Agito 15: Daughter Day with Joan
*ACHOO!*
That was Lyn sneezing, and her cold got the best of her. We're in Etruria, visiting Louise and her family during Holy Winter week, like we always do every year too.
"Oh dear, that doesn't sound very good." Louise said, as she had medicine and a glass of water on a tray.
"Of all times to have a cold…" Lyn sighed.
"Sister, you need to rest." Priscilla said worriedly.
"I know, but… I made a promise with Joan to spend time with her today…" Lyn said, wiping off her nose with a napkin. Priscilla couldn't say anything, knowing Lyn's hard-headed determination.
"Perhaps… Kurogasa can take your place?" Erk suggested.
"Beloved?" Lyn looked at him.
"Yes, why don't you go in her place, sweetie?" Louise suggested, looking at me. "I think it's a good time for you and Joan to bond. You had time with the twins, correct?"
"Yeah I suppose. Besides, Kaa-san and I did have that date a long time ago… so…" I muttered, as I remembered it making me slightly blush.
"I suppose I can allow that." Lyn nodded. "Just… be sure to put on a thick coat, beloved. It's snowing outside."
"Yes. Hiroji is currently 'hibernating' in his caravan with Sue and Hassar, while Elimine is building a snowman with Clarine. Of course, Saul is being constantly reminded by his retainer regarding his status." Erk said.
"That's Hiroji for you, even after he got married…" I sighed. "Alright then. Lyn, you go and rest. Nino and Priscilla will take care of everything else." I then turned to Priscilla and Nino. "Please look after her you two."
"Yes, Nii-sama."
"You got it, Onii-chan!" Nino perked.
*BANG!*
Uguuuuuu! Even after all these years, Nino is still cute calling me Onii-chan!
Lyn glared at me, with an intensity that never dwindled. "Seems like you still like that, don't you, beloved?"
And yeah, she can't really hide her feelings because of her Sacaean's nature. That, and I know how serious and scary she can really be after marriage. And yes, her jealousy is one of them.
"Ehe… ehe… ehehehehehe…" I laughed nervously.
After learning that Joan was at the Grand Church, I set out and after arriving a few minutes later, I entered the premise. It was big and wide, and the interior design can take anyone's breath away. Pictures in forms of stained glass can be seen on each window, depicting St. Elimine's work after the war was over, alongside her son, Shouichi. At the very front, I saw Joan kneeling down before the statue of St. Elimine, praying quietly. Even with her battleflag next to her, this kinda reminded me of a scene in one of the animes I've watched.
"Joan?" I called out.
"O' ye who hear my prayers, I beg thee to give warmth and protection under your blessing, and a hastened recovery for my Mother." She prayed earnestly. I guess it's safe to say that in a way, she's the reincarnation of Kaa-san.
"Joan," I called out again.
She continued to pray more, not only for her family, but for others too. I could only chuckle, knowing how she took her oath as St. Elimine's descendant seriously. She doesn't even realize that I'm still right behind her.
"Joan," I said again.
"Oh?" she gasped, quickly turning around to see me smiling at her. "Father? When did you get here?"
"Not too long. You're so focused on praying, you didn't pay attention." I chuckled.
"O-Oh…" she blushed. "I'm sorry. I was worried for Mother and…"
Heh, she really is like Kaa-san.
"I know. But your mom is going to be fine. Your Aunt Priscilla and Aunt Nino are taking care of her." I smiled again.
"I see."
"Now c'mon, don't we have a little date to go to?" I offered my hand to her.
"Eh? A date?" she blinked, obliviously. "I thought Mother would be with me today."
"Well your Aunt Louise is seeing to it that she stays put in bed." I smirked. "So I'm taking her place."
"Even so… a d-date?" she fumbled, blushing slightly. "Father, you make no sense sometimes."
"If it makes you feel any better, your Grandmother once asked me out for a date."
"Eh?" She asked, looking surprised. "Truly?"
"Uh-huh," I nodded. "And besides, my Seed won't affect you since we're family. And… it could lead to awkward things if my Seed didn't have that kind of protection…" I looked away with a flustered look.
There was an awkward moment of silence between the two of us, trying our best to get our head around it.
