Heart

Lachesis POV - Gran 758

"Aaaaaaand… peekaboo!" I loved playing with Ares. He had the sweetest smile and the most joyful laugh. "Here I am!" I laughed, tickling his belly. Ares squirmed, but laughed too, kicking his feet out with a surprisingly amount of strength, given that he was a baby. Then again, Hezul. "Who's the happiest baby ever~?" Seriously, he was just so… I was sure he'd be just as happy and bright when he was older. "You're so cute, Ares~! I could just eat you up!"

"Please don't eat my son," Eldie noted dryly, barely even paying attention as he sat at his desk, going through his letters. It was a habit the two of us had fallen into ever since Father died, where he and I would spend quiet time together. A moment where both of us could just be ourselves and not worry so much about our titles. Grahnye would sometimes join us, but after Ares was born, she often took the opportunity to take a much-needed nap while Eldie and I watched Ares. Or, rather, Eldie sat at his desk and I sprawled out on the floor playing with Ares. "I'll marry you off to… oh, what's the nickname Quan gave him?"

"Elidiot!" I couldn't help but laugh. For one thing, I knew Eldie would sooner run Elliot through than let him come anywhere near me. For another, I really did find that nickname hilarious. It also warmed my heart because Quan started calling him that after I'd ranted about how Elliot kept harassing me. Mostly because I'd refused to let Quan kill the guy. No need to trigger a civil war. "And it's your fault for having so sweet of a son! Must've gotten it from Grahnye."

"Or he's absorbing it from all the fussing like a sponge." Eldie frowned at a particularly fancy looking envelope and snagged his letter opener to see what was inside. Though I knew he wasn't paying attention, I still made a face at him. A sponge? He was no sponge cake! "Still odd, being a father."

"Just wait until he's old enough to talk!" I grinned at him, and Eldie playfully groaned. And thankfully didn't say… what everyone else said when the topic of babies and 'becoming a parent' came up…

'So, when is it going to be your turn?' I'd heard that question too many times over the past few months. I always wanted to punch the askers for that, though I kept the polite smile and just shrugged in answer. Most were surprise I wasn't arranged to be married, since Father had done that for Eldie, but Father had felt bad about using Eldie as a bargaining chip like that to secure a trade deal (Eldie never minded). So, I was free to choose my spouse… or, really, to choose to not marry. Because I wasn't going to. Not ever.

Eldie and I didn't have the same mother. Well, at least, we weren't born from the same mother. We were half-siblings, because Eldie's mother had died when he was little, during one of the many 'territorial disputes' that plagued Agustria, and unwittingly, she took a piece of Father's heart with her to the afterlife. And when, years later, my own mother died from illness, she accidentally took another piece, leaving Father to slowly 'bleed out' from the two holes in his heart. Slowly become a shell of himself, with one foot in the afterlife…

I didn't want that. I was scared of that. If I had to give my heart to someone, then it should be someone like Eldie. Not just kind and gentlemanly, but someone who would not die easily, losing only to time. Someone just as strong and mighty in battle. And only Quan and Sigurd were even close to that. So, no, I would never fall in love. I would never marry. Because I doubted there was anyone as unstoppable, as invincible, as those three, while also being as kind and gentle.

"Oh, well, this is interesting," Eldie murmured, dragging me from my thoughts. To hide that I'd been woolgathering, I took Ares's hands and 'danced' with him. It was a game he loved. "It seems Sigurd is getting married."

"Really?" I replied absently, still half in my thoughts. "Oh, that's niiii… WAIT, WHAT?!" My shocked shriek was so loud that it startled and scared Ares into tears. "Ack! I'm sorry!" Quickly, I picked Ares up and bounced him in my arms. It took a bit for him to settle down to enjoy the 'game', but thankfully, it was a trick that almost always worked. "Uh… so… Eldigan, what was that again?"

