Like Father Like Son
Elbert was working on a small stack of papers in the sitting room. When the door swung open and Eliwood limped in. Elbert glanced over, as the child limped over. Once Eliwood made it to his father, the small child rested his head on Elbert's knee.
'Is something wrong Eliwood?' Elbert asked.
A hint of concern in his voice, as he lifted the child onto his lap, without a word Eliwood suddenly burst into tears.
'Eliwood. Whats wrong?' Elbert asked again.
Gently putting his hands around Eliwood's shoulders, 'If I to...told you then mother an..d you woul..would get rid of me, bu-but it was an accident.' Eliwood said, burying his face in his father's shirt.
'Well, I can think of a few bad things you did that weren't on accident, surely it can't be as bad as the time you snuck into the servant's quarters and cut Maria's hair while she was sleeping. And we didn't get rid of you then', Elbert replied.
Wrapping his arms around the child, Eliwood pulled free from his father's grasp, then looked up surprised to see a kind, understanding look in his father's clear blue eyes.
'While I was in the garden looking for lizards, I looked under a bush and this huge snake jumped out at me, then I fell backwards and crushed mommy's blue flowers. Then I heard someone coming so I started running and that's when I stepped on a garden tool. The wood part hit my face and the sharp part got stuck in my foot', Eliwood said, with tears streaming down his face with each word.
Elbert ruffled the child's hair as he rocked him back and forth.
'I think the garden tool was punishment enough, so we'll keep you this time' Elbert replied.
'But daddy you don't get it! You may not be mad, but mother will be. She was really proud of those flowers', Eliwood said.
Elbert was about to reply when the sound of the castle door opening and slamming shut echoed through the hall. Then footsteps pounding, only stopping when they reached the sitting room. The door swung open and Elanora stepped inside, slamming it shut behind her.
'Somebody wrecked my beautiful flowers and so help me when I find them they'll wish they never stepped foot in that garden', Elanora said, her voice raised in anger as tears ran down her face.
Elbert glanced at Eliwood who was now trembling as he buried his face again.
'You needn't look far dear it was I who wrecked your flowers on accident of course'.
Elbert lied, after he explained what happened then Elanora's eyes sparkled with amusement.
'You were out in the garden looking for lizards?!' She said, sitting down.
Elbert nodded, while Elanora looked intently at Eliwood's cut foot.
'What happened to your foot dear?' Elanora asked.
'Nothing. Um mommy are you mad at daddy now, I mean do you hate him?' Eliwood asked, his voice quivering with each word.
Elanora took the child in her arms and sat him on her lap.
'Of course not dear, I love your father and you more than anything and nothing could ever make me hate you, I promise' Elanora said, kissing Eliwood's forehead.
After a while when Eliwood had fallen asleep on his father's lab, Elbert looked over at Elanora who was reading one of her favorite books.
'How did you know?' He asked.
'Know what?', Elanora replied, looking up from her book.
'That it was Eliwood and not I who broke your flowers?' Elbert said.
'I just gathered from the clues left. First off, why is St Elimine's name would you be looking for lizards? Second, I seen a trail of blood leading from the garden to the house and last but not least a certain red haired marquis just told me' Elanora replied.
'Wait didn't you know before I asked you?' Elbert asked, but he was left in bafflement as Elanora continued reading her book.
YEARS LATER!
Eliwood was working on a small stack of paper work in the sitting room. When the door swung open and Roy limped inside. Eliwood glanced over as Roy limped toward him. Once Roy made it to his father he rested his head on Eliwood's knee. 'What happened Roy?' Eliwood asked, a hint of worry in his voice.
As he lifted the small child onto his lap, Roy didn't reply, but instead buried his face in his father's shirt.
'Were you in the garden by chance?' Eliwood asked.
Roy nodded as he looked up at his father, his blue eyes wide with shock.
'And did you happen to wreck your mother's flowers?' Eliwood asked.
Again Roy nodded his head. 'Bu-but it was an accident.' Roy said, tears streaming down his face.
Eliwood wrapped his arms around the child's waist and began rocking him back and forth.
'I was playing outside when I saw this fox, so I decided to catch it, but then it ran into the garden and I ran after it, that's when mommy's flowers got broken and then while I was coming in to tell you, I stepped on one of the garden tools. The wood part hit my face and the sharp part got stuck in my foot' Roy said.
Eliwood shook his head. 'For St Elimine's sake people have got to stop leaving those things laying around' Eliwood said, to himself.
'Do you think mommy will hate me?' Roy asked.
'Of course not, but if you're so worried I'll tell her it was my fault', Eliwood said, thinking back to what his own father did for him.
Just as Eliwood spoke the words, the castle door opened and slammed shut, echoing through the hall, then footsteps and then finally the sitting room door swung open and Ninian stepped inside.
'I went out to the garden just now and all my white flowers were broken' Ninian said, her voice quivering with sorrow.
Eliwood glanced toward Roy who was now trembling as he buried his face again, then up at Ninian surprised to see tears running down her face.
'It was my fault about your flowers, love'. Eliwood said.
After Eliwood explained what happened Ninian suddenly burst out laughing.
'So you were out in the garden chasing foxes!' She said, sitting down.
Eliwood was about to reply when Elanora walked in.
'Like father like son. eh!', she said, sitting down across from the others.
'What do you mean by that Grandmother?' Roy asked, his blue eyes wide with wonderment.
And despite that Eliwood's face was bright red, Elanora began telling the story.
THE END!