"T-Then, I shall take up on your offer." she smiled, after quickly recovering her senses. "I do need to buy a few things. And it would be great to spend some time with you, Father."
"Great." I nodded. "Do wear a coat though. It's a bit chilly."
The two of us then headed out, walking to the plaza where there were smiling faces. Joan and I could only smile, seeing it all. She had that childish smile, seeing everyone is up and running, especially the kids.
"Father?"
"Yes?"
"Is it normal for people to stare at us? Especially her believers?" she asked, as I noticed, some Monks were a bit in awe with her appearance, and even the Clerics who giggled after seeing me before quickly moving on. "I don't mind the glances but… I do feel a bit uncomfortable if being stared at for too long,"
"Don't worry. I'm here. You have nothing to worry about." I said, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. "Besides, your Grandmother was like that too."
"She was?"
"Mhmm. Every time she walked through the streets, people stare at her. If anyone got too close, she'd turn and run for the hills. Well… not literally run that far but… she would run until she felt like she was safe."
"Oh, that's right. Grandmother was once Ruler of Etruria before the invasion." she recalled. "And did that affect you, before meeting Mother?"
"Well I certainly didn't run that's for sure." I chuckled. "I was more… confused as to why they were looking at me like that. Of course, I would soon learn the truth during the war, all those years back." I frowned a bit, remembering when Ephidel spilled the beans.
She noticed the painful look on my face. "I'm sorry… for asking such a question."
"N-No, no, it's fine!" I said frantically. "It's all in the past now. Sorry if I ruined the mood."
"I-It's okay! I understand, Father!" she quipped.
"If it makes you feel any better, after your mother and I married, whenever there are clerics outside of the group noticing me, your mother gets a bit jealous."
"Why is that?"
"Well, for one, as a Sacaean, she upholds marriage seriously. I can really understand that from her perspective. But, that goes to show how much your mother and I love one another. Understanding one's' view and not keeping each other secrets."
"Hee, hee…" she giggled. "I could only imagine what would happen if Mother stumbled upon that."
"Your Mother would cut my 'inheritance' without question…" I sweat dropped.
"And If it weren't for that, none of us would be born." she smiled serenely.
"Yeah,"
After a few stops to nearby shops, we purchased most of what she wanted to buy from her list, and I bought her some buns as a treat, especially the warm bun with vanilla filling. Her smile on her face said it all. Heck, I remember when I bought one for Kaa-san, she had that exact same look, since that's her favorite food.
"I didn't expect you'd treat me, Father." she smiled after taking a bite of her bun. "Thank you very much."
"You're welcome." I replied. I then noticed something on her face, "Oh, you got something on your cheek," I said, wiping some cream off of her. "There we go."
"Oh dear… how clumsy of me." she blushed. "A Sacaean woman must always learn to be clean…"
"Don't worry. You'll get there." I said. "Say Joan?"
"Yes?"
"How are things between you and Lugh?"
"H-Huh?!" she freaked out, as her blush became more obvious. "W-Why are you asking about m-my fiance, Father?!"
"Oh, nothing really. I just want to know how things are between you two. He has been treating you well, hasn't he?"
There was silence from Joan, which I didn't expect from her. "We… had a small fight."
"About what?"
"About… the cake."
Eh?
"Cake?" I blinked.
"You see, Hugh loves chocolate cake, but I love vanilla. So…" she mumbled, embarrassed.
"Pfffffft… pffffffffffft… pfffffhahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!" I laughed, holding my stomach, even shedding a tear of joy.
"F-Father, it's not funny!" she blushed heavily.
"Hahahahahahahahahaha!" I was still laughing before managing to calm myself down. "Oh Joan, you really are something. Look, it may be childish, but at least it's still a way for you and him to communicate, compromise, and understand each other."
"Mmmmm…" she pouted.
"Oh c'mon Joan, you know I love you." I said, hugging her. "Look, if anything, just make it half chocolate and half vanilla so you can both be happy."
"I don't mind if it's vanilla, Joan." Lugh's voice said, getting our attention. "Hello, Joan. Sir Kurogasa." he smiled.
"L-Lugh!" she squeaked, tugging on my coat. "When did you-"
"I was looking for you." he said, worried. "I had decided that for our wedding cake, to be vanilla. It's your favorite, right?"
