Father before ruler part 2

Theb-Saar sat on his throne room and waited for the representative of the villages coming in the room. He looked at his son, sitting on his lap, watching for the first time his father job as the ruler of the mipedian tribe. He was curious, but mostly happy to be with his father.

"Son. When the representative of the villages will be here, I want you to say nothing. This job is very delicate and a wrong word could cause trouble for our tribe. Do you understand?" Theb-Saar asked his son.

"I understand!" Iflar replied with a smile.

"I know you would," Theb-Saar replied nuzzled the neck of his son. "You can open the door."

A guard opened it and there were only six representatives this time. Theb-Saar smiled. Looks like my retaliation against the Underworld worked well. Chaor must be raging right now, but he knows he had to stay in place and not mess with our tribe.

The problems were mostly minor and around the water shortage around the sector near the Overworld. Theb-Saar nodded and he knew there might be an issue there. "I'll reinforce the patrols at the border. Maybe the Overworlders has some bad idea, but I'm not sure. I met the new ruler Maxxor and he had a lot of wisdom and I like him. I don't think they are coming here under his command. Even so, I'm not taking a chance. Rest assure that we will deal with this situation. I'll send a message to Maxxor right away."

Theb-Saar picked a papyrus and he wrote the message at destination of the Overworlder rulers. When it was done, he gave it to a stalker who disappeared and ran delivering it. When it was done, his duty was over.

"That was short," the mipedian said to his son with a smile. "That means we have more time together."

Iflar nodded and he jumped from his father's lap and ran outside the throne room. Theb-Saar chuckled and ran after him until they were at the playground. Bastet was there and she was watching the sky.

"Mom!" Iflar shouted.

"My little Iflar," Bastet said hugging him and nuzzling his chest. "How did it go with you father?"

"Dad was awesome! He was talking with his big voice and everyone listened to him!" Iflar continued praising his father.

Theb-Saar listened to him and had a shining smile. Two weeks after he rescued his son, he managed to bond with his son and changed his cold attitude to him with admiration. Theb-Saar made a few changes and managed to spend at least a few hours per two days with him. He was proud of it. He saw his son picked up a wooden sword.

"What are you doing with it?" Theb-Saar asked.

"Cousin Mudeenu showed me how to use it. He was worried when I was almost kidnapped and wants me to defend myself. I then hit between his eyes and he took a nap," Iflar said with a nervous smile while his tail the ground, he felt guilty about it.

Theb-Saar looked at his son: "You knock out your cousin?" Iflar nodded ashamed of it. "Did you apology?"

"Yes. Mom made me," Iflar replied.

"Good. I'll be back." He came back not too long later with a wooden sword. "Why don't you show me what you're cousin showed you?"

"Are you sure dad? I'm not great like you?" Iflar said unsure.

His father laughed gently while raising his sword: "That's only because I learned it for a long time son. If you think I'm great, you don't have to worry about yourself. You will become great too. Just show me how you can use it?" Theb-Saar put himself in a battle stance.

Iflar did it too. Not bad at all. He's perfectly balance. Theb-Saar thought proudly. He then slashed slowly and gently, aiming his son who blocked it. He countered, but Theb-Saar dodged it. It was a small and simple sword fight. Theb-Saar was gentle against him and gave him the chance to defend himself while he blocked his son sword and checked how well he was in a battle. When the father-son fight was over, Theb-Saar put his sword in the sand and looked at his son with a proud smile: "He thought you well. You already know simple attacks and also how to defend yourself,"

"You were going easy on me," Iflar replied.

"I was only fighting fairly. I don't want to hurt you if I gave everything I have," the mipedian kind replied. "What do you want to play next?"

"I know!" Iflar shouted excitedly.

His father followed him inside the palace. Theb-Saar was glad that he finally managed to find a balance between his life as a ruler and his life as a father, but this balance will soon broke.

1 solan and half later

The moon shined in the sky and the stars revealed themselves. The mipedian king walked at the cemetery and he watched a young mipedian near the sarcophagus. He walked near the little mipedian and he looked at him.

"It's been two moons since you are here Mudeenu," Theb-Saar told his nephew. He looked at him and he saw how his muscles grew during the time he trained to become a warrior.

His nephew didn't answer his uncle and kept watching the sarcophagus.

"If there a problem Mudeenu?" the mipedian king asked.

Mudeenu didn't reply once again. In his hand, he held his necklace.

"It's not fair," Mudeenu finally spoke.

Theb-Saar saw his nephew shivering. The night was cold and even if Mudeenu was strong, he wasn't use to the cold yet. The king took out his cape and he put it on the shoulders of his nephew.

"You shouldn't froze here. This will keep you warm," Then-Saar told him.

"Thanks uncle," Mudeenu replied, but he did nothing else.

"Bastet came to you right?"

"Yes. She makes sure I eat and drink, but I'm not hungry and neither thirsty,"

"You miss them that much right?" Theb-Saar asked.

Mudeenu bit his mouth: "It's impossible. They can't be death! Dad and mom couldn't lose against those Overworlder criminals,"

"They were outnumbered. They did everything to protect you. They loved you that much," Theb-Saar told him. "I miss my brother and my sister in law. Those might only be words for you, but I really want them back."

