The next day, he set off on his Dark Chestnut gelding, with a simple brown leather saddle, saddlebags and tack. The journey took him most of the day, and he started out early. He even had to stop and ask for directions from the nearest farm to her cottage in the Forest. As he and his horse rode down the small path that led to the cottage, he remembered meeting Eve and the erotic night that the two of them spent together.
Soon he came to the clearing; it was just as Greg and Gwen had described, and as he remembered. He climbed down off the gelding and looked around. He had stopped just in front of the white picket fence and gate; smiling he inhaled the smells around him.
Suddenly he heard the happy cries of two children and a cat, coming from around the back of the barn (a.k.a. the infirmary). As he listened, the children and cat ran around the barn and into the area in front of the cottage. He was shocked to look at the boy and girl. The girl had his colouring and the boy had Eve's; but they both had the same face and were the same size.
The boy and girl came to a stop in the path to the door of the cottage, and then looked at him behind the gate. Both children looked at him with their heads cocked to the side (the boy to the right, the girl the left). Then they turned back to the door of the cottage and called, "Mama it seems that we have a guest." The cat, instead of stopping, turned and ran through the closed gate and sat down at Lukas' feet. It was the same grey cat with blue eyes that he had met before.
"A guest is it? I'm coming." replied Eve from inside the cottage.
"I give you my greetings, furred Theo." said Lukas as he knelt down to pet the cat.
Purring, Theo replied I accept your greeting, human king Lukas, and I return you mine. I take it you are here for a specific reason...Oh LADY! Theo called to Eve.
As Eve came out the cottage door, she stopped and looked at Lukas. Turning a little pink, blinking quickly, she looked at each of her children, and told them, "Adam and Rose, why don't you open the gate for our guest, and invite him in for supper."
Complying with their mother's wishes, the children went to the gate and opened it. Then Adam, the older of the two, asked Lukas, "Won't you come and join us for supper, sir?"and he did.
Lukas enjoyed eating the simple meal with Eve and the children. The two little imps peppered him with questions about where he was from and what he did. He answered them as best he could, without telling them that he was the king.
He found himself curious about how she had managed to raise their children on her own. Furthermore, he liked the children; they both reminded him of parts of him - that he was curious to know them better.
A few hours later, Eve made sure their children were in bed, before she came back downstairs to talk with Lukas.
When she got back down the stairs, Lukas was leaning against the table, his arms crossed and looking at her with a raised eyebrow, "I take it that those two are mine!"
Nodding she replied, "Yes, they are your children. Now I am able to heal baren-ness in others, but I suffer from it myself (at least I did). That may sound odd, given the fact that I just admitted to birthing twins - but I have never had a normal woman's monthly bleeding - which proves that one can at least concieve children." Sighing, she sat down at the table, crossed her arms, put them on the table, then put her head on them.
"Don't misunderstand, I have always wanted two children - a boy and girl. I was just never interested in any men - I have met a few, but never felt for them what I do for you. However since I knew that I should not have been able to have children - I just lived with it. I have never been more startled in my life, than I was when I discovered that I was pregnant with your children (once I realized it, I knew that they would be twins)."
As she spoke, Lukas uncrossed his arms, turned to follow her with his gaze, and then sat down next to her at the table. Thinking quietly for a few moments, he spoke, "I think I understand. I know how children are conceived - and I think that I understand the basic principles associated with childlessness. But why didn't you send me a message through Lilith? I would have thought since you trained the animal spies that she used, that you could have sent it through one of them."
Startled by his question, her head came up quickly and she just blinked at him. Then she looked sheepish, and spoke quietly, "I wasn't sure of myself at that time. I didn't think that either you would actually want to acknowledge them." Now she began to look shy and young. "I was afraid that even if you did want them, that you would take them away from me."
Stunned, he watched amazed as she again looked up at him and he saw the myriad of emotions come through her eyes. In that moment he realized that she had been unsure of herself for the first time in her life, when she was trying to decide if she would tell him. To him it just made her seem all that stronger. Although he was still a bit upset at her for not telling him anyway - he understood her reasoning, even if he felt a little insulted. "Why would you think that I wouldn't acknowledge them or that I would take them away from you?" Even though he tried, he couldn't keep the annoyance and feeling of insult from his voice.
She answered him while looking at him, "Because you were being groomed by your uncle and his 'followers' and I knew their characters, but I didn't know yours. I am sorry that I did not tell you, but I needed them to stay with me. I have spent all of my life alone, most of it here. I have never had a family (or at least I do not remember one), nor have I had one person to teach me my magic. I have no real 'training', everything I do, I learned on my own. I needed to have my, sorry, our children with me for a bit. You don't know what it is like not knowing who or what you are; never being allowed to have a friend - because people are afraid of you." Now she looked down at her folded arms, and bit her lip, trying not to cry. "I do not really know how to deal with people, because I have never had the chance to try. The first time I ever personally interacted with someone when they weren't a patient, was when you and I were together. I will never forget that time - it was the most fun I had ever had in my whole life."
Lukas felt guilty, even though he had not tried to be angry with her. He had not known that her life had been like that, he now realized that even Lilith may not have known. Standing up from his seat, he moved over to her, moved her chair (with her in it), and knelt in front of her. He suddenly had realized that the feelings he felt for her were love.
Leaning forward, he took her chin gently in his left hand, his right was on her knee, and kissed her softly. It was just a gentle caressing touch of his lips against hers. Pulling away from her, he looked her in the eye and told her, "I am sorry that I got angry, I had no idea that your life was like that. I wouldn't have taken the children away, in fact I will bring all three of you back with me. I need to have all three of you with me now. I won't loose you again."
Surprised she looked at him, she had never thought he would want all three of them. Confused by his last sentence, she asked, "What do you mean, 'loose' me? You never lost me, I've always been here."
"I am sorry that you don't understand me. Since I've come here today, I've realized something - I love you. I don't want to be parted from you again." Quickly he picked her up, twirled her around, then sat back down in her chair, and put her on his lap. "I understand if you need time to realize what your feelings may be for me, and I will give you that time; but I need all three of you to be with me."