Kaye gave her husband a confused look. "What prophecy are you talking about?" she said, tilting her head a little. Her husband looked up at her with unshed tears in his eyes.
"Honey, why are you crying?" she said, moving closer to him. She gently took her baby boy from his hands and whispered, "Tell me, darling. Tell me what this is all about."
Single drop of tear rolled down his face. "Look at our son's eyes," he whispered.
Kaye gave a wide-eyed look at her husband and glanced down at her child. Her little son was gurgling and was sucking at his clenched fists.
Rays of light fell on little Eru's face, illuminating his beautiful jade green eyes. It was almost iridescent, shimmering different shades of green.
She gasped out loud. "They are beautiful," Kaye said, holding her little son close to her face.
His huge hand held hers in a firm grip. "Kaye, his eyes they—they....," he whispered. He shut his eyes firmly and small droplets of tears kept flowing from them.
"There is nothing wrong with his eyes honey. See," she said, waving her hands in front of the child. The little boy's eyes followed her palm. "They are beautiful indeed and that worries you, doesn't it. You might have to chase away suitors with a stick in the future. You don't have to cry for that now," she said, holding her husband's slouching body in her embrace.
"They would cause so much destruction, Kaye," her husband's muffled voice came from her shoulder.
Kaye softly caressed her husband's coarse red hair and whispered, "What? Honey, you need to explain more. I am unable to follow."
Rukle pulled away from her and shook his head. Wiping his silent tears, "Gaius, is my wife fully healed?" he inquired the old man standing next to the bed in a hoarse voice.
"There was no complication in her delivery and the queen is fully healed," the head healer Gaius said bowing his head.
He gave a worried glance at their son's direction. Kaye glanced at this exchange with a confused look. 'Why is Rukle so worried about our son's eyes?'
She held his hands and looked up at him. "Explain Rukle." Her husband nodded his head. He took their baby from her hands and placed him gently on the little crib next to her bed.
"Gaius and Ms. Yelli, please take care of the prince for a while," he ordered. "Kaye, follow me," he whispered into her ears. Kaye got out of the bed with some difficulty and followed her husband. He pulled her gently and darted out of the room.
He led her into his study room and bolted it from the inside.
He turned back and gazed at her with a grave expression. "Kaye, what I'm about to show you is very important."
He took a deep breath and continued, "There is a secret book kept by every kingdom and this book tells us any future happenings." He paused, glancing at her with serious look in his eyes.
"Oh, does our kingdom have this as well? Why hadn't I been aware of this?" she whispered, slowing down her pace. 'He hid this from me.'
Rukle glanced back with a guilty expression. "Kaye, this information is only meant to be shared with the next king. That's why I never told you about this," he held her shoulders and gave a reassuring look.
He held her hands in his and walked towards the wall next to the huge double windows. Small griffin statues stood guarding the fireplace. Rukle placed his hand inside the griffin's beak and a small door opened beside them, evoking a small cloud of dust in the room.
"Achoo," Kaye sneezed, waving the dust away. "Rukle," she said with a serious look in her eyes.
He went to the nearby bookshelf and picked up a magic lamp. Glancing back, he held her hands firmly in his and led them into the dark room.
"Kaye, all the secrets of this kingdom will be stored in here." He moved the lamp towards a nearby dark wall. It illumined a small royal seal imprinted on the wall. Her husband placed his palm on it and a secret formation lightened up.
A small shelf popped up. "The book is to be always stored here," he whispered pulling a heavy book off of the shelf. The book cast a golden halo reflecting the lamp's rays.
"It's right here," Rukle whispered, flipping through the golden pages. Shimmering words flew out of the pages and lined up in front of them.
"Glistening gaze of dampened green jewel,
That tears upon a jewel,
Not so kind, but not so cruel,
Instead, a different kind of ruin."
The words danced in front of her eyes and flew into the pages again. "This prophecy... it could be about anyone. It doesn't specify that it's about our son," Kaye whispered, shaking her head.
"Kaye, there has not been a child born with green eyes in centuries," He whispered, closing the book with a thud. "And it has been said that our child be a beauty that no one can resist, that everyone will be fighting for thy like a fool." He sighed, leaning against the walls.
With a guarded look Kaye said, "Then what do you think we should do."
Her husband glanced at her. 'His eyes seemed too dull, almost lifeless.' She thought looking at his bloodshot eyes.
He held her shoulder and closed his eyes firmly. "I think it would be better if—if our son grew elsewhere," he whispered.
Tears burned her eyes and her lower lip trembled. "Have you thought how I will feel as a mother for my baby to be raised by others," she wailed, pulling at his sleeves.
He lowered his head without any response to her plea.
Kaye could feel the slight tremble of her husband's hands on her shoulder. "There should be some other way, some way to protect our son. We are both very strong. We can protect him. If not, we can leave this clan, go elsewhere and live a normal life. Please, please don't take my son away from me," tears drowned her cheeks as she pleaded with her husband.
Eyes red, her husband whispered, "It is irresponsible of us to leave our kingdom. Just as my son needs me, this kingdom needs me too. I can't think of any other way to protect him." He slouched down on the nearby wall and held his head in his palm.
Kaye watched her husband reduce to tears. Her strong husband, who has never shed a tear in his life, started sobbing in front of her and she didn't have any way to console him.
She wiped her tears away. "Maybe one of our priests might have a way to avoid the prophecy; maybe he can do a spell to shield him from this disaster. Anything but sending my son away, please," she tried pleading with her husband again.
