16. I'M SORRY
2076 Words
Logan stared at his mother, hoping she would just laugh and tell him she was kidding. It didn't happen and he didn't know what to say.
He looked at Clay and his brother was also looking at him. He didn't understand how that could be possible.
All his life, he has lived as Logan Fairchild, the first son of Gail Fairchild and the king of Mercy, Kelvin Morgan. That was everything that he knew and believed in apart from being a warrior.
He has seen other people discovering that their parents are not their real parents and always thought it would never be him but then life has different ways of surprising someone.
"I'm so sorry I never told you. I loved you so much and I never wanted to lose you and I know that was selfish.
"I promised your mother that I would take you back home once you turned eighteen but when that happened, I couldn't bring myself into keeping that promise."
Logan didn't know what to say, on the other hand, he wanted to tell her that it was okay but he knew that it wasn't.
He's been living a lie for twenty-five years and he wondered what else was a lie about his life. What else were they hiding from him?
Is Logan even his real name?
"When I was fifteen, I told my father that I wanted to join The Protectors, a group of girls tasked to take care of a royal baby born in times of danger.
"At first my father didn't want me to but once I reached the right age, eighteen and the girls in the kingdom were picked, he told me I could join.
"The protectors are kept a secret from outsiders. It was only the king, the queen and my family who knew I was part of the group.
"We worked as servants in the palace to avoid suspicions. The queen was very fond of me, she treated me like her sister.
"A year later, she found out she was expecting and only a few people knew about it. You were a special child even before you were born and she knew your life was in danger.
"She tried protecting you but it was difficult since we had no idea who was putting your life in danger. It was only her, the king and me who knew about the pregnancy and none of us told anybody.
"Your father suggested that she went hiding in order to keep you both safe. Your mother refused at first but she finally understood that she had to keep you safe."
Gail told them about what happened almost twenty-six years ago.
26 years ago... (Before Logan was born)
Eclipse kingdom has always been a kingdom that kept to itself, very few people knew of its existence and they liked keeping it that way.
The current king of the Kingdom, King Gerard Fairchild II and his queen, Queen Cheryl Jenkins-Fairchild had been married for five years without a child.
When she learns that she is pregnant, she tells the only two people she trusts, her husband the king and her personal servant, Ariel Cooper, a secret member of The Protectors.
They are surprised when the queen is attacked while she is taking a stroll around the kingdom and it is evident that the people who attacked her wanted to kill her baby.
What surprises them the most is that none of them said anything about the pregnancy to anybody. The king does the only thing he thinks will keep the baby safe.
"I'm a queen, Gerard and queens don't run from a threat, they face them head-on. I'm not going to be the first queen who runs away from her problems.
"If there are people who want to kill me then let them come and they will know what I'm made of. I will kill every one of them just like I did with those, I don't care how many they are.
"I was born a princess but I was never taught to just wake up, eat and smile at everyone just to prove how much of a good princess I was.
"I was taught to find and like I said, I can handle myself just fine." The king looked at his wife and smiled, he was used to her stubbornness.
"I know you can handle yourself just fine, you've proved that to myself and to those that attacked you and I love you for that, but my love, that's my son in there." he said pointing to her still invisible belly.
"I know you were attacked because of him. I don't know how they knew you are pregnant but we both know they wanted you dead because you carry an heir to the throne, my heir.
"Listen darlin', I'm not asking you to run, I'm merely asking you to protect the bundle of joy you're caring in your beautiful belly.
"We are his parents and it is our duty to protect him. Once he is born, we will have a better chance of protecting him here but for now, please, you need to leave this kingdom as a whole."
The queen knew he was right but she didn't want to leave, she wanted to stay with him. Ever since they got married, they've never been separated, they go everywhere together.
"I hate that I have to leave this kingdom, it has been my home for five years now." She looked at Ariel and she understood that they wanted to be left alone and so she left.
"You know she will be there with you all the way. You will all come back once the baby is born and I will be waiting.
"If you can't come back right away, name him after my great grandfather, Logan Fairchild, the crowned prince of Eclipse Kingdom."
The queen and Ariel left after a few days. After deciding for a few days, they settled for Mercy kingdom and chose the small village Mercia since people didn't really pay attention to it.
Ariel changed her name and used her second name, Gail and the king's last name, Fairchild and she became Gail Fairchild, the younger sister to Lily Fairchild.
