(Finished) The Chronicles of Caspinar Lost and Found -- (Author) Caspinarian

[llsadmin]

############################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################
Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jun 3, 2018 at 11:16 PM
Content: This is the first in my series of fairy tales for littles revolving around incontinent twin princes in the fictional European country Caspinar (and now you understand my screen name).

Lost and Found
Chapter One
Oskar and His New Friend
Oskar sat quietly, trying to decide if he believed what was happening or not. Only a little bit ago, a long, black car had stopped at the sidewalk where he was standing with his wet pants in full view. He was running an errand for his dad when he had his accident, and he was trying to decide what to do when the limo came into view. Everything that happened after that was more than he could have ever imagined. And now he was sitting in the limousine beside a boy his own age who had introduced himself as Prince Sebastian, the visiting son of Prince Alexander of Caspinar, the larger country that bordered Oskar’s own Marganta. The first thing Oskar noticed was how much the prince reminded him of the image he saw in the mirror every day. Sebastian’s face was amazingly similar to his own, as was the dark brown hair, although Oskar’s was long and Prince Sebastian’s was short. This helped Oskar overcome his initial embarrassment at being seen in wet pants by such an important person, although he still felt very uncomfortable.

“How old are you?” the prince asked him.

“Eight,” Oskar replied shyly.

“Really? Me too! Listen, Oskar, don’t embarrassed,” Prince Sebastian assured him again. “I have accidents too.”

“You do?” Oskar had exclaimed in a quiet voice.

“Yes. In fact, I had one a few minutes ago,” Sebastian said with a hint of embarrassment in his own voice. “I saw you and noticed how much we look alike, and then I saw your pants. Why are you standing out here like this?”

Oskar’s eyes dropped, and he stared into the blackness of the car. In a tiny, hopeless voice, he said, “My dad will be mad.”

“Because you had an accident?” the prince asked in surprise.

The other boy nodded slightly, his head hung low.

A tall man in a dark suit who was sitting across from the prince now moved closer to the window. “Oskar, my name is Roland. I’m one of His Highness’s guards. You said your dad will be mad. What will he do when he finds out about your accident?” The boy said nothing and stared blankly at the door of the car, as if he was trying to immerse himself in the oblivion of its black color. “Oskar, I asked you a question,” Roland said in a gentle voice. “What will your dad do?” No words escaped from his mouth, but the way Oskar acted and the tear that had begun to roll down his cheek gave the guard a disturbing idea of what the answer would have been if the little boy had dared to say it.

“Wait here for a moment, please,” said the guard. Roland turned away and dialed a number on his mobile phone. He talked quietly to the person on the other end for a minute or two before hanging up and whispering something to the prince. Finally, Oskar heard the other boy exclaim, “Yeah, let’s ask him!” Then looking out at the boy on the sidewalk again, Prince Sebastian said excitedly, “Oskar, Roland said that you can come with us and clean up if you want! I have some clothes at my hotel that will probably fit you, and then maybe your dad won’t get mad. What do you say? Do you want to go home with me?”

Of course, Oskar, his eyes wide with surprise, had said yes, and now he was sitting across from the prince in his limousine. To his shock, they hadn’t even made him sit on a towel, assuring him that the car seat could be cleaned at the hotel. “It’s not the first time they’ve had to clean the seat after an accident,” the other boy said.

Oskar glanced at Sebastian’s pants and saw no sign of wetness. “You said you had an accident too, but your pants aren’t wet,” he said curiously.

The other boy, whose clothes looked very nice and expensive, blushed a little and replied, “I’m wearing a Drynite. I have a lot of accidents because I have something called urge incontinence, so I have to wear them all the time in case I wet.”

“Oh,” Oskar said. “So even when you wet, your pants don’t show it. I wish I had those because I have a lot of accidents too.”

Now Roland, the prince’s bodyguard, spoke from his seat next to Oskar. “Have you ever seen a doctor for your accidents, Oskar?”

The boy shook his head.

“Why not?” Roland asked.

“I don’t know. My dad never took me.”

“Do you live alone with your dad?”

Oskar nodded.

“What happened to your mother?”

“She died when I was little.”

Roland looked at Oskar in a strange way and asked him, “Does your dad ever hit you?”

The little boy hesitated, looking from the guard to the other boy.

“It’s okay, you can tell me.”

Oskar looked at Roland and slowly nodded.

The bodyguard frowned and murmured something to himself about a monster. “Well, no one is going to hit you now. We’ll take you back to the hotel with us and get you cleaned up.”

“Oh, yippie! I get to have a guest!” Prince Sebastian exclaimed, jumping up from his seat and throwing his arms around Oskar. Roland, who had earlier tried to keep the young prince separate from the stranger, made no move to stop him or split the boys up again.

When they arrived at the hotel, they took a service entrance from the garage up to Sebastian’s suite, as far away from any security threats as possible. Oskar, of course, was grateful for this because he didn’t want anyone else to see the wet streak running down his pants legs. He had never been in a hotel before and quickly glanced around the hallways as they walked, impressed by the decor and the cleanliness. That, of course, was nothing compared to what greeted him when he stepped into the Grand Regent Suite, with its marbled floors, lush carpeting, and enormous windows overlooking the lake down below. But he didn’t have much time to take all this in as he was quickly introduced to Ilsa, the prince’s nanny, a short but thin woman with long, dark hair who looked neither very young nor very old. Roland had called the rest of the prince’s staff while the car was en route, so she was expecting them.

“I’ve laid out a fresh Drynite for you, Your Highness,” she said to Sebastian. “I’ll leave you to change while I take Oskar to clean up.” The nanny then led him quickly through the largest, most beautiful bedroom he had ever seen to a bathroom that was about half the size of the little apartment he shared with his dad. Ilsa asked him if he could wash himself, and Oskar assured her that he could. She instructed him to undress and turned to start the shower for him. He was still pulling his pants off when she turned back to him, and she patiently waited until he dropped them into a bag she held out for him. He looked up at her, and she laughed slightly. “The underpants too. There’s no need to be shy. I’ve helped Prince Sebastian out like this many, many times. I’ll take your things and get them washed for you. I don’t think there’s much hope for those,” she pointed to the soggy, yellowed briefs that clung to his skin, “but we’ll get you something fresh to wear.” His cheeks reddening, he pulled his underwear down and off, putting it in the bag with the rest of his clothes. “All right, into the shower. And remember to wash everything very thoroughly, especially your private regions. When you’re finished, just stay in there and give me a little shout, and I’ll come help you dry off.”

Ilsa left the room as Oskar stepped under the warm spray, enjoying the sensation for a bit before lathering up. Everyone was being so nice to him. It was something he wasn’t used to, and even more so from grown-ups. He was feeling something that he had never felt before. He didn’t have a name for it, but it was a good feeling, and he wanted to be as nice to them as they had been to him. He dutifully washed his entire body as the nanny had instructed, rinsed off, and rather awkwardly called out, “Ilsa, I’m finished!”

Within seconds, the door opened as the nanny walked back in, closing it back behind her. “All clean again?” she asked.

“Yeah, all clean,” he parroted.

“All right, let’s get you dried off then!” She pulled a large towel off of a nearby rack and wrapped it around him after opening the glass door. It was fluffy, very soft, and warmer than Oskar expected since he had never heard of a towel-warmer before. Ilsa rubbed the soft towel all over him, quickly drying him off, then helped out step out onto the bath mat. “Now, then,” she said. “we couldn’t find any underwear your size on such short notice, so would you mind wearing one of the prince’s Drynites, at least until we can find some underwear for you?”

“That’s okay,” Oskar said shyly.

Ilsa left him wrapped in the towel as she disappeared into the bedroom and returned carrying a blue garment with a tyrannosaurus rex design on it. She unfolded it and held it out for him as he stepped into it, then she pulled it up his legs. The padding and the stretchy sides were all very soft, softer than his underwear. It felt rather strange, but not uncomfortable. “Perfect fit!” Ilsa said. “You and His Highness are the same size. You two seem to have quite a bit in common. Now, let’s get you some clothes to wear.” As Ilsa helped him pick out an outfit from the prince’s closet, she told him that Sebastian would like him to stay and play.

“My dad will be mad,” Oskar replied in a small, sad voice.

“Don’t worry,” the nanny said cheerfully, “we’ll take care of all of that. You don’t have to stay if you don’t want, but His Highness would enjoy having you around for a while.”

“Well, I guess I could stay for just a while.”

“Good! Now, try these on.” One by one, she handed him a pair of jeans and a T-shirt that fit him perfectly. They were much softer than any of his clothes, and he wondered if the prince would let him keep them, although he didn’t dare ask.

Once Oskar was dressed, Ilsa showed him into the suite’s living area, where the young prince was tapping away on a Playstation controller. He paused the game when Oskar walked up.

“Hello, Oskar. Do you feel better now?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Thank you for letting me borrow your clothes.”

“You’re welcome. But don’t call it borrowing because you can keep them, especially the Drynite,” Sebastian said with a little laugh.

Oskar was embarrassed for a moment before he remembered that his new friend was wearing the same thing under his pants. Still, his cheeks were red for a moment.

“Do you want to play?” asked the prince as he held out a second controller.

“Sure!” Oskar said, his eyes lighting up in excitement. He had no video games of his own, so it was very rare that he had a chance to play, and this opportunity helped him forget his awkwardness. As Sebastian started the game over, he explained that he wasn’t allowed to play very much most of the time since he usually had lessons with his tutor, but he was on break from his lessons and on holiday besides. As they played, Oskar noticed a few people walking around the room, sometimes whispering to each other and occasionally into a phone. The prince paid no attention, so Oskar decided it must be the sort of activity that goes on around royalty all the time and kept his attention on the game they were playing. He wasn’t really preoccupied with his new friend’s title, only caring that he was nice and that they looked so much alike.

After a while, Oskar heard some commotion in the room behind him and glanced around to see what it was. The prince noticed it too and, turning to look, immediately jumped up and exclaimed, “Mummy!” Hearing this made Oskar’s heart start racing. He was going to meet the prince’s mummy? What would he say? How was he supposed to act? She was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen, with light brown hair that fell to her shoulders and bright, hazel eyes that radiated a love of the world they watched. Sebastian resembled her a great deal, and the way she looked and carried herself made her seem kind. But she was looking right at Oskar with a really strange expression on her face. Her eyes were wide and shimmering, and he couldn’t make up his mind if she was about to laugh or cry, although she was smiling.

“Oskar, this is my mother, Princess Eleanor.” Sebastian turned back to his mother. “Mummy, this is my friend Oskar.”

The Princess stepped forward and bent down towards him. “Hello, Oskar. Roland told me that we had a guest. I’m very glad to meet you and have you visit us.” She spoke slowly and softly, with a slight quaver in her voice.

Oskar didn’t understand why the princess was acting so strangely. Had he done something wrong? He tried to speak, but no words came out, which was just as well because he had no idea what to say to this woman. His little heart was pounding, and he suddenly realized that his Drynite was wet. This unexpected meeting had caused him a lot of stress, and he had had another accident right in front of this important woman. The embarrassment overwhelmed him, and tears flowed down his cheeks as he stammered, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Alarmed, Princess Eleanor asked, “What’s wrong, Oskar? Why are you crying?”

Unable to admit what he had done, he continued to cry, apologizing between sobs. Ilsa, having been standing nearby, stooped down to him and said softly, “Did you have another accident?”

Crying harder than ever, Oskar nodded furiously. He felt himself gathered into a strong hug as he heard the princess say, “It’s all right. You just have a little problem. The same one your brother has.”

Hearing this confused him enough that he stopped sobbing and looked up, tears still flowing down his cheeks. “But I don’t have a brother, your highness.”

“Actually,” she replied, tears in her eyes as well. “You have two brothers. Your older brother’s name is Lukas, and you’ve already met your twin here.”

“Your Highness!” said a man standing a few feet away.

“I’ve seen all I need to see, Herbert,” she said. “He looks exactly like Sebastian, he sounds like Sebastian, and he clearly has a similar condition. He even cries the same way! This is my son!”

More confused than embarrassed now, Oskar looked at the princess. “Your son?”

“Yes!” she said excitedly, smiling broadly.

“But my mother was Sonja,” Oskar said hesitantly.

The princess kissed his forehead and said, “Why don’t we get you cleaned up, and then I’ll explain? Ilsa?”

He was handed off to the nanny, who guided him back into the bedroom. As they left the room, he could hear the young prince asking, “Mummy? What’s going on?” The answer came from a voice that could not hide its excitement, saying that he would find out in a few minutes.

Ilsa helped Oskar change and hurried him back out to the living room.

“Better now?” Princess Eleanor asked.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Oskar said.

“You don’t have to call me ‘Your Highness,’ Oskar. I’m your mother. Your real mother.” Both of the boys looked at her questioningly, while the man Herbert still looked a bit worried. The princess ignored him and began her story. “As I said earlier, you boys are twins. You were born eight years ago right here in this city while your dad and I were visiting. We would have been at home, but Marganta is an important ally, and it was an important trip. We still thought we had a week or two to get home before you arrived, but you surprised us and came early. Oh, we were so happy! But that didn’t last. Apparently, there was a security breach in the hospital, and someone stole you from us, Oskar. Actually, Noah is your real name. The police and state investigators looked everywhere, but we couldn’t find you or the person who had kidnapped you. It was an awful time. I wouldn’t let Bastian out of my sight until we were back home,” she said, using the prince’s nickname. “It was so unfair — we should have been overjoyed, and we were happy to have you, Bastian, but your dad and I worried about your brother constantly. After a while, they had to give up the search, and we had to give up our hope of seeing our other baby again. We grieved for a long time afterwards.” Tears fell from the princess’s eyes as she spoke. “Our kids, the ones we still had, were all that got us through it. We gave up on ever finding you a long time ago, Noah. But I can tell that we finally have. My little boy!”

She wrapped her arms around him again, and Oskar — or Noah if the story was true — felt a mixture of careful skepticism and joy. In spite of his doubts, he found himself letting the moment take him over. It felt good for the princess to hold him like that. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had, and it was so welcome a feeling that he wrapped his little arms around her neck, not wanting to let go. Beside them, Sebastian murmured in a shocked voice, “I have a twin?” Then, louder and happier, “I have a twin!” The little boy who had apparently been found felt a weight press against his back as two arms the size of his own reached around his neck and pulled them together.

############################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################
Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jun 5, 2018 at 4:49 AM
Content: Chapter Two
Noah
The police had to be called, and an investigation was opened immediately. A doctor was called, blood was drawn, and the results were rushed through as a courtesy to the Caspinarian royal family. The test conclusively identified the little boy in question as the long-lost Prince Noah of Caspinar. He was interviewed for a long time by the police and a social worker who had accompanied them. They asked him about the way Gustav, the man he knew as his dad, had treated him and the sort of things Gustav had done to him. He answered them truthfully, telling them about the beatings and the way he was insulted on a regular basis. Noah didn’t feel good about doing this, but he believed it was the right thing to do.

“Now, Noah,” the social worker said, “I need you to be brave and understand that a lot of things are going to change now. No parent should ever treat a child the way Gustav has treated you. I know he’s done some good things for you too, but mummies and daddies should never hit their kids or scream things at them that make them feel bad about themselves. We call this abuse, and it’s against the law.”

“You’re arresting my daddy?” he asked in a strained voice.

“He will be arrested, but he’s not really your daddy, Noah. He may have kidnapped you when you were a baby, and even if he didn’t, he’s broken the law by hitting you, and we can’t trust him to look after you because he’s only going to keep hurting you.”

“You’re taking me away? I’m not going home?” He started to sob.

“I know it’s scary when things change, but everything’s going to be all right. Your real mummy has found you, and you’re going to stay with her and your real daddy from now on, and from what I’ve seen of their other son here, I know that they will be much better for you and treat you much better.”

“That’s right, darling,” Princess Eleanor said as she rubbed his back. “You’re going to stay with me and, as soon as the investigation is finished, you’re going to go live with us. And I promise you, we will never hit you or say those awful things to you.”

