Beneath The Darkness

Epilogue: The Boy King

I never knew who my birth parents were. I spent the first few years I could remember on the streets, fighting and scavenging for a meal. And then the state took me in and placed me in an orphanage. I didn’t have any friends, no one to care for or celebrate me. And now on my eleventh birthday, all the other children were excited for some reason. I quickly found out that the other children were excited for the couple that came in to maybe adopt them. I just stayed in my bed, no one ever would choose me anyway. I mean, who wants to adopt an orphan with one eye. I watched as the couple walked down the aisle, passing and looking at the other children. After the couple had looked over all the kids, they went into another room with the matron. When the door closed all the children began discussing who might get adopted. After some time, the matron came back and everyone quieted down.

“Trinity, can you come with me?” I was never called, so I slowly walked up to the matron. All the children were whispering behind their hands as I passed them, but I knew what they were saying. I followed the matron to her office, where the couple waited for me.

“Can we get a moment to talk with him?” the woman asked.

“Sure. I’ll just go get the paperwork ready.” she smiled before she left. The woman knelt down to meet my eye level. She was the prettiest woman I had ever seen. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a series of braids with silver beads interspersed throughout. Her eyes were like the bluest sapphires and they showed the kindness of a mother. I noticed a tattoo of wings behind her ear, and symbols or writing tattooed on her arms. She smelled like freshly fallen snow.

“Can you tell me how old you are?” Her smile was bright and friendly.

“Eleven, today.” I said looking down.

“Can you tell me where you lived before here?”

“On the street. Nobody knows where I came from before that.” I replied. Something about her made me want to tell her things that I wouldn’t have told adults before. “That’s where I lost my eye.”

“A fighter, are we?” the man asked. The sides of his head were shaved and the dark dair on top was pulled back into a single braid. He had a raven tattooed on the right side of his head just above his ear. Something about it drew me in. And then I caught his blood red eyes that looked into the depths of my heart. I quickly looked away and saw similar symbols tattooed on his arms.

“Only when I have to, sir. But I’d rather be peaceful.” I replied. The couple shared a look and there was a moment of uncomfortable silence.

“Sigrun-”

“Would you like to go home, Odin?” Something in her words hit me deep in my soul. I started to cry and just nodded my head. She pulled me into her arms and lifted me like I weighed nothing. “Hymir, it’s time for him to come home. Everyone else is waiting.”

“Of course, my love.”

I stood between Sigrun and Hymir at the top of a snow covered hill looking down at the hundred or so wooden houses. I watched as children and dogs ran around playing while the adults were busy with their work. And for the first time in my life I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be, it felt like home.