I do not own Tsubasa. Rambles at the end. Rewrite 9/2019
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"Majesty." The head of the kingsguard's tone was firm as he stepped in front of Ashura who sighed.
"I just want to make sure he is alright." Ashura looked over Taishakuten's shoulder at the heavy wooden door that led to his adoptive son's room longingly.
Just a quick peek—once he was sure all was well, he would go back to bed.
Taishakuten was not that easily fooled, and he raised an eyebrow in an almost mocking way. "Did something occur to make you fear for the little lord's safety my king?"
"It's more of the lack of something." Fai had yet to crawl into his bed, wake him with a screaming night terror, or have any sort of disruption in his magical patterns.
The child had been here for almost an entire year—and they had yet to make it through an entire night without at least one of those things bringing the boy running to his adoptive father's chambers for comfort. Usually Ashura would be up at least twice a night soothing Fai back to sleep.
"No disrespect but you should leave the boy be. He will let us know if he needs you." Taishakuten stepped aside—even he was not familiar enough with the king to deny him this whim—but he was right.
He should be ecstatic that his ward was sleeping through the night.
"It's just so strange for him. I fear he may be ill…" Ashura wrapped his robes a little more tightly around his shoulders and sighed again.
He probably looked a fool.
"A natural fear for any doting father." Taishakuten may have a neutral expression plastered on his face, but Ashura had spent enough time with the man to know he was highly amused.
Then again—which of his lords would not be at least a little amused to catch him in his current state? Wandering the castle halls in his night cloths and totally unsettled due to none other than a soundly sleeping child? Not a very kingly thing to be concerned over—but Fai was special.
Since the boy's arrival in Celese Ashura could admit that he had become rather soft in regards to the child. Even he, Mage King of Celese, Head of the great warrior clan of Ashura, reincarnate of the God of Destruction, and renowned War Mage and former High General—stood no chance against that silent, curious, and skittish boy's charms.
Doting yes—father no.
Fai was cursed enough as it was without having Ashura as a father, and his distaste for being referred to as such was evident by the way he glanced at his kingsguard out of the corner of his eye.
"As much as I dote on that child, he is not of my blood. Surely you of all people should know those rumors to be false my lord…"
"Blood or no, there is no denying that you love that child as though he were your own." Taishakuten let a bit more of his amusement show at Ashura's slightly shocked reaction. That was a rather bold assertion.
Perhaps not an incorrect one… Ashura wasn't so sure he understood his own protective feelings for that child—he may very well love the boy like one would there own child.
"—Perhaps—" Taishakuten turned his attention to the closed door. "—you should take a peek to ensure all is well, and then I will escort your majesty back to your own chambers. You never know who might be skulking around the castle at night in search of bedraggled kings wandering about without so much as his sword for defense."
Ashura simple nodded and pushed the heavy wooden door open and did not protest when Taishakuten followed him in. While the king was very selective of who he allowed near his ward, Lord Taishakuten was probably his most loyal of subjects, and he watched after Fai as he would any member of the Royal family.
As head of the kingsguard and undoubtedly the best swordsmen in all of Celese—Ashura often assigned Taishakuten as Fai's personal guard during large court events or official outings, even though tradition assumed the most powerful of his warriors would serve as his guard directly. It had caused quite the stir the first few times he had done it—but Taishakuten and happily accepted what he saw as an honor rather than a punishment.
The receiving room was lit by a small fire that had been recently tended by the servants and was much warmer than the hallway they had been loitering in moments ago. Ashura was as familiar with the layout of Fai's compartments as he was his own, and he quietly opened the door that led to his bedchamber and peeked in.
The nursemaid who had been sitting next to the fire reading looked up in surprise and quickly stood and dipped into a deep curtsey. Ashura waived her off dismissively and settled his gaze on the large canopy bed in the center of the room. His kingsguard watched him from the doorway of the room as he checked the child.
Fai was indeed sound asleep and looked rather peaceful in comparison to the usual fitful way he would toss and turn with his dreams. Curled into a tight little ball, his face was just barely peeking out of the heavy furs and quilts that were piled on top of him, and he was very obviously deeply asleep.
Totally fine and in no distress or danger whatsoever. As happy as he was to see Fai at ease—he was now wide awake and slightly confused as to how he had managed to worry himself out of bed over nothing.
Ashura pressed the back of his hand to the child's forehead just to make sure that he wasn't feverish—and smiled softly as he adjusted the blankets just so. He bid Fai a silent wish for good dreams and apologized to the boy's nursemaid before leaving just as suddenly as he had appeared.
Taishakuten was waiting for him at the door and with a nod to the still surprised nursemaid, he pulled it quietly closed and they both headed back out to the hall without uttering a single word. When the door to the castle halls had been closed his kingsguard was now obviously very amused and Ashura ignored him as he headed a short distance up the hallway to his own chambers.
