Picture Perfect

Ricken smile begins to strain. He continues to suffer as he waits for the last few paint strokes to strike and flow over the paper.

"H-how much longer do we have to stand here?" Brady asks hesitating to talk at first.

"Hush Brady."

"But ma,"

"Hush and I told you, you will call me mother. Not ma."

"Please stop moving?" The painter pleads as he pauses to stir one of the colors that had started to dry. Ricken couldn't help but wonder how they weren't all dry by now.

"Mommy please let me sit." The younger Brady asks.

"You should have sat on my lap when we started out then." Maribelle says, still bitter that her youngest son had fled from her arms when the painter was setting up.

Ricken laughs. He couldn't help it. He was quickly reprimanded by his dear wife and the painter. "Sorry." He apologizes whispering, as it seemed appropriate in the otherwise silent house.

When Maribelle had suggested this weeks ago, he thought it had sounded great. He suggested sending a letter to Anna and requesting to buy and use one of her strange tomes. One of which she had used when they had gone to the beach outerworld. Maribelle had shot that idea down immediately. She wanted a more traditional portrait. One she could have set next to the pictures of hers and his relatives.

"But wouldn't it be quicker and simpler to try one of these new tomes? Maybe Anna will show us." Ricken had said hoping to change her mind, remembering his own experience when standing to be painted with his parents.

"No. Tradition is how we will have our first portrait done. Now I will write a letter to Brady and tell him to make plans to pause in his performances to come and visit us." Maribelle had said and left Ricken's study without another word.

"Pa, tell ma she's lost it if she thinks I'm standing here another hour." The elder Brady says before yelping and bending over.

"Don't move or I have to restart."

Ricken looks at his eldest with pity. He knew how much it hurt to be at the receiving end on Maribelle's umbrella. Brady's eyes were close to watering over. "Don't worry I am sure it will be done soon."

Brady nods, biting his lip. He stands back up, sniffling as he did so. That was when Ricken saw the painter watching them impatiently. Brady noticed as well and glares at him. "What're ya lookin' at?" That made the painter jump. The sudden hostility had surprised him.

"Brady please," Ricken begins but was interrupted by his younger son.

"Yeah! What are ya looking at fool?" The younger one adds the insult to the end of it as if it made him sound tougher.

Maribelle's gaze was the only thing needed to set the boys straight. As soon as they saw it they stopped and stood still again with a muttering, "Sorry ma'am."

Ricken holds his smile through it all. Though it began to falter as he watches his sons' outbursts and their mother's furious gaze. He felt bad for his sons but he knew better then to move himself. This was important to Maribelle and he wanted to make her happy. She had been so upset these past few months even if she did pretend to just be busy.

He couldn't help but wonder if it was because the Brady from the future was always gone. He wasn't just assuming that though. Miriel had taught him better than to just assume and act on it. No he had evidence.

"There all done. I hope it is too your liking Mrs. Maribelle." Ricken and the boys let out a collective sigh of relief.

"So do I or you shall have a serious lack of work from now on." Maribelle says as she stands, lifting her umbrella up onto her shoulder.

Ricken laughs as the taller Brady sticks his finger down his throat in a mocking gesture. The younger Brady laughs, gaining his mother's view. He stops and covers his mouth with his hands.

Maribelle turns her attention back to the painting her pursed lips slowly turn upward into a small smile. It left her as she faces the painter. "This is satisfactory. Thank you. You will receive your payment momentarily." She says and looks back at the painting, fondly.

Ricken walks over and leads the painter away. He pulls out a coin purse and hands the man his requested payment. "Thank you for coming today."

The painter gives a slight bow before leaving. Ricken turns around and walks over to Maribelle. "Shall we go hang it with the others Maribelle?" He asks and sets his hand on her shoulder.

"No. I think not. I shall go set it in your study. We will hang with the others later." She says and gently lifts the picture.

Ricken watches her with a careful eye as she walks by. "What's wrong with ma?" His eldest son asks once Maribelle was out of the room.

"I think she feels lonely." Ricken says and straightens his hat. He had, at some point, grown in to it over the years.

"Why? Aint we all 'ere?" He asks looking down at the other him then back to his father.

"Yes, well you're often gone and Brady just turned five. I think she feels as if it won't be long before he too is old enough to leave then it will just be us in this place." Ricken says voicing his thoughts out loud for the first time.

"Eh? That's nonsense. She's got plenty of years before the other me leaves." Brady says and leans on his staff.

"True, but she doesn't see it as such. Plus, since the end of the war you haven't come to visit very much Brady."

"Ah, well. Um." Brady rubs the back of his neck.

"You know you're always welcomed Brady." Ricken says with a warm smile before taking a book away from the smaller Brady.

There was a moment of hesitant silence before Brady replies. "I know. Isn't it," he pauses and watches ricken pick the other Brady up and set him on his shoulders. "a bit strange?"

Ricken laughs. "Brady there is nothing normal about children coming from the future to save their parents."

"Still,"

"You're always welcomed here and I think it would cheer your mother up if you did stop by more often." Ricken spins around and little Brady giggles joyfully.

