Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters; Tamora Pierce does.
Lord Alan of Trebond watched his children play. He sighed, and turned back to his books. At first he had loved the twins, as they were Alianne's children as well as his, but gradually he stopped loving them. Now he wished that he could care for them again, but it was too late.
Coram and Maude take good care of them, he told himself. The part of him that died when Alianne passed away couldn't convince his other, more human,side. He knew that Coram and Maude were not fatherly or motherly figures. Now it was as if Alanna and Thom had lost two parents instead of one.
Alan hadn't noticed Thom run up to him, providing his father with a red rose. Lord Alan smiled wearily at his son. "Thank you, Thom," he whispered. Thom nodded, and scampered off to play with Alanna again.
Alan put the rose next to his favorite book. He stared at it for a moment, before turning back to his studies. He couldn't concentrate, however – Thom and Alanna were too loud.
He ran his fingers through his hair. Just seeing the twins reminded him of Alianne. They took after him in looks, but neither of their personalities matched his. Alanna's temperament resembled Alianne's, Alan decided, but Thom was harder to place.
He almost laughed. What was he doing, evaluating his children? He couldn't go in between- he would have to choose between being Lord of Trebond and being a father.
He had made his choice. He grabbed the rose, and tore off the petals savagely. Ignoring the screams and laughs of the twins, Lord Alan walked up the stairs to his room, his books in his hands.