“I just want to go home,” he wailed.

“I’m sorry, sweetie,” the princess said as she took him in her arms to console him. He buried his face in her shoulder and sobbed. He quieted down after a little while, and she left Sebastian to keep him company for a bit while she spoke with the social worker.

“There’s nothing to worry about, Your Highness. I’ve seen this many times, and in a good, healthy home, it always goes away in time. You see, many times, children in these abusive homes have been raised to believe that this is simply how parents treat their children, so they can’t imagine anything better. Prince Noah may not like the beatings and such, but in his mind, Gustav has always provided for him and protected him from the rest of the world that he believes would treat him even more cruelly. Better the devil you know than the one you don’t, right? There may be lingering effects such as nightmares and anxiety, and I would recommend regular visits with a therapist or psychologist, but usually in these situations, the child loses his apprehension of a new home once he’s shown love and support and he sees how much better things can be. And I think that’s what you’ll see with your son.”

“Thank you. We’re so happy to have him back, and we’re all going to do our best to help him. Do you think it would be good for the rest of the family to join us here since it’s not yet convenient for us to leave?

“Of course, that’s up to you and your family, Your Highness, but I’m afraid that it might be pushing Prince Noah too hard too soon. I would suggest giving him some time to get to know you and his brother first, and that should make it easier for him to meet everybody else.”

Noah continued to cry and mope as the police left, and Ilsa did her best to console him as Eleanor took Sebastian aside.

“Darling, Noah has had a very rough life up until now,” she started. “The man who raised him treated him very cruelly, the way no parent should ever treat a child.”

“Yes, Mummy, I know.”

“How does that make you feel?”

“Sad. Why would that man do that?”

“I’m not sure, sweetheart. Sometimes people have problems in their heads that make them do things like that, sometimes it’s drugs, and sometimes they’re just bad people who don’t mind hurting others, even children. But whatever the reason was, Noah is ours, and that makes him our responsibility. It’s our job to love him and support him and show him the kindness that he should have gotten from this man Gustav. We have to help him recover from this abuse so he can heal. Just imagine how you would feel if you had gone through something like that, how you would want someone to help you. He’s gotten beatings for the last eight years, for things that he couldn’t even help. Can you imagine how much that must have hurt him? How scared he must have been and how he wondered what he ever did to deserve it? Think how you would feel if instead of being raised by your dad and I, you were raised by a cruel man who hit you and put you down all the time.”

“That would be really bad. I wish we could have found Noah sooner,” Sebastian said, his voice thick and his eyes watering.

“So do I, baby. But we can’t change what’s in the past. We can only make the present and the future better. Understand?”

“Yes. I want to help him, Mummy. He’s a lot like me, and I know we’re gonna have a lot of fun together.”

“So you’ll help your dad and me with him? Help him feel welcome and support him?”

“Yes, Mummy.”

“Good. I want you to understand because Noah needs all the love we can give him right now. Your dad and I are going to have to spend a lot of time with him if he’s ever going to get over what’s been done to him. We’re going to try to balance everything out, but we may not be able to spend as much time with you as you’re used to for a while. We’re going to do our best to spend time with both of you boys together and separately, but Noah has a whole new life to get used to, and he’ll need our help to do that. I just want you to understand that this is all because he needs us, not because we love you any less. Your dad and I will love you just as much as we did yesterday. That will never change. The only difference is that now we’ll all have one more person to love and to love us back. Do you understand?”

“I understand.”

She hugged him tightly and kissed his forehead before sending him to cheer his brother up. Having been taught etiquette from an early age, Sebastian was very sympathetic, and he and Noah talked for a long time. After a while, the newfound prince could see that Sebastian really did care about him, and they started to play again. Princess Eleanor spent the rest of the day with her two boys, getting to know the son she had lost and who was now returned to her. She could see small similarities between the twins, but Noah was shy and insecure in contrast to his twin. It saddened her to think of what he had gone through, especially after he had told her some of it. She would do everything she could to undo that damage, showering him with affection. He sat on her lap, snuggled up to her as they talked, and she assured him over and over again that he was safe, something every little boy should be able to take for granted.

Some time after Noah had calmed down, Eleanor stepped out of the room and called her husband. She had called and told him the news earlier, but it hadn’t been a good time to let him talk to his son. They spoke for a few minutes as she relayed to Alexander what the police and social worker had told her. He understood how traumatic it must have been to tear the little boy away from the only father he’d ever known, even one who had treated him horribly, and the prince knew it would take a lot of work to repair the damage done. But he couldn’t wait to get started, nor could he wait any longer to speak to his son.

“Noah,” Eleanor said as she walked back into the room. “Someone wants to speak with you.” She handed him the phone and stepped back, watching his face as he talked to his real dad for the first time.

“Hello, Noah. I’m Prince Alexander, your dad, your REAL dad.”

“H-hello,” the little boy said shyly.

“I’m so sorry that you’ve had to go through such hard times, and I know it must be hard to be taken away from your other dad. But I’m so happy that we’ve finally found
you. I can’t wait to meet you and to have you home with us.”

“Thank you, sir.” He wasn’t really sure what to say.

“It’s been very hard on us the past several years, wondering what happened to you, even if you were still alive.” The Prince stopped for a moment as his voice broke. “To have you found and safe and back with us is more than we’ve hoped for for a long time. It’s an answer to a lot of prayers. I know that all this must be confusing for you, but I promise you that your mum and I will always treat you well, and we’ll do everything we can to protect you and make you happy. Things are going to get better for you now, I promise.”

“I’m glad to be here so far,” Noah said cautiously.

The prince laughed and said, “I’m glad to hear that. I hope you’ll get to come home soon, but we can talk some more before then, if you’d like. God, it’s so good to hear your voice. You sound so much like your brother. Speaking of, would you hand him the phone please? Bye-bye, I’ll talk to you soon.”

Noah handed the phone to Sebastian and stared blankly at the TV. Prince Alexander sure sounded nice, but there were times when Gustav could sound nice too. And then something would happen, and he would get mad, and Noah would get hit. He wanted all this to be true, he wanted to believe it, but it all seemed so unreal and unfamiliar to him that he couldn’t trust it.

That night, the princess decided that Noah would feel more at ease if he slept with his new friend and newfound brother, an arrangement that the boys agreed to without hesitation. To them, it was like a sleepover, something Noah had never had and Sebastian rarely had. She made sure that their Drynites could still be accurately called such, then got them into bed and tucked them in. “Good night, my angels,” she said softly and kissed each boy in turn, understandably lingering for a moment at Noah. She finally managed to tear herself away, promising herself and her once-lost little boy that he and his brother weren’t going anywhere. “Call Ilsa or me if you need anything during the night,” she said as she stepped out of the room, gently closing the door.

“Sebastian,” Noah said once she was gone.

“Yeah?”

“Mummy’s so nice. Everything’s been nice, but I’m still kind of sad about leaving my dad — I mean, my fake dad or whatever. What’s my real dad, our daddy like?”

“He’s fun sometimes,” Sebastian said. “Sometimes he’s pretty strict, but that’s just because of his position. We have to act noble because we’re royal. Lukas calls it the royal pain.” He giggled.

The humor was lost on Noah, who was worried about meeting this man. He had never known a loving father, only one who was harsh, cruel, and violent, so he feared the worst. “He’s strict? Is he ever mean?”

“Never! Of course not!” Realizing what his brother meant, Sebastian added, “He’s a good dad. He loves us.”

“Even me?”

“Of course! He’s your daddy! That’s what they do.”

“Not the one I lived with so far.”

“That’s because he wasn’t your real dad. He’s probably the one who stole you from the hospital in the first place.”

“Why? If he didn’t love me, why did he want to kidnap me?”

“Who knows? Maybe he just thought it would be cool to steal a royal baby.” Sebastian fell quiet for a minute and then said, “I’m sorry he took you and was mean to you. But now you’re here with us, and that will never happen again.”

“I’m glad I’m here.” Noah had never been as comfortable as he was at that moment, never felt anything as soft as the sheets he was wrapped in or experienced the warmth he’d been shown that day. The Drynite felt a little unusual and noisy when he moved, but it was soft, and he preferred wearing it to wetting himself as he had done more times than he could count. He soon drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Noah opened his eyes to sunlight shining into a bright, richly-furnished room, and everything instantly came back to him. He rolled over and felt a bulk and a warmth that he hadn’t expected and realized that his Drynite was wet. Feeling a sudden panic, he reached down and felt the sheet underneath him. Completely dry. Even though he’d had an accident, the bedwetter pants had done their job. He wondered if Sebastian’s was wet too and glanced over to find him lying there awake, staring at the ceiling.

“Good morning,” Sebastian said when he noticed Noah looking at him. “Don’t worry, I wet last night too.” He smiled a little and added, “Sometimes I feel the sheets like that when I wake up too. Come on, let’s get changed.” He hopped out of bed and walked over to the dresser, where he opened a drawer and pulled out a new pair of underpants. He tossed it to Noah and took off his own wet one before reaching into the drawer for another one.

Noah, a little embarrassed at seeing his brother nude, finally stumbled out of the king-sized bed, planted his feet on the lush carpet, and started to take off his wet pants.

“You don’t have to be shy, Noah,” Sebastian said, noticing how awkward he seemed to feel. “We’re brothers. Twins. And we’ll probably be changing around each other a lot from now on.”

“I know. I’m just not used to it yet.” Noah pulled his fresh Drynite up so that the waistband was covered by the bottom of his T-shirt. “Now what?”

Sebastian pulled a couple of pairs of pyjamas out of the drawer and handed one to his twin. “Now we go get some breakfast.”

Like lunch and dinner the day before, breakfast that morning was the best one Noah had ever had. There was French toast, Belgian waffles, sausage, bacon, fresh fruit, scones with several different jams, omelets and quiche. He had a little of everything, and it was all delicious. To drink, there was a choice of lemonade, limeade, apple juice, orange juice, and grape juice. Noah, attracted by the greenish color (his favorite), tried the limeade and immediately had a new favorite drink.

“Aren’t you going to eat, Mummy?” Sebastian asked as she walked into the room and kissed them good morning.

Eleanor giggled. “I’ve already eaten, sweetie. You must not have seen the time. I decided to let you boys sleep in this morning.”

“Oh. Thanks!”

“We’re going to need to get you some clothes, Noah,” Eleanor said. “It’s fine for Bastian to share his for now, but you’ll need some of your own. Do you think you might be up for a little shopping today?”

“Will you go with me? And Sebastian?”

“Of course! I’m not letting you out of my sight until we’re back home!” She played with his hair and said, almost to herself, “All these years, and now here you are.”

“But first, let’s go explore the hotel! I’ll show you around!” Sebastian said.

Noah agreed, and so, once they’d finished their breakfast, Ilsa got them dressed, and they left their suite with their mum and two guards to roam the halls and the
grounds. Noah had never been in such a large, beautiful building, and he was impressed by everything he saw.

“Wait until you see our palace,” Sebastian said. “It’s even bigger and better than this place!” Then, as they were walking through an outside garden, he added, “Oh! I need the bathroom!”

“This way, Your Highness. There’s one through that door over there,” said one of the guards.

They hurried along the sidewalk, where the guard held the door for the others. Sebastian stepped into the hotel and stopped abruptly and stood still.

“It’s all right, Bastian,” the princess said. “I have a couple of Drynites in my bag if you’d like to change and continue your tour.”

Used to such disappointments and embarrassments, the little prince shrugged it off. “I’ve seen it already. What do you want to do, Noah?”

“I guess I’m ready to go back to our room.”

“All right, then,” Eleanor said and led them to the nearest lift. “Do you think you’re ready to go shopping, Noah?”

“Yes, I think so.”

Back in their suite, the boys returned to the bedroom they were sharing, and Sebastian changed his Drynite. “You should use the bathroom before we go,” he said to his twin as he stepped into the fresh underpants. “Maybe you won’t have to go while we’re out shopping. It’s kind of hard to go in a public bathroom with the security we have to have. By the time they’ve cleared the stall, I’ve usually already gone in my pants, and then I have to change.” Noah took his advice, and they all left again.

They were out for about three hours, shopping and eating lunch at a small tavern. The Princess found plenty of new things for her long-lost son, as well as a few things for Sebastian and a few matching outfits for both boys, which she had looked forward to years ago when the twins were first born. The boys had been able to use the bathroom at the tavern and had not had any more accidents while they were out. Eleanor held their hands as they walked, which Noah found comforting and reassuring in such an unfamiliar scenario. When they returned to their hotel, there wasn’t much to do besides play video games, so the boys did that until it was time for dinner, which they all had in the room like the previous night. Eleanor and Sebastian weren’t used to staying cooped-up so much, but she was afraid that dinner in the grand dining room would be too much for poor Noah.

The next morning, Ilsa woke the boys up shortly after sunrise. They changed their underpants, put on their pyjamas, and joined their mum around the dining room table where breakfast had been laid out. “You’ll both need to get dressed after breakfast,” Eleanor said. “We’ve been invited to see Prime Minister Gissel.”

“The prime minister?” Noah asked in an awed voice. “Why?”

“It’s a matter of courtesy, darling,” Eleanor said. “It would be very disrespectful if we didn’t go and speak to him. It could cause great trouble between Marganta and Caspinar. It was Gissel who I called the other day to explain the situation, and he called the police. No matter how sure I was that you were my son, I couldn’t simply pick you up and take you home as my own. That would be kidnapping.”

“But isn’t that what Gustav did to me?”

“MAY have done to you. We don’t know for sure yet. But, you see, until the police tested your blood and mine, you were legally recognized as Gustav’s son, so if I had taken you away without that test, I would have broken the law. Now that we know who you really are, we are obligated as members of the Caspinarian royal family to go and see the prime minister of the country where you were found. We need to thank Gissel in person, show him the proper respect, and allow him to give us his congratulations.” She noticed the look on his face and said, “There’s nothing to worry about. It will be formal as these things are, but it will be friendly. Caspinar has been on good terms with Marganta for hundreds of years, and we’ve always had a good relationship with Gissel. He seemed very happy for us when I told him the news. It shouldn’t take very long, and when it’s over, we can come back to the hotel, and you boys can play.”

So, once they had eaten, Ilsa helped the boys dress in some of Sebastian’s nicest clothes, and they all piled into a limousine with a couple of guards. Fortunately, they were already in Marganta’s capital of Talma, so they only had to drive across the city to reach State-Head Manor, the office and home of the prime minister. Noah knew the building, of course, and disliked for its appearance. He had never been inside it, though, and the interior was a bit of a blur to him as they were led through it to a spacious room with large windows overlooking a courtyard outside. Prime Minister Gissel was, to Noah’s surprise, very friendly and polite to all of them, especially to him. He expressed his sympathy for everything Noah had been through, saying that he would have put a stop to the abuse had he known about it, and he said that he was very happy that Noah had found his real family, assuring him that he was now in good hands. The meeting didn’t last very long, only long enough for Gissel to exchange pleasantries with them and have a cup of tea, and Noah was glad to get it out of the way as he had been very nervous about the whole ordeal.

As soon as they left the prime minister to his business, Noah whispered to Eleanor that he needed a change. She had instructed him to keep it to himself until they had left Gissel if he had an accident, which really was bound to happen as he was so nervous. The princess asked their guide to show them the nearest bathroom, and she obliged, leading Noah, Sebastian (who wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to empty his bladder), and Ilsa, who had a couple of spare Drynites in her large bag. The princes took care of their business, and they all went back to the hotel.

The next week went by rather lazily and, for Noah, dreamily. The kids played in their suite and around the hotel grounds, and they made occasional excursions for dinner and sight-seeing. The media finally picked up on the discovery of the lost prince about halfway through the week, and a small crowd of reporters gathered outside the hotel. A spokesman was dispatched to speak to them and ask them to give the royal family time to adjust in private. Still, this forced them to be more careful on their outings, which caused Noah more stress. Finally venturing into the grand dining room, where the princes had to be dressed up and on their best behavior, had the same effect. Noah had a lot of accidents, which was hardly surprising, considering all that he had been through in such a short time. Between the two boys and all their accidents, it wasn’t long before it was necessary to send Ilsa out for more Drynites.

