The capital city of Loscar in the country of Arctra
Roughly sixteen years ago"
"Can't you leave him be a little bit longer?" Meara O"Connor pleaded with her husband, tears shining brightly in her hazel-green eyes. "He's our only child, Eoghan. Are you in such a hurry to have him gone already?"
"Meara," Eoghan started, gentling his voice and reaching for his wife's hand. "You knew this day would come sooner or later. He belongs to the Royal Guard. He always has."
"He's just a boy," Meara pointed out, turning to glance out the window at their only son, who was laughing merrily as he played a game of fetch with the family dog, not knowing that at that very moment, his parents were discussing his fate and the end of his childhood.
"He's thirteen," the boy's father reminded his wife. "It's time he start his training. If we hold off another year, he'll fall behind. You can't keep him here forever, Meara. He has to grow up some time."
Meara knew her husband was right. She'd known her son's fate right from the moment he was born. It wouldn't have mattered if the child had been a boy or a girl. Soldiering was in their blood. The O'Connors had served the Queen as Royal Guards for generations.
If they'd had a second child, Meara might have been able to console herself about the loss of her son, but with no one to take his place, she feared the house would be empty and lonely without him. It wasn't for lack of trying. She'd lost two others " one boy, one girl " nearly dying with the last attempt " until they'd decided it was too great a risk to try again. She had clung to her only son with all her heart, risking spoiling him because she loved him so, much to her husband's chagrin. Many a time Eoghan O'Connor had chastised his wife for it, reminding her the boy was to be a soldier and that she was doing him no favors by spoiling him, but how could she not' He was a sweet, beautiful boy, her pride and joy, and she loved him with all her heart and life and breath.
"I don't want him to grow up," she admitted sadly, her voice breaking, tears spilling over onto her cheeks. She felt like her heart was breaking, and she dreaded saying good-bye, afraid she might never see him again.
The strong arms of her husband went around her waist, a Royal Guardsman himself. "Meara, my heart," Eoghan told her softly, "you are doing him no favors. If he's too soft, it will only make things harder for him."
"They will break him, Eoghan. They will crush his spirit." Her heart ached as she watched her young son from behind the glass. So young, so free. Had she ever been that young" She watched as he ran through the grass, laughing happily, blond hair so like his father's stubbornly drooping down over his forehead. Eoghan had not let her cut it this past year, insisting the boy grow his hair long, but allowing the blond locks to fall loosely about his face, instead of being pulled back and secured like a proper soldier.
"They will make a man of him, Meara," the Royal Guardsman contradicted, turning her to face him and, more gently than might be expected of a soldier, brushing the tears from her face. "It's time to let him go. It's time he becomes a man."
Meara O?Connor dissolved into tears, clinging to the strong arms that surrounded her. Eoghan was right. She had always known this day would come and had been dreading it since the moment of Liam's birth. Though it might be killing her now, she would be strong for her son when the time came to say good-bye. He would leave a boy and return a man.
He'd either prove his worth, follow in his father's footsteps, and become a Royal Guard or die trying. For thirteen summers, he'd belonged to her, and now she had to let him go and share him with the world and whatever destiny awaited him.
"Can't you leave him be a little bit longer?" Meara O"Connor pleaded with her husband, tears shining brightly in her hazel-green eyes. "He's our only child, Eoghan. Are you in such a hurry to have him gone already?"
"Meara," Eoghan started, gentling his voice and reaching for his wife's hand. "You knew this day would come sooner or later. He belongs to the Royal Guard. He always has."
"He's just a boy," Meara pointed out, turning to glance out the window at their only son, who was laughing merrily as he played a game of fetch with the family dog, not knowing that at that very moment, his parents were discussing his fate and the end of his childhood.
"He's thirteen," the boy's father reminded his wife. "It's time he start his training. If we hold off another year, he'll fall behind. You can't keep him here forever, Meara. He has to grow up some time."
Meara knew her husband was right. She'd known her son's fate right from the moment he was born. It wouldn't have mattered if the child had been a boy or a girl. Soldiering was in their blood. The O'Connors had served the Queen as Royal Guards for generations.
If they'd had a second child, Meara might have been able to console herself about the loss of her son, but with no one to take his place, she feared the house would be empty and lonely without him. It wasn't for lack of trying. She'd lost two others " one boy, one girl " nearly dying with the last attempt " until they'd decided it was too great a risk to try again. She had clung to her only son with all her heart, risking spoiling him because she loved him so, much to her husband's chagrin. Many a time Eoghan O'Connor had chastised his wife for it, reminding her the boy was to be a soldier and that she was doing him no favors by spoiling him, but how could she not' He was a sweet, beautiful boy, her pride and joy, and she loved him with all her heart and life and breath.
"I don't want him to grow up," she admitted sadly, her voice breaking, tears spilling over onto her cheeks. She felt like her heart was breaking, and she dreaded saying good-bye, afraid she might never see him again.
The strong arms of her husband went around her waist, a Royal Guardsman himself. "Meara, my heart," Eoghan told her softly, "you are doing him no favors. If he's too soft, it will only make things harder for him."
"They will break him, Eoghan. They will crush his spirit." Her heart ached as she watched her young son from behind the glass. So young, so free. Had she ever been that young" She watched as he ran through the grass, laughing happily, blond hair so like his father's stubbornly drooping down over his forehead. Eoghan had not let her cut it this past year, insisting the boy grow his hair long, but allowing the blond locks to fall loosely about his face, instead of being pulled back and secured like a proper soldier.
"They will make a man of him, Meara," the Royal Guardsman contradicted, turning her to face him and, more gently than might be expected of a soldier, brushing the tears from her face. "It's time to let him go. It's time he becomes a man."
Meara O?Connor dissolved into tears, clinging to the strong arms that surrounded her. Eoghan was right. She had always known this day would come and had been dreading it since the moment of Liam's birth. Though it might be killing her now, she would be strong for her son when the time came to say good-bye. He would leave a boy and return a man.
He'd either prove his worth, follow in his father's footsteps, and become a Royal Guard or die trying. For thirteen summers, he'd belonged to her, and now she had to let him go and share him with the world and whatever destiny awaited him.