Again—he did not protest when Taishakuten joined him—and he motioned for him to sit while Ashura got them both a glass of wine. His kingsguard thanked him and watched his king carefully as he settled in his favorite spot next to the fire and pulled his robes snuggly around himself.
"You don't look satisfied my king." Taishakuten offered after a few moments of silence and Ashura turned his attention to his company.
"I was just trying to remember what I did on long nights before I had an overpowered, untrained, teary eyed wizardling waking me every few hours." Fai had been here for such a short while in the grand scheme of things…
So much had changed since his arrival.
"If I remember correctly you had a nasty habit of picking fights, whoring, or drinking until the early morning hours. That is when you were not locked in your study with your nose buried in books." The head of the kingsguard sipped his wine again and Ashura snorted.
"Seems I have become rather drab." Ashura could always get into a good book or sucked into a bit of magical research—the rest didn't appeal to him one bit.
"Drab or mature? Your court has noticed your mood has settled and your priorities shifted in recent months." If Lord Taishakuten was talking to him about maturity, Ashura had an issue… Though a member of the kingsguard, he was also a general in the royal army and well known for his often impulsive and overzealous nature.
It made for a fine warrior and a very immature adult.
"I was not aware my mood had been unsettled. I am quite sure my priorities are the same as ever—just keep Celese safe and happy." He was just busy now. Between Fai's lessons and the usual matters of state Ashura simply didn't have time for much else.
"You are less restless, but that very well could be sleep deprivation from fretting after that ward of yours like a mother hen. It has been a while since your advisors and guards have had to play a game of 'find the king.' We need only look as far as the boy's chambers to find you giving a magic lesson or enjoying sweets with him."
Ashura should probably be offended at being compared to a mother hen—but Taishakuten was again, not wrong. He has always had a terrible habit of wandering off when a restless mood took him—just as he had a terrible habit of causing mischief for entertainment. The king did not do well if left unamused for long.
"If you miss the sport of it, I am happy to indulge you all." It was Lord Taishakuten's turn to snort and he shook his head slowly.
"No need I assure you. Though I do miss your campaigns in the south—last summer was the first year of peace Celese has had in a while. I know that I, as well as Bishamonten, Jikokuten, and your other generals would not be upset if you choose to claim more resources for Celese when the weather again turns favorable." He was sure that they would.
Ashura had been fully intent on launching a military campaign along the southern border. The two countries had been fighting for hundreds of years and at this point war was basically a part of each nation's economy. Ashura had chosen not to be the aggressor and the southern nation hadn't made a move ether—both countries choosing instead to focus on rebuilding.
"We shall see how the cards play out, but I think I would like to start Fai young when it comes to—" Ashura cut himself off with another long sip of wine as he caught his misstep. The king was the only one who knew what was be befall their lovely nation—what roll his sweet Fai would play—and why it was imperative he didn't allow a fear of conflict to develop in the boy.
"Surely you jest." Taishakuten did not seem appalled by the suggestion… but the head of the kingsguard was not known for his practicality.
"Tough trials lay ahead for that child." Ashura mused and glanced back to the fire.
Tough trials lay ahead of all of them—but Celese would play her part. Destiny waited for no one and they would all be swept up in her tides before they knew it. If there was one thing he had learned as a dreamseer—it was that one could never change destiny.
Ease it a bit—but even he could only do so much.
"You dream of him then?" He seemed to have peeked Taishakuten's interest and Ashura sighed.
He didn't often discuss his prophetic dreams with others. Every king that sat upon the ice throne of Celese had the ability to gaze into the future while dreaming, and Ashura had been taught the ins and outs of dream walking by his father when he had been young. Rarely did he learn anything worth passing onto his council.
Better to let people live in the now and enjoy the current prosperity rather than worry about the horror to come. Ashura need only prepare his ward to the best of his ability.
"Often." When he had enough time to dreamwalk that was—the child's poor sleep schedule severely hindered the amount of time Ashura could spend dreaming—but that in and of itself was a small blessing.
"And?" While his question was bold considering Ashura's standing as king, he was not offended.
Taishakuten meant no harm to him nor his ward. If anything, he was eager to lend his assistance and fishing for a way to contribute.
"Destiny gifted the boy to us and will lead him away all the same. I want to make sure he becomes a balanced, levelheaded, and capable adult. Both on and off the battlefield." Taishakuten nodded slowly at his words and mulled them over carefully before answering.
"Do you dream in cryptic language and vague references, or do you learn to speak in code when they teach you that strange magic?" Ashura smirked and shook his head slowly.
Taishakuten was sharp—but if he himself had not seen with his own eyes what fate awaited them—he never guessed it.