As she got to know the son she had lost, Princess Eleanor told him all about their family and what his new life would be like. She told him about his dad Prince Alexander, his older sister Ava, his older brother Lukas, his grandfather King Harold, and his uncle Prince Frederick, who would be king some day. She explained that, although Parliament ruled Caspinar more than the king, the title carried a great deal of responsibility. She told him about their country of Caspinar and the capital city Margale, where Grandpa Harold lived in Menroud Palace. She told him about some of the things he would learn as a prince, how he would have to behave and some of the duties he would have to perform, although he was lucky that he would always be a prince and never a king because he would avoid a great deal of responsibility. “And we get to spoil you kids a bit more than Freddie and Margo can spoil theirs. You’re going to have more fun than your cousins do,” she said. Noah sometimes felt overwhelmed by it all, but he was nonetheless fascinated.

The twins quickly became very good friends who wanted to spend all of their time together. They would spend all day playing and talking. Not surprisingly, they liked a lot of the same things, although the different lives they’d had up to this point had forged two distinct personalities. Noah was shy, insecure, and reserved, while Sebastian was outgoing, self-assured, and bold. Noah always seemed to be afraid of making someone angry, but his brother was a slightly different story. Sebastian was a joyful, rather mischievous little boy who loved cutting up, goofing off, telling jokes, and pulling pranks, and there was something in the little devil’s grin he wore when he was up to no good that endeared him to people and often allowed him to get away with his tricks. The way he looked at people made them feel like he was letting them in on his joke rather than being his joke.

But he went too far when he talked Noah into helping him play a prank on Ilsa one afternoon, stuffing his twin’s hair into a cap so that he looked just like Sebastian. Sebastian himself then hid under a bed while Noah took his place, telling Ilsa, “Noah ran away! He’s trying to go back home!” Ilsa’s eyes went wide, and she dashed out the door to try to catch the supposedly wayward prince. Noah, who felt the joke had gone far enough, tried to stop her, but he was too late. By the time Ilsa came back, security was all aflutter at the activity, and when Noah saw the tears running down her cheeks, he ripped the cap off his head and said, “No, it’s me! It’s just a joke! I’m here!” The real Sebastian came out from his hiding place to face a frantic nanny, a scared, angry mother, and a brother terrified that his long-lost mum might be upset enough to change her mind about him. When he saw how hurt they all were, how much harm he had done, he immediately confessed, saying the whole thing was his idea, that he was just trying to have a little fun. He begged, “Please, Mummy, don’t be mad at Noah, he was just going along with me!”

She glared down at him and said, “Don’t worry, you’re the one I’m mad at! Go to your room, now!” As he dutifully trudged off, Eleanor stooped down to reassure Noah. “It’s all right, darling. That was a bad thing to do, but I still love you. You’re going to have to learn not to listen to your brother so much or he’ll get you into a lot of trouble. You don’t have to go along with something he wants to do just because he wants you to do it, and you shouldn’t. When you do agree to do something, that makes it your fault, even if Sebastian wanted you to do it. Now, I think you owe all of us an apology, don’t you?”

“I do apologize, Mummy. And to you too, Ilsa. I’m very sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you that bad.” For all of their faults, Gustav and Sonja had at least done an excellent job of teaching the little boy some manners. But he had a long way to go to get used to the changes in his life and the ways of his new family, and he was afraid of rejection. “Can I still stay here?” he asked in a pitiable voice as the tears ran.

Eleanor hugged him and said, “Noah, I’m not going to send you away. You’re here with me and Bastian, and you’re going to go home with us as soon as the police finish their investigation. I love you, and I’m so glad to have you back. Kids act up and misbehave sometimes, and sometimes mummies and daddies get mad at them, but that doesn’t mean that we send you away. Your place is with us now, and that isn’t going to change.” Confident that he felt better, she sent him to join Sebastian in a time-out.

“Are you all right?” Bastian asked when he came in.

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry I got you in trouble.”

“It’s okay,” Noah said. “Mummy wasn’t all that mad. At least, not like Gustav used to get, and she said I shouldn’t have listened to you, anyway.”

They were each relieved to find that the other wasn’t mad at him and spent several minutes talking before Eleanor walked in and told them they could come out of their room. Sebastian apologized to his Mum and then found Ilsa and apologized to her as well. Just like that, to Noah’s surprise, everything went back to normal, and it was like the whole thing had never happened at all.

One night Noah woke up crying and almost screaming after a horrible nightmare. Ilsa and Princess Eleanor ran into the room, where Bastian was rubbing his brother’s back in a futile effort to calm him. Eleanor cradled him on her lap for several minutes before he finally stopped crying. His Drynite was soaked when she checked it, so she helped him change and put him back to bed with a kiss on his forehead. As she left the room, she worried how much further terror he would have to endure — she knew that episode would only be the first of many for the traumatized boy.

A week after he and Sebastian had met, the police concluded their investigation. The kidnapping charge against Gustav was dropped after they confirmed his story that he and his wife had been given custody of the baby called Oskar by a neighbor named Naomi, who claimed to be his real mother. She was a nurse who worked at the hospital where the twins were born, a mentally unstable woman with no children of her own who stole Noah when a rare opportunity presented itself. Once she got him home, she realized that she wasn’t capable of caring for a baby, and she was afraid of getting caught. She passed him off as her own son and asked her old friends Gustav and Sonja to take him in, and they agreed. Naomi suffered a breakdown shortly thereafter and moved away. The police had looked at her file and spoken to her eight years ago but had never fully investigated her or interviewed her neighbors because it was thought at the time that she had been busy in another part of the hospital when the prince was kidnapped. Now, they had finally tracked her down, and she had confessed after a lengthy interrogation. Naomi was arrested for kidnapping, while Gustav remained charged with child abuse and neglect. This was punished only by a fine, but he was not able to pay it and was thus forced to spend a month in jail.

“Good news, boys,” Princess Eleanor said that afternoon. “We’re going home tomorrow!”

############################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################
Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jun 6, 2018 at 8:08 AM
Content: Chapter Three
A New Home and a New Life
Noah had never even been on an airplane before, let alone ridden in one. He was very anxious about it, but Bastian and his mum assured him it was safe. He had grown close to them in the last week, and he felt safe around them. He trusted them. Besides, going by road was out of the question since it would have required at least a three-car motorcade, which would have made the trip both impractical and conspicuous enough to risk the royals' safety. The flight had been pleasant enough, with only a little minor turbulence, but Noah was glad to be back on the ground again.

The ride from the airport was his first look at his home country. He'd seen bits of it on TV before, mostly on TV, but it wasn't the same. There wasn't much around on the low road they were on at the moment, but he could see several tall buildings in a dense city off in the distance. He sat and watched the sloping green hills and thick forests beyond roll by as the car drove on. After a few minutes, he started to see houses set back from the road on either side. These were large and fancy, in greys, whites, and deep reds, some surrounded by walls or fences, some with horses or cows penned in by white wooden fences. Traffic got thicker around them, and more buildings, closer together, began to appear. Before Noah knew it, they were in the midst of urban development.

"This is Ordan, one of our largest cities," Eleanor said. "Our home is on the other side, on the outskirts."

All around them, people were milling about, talking on their phones on the sidewalks, walking in and out of little shops, lining up at food carts. It was obviously a very busy place. Some people noticed their car and started pointing or taking pictures. Many of them waved.

"Mummy," Noah asked. "Why are those people waving?"

"They've guessed who we are and want to welcome you home. The news is out, and now everybody knows you've been found. They're happy for us and proud of us. Our family represents our country's strength and stability, our place in the world at large, so we're important to our people. Of course, we don't have much to do with actually running the country; Parliament takes care of most of that from our capital, Margale." In the middle of the city, there weren't many houses, mostly apartments like the one he used to live in with Gustav. After a while, the car turned right and began to follow a curving road where the structures began to taper off. Noah started to see larger houses again, and past them, he could see waves washing up onto a beach where people were enjoying the sun. The car sped up as traffic thinned out along the twisting highway. He wasn't sure how long they'd been driving, but it seemed like quite a while, and Noah began to get an idea of the size of the city where he would be living. They'd been on the highway for some time when they rounded a turn and were suddenly able to see around a large hill off to one side.

"There it is, Noah! That's our house!" Sebastian cried as he pointed towards an indistinct shape far off on the horizon that certainly looked big.

They were too far off for Noah to distinguish any features, but he could tell more and more about it as they drew nearer. What he noticed first were fat towers jutting up from the rest of the structure, and then he started to get a better idea of the shape of the structure itself. As they got nearer, he saw that, aside from the towers, parts of the building were at different heights, almost like stairs. He could also tell that it covered a wide expanse of ground, sprawling over the terrain, and then he could make out the soft, pale, slightly yellow tint of the stone. It was a bright, warm, welcoming color. By the time he could make out the high wall surrounding the property, he could also see that the house sat on a hilltop overlooking a beach on a small inlet of the sea.

"There's a beach?" he asked.

"Yeah, our own private beach!" Bastian replied.

"Wow," bright eyes open wide.

Finally, they were close enough for Noah to see doors and tall, wide windows surrounded by ornamental arches set in long walls that seemed to stretch into the sky. There were elegant staircases, balconies, and towers. He could also see that there were smaller buildings attached to the large one that was the obvious focus of the property, all surrounded by a tall stone wall that looked strong and imposing but still somehow pleasing to the eye. They drove along this wall until they reached a wide brass gate surrounded by a small guardhouse on either side. Recognizing the princess's motorcade, the guards opened the gate and nodded their heads respectfully as the car passed through and Noah got his first full look at his new home.

"Here we are, Vaskerton Palace!" Princess Eleanor said.

Up close, the palace was even more beautiful and impressive. The stone walls looked clean and bright, and there were little accents and flourishes here and there. The building's face was tall and strong-looking but not imposing. The lawn was a rich, vibrant green and perfectly manicured, and there were shrubs and, since it was summer, colorful flowers all over. The cars drove around to the side of the main house and came to a stop under a walkway that connected the main house to another, smaller building beside it on the second floor. A valet who had been standing by stepped up and greeted them as he opened the door for them, and Noah stood looking up at the place he would now call home. Eleanor chatted cheerfully with the valet, who introduced himself to Noah as Hugo. Hugo opened the door for them, and Noah found himself in a long hallway with a polished stone floor and gilded sconces on the walls and chandeliers overhead.

"Before we do anything else, does anyone need to change?" Princess Eleanor asked. Due to the difficulty in finding a clean, secure bathroom in the small window of time the princes' bladders would have given them, she had instructed them to use their Drynites if they had to pee (a word that Noah had learned was only to be used in the palace or among family). Both boys said they needed fresh underpants, so she led them (or rather, she led Noah since Sebastian knew the way) along the corridor to another, smaller hallway and to a bathroom where a bag of Drynites had been stored. She closed the door, and they quickly changed, Noah having by now grown accustomed to changing in front of his brother. Once that was done, she took them through the hallway to a flight of stairs that they walked up, then through two more hallways until they finally walked into a large living room where several people were seated. They all rose when the twins and their mum walked into the room, and Noah could see right away that this was the rest of his family.

Prince Alexander took one look at Noah, not seeing anyone else for a moment, then ran forward and grabbed the boy up in his arms, squeezing him tightly. "My boy! My lost little boy! I can't believe this is happening!" He laughed giddily as he held Noah out, looking intently at him, as if to memorize his face. The prince himself was athletic and handsome, with wavy dark blond hair. "Welcome home, Noah!" he said with a little peck on the cheek.

"Hello, Daddy," Noah said awkwardly with his arms around his dad's neck. "I'm glad to finally meet you."

Alexander laughed in a way that showed that he wasn't just amused but overjoyed as well. He finally set Noah down and greeted his wife and his other son.

Noah, meanwhile, was approached by his two older siblings, Lukas and Ava, who both introduced themselves and hugged him in turn.

"Oh, you look so much like Sebastian, it's amazing!" Ava remarked. Then, turning to Lukas, she asked, Doesn't he?"

"And identical looks are so rare among twins," Lukas replied sarcastically. But he smiled and added, "They do look a lot alike, though. Almost the only difference is Noah's hair. By the way, I like your hair, little bro. I hope Mum and Dad let you keep it."

"Um, thanks," Noah said shyly. He had gotten a lot of attention in the past week, but he hadn't quite gotten used to it. He had barely gotten used to having a new mum and a twin, and now he was confronted with two older siblings. At sixteen, Ava was the oldest of the kids, while Lukas was fourteen, and the family resemblance was definitely there. Noah and Sebastian looked a lot like their mum with their hair and soft features, although they had their dad's eyes. But their brother and sister looked a bit more like their dad. Noah wondered why he had never noticed that he looked nothing like Gustav or his wife Sonja.

"I think we're embarrassing him," Lukas said.

Bending down to Noah, Ava put her hand on his shoulder and said, "Don't be embarrassed, little guy. We're your family."

"Yeah, and you'd better get used to the attention because our family gets a lot of it, and you're the new guy, so you'll get even more," Lukas added. Then he smiled and said, "It won't be that bad. Hey, you have me to look out for you now. Any time it gets to be too much for you, you just come and find me."

"Now, Noah," Prince Alexander said. "Would you like to come along and see your new bedroom?"

"My new room? Yes, sir, I'd love to!"

Back through the corridors they all went, led by the head of the family. Noah was a little confused as to why Ava and Lukas were going with them just to see his bedroom. As they walked, Ava said, "I think you're going to like it, Noah. Mum's been talking to our decorator about the sort of things you like, so it's all done up especially for you." So that was it: they wanted to see his reaction. That made him nervous. What if he didn't like it? Alexander led them up a narrow flight of stairs, down a hallway and around a corner, where the corridor suddenly widened out into a more open space with two large windows on one wall streaming in sunlight. A series of double doors lined the walls at different intervals. Alexander stopped at a pair of doors about halfway along the hall.

"This will be your apartment, Noah. Yours and Bastian's. We asked him to keep this a secret so we could surprise you. We talked to him about it, and he loved the idea, so we moved his bedroom in here so that the two of you can share this suite and still have space of your own. Your Mum and I are right down the hallway here. We thought you would be more comfortable if we were close." He led them through the doorway, and Noah found himself in a large room decorated in whites and creams. "This is your sitting room," Alexander said. "Where you and Bastian may study and play." Noah looked around and saw that the room was indeed furnished for both activities. There were shelves of books and desks equipped with notebook computers as well as a large entertainment center stocked with a giant television, Blu-ray and DVD players, and gaming systems. There were also a fair amount of toys scattered throughout the room. "Of course," Prince Alexander said, "You still have a separate study and playroom which are both better equipped. All the other rooms in the suite connect to this one, and if you'll look over here..." He walked over to one of two doors against the far wall. "...you'll find your bedroom." He held the door open and looked down with a proud smile, hoping for a positive reaction from the little boy.

He wasn't disappointed. Noah's face lit up when he saw how much had been done for him. The room was all shades of green and matching whites, with walls painted a deep forest and a matching comforter on the king-sized bed facing the windows. There was another television mounted on the wall in front of a large chair upholstered in a green fabric with high arms and a little throw pillow with green and white stripes. The room was also appointed with a large sound system, a sofa (upholstered in a light green), and a small desk. A narrow door against one wall opened to a closet larger than his old bedroom (and seemed even larger because it had yet to be filled with all of the clothes that he would need). Next was the bathroom. It was also decorated in green, although a lighter shade than the bedroom. Even larger than his closet, it contained a large vanity and mirror, a full-length mirror against one wall, a linen closet, a large bathtub, and a glass-doored shower that had multiple faucets and water jets spread over three walls. The toilet was housed separately in a little closet in a corner of the room. Noah's eyes were wide in amazement. He had never seen anything as nice as this apartment, and now he would be living here!

