Nonexistent

TWENTY-EIGHT- Zepher

"THE honorary guest speaker?" 

Airis nods, with a proud smile plastered across his perfect features.

"Your Father thinks it is wise to expose you to such experiences. Being the honorary guest speaker at this year's graduating ceremony is a great privilege. The student body will be scared, confused, mislead, as they usually are after the gory Finals. It requires the highest level of persuasion and skill to cause their loyalties to fall back with the government."

"Uh, Airis it's just me. What's with the sudden formality..." 

He ignores me and goes on.

"It is your task, now, to remind them of what they've spent their whole lives working for. A right place in the military. You will also award the top students and announce the Magnus Primes this year."

I try to act unamused, but excitement pulses through my body. I'm actually going to be participating in a public event, actually being of use. Father is actually seeing me as his son, the Heir, and not a rebellious teenager.

Airis continues. "Your Father sees it is fit, that you give the speech. You are the most relatable one in the Royal family, and he thinks of this as a wonderful opportunity. Congratulations on your first public appearance in so long, Your Highness."

I want to tell him simply being their age doesn't make me relatable. I never understood or knew  the harsh conditions they had to live in, the loss they had to suffer, the fear they had to push aside, and the sacrifice they had to make. I couldn't reach the rough hearts of these steel soldiers. 

But I had to try. 

I gulped down, already thinking of opening ideas. This is my duty, as the crown prince of Valburn. 

I guess. 

"Tell me if you need assistance with the speech. I'll be on my way now, Your Highness."

"Call me that again, Airis, and I swear I'm taking you in for identity theft."

Airis chuckles and walks away. "Fine. See you around, Zepher." He waves his hand in the air, without looking back.

"Good improvement."

I hear him laugh as he turns around the corner and vanishes into another corridor. I, on the other hand, walk towards the glass double doors, leading to the palace gardens. I pace around the perfectly-cropped flower bushes and think. How could I reach the hearts of people I could, in no way, relate to? 

After what seemed to be an hour or two of unproductive pondering, I stride into the palace again, desperate to search for Airis. I need the 'assistance' he had offered me earlier.

I knock twice on his office door, and I don't wait for an answer before barging in, but it's empty. Sighing, I turn down the hallway into the East Wing. I pass some guards down the hall.

They bow in synchrony. "Your Highness."

"Excuse me, gentlemen, do you happen to know the whereabouts of Commander Airis?"

"I believe he just finished a meeting with Levi, Your Highness," the dark skinned one on the right says.

"Just Zepher, is fine. And thank you." I start to walk away.

"Our pleasure, Your Highness," the blond one to the left responds, ignoring the request to refer to me by my first name.

I make my way to the meeting hall, and find the door slightly open. I'm about to barge in to Airis, until I hear a bang on the table, which startles me.

I peek into the room to find it empty, except the slightly shaking figure of Airis in the chair at the end of the table. Seems like the meeting is over.

"Celeste, my little girl, I'm so sorry." Airis pounds his fist at the table a second time, making me jump. "I'm so sorry..." 

Celeste. Isn't that...

Then it sparked. Connected. Mason had said she was Rogue's twin sister. 

The loose chains in my brain found the missing links to one another. The little signs. The similar features. The worrying nature. It all made sense now. 

The only Special Deviant we have had in years. A new Special Deviant suddenly comes up, out of no where.

A connection that was right under my nose this entire time.

Airis is Rogue's father.