The Visitor

Samuel the head butler of the palace retired to his chambers. He was very tired and wanted nothing more than to collapse into his bed and sleep.

There was a knock on the door, with a frown he went to open the door, whoever was at the other end better have a good excuse for disturbing him.

"Samuel, there is a visitor here for you. He said that you were expecting him" the servant on the other side of the door informed him.

Samuel frown went deeper, he wasn't expecting anyone.

"Where is this person?" he asked.

"in the receiving area, my lord"

"let's go there" he told the servant.

The servant led the way and they headed to the receiving area. "there he is" the servant pointed.

Samuel looked towards the direction of the servant's finger. He saw a young boy, he looked to be around seventeen or eighteen. He had obviously been drenched by the rain which had started earlier this evening.

"Are you sure he said he was looking for me?" Samuel asked the servant doubtfully.

"yes, he mentioned your name" the servant reaffirmed.

Samuel walked up to the boy, "what's your name boy?"

The boy looked up, "Kayden" he answered. 

Samuel was startled by his clear ocean blue eyes, it had been long he saw such a shade of blue on anyone. Only someone he had known a long time ago had such a stunning shade of blue eyes.

Samuel quickly dismissed such thoughts from his mind.

"And you said you are looking for me?" he asked the boy. 

"Are you Samuel?"

"yes I am."

"Then you are the one I am looking for, my mother sent me to you" he stretched a damp looking paper to Samuel.

Samuel took it and looked at him sceptically.

"And who is your mother?"

"Her name is Ida. She is your sister" the boy replied.

Samuel looked at him in wonder, it had been long he saw Ida, he had no idea that she had become pregnant or borne a son.

The last time he had seen her was when....

"so do you know my mother?" the boy asked interrupting his thinking.

"yes I do. Come on boy, you must be tired from your trip" Samuel told him.

The boy stood up and looked at the servant gratefully. "Thanks for helping me out"

"you are welcome" the servant replied and left them.

The boy and Samuel went to his chambers. 

"keep your bag in the corner and pull off those wet clothes" Samuel told him.

He opened his wardrobe and tossed him a towel to dry his body and some clothes to wear.

"Thanks a lot uncle" Kayden replied gratefully.

"hmmm" Samuel grunted and sat down to read the letter.

'Dear Samuel,

It has been a very long time since we saw each other. How have you been?

I am doing quite okay. After I left Rivena, I had to move around a lot until I found somewhere to settle down in peace. I met someone who I loved and we gave birth to Kayden. He is a wonderful child Samuel, so full of love and hope. He is also very smart and will be a great help to you. I have sent him to Rivena because I don't want his potentials to be wasted in a place like our little backward village.

Please take care of him and treat him like your own.

Thanks.

From your sister

Ida

P.S; He has magic. He is a sorcerer Samuel. Please ensure that he is never caught.'

Samuel stared at the letter unbelievably and looked at Kayden.

THE BOY HAD MAGIC! HE HAD MAGIC! HE WAS A SORCERER!

Ida had failed to tell him so in the beginning of the letter instead she had put it in the very end of the letter like an afterthought. Who the hell reasoned that way? 

What if someone had seen the letter apart from him? The boy would have been dead already and his life would be in danger as well.

"Did you show anyone the letter apart from me?" Samuel asked.

"No, mother said no one is to see the letter apart from you." he replied.

Samuel sighed in relief. He picked up a dagger which was on his table and tossed it at the boy.

Before it hit the boy, the dagger slowed down and came to a stop before it clattered to the ground. Samuel was convinced, the boy had magic, very strong magic at that.

Kayden bent down and picked up the sword, he handed it to Samuel. 

"Here you go Uncle, it must have slipped out of your hand mistakenly" he said, looking at Samuel with absolute trust.

Samuel sighed again, the boy was just as naive and trusting like his mother.

"Thanks." he replied taking the dagger from him.

"Have you had anything to eat?" he asked him. He shook his head in response.

Samuel went to his little store room and got a loaf of bread and some dried meat with wine. He handed it to Kayden.

"Thank you Uncle" Kayden said with a bright smile and started to wolf down the food.

Samuel looked at the boy as he ate, the boy looked like his sister. Those blue eyes though, they unnerved Samuel. Anybody who saw him and remembered the past would immediately make the connection.

"Kayden, no one must know you have magic, absolutely no one must know this. If the king should find out you have magic, you will be dead. Do you understand me?"

"yes uncle." Kayden answered earnestly.

"So how are your parents?"

"mother is fine, father is dead" Kayden replied.

"Your father is dead?"

"yes."

"When did he die?" Samuel asked.

"I never knew him. Mother said he died before I was born."

"I see" Samuel said. Ida had failed to mention this in her letter. Something wasn't quite right but Samuel couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong.

"it's okay, eat up so you can get some sleep." he told Kayden.