The time continued to pass while Nero grew up and became taller with each new year. He continued to learn, train, and develop new skills.

It was already his 7th year in this world when he finally decided to learn about his father, about whom his mother and his teacher never told him about. He felt that there was a reason they didn’t tell him and didn’t want to know about it right till the moment, today when he saw how a pair of sons and father in the village. The son was still a baby and Nero saw how he was making his first steps while his father was there to help him and protect him. Nero didn’t know why, but deep inside him he felt pain and made Collin’s horse increase the speed.

He had some time to think about the scene he saw, and he decided to ask his mother. They told him he died, but now he wanted to know why when he died and who he was. So, as soon as he reached his home, Nero found his mother that was cooking meat.

As if feeling that her son was different today, Tiona put away her knife and spent several moments looking at him. In fact, it only strengthened her inner feeling. Tiona sighed and patted the chair near to her. She already knew why her son came.

Nero obeyed her command and sat on that chair when he turned and looked at his mother. He was wondering whether she would tell him the whole truth.

“Are you sure, you want to know it?” asked Tiona as she caressed his hair. “Your life won’t be the same when you learn the truth.”

Nero only firmly nodded without hesitation in his purple eyes. His mother could only sigh, realizing that this time she would need to tell the whole story, and a short phrase like before won’t be enough. Her son was growing.

“Wait, I will return in a moment,” said Tiona as she stood up and disappeared into the near room.

A short time later, Nero saw how his mother returned with a melancholic smile. She an object in her hands. His first reaction was to ask what was it, but soon he realized the way she looked at it connected that to his mother’s story.

Tiona spent several moments looking at it and memorizing her past before releasing a sigh and turning at her son.

“I met him when I returned my adventurer’s badge to the guild and traveled seeking for a place to build my home. I had enough money and was tired of traveling. I wanted to settle down somewhere. I stopped at the small city, opened a weapon shop, bought a house, and started living as a mortal, leaving behind my past. That days were peaceful. I lived in that shop with no worries,” explained Tiona with a melancholic smile.

Nero’s brow rose a bit when he heard that his mother used to work in the weapon shop and live in a big city. He couldn’t stop wondering how it felt while his mother continued her story.

“Until the day, when a handsome man with black hair and purple eyes came looking for a sword. My shop was the best one in that city and that’s why I met him on that day,” said Tiona with a slight smile at her lips while Nero sat quietly and listened to his mother, understanding that it was not worth interrupting her right now.

“That was the beginning, my son. My first thoughts were that he was just like other young nobles that came to boast their wealth and try to earn my favor by purchasing as much as they could, but he only asked for my name and said that I was beautiful. After that, he left my shop,” said Tiona with the same melancholic smile on her lips.

“I didn’t know why I reacted to his words. Hundreds of young people told me similar phrases to catch my attention, but he succeeded and I memorized him. After that day, years passed, I continued to live and never saw him. My life continued to flow further till when I learned nobles rebelled against the king, killed him, queen, princes, and his daughters, and usurped the throne,” said Tiona as she clenched her fist.

Nero also made an understanding expression on his face. He already read about those events from books that Gustav gave him.

“Soon a huge noble army appeared before the walls of that city and all citizens learned that the last, fifth prince was with them. Nobles came to kill him and eradicate the royal bloodline. Their forces were three times bigger than a garrison, but they underestimated him,” said Tiona with a smile on her lips. “I still remember when the same youth I saw at that day appeared before the huge crowd and addressed them. I still don’t know how, but when he finished speaking, one by one people started joining him, and soon the whole city was on the walls together with a garrison that was loyal to him. I was among them, son. On that day we won, and soon the last prince called for every sword who was still loyal to the crown.”

When Nero heard her, a certain realization struck him, and a shock appeared on his face. He still could not realize that information. The entire world he lived in for his whole life was now crumbling apart. Things that he believed had nothing to do with him changed their meaning. In short, his views were now shattered and crumbling apart under the pressure of the truth, while his mother continued her story.

“During that battle, I distinguished myself and soon he came to award the best warriors. Maybe it was our fate, but when we met each other, he remembered me and immediately proposed me to become his personal guard.” explained Tiona with melancholy on her face. “When I looked inside his eyes, I felt the same feeling I had for him. That’s why I agreed,”

“Beginning from that day, I was always with him, took part in many balls, war councils, and battles always protected him. With each new day, our feelings towards each other grew stronger and soon he proposed to me. I became his wife. Soon, I learned I was pregnant, and we planned to meet my father when our opponents suddenly got help from the north, the Trade Union and we started losing. Loyal generals fell one after another and soon he bid goodbye to join the decisive battle while I stayed behind,” explained Tiona, as she gritted her teeth.

