A Baby For The Beast

45. Simon

"W-what are you saying, mum?"

Trembling in disbelief, I asked her.

"Just who does he think he is, to show up anytime?!"

"That bastard." I seethed, with angry tears filling my eyes.

Thinking he could show up again. Making us to think he cared, then leaving again.

"You need to calm down, dear. He was sorry that you had to go to the choosing. Your dad aims to make peace with us." Mum said.

Peace?

"There is no peace, mum. Not with us, his second family. He should look for peace with his first."

I said, looking around at the happy guests. Caspian was with some group of men, I recognized to be chiefs and elders. I recognized some from the Great Dance.

"He's still your father, dear. My husband,"

"He has another wife, mum! Another set of children in his district. A family he cherishes more. He's trying to use us again!!" I exclaimed immediately. "Get that into your head, please..."

I untangled my hands from her shoulders. Her hands connected with my face, giving me a fitful slap.

The minute she did, guards surrounded her, extending their swords towards her. My heart thudded erratically, as I looked around, wondering how it even came to this.

Her. Us. Here.

Perhaps, it started right from the time I was born.

~Flashback~

Right from when Simon Goodchild, gave birth to me, he showed no signs, that he would one day, leave.

As an elderly man, with a moustache he was proud of, dad supported my dreams to be able to read and write. Mum was the exact opposite, with ideas that a woman's place was just where she was. And where she should be.

"I'm going to the mountains, dad."

I whispered literally every since I've been able to walk. First was our neighbour's stack of books, next was a disguise as a young boy to learn knowledge. It wasn't the most pleasant moment, when Duke Peter caught me.

I was excused for lacking a sense of what is wrong and right.

I gave up, till I was 14. And when I told dad about it, he allowed me. Mum was a no-go-area.

"Tell mum you sent me on an errand, please,"

I added, in my piece of disguise. Moses was good to lend me his clothes, so everyone around thought I was some young male.

"Don't be long," Dad had said, with a wink, hitting an axe, and cutting a piece of hard wood for mum to cook with.

"Promise!"

I said, excitedly, running down the hill. Cautious at my every movement and step. Some villagers, set traps for rodents and other animals, I won't want to be caught in.

"You're late,"

Moses said the minute we met at our meeting spot. In his hands were a bucket of dirt, I had told him to fetch from his aunt's eating shop.

"Mum made me wash and scrub the entire house. Moon knows how I'm tired," I let out, putting it all over my face.

"Let's be quick then, so she doesn't suspect."

Moses said, as we moved to go.

"Been dying to do this," he said, entrapping me in his hands and kissing me.