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Ignis Scientia, at six years old, could only be described as a bit of a loner. Always so preoccupied with his lessons, always so dutiful when it came to his responsibilities, always polite but never too warm with anyone outside of his family. That isn’t to say he was cold, far be it for a child his age to be called “cold,” but he was, indeed, a bit of a loner.
It was the middle of winter when his uncle decided to give his nephew a break from all his lessons and training and just let him be. His completely free childhood wouldn’t last long after he met the prince, and his uncle wanted him to enjoy it.
That’s how they ended up at the park, playing in the snow together.
You, on the other hand, at six years old, were anything but a loner. You always had something to say, even if some of it didn’t make any sense, and occasionally dropped pieces of wisdom beyond your years. You were outgoing and completely unafraid to approach anyone in particular and start a conversation with them.
It was that same day in the middle of winter that your mother was meeting with a friend at the park and bringing you with her, allowing you to wander and play as you pleased, so long as you stayed within her line of sight. You still had much of your completely free childhood ahead of you, and this moment would be one that stood out in a sea of many.
That’s how you ended up at the park, trying your darndest to make a snowman and combat boredom.
You noticed Ignis and his uncle from across the way and nodded to yourself, deciding right then that you’d claim Ignis as a playmate if it was the last thing you did. You stood and made your way over to him.
Ignis hadn’t seen you coming, preoccupied as he was with seeing how successful he could be in making a castle from snow instead of sand. He leaned forward, peering over one of the spires of a tower on the icy structure, and his glasses slid right off of his face and into the snow. He huffed out a sigh of frustration, rosy cheeks puffing and a pout forming on his lips.
He reached out to grab them, but another hand that very noticeably wasn’t his grabbed them first. He looked up, letting out a soft noise of surprise when he saw you standing there, holding his specs in a small, gloved grip.
“Here you go,” you said brightly, grinning down at him, “My name’s (Y/N). What’s yours?”
Ignis was a bit bewildered, to say the least, but stood and accepted his glasses nonetheless. “Ignis,” he answered, settling his glasses in their proper place upon his nose. “Thank you.” He pulled his scarf tighter around his neck and shifted his weight from one foot to the other before kneeling again, returning his attention to the snowcastle.
You tilted your head to the side and knelt alongside him, gathering some snow in your hands. “Can I help?”
Ignis’ gaze flickered between you and the castle momentarily, then he nodded, a new determination set in his brow. “Yes. Can you put some right there?” He pointed with a small finger to the other side the snowcastle, the side that was still undergoing some renovations.
You nodded and did as told, following his directions for the rest of the time it took to build it. All the while, you two babbled about something or other, never staying on one topic for too long. Time flew quickly, and soon enough you were both standing in front of the completed snowcastle. It was as elaborate as it could be, with detailed spires and towers (with patterns drawn on by you with a very thin stick and a very careful hand) and a moat.
You grinned and gave Ignis a high-five. “Nice!”
Ignis nodded, grinning as well. “Thanks for your help.” He furrowed his brow momentarily before bowing slightly. His glasses slid down his nose again, and he nudged them back into place, looking at you. “I am beholden to you.”
“Beholden?” You asked, a quirk in your lip, “What’s that mean?”
“Um…” Ignis shrugged, frowning a bit. “I don’t know. My uncle says it a lot, though.”
“Well,” You hummed thoughtfully, folding your arms. “My momma always said not to say something unless you know what it means.”
Ignis pouted, rosy cheeks puffing up while he huffed a bit. “Well… hm.” He turned then, searching for his uncle in the wintery landscape. “We can ask my uncle what it means, and then we can say it, right?”
You considered it for a moment, then nodded, clapping your hands. Ignis nodded back and took your hand, pulling you with him to take you over to where he’d spotted his uncle. The older man saw the two of you approaching and turned, kneeling to get to your level as you arrived.
“Unca!” He called, grabbing his uncle’s attention, “This is my new friend, (Y/N).” He motioned to you, then continued. “Can you tell us what beholden means?”
Ignis’ uncle gave a soft chuckle and a warm smile. “It basically means you owe someone a favor.”
You and Ignis ‘ohh’-ed. Ignis looked back to you, shrugging one shoulder. “So, I’m beholden to you, like I said.”
You nodded slowly. You opened your mouth to speak, but were interrupted when you heard your mother calling your name. You released Ignis’ hand, stepping back. “That’s my mom. I have to go.” You waved and started to turn, but stopped, facing Ignis again. “I think beholden is my new favorite word.”
Ignis tilted his head to the side. “Why?”
You grinned and hugged him quickly. “Because of you! I like you!” Your mother called you again, and you waved again, starting to run towards her. “Bye, Ignis!”
“Bye (Y/N)!” Ignis called, raising his arm into the air and waving his hand back and forth. His glasses slid down his nose again, and he fixed them once more before turning to his uncle. “I like her, too.”
Ignis’ uncle laughed and gathered Ignis in his arms, immediately beginning to warm up the smaller body as he watched you and your mother walk off. “We should make it a point to see her again, then.”
Ignis cheered, hugging his uncle back excitedly.