think that, if it makes him happy."

"I hope not," Marisol said. She hesitated. "I know Radley is struggling. How are you faring, Kalin?"

Kalin didn't feel like opening up to someone he barely knew, even though she was Radley's mother. "I'm dealing with it," he replied.

"Radley can definitely use your support," Marisol said.

"He knows he has it," Kalin crisply answered. "We've been talking about everything a lot today."

Marisol looked embarrassed. "Of course. Forgive me; I know you would."

Kalin moved to head past her and follow Radley and the Bunch. "If you've never seen these paintings either, maybe you want to look at them more before your mother closes the room again," he said over his shoulder.

"I have seen them," Marisol said. "They were openly displayed until after Radley was born. Seeing them now, and how they truly do resemble him and you . . . it's very unsettling."

"It is," Kalin agreed. It really made him feel like their portraits had been painted with them unaware. How could even ancestors look this similar?

"When Radley came to us from college and he looked almost exactly like Prince Ramon except for even longer hair, I suppose it's no wonder my mother couldn't deal with it," Marisol sighed. "Of course, how she handled it was inexcusable."

"Yeah." Kalin's voice was dark now.

"And now he wears his hair in the same style as the Prince without originally knowing it," Marisol said.

"And so do I." Kalin paused to look at the portrait of Prince Kalin that Radley had studied earlier. The prince's long blue hair went over his shoulders and down his back. It was a style Kalin had only adopted upon his second revival, and originally only because he hadn't cared about his appearance anymore. But he and Radley both liked how he looked with longer hair and now he had no intention of changing it.

"It is very strange," Marisol said. "I hope you can find the answers to this mystery."

"I think we already know what the answer is," Kalin grunted as he stepped out of the room. "It's mostly a matter of coming to terms with it."

Marisol sighed. "Yes," she acknowledged. "I suppose you are right."