"But…" she added, lowering her head. "I… I don't mind if it's chocolate."
"Eh?" he said, confused, making me chuckle.
"I'm so sorry Lugh, I didn't mean to act so selfish. That is not me." Joan apologized.
"No, I should be the one to blame." he quickly apologized. "Raigh told me to not fiddle with a maiden's feelings and I'm paying the price for that. So um…"
"Um…"
I could only smile, seeing the two trying their best to reconcile, while having their own awkward moment. I guess as a parent, I should help them.
"How about making a marble cake?"
"Huh?" Joan and Lugh looked at us. "Marble cake?"
"Yeah. Two cakes mixed together, creating unique patterns in between. Like this one." I said, demonstrating by taking out a bun and ripped it in half. "Kinda like this one but with both of your favorite flavors."
"Oh…" both of them nodded..
"But Father, you just tore off big sister's bun." Joan pointed out.
"Elimine likes her bun unscathed." Lugh recalled, making me laugh again. "Is something the matter?" both of them asked.
"No, no, it's nothing." I waved off. "But in all seriousness, both of you will be getting what you want so it's a win-win situation for you two, right?"
"I… suppose." Joan said.
"Good. Lugh, how about you tell that baker to correct that cake order while I take Joan around shopping more." I suggested.
"Ah, that's right! There's still time!" he realized before quickly heading elsewhere. "Thank you for your idea, Sir Kurogasa!"
And with that, the boy left us be. I can see Joan smile underneath her hood, knowing things would be alright.
"Alright, let's get going."
"To where?"
"To get you your wedding present." I winked.
"Heya, welcome to the Anna shop!" the shopkeeper greeted.
"Father, why are we here?" Joan blinked.
"Like I said, I wanna buy you an early wedding present."
"Hm? Hey, have we met somewhere before?" Anna asked.
"You're the umptenth Anna that asked me the same question." I deadpanned.
"Geez, rude!" she snooted.
"I'm sorry!" Joan apologized. "It's just that Father was asked and is already used to seeing Annas all over."
"And I still have no idea what they meant by old bat, but it irks me for some reason. What am I, Kiva?"
"Gee, it's like a bad pick-up line from a soap opera." she deadpanned. "But since your daughter is a nice young lady, I'll let it slide. So, whatcha need, dear customer?"
"Got anything good?" I asked. "Y'know, for a certain occasion?"
"Oooh, you seem to know your stuff." Anna noticed. "So, what kind?"
"Honeymoon."
"Eh, honeymoon?" Joan blinked.
"Ooooh, I know what you mean. Hold on just a minute." she said, going to the back of the store.
"Father, what do you have in mind?" Joan asked.
"You'll see." I smiled.
"Aha! Here we are!" Anna said as she came back with a tome.
"A tome?" Joan tilted her head.
"Not just any tome, little missy. This is a special tome. A Snapshot Tome!"
"Snapshot Tome?" Joan got out.
"Of course it is! It's created by yours truly!" Anna bragged.
"So… what does it do?"
"It takes pictures, of course! Included is a manual on how to use it, so don't worry." Anna assured.
"From the decorations, it looks expensive…" Joan said, worried.
"Leave the negotiations to me." I smirked, having an aura oozing out from me.
"Oh? Someone wants to negotiate the price with me, huh?" Anna said as her own aura blazed out, accepting the challenge. "Show me what you got, big shot!"
"?" Joan was in total confusion, seeing Anna and I are going to war.
"I don't really understand what just happened, but you managed to get what you want, Father…" Joan said, holding her early wedding present wrapped beautifully in her hands. "Though, you do look fatigued…"
"Trust me… it was a lot more complicated than you think it was…" I panted.
The two of us wandered a bit more and into the center of the plaza. By then, lots of lights brightened up, allowing light to fill the night. And because it was still snowing and still Holy Winter night, Joan had that innocent look on her face, seeing it with joy.
"It really is beautiful night, isn't it, Father?" she asked.
"It is…" I smiled, looking at the night sky. "I remember… on a clear night like this, I confessed my love to your mother in Kathelet."
"Truly?" she looked at me. "And what did Mother say?"
