Nixiesocean: So, er, here I am at my 14th Birthday party… I locked my friends (except 1) out of the computer room… so here I am… again… typing up this author's note, and I really have no reason whosesoever for making it… So, uh, onto chapter 7!

Chapter 7: The Untold Story

"You're my son too, Tristan. You're a twin." The words echoed in Tristan's mind. Was it true? It that why he and Perhin had gotten along? It was impossible, unreal and unfeasible. How many words could describe the unobtainable? Whether it was from lack of blood or just sheer shock, Tristan passed out.

-later-

"I have every right to see him, prince, you can't stop me, now get out of the way!" Ditri's angry voice roused him. It was oddly comforting knowing that Ditri would fight the prince –his brother, he reminded himself– to see him.

"I'm dreadfully sorry, princess. You can't see him." Perhin's calmer voice replied.

"And why the damn not?" Ditri asked. He could hear her pushing past Perhin to get to his bedside. "He's as important to me as to you, or the kingdom for that matter!"

"No, Princess Ditri, as Crown Prince-"

"Who the hell said you were the Crown Prince? I don't recall such a ceremony being spoken about in Guen."

"Well, I…"

"Exactly, my lovely asshole, now MOVE IT!"

Tristan, finally tired of the fighting, roused himself. "I'm awake, you two, now stop fighting." He opened his eyes after sitting up. He had no trace of the knife-wound. Ditri, in all her beauty, was behind Perhin, who was blocking her from him. Perhin, now distracted, had let down his arms.

"Oh, Tristan, you're awake." He gave a tight smile. Ditri seized the moment and ran to Tristan's bedside. "I'm glad." Liar.

"Tris!" Ditri practically leapt onto him, while he was still in his bed. "I'm so happy you're awake." Oh how he loved her. "The king and queen haven't heard yet." She turned to Perhin. "Oh, sweetheart, you're not busy. Run off like a good little prince and inform your parents that Tristan has woken." She gave him a wicked smile. "Thank you, lovely." Perhin growled, but complied.

He yawned. "Don't you think you're being a little rude, sweet?" He loved Ditri. He always would love Ditri. She turned to him, only then did he notice she was lying on the bed with him. She kissed him on the lips, quickly, so as not to get caught. She stood and walked to the chair, sitting with unearthly grace. The king and the queen walked in. The queen still looked scared from the attack, but the king, a knight and a strongly built man, kept her calm. Perhin didn't return.

"We're glad you are awake…son." She seemed welcoming of such a term. Tristan opened his mouth to talk, the queen held up her hand. "Tristan, please. Let me explain." The queen took Ditri's seat, which she had vacated upon the entry of the royal couple. "On the night you and Perhin were born, Clemone and I had heard of a plot to overthrow us. It wasn't like Clemone and I were horrid rulers, just that some people hadn't liked us together. Anyways, we sent you to a commoner family. That was hard. No one knew I had twins, but we had to have a maid who had recently had a baby to take her. Considering, if Clemone or I took you, you wouldn't be raised as you have." Everyone was quiet, even Ditri hadn't heard this yet. "Perhin stayed with us." Duh. "We quieted down the attempts to assassinate us. We hired your "family" to work in the palace so you could get training with Perhin so that when the time was right, we could announce to the country of Auszin our new Crown Prince. But, Perhin demanded that he be named Crown Prince and he have the lovely Ditri here as his wife. We had to agree to the marriage terms, though we left he demand for the royal inheritance unanswered. Three nights ago, Perhin came to me saying he had found you and the princess in a hayloft. I had suspected that if you were sent, Tristan, that she would love you." It was a blow to the heart. Ditri felt it too. The queen had felt she could be a matchmaker, and it had worked. "The problem was getting our other son away. We had him run an "ermergency" errand so you could be sent in his stead. We wanted to announce you as the Crown Prince when you arrived, but Perhin got home early and met you and the princess at the gates. It was trying. That three-night-ago scene showed me what I really had made happen. Perhin fell in love with the Princess Ditri, while she loved you." Ditri was gaping by this time. "When you ran for the knife, I felt like I would lose you. It is a dread thing for a parent to outlive a child. When I told you the truth, you passed out, and here you are. My, nay our, son."

"So," Ditri started, unbelieving her fantastic luck. "He's the Crown Prince?" The queen nodded. She could barely contain the urge to smother Tristan in kisses. "And I'm engaged to him?" Again, the queen nodded. "Then why did you say Perhin wanted me as his wife."

"We altered his marriage terms. We said you were to be wed 'To the Crown Prince of Auszin'. He took it as himself, when in truth, we meant Tristan."

Tristan sat up. "So, I'm to be wed to Ditri." The queen, yet again, nodded. "So what is to become of Perhin?"

"That is yet to be decided." The queen stood, and accompanied by the king, left.

"I'll tell you what is to become of me, Tristan." Perhin's voice rang out from the doorway. "I will rule Auszin and you will die, old and alone, in my dungeons. And you, Ditri, will be my lovely wife." He approached. Diri defiantly put her chin up.

"You'll do no such thing." She yelled. The door was open. "You'll turn around and walk out that door, Perhin, and you will complietly tell your parents how glad you are to be their son! Then, you will send a letter to my parents saying you are not the Crown Prince and, in fact, your valet is the Crown Prince. After that, you will meet me in my seating room. Do you have all that?" Each word that lashed from her tongue forced Perhin backwards. She stepped forwards and pushed him out the door, shutting it with a slam. Then she turned to a stunned Tristan. She lay on the bed with him again, no longer fearing being caught kissing him. "I love you, Tris, I do."

After a brief, but loving, kissing interlude, Tristan fell into a healing slumber. Ditri slipped off to her rooms, to meet, the hopefully compliant, Perhin.

­-In Princess Ditri's Seating Room-

She walked in. The first thing that surprised her was Perhin sitting in a chair. The second was the state the room was in. Perfect, nothing was messed up. "Hello, Perhin." She greeted calmly.

"Hello, Ditri." He had always used her title, never her name alone. What was he up to? She kept standing; he took it as an invite to stand as well. "Why did you want to see me?"

"Only to remind you that the wedding is off. Because," she smiled, "You aren't the Crown Prince."

"Yes, thank you for that one." He advanced. She was backed to the wall. He was breathing on her. "Did I ever tell you how wonderful you look?" She turned to her right, his arm was there, pinning her to the palace's wall. He brought his lips heavily onto hers, bruising her lips. She started to cry. He pressed her harder to the wall, despite her best efforts. She had enough air to scream before passing out.