The king made his way to the royal room. The seated members of the kingdom rose up as the king entered. So does Philippe, Ana and Atticus get up and pay their respects to the king. Maximums took his seat and so did the rest of them. "Welcome Philippe," the king said. "A job well done he said," Not in a very joyful tone as the death of his son still lingers large in his mind. Philippe got up and introduced Ana first and then Atticus. "Sir," he said to the king. "This is Atticus,"'he introduced the bastard. Before Philippe could say anymore. "You must be 28, 29 years old," If I'am not wrong," said Maximus. "I turn 28 soon sir," replied Atticus. Maximus looks at the members of the court and his general. "Please," he says. "Can you give me time alone with the three of them," Maximus asks "Yes sir," say all of them agreeing to the request of the king at once. The party is gone, only the three of them and the king remains. "Atticus ,"'said Maximus. "You need not address me as Sir," I'm your father. "Sorry Sir,"'replied Atticus. "I never had a father when I needed one most. And I wish for it to remain so," he added. "I understand your pain son, I had no other choice but to abandon you and your mother," he spoke with no great power or force. "We all have choices, Sir. You took the choice to leave us in the dark, alone and unwanted," he said. "Please Atticus, understand what I have to say," The situation was so dire that I had to push you all away. But I always had my eyes on the three of you at all times. So that nothing bad happened to you," he said closing his eyes for a second symbolising that his life had now turned to darkness. He looked to his left and there hung a photo of the sun god Zeus. "Bring us prosperity and light," he said. "The three of us,?" Atticus asks Maximus. "What do you mean sir," "You had a younger brother Son, who I believe was lost during the great floods" the king said. "No sir, only me and my mother was displaced during the great floods. There was no other person with us," he replied. "You have a younger brother Atticus, or at least you had one," Said Maximus with hardly any remorse. Atticus sat there in silence not too shocked about the news as he always had a doubt in his mind. "Sir," he said. "If you really cared about us. Why did you not call us earlier to the kingdom. Why now? When it's all so late. My mother is gone and a brother I never knew I had is long gone," said Atticus. "Is it because you need me now to fill in for a role," asked Atticus. "No son, that is not the only reason," replied Maximus trying to reason with his son. "What else is the reason sir and if you really cared. You would have saved my little brother. Would you have not?" argued Atticus. "Believe me son. We tried our best. We searched for days. For weeks in fact. But we could not find him. We tried out best," replied Maximus. Atticus did not speak again. Maximus slowly stood up. Went near the three of them. Philippe at once got up, Ana and Atticus remained seated "Is this your wife," asked Maximus in a gentle tone pointing at Ana. "No Sir, not yet, she would soon be although," replied Atticus. "She would make a beautiful queen one day," said Maximus. Ana smiled. "Now I have some work to tend to," said Maximus to Philippe. "Make the two of them comfortable and show them around the palace. We shall meet for dinner," added Maximus. "Yes Sir," said Philippe. Maximus nods at Philippe and proceeds to leave the room. Soon as the king leaves the room. Two guards enter the royal room and guides Ana and Atticus to their rooms. The two guards have their belongings on their hands. Atticus and Ana obliges to the request of the guards and follow them. "I shall meet you in the room shortly before lunch and then I shall show you around,"'replied Philippe. Atticus agrees to Philippe. "What a day," he says to Ana as they make their way to the room. "What a day indeed,"'said Ana. "Such a beautiful palace. So rich and historical. It would not be all that bad if we stayed here," she said as she almost started to dance. "Stayed here forever?" Interrupted Atticus. "The king intends to quell the sadness, that is all there is" henadded. "I would not try to comfortably here," said Atticus. The guards were gone by now. The two of them sat there in their rooms. "So we are here temporarily," asks Ana. "Yes, once the unrest is gone and things start to get normal. We shall be sent away," replied Attcius. "But Atticus," said Ana. "Aren't you his son?" asked Ana. "I was his son when I was 5 years old too. Where was my father," asked Atticus. Ana started to feel a bit of sadness in her. "Does Philippe know this?" asked Ana in a very concerned manner. I suppose not. "If there is one person we can trust in the kingdom, It's him," replied Atticus. "Yes, I too agree on that" replied Ana. Meanwhile..... As Philippe makes his way to his office. He sees Maximus sitting there already waiting for him. "Sir," says Philippe as he enters the office. "Well done Philippe, said the king," "Wonderful job, an extraordinary effort," added Maximus. "Sir, the job was not done by me alone. I had a lot of help on the way," Replied Philippe. "A future king and a queen, that is wonderful news for the kingdom," said Maximus. "Yes sir, that is great news," Philippe agreed as he takes his seat opposite the king in his office. "We have a lot of work to do Philippe," says Maximus. "First we need to plant the news all around the kingdom that a heir has been found," said Maximus. "That can be arranged sir," says Philippe. "We will have one problem there," added Philippe. "A problem? What problem would we have Philippe," asked the king. Philippe responds to the question of the king: "Why was he hidden from all of us for so long? Where was he all this while. That question would be raised across all corners of the nation," replied Philippe. Maximus pondered for a while, you may be right. He replied to the valid point put across by Philippe. "What do you Propose Philippe?" Maximus asked him. "The news has to be planted nonetheless. So that there is no conundrum," added Maximus. "We have to look at an angel here sir," Said Philippe. "Turn the unfavorable situation into our favor. Take the arguments which are in negative light and show it in a positive manner," added Philippe. "Please Elaborate," said the King. "People will not be so curious about his mother as much as they are about him. So we can ignore the part of the Mother. There is no need to bring her name up or any information about her," replied Philippe. The King nodded in agreement. "What we need to focus on is Atticus. And Atticus only," said Philippe. "And the point sir, we need to really zero down on is why was he gone and what was he doing all this while?" asked Atticus. The king looked at Philippe without saying a word "Sir," Philippe said. The main point we have to hit hard is that it was always your intention for him to return sooner or later. Back to the kingdom and serve as a general, king, counsel. Whatever it may be. The king once again nodded in agreement. "And here a bit of luck seems to favor us," continued Philippe. "We can change the narration of the story to - Atticus was sent to the districts at a very early age to study and learn about them. How they worked, how they operated. How their economics was very advanced, so on and so forth," concluded Philippe. Maximus was certainly delighted with the input of Philippe "Well done Philippe," Maximus said. "The story will stick because it is partly true," added Maximus. "We have one problem sir," Said Philippe. "We need Atticus to stick to the story," added Philippe. "That is indeed a problem," replied Maximus. "Philippe," he said "That is your problem now. To convince Atticus to stick with our story." "Yes Sir, " replied Philippe. "Good," said the king. "I will make sure the news is planted across the kingdom" he added. Maximus got up and began to leave the room. Philippe was busy going through some documents. Philippe then too out a book and a pen from the pen stand. He then began to jot some things down. Maximus shut the door behind him. Philippe remained engrossed in his work.