"Do you like it?" Alexander asked.

"I love it! It's wonderful! Thank you, Daddy!" He threw his arms around his dad's neck as the rest of his family laughed adoringly at his excitement.

"Well, I may have had a little something to do with it, but your Mum and our decorator Vlad deserve most of the credit."

"Thank you, Mummy! I love this room!"

"You're welcome, darling. I'm glad you like it," said Princess Eleanor. "And Vlad did a lovely job!"

The suite was surprisingly large, the largest in the palace. Aside from Noah's room and Sebastian's room (which was nearly identical to his brother's except for the colors), there was a small dining nook, a bedroom for a nanny on the opposite side of the apartment from the princes' rooms, another bedroom for a guest, and, most interesting and exciting to the twins, yet another large bedroom and bathroom between their own rooms decorated in greens and blues that would serve as a neutral common area that would allow them to be together and still have a feeling of ownership (albeit shared). It was part of a network of rooms connecting to the sitting room that would allow the special, exclusive connection between twins that had begun to form, the one they should have had all their lives, to flourish. Noah clung to Sebastian, who had rescued him from a life of pain and misery, for a feeling of security, and it made Bastian feel good to fill the role of protector.

After the tour of the princes' new apartment, the most trusted members of the royal staff were assembled, and they were all introduced to Noah. These were his dad's assistant Filip (his mum's assistant Marie had been on the trip to Marganta, so Noah already knew her), the head butler Wilhelm, the head housekeeper Dasha, the head chef Anton, the head of the palace medical staff Dr. Englewood, the head of the royal guard Dominik, Noah's personal bodyguard Adrian, and the two nannies who would share a rotation with Ilsa in caring for the boys, named Irina and Sigrid, a housekeeper who had just been transferred to the role of nanny to accommodate for the additional duties. Noah politely greeted all of them but was most interested in Adrian, Irina, and Sigrid since, among that grouping, they would probably play the largest role in his new life. Irina was a short, plump middle-aged woman with graying brown hair and a warm, pleasant, slightly wrinkled face. Sigrid, on the other hand, was average height, slim, young, and blonde. She seemed energetic and cheerful but respectful as she greeted him. Finally, there was Adrian. When he was introduced to Noah, Bastian whispered with a grin, "Just call him Bull." Noah looked questioningly at his brother, who explained. "He's one of my favorites. I'm glad he's your guard because that means we'll get to see a lot of him. 'Bull' is short for 'Bulldozer,' but don't worry, he's really cool."

Looking at the man in front of him, Noah wasn't sure how cool this guy was supposed to be, but he could tell right away why he was called "Bulldozer." Bull stood more than six feet high, but the name obviously came from his wide, bulky frame. Not at all thin, he didn't really look fat either and was more accurately described, as Noah would later learn, as stocky. From Noah's perspective, the man was a giant who seemed to be built of solid stone that could rival the toughness of the wall surrounding the palace. He cut such an imposing figure that Noah, despite Sebastian's endorsement, was afraid of him because he knew men like him only as temperamental and violent. But, to his great credit, Bull bowed respectfully with a grace that belied his size and spoke to him with impeccable manners and grammar. Then, in a much friendlier and more familiar way, he flashed a wide grin and greeted his little friend Bastian. Noah was by then completely unsure of what to make of this large man, but he regarded him cautiously.

After that, it was time for lunch, and the family gathered around a large round antique wooden table in a spacious but cozy dining room. The food was delicious, even better than anything Noah had eaten at the hotel, and it was more of a production, with fine china and crystal and servers standing nearby.

"Make sure you eat plenty, Noah," Eleanor said. "After lunch, we're taking you on a tour of the palace, and you'll need your energy."

"The whole palace?" Noah asked.

"Yes, it'll take us a while," she replied.

"May I go and visit Sophie after lunch, Mum?" Ava asked.

"Darling, this is Noah's first day with us. I thought we would all spend the day together," Eleanor said.

"I know, but I already know where everything is, so taking a tour won't be very interesting to me, and I can visit with Noah later."

"Oh, let her go, Ellie," Prince Alexander said. "Her friends mean a lot to her at this age."

"I suppose you're right, Alex," Ellie said with a little sigh. "I can remember what it was like being a teenager and being cooped in a big house like this all the time." Then,
to Ava, she added, "Just be home in time for dinner."

"Yes, Mum."

"What about you, Lukas?" Alex asked. "Are you ditching out on us too?"

The teenager shrugged. "I'll tag along for a bit, at least. I haven't been out on the grounds in a few days."

With lunch out of the way, a party consisting of Alex, Ellie, Lukas, Sebastian, and Noah set out through the main house of Vaskerton Palace. They showed Noah cavernous, formal, stuffy-looking rooms like the great hall, the main dining room, and the ballroom. They showed him the state suite, which was a series of offices used for handling government matters like the royal family's press, and the business suite, which was responsible for their investments and commercial endeavors. They showed him security headquarters and the control room from where the property was monitored and guarded around the clock. Somewhere between all these suites and rooms, Alex and Ellie pointed out passageways, staircases, and even lifts that connected everything. The boys were sent to the bathroom, and the group was joined by two guards named Peter and Martin before they left the main building to see the stables, the kennel, and tour the outlying buildings and gardens.

The excitement of seeing so much in one place in such a short amount of time combined with the presence of so many people he didn't know worked made Noah nervous and agitated, and he soon felt pressure in his bladder, despite the fact that he had emptied it recently. "I need to use the bathroom," he said shyly, expecting the sort of shock that Gustav used to show at such frequency.

"All right. There's one right up here in the kennel," Alex said. "Come along, let's hurry."

The group rushed across the lawn, which made Noah even more nervous because he knew everyone was rushing because of him. The urge to pee quickly got worse and soon became too much for him to handle. He stopped moving and stood still when he felt the gush of pee in his pants, staring at the ground in embarrassment. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"It's all right, son," Alex said.

"I'm sorry, Daddy! I tried to hold it!" he said, his voice breaking as tears started to flow.

"I know you did, buddy. It's okay, it's just an accident. It's not your fault."

"You're not mad?" Noah said, daring to glance up.

"No," Alex said as he stooped down. "You have a medical problem that causes these accidents. I know you try not to have them, and you should try, but I can't blame you if an accident happens. Now, come on, everything's okay. We go through this with Bastian all the time. We all understand." Then, looking up at his family, he added, "Isn't that right?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it, little dude," Lukas said. "Nobody's going to get mad or give you a bad time for your accidents. If they do, they'll have to answer to me! Okay?"

"Okay," Noah sniffled.

"Good," Lukas said. "Now, let's hurry to the kennel so you can change. Come on." He held out his hand, and Noah took it as they ran across the grass.

Noah was still embarrassed, but he felt a lot better. He had been very worried over how his dad and his new big brother would react if he wet himself, and now it looked like they were both going to be very nice about the whole thing. When they got to the kennel, Ellie got a fresh Drynite out of the bag that Peter had been carrying and handed it to Noah, who ducked into the bathroom and quickly changed before they finished their tour.

When they got back to the main house, it was time for dinner, and there were still some parts of the palace Noah hadn't seen yet. This was fine with him because it left him a lot to explore and discover on his own.

"What do you think of your new home, Noah?" Alexander asked.

"I love it! It's so big, it'll take me forever to learn it!"

The prince laughed. "You can go wherever you like, but don't go to the stables, kennel, or dock unless someone is with you or one of the workers is there. It's not safe for you to be in those places alone."

Dinner was just as formal as lunch, but Noah enjoyed it. There was enough food that he had a bit of choice as to what he ate, as long as he ate what his mum called a "serving" each of meat, vegetables, and a starch (which Eleanor had already explained to him during the last week). He had chicken baked with lemon and pepper seasoning, a small salad, and a couple of large dinner rolls. It was all delicious, and then there was a nice chocolate cake for dessert. He was stuffed, a feeling he was starting to get used to. The dishes were left for the maids to clean up, and Eleanor told the twins (for Noah's benefit, as Sebastian was used to the routine) that, after they'd had their showers, they could play or watch TV for the next hour or so. Bastian led his brother back to their apartment, where Irina had prepared their towels and laid their pyjamas in their separate bathrooms. Once they were clean and dressed, they decided on a movie, and Bastian loaded Mrs. Doubtfire into the Blu-Ray player.

"I'm really going to like living here," Noah said.

"I knew you would. And I'm going to like having someone my own age to play with. It's going to be so much fun!"

"Have you ever lived anywhere else?"

Sebastian shook his head. "I've been to lots of other places, though, on holiday."

"Was that why you guys were in Marganta?"

"Yes. Mummy wanted to go shopping and see the country." After a moment, Bastian asked, "What was it like living with Gustav? Your house, I mean."

"It wasn't a house. It was an apartment a lot smaller than this. I never dreamed of living in such a big place!"

On screen, an old lady who was applying for the job of the Hillard family nanny was telling Mrs. Hillard that she didn't do diapers. Mrs. Hillard replied that all of her kids were toilet-trained, but the twins perked up a bit at the line. They giggled a little, and Noah asked, "I wonder how many kids our age have to wear stuff like Drynites."

"Mummy and Daddy say there are a lot of them, mostly for bedwetting, but some of them wear them during the day too. Most kids don't wear them, though. Sometimes I think it's weird, but Mummy says it's not weird to wear something to keep you dry if you need it."

"I wish I'd always been with Mummy," Noah said sleepily. "She's nicer than Sonja was, and a lot nicer than Gustav."

Eleanor came in some time later to tell them it was time for bed, and she found them curled up together, fast asleep, Bastian's head resting on Noah's shoulder as the movie played on. She turned it off as she fished her phone out of her pocket and quietly snapped a picture of her boys looking so sweet and angelic, then she ran off to find her husband, dragging him back for something that they had waited eight years to see. They stood there for several minutes, his arms wrapped around her, watching their kids sleep, and neither of them could remember the last time they'd ever been so happy, if they ever had been. Finally, they realized that they needed to get the kids to bed, and, after a quick check of Drynites (which were both dry), they gently picked up their twins and carried them to bed. After such a touching sight, they couldn't bear to separate the boys, so they laid them down and tucked them into the large bed in their shared room, pausing for just a moment to watch them settle in. Almost as soon as the covers had been pulled up on them, the brothers, who must have been aware of their environment and situation on some level, snuggled back up together. It was the cutest thing their parents had ever seen.

The sheets were the softest things he had ever felt. Noah had been a little disoriented when he first woke up, but he glanced over to see Sebastian next to him and realized that he was in their new bedroom. Once that question was settled, he noticed the slick feeling of the fabric on his skin. It was so soft and cool to the touch that it felt like water or a gentle breeze flowing over him, and he was wrapped in it head to toe. He was absently rubbing it on his cheek when Bastian spoke up.

"It's silk. All our sheets are made of it. It feels good, doesn't it?"

"Yeah! But how did we get here? We were in the sitting room watching the movie."

"Somebody carried us, of course."

"Who?" Noah asked.

"I don't know. Maybe Mummy and Daddy, maybe our nanny. I think Irina was on duty last night."

"Oh." Noah thought it was kind of weird not to know who was carrying him around while he slept, but it seemed normal to his twin, so he thought he would just have to get used to having so many different people looking after him.

"Well, whoever brought us here, I never want to get out of this bed."

Sebastian giggled. "But you have to if you want breakfast."

Noah's tummy growled a bit at the mention of food, and he realized how hungry he was. "Ohh," he groaned. "Do we have to go all the way downstairs to the dining room?"

"Nope! Here, I'll show you."

He reached over to the little table beside the bed and pressed a button on a small device that looked sort of like an answering machine. After a moment, a woman's voice came through the speaker. "Yes, Your Highness?"

"Yes, that's Irina." Holding down the button, Bastian replied, "We'd like some breakfast brought in. I want cinnamon buns." Then, turning to his brother, he said, "Tell her what you want."

Embarrassed by the sudden attention, Noah hesitated before saying, "That sounds good. I'll have cinnamon buns too." He had no idea what his options were, so he wasn't really sure what he wanted, but he liked the sound of what Sebastian ordered.

"I'll call it down and have it brought up to you," came the reply.

"Now what?" Noah asked.

"Now we wait. They'll take a while to cook. Meanwhile, we can get changed. I know I need it." Sebastian slid out of bed in only his Drynite and walked over to the dresser where their bedwetting pants were kept.

Noah followed suit, and the two boys stripped off their soggy pants, tossed them in the trash can, and replaced them with dry ones, then pulled on their pyjama pants. They walked out to their sitting room and plopped down on the sofa, where Bastian remoted on the TV and started browsing through channels as Irina walked in from her bedroom.

"Good morning, Your Highnesses! Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you. How did you sleep, Irina?" Sebastian replied.

"Oh, well enough, I suppose. Your breakfast should be here shortly. Is there anything else you need in the meantime?"

Bastian said no and turned to the TV as he rested the remote on Ninja Turtles. "Do you like this?" he asked Noah.

"I love Ninja Turtles!"

The episode was almost over when there was a sharp rap on their front door, which was followed by a butler pushing a small cart carrying a covered dish, two large plates, a large pitcher of orange juice, two glasses, two sets of silverware, and a couple of large cloth napkins.

"We'll eat here," Bastian said to the butler, whose name was Albert.

Albert accommodated by transferring all the dishes and silverware to the coffee table in front of the sofa, followed, of course, by the largest cinnamon buns Noah had ever seen. He then poured two glasses of juice and withdrew, leaving the cart behind. The twins dug into their breakfast, and, not surprisingly, the pastries were delicious.

"All the food here tastes so good," Noah said.

"And you can have pretty much anything you want. If you want something, just ask. Irina will get it or you can call someone on an intercom or a phone. They're all over house because it's so big, and if we didn't have them, we'd wind up SCREAMING AT EACH OTHER ACROSS THE HOUSE!" He raised his voice to a mock shout, raising his arms in a showy gesture to demonstrate and exaggerate his point.

"WHAT?! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Noah said in the same loud tone.

Both of the boys laughed and continued joking as they finished their breakfast. Ellie came to check on them shortly after, explaining that she and their dad had taken some time off from their usual business routines to spend some time with them.

"Your dad will join us in a little bit. Meanwhile, why don't we go play some games?" she said.

They spent all day playing board games, video games, and hide and seek. After lunch, they went swimming, which Noah wasn't very good at, but he had fun, anyway. Alex and Ellie noticed his lack of skill and made plans for him to take swimming lessons. He would need a lot of lessons as princes always do, and he would have to catch up to his twin. They knew it would be hard on him, and he was likely to have a hard time, anyway, so they wanted him to have some fun first and get comfortable with his new home and family. At the end of the day, the boys were sent to shower and get ready for bed. They wanted to sleep together, so their mum and dad helped them into their large bed and read part of a story to them for a while. When the little princes' eyelids grew heavy, their parents put the book away, tucked them under the covers, and kissed them goodnight.

The next morning, Ellie stopped in to check on the boys and give them some news.

"Tomorrow, we're going to Margale so that you can meet your grandfather and your uncle," she told Noah. "We're going to stay for two days and then come back here. Grandpa, Nana, and everyone else has been so looking forward to meeting you, but Daddy and I wanted you to have some time to get settled in here first. You'll need to be on your best behavior. Of course, you're usually such a good boy, but you'll especially need to be good while we're there. There's nothing to be nervous about, though -- it won't be nearly as formal as your meeting with Prime Minister Gissel. You'll be with family, and I'm sure they're going to adore you."

"What's Grandpa like, Mummy?"

"He's a good man, usually serious but nice. He loves children, and of course, his grandchildren are his favorites. He delights in you kids, and he's very generous. Bastian loves to visit him. I'm sure you'll like him too."

"Grandpa's fun!" Bastian piped up. "And Nana's really nice. And we'll get to play with Ethan!" He was obviously very excited.

