At the same time, I can’t say that everything in their lives was a happy one. Sure, we all did our best to let them all grow up, but sometimes reality did rear its ugly head to show them some rather uncomfortable truths. Especially when we had to interact outside of the borders of the Changeling Kingdom.
One such memory that comes to mind was when the kids were around nine years old when we had to go to the Island of the Minotaurs. At the time, we went there for diplomatic reasons for the sake of peace and trade. In hindsight, we didn’t have to take any of the children with us, but Thorax insisted that it would be good for them to see how other species live. He reasoned that he wanted to show them that not every creature has the same culture and traditions that the Changelings have. So by taking them along would give them the best way to learn about them.
The kids did look forward with these sorts of trips that we take as a family. At an early age, they do want to see other places and interested in creatures that were completely different than what they were. If anything, their curiosity overloads as soon as they get there, asking questions like, “Why do they sound funny?” or “What’s that they’re cooking?” or “How come they wear those hats on their heads?”
And this trip was no different. I recall the morning when all five of them were hanging on the rails of the ship as they spotted the island in the warm morning salty air. They were looking at the short but long island that had two mountains on each end with civilization in the center. Almost like a pair of horns that were prodding out above the sea.
Once we’ve managed to get to the harbor, the children were in awe of the town. Where it’s buildings were every building was painted in plain white, its windows shutters and doors in bright sea blue, and it’s few domes a polished copper. As for its inhabitants, they were interested in the varieties of Minotaurs that were on the island. While some were indeed part bull, there were others that were part goat, and few were part horse. Yet, what they all had in common was their signature upper halves, as the kids pointed out, were similar to my body in which they have the chest, neck, arms, hands, and head that’s structured in the same way.
“So where is the palace?” Velvet inquired as she looked out its buildings.
“I think that there’s going to be an escort to show us the way,” Thorax said. “Or at least, that’s what the letter said.”
“Is that supposed to be them over there?” Queen Lavender pointed a hoof towards a certain spot in the harbor. Two large, red Minotaurs with their arms folded waited by a sort of palanquin that was covered in gold and red velvet. They were looking at our direction so it didn’t take a detective that they were here for us.
And it was confirmed when they moved towards us when they dock the ship. They told us that they were sent here by King Mino to be taken from the harbor to the palace. Or at least, carry those of the Changeling Royal family there. I wasn’t allowed because due to the technicality that I’m not officially part of the family, much to the kid’s confusion.
“What do you mean he can’t join us?” Sekto questioned. “He’s called Uncle Spike, so why can’t he be given a ride?”
“We’re only following orders,” one of the carriers said as they lifted them off the ground. “Only those that are the Changeling Royal family. As far as I can see, he’s a dragon, not a Changeling.”
Atalanta’s cheeks turned fury red, “Why you oversized-”
I put a claw over her mouth. “It’s okay. If I can’t ride, then I’ll fly. You guys go on right ahead, I’ll be following from above.”
“But he just said that you’re not family.”
“He’s talking about blood relation Atalanta. Remember that’s how Minotaurs recognize family on this island. So don’t get upset over someone’s different opinion. Now you guys start heading over, I’ll be joining you soon.” After spreading my wings and taking to the air, I followed them through the streets and up to the simple but towering palace. This time, unlike the buildings that surround it, the colors were introverted while staying true to its modest architecture.
Behind the main gate, the family was let out and I touched down beside them. We were lead into spacious and bright halls and rooms of the white-walled and opened air palace towards the top of the flat roof where underneath a white canopy was King Mino on his throne. A white Minotaur that has on a purple toga-like an old Pegasi emperor. This albino monarch stood up from his throne. “Ah, King Thorax, I am pleased to see that you’ve made it.” He greeted him in an earthy baritone voice. “I was starting to wonder if something had happened to your ship.”
“I did say that I would be arriving today,” the Changeling King nodded respectively. “As you can see, I brought along my family to learn about your Island. I can say that they’re very curious about this place.”
Then the albino ruler looked over at me. “And who’s this?”
“This is Sir Spike,” Thorax introduced to me. “He’s one of my most trusted courtiers and close adviser. Wherever I go, he goes.”
“Mm, I see,” Mino went over and bend down at to the kids. “So all these children are yours? I must say that these are such fine little creatures. Well behaved I hope?”
“We haven’t set anything on fire if that’s what you’re asking,” Scheherazade responded in a sassy tone.
This made the Minotaur king laugh, “And funny too. I like these little ones already. How old are the five of you?”
“They’re all nine years old,” Lavender answered.
“I have a son that’s ten. At this hour, he in the pool swimming just behind us,” he pointed a thumb behind him. “How about we let these young ones get to know my Bullvine while we do the same with us adults?”
Just like that, their wings were buzzing as soon as they heard the words “pool” and “swimming” they were already in the air. Asking where exactly the pool was, the Minotaur king simply told them and off they went.
