THE FORGOTTEN HEIR

THE PALACE CLEANER

The restless nights had grown unbearable. Ever since the Festival of Unity, Kayan could not rid his mind of the palace gates, of the cries of the people, and of the glimpse he thought he saw an older man watching him from above, eyes filled with something he could not name. Hope? Longing? Recognition?

“Mother,” Kayan said one dawn, breaking the silence as Elara ground herbs by the fire, “I must go.”

Elara stilled, her hand hovering over the pestle. “Go where?”

“To the city. To the palace,” Kayan said, his voice resolute. “I cannot live all my life wondering why I feel as though I belong there. Something calls me, and I must answer.”

Fear clouded Elara’s face. She had known this day would come the day destiny would tug her son away from her. Yet her heart ached. “Kayan… the palace is not kind. It is not what you dream it to be.”

“Then let me see for myself,” he said softly. “You taught me courage. Do not deny me this path.”

Tears welled in her eyes, but she could not chain him to the forest. She placed a trembling hand on his shoulder. “Then go, my son. But promise me one thing whatever you find there, never forget who raised you.”

“I could never forget,” Kayan whispered, embracing her.

Arrival at the Palace

The city of Aramore bustled with life as he entered its gates, dressed in a simple tunic, his belongings carried in a rough sack. He had no coin, no status, no allies but he had determination.

The palace loomed larger now, no longer distant spires but towering marble walls glistening in the sunlight. Its gates were guarded by armored men with eyes sharp as hawks. For a moment, Kayan hesitated. What business had he, a mere villager, before such splendor?

But fate opened its hand in unexpected ways.

Near the servant’s quarter, he overheard two women complaining.

“The palace is short of hands again,” one said, wiping sweat from her brow. “The spring celebrations left the halls in ruins, and the Queen herself has demanded every floor shine by week’s end.”

“Aye,” the other muttered. “We need more cleaners. Anyone with two hands will do.”

Kayan’s heart leapt. Steeling himself, he approached. “Excuse me,” he said. “I am seeking work. Could you use another?”

They looked him over, amused. “You? A strong lad like you, scrubbing floors?” one scoffed.

“I’ll work hard,” Kayan said earnestly. “Stronger hands mean faster cleaning.”

They laughed but eventually shrugged. “Very well, boy. If you’re serious, follow us. Report to Master Oren, the head of servants. He’ll decide if you’re fit.”

Thus, with no grand plan, the heir of Aramore entered his father’s palace not as a prince, but as a cleaner.

Life Among the Lowly

The servants’ quarters were a world of their own, bustling with cooks, maids, guards, and cleaners. Unlike the gleaming halls above, this place smelled of sweat, smoke, and soap. Yet there was camaraderie here, a shared struggle that bound them together.

Master Oren, a gruff man with a booming voice, eyed Kayan suspiciously. “You’ve the look of someone who’s never scrubbed a floor in his life. But if you last a week, maybe you’ll earn your place.”

Kayan bowed his head respectfully. “Thank you, sir.”

And so his days began at dawn. He swept the marble corridors, polished the golden railings, and scrubbed the mosaic floors until his muscles burned. But he never complained. Where others muttered curses at the endless work, Kayan smiled, whistled, and encouraged them. Slowly, his diligence earned him quiet admiration.

Among the servants, one caught his attention most a girl named Liora.

She was a cleaner like him, her hands rough with labor yet her eyes bright with unyielding spirit. Unlike many, she did not shrink in shyness but spoke boldly. She laughed easily, teased him when he scrubbed clumsily, and shared stolen bread during breaks. Yet there was something about her that mirrored his own story a mystery in her gaze, as though she too carried secrets she dared not reveal.

“You work too hard,” she told him one evening as they rested near the fountain. “The palace will take all you give and never thank you.”

“Perhaps,” Kayan replied with a small smile. “But I do not work for thanks. I work because something inside me says this is where I must be.”

Liora tilted her head, studying him. “Strange words from a cleaner. You speak more like… like a prince in disguise.”

Kayan laughed lightly, though her words struck closer to truth than she knew. “Then perhaps I am a very poor prince indeed.”

Eyes of the King

Unbeknownst to Kayan, his presence had not gone unnoticed. The King often walked the upper corridors, and once, while pausing to admire the servants polishing the floors, his gaze landed upon the young cleaner.

Something in the boy’s posture, his grace even in labor, struck him with an ache he had long buried. His breath caught as the boy’s sleeve slipped, revealing a fleeting glimpse of skin and there it was. The mark. The crescent sun of Aramore.

The King’s heart thundered. It could not be coincidence. Twice now he had seen this boy, and twice the mark had revealed itself.

He gripped the railing, whispering to himself, “My son…”

But he dared not reveal it yet, not without certainty. He would watch, he would wait.

The Step-Mother’s Unease

Meanwhile, Queen Mirantha had grown uneasy. From the moment the boy entered the palace, she felt a strange disquiet. His presence disturbed her, though she could not explain why.

One afternoon, passing by the servants’ wing, she caught sight of him. His back was bent over the floors, but when he rose and their eyes met, her breath hitched. Something about his face—so familiar, so haunting sent chills crawling down her spine.

Later, in her private chambers, she paced furiously. “Why does that boy unsettle me so?” she muttered. “It is as though I’ve seen him before… long ago.”

Her maid hesitated before speaking. “My Queen, forgive me, but… they say the boy bears a strange mark upon his shoulder.”

Mirantha froze. The memory of a small child, stolen in the dead of night, came rushing back. Her blood ran cold. “No,” she whispered. “It cannot be. I buried that past with lies and tears.”

But dread gnawed at her. If the boy was who she feared… then her long-kept secret was about to unravel.

A Familiar Echo

Kayan, unaware of the storms gathering around him, grew accustomed to palace life. Yet every hall he cleaned, every tapestry he passed, stirred something deep inside him. Sometimes he would pause, staring at a statue or a painting of former kings, and a strange familiarity would wash over him, as though their blood sang in his veins.

One evening, as he scrubbed the great hall, he touched the crest of Aramore carved into the marble floor the very crest that matched the mark upon his skin. His chest tightened.

“Why does this place feel like… home?” he whispered.

Liora, watching him curiously, asked, “Do you believe in fate, Kayan?”

He turned to her, startled. “Fate?”

“Yes,” she said softly. “That we are placed where we are meant to be. That no matter how far we run, destiny always finds us.”

Kayan thought for a long moment before replying. “If that is true… then perhaps I am standing exactly where I was always meant to stand.”

And far above, hidden in shadow, the King’s eyes shone with tears as he whispered, “Soon, my son. Soon.”