The Happiest Moment

Posted to 31 January 2007
Characters and 'verse owned by Square.
Spoilers thru the end of the game.
No pairings. Features Dr. Cid, and Ffamran, as well as the entire Solidor family.
Rated M for mature situations and themes, some harsh language, violence.

Chapter Four— Property of the Son

Vayne had thought wrong; Gramis had indeed proven himself young enough to produce another heir. Gramis, while mildly proud, was likewise mildly disinterested; as with his previous wives, his relationship with the Lady Deyanira was purely one of business, and the production of this current heir was, as with his previous sons, a business transaction.

As such, his lady remained cloistered for the duration of her pregnancy, and laboured without the company of her husband. Her cries were brutal, and echoed through the back hallway of the Imperial Palace; Vayne heard them when he returned from his weekly weapons training. He ignored them at first, insult at having been jilted for his father still smouldering in his young heart. He went to his quarters and just as he was about to close the door, he heard his father's voice in the hallway.

"Have word sent to me when I have a fourth child." He sounded irritated, and barked curt orders at the servants in just that manner. "She's been at this all day. I have too much to do to wait around."

Vayne frowned as he heard his father march away, and he looked to the ground. It would be horribly awkward, to go to this woman; but it didn't seem right to leave her to suffer alone. He dropped his armour behind the door and heaved a long-suffering sigh, then made his way to the room of his father's wife.

The midwives gave him a puzzled look as he entered, but he ignored them. He went to the bedside and took Deyanira's hand in his. "My lady," he greeted quietly.

She squinted at him in pain and exhaustion. "Young lord," she returned with an odd quirk of a half-smile, then a grimace.

"How may I be of service to you?" he offered, completely unsure of what to do and more than a little embarrassed that he was even in the room.

She smiled again and squeezed his hand. "Hold on," she advised. "By the end of this evening, you shall have a little brother or sister."

"I pray that at the end of this evening, I still have a step-mother, as well." He ground his teeth together as she gripped his hand, vice-like.

They sat together in the company of many busy midwives for nigh on another hour, before she gave one last cry, echoed after by the shouts of the midwives and the quiet cry of a child.

"This house has been blessed with a son," the head midwife informed Deyanira.

The new mother smiled and collapsed back against the pillows. "Lord Vayne, see to it that my husband does not name your brother something horrible. I am going to sleep." And with that, she passed out.

Vayne quirked an eyebrow at the comment, but the midwives did not seem alarmed that she had lost consciousness, and therefore neither would he.

They quickly cleaned the child and ensured his health, then wrapped him in a thick blanket and turned their attention to the mother.

"Here, Lord Vayne," one of the midwives set the child in his arms before he could object. "Your young Lord Brother."

Vayne Solidor's entire world stopped spinning. Time ceased to pass. The sun halted its descent. The wind no longer travelled. Everything froze.

The tiny, reddish, puffy creature in his arms stilled and quieted, hearing a heartbeat nearby. The new boy opened his eyes halfway and gazed at his brother, and his brother gazed at him, and the entire world seemed quiet. Vayne very gently held the infant close in the crook of his arm, and simply stared. The child snuggled against his chest and fell asleep, and Vayne smiled peacefully, and all was right in the world, and he knew that everything in his life was about to change.

The next thing he acknowledged was a midwife who shook him by the shoulder. He had not fallen asleep, but he seemed to have lost track of time, wrapped up in the world that was his little brother. He looked up to find his father and only two of the midwives.

Gramis held his arms out for the child.

Vayne suddenly felt a sharp feeling of dread course through him, and he restrained the instinct to take his brother and run to where his father would never find them. Instead, he slowly stood, setting the boy ever-so-gently in their father's arms. He struggled to keep the panicky feeling in his chest from manifesting.

The infant stirred, awoke, and commenced fussing.

"He knows his daddy," Gramis commented to no one, holding the child in his left arm and examining him closely. After a moment, he lay his open palm on the child's head and announced, "Larsa Ferrinas Solidor." He turned to the midwife and turned his back to Vayne, blocking the young man's view of his brother.

Something in Vayne's chest twisted and he took a few steps forward abruptly, placing himself in sight; whatever it was that was twisting, untwisted. He breathed again, not realizing that he had stopped.

Gramis discussed his lady's condition with the midwife, glancing sidewise at Vayne every so often. He passed the child to the woman, and nodded his thanks to her. He took Vayne by the arm and led him out, into to the hallway, closing the door behind him. After a moment, he faced his son. "This child, he is something special."

Vayne nodded, still spellbound but growing suspicious of his father's tone. "He is amazing."

His father gave him a half-smile. "Life is amazing like that, sometimes." His smile fell just as quickly as it had appeared. "He must be protected."

The young man nodded again and willingly met his father's eyes. "I would protect him with all that I am, until the day that I die." He surprised himself, speaking so, but found that it was easy to say as much. It felt right.

"He will be the heir of House Solidor," Gramis declared, gauging his son's reaction carefully.

Vayne smiled, relieved. "Then I will have help in protecting him." His smile faltered for a moment. "It will be a difficult life for him, if by being the heir of our house, he is also made to be emperor after you. I would seek to make this as easy a life as possible, for him."

His father considered the answer, but could find no hints of intended treason behind it, nor jealousy, nor hatred. "We are allies in this, then."

Vayne considered, then nodded. "In this."