A mysterious, cloaked and hooded man approached the city that day. It had not changed at all in the past year, at least not any more than the rest of the world had changed during that time.
It was nearly time. He had a letter from Duke Fabre granting a short audience, which would get him into the city without revealing himself. He walked into the town and approached the elevator that led directly to the upper level, right by the Duke's manor home. As expected, a guard stopped him.
"What business do you have on the upper level?" the guard asked him. The man said nothing, merely showing the guard the letter with Duke Fabre's seal for the guard to look over, and the guard did look the letter over. "Ah, the Duke informed me of a unknown visitor this day. You may pass, the Duke is expecting you." The Duke had indeed informed the guards about this visitor, which had the guards wondering what news this mysterious visitor had.
The man said nothing; he merely took the letter and got onto the elevator. He knew that next he would have to speak with the white knight by the manor entrance. The elevator took him to the upper level. From there he went right to the manor and showed the letter to the white knight before even being stopped. The knight looked the letter over and then escorted the visitor to the drawing room where Duke and Madame Fabre awaited him.
Duke Fabre stood up as he arrived. "I have been awaiting you. Who might you be that you have news of my sons? Princess Natalia said one of them was dead, and had no idea what happened to the other, and she was there."
He did not answer, instead he merely removed the cloak and allowed Duke and Madam Fabre a good look at his long red hair and green eyes. Madam Fabre gasped and Duke Fabre stood there in astonished silence for a moment.
"Luke?" Susanne said to him after a moment. "Oh it's so good to know you are alive!" Susanne could not help herself, she went up to him and held him tightly.
"Mother…I'm sorry I did not return sooner." He said to her.
"Luke, it's okay, you are here now, I am sure you had your reasons." Susanne said to him. "It is a shame Natalia is away, she was so worried that she lost both of her dearest childhood friends, she has been looking for any evidence, one way or another…"
"Mother, that wasn't what I meant. Natalia will find who she is looking for, she should have found him last night. Both of us are alive."
"But how? That is not possible!" Duke Fabre exclaimed.
"Natalia likely told you how I was killed by Oracle soldiers who were all to happy to kill the traitor, and that Luke remained behind to free Lorelei and she did not know what happened from there…"
"That is indeed what she told us." Susanne said. "But the dead do not come back."
"I don't know how it happened either, I just know I woke up again, alive and mostly well, in Luke's arms after Lorelei was freed. That is what took us so long to come back, it took me some time to regain my strength to be able to come here, but I am indeed your original son who was kidnapped ten years ago and returned for a short while because I was forced to by my own replacement, and I wished I could have stayed." He said to them.
"You will be staying now, right?" Susanne said to him. "I could not bear it if both of you left again, and both of my sons are welcome here as long as they wish to stay."
"I returned with the intent to take my place as your son, and to fulfill my promise to Natalia. Luke wishes to live his own life now, with Tear, if she will have him, but he should be coming by for a visit soon within the next week or so to explain further."
Susanne smiled. "Tear is a good woman, if she makes him happy, then that is all that matters. I knew that after the last time he left, he likely would not come back to live here, but I won't let anyone say anything bad about him for following his heart."
"I am sure he will appreciate that."
"You look tired, dear, would you like to rest a bit before we talk more about everything?" Susanne asked.
"Yes, Mother, I would appreciate that."
"Do you want your old room, or should I show you to a new room?"
"I wouldn't feel right in that one, it belongs to another now."
"Of course, and that brings up another issue, both of you share the same name, at least as far as the name we gave you. But as far as others are concerned, we have two sons the same age, not one son and his replica. Have you considered that and what you should be called now?" Susanne asked.
"Yes, we discussed that. We both are too well known by the names we used during our journeys, it would be too hard to change, while at heart I am still your son Luke, it would not be right to called that anymore, as many know that name to be the one my replica, I mean brother, has. So I will instead be known as Asch fon Fabre."
Susanne nods. "As you wish. Once Natalia returns, I will bring her by for a visit, then we can worry about everything else, but I imagine you want to tell Natalia for yourself."
Asch nodded. "You still can read me well, Mother, even after all these years apart."
Susanne smiled "Because you and your brother are more alike than you think, but I also won't forget how much you cared for Natalia when you were young, you were very close, she and Luke didn't get close until their journey and she came to accept him as a different person, not you." They arrived at the room. "Now get some rest so you can be at your best when Natalia returns. I am sure she will be happy to see you again, she missed you greatly"