"Who's Ethan?" Noah asked.

"He's our cousin."

"What's he like?"

"He's fun. He's practically my best friend!"

All this reassured Noah, and instead of worrying about how the visit would go, he began to look forward to it.

After spending an entire day thinking about the grandfather he'd never known and wondering what he would be like, Noah finally stepped onto the royal jet the next afternoon with the rest of his family and flew off to meet Grandpa Harold and Uncle Frederick. The flight wasn't long, which Noah was grateful for because he had not yet learned to like flying. He hated the way the plane rattled during take-off, turbulence, and landing, but everyone else said that it was the best and the fastest way to travel. Upon landing, they transferred to a motorcade of three cars that took them through the city to Menroud Palace, the longtime home of the monarch of Caspinar. Noah was slightly disappointed when the car pulled up to Menroud, which was noticeably smaller than Vaskerton Palace.

"Why is it so small, Daddy?" he asked. "Our house is a lot bigger."

"It's because this palace was built by the people of Caspinar for their monarch to live in, and the people own it. But our home was built by Grandpa Harold with money that he made from his businesses when he was a young man. He handed over the house and the businesses to me when he took the throne. We employ a lot of people in Caspinar and other countries around the world, so Vaskerton is a celebration of that success and a symbol of our country's economic stability."

The cars drove through the gates and parked at the side of the house. Noah looked around as they stepped inside, taking in the fanciest house he had ever seen. Everything looked clean, shiny, and serious. It made him feel that if he spoke, he should speak only in a whisper. Then he looked straight ahead of him and saw a group of finely-dressed people standing about in the corridor. Before he could decide who these people were, his twin broke the silence.

"Grandpa!" Bastian shouted and ran forward into a bear hug from the king himself.

Laughing, Grandpa Harold said, "I couldn't wait any longer, so I came downstairs to greet you all. It's good to see you, lad." He set Bastian down and focused on Noah. "My god. After all these years," he said slowly, more to himself than anyone else. Then he stepped forward and bent down a bit. Grandpa looked to be a middle-aged man in good shape, tall and strong, with short, straight graying hair that showed only a little recession. He spoke very quietly and gently to Noah. "Hello, Noah. I'm your grandfather Harold. Call me Grandpa. I can't tell you how glad I am to finally meet you."

"Hello, Grandpa. It's nice to meet you too," Noah said.

"Oh, so formal! And polite! Someone has taught you some very good manners, young man. Now, enough of that! How about a hug for your old Grandpa?"

Noah obliged him, and he found himself squeezed so tightly that it almost hurt, but it somehow felt good, anyway.

Grandpa relaxed his grip enough to hold Noah out and look him in the eye, his arm still draped on the boy's shoulders. With a warm smile, he said, "You and I are going to be very good friends, I can tell. Just like I am with my little Bastian." The king glanced at his other grandson and winked as he said this. "Now, as much as I hate to let you go, you need to meet your Nana Mary, while I say hello to the rest of my family."

Standing just beside Grandpa was Queen Mary, a stately woman whose youthful beauty still flickered through a mature elegance. She introduced herself and wasted no time in tearfully hugging and kissing him. "What a cute little boy are you! You look so much like Bastian but with a bit of your own style."

Noah, who was typically very shy, couldn't help beaming at all of this attention. He had never felt so wanted and accepted.

"Now, you're going to stay with us for a couple of days so we can get to know you a bit, and our home is your home," Nana Mary said. "We've cleared our schedule, and we can't wait to spend some time with you!" Then, holding his hand gently, she directed him to another man who looked very much like an older version of Noah's dad and a younger version of Grandpa Harold. "Now, I'd like you to meet your Uncle Frederick."

"Hello, Noah. You may call me Uncle Freddie. I hope you like our home. If there's anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable, please let us know," he said as he extended his hand.

"Thank you, Uncle Freddie," Noah said as he tentatively shook the crown prince's hand.

Next up were Freddie's wife Margo and their kids, twenty-year-old Caroline, eighteen-year-old Thomas, and nine-year-old Ethan, who was already talking to Bastian. Ethan was very friendly to Noah, saying that he was glad that he would have someone else to play with for a while. As the conversation died down, Grandpa suggested that they all go and see their rooms and asked Ethan to show the twins to their room. Then, to Noah and Bastian, he added, "Your dad advised me that you boys would like to stay together, so you'll be sharing a room, if that's all right."

The twins said it was and thanked him as Ethan began hurrying them on through the maze of hallways. He took them upstairs to a large, spacious room that looked very comfortable. Their bags had already been brought up, unpacked, and put away while they had talked downstairs. "Wow, this is nice!" Noah said.

"You like it?" Ethan asked.

"It's great," Bastian said politely. "Do you want to stay over with us? Do you think your mummy will let you?" He was so excited about seeing his cousin that he didn't think to check with his brother before asking.

"Oh, may I? I'll ask her!" he said and ran out of the room.

"Bastian, I don't know about this," Noah said uneasily.

"About what?"

"About Ethan staying with us tonight. I don't know him."

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry, I didn't think you'd mind. But you'll like him, really you will," Bastian said hurriedly.

"But what about our problem? What will he say when he finds out?" Noah was just now remembering that he had wet some time ago.

"Oh, that's okay. He already knows."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He kind of has the same problem because he wets the bed. I guess that's kind of why we get along so well."

Before Noah could say anything else, Ethan came running back into the room. "She said I could!"

Ethan and Bastian high-fived each other, and Noah said, "It didn't take you long to find your mummy."

Ethan giggled a little. "That's because she and Daddy are showing your mum and dad their suite next door."

"Oh."

Before anything else could be said, Sigrid walked in carrying a large bag. She knelt beside Noah and whispered, "Your Drynites are in here if you need a change, Your
Highness. I'll just set it in the bathroom." She repeated the same thing to Bastian.

"Thanks, Sigrid. I could use a change now, actually," he said. "Come on, Noah, I bet you could too."

Noah, who did not want his cousin to know that he wore Drynites all the time, blushed a deep red.

"Do you have to wear Drynites all the time too, Noah?" Ethan asked.

The question was asked in a sort of casual way, without judgment, but Noah still wasn't comfortable talking about it. "Y-yes," he stammered. "I didn't know you knew
about that."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you," Ethan said. "I have to wear them at night. Wetting problems seem to run in our family. Either way, I have to wear them too, so don't be embarrassed."

"It's okay," Noah said. "I'd better go change. Excuse me."

Ethan and Bastian, who often visited Menroud, then showed Noah around the palace, which seemed a bit larger than it had looked from the outside. They played for a while, running and chasing each other across the lawn out back, before they were called for dinner. This was naturally quite a gathering with the king and queen, both of their sons and their wives, and the six kids between them. But it wasn't at all stuffy and rigid. This was a celebration of Noah's return to them. The grown-ups all had some wine, and the King made a very grand toast to his son, his daughter-in-law, and his grandson, and everyone clinked their glasses together and drank. Unsurprisingly, the little boy was a bit bashful in the face of all that attention, but he still managed to thank his Grandpa in a very courteous and princely, if somewhat awkward, way. Everyone was in a wonderful mood, chatting and laughing. After that, dessert was served in the form of a large red velvet cake, and Grandpa made sure that Noah, as the guest of honor, got the first and largest piece "since he is not yet old enough for wine."

After dinner, the boys were all sent to shower, and once they were all in their pyjamas, they were allowed to play a bit longer. Finally, Ellie came round and said it was time for bed, so all three boys piled into the king-sized bed, and she tucked them under the covers. She left a small lamp on for them and closed the door behind her as she walked out.

"Noah," Ethan said. "What was it like to have your dad beat you up all the time?"

"Gustav wasn't his dad!" Bastian said sharply. "He was a fake!" He was understandably very protective of his twin.

"Sorry," Ethan said. "I just meant that you thought he was your dad at the time. It must have been awful."

"It was," Noah replied. "Sometimes he'd be okay, but then he'd lose his temper over something and hit me. Sometimes I didn't even know what it was for."

"Why would someone hit a little boy like that?"

"Because he's a bad person!" Bastian answered.

"I guess so," Ethan said. "But I'm glad you got out of there, and I'm glad you're here. You're pretty cool."

As it usually is with kids that age, the seriousness didn't last long. The boys continued to talk, giggle, and laugh for some time before, finally, almost at once, they all three closed their eyes and slept.

Over the next two days, Grandpa and Nana showered their grandsons with gifts and affection, and Noah quickly came to love them, as well as his cousin Ethan. The three boys spent much of their time playing games together, running around on the lawn outside and even in the house some. Ellie was appalled when she caught them running inside Menroud Palace, but before she could stop them, Grandpa cut in. "Let them enjoy themselves this once, Ellie. Look at them: do you see those grins? It's rare that Ethan or Bastian get to have so much fun, and God knows if Noah ever had such a good time."

Ellie sighed. "It's your house, Harold. I just don't want of your priceless art pieces to wind up in pieces. Or either of the kids."

"The art is nice, but seeing those boys laughing the way they are now means much more to me. Still, I take your point." Addressing the little princes, he said in a loud but gentle tone, "You boys be careful now. I don't want any of you to get hurt."

They did settle down a bit, but there didn't seem to be any way to dampen their spirits. Life can be lonely for a little prince or princess. He or she may have many nice things and enjoy an easy life, but friends and playmates may be hard to come by. All of the boys were tutored privately at home, so they lacked schoolmates, and it wasn't as if they could go to the nearest playground to meet other kids. This was a rare opportunity for them to play with someone their own age and of their own status without worrying about security, and they knew to take full advantage of it. By the time the visit was over, Noah had become rather close to Ethan, and he was very sad to leave this wonderful family that he was just getting to know. For the first time in his life, he felt like a very lucky little boy.

############################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################
Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jun 7, 2018 at 3:37 AM
Content: Chapter Four
Strife, Sickness, and Sacrifice
He hated to leave Menroud, but getting that trip out of the way allowed Noah to get back to adjusting to his new home. He had the run of the entire palace to play and explore, and he was usually accompanied by Sebastian or someone else in his family. He now finally had time to get to know them too. He already knew from his time in the hotel that Bastian was playful and mischievous and that his mum was kind, patient, and fun. But it was during this time that he came to know that his dad was very smart and sometimes strict like Bastian had said, but he was a kind, gentle man and especially so with his young sons. He wasn’t much for games like his wife, but he loved to tell jokes and funny stories, and more than anything, he loved to see his kids laugh. Ava was sweet, affectionate, and intelligent like her dad, but she could be a bit self-absorbed at times too. Lukas, the resident athlete, was very active and had a sarcastic sense of humor balanced by his impeccable manners and disarming smile, and he was very mindful of his family’s feelings, especially his new little brother’s. Lukas knew how sensitive and insecure Noah was, and he was always very careful to be patient with him and not make jokes at his expense.

The twins were almost always together, and their parents now began to notice more similarities in their personalities. For one thing, they had the same silly sense of humor and the same inclination towards showmanship. They liked to have people’s attention, and they liked making people laugh. This created some competition, usually friendly, but there was also quite a bit of cooperation in their jokes and pranks. Sometimes they would act out little skits for their parents or their nanny, which were more often than not merely cute rather than funny. Thanks to Sebastian’s encouragement and friendship, Alex and Ellie could see that Noah was beginning to heal, and Bastian loved having a playmate his own age around the palace all the time. He told his mum and dad that he wanted to grow his hair out like Noah’s, and they said he could.

Noah was having more fun that he had ever had in his life. He soon got used to having a staff of caretakers, servants, and bodyguards, and he felt as if they were part of some enormous extended family. And it had not taken him long to grow fond of his guard Bull. The enormous man had won him over with his gentle, easy-going nature and unwavering devotion to his charge. Noah spent many hours playing games, pretending to be a superhero with his twin brother, and watching any movie that struck his fancy. Or at least any that his mum and dad would let him watch. It should go without saying that Alex and Ellie were much more permissive than Gustav and Sonja had ever been, but they did set rules for him, and he was punished if he broke them. Not with beatings or even spankings but with time-outs and privilege restrictions. They would sit down with him and take the time to explain what he had done wrong and why it was wrong, and they told him constantly that, even if he did something bad, they still loved him. Even the bad times with his new family were better than the good times with his old one, and he soon found that he couldn’t spend enough time with them. He would often climb onto his mum’s or dad’s lap and sit contentedly as strong arms held him fast. He had never dared to dream that his life could be so good.

His accidents began to improve a bit during this time as he was experiencing less stress. He wet every night, but he began to make it to the toilet more during the day. His mum and dad didn’t seem to mind one way or the other. They encouraged him to try to stay dry, but they didn’t scold him if he wasn’t able to do so. They treated him sympathetically, as if something bad had happened to him, instead of getting angry and treating him as if he had done something bad.

While the days were practically idyllic for him, the nights were often much less pleasant. Years of torment and neglect had left deep wounds, and Noah had terrible nightmares. He slept peacefully some nights, but others he would wake up crying or sobbing. Mostly he dreamed about Gustav coming after him, screaming, chasing, and hitting him. Alex and Ellie had told him that Gustav was a bad man, that there were some people in the world who were simply bad, people who made a habit of hurting others. And hurting a kid was the worst thing someone could do. Bastian would try to comfort him, and sometimes that was enough, but Noah usually wanted someone around who he knew could protect him if a bad person came after him. When he couldn’t console his brother, Bastian would call their nanny or send for their mum and dad. They would pick him up and hold him, stroking his back until the tears stopped coming and he felt sleepy again. Sometimes Bastian would sit up with them until Noah felt like sleeping again, but some nights saw him go into his own bedroom and go back to sleep or Noah get taken into the next room until he calmed down. Sebastian loved his brother and cared about how he felt, but it wasn’t easy to have his sleep interrupted so frequently.

Soon after his homecoming, Noah started seeing a therapist, Dr. Lune, who assured Prince Alex and his wife that what was happening to the little prince was normal after what he had been through. The nightmares, nervousness, and anxiety were his mind’s way of trying to process the abuse. The therapist also offered some encouragement regarding Noah’s wetting, saying that incontinence can often be exacerbated by major life changes and other stressful events. The doctor said that patience and encouragement would help ease the stress Noah was feeling, and the anxiety would eventually get better, which might in turn improve his continence. His parents were not concerned about their son’s near-constant need for attention; they were glad to give it, happy to have him home and to have a chance to undo the damage that had been done to him.

Of course, Sebastian was quick to notice how much attention his brother was getting. He knew Noah had been through a lot, and he understood that he needed help to get over it, but Bastian couldn’t understand exactly how much his brother had been hurt. Noah was out of that situation and in a much better one. Sure, it had been horrible while he was there with Gustav, but he wasn’t there anymore. How long would it take him to get over it? How long should it take? He asked his dad about it one day while they were alone.

“There’s no way to know,” Alex had said. “Dr. Lune says that these things can take a lot of work over a long period of time. We just have to be patient with Noah, show him our love and support, and it will happen. As a matter of fact, it’s begun to happen already. Haven’t you noticed that he smiles more than he did when he first came here? He’s not as shy and withdrawn and not so insecure. He is getting better, and he’ll continue to get better. Just be patient with him, son.”

“But Daddy, he’s been here and away from Gustav for a long time now!”

Alex laughed a little. “I know it seems like a long time at your age, but it’s only been a few weeks. Noah lived with that monster for eight years. It’s going to take longer than a month or two for him to get over it. But he will get there.”

But this little conversation didn’t exactly erase Bastian’s concerns. On the contrary, they only grew. Sebastian was worried for his brother and frustrated over his apparent lack of progress, but he was also feeling the sting of being replaced as the most recent addition to a family of privilege. Although he tried to understand what his twin was going through, he couldn’t stop himself from feeling jealous of all the attention Noah got. Their parents, their older sister, and even their nannies showered the long-lost prince with care and affection. It was all necessary, but Bastian could not see this.