"Sigurd is getting married." He held up the invitation for emphasis, and it was simple yet elegant. I could see the second, most personal note in Eldie's other hand. "We have, of course, been invited."

"Well, of course we… what do you mean Sigurd is getting married?!" I just couldn't comprehend it, really. Sigurd? In all the years I'd known him (which was a while), I had never even seen him have a crush! Sure, he could admit people were pretty and desirable, but it was like his heart was in… well, no, not a steel cage because he was just so kind and warm. It was more like the sun, which shone brightly on its own and had no desire for company. "To who!?"

"I think it's 'whom', actually? I can't remember grammar at the moment. Oh, how our tutors would weap." He shrugged and set the formal invitation down to read the personal note, smiling as he always did when Sigurd was involved. "Regardless, the woman's name is Deirdre."

"I don't… know that name…?" I stood up and walked over, still carrying (now calm) Ares. Who tried to grab my earrings, but I held him just far enough away. "Are you telling me that not only is Sigurd getting married, but he's getting married to someone we don't know?!" That was…!

"Seems so." Eldie didn't seem to mind, but me? I was hurt. Childish and bratty it may be, but I just… "Well, this will be interesting. Shall we leave in the morning? I want to meet this Deirdre as soon as we can." He chuckled, just… amused. Which made me feel brattier. "I've seen dozens of women try to woo Sigurd and fail miserably. I wonder just what sort of person she is."

"Well, we don't know." I even sounded whiny. But seriously, just what was this? I'd read stories of evil witches who made love potions. Were those stories true?! "But I guess we'll find out." If she was a witch, then… well, I'd deal with her. No one hurt my family and got away with it. No one. "Hmph!"

"Please don't walk in there thinking determined to hate her." Eldie's smile disappeared as he looked out the window. His study had a beautiful view of Nordion, but his unfocused eyes told me he wasn't seeing it. "This will be a convenient opportunity to warn Sigurd and Quan anyway. I want them to be prepared for the worst case scenario. Just in case."

I went cold at the reminder and held Ares a little more tightly as I thought of just what he was talking about. An ill king, talks of war… none of it boded well. B-but we would be fine. We were house Nordion, after all, Heirs to Hezul, the Black Knight. We would be fine...

Though I had promised (eventually) to not be determined to hate Deirdre on sight, I was determined to be wary. Very wary. But one look at Sigurd's happy smile nearly made my resistance disappear, because was it really so bad if he was this happy? And knowing that no-nonsense Alicia was friends with this Deirdre did make me think things were… well, possibly okay. Maybe? Not like I knew Alicia well, but I knew she'd (probably) tell Sigurd he was being an idiot. Maybe. Regardless, I was still determined because if she was deceiving everyone, then I'd cut her down! So I swore… riiiight up until I met her. Her shy yet sweet smile and utter adoration of Sigurd just… it was impossible to hate her! How annoying!

"I'm not sure if it's a testament to Sigurd's skills as a caretaker and potential father, or if it's just a sign that he's a child at heart, but wow, he wins over babies as easily as he wins over allies," I joked, holding my stomach because I was laughing so much. But there was something just so fun about watching Sigurd play with Ares. And Altena, because Altena didn't like that she now had to share her uncle! "What do you think, Deirdre?"

"Hmm? Ah… well…" Deirdre stammered, ducking her head. This was the first chance I had gotten to talk to her without anyone else. Ethlyn and Grahnye were sharing stories of the early days of motherhood and how big of dunces their husbands could be, while both Quan and Eldie protested and tried to justify themselves. Sigurd, of course, was playing with the babies, and Alicia had been here, but she had since disappeared. Probably to the infirmary. Or her room. If her room wasn't in the infirmary. "I think it's that they know his kindness and that they know they will be safe with him… Shanan adores him for similar reasons, as does Oifeye."

