Chapter 39

As Rene and Maximillion head back into the city, the delve into each other's past begins...

Maximillion and Rene arrived in the city about half and hour later after they left Angel's base.

"May I ask you a questiuon?"Rene asked.

"You just did,"Maximillion said.

"Another one?"

"You just did."

"Please stop."

"That wasn't even a question,"Maximillion said.

"Do I have to ask questions?"Rene said.

"That's all you've been saying for the last twenty seconds."

"Saying?"Rene asked, confused.

"I mean you've only been stating questions lately,"Maximillion said.

Rene sighed. Maximillion was starting to test her patience.

Maximillion led Rene down another street. She had let him lead her through the outskirts of the city for a while and it had become a short-term habit for her.

"Rene, stay close to me,"Maximillion ordered as he held out his hand in front of her to stop her from walking. Rene saw him grasp his sword hilt tightly, though, looking back, she had not seen him with a sword while they had been at Angel's warehouse. Where had he gotten it?

"Max, where did you get that sword?"Rene asked.

"It was at Angel's base,"he answered quickly."Be quiet!"

Rene finally understood why he had stopped her. She could hear movement coming from an alleyway just ahead. Maximillion began slowly walking forward, his hand held tightly around his sword hilt.

"If you actually hope to ambush us, you're an idiot,"Maximillion said.

"I think you're the idiot for actually wandering around here,"a voice replied back and three people stepped out of the darkness in the alley and into the light street.

It was Daniel, Roran, and Ralph and they looked furious.

"Well, it seems we were right about two things,"Daniel said.

"And what's that?"Maximillion asked.

"One-we couldn't trust you,"Roran said.

"And two-you would lead us to Angel,"Ralph said.

"So none of you trusted me?"Maximillion asked with a grin.

"Of course not,"a voice said from behind them and Rene looked back to see Michael, Taira, and Amber behind them.

"So, did you find her, Rene?"Taira asked. Rene nodded.

"You were also just using me?"Maximillion asked angrily.

"You were going to to kill Rene for money!"Michael saiad angrily."You were going to just use her!"

"How did you know that I was being paid to kill Rene?"

"Who DOESN'T know how you work?"Jonathan said as he, Ashleigh, and Megean stepped out of an alley to their left.

"That's interesting,"Maximillion said with a chuckle and he released his sword hilt calmly.

"Come here, Rene,"Amber ordered. Rene didn't move.

"He may have given me to Angel, but he also saved me,"Rene explained.

"Rene, don't lie for him,"Amber said, stepping towards her.

"Stay back!"Rene said and she grasped Maximillion for protection.

"Why are you clinging to him?"Taira asked angrily."He almost let you die!"

"But I didn't, did I?"Maximillion said softly and everyone looked at him.

"Why did you save her?"Amber asked furiously."Did something go wrong? Angel said something you didn't want to hear? Or was she not going to pay you after all?"

"All of those things,"Maximillion said. He sighed. If he wanted them to trust him, he'd have to open up.

"I saved Rene because I found out that Angel had killed Queen Shayla,"Maximillion explained."I knew Rene was Queen Shayla's daughter, but I also knew who Angel was. I did not know that Rene was supposed to be queen. I thought Angel was. However, even after finding out about Rene being next in line over Angel, I still intended to let her be killed, because, just like many other people, I believed that Angel would make a better queen. But, obviously, age is but a number, and I'm a terrible judge of character.

"When I found out that Angel had killed her own mother, I was shocked. I had met Queen Shayla long ago, when I was eight years old. My parents died when I was young, so I was left on the streets. I had no family left, noone who would take me in. I resorted to thievery to get what I needed, which was the basic necessities-food and water. But there came a time when I didn't want to steal anymore. So, I stopped. I was alone, starving, and surely dying. I drank from puddles that rain created. After a week of not eating, I was sure that I was going to die. Noone would help an urchin like me. I was just a child on the street, a filthy stain in a grand and prosperous city."

Rene noticed how Maximillion's voice shook and the way his fists were balled up. How long had he been holding in this pain?

"But then a miracle happened,"Maximillion continued."It was a cloudy day in the middle of the summer, Mid-June, I believe, and I had given up. Then I saw her-Queen Shayla in all her holy and royal splendor, walking down the street like a commoner. I did not say anything to her. I figured she would not like a street rat like me bothering her as she took a mid-day stroll around town. However, she did something very strange.

"She stopped walking when she looked at me and, in all her royal garments, knelt down in front of me and handed me something. She got up without saying a word and continued on her way. After she left, I realized that she had placed money in my hands. Enough to get food, clothing, bottled water, and anything else I needed for a while. But fate favored me it seemed.

"A little more than a month after my encounter with Queen Shayla, a lady picked me up off the streets and put me in her fancy car and whisked me away. As she drove, she explained everything.

"For the last month, Queen Shayla had been looking for a foster family to take me in and give me the love and attention she believed I desperately needed. I finally arrived at a house with a very nice woman and her husband. For the first time in months, I finally had a family again. But it didn't last long.

"When I was thirteen, they both died in a car accident. I cursed the fates for putting me in hell again. But it was different. I was older, stronger, and wiser. I began doing odd jobs for people. They would pay me and I would have my food for the night. Since then, my life has been one of basic living."

Nobody spoke for a moment. Then Amber broke the silence.

"So you think you can repay Queen Shayla by helping her daughter?"

"Yes."

Amber studied him for a moment. The shaking in his voice was gone and his fists had relaxed. His eyes were filled with determination.

"Alright,"Amber said and she extended a hand towards him."We accept your services."

Maximillion smiled.

"I'm doing this for free,"he said and he happily took Amber's hand.