Papa
Diederich was sitting at a desk in his study, writing. He liked to write poetry and fiction, and burned every page of it when it was finished. He didn't know why.
Daydelis came toddling through the door he'd left open, arms out like a penguin.
"Forgive me, sir," his wet nurse said, rushing to scoop him up and take him away.
Diederich looked up at them and noticed that his son, who had been born with wisps of delicate pale hair, had hair that was now turning red. He squirmed in his nanny's arms angrily.
"It's alright," Diederich said, curiosity about this child who now began to resemble him piqued. He pushed his papers aside. "Set him down."
"Yes, sir."
Daydelis hauled himself unsteadily to his feet and resumed his determined march toward Diederich's chair. He fell twice but got right back up and kept going.
"Little soldier, aren't you?" Diederich said approvingly, swiveling in his chair to face him.
Daydelis sped up excitedly, cubby arms flapping. Diederich couldn't help a smile. He held his hands out for Daydelis, who fell into them and grabbed them to steady himself.
"Light, you've got some grip!" Diederich said proudly. "You'll be swinging a staff by tomorrow."
Daydelis let go of Diederich's hands experimentally, and fell back onto his butt.
"Come on, back on your feet," Diederich said, scooping him up by the armpits.
Daydelis giggled and flailed. Heart melted, Diederich lifted him and set him on his lap.
"Big, strong boy, aren't you?"
Daydelis caught Diederich's hand by the forefinger, yanked it up to inspect it with wide, glowing eyes, and then crammed the finger in his mouth and chewed ferociously.
"Good, strong jaw, too," Diederich winced.
Diederich watched his son in wonder. Prior to this moment, the only association he'd had with his son was occasionally checking in with the boy's wet nurse. It was common among nobility - Diederich himself had been raised by one for the first few decades of his life. But now, so close to him, it finally dawned on Diederich that this was his blood. This child was a piece of himself. Daydelis might look up to him and try to emulate him someday, just as Diederich had his own Father.
"Wanted to come see Papa, huh?"
Daydelis looked up again at the sound of Diederich's voice and smiled. He babbled back in response.
"You're a good boy," Diederich whispered.
Daydelis babbled enthusiastically, eager for conversation. Diederich smiled and nodded, and then stood up with him and carried him back to his wet nurse, who still stood obediently at the entry.
"Thank you, sir," she said, taking Daydelis back.
Daydelis immediately started crying and strained back toward his Father.
"Stop that crying," Diederich admonished him, tapping him on his nose.
Daydelis stopped crying with a wide-eyed stare.
"Forgive us, sir," the nanny said, managing a curtsy with Daydelis squirming again in her arms.
"You may go."
The wet nurse gave another curtsy and hurried the whining child away.
Daydelis came toddling through the door he'd left open, arms out like a penguin.
"Forgive me, sir," his wet nurse said, rushing to scoop him up and take him away.
Diederich looked up at them and noticed that his son, who had been born with wisps of delicate pale hair, had hair that was now turning red. He squirmed in his nanny's arms angrily.
"It's alright," Diederich said, curiosity about this child who now began to resemble him piqued. He pushed his papers aside. "Set him down."
"Yes, sir."
Daydelis hauled himself unsteadily to his feet and resumed his determined march toward Diederich's chair. He fell twice but got right back up and kept going.
"Little soldier, aren't you?" Diederich said approvingly, swiveling in his chair to face him.
Daydelis sped up excitedly, cubby arms flapping. Diederich couldn't help a smile. He held his hands out for Daydelis, who fell into them and grabbed them to steady himself.
"Light, you've got some grip!" Diederich said proudly. "You'll be swinging a staff by tomorrow."
Daydelis let go of Diederich's hands experimentally, and fell back onto his butt.
"Come on, back on your feet," Diederich said, scooping him up by the armpits.
Daydelis giggled and flailed. Heart melted, Diederich lifted him and set him on his lap.
"Big, strong boy, aren't you?"
Daydelis caught Diederich's hand by the forefinger, yanked it up to inspect it with wide, glowing eyes, and then crammed the finger in his mouth and chewed ferociously.
"Good, strong jaw, too," Diederich winced.
Diederich watched his son in wonder. Prior to this moment, the only association he'd had with his son was occasionally checking in with the boy's wet nurse. It was common among nobility - Diederich himself had been raised by one for the first few decades of his life. But now, so close to him, it finally dawned on Diederich that this was his blood. This child was a piece of himself. Daydelis might look up to him and try to emulate him someday, just as Diederich had his own Father.
"Wanted to come see Papa, huh?"
Daydelis looked up again at the sound of Diederich's voice and smiled. He babbled back in response.
"You're a good boy," Diederich whispered.
Daydelis babbled enthusiastically, eager for conversation. Diederich smiled and nodded, and then stood up with him and carried him back to his wet nurse, who still stood obediently at the entry.
"Thank you, sir," she said, taking Daydelis back.
Daydelis immediately started crying and strained back toward his Father.
"Stop that crying," Diederich admonished him, tapping him on his nose.
Daydelis stopped crying with a wide-eyed stare.
"Forgive us, sir," the nanny said, managing a curtsy with Daydelis squirming again in her arms.
"You may go."
The wet nurse gave another curtsy and hurried the whining child away.