This story shows the motivation of the characters very clearly. The king wants a son, at any cost. The secret affair of the wife and priest must be concealed if they are to live. Each person looking at the child is thinking private thoughts. These have nothing to do with public perception.

This could almost be the setup for a Greek tragedy. It is certain that in the future there will be grave consequences to this duplicity. Wouldn't that make an interesting novel?

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