It was in the middle night when he was suddenly woken up by the commotion outside his bedroom. He sat up and focused his ears on what was going on outside. It was the voice of their family messenger and his father's servant. Although they were trying to lower down their voice, they were not able to hide the panic in their tone.
"Master Amron is coming now..." he heard the whispered voice of the maidservant. He hurriedly stood up and walked out of his room. He saw the messenger and the servant at the end of the hallway to the bedrooms.
"What's going on?" His sleepiness was already gone seeing the panic from their faces.
The two servants looked at each other, not knowing what to say.
"Y-young master..." the messenger hesitated.
"You should go back to sleep. This matter does not concern you." He heard his father spoke while he walked out of his room. He was still tying his outer robe around his waist. He looked like he just woken up as well.
"Are you going out, father? In the middle of the night?" He waited for him to reach where they are and asked.
Instead of answering his question, his father looked at the messenger and nodded. "How bad was it this time?"
The messenger lowered his head. "Very bad, my lord."
"Can somebody tell me what is going on?" He loudly asked, ignoring his father. He was getting confused at the meaningful conversation happening in front of him.
His father looked at him and held his shoulders. He let out a deep sigh before he spoke. "My son, get ready, you are coming with me."
"Master?" both the servant and the messenger were shocked at their master's decision to bring him.
His father just nodded his head in response to the unspoken questions of the servants as if he already understood what was in their minds.
The two servants just lowered their heads and kept quiet.
"Go and get ready; make it quick. We do not have enough time." His father commanded him. He hurriedly went back to his room and grabbed his outer robe, not bothering to change his sleeping gown.
They hurriedly went out from their house and boarded the horse-drawn cart that was already waiting outside their courtyard.
"Where are we going?" He asked his father when they were already on the road. The surrounding was still dark, and they were treading the path out of the mainland.
His father sighed, seemingly nervous. Contemplating whether he made the right decision to bring him to wherever they were going. "We're going to see your mother." he quietly replied.
His heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean, my mother? Isn't she is dead?" He don't understand why, but he began to feel nervous, seeing the tense face of his father. He has never seen his father's face look like this. His father always looks sure and confident. Being the head of the king's army, he has the face of authority and braveness. But, this time, his father looks unsure, nervous, and if he is not mistaken, he saw fear in his eyes.
He said they're going to see his mother. But her mother died thirteen years ago when she was giving birth to him. What his father was saying was confusing him.
"I am sorry, son. I lied to you." His father's voice was low, almost whisper, his voice was tainted with pain and sadness. "I lied to you that your mother is dead."
In a second, he couldn't breathe, it was like his throat was choked, and oxygen couldn't pass through.
As far as he can remember, his father never lied to him. Hearing him now that he lied to him, his feeling was conflicted. Part of him was saying that he was just making a joke. To think that it was about her mother.
He never had a chance to have a mother because of the thought that was instilled to him when he was younger, that his mother died during childbirth. For thirteen years, he grew up under the care of the maidservants in their house. They were the only women that he had interactions with.
"Your mother is alive. She did not die while giving birth to you, like what you know." his father continued when he did not answer. "But she needs to hide and stay away from this kingdom. She can not be associated with the gods because of who she is."
"She is a sorcerer, isn't she?" He guessed. If there was a group of creatures that the gods don't want to be associated with, they are the sorcerer, the witches. The conflict between them was strong.
"Then, why are we going to see her? We are not supposed to meet with their kinds." He said when his father remained silent. His silence confirmed his first thought.
"My feelings for her remained since the day I met her. I always visited her in secret whenever I had the time." His father's voice was still in a whisper. He was making sure that it was only him who can hear.
He understood that his father has to keep this secret as long as he can. He was the head of the king's army; he will surely be punished if people in their kingdom knew that he is seeing a sorcerer. In his mind, he doesn't really care about the distinction of the creatures, whether they are gods, sorcerers or witches, mages, elves, or fairies. For him, they can live peacefully in one space, not being restricted from interacting with one another. But, because of the old laws of their forefathers, they have to abide, unless the king will issue a decree about it.
"I had to do what I can do for both of us, including you, to live." He heard his father spoke again. He looked at him. His eyes were moist, and tears were threatening to fall. "I am sorry. I hide her to you."
He can not speak. The sincerity in his father's voice was making his heart ache. There was also the longing to have a mother welling from his heart. He searched his inner heart to see if he could feel any resentment towards his father, but he could not find any.
"Your mother is sick now." his father broke the silence once again. "I don't know how long she will hold on. We are lucky if we can get to her before its too late."
