I was a meer servant. A little dot in the sea of the people of the King’s court. I had no impact. I was a puny stepping stone for the King to rise above everyone else. Little did I know I would have a great impact in the years to come.

The queen was pregnant. She had just given birth when I was at the main door to the hall of King Laius. The doors opened and the creak of wood echoed throughout the halls. Sunlight blinded me as a small frail man walked into the hall. He told me he was to see King Laius at once. Part of me knew not to let him through. The other part couldn’t resist, he was blind but I felt that he could see my soul. Without realising it I was leading him down the halls to the chamber of the king and queen. I opened the door and could see the king with the queen, in her arms was a little newborn baby. King Laius motioned for me to leave and I did. The blind man stayed. The minute I closed the door the whispers started. It was rude but I tried my best to listen in and try to decipher what they were saying. After a couple long minutes the whispers stopped and the door opened. The little man stepped out and looked at me with his pale, milky eyes. I asked him if he would like me to escort him outside. He declined. He waddled down the passageway when the king called for me.

I entered the chamber, the king and queen sat there on the bed, their faces drained of all color. Their faces told me they had heard something they didn’t want to. King Laius was shaking, he looked at me.

“I need you to do something for me,” he said. The look in his eyes said that this was very hard for him. His eyes were tearing up. I didn’t know what the problem was but I could tell he didn’t like it. He looked broken, like the best thing in the world was just ripped from his hands and thrown onto a hillside.

“Anything,” I replied.

“I need you to take my child, bind his ankles, and to him to the hills and leave him there.” When he finished his sentence a single tear fell down his cheek. I was confused why he wanted me to do this. It was his firstborn and he was giving it a death sentence. Reluctantly I nodded. I walked over and took the baby from the queen’s arms. She cried out, pleading with the king.

“ No please,” she cried. “ Maybe we can live with him. It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“ I’m sorry,” King Laius replied. “ We can’t take that chance.

“Maybe he was lying. Maybe we can be happy.” The king shook his head and I left the chamber. As I shuffled down the passageway the queen’s cries echoed throughout the palace. I walked out the doors of the palace, the guards giving me very questioning looks. I eventually found my way to the stables. I grabbed some rope and quickly tied the baby’s feet together. The rope cut into his ankles and the baby started crying. Blood dripped down his feet and onto the hay, staining the dirt. The baby’s ankles cracked and his feet dropped. His ankles were broken.

I left the stables, walking briskly until I reached the edge of the city. Slowly but surely, I climbed the path that led over the hills.  The wind ripped through my clothes, sending chills all over my body. The baby started crying, it’s cries were lost in the wind. I reached the top, the air was cold but it was worth it. The view was amazing. I could see the city of Thebes below and the rolling hills.

Suddenly all I could think of was the baby. How could I just leave the baby here to die. It wasn’t right. I had to make a choice, leave the baby to die or try and save it. How could the king tell me to kill a baby, his baby? I was his servant but I couldn’t bring myself to kill an innocent baby that hadn’t done anything wrong. Off in the distance I could see a shepherd with his sheep. In my eyes the man looked lonely and could use a friend, maybe a baby. I went through the possibilities in my head. If I gave the baby away he would never return to the city, never do anything he wasn’t supposed to. The decision was final, I was giving the baby away. I made my way over to the shepherd. I told him this baby needed a home and that I couldn’t take care of it. The man seemed to understand and reluctantly took the baby from my arms. It was done. I could return and the king and queen would never know their son was still alive. I turned and started making my way back to the city.