The Heir of Kaminari

Four years later...

The closet in Mommy's chamber was his most favorite hiding place in the world. He liked to squeeze himself between the silk, satin, lace and cotton dresses until his back would hit the wooden board. He would wait for her there with great anticipation while inhaling the scent of Mommy's clothes. They reminded him so much of the roses back at home.

"Men... Men... Where's my little tiger cub?" He could hear Mommy calling out his name. He sniggered but remembered that Mommy had a sharp sense of hearing. He immediately covered his mouth so she wouldn't be able to catch him there.

It was too late. The doors of the dresser were pulled open and he saw Mommy's pretty face smiling at him.

"There you are... I had a hard time finding you. You're getting better at this game, my little Men..."

Mommy pulled him out and carried him in her arms. "Let's get you ready. Your father is coming with Uncle Lyserg to fetch you."

He hugged her tight. If Father was here then he would be coming back home soon. He would miss Mommy again. "Come with Men, Mommy..." He placed his little hands on her cheeks and removed the strands of golden hair that had strayed on her face.

"Mommy will come visit Men. Don't worry... I think you will have fun in Kouri. Uncle Horo Horo and Aunt Pirika will be there."

"Men?" Father called out to him from downstairs.

They went down to greet him. Father immediately took him and threw him into the air. He also missed Father. He was away most of the time. Mommy said Father had to help Marco because Mother was not there anymore. He could not remember what Mother looked like. They said she got sick really bad so she went to Grandfather's place. Wherever that is. Mommy would show him paintings of Mother when she was younger. She was really beautiful, too. He got his eyes and hair from her.

"How is my little boy?" Father asked him as he raised him above his head.

"Ren, if you drop him, I'll never let you play with him again."

Uh oh. Mommy seemed angry at Father.

"I won't. Don't worry." Father smiled at her.

"Hey, Anna! It's been a long time." Uncle Lyserg entered the main door holding two boxes. Good thing he was there. Men did not want Mommy and Father to fight.

"These are gifts for you... and for my little nephew..." Uncle Lyserg handed them each a box. "Maybe open them when we come back from Kouri. And ohhh, there are still more gifts, Anna."

Men grew excited. He surely liked surprise gifts! He only received presents on his birthday. Every year on his birthday, Father and him would cross the sea in a big ship and they would go visit Mother's house where Marco lived. Then the three of them will go to this quiet place where there were stones with squiggly lines on them. They said Mother and Grandfather were there but he couldn't see them. Then they would go to Auntie Jun's house and he would play with Other Grandfather for hours.

"I got this! I got this!" Uncle Yoh entered carrying a pile of boxes. He looked like a court jester juggling things with his hands.

Mommy asked some palace maids to help goofy Uncle Yoh. When he was freed of the boxes, Mommy wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on the lips. Men only saw Uncle Yoh a few times in a year but Mommy was very happy whenever he was around.

"How is the little rascal?" Uncle Yoh ruffled his hair. Men hated it when he does that but today he would forgive him because he brought gifts.

"We found him at the port of Morphia with Faust. They were also on their way here so we invited them to sail with us." Father explained to Mommy.

"Faust wanted to visit Eliza at the burial ground first. He would be coming over for a courtesy call." Uncle Yoh added.

Men hoped Uncle Faust won't show up. He was afraid of him. He had scary eyes and teeth.

"Well, you, three better get going so you don't end up on the road after dark. I hope Pirika says yes. Good luck!" Mommy squeezed Uncle Lyserg's hand.

"It's Horo Horo whom I'm worried about but thanks, Anna!" Lyserg bowed down at Mommy.

"Thank you for taking care of Men..." Father kissed Mommy on the cheek.

"I always got your back, Ren. Anyway, I love doing it. See you when I see you, my darling!" Mommy kissed Men on the forehead. She also gave Father a peck on the cheek before seeing them off.

Lyserg watched his nephew sleep on King Ren's lap. Despite the bumpy carriage ride, the little boy had managed to doze off. He looked so much like his father except for the color of his eyes and hair. There was no mistaking he was Ren and Jeanne's son.

They were on their way to the Kouri palace to ask the king for his sister's hand. Ren wanted to support his friend in case Horo Horo would outright refuse. It would also be an opportunity for Men to go see Kouri. The Kaminari ruler wanted his son to be familiar with the Four Kingdoms. He didn't have that chance when he was a little boy.

"Thank you, Ren... " Lyserg said to him out of the blue.

"What for?" The Tao monarch asked.

"For accompanying me to Kouri... For making Men your heir. You didn't have to marry my cousin after what she did..."

"It's for the better. Marco and I had to read through legal documents to check if there's a way to let Men carry the Tao family name without being married to his mother. There was none. We had to present a marriage certificate so my son can use my last name in his birth record. Marco even suggested that we let Men keep the Mont St. Michel name and that I can just adopt him into the Tao family afterwards but that sounded absurd! Men is my own flesh and blood, why would I adopt my own son? Yet, Kaminari will not acknowledge him as the heir if he isn't a legal Tao. He will just be a bastard in people's eyes. I won't let that happen to my boy..." King Ren stroke his son's hair.

"I had to make a decision right then and there because Jeanne was dying. She hadn't taken her medicines during the entire pregnancy and her health just deteriorated fast after giving birth. Sometimes, you have to sacrifice your own happiness for your child. You'll understand it more when you become a parent, Lyserg."

"You're a good person, Ren." His friend smiled at him. "Well, I don't know if this is reassuring but you're a widow now... So you have the legal right to marry again if you find the right one for you..."

"I don't want to think about it yet. I already have my heir. Besides, Men will be more confused. He had known Anna as his other mother. She was there with us from the very moment we brought Men back to Kaminari. My son knows that he has two grandfathers so he thought he had two mothers as well. It's kind of cute."

"If Anna marries you know who, then Men will have two fathers." Lyserg teased him.

King Ren scoffed. "I'm the only father Men will ever know. He will just be goofy Uncle Yoh and nothing more."

At the Kouku burial grounds along the Kasai border...

"Ahhh... I knew it was you who arrived this morning..." Ryuu approached Faust who he found sitting down in front of Eliza's tombstone. Manta waved at the medicine man as he walked with his former partner.

"Hey... Thank you for maintaining this place." Faust stood up to pat Ryuu's back.

"Oh what brings you here, Manta? Hope your family business is thriving." The medicine man smiled at him.

"Queen Anna called for me. She wanted to build a playground for Prince Men Tao."

"I see... Good for you... More projects more coins."

"What are you planning to do after your mission?" Manta asked. "Ryuu told me you're down to the last clan."

"I don't know really... Hao seemed an independent king. He doesn't need an adviser..." Faust sighed. "I wish I can be with my Eliza soon..."

He glanced at the two tombstones next to his wife's. "I wonder what Amidamaru and Mosuke are doing now in the afterlife."

"They are probably drinking." Ryuu chuckled. "Do you want to go to the pub?"

"Yes!"

"Er... I have to go back to Queen Anna to report about the dimensions of the playground." The little man looked hesitant. He did not like the feeling of getting wasted.

"Oh come on, Manta. Queen Anna is busy with Prince Yoh. Just come back tomorrow."

Ryuu and Faust each took an arm and drag him along.