Evaleen sat in her little cottage and watched her three year old son with pride. He was learning how to talk now and he chattered to himself with his numerous toys.
Sebastian was a spitting image of his father, King Cyrus. He grew rapidly and learned quickly. He had his father's rich dark hair but his eyes were what she loved most. They were a mixture of pale blue and green, a mixture of his father's pale blue eyes and her deep green ones, surrounded with lush thick lashes. It made him look so lovely and angelic that most times, she would just sit and stare at him with love. He normally caught her staring and he would smile at her and run over to hug her. She would then hold him close to her bossom and give him a thousand kisses making him squeal happily. But he had a fiery temper, one that scared her a lot. When he got upset, she would spend hours taming him and cooing to him until he quieted. She only hoped it wouldn't grow with him.
Three years now and a part of her still hoped King Cyrus would come for her and her son. Most nights she cried herself to sleep, sobbing quietly so she wouldn't wake Sebastian. To think that she had given everything to Cyrus only to have him reject her and her son was the worst pain anyone could ever suffer. She had been so foolish to believe in his lies, fantasizing about being a Queen in his Kingdom and ruling beside him. Reality was so harsh and unpredictable. Now she struggled with a small time job to feed herself and her son and she put her back into into it. She would give Sebastian the best childhood and the best life. And he would grow up to be a powerful man. Maybe one day, she would tell him about his real father. But for now, Cyrus was dead to her.
"Mama",Sebastian called to her and held out his arms to be carried. He was a sweet chubby little boy, so handsome that people couldn't help but admire him.
Evaleen smiled and picked him up. She hugged him close to her and breathed in his sweet baby scent.
"My Sebastian",she whispered and then turned to stare into his eyes. "You do know you're destined for great things. You're going to grow up to be a strong and brave man".
Sebastian smiled at her and kissed her nose. Evaleen smiled sweetly at him and then a knock sounded on the door. She looked out the window. It was midday. Who would come calling at this particular time, she asked herself.
Holding Sebastian on her side, she walked towards the door and opened it. A smile appeared on her face.
"Beatrice", she says "I wasn't expecting you".
"I just thought I should drop by", Beatrice says as she steps into Evaleen's tidy cottage. "My Nicklaus needed a walk so I decided to bring him here to play with Sebastian".
Evaleen laughed softly and watched as Sebastian hugged Nicklaus. The two were just a year apart, Nicklaus being four years old. They had grown closer and Beatrice would always bring him to play with Sebastian.
"Look how he's so generous with his toys",Beatrice says. The women watched as Sebastian gave most of his toys to Nicklaus to play with.
"He's so sweet, isn't he?",Evaleen asks with so much pride in her eyes.
"That he is",Beatrice agrees. "But you never bring him out to play with the other kids".
Evaleen sighs deeply. She continues staring at her son and doesn't say a word.
"Are you still scared for his life?", Beatrice asks.
Evaleen turned to stare at Beatrice. "Sebastian looks so much like his father, King Cyrus",she says. "In this Kingdom, gossip and rumours spread faster than good news. Soon someone will notice and then spread the word until the entire royal family finds out and they will come for my son".
"Evaleen you need to calm down", Beatrice says. "You're overreacting. It's been three years. If King Cyrus wanted to come for his son, or if the Queens found out about him, it would have occured a long time ago. You need to free Sebastian, let him mix with kids his age. Let him have a life outside this cottage. See how happy he is when he sees my Nicklaus".
Evaleen turned back to watch her son and she smiles. Sebastian held the hands of Nicklaus and was pulling him up to dance with him. Nicklaus being a quiet boy obliged him and together they held hands and turned around in a slow circle. She wondered how he got such ideas as dancing.
"You're right Beatrice",she says. "I've been so scared all my life that I unconsciously held back my son too much. I will try to let him out".
"Please do Evaleen",Beatrice says. "It's for his own good. Anyway, that isn't why I came here".
"Is anything wrong?",Evaleen asks.
"Well like you said, gossips and rumors spread faster than good news", Beatrice says. And then she lowers her voice to a whisper. "There's a rumors circulating about the King. They say he plans to journey to the lands of the old gods".
Evaleen gasps. A hand flew to her lips as she stared at Beatrice in disbelief. "For whatever reason?",she asks. Everyone knew the old gods were the rulers of the underworld.
"You've hidden yourself inside for so long that you haven't heard any part of it",Beatrice says. "They say the King is impotent because he hasn't been able to make any of his Queens conceive".
Evaleen's eyes widens. "But that's not true. Sebastian is proof of his potency",she says.
"I know that",Beatrice says. "But people don't know that. They say he will die without an heir to succeed him. So the King is journeying to the land of the old gods to find out why he can't plant a seed in his Queens".
"That's awful",Evaleen says and shakes her head pitifully.
"Evaleen this could be your chance", Beatrice says.
"What do you mean?".
"This could be your only chance to give Sebastian a better life",Beatrice says. "If you can meet with the King and convince him to take back his son, he might reconsider his past actions. He wouldn't have to journey to the lands of the old gods and your son will be the sole heir to the Kingdom of Duville".
"No Beatrice",Evaleen says. "I'm not moved by material things, and I can give Sebastian a better life. King Cyrus once abandoned us when he heard of the birth of my son. He must be so ashamed to think that a peasant bore him a child. He rejected us once and he will do it again".
"You don't know that Evaleen",Beatrice says.
"Maybe you're right Beatrice",Evaleen says. "Maybe King Cyrus would accept his son. But not me. I'm just a commoner. He would take my son away from me and I will never see him again. I'm not going to risk that. My refusal to tell him about Sebastian is his punishment for abandoning us. Let the rumors continue, and let him journey to the lands of the old gods. He will never know about his son".
Beatrice sighed heavily. "Are you sure Evaleen?",she asks.
"I am sure",Evaleen says. "Let's drop this matter. I do not want to get upset".
"Alright",Beatrice says. "Nicklaus and I are headed to the market. You want to come with us?".
"I think I'll sit this one out",Evaleen says with a smile. "Some other time".
Beatrice nods and scoops her son, Nicklaus into her arms. "We will be off now. Remember what I said about Sebastian. Let him come out a bit".
"I will Beatrice",Evaleen says with a smile. She picks up Sebastian and sees Beatrice off to the door. "Good bye Nicklaus. Say goodbye to Nicklaus Sebastian".
Sebastian lifts his hand and waves to Nicklaus who waves back at him. "Goodbye Beatrice".
"Goodbye Evaleen",Beatrice says. "See you soon".
Evaleen shut the door and walked through the little cottage into her room. "How about a short midday nap Sebastian? You wanna sleep with mommy?",she asks.
As if on cue, Sebastian let out a wide yawn and raised his arms to be picked.
"I guess that's a yes",Evaleen whispers and smiles at her son. She picks him up and made her way to her bed. Sebastian fell asleep instantly but Evaleen remained awake, thinking of King Cyrus and what Beatrice just told her.
King Cyrus deserved every suffering he was getting now, she thought. And she vowed never to let him find out about her son.