Epilogue


Two breeders dressed in full ceremonial robes, both heavily hooded and veiled followed a guard down a dark corridor. One of them carried a small child also dressed in black robes from head to foot. The baby pushed back her hood and her daddy patiently pulled it back up over her head.

“No angel, you have to keep it up for now,” he told her patently.

The little girl whinged her annoyance and tried to push it down again and again her daddy pulled it back up. It was a game of wills and it was a game that the breeder knew his daughter would loose. He knew she would loose because it was a battle that he himself had lost as a child.

Trystum walked by his son’s side. “Do you want me to take her Joshua?” he asked.

“No I can manage thank you. Maybe you could hold her for me a bit later.” The guard leading them stole a look at the two breeders. Dressed as they were he couldn’t tell which was which. All he could see of the one carrying the child was bright blue kohl rimmed eyes, not even one tress of hair slipped free. Their feet made no sound as they walked and they seemed to him as if they were floating on air. He envied the men lucky enough to share their lives.

He paused outside a door and turned to address the two men bowing slightly. “This is it my lords. Would you like me to come in with you?” he asked humbly. Robed as they were he felt as if they were royalty and felt compelled to treat them as such.

“That won’t be necessary thank you; we may wish to remove our veils and cannot do so with you in the room,” the shorter man with the baby replied.

The guard wondered what made the prisoner so special that the two elegant breeders would face-strip themselves in front of him but kept his question to himself and bowed once again and opened the door. He stepped aside to let the two breeders enter. “I will be right outside the door Sires if you should need me.”

General Chasez sat behind a large oak table. He stood up as the two breeders entered the room. The general gave a loud sob and rushed to his son but he held back from hugging him

”You can touch me father. I won’t shatter.” Joshua said handing his child to his daddy who was hanging back behind him. The breeder lifted a gloved hand, unpinned his veil then lowered his hood. “Hello father.”

The general’s mouth trembled and tears formed in his eyes. “Joshua?” he asked. “Is it really you? My darling boy I have missed you so much. When they told me that you wished to see me I thought it was a cruel joke made up to taunt me.”

The general traced his fingertips over his son’s face barely touching him. His eyes rested on Joshua's shorn head.

“You cut your hair.” He sighed despondently.

“No,” Joshua replied bleakly. “It was shaved when I was taken to a breeding farm.”

The general legs buckled and he grasped on to the table to steady himself. “No! Oh darling no. I risked so much to save you from that. My poor child, my poor, poor child.” His eyes came to rest on the bump that was clearly visible beneath his robes.

Joshua put his hand protectively over his unborn baby. “It is my husbands. I was already pregnant with his second child when I was taken.” Joshua turned and took his child from his daddy’s arms. He brushed back her hood revealing her shoulder length blond curly hair that was tied back with a blue ribbon. “And this,” he said, “is your granddaughter Jemima.”

The general wiped tears from his eyes and held out his hands hopefully so Joshua handed his precious girl to him.

“A girl! They never told me that you bore a girl. I had heard through the gossip that a female had been born but I never imagined that you would be the bearer.” Chasez stroked the little girl’s hair and kissed her forehead. “I knew you were special Joshua. My special boy.”

“You call me special but you still cannot bring yourself to touch me.” Joshua said angrily.

“I am only your father Joshua I don’t have the right to touch you.” The general looked at Joshua's robes approvingly. “You started to wear your robes again,” Chasez observed. “I thought that now you were a northerner you would dispense with them especially as you always hated them so much.”

Joshua chewed his lip. “I did and I also wanted to cut my hair, but Justin talked me out of that. It wasn’t until I was in the breeding farm, kneeling naked on the cold dirty floor having my hair shaved forcefully that I realised what my robes really meant. They were not there to hide me from the world but to protect me from it. So now I wear my robes with pride and intend to re-grow my hair, only my husband and close family and friends see me barefaced.

Joshua turned his back on his father sadly and walked over to where Trystum was waiting. They stared into each others eyes for a while, unspoken words passing between them and then Joshua returned to his father and took back Jemima.

“Is there anything I can bring you?”

Chasez reached out and took Jemima’s hand in his. “You could bring this beautiful little girl to see me again and maybe the new one when he is born.”

Joshua nodded. “Before I go father I would like to introduce you to my best friend. He opened my eyes to the world and has stood by me and comforted me when I needed it.”

Trystum came closer and unpinned his veil and dropped his hood. General Chasez covered his mouth with his hand and gasped. With his breath hitching in his chest he stepped closer to the older breeder. Tentatively he reached out and tucked a brunette curl behind the breeder’s ear.

“It can’t be,” he whispered as his tears broke free. “Trystum.”

The general took the breeder of his only breeding child into his arms and kissed him passionately. “I came back for you but they told me you were dead. I came back for you and for our son.”

Trystum took the generals hand in his and rested his forehead against his. “I know,” he whispered back.

Joshua watched as his fathers rediscovered each other he paused only to adjust his hood and to re-pin his veil in place before he backed silently out of the room.

The guard waiting outside looked for the other breeder as he entered the corridor. “My bearer will be staying for the time being. An escort will be waiting for him in the reception area to take him home when he is ready to leave. I would like to leave now please.

The guard led Joshua back to where Justin and Lonnie were waiting. Justin approached him.

“Is Trystum staying?” he asked.

Joshua nodded. “Yes. Lonnie will you remain here and escort him home?”

The African man agreed silently nodding his head.

“Thank you,” Joshua said pleasantly. He handed Jemima over to Justin and then placed a gloved hand on his husbands arm and their eyes met. “Take me home darling,” he whispered.

Justin gazed at his robed husband with love. “My pleasure, “he replied.

The End.



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