He raised his head and nodded continuously. "Maybe—maybe they might have a way," Rukle said, after a moment of consideration. "I will go look for him. And I promise you I will not come back without an answer," her husband said with tears still streaming down his face.
"Hmm," Kaye nodded her head.
Kaye wept as she walked back to her room. In a span of twenty minutes her emotional went through drastic changes. 'He has to find a way. I won't give up on my child,' she thought, wiping her tears away with her sleeves.
Standing in front of the door she took a deep breath and donned a cheerful smile on her face. 'I will not let circumstances get the better of me or my family. I will—No, we will fight through it.' She entered the room and slowly walked towards the crib.
But the crib was empty. "Ms. Yelli, Gaius, where are you?" she called inside the empty room.
"Your highness," a voice came from the bath room. Startled, she instantly turned back and she gaped at her maid. "Oh, I'm sorry to have startled you your highness. We were just about to give the prince a bath," Yelli said.
"It's fine. I was thinking about something else," she whispered, glancing at the direction of the bath room.
"Oh dear, your highness your eyes are puffy and red," the maid said running over to her. She gently touched her face with her cold palm and whispered, "Your highness, please sit down, I will bring you a wet cloth."
Saying this, the maid ran over to the bath room and came back with a small wash cloth. "Here, hold this on your face, dear," she whispered.
Kaye gazed at the fussing woman. Yelli had been with her for over twenty years now. She had been with her since the day she was born and she even came along with her to this kingdom after her marriage.
Kaye's kingdom of Reth did not believe in monogamous relationships, and they usually marry off their daughters along with some hand maidens. Yelli came to the kingdom as one, but her husband Rukle refused to accept anyone else other than her as his wife, so she became their close maid.
She held the little maid's hands and whispered, "I am fine. How is my son? Did he have something to eat?"
"We thought of cleaning him up before feeding him. And also Gauis did a health checkup. Our prince is completely healthy," Yelli said with a cheerful smile on her face.
A small smile bloomed on Kaye's face on hearing this news. "Bring him out after he is finished. I will feed him," she said. 'Thank the gods, my son he—he is completely healthy.'
Few minutes past and Yelli bought in her little son. He was wiggling and gurgling inside his swaddle cloth. "He has been quite active till now," Yelli whispered, handing him over to her.
Kaye held her son gently in her arms and cooed, "My little prince, are you hungry?" Little Eru tilted his head slightly, eyes wide. She chuckled at his expression. "Looks like my baby is very hungry," she whispered and kissed his chubby cheeks.
She held him in one of her arms and lowered the shoulder straps of her dress, exposing her supple breast. Kaye raised the little child to her bosoms. The child wiggled around and latched after a while. But soon he started crying loudly.
"What is wrong, dear? Aren't you hungry?" A deep frown marred her brows, glancing at her wailing child. She tried holding him close to her breasts again, but the child kept pushing it away from him.
"Yelli, he is not suckling. Bring Gaius here," she said, giving her son a worried glance. 'Please drink, baby. I am trying… so hard,' Tears started streaming down her face.
"Please," she whispered, hugging her child.
Gaius came running into the room with his small medical kit. "He is not suckling," Kaye said, and laid him gently on the bed.
The healer raised his glasses and whispered, "Let me check the prince, your highness."
He placed his stubby fingers inside the child's mouth and the child sucked on it vigorously. "He is sucking properly. Can you try feeding the prince again, Your highness? I will wait outside," he said.
Kaye sat on the bed and lifted the child to her bosom again. But the child wailed as soon as she exposed her breasts. "Baby, what is wrong? Is something hurting?" she whispered, but the child kept pushing her bosom away.
After fixing her dress, she whispered, "Call Gaius in."
"Did you try your highness?" Gauis inquired with a bit of hesitation.
Kaye nodded her head and said, "I tried, but he is not suckling." She gave a worried glance at her son.
"Peculiar, very peculiar indeed," he whispered, raising his slipping glasses over his nose.
"Why don't we try feeding the prince some goat milk," Yelli said.
The child stopped crying instantly, glancing up at her with wide eyes. Kaye gave an astonished look at the wiggling baby. 'Does he—understand what we are talking about?'
"That seems like a good idea. We can try that," Gaius nodded with his hands on his chin.
"I'll go heat up some milk then," Yelli said with enthusiasm and left the room.
Soon she brought in a small glass bottle of milk.
Kaye beckoned her close and took the glass bottle from her hands. "Baby, try this," she whispered, placing a small cloth nipple near the child's mouth.
The child suckled onto the cloth instantly and drank with relish. "Baby, do you like it?" Kaye whispered, slightly tapping his chubby cheeks.
Her son suckled loudly as if to give her an answer.
Kaye giggled a little and pinched his cheeks. "Oh, you are so cute."
She placed her finger inside her son's little hands and he held it subconsciously. Her eyes widened slightly and slowly she held his small hands in hers.
"I love you little one. And mommy will always protect you." Kaye kissed his forehead.
She rocked the child a little in her arms, and soon he fell asleep.
Door creaked a little, she glanced up to find her husband leaning against the doorway. Kaye gave him a small smile and reached her hand out to him.
Her husband had a sad smile on his face as he entered the room. He gently held her hands and whispered, "I will do everything—anything to protect our family."
"I know that," Kaye whispered.
Her husband kissed her softly on her lips. He glanced down at their dozing son and whispered, "Always."
He gently hugged her to his chest.
Kaye hugged him tightly and whispered, "Let's never fight again."
Her husband's chest rumbled as he chuckled. "Let's not."