This was supposed to be posted yesterday, but I ended up falling asleep as soon as I got home.

Also, this was the original end to the story, but with comments and conversations I've been having, there will be MINIMUM, three or four more chapters. They are no longer on a set update schedule as I have not finished writing them and I need to get them beta'd. I will try to continue with my every two weeks.

Next chapter: Hopefully, January 24th.

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Chapter 4 - Do you see (what I mean)

Lavi and Bookman boarded the train mid-afternoon on the sixth and final day of the Gathering in silence. They had hardly spoken since Bookman had nearly ripped a new hole in Lavi's body, but the old man had promised to go more into depth about why that was at a later date when they were not in the Centre. And when he had had time to calm down and collect his thoughts.

"Lavi, you nearly disgraced me," Bookman said, catching the attention of his apprentice.

"I'm sorry."

"You need to do more research on the Gatherings when we get back. Another Gathering like this one and you will not be allowed back, ever."

Lavi could only nod. The entire ride back to the Bookman Headquarters was silent and awkward for Lavi. Okay, so maybe he should have paid more attention to the rules he had read, but he had been certain that most of the rules had been over written, like most in town.

"Gramps, I'm still not sure what happened."

Bookman took a long drag from his pipe. "The Gathering, the most successful military feat and peace offering. It was established by the current Red King's grandfather and maintained by all four nations. If even one was not in agreement to the yearly festival and political talk, they would disband it. They all still feel strongly about it, but there are catches. They do not publicly speak about the mines, the winds, the fighting techniques or the culture of the Reds.

"Can you tell me why each has their secrets?" Lavi pushed.

Book glared at Lavi. "Everyone has secrets."

"What do you know of them? There's no way you don't know."

"Will you promise to stop being infuriating?" Bookman growled.

Lavi nodded. He was thirsty for knowledge and would swear anything to get it.

"As I said, the Kingdom of Orange does not speak of the locations of their mines as they have sacred duties and ceremonies associated with the mining. They feast and party for seven days before they excavate for a month straight. They do all this on sacred ground, ground that those uninvited are not allowed to tread." Bookman walked around the office.

"How do you know this?"

"By biding my time and asking for nothing, by being humble. I was invited to the ceremony once, about thirty years ago. I was not allowed within the mines as I am not a miner and only the royal family, their supports and the miners are allowed, but the miners told me that it is unlike anything they have ever seen. The mines are incredibly dangerous, but they don't care. While they mine, they say it's like working within the heavens themselves."

"That sounds amazing."

"And the Wind Riders, they must be a certain weight within twenty pounds, but they also must pray to specific spirits who control the wind."

"That is incredibly restrictive."

"It's also for their own safety. It doesn't mean that if you are outside those limits you can't ride the wind, you just have to keep in mind it won't be as easy. If you are too light, you have to weigh yourself down a little and if you are too heavy, it's going to be more along the lines of wind gliding."

"And the Halidom of the Lotus? What is their deal?"

"You have to prove your worth in some way if you are not born a Lotus citizen. They are an incredibly proud nation. Just look at the Royal Support, Kanda Yuu. He is a perfect representation of their culture. He is a strong fighter, does not back down if he can still stand, but also, is proud."

"And the Red Kingdom? The Royal family? What do you know of them?" Lavi asked.

Bookman was silent, thinking, contemplating. "There isn't much I know. King Marian had a wife, named Maria who died about eleven years ago. That was when the King announced his son's existence. I always found that suspicious. If the King had an heir, wouldn't that have been announced at his birth or even near the conception?"

"Yeah, that does sound suspicious. Just who is his son?"

"A firecracker of a young lad. He would be a young man now, about seventeen or so."

"You don't know?"

"I've only met him face to face once before. He was a small creature, he hid behind the King the entire time I was there and the times I visited after, he was always away or ill. He took ill about six months after his mother's death. Apparently her death has weakened him considerably and they are saying that he might have contracted what she had."