"Haha. I think that's enough Brady. Here, go to your brother I have to help mommy set up the picture." Brady says and hands the small boy to his older self. The older one takes him but holds him awkwardly on his side. Ricken leaves them be. Brady had been avoiding spending too much time with his younger self and Ricken knew it. That was why he always found at least one reason to have him interact with each other when BRady from the future visited.

Ricken walks through the long halls of the small mansion. It was in no way small when one looks at it or walks through it but when compared to the other royal houses it was certainly considered so.

Once he arrives at his study he knocks before openly the door. There was the sound of quick shuffling before he heard the small call, "Come in." From his wife.

He opens the door and notices the picture sat against the small lantern on his desk. He was glad it was not aflamed. He smiles at Maribelle's back and hums as he starts walking over. She looks up pulling a napkin away from her eye. She saw it was Ricken and sat up a little straighter, turning her head back towards the picture. "They're growing up so fast."

Ricken nods even though she couldn't see it and his humming becomes a higher pitch before slowly returning back to the key tunes. He pulls his chair from behind the desk and sits it next to Maribelle. He was taller than her now and her hair was longer and never up as much as it use to be. She let her curls fall onto her shoulders without restraining them into ties anymore and Ricken thought it was a beautiful look for her.

"They are getting big. Well one's already quite taller than us. Heh." Ricken jokes and looks over at the picture before looking at Maribelle form the corner of his eyes.

Maribelle didn't respond or turn away from it.

Ricken sighs and sets his arm around her shoulders. "I talked to Brady. I think he will start visiting more often then he has been."

"That's good."

Ricken nods again. "I think Lissa is coming to visit with Owain tomorrow." He mentions hoping to cheer her up.

"Really? That is good news. I have been wondering how they have been doing as of late."

"Maribelle what's wrong? I know something is. I have been with you long enough to tell when something is on your mind. Is it the boys?"

"Yes. Brady already doesn't need us anymore and soon the other won't either. We'll be alone in this house and they won't visit anymore."

"Maribelle he may be growing up and the older Brady may not visit us often but they will always need us and we will be able to be there for them when it happens. We'll always catch them when they fall and hope that the advice we give them will be enough after we're gone." Ricken says pulling her closer. He couldn't help but become saddened by the thought but he knew one day one of them would leave the other, and he could never imagine her not being there. He had loved her for years and would continue to for the rest of his life and longer if possible.

Maribelle looks up at him and he saw the tears that lay in her eyes. He wipes them away with his thumb. "Come on Maribelle. Don't cry. I'm really trying to cheer you up here."

She laughs but chokes on it a little. "I know. I know Ricken." She lifts the napkin to her eyes again and dabs at them with it. "Ugh. Look at me. I am a lady I should not be crying. It is unbefitting." She says with only half of her normal conviction in her words.

Ricken pulls the napkin carefully out of her hands and stands from his chair. Maribelle gives him a look of confusion but he offers no explanation as he kneels in front of her and raises the napkin to her eyes himself. "Everyone cries Maribelle. Even lords and ladies. I have seen Chrom and Lissa cry before. It is nothing to be ashamed of."

"That is different. That was during the war. I am crying over the passing of time Ricken, my dear. It is not charming."

Ricken shakes his head and sets the napkin aside. "Maribelle, you are the most charming lady I have ever met or seen, and I am the luckiest man in the world to have you as my wife and my dearest."

Maribelle's face grows softer at his words until a small smile graced her lips. She looks from the Ricken kneeling before her to the one standing in the picture. "You have grown into a fine man and lord Ricken. You are responsible, sensible, understanding,"

"Wow that's two ibles in one sentence."

Maribelle sighs at that but continues, "and you are as wonderful as you were the day we married. I love you my darling."

Ricken blushes at that but smiles still. He stands up and offers her his hand. "I think we have a painting to hang."

"Yes we do." Maribelle takes his hand and once she was standing she took the painting into her hands.

"To the hall then." Ricken says and opens the door.

Maribelle walks by and leads the way to the other portraits. It was a hallway lined with portraits of Ricken's ancestors. When they married their estates became shared but Maribelle thought it was only right that they lived and raised their family in his. That decision only felt more certain as she places the portrait at the end of the hall on the right side. It filled the last empty spot to even out the walls. One day both of the Brady's families will lie on either side if the hall right across from each other when the time came.

It had been discussed. When their time came their sons will share their estates and could either choose to split them between them or share them together, but both portraits would be hanged here.

Maribelle walks over and places her arm around Ricken's. He lifts it and they walk with their arms looped through each other. Maribelle lays her head against his arm as they walked. Ricken truly couldn't imagine his life without her. This all simply felt too right to be wrong.

"Ricken."

"Yes?"

"I want another child."

"What?!"

I wrote this chapter for Ricken's birthday. I meant to finish it on that day but I had to go to a party after starting it and afterwards procrastination and uncertainty stalled me from finishing it. Oh well. It's done now at least. I hope you have enjoyed this Ricken and Maribelle family piece.