Edmund was first to walk out. He turned and looked at Mathias, seeing him in a whole new light. Why hadn't he made the connection before? The boy looked just like him. It was obvious. He walked and stood in front of Mathias, simply looking at him. Then Elaina walked out and looked at the two of them.

Right then, Mathias knew his suspicions to be true...

Today was his birthday—he was thirteen—but he felt uneasy. The night before, Mathias had been eavesdropping on servants doing their rounds. They had stopped right in front of the tapestry he was hiding behind. He had taken to exploring the vast secret passages that stemmed throughout the palace. He had gotten lost many times but now knew the best places to hide and listen in on private conversations. He had learned many things by sitting behind this one tapestry—which was very cliché, he thought, but very effective—and tonight was one of those things.

"Have you heard the rumors, Bian?" asked one called Brendan.

"The ones about Queen Elaina?" replied Bian.

"Yes, yes. Are any of them true?" Brendan asked eagerly.

"I'm not sure what you heard, but they say that," he looked around then lowered his voice further so that Mathias had to press his ear against the tapestry to hear. "That about thirteen years ago, when the Tisroc (may he live forever) left on some diplomatic envoy, there were noises heard coming from Queen Elaina's chambers. I believe it was the man she left so many years ago. After all, her brother forced her to marry the Tisroc (may he live forever)."

"Yes, I remember that," Brendan agreed.

"Do you know what this could mean?"

"No, what?"

"It could mean that Prince Mathias is not the son of the Tisroc (may he live forever) and therefore not the true heir to the throne."

"Then he would be the heir to another throne. Is there any speculation on who this mystery man could have been?" he asked incredulously.

"They say that he is a Narnian of great stature, either a duke or a king, I cannot remember. I do not understand how things are run smoothly with two kings and two queens. It is—"

Mathias stopped listening and fell back into the darkness of the corridor hidden behind the tapestry. He leaned against a cold stone wall and slid to the floor. His breath came short and his mind reeled with questions. Was it true? Who was the man his mother had left behind? What if this mystery man was his real father? Part of him dreaded the thought; it would mean that his mother had lied to him for all these years. But at the same time, he almost wished it was true. The man he had called father was a brutal man with no respect for anyone or anything but himself. He had overly sharp features: a beak shaped nose, a lean, pointed jaw, and eyes that burned a hole through everything that they came in contact with. Mathias looked nothing like him. His eyes were big and gray, soft and gentle, his nose straight and only slightly pointed, highly unlike the other children "Father" had. They all looked like him and acted like him as well and Mathias had never fit in. things began to make sense.

Now, as he walked up the dwindling stairs into the owlry, he wondered what he would find in his mother's private study. His "father" had given it to her (when he was in a good mood) for her own use and she forbade anyone other than her from entering. But he had to know the truth. When he tried the door, it was locked, but he had done some lock picking in his day. Within moments, the door was open and he was amongst a sea of hundreds of letters, piled and scattered across the floor. He headed straight for the drawing desk, locking and closing the door behind him. He stood above an obviously recent letter from…Edmund. He picked it up and sat down in the chair. He felt a jolt of nervousness and excitement go down his spine as he read:

My Dearest Elaina,

Can you believe that it has been thirteen years since we last met? It feels like an eternity. I haven't much time. Knowing that you are in Telmar sickens me to no end. You do not belong there; you belong here, with me. One day, I swear to you, I am coming and I will kill that evil toad, knowing he has hurt you in a way that no one should ever have to feel. The more and more I think about it, the deeper I am driven into insanity. Elaina, I do not even know what to say other than that I love you more than anything and I cannot stand back and let this happen. You will not be there much longer. I swear on Aslan's mane.

Forever Yours,

Edmund

His heart pounded in his chest. This was him. The man who his mother had been with thirteen years ago, and they were still in love. He was coming, and he wanted revenge.

"I can't let this happen," he whispered quietly to himself. As much as he disliked the Tisroc and his children, he could not allow a mindless slaughter to occur, no matter how terrible they all were. He put the letter back on the desk and found a fresh sheet of parchment, scrawled out a quick note, shoved it in his pocket, and went back down to his birthday feast. He was leaving tonight.

Five minutes later…

Elaina went up to her study, already sick of guests. They were all so fake and smug around her. She knew that they did not care for her, but need they be so rude? It was simply etiquette that—something was wrong here. Her chair…it was warm. Someone had been sitting here very recently and they had read her letter from Edmund. She looked to the door as her pulse quickened. For a moment, she panicked, unsure of what to do. She took a deep breath, and thought to herself, I cannot stay here. It isn't safe. She had to leave, as soon as possible. But what about Mathias? As fate would have it, the next morning she found a note from him telling her that he went hunting with some friends.

"I'm leaving," she jumped at the sound of the Tisroc's voice through the door. "See you in eleven months."

She nodded her head slightly, despite the fact that he could not see her. She was leaving tonight.

A/N: I've decided that I want to get this done ASAP so I'm just posting as i get them done even if no one reviews.