Cheesecake 22 & Pineapple 24
Author: Casey
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy (NIEE) universe, Post NIEE
Challenges: Cheesecake 22 (Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers - My Treat: Ren realizes his daughter has become a woman) & Pineapple 24 (you’ve got some explaining to do)
Toppings & Extras: Caramel, Malt (Birthday prompt from Nina: How can I pick a major? I'm interested in everything! Can't I major in "The Universe"? -XKCD)
Word Count: 862
Rating: G/PG
Summary: Renie has a very important question for her father. Ren’s caught off guard.
Notes: Malt 3 of 10. I plainly do not write enough Dad!Ren. I’m surprised at how good he is at it! :P
Ren was a little surprised to see his daughter slip into the room as the last of the courtiers departed, leaving the two of them alone in the audience chamber. She approached him, looking unusually grave even for her. “Dad? Do you have a minute?”
He smiled, taking his crown off and placing it in his lap. “I would hope that, by now, you know I always have time for you, sweetheart. What can I help you with?”
“Who am I going to marry?”
For over a minute, Ren could only stare at the fourteen-year-old. “Gods’ Breath, Renie! You are far too young to be worrying about that!”
“That’s not what Emmeline says. She says that she’s going to marry Duke Higgins’ oldest son next year. She says that’s what noble families do. They have…have,” she scowled, obviously annoyed at her inability to come up with the word.
“Arranged marriages?” Ren supplied with raised eyebrows. Emmeline was the younger daughter of one of his more minor dukes, who had been here for the last few days, petitioning for assistance against a flood in his dukedom. Apparently Emmeline was a bad influence.
“Yes, those. And they get married young so they have lots of time to make heirs.” At this, Renie’s face twisted at the very thought. “I know I’m going to need heirs when I’m queen, but do I really need them when I’m only fifteen or sixteen?”
He studied his daughter, not sure whether to laugh, cry or be appalled at the things that young girls talked about. He finally settled on appalled, even as he stood and stepped over to one of the benches. “Come here, Renie.” Ren patted the bench beside him and his daughter carefully sat down. “Here’s the deal, kiddo,”
She made another face at that. “Dad!”
“I know, I know, you’re not a kid anymore.” He grinned at her. “Am I allowed to pretend you still are, sometimes?”
“Connor still is. Call him kiddo,” she told him and then looked expectant, obviously not forgetting her initial question.
“Okay. Here’s the deal, young woman.” Ren was gratified to see Renie duck her head to hide a smile. “You do not have to get married when you’re fifteen or sixteen. Look at your mother and I, we got married in our late twenties and still had plenty of time to produce an heir. Additionally, an heir for you is any child where some of my dukes are unfortunately still obsessed with having male heirs. Such as Emmeline’s father.”
“Emmeline’s going to be a duchess one day.”
Ren reached out and tweaked her nose, ignoring her squawk of protest. “And you’ll be queen, so what’s your point?”
“My point is who do I have to marry?” Renie demanded.
“Whoever you fall in love with.”
She regarded him suspiciously. “Emmeline insisted it is always an arranged marriage.”
“Ani and I weren’t.”
“Yes, you were,” Renie said practically. “Vladimir and Uncle Sorin had you get married to try and secure their hold on the throne.”
“Did I teach you how to talk back or was that your mother?”
“Mom, obviously,” she said with a giggle. “But it’s true!”
“Ani and I had already decided for ourselves that we wanted to be together and it was not because Sorin and Vlad said we had to be.”
“Emmeline said her mom told her that my grandparents were an arranged marriage. Your parents.”
Ren let out a breath. “They were. Mother was from a prominent noble family. It was a good match and they made it work and ended up best friends, if not in love in their own way.” He pursed his lips. “Father arranged a marriage for me when I was about your age.”
Renie’s eyes widened at this previously unknown fact. “Really? Why didn’t you end up marrying her?”
“Father did not want me to marry too young, but I was to marry Francine de Carlin.”
“Isn’t she older than you?” Renie said making a face.
“Yes, but she would have been a good match and bought us peace with Alyia.”
“Why didn’t your dad just have you get married then? If you were going to do it anyway?”
“My instincts tell me now that he was expecting Sorin and Vlad and wanted to buy us peace until then. I’m sure if things had not turned out as they did, I would have eventually married Francine. As it is, I can guarantee you that I am much happier with Ani.”
“Good,” Renie said firmly. “Is that why you want me to marry for love? Because you did?”
“Yes.”
“Could I marry a commoner?”
“I did.”
“You’re not always a good example.”
“I think you’re confusing me with your mother,” Ren said, amused, putting an arm around her shoulder. “The most important thing to both your mother and I, Renie, is that you’re happy with whoever or whatever you decide. We will still always be proud of you.”
She smiled, relaxing and resting her head on his shoulder. “I love you, Dad.”
“I love you too, pumpkin,” he said and hoped the hard conversations were done again for at least another year.
