Twenty two years later....
The Present.
The hooves of a black stallion galloped past the woodlands of Duville at breakneck speed. Atop this stallion is a young man, with long dark hair flowing behind him in the wind. He is finely built, with broad shoulders and muscled arms holding tightly onto the reins of the stallion. He urges the animal to go faster, laughing at the thrill of feeling the air on his face.
"Sebastian slow down!".
Sebastian turned on his horse to grin at the person riding another horse behind him and his eyes gleam with mischief, like two pools of jewels. A mixture of blue and green. He looks absolutely handsome and angelic as he laughs and turns back to face the road ahead. He flicked his hair out of his eyes and say over his shoulders.
"Catch me if you can Nicklaus. Hiyaaa!".
He spurs the stallion on and it goes faster, hooves thundering on the ground, dead leaves circling in the air as he flies past. His companion is soon lost behind him and he guides the stallion towards a grassy area and reins it in. The stallion reared backwards, neighing wildly and landed its front hoof on the ground abruptly.
"Good boy Thunder",Sebastian says to the stallion and pats its neck. He swings his leg over and jumps down. Then he guides Thunder over to a little pond to drink some water and graze on the grass.
"We did give Nicklaus a good distance, didn't we boy?",he asks the stallion. Thunder whinnies in agreement and laps up the water in the pond.
A few minutes later Nicklaus arrived, breathing hard and leaning forward on his brown coloured horse. He is about the same age as Sebastian, with ginger coloured hair and blue eyes. He is lanky, with tiny freckles scattered on his cheeks. He stopped beside Sebastian and slid down his horse. The horse moved immediately, cantering over to the pond where the black stallion stands and began to drink from the pond.
"Took you long enough",Sebastian says to him with a smug look.
Nicklaus collapses on the ground, feeling weak from his fast speed on his horse.
"You were going too fast Sebastian",he says between drawing deep breaths. "I always tell you, its a horse. Not a dragon".
Sebastian laughed and joined Nicklaus on the ground. He takes a string out of his khaki shorts and ties his hair above his head.
"Maybe you were going too slow",he says. "And besides, Thunder is faster than all stallions combined. Even dragons". Thunder grunted in agreement and Sebastian grinned at Nicklaus.
"See",he says. "Thunder agrees".
Nicklaus shook his head in resignation. He had to admit though, the stallion was pretty fast. And he wouldn't give his best friend the satisfaction of hearing it from him.
"One day you might have to sell him".
"Never!",Sebastian refused instantly. "Thunder is a part of the family. We grew up together". Then he smiled. "My father gave him to me on my tenth birthday. Thunder is the only thing I have left of him".
Nicklaus sighed. Sebastian always felt moody when he remembered his late father. And it usually took a lot of effort to cheer him up.
For hours, they sat together. Gazing at the sky, each lost in his own thoughts. Nicklaus wondered what went through the mind of his best friend. He looked so faraway.
The sound of thunder rumbled in the sky and lightening flashed. The clouds turned dark, heralding a downpour.
"We better head back before it rains".
"You go on. I'll stay a little longer".
Nicklaus pushed himself off the ground and whistled to his horse. It came running over and Nicklaus placed his leg on the stirrup and swung his other leg over. He looked down at Sebastian who looked lost.
"Are you okay?",he asks.
Sebastian snapped his head up and focused on his friend. "Yeah. I'm good. I just...",he trailed off.
"Hey",Nicklaus says. "It's okay. Whatever it is, you can talk to me anytime. We're best friends, remember?".
Sebastian smiled. "Yeah we are".
Nicklaus returned the smile and turned his horse away. "Don't stay out too long",he says over his shoulder as the horse galloped away.
Sebastian stared at his friend's receding figure and then turned his eyes away. Each time he remembered his father, sadness took hold of him. He wished the old man stayed alive long enough to watch him grow up. Now all he had was his mother, and he would give all he had to make her happy.
Thunder came closer to him nudged him with his nose, wondering why he felt so sad.