Alex did not forget that conversation either. He picked up on his son’s jealousy and discussed it with Ellie later that night.

“He feels displaced. Noah is here now, and he needs so much attention that Bastian feels like he’s not getting enough.”

“I know,” Alex said with a little sigh. “But what do we do about it? We can’t let him go on feeling like that.”

“We’ll set aside some time just for Bastian.”

“And what about Noah?”

“Oh, he’ll be all right on his own for a few hours. We’ll leave Ilsa with him. She’s his favorite nanny.”

“Bastian’s too,” Alex said.

“Yes, but he’ll be with us, so he won’t miss her. we’ll take him out for an afternoon, just the three of us, and go to the zoo. He’ll love it. And when we get home, the boys will probably be so glad to see each other that they’ll forget all this rivalry business.”

“But what will we tell Noah?”

“The truth, of course. We want to take Bastian out and do something special for him.” Before he could make any further objections, Ellie quickly added, “And we’ll promise to do something special for him, just the three of us another day.”

“Yes,” Alex said thoughtfully. “That might work.”

“Do you have a better idea?” she asked in a playfully-challenging tone.

“No, but I don’t need better ideas. That’s why I married you.” He looked at her with a contented smile and a little sparkle in his eye, and nothing more had to be said on the subject.

The next day, they sat down with Noah and explained the situation to him patiently and thoroughly.

“You see, darling,” Ellie said. “Bastian loves you, and he’s glad you’re here. We all are. But it’s a little difficult to go from being the center of attention to having to share that attention. What we want you two to understand is that we love you both, and you’re going to have to share us. So what we’re going to do is start spending some time with each of you in turn so that you’ll both get us all to yourselves.”

Once they were sure he understood, they had a similar conversation with Bastian, then told him to get ready for an outing.

“Really? Where are we going?” he asked them, excitedly.

“The zoo.”

“All right, I love the zoo!”

They piled into a car with the necessary entourage and rode across town to the large Ordan Zoo. They spent a few hours there, watching the animals and, thanks to royal privilege, visiting some of the more docile ones up close, even petting and feeding them. They got their pictures taken with a gorilla and some of the cuter animals, and Bastian was beside himself, thanking them profusely when they ate lunch at the zoo’s cafe. When they had seen everything there was to see, they finally left the park with Bastian chattering excitedly about everything he’d seen and done.

“I can’t wait to tell Noah!” he exclaimed happily and without a trace of boastfulness. But by the time they got back to the palace, he had calmed down quite a bit and seemed rather tired. Ellie suggested that he take a nap, so, after a quick change of Drynites, he laid down to do just that.

Ellie checked on him two hours later and found him still sleeping soundly, curled up under a blanket, which wasn’t at all like her energetic boy. She touched his forehead and thought it felt a little too warm. She gently shook him, saying that it was time to wake up, and he groaned as he slowly came awake. “Are you feeling all right, sweetie?”

He blinked at her and groaned again as he replied, “No, I don’t feel good.”

“Okay, I’m going to call Dr. Englewood.” Bastian didn’t object, and that was the final confirmation that he was sick.

The doctor soon concurred after a brief examination. “There’s nothing to worry about. It looks like he’s caught some sort of virus, Your Highness. Keep him fed, give him plenty of liquids, and make him rest, and he should get better in a day or two. I’ll run the samples I took and check on him again tomorrow.”

The news quickly spread through the palace that the young prince was sick. An illness in the royal family always meant more work for the staff, and, of course, the family itself worried and fussed over their little boy. Ava and Lucas visited him briefly, and Alex and Ellie took turns sitting with him. But they would only let Noah into the room long enough to speak to his brother from a distance.

“We don’t want you catching what Bastian has,” Ellie told him. “You have a hard enough time with your anxiety, and we have our hands full enough with one sick little boy! Come on, off you go!”

Noah was worried about his twin. He looked very sick, and his mum and dad were obviously worried too. Maybe he wasn’t sick enough to die, but then maybe the doctor was wrong. Even if he wasn’t, he could tell that Bastian felt very bad. After everything his brother had done for him, he couldn’t stand the thought of him lying there on the sofa, hurting, scared, and alone. But what could he do?

Poor Bastian certainly couldn’t do anything just then. He was confined to the sofa, lying listlessly and staring vacantly at TV. He now regretted his earlier resentment of Noah and missed him tremendously. To make matters worse, his kidneys were working harder, trying to flush out his system, and he was peeing very frequently. This complicated his incontinence so that he was wetting himself every time. After his third change of Drynites in as many hours, Ellie called her husband and spoke to him quietly for several minutes. After she hung up the phone, she sat down next to the sofa.

“Bastian, sweetie, we’re going to have to do something else about your wetting. You’re going almost every hour, and changing you is such an ordeal since you don’t have the energy to stand up right now. Daddy and I think we should get you something else until you start to feel better. We’d like you to wear diapers, just for now.”

“No, Mummy, please!”

She held her hand up to quiet him. “Just hear me out. A diaper will absorb more and will be easier to change, so you’ll be able to rest more, and that’s what you need right now. You also need a lot of liquid, which will make you have to pee more. I know you don’t want to do this, but I think it will be a lot better for you than your Drynites right now. Will you just try it for a little while?”

He hated it, but she had a point, and he didn’t have the energy to argue with her, so he sadly nodded in agreement. She made another call to one of the staff, and he heard her giving whoever was on the other end his measurements and telling that person to go out and buy some diapers to fit him. Tears began to slide from his eyes as he wondered if he could feel any worse than he did right then. He ached all over, he had no energy, he couldn’t stop peeing, and he was about to be put in diapers like a baby. He felt like he’d lost an important fight and, in the process, a part of himself. Eight-year-olds generally do not enjoy much independence, nor do they possess much maturity, a fact that most of them are aware of on some level. This is why what relative little they do possess is so important to them. Bastian had spent eight years growing, learning, and experiencing, becoming bigger, stronger, smarter, wiser, and better. Now, it was like he was going backwards, losing some of what he’d gained. And on top of it all, the one person who might understand how he was feeling at that moment wasn’t allowed to see him.

His mum’s presence gave him some comfort, of course. “I’m sorry, sweetie,” she said sympathetically as she stroked his head. “It’s just to help you stay dry when you need some extra help. It’s going to be better than it would be to lie on wet cushions and blankets. We’re just trying to help you stay comfortable.”

This did little to lighten Bastian’s mood, and he continued to cry softly until he dozed off. He woke up to his mum holding a glass of orange juice to his lips, and he dutifully drank it. Ellie set the empty glass down and began undoing the sides of his Drynite, which was wet again. But instead of a new one, he saw her unfolding a disposable diaper with little cartoony designs all over it and the Pampers logo. He whimpered when he saw it.

“I’m sorry, darling. It was the best fit we could find for you. Hold still, and we’ll be done in just a moment.”

Bastian closed his eyes to shut out what was happening to him. He had never felt so weak and defeated.

Meanwhile, Noah couldn’t stop worrying about his twin. How sick was he? How long would he be sick? How bad did he feel? And, of course, he missed his brother. He was bored because he had no one to play with, which gave him more time to worry. He sat on a sofa in a sitting room with his dad, absently watching TV. He was able to get a bit into the shows that were on, and that helped occupy his mind. But after a while, Alex called Irina to get him ready for bed, and she shooed Noah off to take a shower while she laid out his pyjamas and gathered up his laundry. Once he was clean, he pulled on a fresh pair of Drynites, slipped into his PJs, and stepped out to find his dad sitting on his bed.

“Hey, kiddo. Did you brush your teeth?”

Noah nodded.

“Okay, come on, then.” Alex pulled back the covers for him. “I don’t think you’ve ever even slept in this bed, have you?”

“No.”

“And it’s your bed! It’s high time you took it for a test drive!” His tone was light, and he said it with a smile, but Noah didn’t smile back. “All right, what’s going on with you? Why the long face?”

“I miss Bastian.”

“I know, buddy, but he’ll get better soon, and then you guys can play again.”

“Are you sure he’ll get better?”

“Yes,” Alex said firmly. “It’s just a little virus. Dr. Englewood is a very good, smart doctor, and he told us not to worry. He’ll be okay. Here, why don’t we read a story for a little bit? What would you like tonight?”

“I don’t know,” Noah said quietly.

“Well, let’s see,” Alex said as he browsed the shelves of the bookcase against the wall. Picking one at random, he said, “How about ‘Ophelia’s Shadow Theatre?’ This looks good.” So he sat down on the edge of the bed, opened the book, and began to read. It wasn’t very long, but Noah looked sleepy by the time he was done. He drew the covers tightly around his little boy, kissed his forehead, and said good night. “Mum’s going to stay with Bastian tonight, but I’ll be available if you need me.” He left a small lamp on as he walked out of the room.

The little prince curled up under the covers and hoped he wouldn’t have any nightmares that night. Having Bastian around always made him feel better, even when the dreams were really bad, and he felt very alone tonight. Mercifully, he slept soundly until morning. When he woke up, he called Irina and asked about his brother.

“Princess Eleanor said he’s still very sick. She spoke to Dr. Englewood, and he still says it’s a virus that should pass in a couple of days, but he’s coming up later this morning to talk to your mum and dad.”

Noah found his dad, and they had breakfast with Ava and Lukas. The conversation was mostly normal, and everyone seemed in good spirits. The two older kids chattered on about their friends and their studies. After he ate, Noah wandered to the spare bedroom where Bastian was being kept. He wanted to say hello and see if he would be allowed to visit for a while. Bastian looked very tired, lying lifelessly on a sofa and staring from under heavy lids at a cartoon playing on TV. Still, it was obvious that he was glad to see Noah.

“How are you feeling?”

“Bad,” Bastian croaked.

“I’m sorry. I wish you weren’t sick.”

Their visit was cut short as Dr. Englewood arrived, and Ellie whisked Noah out of the room, promising to tell him what the doctor said afterwards. He wanted to know what the doctor said, but he knew eavesdropping was wrong, so he went back to his suite and started playing. After a long time, the door opened, and he looked up to see his mum. She looked upset, which worried him. She walked over and sat down next to Noah.

“Is Bastian going to be all right, Mummy?”

“Yes, darling. It’s just a virus like Dr. Englewood said.”

“Then why do you look so sad?”

Ellie sighed heavily. “When the doctor ran Bastian’s samples, he found some things that told him that this virus has specifically attacked your brother’s urinary tract, which is basically the part of his body that makes and gets rid of his urine. The virus seems to have damaged the muscles in Bastian’s bladder, which weren’t very strong to begin with. We can’t be sure until Dr. Englewood runs some more tests, but it looks like Bastian’s incontinence has gotten a lot worse. Right now, he has very little control over his pee, if any at all. He was wetting so much last night that we had to put diapers on him, and we don’t know when he’ll be able to get out of them.”

“Poor Bastian,” Noah said in a somewhat breathless voice. He was imagining how his brother must be feeling right then. “I wish he’d never caught that virus. Is he really sad about it?”

“He’s pretty upset, but he’ll get over that in time. We can help him do that if we show him our support, show him it doesn’t matter to us, and that he doesn’t have to go through this alone.”

“Oh, that’s what I’ll do, Mummy!”

Ellie hugged him and said she was going to take a nap, having lost some sleep the night before. This left Noah to his thoughts. He tugged at the waistband of his jeans and looked down at his Drynite, wondering how the diapers felt to Bastian. He knew how bad his twin must feel about what had happened to him, and he wished he could help. He kept thinking about what his mum had said, and he wondered how he could show his support for Bastian and show him that he wasn’t alone. He kept thinking about it as he went back to playing his game. Some time later, he felt the sudden urge to pee and paused the game. He headed for the bathroom, but halfway there, his bladder gave way and he wet his Drynite. He was pulling on a dry pair when the idea finally came to him. He ran to look for Ellie and finally found her having just woken up from her nap.

“Mummy! I know how to help Bastian!”

“How, darling?”

“Let me wear diapers too. That way, he won’t be alone, and he won’t feel so bad.”

His mum smiled, but somehow it looked kind of sad. “No, Noah. You don’t need diapers.”

“But I have a lot of accidents!”

“Yes, but not as many as Bastian is having right now. You’re not that bad off, and your dad and I don’t want you to wear something you don’t need.”

“But Mummy, I don’t mind.”

“It’s very sweet of you to suggest that, but if you wore diapers, you could lose your bladder control too. I know you don’t want that, and I don’t want it for you. Bastian will be fine just knowing that we care for him.”

“I don’t mind, really,” he insisted.

“Well, I do. This doesn’t sound like a healthy risk, and you’re too young to take a risk like that. You don’t understand the consequences, so it has to be my decision, and I say no.”

“Then can I see him?”

“No. I’m sorry, but Dr. Englewood says he’s still contagious, and we can’t risk you catching this virus, especially with what we know now.”

Noah walked away, defeated and spent most of the day moping about the palace. His brother was sick and going through what must be a very hard time, and there was nothing he could do about it. He talked to Alex about his idea, hoping his dad would agree with him, but he got the same answers. Noah was a little angry at his parents for keeping him from seeing Bastian and helping him feel better. He understood that there were risks, but he didn’t care. He was the one who would have to go through whatever happened, and if he did get sick or lose his bladder control, at least he and Bastian could go through it together. He barely spoke to his family for the rest of the day, but by bedtime, he seemed to have gotten over it. It was Alex’s turn to sit with Bastian, so Ellie put him to bed. She offered to read him a story, but he declined, saying that he was ready to go to sleep.

“I’m very proud of you, Noah. I know you want to help your brother, and that’s very sweet and thoughtful of you. You’re showing compassion. I won’t let you do what you want to do, but it’s good that you want to do it.” She kissed him goodnight and walked out of the room.

Noah waited a little while, lying quietly in bed. When he didn’t hear any noise for a while, he slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the door, where he paused and put his ear to the wood. Still hearing nothing, he twisted the knob and pulled the door open. He cautiously peered out through the crack at the sitting room outside. Nobody was there, so he quickly but quietly crossed the room to the apartment door, where he again paused to listen for any activity on the other side. Still hearing nothing, he looked out and saw that the hallway was indeed empty, so he slipped out the door and hurried along the corridor. He knew he had to be fast because someone could come around the corner and spot him at any second. He soon made his way to the door and stopped once again, listening intently for any noise on the other side. He didn’t hear anything, but this was a critical point. If he were wrong, his whole plan would be ruined. He wanted to stay there longer, but he was afraid he would get caught, so he took a deep breath, prepared himself for a shock, and opened the door, just enough to peek inside. The room was dark and silent, so he pushed a bit more and saw a soft light through an open doorway. He also heard the soft sound of someone breathing deeply and slowly. Noah stepped into the room and closed the door behind him soundlessly. He looked around, moving cautiously about, and saw his dad sleeping on the large sofa. He carefully moved past it towards the doorway on the far side of the room and slipped into it. This, of course, was the bedroom, and here the dim light of a lamp several feet away fell across Sebastian bundled up in a large bed. Noah didn’t care what anyone said. Bastian had been nice to him from the very beginning. He never would have been found — he would not have even been there at that moment — if it weren’t for Bastian. He had been his friend before he knew they were brothers, and since then, he had shared his home and his family with him. Noah owed him for this wonderful new life. He couldn’t stand the thought of him going through this illness, the defeat and loss he must be feeling, alone. His mum and dad would probably be angry, but they had assured him over and over that they would still love him whatever he did, and his brother’s well-being was the only thing that mattered to him just then, so he would deal with whatever consequences came about later. He walked across the carpet, pulled back the sheets, and slipped under them. He covered himself up and slid over until he was right next to Bastian. He reached out and put his arm around his brother’s shoulder and snuggled up to him, resting his cheek on Bastian’s back. Whatever happened, they would at least go through it together.

############################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################
Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jun 8, 2018 at 3:39 AM
Content: Chapter Five
Healing
“Prince Alex! Prince Alex, wake up!”

“What?”

“Your Highness, you need to see something!”

