AZRAEL

The shrill cry of a baby, rang through the air waking up any occupant of the castle who was still asleep. The Queen had just given birth and even though the entire pregnancy was a bit stressful with the prophecy constantly ringing at the back of everyone's mind, everyone was still excited at the arrival of the heir.

The Queen sat up on the bed, ignoring the pain as she stretched her hands out to hold her baby. The midwife holding the tiny bundle that was now cleaned up and covered up in a soft blanket, was looking at the baby with a strange expression on her face.

"What is it?" The Queen asked, her voice sounding raspy from all the screaming she did while pushing, "Is he dead?".

"No...no, he's not dead your majesty" the midwife stuttered, still looking at the child with a look of horror on her face.

The Queen was now becoming nervous and scared, "Then give him to me" she demanded, her voice cracking up a bit.

"Your majesty..."

"Give him to me!" The Queen shouted, startling the midwife.

The midwife look of horror was now replaced with a look of fright and she quickly turned to another midwife, "We have to tell the King. The prophecy..."

"No!" The Queen shouted as she struggled to get out of bed still ignoring the pain.

"Your majesty you need to get back in bed, you're weak and you lost so much blood" another midwife tried to reason with her.

"Shut up!" The Queen shouted at her before turning back to the midwife still holding her baby. "Give him to me" she said starting to sound a bit desperate and crazy, "Give me my perfect beautiful baby" she continued, walking slowly towards the midwife who was also taking cautious steps away from her. "My son is flawless just like me and his father. He's has no scars and no disabilities. The prophecy is wrong, I don't care what the gods say. I can't give birth to a flawed baby. Now, give me my son!" She screamed the last part.

Luckily, before the midwife could reply, the door opened and the king walked in, his dull green eyes had a look of confusion in them. His looked at his wife who was standing in the middle of the room with arms outstretched, looking crazy with her hair matted on her body due to sweat. She had a feral look on her face and it was directed at the midwife who was several feets away from her, clutching a tiny bundle to her chest with a terrified expression on her face.

"What is going on here?!" His deep powerful voice boomed out, scaring all the midwifes in the room.

The Queen didn't look at him but she replied, "Tell this good for nothing, ugly, flawed beast to unhand my baby!" She shouted her eyes still locked on the scared midwife.

The king looked at the midwife waiting for an explanation but she quickly walked over to him.

"Your majesty..." She said as she held out the baby to him, "The prophecy".

The king looked at the child and his confused expression quickly changed to one of horror. "No!" He said sounding like he didn't want to believe it, "It can't be!" His voice once again shook the entire room.

The Queen now wary after seeing her husband react like this after looking at the child, took a step towards him and asked in a small voice due to fright, "What is it?".

The king immediately turned to her with an angry expression on his handsome face. "You!" He said and begins to walk towards her, "You dare give me a flawed child!" He said, his voice sounding accusing as he reached her and wrapped his hand around her throat.

"Your majesty" The midwife still holding the baby calls out to him in a pleading tone, "Please, she just had a baby, she's very weak" The midwife said pleading for the Queen who looked life she was about to pass out from his hands squeezing her neck.

The king turned back to the midwife with a look of fury on his face, he lets go of the Queen and begins to walk towards the midwife, "You call that thing a baby?!" He asked with an incredulous tone.

The midwife couldn't answer and just took more steps backwards holding the child, who suprisingly was quiet throughout the ordeal.

"You will get rid of it," the king said to the midwife his face still holding the same enraged expression as before, "And we'll tell everyone the child died at birth. I cannot have a flawed as a son, talk more as my heir!" he screamed at the frightened midwife. Even though he was speaking mainly on the child being flawed, he was more scared of the prophecy that was beginning to come to pass.

The Queen who was crying as she struggled to catch her breath, said nothing and just put her head down in shame.

"How should I dispose of..." The midwife started to ask but the king cut her off.

"I don't know and I don't care, all I know is that I never want to see that wretched being again. Throw it into the river if you have to".

"You will do no such thing" another voice spoke up and everyone turned to look at the woman standing at the doorway who had been listening to the conversation between the king and the midwife.

She looked old and frail on the outside, but she was strong and well on the inside and had lived for over two hundred years. She always let her long grey hair fall around her shoulders and always wore the same torn old looking dress everyday. She looked poor and unkempt but that was the last thing she was because she was rich and preserved by the gods. She was also the direct messenger of Hargel, the god of creation.

She took slow steps towards the king and raised her hands to point at him, "You will do no harm to this boy or the punishment which will befall you and your family will be worst than the prophecy spoke of" she said.

"Gyda" the King said calling her by her name, "What is worst than a son who is destined to kill his father and usurp my throne?!" The king asked angrily.

Gyda doesn't answer and instead moves to the midwife and collected the boy from her. The child cooed in her arms, looking up at her with black eyes that had a little hint of red in them. She smiled down at the child taking his tiny hand in hers as her eyes raked over his body which had scars almost everywhere. Even his head had a scar that looked like a big knife had been used to cut open his skull. To everyone else, the child may look ugly and flawed but in her eyes she saw nothing but beauty and strength in the child now and in who he will grow up to be.

"It is your actions that has brought this upon you Odel" She said calling him by his name. "This child has been sent by the gods as your punishment. He will be a darkness and a snare to you and your family, but he will a light and a symbol of hope, a true King for your people; just as the prophecy said." She says and looks at the Queen who had tears streaming down her face as she listened quietly, "Any harm done to this child will have very dire consequences" she said before turning back to the King, "I will advise you to treat this child as your own flesh and blood because he is. Treat him with love and care, and then maybe the gods will take pity on you".

The king stood there in silence and anger, his teeth pressed together to stop him from saying something he would regret. Gyda was not the messenger of the god he served but he had to listen to her nevertheless because she was the direct messenger of Hargel. She had told him the prophecy years ago even before he married Gunnora his Queen, and he completely forgot about it. Gyda had came again to remind him of the prophecy the same day Gunnora had told him she was expecting. He had thrown Gyda out of the castle before going to consult his god Hiko. Hiko through his direct messanger had told him the prophecy would be rendered useless and be nothing but empty words if he added to the sacrifices he gave monthly and he did. Even the Gunnora had consulted her god Ziniia and was told the same thing, so she too added to her sacrifices. They both had high hopes in the words of their gods but now after seeing the child and hearing Gyda's words again, he couldn't help but feel anger and disappointment. He knew he would go back to his temple and consult his god but first he had to reassure Gyda and send her on her way. There was no way he would ever see that flawed child as his own or treat it with love, no way.

So he swallowed hard and said, "I have heard you Gyda and I'll think about it." He said and when Gyda didn't say anything or make a move to leave he remembered something and added, "I will also give him a name when I'm done thinking" he said through gritted teeth. According to tradition, he is supposed to have a name ready for the child before it's even born, but now he knew he couldn't follow the tradition. The thought of giving the child a name disgusted him greatly. He didn't even know which name he would give as all the great names he had thought off were disregarded as soon as he laid eyes on the boy.

"No" Gyda said looking at the boy with smiling eyes, "The gods already have a name for him. His name is Azrael".

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Hey everyone, my name is Joy .O.A aka Seekani. Welcome to my story and I hope you stick with me to the end.

This book is completed and is available for purchase on Amazon Kindle. The link is on my bio.

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