At first I had just intended to write a Laurent focused fic, since he was my favorite of the children character. But over time I instead ended up focusing on his parents instead. Constant nuking of the story and starting over resulted in slow coming.
While Libra/Miriel is basically headcanon for me, it's really one of the couples I tossed together just for the sake of getting all the children characters. Though I do feel that it's a likable couple.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Libra breathed out as he sat back in the chair in the den of his orphanage. The bookcases in the room were stacked high, filled with the magic tomes that his wife and son invested so much of their collective energy in. The shelves were also stocked with holy books containing the teachings of the Gods. This was just one room of the orphanage he made. His orphanage had been a place of smiles for years, but entertaining the children slowly sucked his energy away across a long day. It was more exhausting then participation in combat, and restful moments like these were deeply appreciated.
He leaned his head back, speaking a prayer of thanks to Naga for the fact that, although tragedy had claimed the parents of these children, Libra's orphanage had given the children a chance to live happy lives. They might someday be adopted into new, loving families, and be given chance to live happy lives, with the Gods undoubtedly smiling upon them.
In accordance with the Gods' teachings that all creatures were equal, Libra's orphanage was open to all orphans from any nation. Half of the children were Ylisseans, but one could see Plegians, Feroxians, and even children from the distant continent of Valm living at the orphanage. In the mix of ethnic backgrounds in the orphanage, Libra had been sure to teach the children to not judge others over petty issues like race.
The orphanage did not look glamorous. The Gods would not approve of such shameful displays, so Libra sought to have the orphanage look humble. The orphanage was good enough to offer comfortable lives, without making it so comfortable as to spoil the children. The most eye-pleasing objects in the orphanage were of a religious nature, as one would expect from an orphanage made and owned by a member of Ylisse's clergy. One could not look far without seeing some object that offered blessings to the Gods. Stands, carvings, symbols, Libra always felt soothed to look upon such honorific images. Though on more then one occasion one of the more audacious orphans had tried to doodle on or otherwise deface them.
Such incidents did eventually trail off as the years went by. Though it was less due to any fear of invoking Libra's wrath or even the Gods' wrath, but more so because many of the orphans had grown scared of provoking Libra's wife.
Miriel's first interactions with Libra had been odd. She had striven to fix a perceived inadequacy of the manner in which Libra spread the teachings of the Gods. Though her help had mixed results, it did result in Libra and Miriel growing close, until eventually they were married. And now, the Gods had blessed them with a son.
After spending some time reflecting, Libra heard a door shut. He turned his head and opened his eyes to see his wife standing in the room.
"Ah, excellent. You were recumbently sitting in your chair." Miriel expressed her relief at the end of what, judging by her body language, had been a fairly lengthy search. "Libra, Laurent is looking for you. He did not say why, but based on past experiences, he most likely wants help in deciphering the words of a holy book."
There was a little twist to Miriel's expression, Libra, who had gotten used to his wife could tell that she was annoyed. Most likely her search for her husband had been complicated a few times because the children fled from her rather then help her in her search. Among the children at the orphanage, Miriel had become someone to fear due to the potential lengths she could talk for and the complicated subjects she talked about. Because of that she had was usually incapable of interacting with the children by herself. Unless the child was her son.
Laurent, their son. He was only ten years of age at this point, and yet he had already chosen to walk his mother's path, trying to piece apart and understand the mysteries of the world. While he did not walk his father's past, he showed great respect for it, and set out to make dissecting and understanding religious text one of his first objectives.
He had to come to his father many times asking for help to understand certain verses in holy books. Those books were written long ago, and their grammar was very awkward by modern standards. Sometimes they used a word in a way that it wouldn't be used modernly. So Libra had on many occasions spent long hours helping his son understand what the scripture meant. It was all a step on Laurent's journey to understand the world around him.
"Despite the difference in the circumstances surrounding his childhood, he seems to be growing into the same Laurent." Libra noted.
Miriel raised a hand to adjust her glasses, a movement that always served as a prelude to contemplation from her. Some years ago, they had met a… different Laurent. That Laurent had come from the future, where Grima had been resurrected and began to scour humanity from the planet. That Laurent was still their son, in a way, though he was already an adult, only a few years younger then his parents. Despite the much more horrific world that Laurent lived in, the Laurent that naturally lived in this timeline seemed to be developing an identical personality. The only discrepancy seemed to be that, with his father not going anywhere this time, this Laurent might spend much more time with the text that was so important to Libra's life.
They had both resolved to someday explain to Laurent about the future version of him they had encountered, after Libra and Miriel were married but well before the boy was conceived. That day was a long way off, and they instead just marveled at how this constantly peaceful environment wasn't producing any meaningful difference in personality.
They hadn't spoken with the other Laurent for a decade now. He had expressed awkwardness when witnessing himself as an infant, and reasoned that if he continued to be around as the Laurent of this time grew it would cause the younger Laurent to pose uncomfortable questions. That Laurent was still in this world, probably traveling to decipher the mysteries of the world, unless tragedy had claimed him.
"I wonder if any of the other children display inconsistencies with those that came from the future?" Miriel pondered. By this time, all of the other children from the future timeline had been born in this timeline. Tending to the families they were starting was the primary reasons most of the Shepherds had retired from active, frontline combat. Many still took part in combat, but on a much smaller scale. Most fended off wandering bandit clans at most, as did Libra and Miriel, occasionally. Bandits looking for slaves that were at a more 'malleable' age sometimes came to this orphanage. On those occasions Libra had taken up the axe he had hoped he had put up for good and all and defended the orphanage. Right alongside him would be Miriel, it would be years before either of them would even consider letting Laurent take part in these rare battles.
