"I’m not your real mother, Alex!" Those words resonated in the room making Alexander halt in his tracks. Did he hear it clearly or was his mind playing tricks on him? Did she just say she was not his real mother? No! Maybe he was in a dream and he would get out of it soon. But why did it feel so real? He turned around to face his mother, a doubtful expression planted on his face.

"What did you just say, mother?" He asked just to confirm he had heard it right. Victoria just shook her head as more tears streamed down her face, ruining her makeup now.

"I’m sorry Alex. I failed both as a queen and as a mother. Please forgive me!" That was all Victoria managed to say. And it now became hard to breathe. She held her head high trying to catch her breath, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Alexander.

"Are you alright?" Alexander asked but it was already too late. Victoria was now falling and Alexander could tell she could hit the cold floor badly if he did not react soon. And as if possessed by the devil, Alexander just felt his feet leave the place he was standing and before he could even breathe, he was holding Victoria’s waist protectively. ’Wow! That was fast!’ Alexander thought to himself. He looked at the queen and she stared back at him, surprised.

"Be careful the next time, mother. You could have hurt your unborn child," he said keeping her back on her feet. And come to think of it, maybe it was the high time he asked her about the rumors. He lifted his face to look at her and found her looking back at him with that same face again. He raked his fingers through his hair nervously. He didn’t know what was going in through her mind but it really pissed him off.

"I can’t believe you are still addressing me as your mother after everything I’ve told you, Alex!" Victoria finally managed to speak some words. She stared at her ’son’ in disbelief. She had expected him to at least be angry at her but he even saved her from falling hard on the floor. He had every right to, so why wasn’t he mad at her? Or did he know the answer already? No! That was impossible! She was certain no one else apart from her and her late husband, knew about it.

Alexander sighed softly before he faced his ’mother’ as well. There was that part of him that told him she was definitely not his real mother but he had ignored it earlier. But after ’resurrecting’ he had felt the sudden urge to know the truth. And if she was not his mother, who then was his mother?

"Though I’m not your son, you raised me as one and even gave me a title I did not deserve, your majesty. You made me a crown prince and above all, you are willing to crown me, who is not your son, as the king of Valoria," he said, making Victoria to cry even more.

"Oh, my son. I love you so much. You’re the most precious thing I have in the world. Please forgive me," she begged. But would Alexander really forgive her, just like that? All those years, she had kept this a secret from him, and maybe she would still have kept it a secret had he not brought the topic up. And she was now expecting him to forgive her, just like that?

"If you are not my real mother, who then is my real mother? Was father also not my parent?" He asked, raking his fingers through his hair. He was desperate for answers now. After all those years, why would she tell her now? He wanted to know!

Victoria lifted her watery face to look at Alexander. Did he really want to know the answer to that question? How would he even take it? This would only confuse him more. But keeping the answers to herself wouldn’t help either. Still, he had not yet given his answer to her question. But would he really forgive her?

"Your parents," she began in a shaky voice. Alexander’s face grew curious making Victoria to bite her lower lip between her teeth. This would yet be another disappointment for Alexander. Today, she wanted to speak nothing but the truth.

"Your parents never existed in the first place," she said making Alexander knit his brows together. She was now confusing him even more. How could his parents have not existed? How then did he come in this world to begin with?

"You were not born like any other child Alex. You don’t live, you exist! But I do believe you have a purpose in life, a great destiny rests on your shoulders. I saw it in your eyes that first time I held your little self in my arms. It was such a wonderful moment!" She said in exhilaration.

It was now the turn of Alexander to be confused. The information that he had gotten from the queen greatly affected him. That explains why he would die and come back to life again and again. What was his sole purpose of existing then? And what would happen if he accomplished that purpose? Would he vanish into thin air or something? The thought alone brought fear into his heart. He didn’t want to die that soon. Not until he had made things up with Isadora?

Victoria looked at Alexander confused. How was he able to maintain his cool after everything she had said to him? Was he pretending to be alright when he was actually not? Maybe she should ask him now.

"Alexander? Is everything alright?" She could see an unreadable expression on his face that she couldn’t make out. And what was with that look on his face now that he was staring at him? He really knew how to make one nervous.

"Is it true what the rumors say? That you are carrying a bastard child?" Alexander asked all of a sudden, diverting the topic to Victoria.