"Well when I told her, she didn't know what to say. She was still trying to sort her feelings out. Then… after dealing with the whole Caelin succession incident, she told me to get her an eagle's feather. Of course, I didn't know at the time that that would lead me to marrying your mother… and fainting after that…" I muttered.
"Yes, Mother told me about that." she giggled.
"Damn authors…" I muttered to myself.
(Fen: …)
(TWF: He hates us. o.o)
(Fen: Gee I wonder why…)
"I truly wish I had that kind of romance the two of you had."
"Why? Does your own adventure seem boring?"
"It's not that, Father." she shook her head. "I had my fun and joy with everyone. Compared to yours, ours were just like lovers from the same kingdom in a story book. I say I do envy a bit of your tale, Father. Yours are just full of surprises."
"Joan…" I muttered.
"But even so, I'm happy as I've always been." she smiled, assuring me. "I have my big brother and sister that supported me emotionally. I've met the love of my life during the war. And most importantly, I have the best parents any child would love to have; supporting me with whatever path I wish to take. And I'd always cherish it in my heart."
"Joan…" I smiled gently before hugging her. "Thank you… for letting me be a part of your life…"
"Mnnn…" she shook her head lightly while still in my embrace. "I should thank you, Father… for giving me life."
"Oh, you're back, beloved." Lyn slowly sat up, as I entered her room with my bag of goodies. "Where's Joan?"
"Oh, she's on a dinner date with Lugh."
"I see." she smiled. "She's getting to that age after all, right?"
"She is." I smiled, sitting at her bedside. "And how are you feeling?"
"The medicine Louise provided has me warm and feeling a lot better." Lyn replied. "By tomorrow, I'll be fine. Which is good because Joan asked me and Louise to choose a wedding dress for her."
"I see. Speaking of…" I chuckled. "Joan and I were talking about the wedding cake."
"Wedding cake?" she said, confused. "What's wrong with it?"
"They couldn't decide between vanilla and chocolate."
"And…?" she got out, still putting the puzzle together… until she noticed something. "Wait, does this have anything to do with her argument with Lugh?"
"Yeah, it was." I nodded. "How did you know?"
"Lugh told me about it." she added. "He asked for my opinion what I should do after asking his twin brother an opinion."
"Heh, no wonder how he found us."
"Yes, but I assumed you settled it there, right?"
"Yep. A marble cake."
"Well, it's a first for everything. A marble cake for their wedding day. We can't complain about it since it's their wedding and all."
"Yeah…" I got out.
"Hm?" she noticed. "Beloved, I noticed you've kept smiling throughout our conversation. Is there something I should know?"
"I don't know. Is there?" I smiled coyly.
"Well, I did notice you speaking nicely." she smiled a bit. "Mind telling me what's on your mind?"
"Well… alright." I pretended to surrender. "This beautiful night sky triggered a memory. I still remember that first time I confessed my love to you."
"Oh…" she got out, blushing a bit. "You still remember that?"
"Of course I do."
"To be honest, that's also one of my fondest memories." she admitted. "That very night, your confession shook my very core, despite the circumstances. Seeing you're the first boy to ever confess your feelings, as a girl back then, I didn't know how to manage it."
"Yeah and after dealing with Lundgren you gave me an eagle feather."
"Hee, hee…" she giggled, "To be honest, I do not know why I did that. Perhaps because of our still unfamiliarity between one another and the issue of my grandfather, I had to give you a test. Should it be otherwise, back then, if you were to propose to me, I'd gladly accept it in a heartbeat."
"And it did give me some trouble, that's for sure."
"But look where we are now." she pointed out. "I have a strong Sacaean husband, three lovely children, a grandchild and a home filled with the scent of mother nature."
"In the end, everything we did was worth it." I said.
"Yes, it was." Lyn smiled. I then moved around and laid down next to my wife. "Beloved?"
"I want to sleep with you…" I said as I embraced her.
"You do know you'll end up catching my cold, right?"
"I don't care… I just want to be with you…" I said, "I wish we could live forever like this but…"
"Shh…" she stopped me, placing her finger on my mouth. "Let's just enjoy the moment. Is that alright with you, beloved?"
"Yeah. I just don't want to leave you… even in… death… I don't want to be alone…" I murmured.
"Shh…" she hushed me sweetly. "Until then, let us continue to be together. We have years ahead of us, after all… my Agito."
