The Blue Eyed Man

Chapter Two- Posterity

I was appalled from her words. To this day, I still couldn't believe it. "I know it's hard for you to believe..."

I stood speechless. I wasn't sure what to do. I wasn't sure what to say. My whole life I lived as a peasant. I was a nobody. Now, all of a sudden, this old man shows up to tell me that I was royalty. What was this?! I gritted my teeth. "No way! This kingdom is screwed up already! People like us have worked like dogs for too long...!"

He sadly nodded and glanced down at his shaking hands. "Sorry... I knew it was going to be trouble. I just... really thought you were my son..."

The king sadly smiled and turned to walk away. "You look just like him."

"CUT IT OUT!" Mother yelled. It was the most I've ever seen her mad. No. She was furious. "I didn't raise a CHILD for EIGHTEEN YEARS OF HIS LIFE just to REUNITE him with HIS FATHER for NOTHING. HE. IS. YOUR. SON!"

"GO TALK!" She swiftly pointed at the waiting carriage, her face turning redder each second.

My eyes widened. I had seen Mother furious COUNTLESS times, but this... something like this wasn't like her. "EITHER YOU TWO WORK THIS OUT OR I WILL."

I cowered in fear from such threatening words. The King gulped. "Come on Kiddo... let's get into the carriage..."

He guided me into the carriage and opened the door for me. "She's scary when she's mad... am I right?" I nodded and glanced at the house as it grew farther and farther away.

"We are we heading Father?"

I remember only saying this to please him. The tension was too much, and I could tell he was upset. He was no Father to me. He was a coward, a fool even. He left us, to live in another world, not even bothering to visit us every so often.

"What a fine question young man. We are heading to the heart of this city. The palace is waiting. I was planning on staying a while at your place, talk to your mother about how things are going, but as it currently seems, that would be a very bad idea." He sighed and glanced down at his hands.

I wasn't surprised. I would have been PISSED too if I had to deal with such a lousy son.

"And since tomorrow is Mortem's day, I might as well show you to the family. " He groaned.

I remember the exact words he muttered under his breath, the exact place we were at; even to this very same day. I always knew I would remember it til the day I perish.

About five miles down the royal road, right by the broken walls of the old abandoned General Store. I can still picture the Apple Tree surrounded by loud, ignorant teenagers. There, right there, I heard my father mutter out the words:

"I would much rather die than be with that old hag."

Those ironic words carved into the back of my mind. Yes, those were the most detailed memories of my old man. And in this moment, I laugh from the old, worthless memories I had left of him.

He was a fool.

Throughout the period of time that I had known him, I had learned to realize the mistaken information he knew of. Although I was related to my "family" by blood, I REFUSED to believe so.

I remember the first time he told me that. I wanted to shout in his face. I wanted to yell out in ANGUISH that they weren't my family, and that it didn't matter whether they had the same bloodline or not! They weren't my family, and it'll always be this way.

It was silent for a while. I didn't want to upset him by telling him something so harsh. I knew that I secretly felt bad about how his life turned out, but I didn't want to admit it until now.

After a long period of awkward sitting, he broke the silence. "They are quite the handful... and I know you might not get along with them very well. I didn't either. I'm not going to lie, but I HATE my wife. If it wasn't for all this arranged marriage stuff, I would have left her a long time ago. She's always nagging and complaining."

I chuckled a bit. He seemed hopeless. The King ran his hands over his long red beard and frowned. "I just want everything to be the way it used to be. You understand... don't you?"

This was the first and only time I knew exactly how I felt. I wanted things to be just the way they were. Mother, Father and Mia. No one else. No OTHER family, no responsibilities. I wanted to stay a child, that was for sure. "I miss the good ol' times when your Mother and I spent all night talking and joking around. I miss the old house we lived in. It was by this beautiful solace beach, all for ourselves."

"You must have really loved her." I muttered under my breath. "I really did... and I still do."

I remember the air slipping away from my lungs, my eyes stuck frozen. No, he had no right to say so. He left us.

I was selfish back then. I was stupid and ignorant and rude. I didn't feel pity for him. But now, as I'm lying in my deathbed, I realize how wrong I was. He was a fool. I can't change that. He always was, and always will be. But, he was a kind, gullible man, with his heart in the right place.

Perhaps, I'm only saying these things because I feel pity for him. Pity for the life he couldn't live. Now, as I remind myself of the cold body, rotting away underneath the ground, I realize that I will live the same twisted fate.

We had been hoaxed.