“While the children are occupied, why not we play a King’s game?”
“Ooh, what kind of game?” the Queen asked but Mino’s faced flashed with uneasiness.
“Uh… Sorry Queen Lavender, the sport I have in mind is something that is fitted for the more uh… stronger sex.”
Lavender raised an eyebrow, “Oh? And what sport exactly that would exclude me?”
“Wrestling,” he grinned.
I raised an eyebrow, “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean we’ve just come all this way-”
“But it’s an honor to wrestle with a king,” he interrupted. “After all, it’s a sport of displaying great feat of strength and endurance.”
“What about the whole trade negotiations?” Thorax questioned.
He waved it off, “There’s plenty of time for that. Now come, I know a better place to do this in.” He patted my arm, “And how about we let this big fella go first as a warm up?” Despite how peeved (a term that I use very lightly) Lavender was, we did move towards the ground floor to where a sort of arena was. In a courtyard surrounded by columns, was a sandy ring in the very center while there were guards at attention at each corner of the space.
“Question,” I raised a claw. “Why exactly do you want to fight us?”
“On this island,” said the Minotaur king as he disrobed his purple clothing. “To really know your friends and enemies, you wrestle with them to see if they are fair, and to see if who’s more dominant.”
“And you want to fight with me first? A dragon?”
“No Minotaur backs down from a challenge that he may overcome.” He stepped into the ring. “Now come in Sir Spike, let’s warm up before I wrestle the Changeling King.”
On a personal note, the guy did have the body in which was perfect for the sport. In a way, he was like Iron Will in that every conceivable muscle looked like it was sculpted on. Amusingly, I had a thought that given his white fur, I silently joked that it’s going to be like wrestling with a statue.
With Thorax’s permission, I too stepped into the ring – gripping both of his hands in my claws as we readied ourselves. “To tell you the truth King Mino,” I said. “I haven’t done this in a while, but at least I promise that I won’t blow fire on you.”
“Your actions will speak for you,” he replied. “Ready?”
I flexed my strength and gave a simple nod.
However, before anyone could say “Go!” a guard came rushing in.
“Sire! Sire!” he cried. “One of the Changelings is drowning your son in the pool!”
“What!” Everyone responded before there was a mad stampede towards a certain part of the palace where the pool was. And there splashing, trying to get a hold of the edge of the tiled pool was the Minotaur prince, a black, bullheaded kid that was fighting to get out. However, tentacles of an octopus kept pulling him back in the water, whose head we can see peeking out of the water. But when the prince did manage to surface, the other four kids were trying to separate them by every means they could think of. From turning into a lifeguard preserver to turning themselves into a rope to have the guy pull himself out.
“YOU TAKE THAT BACK!!” screamed a voice that sounded just like Junior that came from the octopus.
“Neve-” the prince cried out before being dunked back into the water.
“Let him go!” Atalanta, that turned herself into a dragon, tried her hardest to pull Junior out of the pool by flight. However, being an octopus, she found that he was too slippery to which he would slither right out from under her.
So, to get all of their attention, I unleashed a loud roar, along with a burst of fire for good measure. “THAT’S ENOUGH!!” All at once, six children froze, and the Changeling children transformed back to their original selves, thus giving the nearly drowned prince a chance to escape the water.
As soon as that happened, six voices entered a shouting match to explain or blame the other for what happened. Thorax, in a very rare display of anger, stomped his forehoof on the ground and spread his wings. “Family meeting,” he said commandingly through his teeth.
“B-But dad-” Junior stuttered.
“Now!” It’s very rare that I would genuinely see him snap, even if it were for just a moment. And I won’t lie to anyone when he does get angry, it’s rather frightening. That split second, it was as if he used up his sheer willpower, raw emotion, and all the air in his lungs to let out that sharp, short but thunderous word that could have been heard throughout the island.
While King Minos had his talk with his son, Thorax, his queen and I moved the children to another part of the palace grounds where it had a grove of twisted olive trees. Underneath the shade, while the Head of the Changelings calmed down a bit, anyone who looked into his eyes can see that he was purely upset. “What happened?” he demanded.
“He started it,” Junior spoke.
“I don’t care who started it,” Thorax narrowed his eyes. “We’re going to end it. Now talk, what happened back there – and why were you trying to drown Prince Bullvine?”
The green, young changeling sniffed, looking up with a pitiful look. “Y-You won’t listen.”
“Why do you think-” I was about to say before Thorax lifted a hoof.
“Let me take care of this – both of you.” Kneeling down, the King put a hoof under his son’s chin. “Junior, I’m not mad at you. But you did scare me back there. We’re trying to make a good impression on the Minotaurs and then we find you fighting with their prince? I don’t understand what had happened.”
“But… But you’ll get angry anyway.”
Thorax breathed through his nose. “I won’t. And I’m listening for real this time.”