"He's been ill for the last twelve years?"

"Yes. Another thing I find suspicious, but it's not my place to delve anymore into the secrets of the Royal family. They are hurting no one."

Lavi was slightly put off by the limited knowledge he had been given, but then what kind of Bookman Apprentice would he be if he was always handed information on a plate. He could work with this since now he had somewhere to start.

Lavi went to walk out of the office, but Bookman stopped him.

"You are not going anywhere, we still have to discuss your next research project. If you would wait for just a moment." Bookman walked over to his desk and shuffled around some paper.

Sighing, Lavi listened and took a seat in a cushy black seat against the wall and picked up a random book to entertain him while Bookman sorted out the paper and searched for what he was looking for. Silence dominated the small office, and Lavi thought he should do something about it.

"I am sorry. I got over confident."

"I am not the one you need to apologize to."

Bookman and Lavi could hear heavy footsteps coming down the hallway, but thought nothing of it. Bookman went to tell whoever it was to quiet down, but as he opened the door, he instantly recognized the insignia on the breast of the individual and dropped to his knees.

"My prince, what do we owe this pleasure?" Bookman asked the Prince of the Red Kingdom..

The Prince, looked down at him and held out a hand. "Rise, Bookman, you are not to bow to me. You are aware of this."

Bookman took the Prince's hand and rose to shake it. "I will always bow to you, my prince. I thank you for the donation into our arts program. No one else would donate."

"You know more than anyone my love of the arts, Bookman. I could not ever bare to watch them fade away." The prince sounded happy.

"Thank you." Bookman pat the Prince's hand and shook it again.

That was when the prince turned his attention to Lavi and his mood changed to one of anger. Lavi had dropped his gaze as soon as the prince had walked in, but not before noting the short, red hair, similar shade to that of the Red King's, though a little darker. The black jacket hugged the figure of the prince as he walked briskly and the red collar shirt with the top two buttons undone were paired with dark pants and Lavi stared at the boots the prince wore. He could see the hidden heel which hinted that the Red Prince was shorter than he let on. Inferiority complex due to height? He clearly had not inherited his father's height, which meant he had his mother's but Lavi thought she was a tall woman too. Was his lacking stature due to the illnesses?

"You must be the apprentice I've heard about. The one with the questions." Click, click, click of the heels alerted Lavi of the prince approaching.

"This is Lavi, my prince. This was his first Gathering."

"I can tell. My father tells me that you were nosey with our jester. I would advise you to stand down." The Red Prince got in Lavi's face, but Lavi wasn't looking.

"Yes…yes, your highness. I apologize, I was out of line and let my curiosity get the better of me." Lavi bowed to the Prince.

"Don't let it happen again, or you will never be allowed near the Gathering ever again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, I apologize, my prince."

"Good. I must take leave as I have further business to attend to here, but I will be watching. If I hear you are being an invasive little parasite, I will not hesitate to ask for your removal from the Bookman Clan."

Lavi looked up when the Red Prince said that, not knowing if he could or not, but as soon as they made eye contact, Lavi froze.

The Prince continued to glare until his guard informed him that his father wanted to see him.

"I will be keeping an eye on you." With a flourish of his coat, he marched out of the room and Lavi couldn't hear him make his way down the hallway, his mind still reeling.

"I would be careful, Lavi. Though he is only a Prince, he is one of only two royal children." Bookman cleared his throat. "With there only being two royal children, they both tend to be spoiled by those around them. As the Bookman Clan, we live in the outskirts of the Orange and Wind Kingdoms, which means, stupid apprentice that we have not one, but two sets of Royals to answer to."

Bookman realized that Lavi was not listening.

"Hey! Have you heard a word I said?"

Lavi turned to him and stared.

"The Prince is the Clown."

And suddenly, everything made sense.

The Clown of the Crooked Crown was the Red Prince, Prince Allen.