He chuckled. “Technically, I’m not the imposter you’ve always claimed, Imperial Prince. My name is Rin Varun, and I am a sophomore at the Academy. The man who made friends with Daylen, Calder, and Brennon last year was me. The man who attended classes with them and ate with them and hung out on the weekends with them, all me. You’re the one who had my name added to the betrothal announcement. You’re the one who told the entire planet you want me. There is no fault here for anyone but you. You tried to take that which you did not understand and you failed. The. End. The decree was already made, and as per your insanely restrictive laws, you’re only allowed to announce one Royal Consort in your lifetime. Sounds pretty final.”
Kelevra took a threatening step closer, ignoring the way his sister tensed.
“Thinking you can change the law?” Sila asked. “I don’t think so. Unlike some, I’ve paid attention. Your sisters might spoil you rotten, but there are still lines. They never let you get away with breaking tradition. It would cause too much trouble with the high council, isn’t that right?” he directed this last part to Lyra, but didn’t wait for her response. “Our father is like that too. Appearance is what matters, and no one wants to bother fighting a tedious battle when it can be avoided. They won’t let you change the name on that decree, no matter how much you beg or plead or threaten.”
“I would never threaten my own family,” Kelevra stated. “Which is why I’m done playing games with you.”
Rin bristled, but Sila merely cocked his head, catching on much more quickly than his brother.
“Interesting,” Sila mused.
“Neither of you are going anywhere.”
“You aren’t marrying my brother,” Rin growled.
“Of course not. I’m marrying Rin Varun and you, Flower, are the only Rin Varun I acknowledge. Here’s the thing,” he took another step closer, watching as the twins held their ground, “I don’t have to change the decree. All I have to do is swap the DNA samples provided by the two of you to the Academy and Vail.”
“Kelevra,” Lyra said. “Think things through. Don’t make any rash decisions.”
“I’m not being impulsive, sister,” he reassured. “I know exactly what I want.” He stopped only a couple of feet away and held Rin’s gaze. “Did you think you could escape if you had a different name? Is this what you’ve been hiding from me?”
He’d known there was something, and maybe he should have guessed what it was but…The twins had always come off as distinct opposites to him, so he’d never even imagined they might switch places and fool others. Judging by how pale Crate was, clearly he wasn’t the only one shocked, though for different reasons.
Rin stubbornly kept his mouth shut, eyeing him suspiciously.
Which admittedly irked Kelevra, since he wasn’t the one here who’d kept a major secret and lied. “You’re the one who wanted trust, remember? Hypocritical of you, wouldn’t you say? If for that alone, you owe me. Which means you’re going to be good and agree to my demands. Isn’t that right, Flower? I swore I’d never let you go. I meant it then, I mean it now.”
“He can’t make us do anything we don’t want,” Sila leaned in and said to Rin.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Kelevra stated. He didn’t want to have to make them, however. He didn’t want to risk getting into a confrontation with his flower’s brother. This wedge between them because of his father and this secret was already uncomfortable enough as it was.
“What,” Rin licked his lips, hesitating, “…What are your demands?”
“You’ll both agree to swapping your samples and taking on the names attached to them permanently. You,” he pointed to the Imposter, “will be Sila Varun from here until the end of time. And you,” then to his flower, “will be Rin.MyRin. I don’t,” he held up a hand when Sila opened his mouth, “care what you do in your free time. You can’t fool me anyway. But we need this to be official on paper and I absolutely refuse to refer to my flower by the sameSila.”
“Even though that was the name I was given at birth?” Rin asked.
“You aren’t attached to it,” Kel pointed out. “If you were, the two of you wouldn’t have switched for such long periods. And you wouldn’t be such a damn good shot.”
They must have done it back then to help keep up the ruse as well, since their father had always intended for the youngest to join the Academy, and yet his flower was the oldest and so good with a blaster.
“Why should we agree to that?” Rin wasn’t convinced. He always made things difficult.
“Because if you’re my Royal Consort then I made you other promises that night as well. You stay, he stays. Neither of you will be leaving, that can be by choice, or—”
“I’m curious—” Sila began, only to have Rin cut him off like that time at Friction.
“No, you aren’t.”
“I guess I’m not.”
There was little doubt in Kelevra’s mind that Sila had been about to suggest they fight just to see which of them would be victorious.
“This is absurd,” Crate announced. “Heir Imperial, forgive my family for causing this trouble. I’ll be taking them both and removing them from your presence at once. They will pay for their deception and—”
Kel turned, his positioning making it clear he was standing with the twins. It was risky, giving them his back, especially since one had admitted to shooting at him in the past, but if Rin needed him to make a clear stance in his favor, he’d do it, risk and all. “General Varun, your presence seems to have upset my Royal Consort. As such, I am obligated to ask you to leave. Alone. You see, your sons are part of the Imperial family of Vitality now and we don’t turn on our own family. Do we, sister?”
She held his gaze for a weighted moment before finally sighing. “No, no we do not. Unfortunately, General, it seems you’ve come all this way for nothing.”
