Hiding My Twin Heirs from the Ruthless Prince

CHAPTER 38

POV: Sebastian

The storm has passed, but the hall outside the war chamber still smells of rain and death. Alexandro’s death. Evangeline’s anger. My own failure. Everything presses against my ribs like a blade I cannot pull out. I pace before the long wooden table, fists clenched so tightly my knuckles burn.

“Your Majesty,” Lady Rosemary says quietly, “you’re wearing a trench into the floor.”

I stop. Barely.

She stands beside Maximilian, both of them soaked from the funeral, both refusing to sit until I command it. Rosemary’s copper hair clings to her wet armor, her eyes sharp with the kind of loyalty that does not bend. She is my most trusted strategist, one of the best knights of the kingdom, but today I feel as if even she can't help me.

I inhale sharply. “I lost Alexandro. Evangeline won’t even look at me. And William—William is out there with a man who wields magic we’ve never seen.” My voice cracks but I force it back into control. “I need answers. Now. Everything we know about Henry. Everything about William. Everything about the last five years.”

Maximilian exchanges a glance with Rosemary. “Let’s begin,” he says gently. “Before you tear yourself apart.”

I nod stiffly.

Rosemary pulls a stack of scrolls from her satchel. “I started digging the moment Henry appeared. Records of noble houses, foreign courts, magical archives, guardianship logs—even outlaw registers.” She unrolls a parchment. “There is no Lord Henry among any noble line.”

“Then who is he?” I demand.

“Someone hiding behind a title,” she replies. “Someone powerful… and someone who wanted to be noticed.”

Maximilian folds his arms. “He didn’t come to threaten the kingdom, Sebastian. He came to threaten you. It was obvious.”

I turn away, jaw tightening. “I know.”

Rosemary hesitates before adding, “There is more. Much more.”

I face her.

She sets down another scroll. “We found a line buried in the old Meridian records. A man named Henry Morien. Once excommunicated from the northern magical order for forbidden practices. He disappeared decades ago. No grave. No sightings. Nothing… until now.”

My blood chills. “He would be old—”

“Magic slows aging,” Rosemary says.

The room grows colder.

Maximilian narrows his eyes. “Sebastian… Henry looked at William as if—”

“I know,” I whisper. “Say it.”

Maximilian crosses his arms. “As if he were his father.”

The words echo through me.

Rosemary steps closer. “I compared the timeline. When Cordelia lived here, when she disappeared… and when you received the oracle’s revelation.”

My breath catches. That memory returns—unwanted and sharp.

Cordelia, pale and trembling.

The oracle’s voice cutting through the chamber:

“The child is not yours.”

I had buried that memory deep, ashamed, desperate to forget the woman I once believed I loved, the lies she spun, the child I thought was mine until truth ripped it away.

“It makes sense,” Rosemary continues. “Henry is William’s true father.”

My throat tightens. “Cordelia… lied about everything.”

“She used you,” Maximilian says quietly. “And now Henry uses William.”

Rosemary steps closer, eyes fierce. “My theory is simple: Henry wants revenge. Not by killing you outright—but by making you weak. By making you drown in guilt. By forcing you to see William suffer and believe it is your fault.”

My chest constricts. “He knows exactly where to strike.”

“Of course he does,” Rosemary says. “He spent years hiding. Years watching, perhaps. Years planning.”

I grit my teeth. “William is innocent. I failed him. I failed Evangeline. I failed Alexandro.” I clutch the edge of the table, fingers trembling. “And Henry wants me to break under the weight of it.”

Maximilian nods. “Then don’t give him what he wants. Don’t let him turn your guilt into weakness.”

“And how am I supposed to do that,” I snap, “when Alexandro is dead because of me?”

Rosemary meets my gaze without flinching. “Your Majesty… Alexandro stepped in front of that blast because he loved his sister, his nephews, this kingdom… and yes, even you. If you let his death be the reason you collapse, Henry wins.”

Every word hits like a blow.

Maximilian exhales. “You must speak to Evangeline. She’s drowning, Sebastian. And she won’t reach for you unless you take the first step.”

“I tried,” I say, voice cracking. “She won’t let me near her.”

“Try again,” Rosemary says. “And again. And again. You’re her husband. Fight for her.”

I swallow hard. “I will.”

Maximilian places a hand on my shoulder. “We stand with you. Always.”

I nod—slowly, painfully. “Prepare the knights. Double the patrols. Strengthen the magical wards. And Rosemary—keep digging. Find where Henry went. Find who else he’s spoken to. Find his weaknesses.”

She bows. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Maximilian sheathes his sword. “I’ll coordinate with Astoria’s mages as well. We will track him.”

As they turn to leave, I force air into my lungs. “Thank you,” I murmur. “Both of you.”

When the door closes behind them, silence swallows the chamber. I run a hand over my face, grounding myself. I cannot fall apart. Not now. Not when everything is at stake.

I leave the chamber and head toward Evangeline’s rooms.

Every step feels heavier than the last.

When I reach her door, I knock—softly at first. No answer. I knock again. Still nothing.

Finally, I speak through the wood. “Evangeline… please. I need to see you.”

Quiet.

“I know you’re hurting,” I whisper. “I know you blame me. And perhaps you should. But let me at least face that blame. Let me speak to you. Let me help you.”

Silence stretches like a blade between us.

“Evangeline…” My voice breaks. “Please.”

The latch clicks—a servant appears instead of her. She bows deeply, blocking the doorway.

“Her Majesty is resting,” she says gently. “She requests not to be disturbed.”

The words land like a sword to the chest.

“I understand,” I manage. “Please tell her… I’ll come any time she calls. Any hour.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

She closes the door.

I stand there, staring at the empty corridor, rain pattering faintly against the windows. For the first time in years, I feel truly alone.

But then I whisper into the quiet, almost to myself:

“I will win you back. I will fix this. I will make you love me again.”

My voice steadies.

“I swear it.”