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy (NIEE) universe, Post NIEE
Challenges: Cheesecake 22 (Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers - My Treat: Ren realizes his daughter has become a woman) & Pineapple 24 (you’ve got some explaining to do)
Toppings & Extras: Caramel, Malt (Birthday prompt from Nina: How can I pick a major? I'm interested in everything! Can't I major in "The Universe"? -XKCD)
Word Count: 862
Rating: G/PG
Summary: Renie has a very important question for her father. Ren’s caught off guard.
Notes: Malt 3 of 10. I plainly do not write enough Dad!Ren. I’m surprised at how good he is at it! :P
Ren was a little surprised to see his daughter slip into the room as the last of the courtiers departed, leaving the two of them alone in the audience chamber. She approached him, looking unusually grave even for her. “Dad? Do you have a minute?”
He smiled, taking his crown off and placing it in his lap. “I would hope that, by now, you know I always have time for you, sweetheart. What can I help you with?”
“Who am I going to marry?”
For over a minute, Ren could only stare at the fourteen-year-old. “Gods’ Breath, Renie! You are far too young to be worrying about that!”
“That’s not what Emmeline says. She says that she’s going to marry Duke Higgins’ oldest son next year. She says that’s what noble families do. They have…have,” she scowled, obviously annoyed at her inability to come up with the word.
“Arranged marriages?” Ren supplied with raised eyebrows. Emmeline was the younger daughter of one of his more minor dukes, who had been here for the last few days, petitioning for assistance against a flood in his dukedom. Apparently Emmeline was a bad influence.
“Yes, those. And they get married young so they have lots of time to make heirs.” At this, Renie’s face twisted at the very thought. “I know I’m going to need heirs when I’m queen, but do I really need them when I’m only fifteen or sixteen?”
He studied his daughter, not sure whether to laugh, cry or be appalled at the things that young girls talked about. He finally settled on appalled, even as he stood and stepped over to one of the benches. “Come here, Renie.” Ren patted the bench beside him and his daughter carefully sat down. “Here’s the deal, kiddo,”
She made another face at that. “Dad!”
“I know, I know, you’re not a kid anymore.” He grinned at her. “Am I allowed to pretend you still are, sometimes?”
“Connor still is. Call him kiddo,” she told him and then looked expectant, obviously not forgetting her initial question.
“Okay. Here’s the deal, young woman.” Ren was gratified to see Renie duck her head to hide a smile. “You do not have to get married when you’re fifteen or sixteen. Look at your mother and I, we got married in our late twenties and still had plenty of time to produce an heir. Additionally, an heir for you is any child where some of my dukes are unfortunately still obsessed with having male heirs. Such as Emmeline’s father.”
“Emmeline’s going to be a duchess one day.”
Ren reached out and tweaked her nose, ignoring her squawk of protest. “And you’ll be queen, so what’s your point?”
“My point is who do I have to marry?” Renie demanded.
“Whoever you fall in love with.”
She regarded him suspiciously. “Emmeline insisted it is always an arranged marriage.”
“Ani and I weren’t.”
“Yes, you were,” Renie said practically. “Vladimir and Uncle Sorin had you get married to try and secure their hold on the throne.”
“Did I teach you how to talk back or was that your mother?”
“Mom, obviously,” she said with a giggle. “But it’s true!”
“Ani and I had already decided for ourselves that we wanted to be together and it was not because Sorin and Vlad said we had to be.”
“Emmeline said her mom told her that my grandparents were an arranged marriage. Your parents.”
Ren let out a breath. “They were. Mother was from a prominent noble family. It was a good match and they made it work and ended up best friends, if not in love in their own way.” He pursed his lips. “Father arranged a marriage for me when I was about your age.”
Renie’s eyes widened at this previously unknown fact. “Really? Why didn’t you end up marrying her?”
“Father did not want me to marry too young, but I was to marry Francine de Carlin.”
“Isn’t she older than you?” Renie said making a face.
“Yes, but she would have been a good match and bought us peace with Alyia.”
“Why didn’t your dad just have you get married then? If you were going to do it anyway?”
“My instincts tell me now that he was expecting Sorin and Vlad and wanted to buy us peace until then. I’m sure if things had not turned out as they did, I would have eventually married Francine. As it is, I can guarantee you that I am much happier with Ani.”
“Good,” Renie said firmly. “Is that why you want me to marry for love? Because you did?”
“Yes.”
“Could I marry a commoner?”
“I did.”
“You’re not always a good example.”
“I think you’re confusing me with your mother,” Ren said, amused, putting an arm around her shoulder. “The most important thing to both your mother and I, Renie, is that you’re happy with whoever or whatever you decide. We will still always be proud of you.”
She smiled, relaxing and resting her head on his shoulder. “I love you, Dad.”
“I love you too, pumpkin,” he said and hoped the hard conversations were done again for at least another year.