The Affection of Parents
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a royal family as close-knit as yours,” he mused outloud, watching the group of people that swarmed together down on the hill together, enjoying the lunch they were served during the mild spring afternoon. Laughter floated up from where the group sat, the voices of children and adults mixing. Reina imagined that at that moment her uncle was telling yet another embarrassing story of his exploits as the owner and manager of a city seaport. She could see the distant smiling faces of her family: aunts and uncles, cousins, siblings… From a distance, all one could see was joy. “Your parents must be very affectionate people.”
Reina laughed, a short, barking sound that was as cruel as it was incredulous.
“No… I don’t think you could say that.”
Beside her, Viralle frowned. “What do you mean?”
Contemplating the people below, Reina’s eyes slowly focused on the two people they were referring to, watching her mother’s face light with humor. “My mother, yes. She’s always tried her hardest to show us that we’re loved. She hugs us, strokes our hair, encourages us, laughs with us…” She closed her eyes in thought, sighing softly before reopening them to look down at the dark-haired man that sat stoically by, straight-faced as ever.
“I have never seen my parents share a kiss. I could count the number of times my father has smiled in my lifetime on one hand. They have never shared an embrace that was not initiated by injury or illness. My father never speaks words of praise, his voice is never gentle, and sometimes I wonder if he even knows anything exists but the threat of battle. So, no, I don’t think you could call him an affectionate man.”
Beside her, Viralle was silent, perhaps turning her words over in his mind.
“But, you know what’s strange?” she found herself saying quietly, eyes intent upon the man in question.
“What’s that?”
“Whenever I speak ill of him, she–my mother–her eyes soften. I don’t think she realizes the expression she makes, like something tragic and amusing has happened all at once. And she’ll always say the same thing in a quiet voice, then walk away.”
“What does she say?”
Down below, her mother laughed loudly, face shining with good nature. Beside her, Reina’s father looked on passively, his gaze centered on his boisterous wife.
“‘His is the kindest heart…’”
Hey,
That was quite interesting. She saw his kind heart within the fortress he had built, and for that his love for her must be immense… You create great characters, you know? ^_~
Well, keep it up,
- César