Junior whipped some of the tears that were forming in his eyes. “I know what you, mom and Uncle Spike told us about being on our best behavior and all that. But that bully wasn’t.”
“Why? What happened?”
From there, he told us the story of how after Minos told them about the swimming pool, they were all eager to take a dip and getting to meet with the prince. At first, everything was relatively fine as they exchanged names and what not. If anything, Bullvine was willing to have others come and swim with him, until he splashed water at Sekto without warning.
“When he got him wet,” Junior explained. “It made Sekto really upset that he did that without saying anything. But then, Bullvine starts being a jerk and teases him, making him cry. We tried to get him to stop, but he says to him, ‘Why are you crying? You’re not a…’” he trailed off, rubbing his foreleg. “He said a bad word. A word that you and Uncle Spike promised that we would never use.”
“What was the word?” Lavender asked.
“Mom, I can’t say that word,” he whined. “If I say it, I’ll get in trouble.”
Thorax hugged him, “Whatever it is, you can say it and you’ll be excused for saying it. So what did he call Sekto?”
“He…” while he whispered it into his ear, I did pick up the offensive word that no doubt had sparked the fight. “He called him a uh... a faggot.”
“Oh…”
Junior nodded, “I told him that he can’t say that word, but he just makes fun of me for standing up to him. And I got so angry that…”
“I see,” Thorax too nodded, understanding. “While I do get why you would get upset over this, was drowning him really necessary?”
“Well, what was I supposed to do? He wouldn’t stop.”
“You could always have walked away. Come and tell us that something is bothering you. While I am proud that you would defend your brother, I am, however, disappointed that you had to result to violence over it.” He then turned to Sekto, who was over by one of the olive trees by himself but still within hearing distance. Waving him over, the youngest son went up to him. “Are you alright?”
“A… A little.” He sniffled.
Returning to Junior, he told him, “I’m going to speak with King Mino about what had happened, then we’ll figure out what to do with you.”
He winced, “Are you really going to punish me?”
“That depends on what his son, along with your brother and sister says. Obviously, someone will get punished, but for now, I need to hear everything that had happened from each of you. Understood?”
So one by one, each of them told us the same story. By the time we went up to King Mino, we asked him if his son told him what had happened. Indeed, he has but had given him a completely different version in which Junior was the one that started the fight, where he was minding his own business when suddenly he jumped right to the pool without asking, they got into a fight until we showed up. However, it was made clear on both sides that given the fact that there were four other eyewitnesses, it was made clear that Prince Bullvine was lying.
Mino promised that he will punish his son for dishonesty while Thorax to do the same for Junior acting to violence.
Later on that night, when the children were put to bed (and forbidden to see Prince Bullvine for the day) I noticed that Thorax looked wistful as he was looking out to the stars of our guest balcony.
“I take it that you’re thinking about the fight?” I asked him, patting his back.
He nodded, “There’s something that has been on my mind, yes.”
“Such as?”
“It’s about Sekto,” I asked what he meant by that. “Well, it’s got me thinking about several things really. For one, that moment of bullying brought back some rather… bitter memories of my hatchlinghood in the hive.”
“That you were bullied too?”
“Yeah… And I’m proud that Junior has stood up to that sort of thing, just like how Pharynx had done for me. It’s rather painful to see history repeat itself in a way. Especially to our own children.”
“It’s not something that you can protect them from. Everyone would have to face cruelty at least once in their lives no matter how much we try to shield it from it. All we can do is to teach them how to deal with it when – or rather if it shows up.”
“I know. But there’s something else too.”
“Like what?”
He breathed through his nostrils, looked at me in the eye and asked, “Do you think that… I don’t know… if it’s possible that uh… oh how do I say this?” he took a deep breath and let out. “Is it possible that at least one of our kids might turn to be like us?”
“You mean, attracted to the same gender?”
“Uh-huh.”
I shrugged, “I can’t say. Until they hit puberty all that is up in the air. Why? What’s gotten you to thinking this?”
“I know it’s a little ridiculous to assume but, Bullvine used that insult on Sekto. And I could sense that he was shaken up by it. Not only that, but I also sense fear too. But why would he be afraid, and of what? I mean sure, it could be linked to just Bullvine but… I don’t know… something’s telling me that there might be something more to this that I thought that maybe.”
Giving him a hug, I asked him, “And if one of them does come out?”
“Look, it’s not that I have a problem with that, heck, we’re both guys and you’ve been my faithful consort for years. I just wonder if I’m sending the right message to them that if they wanted to feel authentic that it’s okay to do so. Otherwise, why would any of them be afraid?”
“Shh,” I patted the back of his head. “We don’t know what orientation they are, but that doesn’t matter as long as we let them know that we just want them to be happy. If they come to us saying that they’re attracted to someone of the same gender, then great! We can help guide them. Regardless, let them grow up. They have a good life ahead of them.”
Thorax nuzzled and kissed me, “You’re right. I guess I’m just jumping to conclusions.”