Foundling
In the far north of the continent, where castles perched atop endless snowy hills, the great hall of the Northern Lord's castle rose like a grand monument of cold stone. Its towering pillars and ceilings were adorned with murals depicting the epic deeds of his lineage through the ages. Flickering candlelight danced across the walls, and the air was thick with the scent of aged wood and burning firewood.
Despite the heavy silence, a sharp voice filled with anger and sorrow broke through:
— "What is this, Cadis… whose child is this?!"
Meryan stood before the throne, her face pale and trembling, each word cutting through the hall like a blade:
— "An infant… only a few months old… Cadis, have you lost your mind? How could you bring this child here?!"
Cadis, just returned from war, held the infant carefully, striving to maintain his composure, though his eyes betrayed a mix of determination and regret:
— "I had no choice… he is my son, and no one else has him…"
Meryan's voice shook, a mixture of disbelief and fury:
— "Your son?! And how dare you bring him here… after everything? This… this is betrayal!"
The soft whimper of the infant heightened the tension, and Cadis tightened his hold, resolute:
— "He is part of me… I will not abandon him, no matter the cost."
Meryan exhaled shakily, fighting to control the storm inside her:
— "Cadis… this changes everything between us. This child… he is not merely a guest. He is a burden upon us all."
Silence enveloped the hall. Cadis remained steadfast, holding the infant amidst the whirlwind of emotions.
After a long pause, Cadis exhaled slowly, eyes still fixed on the child.
Meryan's voice rose again, sharp and hurt:
— "But that does not justify your betrayal, Cadis! I thought I was the only one worthy of you… I never imagined you would betray me, not even for a single day! You disappeared in the war for two years… and now you return, with a child only a few months old in your arms!"
Cadis adjusted the infant gently, leaning toward her, his voice calm but heavy with remorse:
— "Meryan… I know this seems like betrayal… and I know your heart is wounded… but believe me, I had no choice. He is part of me… no one else could care for him as I can."
— "Part of you? Cadis… how is that an excuse?!" she shouted, brushing away a tear. "I thought you were with me, by my side… I thought you would fight for us… and instead, this child…"
Cadis stepped closer, rocking the infant gently, trying to soothe her:
— "Meryan… listen… he will take nothing from you, and he will not change our love or our life together. He will not bear my name, will not sit on the throne, will not touch anything that belongs to you or our children… all I want is for him to live, away from our conflicts, away from power."
Meryan exhaled, but her anger did not fade:
— "Even if he takes nothing… his very existence reminds me that you were not honest with me, Cadis… you did not share your life with me, and now you return with an illegitimate child!"
Cadis lowered his head slightly, gently patting the child's back, then looked into Meryan's eyes, his voice soft:
— "I hid nothing because I wanted to deceive you… I hid nothing because I love you… but the war… everything happened so fast, and I did not know how to act. Being away from home at thirty-five, everything moved too quickly…"
Meryan shivered, her chest heaving, her voice trembling:
— "…but my heart is burning… how could I accept this child? How can I reconcile his presence?"
Cadis stepped closer, lowering his voice so it was only for her:
— "Meryan… I do not ask you to love him… or to accept him immediately… I only ask you to believe me… to trust that I made this decision solely to protect him. I could not leave him there after my own blood runs in his veins…"
Meryan stood silent, her chest tightening as tears slid down her face, torn between anger and love, while Cadis held the infant firmly, determined to calm the storm of emotions, showing that every action he took was to protect this helpless child.
Finally, her voice rose, filled with anguish and resolve:
— "Cadis… no matter how you justify it… no matter what you do… I will never accept him! This child will never be part of my life, and I will never consider him anything… I can never accept him."
Cadis felt the weight of her words, his heart aching, yet he remained calm, holding the child tenderly:
— "Meryan… he is my son… he will take nothing from your rights or our children… all I ask is—"
She cut him off sharply, leaving no room for compromise:
— "No, Cadis… nothing justifies this. I will never accept him… no matter how small, no matter how much you try to protect him. It does not change the fact that he was never part of our life from the beginning. I will never accept him!"
Silence fell over the great hall. The infant in Cadis's arms cried softly, his voice reflecting innocence amidst the storm of anger. Cadis exhaled slowly, realizing Meryan's stance was unyielding.
— "I will protect him… no matter what… even if you never accept him… I will be his father, and I will remain his guardian… whatever the cost."
Meryan glanced at the child, her heart torn between love and anger, and whispered:
— "Fine… do as you wish… but he will never be part of me… nor part of our life. I cannot love him… nor accept him… for the rest of my life."
Silence returned, heavy and filled with sorrow and anger, while Cadis held the infant resolutely, determined to protect him no matter the storms surrounding them.
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Twelve Years Later…
Twelve years had passed since that day when the illegitimate child had entered the great hall, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the lives of Cadis and Meryan. Now, the young man stood before the castle, his hair glinting under the cold sun, his eyes reflecting a mix of curiosity and apprehension about a world that had never fully allowed him to belong.
Despite being the son of the Northern Lord, he had never carried the family name officially, nor been granted any authority over the throne or estates. From a young age, he knew his life was different from his legitimate siblings, Frederick and Rielond, and that his place had always been in the shadows, far from politics, far from power, yet always under his father's protection, even if not fully accepted by all.
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This is my first novel, so don't expect a strong and beautiful storytelling from me 💙
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