Libra and Miriel did not enjoy regular contact with their former allies. They had the occasional letter from an old friend, but rarely more then that. Though the simple fact that they were in Ylisse meant that finding information on princess Lucina was a simple matter. The princess was said to have a strong and determined personality, just like the one from the future, but this one was somewhat more carefree. A personality change most likely brought about by how this Lucina wasn't being forced to survive in a dying world overrun with the walking dead.
"Through Naga's blessing, they were spared the horrors of one potential future. I pray that they will not face hardships like that in the lives they will live in this history."
Miriel moved beside her husband and nodded. "I hope our son never has to undergo the circumstances the other Laurent did."
"Or the other children." Libra added. "They must endure some hardship to grow strong, but the kind of hardship of that future is more then what anyone should have to bear."
A thought struck Miriel. She wondered how many of the orphans the future Laurent had known growing up. Some of them might not have ever become orphans in his timeline. Yet any childhood friend of Laurent had likely died in that history. Miriel had never thought to ask him, she never thought that Libra would start an orphanage, and Laurent would be raised in that orphanage.
"I should go to our son now." Libra said. "He wanted to see me, I shouldn't keep him waiting."
"Father." Laurent rose from a chair when Libra entered the room, and his mage hat fell over his face with the sudden movement. The hat Laurent wore was far too large for him, its size would have been more suitable for the Laurent that came from the future. Miriel, in the interest of frugality, had bought the large hat for her son, saying that he'd grow into it in time.
Laurent had already gotten used to pushing the hat up whenever this happened. The child either had no intention of getting rid of the hat, or the thought just never occurred to him.
"Yes, I'm here, Laurent." Libra said as he walked forward. "You were looking for me?"
Laurent just barely inclined his head, trying to nod without making his hat fall again. "I had wanted it to just be you and me, since I wanted to ask you something regarding mother." He looked at Miriel, who blinked in surprise, that was not what she presumed Laurent wanted to talk to Libra about. "But perhaps it's for the best she be here for this."
He took a deep breath. "Father, I wanted to ask, how did you enter a relationship with mother?"
Libra paused. "That is… not the sort of question I was suspecting. What prompted your curiosity about this matter?"
"I was contemplating the different lives you lived prior to meeting each other. Father, you were a War Monk and a part of Ylisse's clergy. Mother was a Mage focused on unraveling the mysteries of the world and was connected to the Shepherds. How did you two come together?"
"Didn't I explain this story to you before?" Libra asked. "We met after the… failed attempt to stop Exalt Emmeryn's death. I formally served under Chrom's command for several years after that, until I eventually retired from any form of military service to make this orphanage."
"That's not precisely what I was asking father." Laurent paused to collect his thoughts. "For what reason did you go out of your way to interact with each other? Based on your professions and lives at the time, you should have had little to no shared interests on the personal level."
Miriel wasn't seeing concrete logic in her son's words. "Laurent, why would a lack of shared interests prevent us from interacting?"
"Perhaps interacting is understandable. But by logical reasoning, mother, if the interests of two individuals do not coincide, there is little chance of the two forming a friendship, let alone a loving relationship."
"Do you mean to imply that if two people do not have similar interests, then a friendship between them cannot happen?"
Laurent was silent. Libra put his hand on his son's shoulder. "Having wildly different interests and beliefs would not prevent a friendship or a union, Laurent." He looked at Miriel, and made a nod to affirm that he'd explain this.
"It's not just the interests or beliefs, Laurent. Who they are as a person is also important. I made many friends in the Shepherds who I did not share interests with. While my interaction with them only amounts to sending letters these days, I imagine they think as well of our friendship as I do."
"But… what could you have talked about? If you had no similar interests, what subjects could have helped you to form a bond?"
Libra smiled, then moved a lock of his hair out of the way. "Many things. Some asked me what it was like to live with such devotion to the Gods. Others simply wished to spar with me, and still others questioned me regarding my appearance."
He chuckled lightly. Though Libra was a man, his build was overly feminine, especially his face, and some people mistook him for a woman. Some of the children at the orphanage had made innocent misconnections regarding his relationship with Miriel. "They asked me many questions to satisfy small curiosities. Their questions had little to do with their own personal interests, just idle curiosities that hit them. Yet those discussions were all that was needed for them to become fond of me. I in turn felt close to them and was on good terms with them, they were my friends."
He looked at Miriel, the one occasion where the friendship he formed became something much more. "It would have been different if it were our values, not our interests, that had no similarities, but some of the friendships in the Shepherds even overcame that difference as well."
Laurent bowed his head in thought, then grunted in annoyance when his hat fell forward again. "It seems I came to a naïve conclusion on this matter."
"Think nothing of it, Laurent. The Gods think well of those humble enough to recognize their mistakes."
Laurent stood up. "Excuse me, I have some… some apologies to make."
"Apologies?" Miriel asked aloud. Laurent looked uncomfortable, and excused himself out of the room. Miriel took a moment to think over any and all potential implications of Laurent's words. "I believe he has been rejecting possible friendships with certain children on the assumption that he couldn't befriend someone unless they had similar interests."
Libra allowed himself to smile. Despite his son desperately trying to be logical in all situations, he frequently came to rather naïve conclusions on certain matters. "I'm sure he'll be able to undo any damage he may have done. Laurent wouldn't be a mean-spirited child, and he will apologize to any of the other children that he has tried to avoid." He looked toward the door that Laurent left through. Mature and informed though he was for his age, Laurent still needed guidance from his parents. "Speaking of the other children, I should go see them now, I've rested enough, I can play with them again before nightfall."
He rose, then shared a look with his wife before leaving. Miriel continued to sit. She had never been good at playing with the children, though she had entertained them with fanciful displays of magic from time to time. Still, she rarely took part when Libra was entertaining them. So for now, as she sat, she did what she did best, thinking.
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