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Of Carrots and Cleanliness
Cast: (Flora & Siegbert)
Prompt: Flora and Siegbert mother/son fluff.

Flora might have been the new queen of Nohr, but old habits would die hard.

The blue-haired woman had an urge to tidy up any room she was in, or neaten up Xander's clothes as they spoke. Xander insisted that she did not need to do this, but Flora could not help herself. She was not as strong as her sister or husband. The skills from her time as a maid were all she had.

Xander eventually stopped trying.

During one instance of unsolicited tidying, Flora noticed how the doors to Siegbert's quarters were opened.

"Siegbert?"

The queen stepped in, noticing that her son was talking… to a carrot. He did not notice his mother calling his name.

"Siegbert?" she called again.

The boy tensed up. "Ah! Mother!"

"Son, why are you talking to that carrot? Have you been talking to Uncle Leo?" She shuddered, remembering that time she walked in on Leo having dinner with a tomato. As in, treating the tomato as a guest.

"N-no, Mother. You see… Father told me that whenever I got nervous, I should- Mother?" Siegbert paused. His mother had immediately started making the bed.

"It's all right, I'm still listening."

"Oh… okay… Well, anyway, Father told me that whenever I feel nervous, I should imagine the other party as bunnies. Except, when I did that- Huh?"

Flora had started brushing Siegbert's cape. "Sorry, I just saw some stray hairs in your cape. Keep talking."

"Um… I kept thinking about carrots instead of rabbits, so I figured I would actually practice talking to a carrot, to try to-"

"Oh! Son, there's a little bit of food in your teeth. Do you want me to get that?"

"N-no, Mom! I mean Mother! I'm sorry, the Crown Prince shouldn't refer to his mother in that way or in that tone! I bet Father never spoke to his father that way…"

Flora stopped for a moment. She set down her cleaning implements and Siegbert turned to face her.

"Well, your grandfather was a heartless tyrant, Siegbert. Well… sort of. It was complicated. But more importantly, are you envious of your father? I know you don't talk to me about it, but I'm not deaf. I hear when you compare yourself unfavorably to him."

Siegbert's eyes widened. "Oh, not at all, Mother! I'm not jealous of Father. I just feel that I must be more like him, then I will be a sufficient ruler when I must inherit the throne."

Flora stood still for a moment. Then, she started laughing. "Hahaha! Hahahahahaha!"

"Mother?"

"Oh, come here." Flora embraced her son, much to his surprise. "Oh Siegbert, my son… You sound just like I did when I was your age."

That caught Siegbert off-guard. He did not vocalize it as much, but the prince felt that his mother was every bit the paragon his father was. Her work ethic, her composure… His parents were perfect for each other, in his eyes.

"Growing up, I always felt inadequate next to my sister."

"Aunt Felicia?"

The queen smirked and let go of her son. "No, our secret triplet sister that I never told anyone about. Yes, silly goose, your Aunt Felicia!"

"O-oh."

"In the Ice Tribe, you're trained from a young age how to wield weapons and use them in combat. My sister was always more proficient than I. And while he might not have meant to, my father made me feel as though I was lesser."

Siegbert gasped. "But Mother, you're not inferior at all! I see you the same way I see father!"

Flora nodded. "You're right, I'm not inferior. But it took me a while to realize it. Even into adulthood, I think it weighed on my mind. And I can see it in you. You're not inferior to your father or me."

"You're right…" The prince sighed. "What a shame. After my talk with Father, I'd hoped I would overcome these feelings."

Flora put her hand on her son's shoulders. "I think it's definitely helped. He gave you the carrot idea, after all… mostly." She looked off to the side, the vision of her son talking to carrots confusing her. "But habits aren't easy to change. Just look at me, I was doing maid work in the middle of our conversation!"

Siegbert raised an eyebrow. "Is that a form of your feelings toward your sister too?"

Flora blushed, and closed her eyes. She sighed. "Well… yes. When we were maids and I was jealous of Felicia, I grew to appreciate my superior domestic skills. They were the one thing I had over Felicia. I know better now, it's just… When you've been a maid so long, you can't help but clean."

"Hmm. How about this, Mother?" Siegbert offered, "I will stop trying to compare myself to you and Father, and you stop cleaning and let the staff do it?"

Flora gasped, but quickly composed herself. "If… if that will help my son, then yes. I will lead by example." She smiled. "But also, if you could close the door next time you talk to a carrot…"

"Ah. Yes…"

A/N:

One of my favorite characters paired up with one of the characters I don't particularly care for. That said, I think this went well.

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