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I returned to the hotel with a stunned Lucas. He stated that he wanted to be left alone for a while, and I watched him leave for a separate room before I sighed on the sofa in the living room. Kiki said not a word and poured me a cup of tea.
Lucas Sara Wotel was fifty years old and the very father that Lucas had spent his entire life searching for. The now-imprisoned man was born and raised in the quiet village of Sara and was the eldest son of his household. But the Battle of Lionel had caused him to lose his family, and at a young age, he was all alone in the world. His solitude, however, had given him some freedom in his position, and he threw himself into the world of sailing. He stepped away from his hometown and made a living while calling his ship his home.
The records stated not a word about his life in Eizeria, nor the fact that he had a wife and a child. It only listed that he was born in Lapisasther, became an orphan, and was a sailor. He then was imprisoned for life because of the debacle with Eizeria. His entire life was summarized in a few lines; it felt almost cruel. After he’d gone fishing, he must’ve tried to return to Eizeria, paying no heed to the risks. He was then suspected of being a pirate and imprisoned. A life sentence had been cast upon him, preventing him from ever going out to sea, and he was in chains, forever spending the rest of his life behind bars.
“I wonder if I should say I’m glad he’s still alive…” I murmured, my words causing the steam from the teacup to waver slightly.
Leik approached me from the corridor with Cano in tow. “Madam, I received word from the royal palace. The court and His Majesty have provided their approval, and the man can be released as early as tomorrow evening.”
“Thank you for telling me. That was rather quick.”
Leik furrowed his brows. “It’s likely that Lapisasther condemned him to life in prison as part of a stunt for Eizeria. If they had an excuse for a victim, an Eizerian noble requesting a pardon with the support of the royal family, I’m sure they could’ve released him immediately. I’ve heard that Lucas Sara Wotel is a model prisoner. He’s also a victim of conflict between two nations.”
“And I heard that my lord gave quite a bit of money to the royal family,” Cano chimed in beside Leik. “But the man’s release aside, can my lord meet his father? He’s been shut in his room for a while.”
“Well…” I started.
Lucas emerged from his room. Cano gasped before hastily covering his mouth. My husband only glanced at the boy as he approached Leik and handed the butler several thick stacks of paper.
“Thank you for finding my dad,” Lucas said. “Can you take care of these next?”
“Most certainly,” Leik replied. “I shall finish it all while we’re still here.”
“What are you guys on about?” Cano piped up.
“Nothing for you to know about,” Lucas replied. “You’ll find out in due time, so just be patient.” He turned to me and smiled. “Sorry to worry you. Don’t fret. I’ll meet my dad.”
“Lucas…” I murmured.
“But I don’t know how our meeting will go. I just wanted to clean up all the work I meant to do in Lapisasther before my mood turned sour. That’s all.”
He petted my head and gently hugged me to ease my worries.
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THE next day, Lucas and I headed for Levino County Jail. It was on the other side of the island, in the opposite direction of the city. In the early morning, we rode a donkey and slowly made our way over the paved white steps on a steep slope.
It was hot outside, and Lucas had told me to wait back at the hotel, but I’d promised to stick by his side. I couldn’t let him head to the prison by himself. I had a stole around my shoulders to shield me from the sun as I rode a donkey for the first time. As I bounced up and down, I followed my husband to meet his father.
We took a few breaks and spent half a day on the backs of donkeys before we finally reached Levino County Jail. The walls were plaster, which was very fitting for this kingdom, and the angular building stood in the middle of a forest. The energetic cries of mysterious insects and birds resting in the shade reached my ears.
Lucas was silent the entire trip, perhaps from the heat, the exhaustion, or the nervousness. A prison guard guided us to one of their simple waiting rooms, and we were served iced tea. Lucas only stared at the table, sweat dripping down his face. Only the sunlight trickling through the foliage, the ocean breeze, and the rustling of the greenery filled the room.
“Lucas,” I said. “It’s not good to be dehydrated. Why not have a drink?”
“Yeah, you’re right,” he replied, snapping back to reality.
He downed the tea in one gulp. Silence settled in the room again. It felt like an eternity.
The sun spilling in through the windows was past its apex and starting to set when there was a knock on the door. The prison guard had brought a man.
Dressed in simple prison clothes, an unshaven man with long, unkempt hair emerged, looking pitiful. With weary, sunken eyes, he gazed at Lucas, then at me. Confusion slowly filled his face as he glanced between us.
“Who are you guys?” the man asked. “I heard you were an Eizerian noble, but that appearance… And why would you do something so capricious?”
I handed my husband a ring. “Perhaps this will jog his memory.”
It was an accessory fitted with an amber stone—his mother’s keepsake. Lucas approached this man, who jolted in fear and shrunk back from him. Lucas unfurled his hand, revealing the ring on his palm. The moment the befuddled man saw the jewelry, his eyes glittered with life.
“How did you…” the man gasped.
His exhaustion completely dissipated as he kneeled in front of Lucas, clutching the hands of his son. The man couldn’t believe his eyes; his gaze was fixated on the small ring. Tears trickled down his cheeks.
“I gave this…to Matilda… How did you…” the man stammered. He sheepishly gazed up at Lucas, his expression gradually transforming. It looked like long-lost memories rushed back into his mind. With trembling lips, he spoke. “Are you…”
“Lucas Stock. I’m your son.”
The man’s face made several expressions as he questioned reality. “Matilda… My wife… Where is your mom now?”
“She’s dead. She had a fever when I was fourteen and passed away.”
Despair. Elation. Agony. Regret. The man went through numerous emotions in a span of mere moments. He sank to the floor, practically begging for forgiveness, his loud wails drowning out the noise of the forest.
“I’m sorry,” he sobbed. “I’m so, so sorry…”
He wasn’t able to stand for a while. Lucas remained silent, only clenching his fists as tight as they would go. He neither hugged with joy at their reunion nor did he blame his father for the prolonged absence. My husband was expressionlessly gazing down at his father. I saw Lucas’s knuckles, white from squeezing so hard, and enveloped his hand with both of mine as I stood close to him.