"Unfortunately, it's actually alarmingly vivid and crisp. The overly vague and cryptic summary is part of the aesthetic I am afraid." Ashura finished his wine and got up to pour himself another glass and pointedly ignored the wolfish way Taishakuten smiled at his ability disguise the clear 'none of your business' message as humor.
"So, you plan to use the Celesian court as a nursery then send him off to meet his destiny?" His kingsguard shifted in his seat and Ashura resettled himself before answering.
"That is exactly what I am going to do." Though Fai was aware he would leave Celese one day—he had no idea of what he would have to do before that happens. He was still totally oblivious to the most powerful and dangerous of his curses, and Ashura planned to rid him of it. "The boy is far too frail to carry the knowledge of what lies ahead. Let him grow the strength to carry the weight."
Given the calculated way Taishakuten was observing him, Ashura could only assume what he might be thinking. For those who do not bear the burden of seeing the unchanging future—it was nearly impossible to understand why those who did kept silent.
The king went back to watching the fire and let Taishakuten muse about the meaning of his words. He assumed the interrogation of what lies ahead would continue—and he was quite shocked that someone as bull headed and single minded as Taishakuten simply accepted his words and moved on.
"While my fellow lords and ladies may not agree—I trust your judgment and stand behind you. I might not know what possessed you to bring that boy here, but I hope he serves you well." That might just be one of the nicest things his kingsguard had ever said to him.
It was a bit more complicated than Fai serving his purpose… Sure, Ashura needed someone to put him out of his misery once his magic drove him mad, but he and Fai were both slaves to the ever-turning wheels of the universe.
"Fate mostly. I am not overly fond of small children—fate was kind enough to stick me with a rather precious one all things considered. Even someone such as myself finds him totally adorable most of the time."
"You claim to dislike little ones, yet you tuck the first scared kitten you meet up in your own bed and sing him to sleep." Taishakuten watched as Ashura shrugged the suggestion off.
Fai was special.
"Don't you have a son a tad younger than Fai?" He was terrible at keeping up on his courtier's family lives. It was easy to overlook when you yourself were unwed and childless—but he could swear he had sent a gift upon hearing the news that Taishakuten's wife had given birth to a healthy boy.
Well—he had had one of his many assistants do it—but he had signed the card.
"Older I would guess. Lord Fluorite is rather mature for his age, but he is much smaller than my boy." Ashura nodded—Taishakuten probably wouldn't pay his child any mind until he was old enough to attend court events.
Children in Celese, boys and girls alike, were considered 'of age' at 13 and would start training for the rolls they would lead in adult life. Taishakuten's son would be presented to Ashura as his heir, and he would either be paired with a warrior like his father, or a magician to apprentice under.
Young children were usually left to their nurses and doted on by their mothers until that time… Unless Ashura asked his kingsguard to bring the boy for a visit of course. Fai had shown no interest in any of the servant's children, and there were no boys his age in residence at Luvel currently.
Fai was learning to be comfortable and interact with adults—but it couldn't be healthy for his emotional development to have no playmates at all.
"Just as well. What of the boy's disposition?" Taishakuten looked slightly surprised at that question, and Ashura hid his amusement with another sip of wine. It was starting to hit him finally—so hopefully he would be able to get a few hours of sleep in before dawn.
The only reason the king had any interest in the child's personality was because he was still very careful of whom he exposed Fai to. Taishakuten had a strong personality, and if the apple fell too close to the tree… well Fai might not do so well.
"Soft-spoken and mild." His kingsguard shrugged and Ashura nodded slowly.
Odd given his parents personalities, but maybe such strong characters for parents is exactly why he was mild mannered.
"You should bring him with you to court come springtime. You and I work so closely, and I hope that the same holds true for the children?"
"Indeed." Was Taishakuten's only response and Ashura knew he wasn't fooling him as to why he really wanted his heir to join them. Though he doubted his kingsguard cared that he was enlisting his child as a playmate for the most important person in the kingdom.
Conversation died off after that and they quietly enjoyed their wine and watched the fire burn. Ashura focused on the calm fluctuations of Fai's magic as he slept soundly in the next room and found himself feeling not only relaxed, but content for the first time in a long time.
Things were falling into place. Fai was growing not only physically, but emotionally and they had time to cherish before destiny came took Celese in a wash of blood and tragedy.
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Hey friends!
I just needed some fatherly Ashura to sooth my soul. I have new content for this to post but I need to rewrite most of the chapters that are on ffn and them cost post on to ao3.
I just get so sad seeing people hating on Ashura. Whiiich if you hate him, I am sure I sound dumb but so much happens so fast in the Celese arc and it can be interpreted differently. I fell in love with Ashura when I read RG Veda where he is a very complex character with odd motivations. I think that is why I tend to picture TRC Ashura similarly.
I wish we would have gotten more information on him but alas… CLAMP was not so kind…
So I am going to fix it and write all the Fatherly Ashura fluff.