Alex practically jumped off the sofa. It was Sigrid’s turn to check on Bastian from time to time during the night, so if she said she had something to show him, he knew who it was about and how important it must be. He brushed past her into the bedroom and immediately saw what she meant. Noah was lying beside Bastian under the covers, his arm draped across his brother. He had sneaked into the room some time during the two hours since Alex had laid down and gotten into the bed to keep his twin company. It was so touching and his two boys looked so cute all snuggled up that Alex couldn’t find it in himself to be angry at Noah for disobeying him. How could he be angry at his son for caring? Maybe he cared too much in this case, but who could blame him? Bastian was his best friend, to whom he felt obligated, and maybe this would be the end of the sibling rivalry that had recently developed between the boys. But mostly, Prince Alex was simply astounded by the compassion that his son had shown, and the apparent courage it had given him. “Check them and change them if they need it, but try not to wake them. Any damage to be done is probably done already, and if it’s really that important to Noah, let him sleep where he is,” he instructed Sigrid. He then turned and reached for the phone. It was late, but he and his wife needed to talk.

“Noah?! What are you doing here?” His voice was still weak, but it was the first time Bastian had sounded excited in a couple of days.

His eyes fluttered open, and he cracked a sleepy half-smile. “I didn’t want you to be alone, so I sneaked in here last night.”

“But you’ll get sick too!”

“Maybe not. But if I do, I guess we’ll just be sick together.”

“But Noah, it’s not just being sick,” Bastian said weakly. “My wetting’s gotten worse too.”

“I know. I asked Mummy and Daddy to put me in diapers too.”

“Why?” Bastian asked in shock.

“So you wouldn’t have to be the only one wearing them. I have a lot of accidents, anyway, so maybe it would be easier.”

“What did they say?”

“No.”

“This is the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

Noah shrugged. “You’re my brother, and you’ve done a lot for me. I’d still be living with that awful Gustav if it wasn’t for you. I owe you.”

Bastian frowned a little. “No, you don’t. But thank you.” He realized then that what he had found that day in Marganta wasn’t a playmate, a sympathetic confidant, or a rival for his parents’ affection. He had instead found a lifelong friend, someone who would always support him and care about him in spit of anything else that happened. More than any other, that was the moment when they realized that they truly were brothers. This sank in, and Bastian blurted out, “I love you, Noah.”

“I love you too.”

With that out of the way, Bastian said, “Now, I need seeing to. I’m going to call Daddy.” He called out loudly enough for his voice to carry to the next room, and the boys heard movement before their dad appeared in the doorway.

“Well, I see our patient and our little sneak are awake,” he said with a little grin.

“You’re not mad, Daddy?”

Alex stepped over to the bed. “No, kiddo. You may have done the wrong thing, but you did it for the right reason.”

“Am I in trouble?”

Alex sighed and shook his head. “How can we punish you for doing something nice? I just hope you don’t get sick too.” Glancing at his other son, he said, “Feeling any better? No? I’m sorry, buddy. Do you need a change?”

Bastian nodded.

“Okay. Noah, why don’t you go change your pants? I had Sigrid leave a package of Drynites in the bathroom earlier this morning.”

“You can change diapers, Daddy?” Noah asked in surprise as he got out of bed.

“Of course. I did it for Ava, Lukas, and Bastian when they were younger. It wouldn’t have been right for me to let Mummy and the nannies do all the work.”

Alex was taping up Bastian’s new diaper as Noah came back from the bathroom, and then they had some breakfast sent up. Bastian didn’t have much of an appetite, but he managed to eat a bit before he laid back down. Still, he seemed to be in better spirits than he was the day before, so they were all glad when Noah stuck around that morning. They played games when the sick little prince felt like sitting up, and they watched movies when he didn’t. Later on, Ellie came in to take over from her husband.

“I can’t say that I’m disappointed in you for going against my wishes,” she told Noah. “That was a very sweet thing you did, but I wish you hadn’t. I hate to see any of my kids sick or hurting, and I don’t want you to go through what Bastian’s gone through.”

“I’m sorry, Mummy, but he needed me.”

She could only smile at his selflessness and simple logic.

By noon, Noah was feeling tired and achy, so Ellie had Dr. Englewood sent back up. The doctor looked the boy over and took some samples to run cultures, but he said that he was sure Noah had caught the same virus that Bastian had, for which he recommended the same treatment. Ellie called and updated Alex, telling him that they now had two patients to look after as Sigrid began seeing to the newest one.

“No surprise there,” he said over the phone. “At least Noah got what we wanted, and now that we don’t have to keep them separate, they can both go back to their apartment.”

Ellie agreed and asked Sigrid to help her carry the boys back to their suite. Noah nestled into Ellie’s shoulder as she carried him through the corridor, while the nanny took Bastian. They walked into the boys’ apartment, and Sigrid laid Bastian down on the sofa.

“No, please don’t put me down, Mummy,” Noah said.

“All right, baby. Mummy’s got you,” Ellie said as she sat down beside her other son, who immediately turned and rested his head on his mum’s lap. They stayed like that until, some time later, Noah said he’d had an accident and everyone had to move so that Ellie could help him change his underpants. Bastian was next as it had been a while since he’d been changed, and Ellie decided to take care of that before she sat back down. By mid-afternoon, it was obvious that Noah’s wetting had increased as he wet for the third time that day.

“It looks like we’re going to go with your plan after all,” Ellie said as she pulled a diaper out of the package and made the twins a matching pair.

The diaper was in the largest size that Pampers made, so it fit the prince’s small frame snugly but otherwise well. It was stretchy and soft, more so than the Drynites, and it had a sweet scent. Noah could have done without the babyish designs, but the diaper was actually rather comfortable, and as bad as he felt just then, it was nice to know that he didn’t have to worry about trying to make it to the toilet or changing his wet pants. Ellie suggested that the twins take a nap, so they settled onto the sofa underneath a large blanket and soon drifted off to sleep. Noah woke up to cramps in his stomach and hurried to the bathroom, making it just in time. When he was done, Ellie put a fresh diaper on him and he laid back down.

“I’ve had some of that too,” Sebastian said. “But I haven’t made it to the bathroom every time.”

“Gross!” Noah replied on impulse, then added, “I know you couldn’t help it, though.”

“No, it was really gross,” came the reply. “I hope it doesn’t happen to you too.”

By that evening, Bastian was starting to feel better. He still didn’t have any energy, but he wasn’t aching anymore. Ava and Lukas popped in to say hello, from a distance as Ellie dictated.

“I’m so sorry you guys are sick,” Ava said, giving her mum a stuffed toy bear for each of them. “I can’t hug you right now, so these will have to do.”

Lukas also had gifts, giving each a balloon that read “Get Well” and a large chocolate chip cookie. “I heard what you did for Bastian, Noah. That was really cool of you.”

The twins thanked them, and Ellie sent them on their way. She called Ilsa, the nanny on duty that night, and asked her to help give the boys a bath. “Bastian says he feels better, but he’s still rather lifeless, so we’d better help him out just to be on the safe side. If you’ll take him, I’ll get Noah in his bath.” So Ilsa drew each of them a warm bath, and they split up. Ellie helped Noah out of his pyjamas, then removed his wet diaper and helped him step into the water. She then poured water over his head and washed and conditioned his long hair before lathering up a wash cloth. Noah laid back, his head resting on another wash cloth, as his mum gently, methodically cleaned his arms, torso, and legs before standing him up to wash his private areas. When she was done, she sat him down to rinse off the body wash, then stood him up again and took a big, fluffy towel off of the warming rack. She wrapped him up in the warm softness, helped him out of the tub, and toweled him off. Once he was dry, she carried him to the shared bedroom and laid him down on the comforter, saying, “You’ve certainly made your point that you boys are more comfortable together. You feel safer with Bastian next to you, don’t you?”

He nodded sleepily.

“My poor baby. I can tell you feel awful. I wish I could have kept you from getting sick.”

“I’m glad I did it, though,” Noah said in a weak voice. The truth was that, although he did feel horrible, he had never felt so warm and contented. He couldn’t remember ever being looked after with such care. It felt wonderful even through the aches and the tiredness. Ilsa came in with Bastian wrapped in his own towel. The boys were diapered side by side and put into bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

Bastian was completely well by the next morning, but, grateful for Noah’s companionship the day before, he still spent most of his time with his brother until he was well the next day. Both boys continued to wet with little control, and no doctor they saw was able to offer an effective treatment, so their parents decided to keep them in diapers for the time being.

With this decision came many accommodations to manage the princes’ incontinence. The palace had to maintain a stock of diapers, wipes, powders, lotions, and ointments. Finding the right diaper for Bastian and Noah was a concern as well. The Pampers had done well, but they had always been intended as a temporary solution only. Various brands of “youth briefs” were bought online or from local medical supply shops in the kids’ size (the fact that they were shopping for twins made it a bit easier). The boys’ comfort was, of course, the primary consideration, and there were many brands that they didn’t like. A lot of the standard plastic-backed diapers were deemed uncomfortable, a lot of the cloth-covered ones leaked, and many of both types were too thick and bulky. A few brands were found to meet all or most criteria, but Bastian and Noah preferred to wear the thin, soft Pampers, even though they were a little tight, so those were kept on hand as well. New pants also had to be bought to cover the added bulk underneath.

It was thought that the boys were too young to change themselves and that asking them to try would put undue stress on them. Not that the twins wanted to try — they were content to leave this unpleasant task to others, so everyone agreed that they would leave the diapering in more capable hands. Alex and Ellie shared this job with the boys’ nannies, and Ava also helped out from time to time. The twins didn’t much care who handled this as long as it was someone they trusted. Fortunately for them, there was no shortage of people around to take care of them, so they rarely had to sit in a soggy diaper for long. In fact, they both quickly grew to enjoy their new underwear. It freed them from the worry of making it to a toilet in time, which actually gave both of them more freedom and independence than they’d had before, especially since someone was always close at hand to change them.

Aside from the things that were done to handle the princes’ disability, life at Vaskerton Palace returned to normal. Bastian and Noah were closer than ever, spending almost every day running or riding their bicycles all over the palace grounds. They played games, told stories, and sometimes even made up their own imaginary worlds. They claimed most of the palace’s many rooms, corridors, and nooks and crannies as their playgrounds, the secret hideaways where their little daydreams and fantasies could come to life away from grown-up eyes. It was the sort of idyllic existence known to most children their age but largely new to each of the twins for different reasons. The only differences were that they had far more stuff than most kids and they would often have to take breaks for changes rather than trips to the bathroom. Their mum and dad allowed them as much time and freedom for their play as possible because they wanted their kids to be kids as much and as long as they possibly could.

Noah still needed a lot of attention, but Bastian accepted this better after seeing how caring his brother was, and so he was more patient and understanding, more caring himself. One night not long after the boys had been sick, Noah sat bolt upright in bed and yelled, “NO! GET AWAY!” Sebastian woke up, looked at his crying twin, sat up, wrapping his arms around Noah. “It’s okay. There’s a big wall outside and guards all over the house. No bad people can get you here.” After a bit, the crying stopped, and both of the boys were able to go back to sleep. When Bastian told his parents the next day, they told him that they were very proud of him. They told him to let them know whenever this happened so they could let the kids sleep in the next morning, and a signal was devised to communicate this. They found a small soldier figurine, an old toy that was lying around in the playroom, and told Bastian to leave it standing upright on his nightstand when the boys went to bed. If a nightmare disturbed their sleep, Bastian was to tip the soldier over. Whoever checked on them in the morning would see this and know to let them sleep a little longer. This was how they got around the difficulty of lost sleep, and Alex and Ellie would always praise Sebastian for helping them take care of his brother to help make up for any perceived discrepancies in affection. From then on, that was generally how Bastian would respond to Noah’s nightmares, and on the occasion that it wasn’t enough, Bastian would call his nanny or his parents, and they would take over.

Meanwhile, Noah continued to see Dr. Lune, and these sessions and his family’s support gradually began to lessen the frequency of his nightmares. He also started taking lessons from Bastian’s tutor Professor Cornell and was found to be a fast learner. His parents began to see a happy, confident little boy replace the scared, insecure one who had come to live with them. All of their hard work was beginning to pay off, and they felt a growing happiness in themselves, their twins, and their entire family.

############################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################
Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jun 9, 2018 at 1:08 AM
Content: I had to edit this a bit for content to post it here, so if you ever read it on my blog, you may notice some differences. This is the last chapter of "Lost and Found," but there are two more completed stories in this series so far. I may take a break from uploading for a couple of days, but I'll eventually get around to sharing them here. Thanks for reading!

Chapter Six
A Birthday and a Surprise Visit
“Good morning, Your Highnesses, and happy birthday!” sang Ilsa. The twins opened their eyes and grinned broadly. They were so excited that they could hardly lie still, chattering and giggling while she changed them. The air outside was cold, and there was snow on the ground, but there were no clouds in the sky and the sun shone through their windows as brightly as a winter sun can. The princes weren’t concerned with the weather, for today they were nine years old. This would be Noah’s first big birthday observance because, while Gustav and Sonja had given him a few small gifts when he was little, they had never really celebrated his birth (partially because they did not know exactly when it had occurred). While the boys’ thoughts rested heavily on the gifts they would receive, they were also excited about the party they were being thrown, as well as the fact that this was their first birthday together.

Much had happened over the last several months. Once Noah was acclimated to his home and his family, Alex had gone back to work, and he and Ellie began Noah’s induction into their social circle. There were many well-respected families in Ordan and the surrounding countryside that he was taken to visit. Many of them had kids his age, most of whom Bastian already knew and generally got along with, and it was among these that he made several friends who lived reasonably close to him. None of them were princes like he was, but some of them were dukes, duchesses, counts, or countesses, and most of them were quite wealthy. These families were the ones attending the party that day.

With such a full life now, Noah had blossomed into a happy, active little boy, although he retained his sweet, caring, and rather shy demeanor. In contrast, the carefree, happy-go-lucky Bastian had grown more thoughtful, and although he still loved to play pranks, he was far more mindful of doing anything hurtful. His twin’s influence was even more obvious than that, though. Bastian had grown his hair out to match Noah’s, and now the boys looked so much alike that only those who saw them on a regular basis could see the tiny differences in their faces. In spite of their shared disability and Noah’s difficult past, they were obviously happy and well-adjusted.

The staff had been working hard for the last couple of weeks to get the palace ready for today. The house was usually kept very clean and tidy, of course, but an occasion like this, when guests were expected, called for everything to be done more thoroughly than usual. The carpets were all vacuumed (and in some cases shampooed), the rugs were all washed and dried, the woods and stones were all polished, all of the bathrooms were scrubbed, and all the furniture was dusted and arranged. Ellie planned it all out well in advance, with Ava offering considerable help as she enthusiastically threw herself into making her little brothers’ big day perfect. The Grand Reception Hall and its adjoining rooms had all been decorated with streamers, balloons, banners, and flowers to create a festive atmosphere. A number of games had been set up in the ballroom, as well as a small stage in the dining room, where a comedian would later perform. The staff had spent all morning setting the dining room and preparing the food, which was all housed in the palace’s massive kitchen along with the cake that the princes had not yet been allowed to see.

The boys were changed into thicker diapers and dressed in clothes that looked nice without being stuffy or uncomfortable and were ready to greet their guests as they began to arrive shortly before 10. The young princes were especially excited to see Grandpa and Nana, who were overflowing with joy for the happy occasion. Immediately behind them were the boys’ Uncle Freddie, Aunt Margo, and their cousins Caroline, Thomas, and Ethan. The other guests gradually filed in over the next couple of hours, with only one invitee unable to attend because of a family emergency. Bastian and Noah greeted everyone cordially but excitedly because it was rare to get their friends all together in one place. They all grouped together and played the games that had been set up while their parents and nannies looked on and chatted, munching on hors d’oevres. The guests were all present by the time lunch was announced precisely at noon.