Mudeenu looked at him for a second before he looked forward again: "I know. You talked a lot with my dad. Remembering the time of your youth when you train to fight together."

Theb-Saar put his hand on the shoulder of his nephew: "You cannot stay here forever. They make sure you lived and you have to move forward. It will be tough, but you are not alone in this."

Mudeenu held his necklace tighter: "I am."

Theb-Saar looked at his nephew and he had an idea appearing in his mind. He looked at his nephew: "You are not alone. I am here, Bastet is here and your cousin is also here."

Mudeenu looked at him and he didn't reply. He watched once again were his parents rested.

"Listen Mudeenu," Theb-Saar told his nephew quietly and gently. He moved his hand on his jaw and slowly made it turned at his direction. Mudeenu looked in the eyes of his uncle. "I'm not sure what would be the last will of my brother, but there is one thing I want to do for you Mudeenu. I don't want you to feel alone, but I also don't want you to think the wrong way what I'm about to suggest. If you agree with me, I want to adopt you and let us join our family as my son."

Mudeenu eyes widen and his tail twitched. He looked at his uncle and he said nothing.

"I think you believe I want to replace Hori and my wife your mother, but it's not the case. I want you to have a family to take care of you and love you," the mipedian king said gently. He patted Mudeenu's head before he walked away.

Mudeenu stayed there alone, lost in his thought until, after two days, finally turned around and returned inside and slept in his bed.

The next morning, Bastet walked at the direction of the dining room when she noticed that Mudeenu was finally sleeping in his bed, with the cape of her husband still on his shoulder.

"Hi Mudeenu," Bastet told her nephew. She walked closer and sat by his side.

"Hi aunt Bastet," Mudeenu replied.

"How are you feeling?" Bastet asked.

"Lost," Mudeenu said dropping his head.

"Lost?"

"I don't know. I just don't know what to do," Mudeenu closed his eyes and he let out a tear. "What can I do without mom and dad?"

Bastet passed her arm around his shoulder.

"Is this what you were thinking during those two days?" Bastet asked.

Mudeenu dropped his head: "No. Mourning. Uncle asked me something and...I don't know what to do?"

"What did he ask you?" Bastet asked.

Mudeenu waited a moment before answering: "He...He said that he wants to adopt me if I agree."

Bastet looked at him and didn't saw any smile or anger on the face of her nephew and in his voice. She guessed he was confused: "What do you think about it?"

"I don't know. If I accept, what would my parents think?" Mudeenu wondered.

"What do your parents think of my husband?" Bastet asked.

"They think of him as a great king. Dad told me he was a good brother, he was sad that went they grew up, they became more distant. Uncle became the king and his duty took a big portion of his life while my brother was a royal guard. He often had to fight against other tribes until..." Mudeenu said nothing and he dropped his head.

Bastet patted the back of her nephew and she thought about what to say next: "If your father respect me husband and loved him, I'm believe he won't mind. As for your mother, she was a friend of Theb-Saar. They both gave up their life to save you from them."

"I know they want me to live, but how? I don't know what to do," Mudeenu replied.

"You're still young to choose your path. When you feel better, are you going to continue your training to become a royal guard?" Bastet asked.

"Yes. I want to be like my father! He was there to help me when I finish my training with my teacher. Not anymore," Mudeenu sighted.

"True. When you are hungry, you can come at the dining room," Bastet told him before kissing his neck.

She walked out of the chamber; she took one last glance before leaving him alone. Mudeenu put his hand over his face. Mudeenu thought about it, but his thought was cut when his stomach grunted. He stood up and he decided to do as Bastet said. He picked the cape his uncle gave and decided to give it back.

"Cothica. Give me a sigh about what I should do," Mudeenu whispered as he reached the dining room. He looked inside and saw his cousin Iflar eating between his father and mother. Theb-Saar raised his head and he nodded with a smile.

"Mudeenu. Come and sit down," the kind said.

Mudeenu hesitated and after a moment, he sat in front of Iflar. He listened to his cousin talking about what he intended to do today while his father smiled and listened patiently, just like Bastet. Mudeenu ate with appetite and after a moment, Mudeenu remembered that he didn't give the purple cape back.

"Uncle," Mudeenu stood up and picked the cape. "I want to give back your cape."

Theb-Saar smiled and came to pick it back: "Thank you."

For one second, Mudeenu had a small smile.

"Uncle," Mudeenu asked.

The king looked at him with a smile: "What is it?"

"I...I thought about what you told me yesterday and," Mudeenu looked at Bastet. "I also talked with aunt Bastet. I know what I want."

"What do you want?" Theb-Saar asked.

"I want...I want...I want to be...Your son," Mudeenu said with hesitation.

Theb-Saar kneed and he put his hands on Mudeenu's shoulder. Mudeenu looked to Bastet and Iflar. Iflar had his mouth opened; not expecting to hear this, but his opened mouth had a small smile.

"Welcome to our family, my son," Theb-Saar told him.


AC: Here's the end of the second part of this short story.