“I spent my days waiting for his return when at one day only his bloody cloak returned to me, the one I sewed for him. If only I were with him. If only I wasn’t pregnant at that moment. He would have lived,” said Tiona as an alone tear fell to the ground. “After his death, I knew our enemies wouldn’t sleep well if I was still alive, so I escaped together with the last loyal knights. They protected me from chasers, giving their lives, and helped me to survive. Many years later, you appeared here at this mount,” said Tiona as she touched a unique-looking earring before turning and looking at her shocked son, whose feelings were in turmoil.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” asked Nero as he calmed his raging heart and clenched his fists. “When did you plan on telling it if I didn’t come today?”

Tiona watched how her usually calm and clever son lost his composure for the first time in his life. His purple eyes that resembled his so much were now burning with fury.

“To protect you, son. Sometimes, it’s better not to know the truth,” said Tiona as she released a sigh.

“But why do I learn about it only now? I spent my whole life here, reading and training. I always thought that kings, nobles, and others of similar caliber have nothing to do with me. Now I get why I had so many lessons and books about history. Mother, I can see that you loved him. Right?” asked the boy as he looked at his mother with his trembling from fury hands. Mother’s pained expression was an obvious answer. “I will revenge him, mother. Even though I don’t know him, but I don’t doubt he would have become a great father.”

Tiona watched how her son, looking calm from the outside, but raging from the inside, was leaving and raised her hand when he was near the door, pinning him to his spot.

“Nero, since you already know the truth, understand that your parents’ enemies won’t let you live. They will use all their resources to hunt you down if they learn about your existence. My son, you are the lost prince in whom the real royal bloodline flows,” said mother as she raised an earring and let Nero turn at her. “He gave this earring as a gift to his future son. It’s a family heritage passed from father to his son. It’s yours now. Please forgive me for hiding the truth. All my actions were only for your sake.”

A moment later, a unique-looking object flew and landed on Nero’s hands when he felt how once again he could move his body. The boy took the earring and turned away when he heard his mother’s voice at the door.

“Remember, my words. The strong rule the weak. If you want to revenge on your father, you should be much stronger than I or your teacher are now. Our enemies will kill you otherwise.” said Tiona as she watched how her son disappeared behind the door. She could only sigh and feel more exhaustion on her shoulders after this short conversation. She ended her son’s peaceful years herself and knew what would most likely happen next because he was his son and, as Gustav said before, his blood was thick in him.

...

..

.

Wind ticked his face as usual, but unlike before, Nero paid no attention to it and just continued to increase his speed as he galloped towards the pond. He couldn’t still believe it. A small story has changed everything. Before, he just wanted to learn a bit about his father, but now when he heard it, he couldn’t stop from clenching his fists and teeth. He wanted to blame his mother, teacher, villagers, the entire world, and those nobles who killed his father.

He felt betrayed because his mother hid such an important secret together with his teacher, who should have known whose son was he. He felt enraged at his inability to revenge his father and felt fury when he released that everything his father and his ancestors were working on was destroyed. Thanks to his lessons with his teacher, he knew usurpers were sitting on the throne, and now he felt as if his childhood dreams when was wondering how it felt to live in a palace as a prince were stolen.

Even though he was still a seven-year-old boy, he differed from his peers. His teacher taught him many things, including politics, a hierarchy of the kingdom, and palace intrigues. The purple-eyed boy understood well what happened to his father and what would happen to him if get caught.

His mother was right. Those nobles who betrayed his father will kill him as soon as they learn about him. He was a living threat to them. That’s why he needed strength and he needed to get it as soon as possible. Right now, it was no longer the question of revenge, but also the question of his and his mother’s survival.

While it buried deep Nero in his thoughts, his horse has already reached the pond and stopped near the stone. The boy came back to his senses and climbed down to sit at his usual spot and throw some stones. It was his ritual when he needed to think about something or calm down.

As soon as he started throwing them. Nero tried to rethink everything he heard from his mother.

They killed his father. Well, even though he never saw him, his mother loved him. Sometimes, he saw how his mother looked at the moon and how lonely she seemed at those rare moments. Now he knew the truth. Those bastards left a huge wound in her heart, the one if not for his existence that would kill her. For him, that was a good reason for revenge.

He is still too weak. Only, for now, Nero vowed to himself to get stronger.

Do those usurpers have huge armies? He would use all the skills he learned from his teacher, make a fortune, find resources, and step-by-step start his revenge plan. Maybe hundreds of years from now or even 500 hundred years, Nero promised to himself that he will eradicate the whole families of those usurpers. The seven-year-old boy changed at that moment. His face became serious as he furrowed his brows while an uncertain glint appeared in his eyes. The boy was growing up mentally.

With each new stone that hit the water, Nero felt how was calming down and how his thoughts were slowly returning to order.

As soon as he raised his last stone and planned to return