"I'm okay boy",Sebastian said to the stallion. "I just have a lot on my mind. I feel like I'm not where I'm meant to be. There's this feeling within me. It's hard to explain. I don't even understand it". Thunder whinnied in understanding and Sebastian stroked the nose of the stallion just as a heavy downpour began.
"Come on let's head back",he said and got off the ground. "Mother would get worried if we don't get back in time".
He didn't use the stirrups as he took hold of the reins and jumped onto Thunder's back. They galloped back the way they came.
Evaleen had a shawl around her shoulders and she was holding a lit lantern, standing by the porch and waiting for her son to return. The rain was increasing with each passing minute and it might turn to a storm and yet, Sebastian wasn't home yet.
"Oh great gods",she whispers. "Keep my son safe and lead him home".
The sound of a horse galloping towards the house made her raise her head upwards. She squinted her eyes, trying to see through the heavy rain and she finally made out the outline of a dark stallion.
"Mother!",Sebastian shouts over the sound of the rain pounding on the roof. "What on earth are you doing out here? You'll catch a cold". He swung his leg over Thunder and led the stallion over to the stable built beside the cottage. After removing his saddle and the reins and making sure Thunder had enough carrots to last him the night, he hurried over to Evaleen.
"I was waiting for you",Evaleen shouts back and shields her eyes as the wind blew a flurry of rain against her.
Sebastian didn't answer and instead, he grabbed the lantern from her and ushered her into the house, shutting the door behind him.
The cottage was cozily warm with a roaring fire at the chimney. Lit lanterns were hung at different corners, brightening the dark room. The heavenly scent of baked bread and cooked bacon wafted into the living room.
"You're drenched",Evaleen says. "Come sit by the fire, while I get you some dry clothes".
Sebastian knew better than to argue with his mother. So he let her do as she pleased. Thirty minutes later, he was in dry clothes and his hair had been towel dried. It lay over his shoulders in damp waves, framing his face. He and his mother sat by the fire to eat their supper. Outside the rain raged angrily, turning into a storm just as Evaleen predicted.
"Mother",Sebastian broke the silence. "You do know you don't have to wait up for me each time I'm out in the fields. I'm twenty five, not six".
"If you can stop staying out too long, I wouldn't have to be worried about your safety",Evaleen said as she served a plate of bacon and fried eggs, and bread and roasted beef.
"That's exactly my point mother", Sebastian said exasperatedly. He accepted the plate from her and began to eat. "I'm a man now. I can take care of myself".
Evaleen sighed. This was exactly what Carl used to tell her before he died. "That's what your father always told me. And yet we lost him".
This got Sebastian quiet. It was true. His father had always told him to be brave, strong and fearless. Before he went out on his hunting job, Carl would hold him and his mother close and say to them.
'Do not worry about me. I'm a strong man, and I can take care of myself'.
And then one day, a few days after Sebastian's fifteenth birthday, he never returned from his hunting trip. A few days later, some of the men he hunted with brought back his body to be buried. He had been mauled by a wounded bear. Sometimes he still heard his mother's silent sobbing at night, when she thought he was sleeping. Ten years since his father's death and it still hurt like it did the day it happened.
"I'm sorry mother",he says sadly. "I didn't mean to upset you".
Evaleen reached across the table and held his hand.
"I'm just worried about you darling. You're all I have and I can't bear to lose you", Evaleen said.
Sebastian tightened his hold on his mother's hand. "You won't lose me mother. I'll always be with you. And one day, I'll get so rich and I'll give you the best life ever".
Tears pooled in Evaleen's eyes and she smiled at her son. She felt terrible for keeping so many secrets from him. Her plan had been to tell Sebastian about his real father when he was matured enough to understand. But a part of her was terrified. Terrified that once Sebastian found about being the King's son and heir to the throne of Duville, he would leave her. She didn't want to lose her only son.
"Please don't cry mother",Sebastian said. "I only want to see you happy".
"You make me so happy darling", Evaleen whispered and wiped her eyes. "Let's eat".
They resume their supper and as Sebastian began to tell her how his day went with riding with Nicklaus, Evaleen cursed herself for not telling her son the truth of who he was. The secret haunted her each time she looked at him and saw the face of Cyrus and she wondered if she would ever have the courage to tell him.