Alex and Ellie then escorted the day’s honorees to the dining room, followed by their guests. Everyone was seated, the princes in the middle of a long table where they were surrounded by their friends, and menus were dispensed. Ava and her mum, knowing the twins’ tastes, had chosen Italian for this lunch, which was split into four courses: salad, pasta, meat and vegetables, and dessert. Enough choices were offered that everyone got something they liked at each course. Noah had lasagna and sole, while Bastian ate ravioli and lamb. The kids all chattered happily as they ate, and by the time the third course was gone, everyone was starting to feel rather full. At this point, the comedian, who had a good reputation in the comedy club circuit in America, took the little stage. He introduced himself, greeted the royal family assembled there, and launched into his set, on which he had been carefully instructed as to the sort of material to cover. He did very well, despite the limitations placed on him, and he wrapped up by wishing the two princes a happy birthday. By the time he left the stage, everyone was ready for a little dessert, so with great flourish, the cake was wheeled into the room on a cloth-covered cart. It was the largest cake Noah had ever seen up close, wide and round with three tiers of cake, chocolate frosting, and cream cheese icing and eighteen candles blazing, nine each for Bastian and Noah. Everyone sang, someone said “Make a wish!” and the boys blew out the candles. Noah, who couldn’t imagine anything better than what he already knew, wished that everything would stay exactly as it was for him and his family forever. Of course, deep down, he knew that was impossible, but at the moment, he was happy enough that he could ignore that fact. The princes chose their slices from the smallest and most decorative layer on top, and the cake was cut. Everyone who wanted some got a piece, and there was enough to go around that all of the staffers on duty for the party got a piece. It was the happiest occasion Alex and Ellie had ever seen at Vaskerton Palace, with everyone smiling and laughing.

Finally, the gifts were brought in, and everyone sat around as the boys tore the wrapping off of the packages. It’s said that it’s difficult to find an appropriate gift for someone who is wealthy, but this is not true when the giver is also wealthy. Mass-produced goods and toys bought in retail chain outlets were passed over for more unique and special gifts that could only be obtained either in specific locations or by people of means. Between them, the twins received (among other things) a custom-built remote-controlled vehicle that boasted a number of gadgets, a 3D printer made for kids, an antique snow sled for each, snow goggles equipped with cameras, custom-made lamps, rare first-edition books, superhero paintings by professional comic book artists, signed copies of the original first issue of the Ninja Turtles comic, beautiful blankets made by American Navajos, tins of chocolates from a master Swiss chocolatier, and a large plastic dome containing a wooden labyrinth and a blue and green glass marble. Their mum and dad handed them pictures of their new small boats which were tied up down at the royal dock. They were identical except for their colors (blue and green, of course) and each came equipped with a pair of oars, all of which had been made by one of the most well-respected boatwrights in Europe. Bastian and Noah remembered to politely show excitement for each gift, and they thanked each of their friends in turn, although this involved little pretense because they genuinely liked almost everything they got. At last, the party was over, and the princes again stood in the reception hall, thanking their guests for their presence and their presents, and giving everyone a basket of party favors containing fine candies and a variety of small collectibles.

Not all the guests left, though. Grandpa, Nana, and Uncle Freddie and his family all stayed behind. Alex and Ellie had invited all of them to spend the day at Vaskerton for a private celebration for the family. As soon as the last guest was out the door, Bastian and Noah found Ilsa, who had been on hand during the party, and asked her to change them. They were thankful for the more absorbent diapers she’d put on them that morning because they were both soaked by now. She fetched a bag containing supplies for them and led them into a small parlor, where she laid them down on a large blanket spread across the floor. They were equally wet, so they played rock, paper, scissors, which Bastian won, so he was changed first. Once Noah was taken care of, they raced each other upstairs to their apartment, stripped out of their party clothes, and put on jeans and T-shirts. At last comfortable again, they found Ethan and took him to their playroom, where they spent the rest of the afternoon.

Dinner that evening was a much more relaxed affair, which somehow made it more joyous than the earlier party. There was wine for the grown-ups and a nice, warm apple streusel for dessert. After this, the boys got even more gifts, including almost all of the games and toys they’d asked for from their mum and dad, as well as a climbing wall to be set up at the pool when the weather warmed up, which was from Grandpa and Nana. Uncle Freddie and Aunt Margo gave them Batman and Spider-Man suits that were tailor-made to fit them and came complete with a utility belt full of toy batarangs, grappling hooks, and ropes, and “web shooters” that fired silly string. The final surprise came when Bastian and Noah were told that Ethan would be staying with them for a full week, although everyone else was flying back to Ordan the next day.

That night, the three boys hung out in Bastian and Noah’s apartment playing the video games their parents had just given them. They had all showered and gotten ready for bed so they could spend the rest of the evening playing. Since it was a special day, Irina had been instructed to let the kids stay up late, and they were taking full advantage. After a while, they turned off the game to watch a movie, and Noah asked Irina to bring them some popcorn. Within a few minutes, she brought it to them in a large bowl along with a bottle of water each. They sat on and around the sofa as they watched their movie and had their snack, talking intermittently.

“I’m so glad Mummy and Daddy let me stay over,” Ethan said. “And for a whole week! Your house is so nice!”

“Yours is too,” Noah said a little argumentatively but sincerely. “I love staying at Greensea!”

“You guys should come and visit me again soon! Bastian used to visit all the time.”

“Yeah, we used to take turns sleeping over,” Bastian agreed.

“Well, now you can both come, and we can still do that,” Ethan replied.

“Thanks, Ethan. I’d like that. I’d get to see you and Grandpa and Nana,” Noah said. They were all quiet for a minute, until he added, “I hope we’ll always be friends. Do you think we will?”

“Of course we will! We’re family!” said the other boys.

Around midnight, Irina went to check on them and found all three of them sound asleep where they were sitting as the movie played on. She didn’t have the strength to carry all three of them to bed, so she had to wake them up, and they all groggily stood and followed her to the bedroom. She checked them, and they were all wet, so she changed Bastian and Noah while Ethan slipped into a fresh Drynite. She tucked them under the covers, and they went right back to sleep.

That week flew by, much to the boys’ chagrin. There were some minor arguments, but for the most part, they all got along very well. They were allowed a break from their lessons and spent their time rampaging through the house or playing outside in the snow. Naturally, their play got a bit too noisy sometimes, and this irritated some of the others in the palace, but everyone thought it was wonderful to see the boys so happy after they had been through so much unhappiness. When Ethan left at the end of the week to fly back to Ordan, there were a few tears on both sides, and Bastian and Noah promised that they would visit soon.

Regular life at Vaskerton resumed after that. The princes started taking their lessons again, and Noah continued to see Dr. Lune but had made wonderful progress since he had started his therapy. His family’s love and patience had paid off as his nightmares were now much more infrequent, and he was very clearly recovering from the emotional scars of his old life. He talked about it sometimes, and sometimes he still cried a little to think of how miserable he was then, but mostly he was angry over the years that had been robbed from him. This was seen as progress, a step in the process of dealing with the trauma he’d experienced, because it showed that he now accepted himself as deserving of better treatment than what he got. His parents were very pleased with what they saw and confident in their hopes for their son’s future.

One day, the boys were playing in the corridors on the first floor, pretending they were Ninja Turtles chasing down bad guys. Bastian ran ahead around a bend in the hallway, and Noah started to chase after him but stopped when he heard another voice say, “Well, if it isn’t the little prince!”

Noah’s eyes went wide, and a sick feeling entered his gut as he recognized the voice. He ran around the corner and saw Bastian wrestling with a large man who held him firmly by the arms. It was Gustav, wearing a palace maintenance uniform.

“Oh, this must be your brother. Why don’t you introduce us, Oskar?” Since his hair had grown out, Bastian now looked exactly like Noah, so it was easy for Gustav to mistake him for the boy he knew as Oskar.

“I’m not Oskar! Let me go! You’re hurting me! Let go!” Bastian yelled. He was angry, unaware of who held him and how much danger he was in.

“Don’t talk to me like that, you filthy little dog!” Gustav thundered, towering over the little prince and handling him very roughly.

Bastian yelped, suddenly shocked and terrified to be intentionally hurt, something that had never happened to him. He began to wail in fear and pain, and Gustav responded by yelling, “Shut up! All the time with your pathetic crying! This wouldn’t be happening if you hadn’t run off! I don’t care what anyone else says you are! I raised you, and you’re my son!” He struck violently as the little boy cowered in his grip.

Noah heard someone yell angrily, “Let him go!” He was stunned when he realized that he was the one yelling, but he quickly recovered. “I’M Noah! I’M the one who used to be Oskar! You let my brother go now, or I’ll call the guards!”

This made Gustav pause. He looked at Noah, his eyes narrowed in a cruel squint, and grinned mockingly. “So the little baby finally found a voice.” The grin faded as he said, “You better watch how you talk to me, boy, or your brother’ll pay for it. I’m still your father, I don’t care what anyone says. So now you got a choice. You can leave and come home with me now, or I’ll take your brother with me, and he can answer for you running away like you did!”

“Don’t touch him! Bastian!” Noah suddenly charged, his anger boiling over when he heard his brother being threatened. He ran up to Gustav and kicked upwards with everything he had.

Surprised by the attack, Gustav failed to move in time, and Noah’s foot found its mark between the intruder's thighs. He doubled over in pain and, managing to hold onto Bastian with one hand, flailed about with his other, grasping Noah’s shirt.

Realizing that he was now in trouble, Noah began frantically squirming and flailing in an attempt to escape. Bastian was also struggling, but he was held fast in the crook of Gustav’s other arm with his left hand free. The large, crazed man then reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out a gun. Noah saw it and fought even harder as it hit him that he or his brother could die right there. Somewhere amidst all the commotion, he heard a loud animalistic roar, and he was knocked backwards, free of Gustav’s grip. He landed on the carpet with a thud and looked up to see Gustav staggering backwards with Bull bearing down on him, the gun falling to the floor.

“You hurt those boys, I hurt you!” the guard bellowed.

Gustav let go of Bastian to wrestle with Bull, but it was no contest. The guard had been trained to deal with situations like this and quickly subdued the intruder, punching him and slamming him against the wall until he stopped fighting. Several other guards ran up and grabbed Gustav’s arms, roughly securing them behind his back with a zip tie as a couple of others held Bull back and kept him from killing the man. Now that the threat was over, the shock caught up with Noah, and tears streamed down his cheeks. He had been so angry that he hadn’t even noticed how scared he was. Satisfied that the intruder was secure, Bull bent down and gently picked up Bastian, who buried his face in the guard’s shoulder and continued to wail. “It’s okay, I’ve got you. You’re safe now. It’s all right,” whispered the large man. He turned and picked Noah up with his other arm and carried the sobbing boys away from the ugly scene and the ugly man who had started to shout obscenities and insults at them. The princes felt safe in those strong arms, but what really stuck with Noah later was the sight of Bull when he turned to face him, tears falling from the massive man’s eyes out of fear for the two boys that he cared for so much.

The ride to the hospital had been very emotional, Bastian in his mum’s arms and Noah in his dad’s, but it had turned out to be unnecessary. The doctor said that there were no broken bones or serious injuries, only some bruising. Of course, the mental wounds were much worse. Their home had been invaded by a violent man who tried to hurt the boys. One or both of them could have been killed, and a man who had worked in their house had been killed. Poor Bastian was terrified of being alone for a long time afterwards. Alex and Ellie discussed whether or not they should tell the boys about the maintenance worker Gustav had killed to get the uniform, and they ultimately decided that the poor man, who left a family behind, deserved to be acknowledged and remembered. Of course, this scared the boys even more, but their parents still felt they’d made the right decision.

The night of the attack was the worst. Bastian clung to his Mummy and Daddy in an attempt to regain his shattered sense of security. Noah, while shaken by the experience, was more concerned for his twin and refused to leave his side. His parents had scolded him for throwing himself at “that madman,” but in the next breath, they told him that they were very proud of him for his courage. The boys slept between them that night, snuggled up to their mum and dad. Alex and Ellie stayed awake, watching over them for what seemed like hours.

“My sweet angels,” Eleanor said as she rested on her elbow and looked down at the sleeping boys, brushing a lock of hair away from Bastian’s eyes. She had been shaken to her core when she heard what happened, and it scared her to think that she could have lost one or both of them that afternoon, but now she was mostly just glad that they were both okay. As she saw them lying there beside her in nothing but their diapers, she flashed back to a similar scene nine years ago before Noah was taken from her, and all she wanted was to keep them as safe and innocent as they looked at that moment. It had already been decided that tomorrow, she, her husband, and their head of security Dominik would review the procedures and policies for palace security.

Alex held Noah tightly to him. The thought of losing either of his boys now scared him senseless, and thinking of Gustav made him furious. That man had already done so much to his family! But he would never hurt them again. He had broken into the palace and assaulted two members of the royal family, and he had murdered another man, all of which guaranteed that he would spend the rest of his life in prison. He and Ellie would go and visit the murdered man’s family the next day, pay their respects, and promise to take care of the family from that point on. They were obviously very grateful to Adrian, the man they all called Bull. Alex had given him a medal that had been in his family for generations, plus a pay bonus and an offer to retire early with a generous pension. Bull gratefully accepted the medal and the bonus but said that he was happy where he was and would miss the boys and their family if he left. “YOUR family, Bull,” Alex had corrected him. “You saved my boys today. That makes you important to me, to them and all of us. You will be welcome here for as long as you wish to stay, and we will always take care of you and your own family.”

The shock began to fade as the days passed, and they were left to deal only with the aftermath. The boys slept with their parents for the next few nights before they were finally convinced to return to their own apartment, aided by a guard placed in their sitting room overnight for a couple of nights before they were weaned off of that security measure as well. There were more nightmares, mostly had by Bastian, who would sometimes see Gustav’s hate-filled face in his dreams and wake up crying. Noah, remembering what his brother had done for him, was infinitely supportive, sitting up with his twin on these sleepless nights and hugging him tightly while he cried, a full reversal of their roles. Always caring, Noah would call someone when his brother was so upset that only a grown-up could calm him. They would all remind Bastian of the strong wall bordering the property and the strong guards watching over them. Eventually, this would reassure him, and he would stop crying and go back to sleep.

Security was beefed up, new systems added and old ones strengthened. This made everyone feel safer, but Alex and Ellie had learned over the past nine years that no system and no number of guards could prevent every misfortune, calamity, or attack. They could hope for the best, but they realized that in the end, they could only do their best and hope it would be enough. Life changes constantly, and all anyone can do is enjoy it while it’s good and try to outlast the bad times. Although he was too young to articulate it, Noah had learned this. He had gone through Hell to find a happy life and a loving family, and, although it had been briefly interrupted, he knew that the happiness would return in time. This was the message hidden in the consoling words he whispered to his twin brother late at night, for he may not have said it, but he knew that this would only be one among many trials and hard times that the two boys would face and get through together for years to come.

############################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################
Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jun 13, 2018 at 1:44 PM
Content:

starpup said:

Thanks for sharing your work here, I've thoroughly enjoyed reading this and i am looking forward to reading your next story

[End of quote]

Thank you, Starpup. The first chapter of the second story is up now if you haven't already seen it.

############################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################
Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jun 20, 2018 at 6:15 AM
Content:

CodyBaby said:

That story was awesome, I can't believe I didn't find it before, wow, your writing skills and imagination are very good, if there's any follow up on this story, I'm gonna read it for sure.

[End of quote]

Thank you! I've had a rough past few days, and it makes me feel better to see someone enjoying my work. If you haven't found it yet, here is the second story, of which I've posted a little more than half so far. After I get that uploaded, I'll probably wait a couple of days before I start putting the third up. I'm also writing the fourth and will begin uploading it to my blog (and then here) once I have a bit more of it done.

############################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################
Author: Caspinarian
Timestamp: Jul 21, 2018 at 1:36 PM
Content:

LilByte said:

Amazing story!

[End of quote]

Much thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it.