Gail started working in the palace as a servant and immediately fell in love with the king of Mercy, King Kelvin Morgan.
The relationship was great even though Gail knew the king was married and that he wasn't going to marry her, she didn't expect anything from him.
Everything changed when she got pregnant with his child, he started behaving strange and always said nasty things to her every day.
She told the queen who was two months pregnant at that time about the pregnancy and the queen promised to help her take care of the baby.
Present time...
"I don't understand. If you were also pregnant then where is your baby? And where is my mother? Did she leave me here with you? Did she ever loved me?"
"Your mother loved you more than anything in the world but she had no choice but to leave you here with me. It was the only way to keep you safe."
"You said that my father promised that they would have a better chance at protecting me once I'm done, what changed?" Logan almost shouted at his mother - or protector as is turned out.
"Your mother was the most wonderful person you could ever meet in your life. I've met so many wonderful people in my life but none of them is like her, not even close.
"A few months before you were born, we realised you were more powerful than any of us ever imagined. We did everything we could to make sure nothing happened to you.
"We prepared for your arrival but we had no idea that you were something that has never been seen for over five hundred years and your mother was not ready for such birth.
"Her labour lasted for five days. I also went into labour two days after her and gave birth to a son, I didn't even get to name him.
"He died a few minutes after that and the queen tried her best to help me with the delivery but there was nothing we could do.
"When she gave birth three days later, her body was already weak. She died an hour later but before she died, she named you Logan Fairchild, the crowned prince of Eclipse Kingdom.
"She made me promise that I would protect you with my life and that I would take you back to our kingdom and your father when you turned eighteen.
"When you didn't show any signs of shifting I just assumed you were like any other normal child so I didn't go back there.
"It was a way of protecting you but it was also so I could live with you forever. When I lost my son, you became my son and I couldn't think about losing you too."
Logan didn't like the tears on her face but there was something he wanted to know if he heard it correctly or if he was just imagining things.
"What do you mean signs of shifting? Shifting to what? Was it supposed to be my idea to go back home? How was I supposed to know I had another family I knew nothing about ever since I was a child?"
"No! That's not what I meant. I mean shifting to your dragon. You're a dragon prince and you were supposed to shift on your eighteenth birthday."
What?! Dragon? How can I be a dragon? I'm just a normal human being with no shifting abilities. Surely if he was somehow a dragon just as she said he would've felt something.
He looked around the room as if he was trying to find a sign that would tell him that he was dreaming or maybe hallucinating because there was no way that could be true.
He didn't even know dragon shifters existed and it never occurred to him that there might be something not normal or not human about him.
Everyone in the room wore a shocked expression except for two people, Alex and Gail. It was clear that Axel knew everything.
Is he also a dragon? Is my mom a dragon too? Maybe they are playing a prank on me and they will burst out laughing any moment from now.
When that didn't happen, Logan decided to ask the question in his mind.
"Are you also dragons?"
Axel and Gail looked at each other before nodding their heads. Logan couldn't believe he'd been living with her for years now and he never suspected anything.
Some things started making sense though, Gail never took him to any hospital all his life. She has always taken care of him, attended to his injuries no matter how severe they were.
He also healed fast that most people and he always wondered how that happened. His injuries have never left any scar and someone would think he is someone who is always indoors, someone who knows nothing about battles and wars.
"I know that you've realised everything now, the fast healing, the big appetite, the tolerance to fire and cold winters, quick reflexes.
"Every dragon shifter has those. You've always been a dragon shifter and even though you have never shifted, your dragon is there.
"I always thought you would never shift but I guess that's because I never said anything and the fact that I've also avoided shifting ever since I came to live here.
"I couldn't take the risk of being seen flying around the kingdom. Nobody knows of our existence here and if I get caught, every shifter in this world would be in trouble.
"Your father would have my head before I could even explain why I was seen flying."
My father. It feels strange to know there's someone out there who is my real father.
He has always considered the king of Mercy to be his father even though he never fulfilled his duties as a father.
Logan noticed that Axel shifted in his seat as soon as Gail talked about Logan's father. Gail seemed to notice it too.
"What happened to my father?" The words came out of Logan's mouth before he could even stop them.
He didn't even know his real father yet calling him his father felt natural.
- Writer