A pang of sadness flooded his heart. He suddenly felt a heavy feeling pressing down his chest, making him gasp for air. The thought of seeing her mother for the first time made his heart beats in excitement but in only a minute, drowned by the news that she is dying.
For the rest of their travel, he remained silent. His father did not talk to him, either. He was trying to absorb and familiarize himself with all the feelings that were flooding his heart right now. The truth that has been hidden from him for thirteen years and the news that her mother is dying that he just learned a few moments ago.
They continued their travel in silence. He noticed that they were going uphill. The road was unpaved and stony, making their carriage rocked. The surrounding was full of tall trees, making it eerie.
"We're here, master." They heard the voice of the messenger who accompanied them and drove the carriage, telling them that they have arrived.
They stepped out from the cart. He looked around. They were stopped in the middle of dense forest on top of a mountain. There was no house or a sign of a creature living in the area. His father started walking towards the thick bushes. He immediately followed him, making sure he won't get lost.
They continued walking in a path full of breast height bushes until they reached a narrow clearing at the end of the bushes. The small clearing leads to the mouth of a cave. He did not know that a place like this existed.
He followed his father, who fearlessly entered the cave. The inside of the cave was narrow and dark, but his father seems to know the inside of the cave by heart even without lights. He tried to walk as close as he can to his father in order not to get lost or stumble on his way.
After walking for a few minutes, the narrow passage started to get wider, and he can now see a faint light in the distance. They followed the light and arrived at the end of the passage. The place was well lit with torches. In the middle was a two chaired dining table. The site looks exactly like a house with a kitchen and sleeping rooms.
He saw his father entered the room in the corner of the cave. He followed him inside.
"Alta..." his father cried when he saw a woman in the bed lying almost lifeless.
The woman wearily opened her eyes and stared at his father. He saw his eyes on the woman's. The woman looked at his father lovingly and also painfully. His father held her hands and kissed them.
"I'm dying, Amron." The woman weakly whispered. Tears started to roll down her cheeks. "I wish you and our son good health and peaceful life." She spoke while trying to gasp oxygen every time she opens her mouth to speak.
"Don't say those words. You will still live longer." His father painfully answered. "I brought our son."
The woman creased her brows. A disapproving look appeared to her pale face. "What did you do, Amron? Are you not scared of your people if they knew? Why bring him here?" The woman's voice was stern even though she was weak.
His father looked at him, telling him to come closer to them. He followed and took a slow step beside the bed.
The woman looked up at him. Streams of tears started to roll on her cheeks faster. She stretched her hands towards him. His father made way for him to come closer to her mother's side.
"My beautiful son." Her voice cracked at the emotion she was holding. She touched his face and caressed his cheek.
He tensed up when he felt the cold touch of her mother to his face. Her mother's hand was cold yet soft on his skin. The first time he felt in his whole life. He can not hold back his tears anymore and started to sob. He held her hands to his face, kissing them while sobbing.
He can't find any words to speak. He was happy to see and touch his mother, but the truth also saddens him that she is sick and was about to die.
"I heard a lot about you, Mokabe, my son. I am glad that you grew up as a fine young man." Her mother spoke to him. He was still holding her hands and didn't have any intention to let them go.
He saw her smiled at him lovingly. A smile that he couldn't imagine that he will be able to see. It was beautiful and loving.
"Please get well, mother." He begged. It was his only wish at that moment to see his mother live longer.
She gave him a painful smile. "I would love to, my son. I would love to." She sighed as another roll of tear wet her cheek. "But I am happy now knowing that you are growing into a brave and dignified man." She looked at the corner of the room and nodded to someone else.
He followed the sight of her mother and saw a girl on the corner watching them. He only noticed the girl that was watching them the whole time.
"She is Viis, your twin sister." His father spoke and held the girl's hand.
He looked at the girl. She has the same eyes as him too. She was starting straight to him without any sign of shyness.
He was not sure what to feel. He grew up knowing that his twin sister and his mother were both dead. Now, in front of him was his mother and also his sister.
The girl doesn't seem to be surprised to see him. She always knew that she had a brother that lives in a beautiful house and was studying to be the next advisor to the king.
He was not sure if she resents him or not. He made a slow bow, "I am glad to meet you finally." he softly spoken.
"I can now go peacefully." Their mother said softly and sighed a sigh of relief.
Automatically they all gathered around her, showing their worry. She looked at them one by one.
"I am so happy that I was able to see this moment. To see a complete family, even in a short and secret moment. I can now die in peace."