Wilson sat on the edge of the bed, the playfulness gone from his demeanor. He looked at June, his eyes dark with the weight of a history he rarely spoke of.
"You told me yours," Wilson said softly. "Now I have to tell you mine. And well... I am also a broader spectrum myself."
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I was part of such a big family. I had five brothers growing up. And it was so remarkably fucked up. I never met my dad. The eldest brother was the one to rule over us, and he made sure we knew it. It was insufferable for me to be with them."
He looked down at his hands. "The palace was filled with... well, I mean, I don't even want to say it. It wasn't a home. It was a courtroom, and we were always on trial."
June watched him, her heart aching. She recognized that look—the look of someone who had been invisible in a room full of people.
"And I wasn't loved by anyone," Wilson continued, his voice cracking slightly. "It was just so lonely for me to go on. So..."
"So what did you do?" June asked gently.
Wilson looked up, a sad smile touching his lips. "I did what I should have done a long time ago. I ran from the palace. I ended up working as a guard for the royals, escorting them, doing the dirty work. I reinvented myself. I changed my name in retro."
June tilted her head. "So your name isn't Wilson?"
"Well, it is," Wilson said. "But the surname... I changed that. My family has quite an influence in this area. I didn't want to be associated with the bloodshed."
June's mind raced. She felt a sudden chill, a thought she shouldn't have thought crossing her mind. *Influence. Palace. Five brothers.*
"Well, what is your name then?" she asked, her voice tight.
Wilson looked at her intently. He reached out and took her hand, his grip warm and trembling slightly.
"If I tell you," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper, "you promise you won't freak out? I want to declare that I love you, June. I don't want you to just let go of your family because you ran away once. I will go with you. Maybe you will feel better."
June felt a lump in her throat. She was glad—truly happy for the first time in a long time. She squeezed his hand back, opening her mouth to say *I love you too*.
But Wilson cut her off.
"My real name is Wilson Waters Lavender."
The words hung in the air, freezing the moment. The warmth of his hand turned to ice in June's mind. Lavender. The same name as the estate where Marco was tortured. The same name as the family allied with Austin Glanduer.
She stared at him, the confession of love dying on her lips, replaced by a stunned, terrified silence.
To be continued.