"Mmm, true, true." I watched Sigurd play with the children a bit more, overjoyed by just how much Altena and Ares were laughing. I had a feeling that even when they were older, they would turn to Sigurd as a source of safety. As a person they could turn to for advice and solace. "I guess we'll see what it is whenever you and Sigurd have children, right?" Well, that was probably mean to say. She might not want children, though it was kind of expected of nobles. Particularly those with Major Holy Blood.

"I…!" That said, Deirdre's bright red blush and the failed attempt to hide her face with her hands, hinted she didn't mind. "Oh, goodness…"

"You are a blushy one, aren't you?" It was actually kind of amusing… and maybe a bit irritating because she was just so freaking beautiful! Even her blush was pretty, damn it! I wondered where she was from, since I'd never seen anyone with such frail and delicate features. It was like she was a fairy spun to life. Maybe she was? I'd read a story about a fairy who made a bargain with a witch to become human so that she could be with the person she fell in love with. "Ethlyn must be having a grand time, teasing you!"

"Alicia teases me more." She whimpered a little, and I tried to imagine serious, yet kind, Alicia teasing anyone and came up blank. "I take it you'll be joining in?"

"Well, maybe~!" I grinned and she sighed, whimpering again at the end of the breath. "It's affection!"

"I'm learning…" She glanced over at me then shyly, and smiled. While still blushing. "You're much like he said, though."

"Hmm?"

"Well, Sigurd told me a lot about you." She slowly brought her hands down from her face. On the other side of the room, Sigurd had dragged Eldie and Ethlyn into some sort of game with the babies while Quan and Grahnye talked about Leonster (and probably horses, because Grahnye knew a lot about them). "Called you a 'little lioness', with all the fierceness and elegance that implied."

"He did, huh?" Okay, I did have to preen at that. And flush because I did try to embody both fierceness and elegance. It was only proper for a noblewoman, after all~! I was glad Sigurd thought I was doing that. "Not sure I like that 'little' part though!"

"W-well, you are shorter than… I think everyone here? Save the children." She did have a point there. B-but I wasn't short! Everyone else was just tall! "Hee…" Worse, though, was when she started giggling. "Sorry, I'm not… laughing at you."

"Oh?"

"Yes, I'm just… happy. I was a bit frightened to meet you and Eldigan. You are so close to him, and I know that I am not worthy of him…" She smiled so brightly and sweetly at me that I felt guilty for wanting to be wary. "I'm so glad you're kind, though… I'll certainly do my best to become worthy."

"You keep him smiling like he is, and we'll have no problems." She certainly matched him when it came to sincerity though. I wasn't sure she was capable of lying! "But you were seriously afraid?"

"Oh, I am afraid of lots of things. But…" She brought her hands up to her chest, resting them over her heart. "But this love I feel… it is no mistake. I believe that, and I take strength from it. I can overcome anything, even my fears, thanks to it."

"That so?" She was a perfect match for him, being able to say such things with a straight face. I bit my tongue to keep from arguing, though. I wasn't sure falling in love was anything but setting yourself up for trouble. But, then again, she loved Sigurd and Sigurd was as invincible as the light and sun, so she'd be fine. "Well, if you need anything, let me know, okay?"

"Thank you!" And there was that bright smile again. Gentler than Sigurd's, but no less bright. Like the moon to his sun. The full moon, at least. Pretty easy to see how she snagged Sigurd's heart. And, hey, before long, I'd have another nephew or niece to play with!

But I'd keep an eye. Just in case. I couldn't bear it if Sigurd's heart broke because he'd finally fallen in love. And, well, a lioness watched out for her family.

Author's notes: So, have a Lachesis POV! This is set during 'Interlude - Meetings' in Memoirs of the Holy War. Thought I'd have a bit of fun expanding a bit on that comment of Lachesis (and coming up for a non-incest reason why she'd feel that way). Eldigan and Lachesis being half-siblings comes from some supplementary material (Fire Emblem Treasure or something like that?). And also have a bit of Lachesis and Ares interacting