Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV
Author: Garnet Eyes
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com
Last Updated: 28 Mar 2011
Summary: 12 March 2000 edition.
Rating: T
Characters/Pairings: Baigan, Baron's king, Cecil, Kain
Author Notes: recalcitrant, adjective;
1. Stubbornly resistant to and defiant of authority or restraint.
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

"I can do it."

"No."

Cecil blinked, his right hand hovering close to the heavy wooden door leading to the throne room. He wasn't allowed to go in without express permission, and Baigan wasn't there to give him permission, so the small boy was waiting for him to appear from inside the chambers so that he could ask to see His Majesty. Cecil knew better than to call King Odin his father, because he'd been yelled at by bigger boys about that the one time he'd done it; they hadn't liked that he'd used such a word when he wasn't actually related to the king, not like they were. Cecil thought it was kind of a weird thing to get so angry about, but then again he was an orphan so maybe if he had a mother or father of his own he'd be just as possessive.

"Why do you think I can't do it?"

Cecil kind of recognized the voice that was not King Odin's, but he wasn't positive.

"It is not that I don't believe you can do it, but it is unnecessarily dangerous and you being a martyr solves nothing."

It seemed like no one was going to talk after a few minutes of silence, but the five year old was startled enough to jump back when the door suddenly opened and Baigan was standing there. The man paused and looked down at the child before him, but Cecil remained quiet until the door fully closed and he was properly addressed. Baigan kind of scowled at him if he started talking before then, so Cecil could guess that it was bad behavior and he needed to not be bad so he wouldn't be a burden.

"Is there something you need?"

There was a question he had intended to ask, but his curiosity was getting the better of him now because he knew that other voice but he couldn't place it.

"I... I wanted to request a moment of His Majesty's time."

Cecil still didn't understand why he had to say "request" instead of "ask;" the first word was longer and weird to say and besides they meant the same thing, as he was told. But "request" made Baigan feel better, so Cecil would do it that way anyway.

"Will he have a moment, or should I-"

"I won't be a martyr! Just let me do this!"

"That is enough, Kain. What good would there be in losing your life to chance now? Do you truly wish to see your house fall this lifetime?"

Blinking, the young prince looked to the closed door silently. He knew an older boy named Kain. Well, he knew of the older boy; Cecil had met him all of once and the blonde was really arrogant and seemed to want to fight a lot. Kain tended to stick around a little girl named Rosa, and she was pretty nice so Cecil couldn't imagine why she liked being around the other boy.

"I won't fail!"

"Kain, enough. I understand that your parents' deaths hurt you. They were both good people and their loss pains me as well. But I forbid you from setting off by yourself for a more than likely fruitless search for their killer, especially when trained knights have had no luck in that endeavor. That is final."

Baigan coughed to get his attention, and emerald eyes blinked before turning from the door back to His Majesty's advisor.

"You may as well be off for now. Come back when the sun is higher."