Chapter Text
Once your lessons are over, and you’ve thanked your tutors politely, you return to the castle with your nanny, walking up the shady tree-covered avenue. Lanterns burn before the wrought-iron gates of the castle, and guards stand to attention. The gates swing open and you proceed up the long drive to the turrets and towers of the great castle. Already, shadows are dense amongst the trees although a streak of pink still clings to the sky. Marble statuary gleams dimly on great swathes of lawn.
Later, after a warm bath and a change of clothes, you abandon your nanny, slip out of your room, climb up stairs and travel along corridors and cross a great ballroom. On tiptoes, you knock on the door to your father’s office, somehow managing to turn the knob and scamper in when you hear his cool, clipped voice telling you to ‘enter’. Hardened magic knights of the Silver Eagles turn to stare at this new manifestation of starched white and purple linen, complete with black patent pumps, clean white stockings, and shining well-brushed hair.
“( Your Name ),” Though surprise flits across Nozel’s face at how you’re wandering around the mansion without your nanny, it quickly fades into one of resignation – this is the third time this week, after all, and it’s quickly becoming a habit for you to give the slip to your hassled-looking minders. You giggle, and rush over to cling onto his legs, chubby baby cheeks melting into an endearing grin with a cheerful gap, the missing front tooth having been knocked out during training with your father. You’re still incredibly proud of it, and flaunt it at every turn. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s your dinner time, Daddy,” You say imperiously, even though it’s barely six, and the cooks are still preparing the meal. You just want the chance to spend more time with him, seeing as how your Mother is visiting family in the country and your older siblings have left with her. Your little five-year old mind worries that your father might be lonely in a house that seems too impossibly large and cold. “Let’s go and eat.”
“My dinner time?” Nozel arches an elegant eyebrow, and you wind yourself free from his leg in favor of grasping tightly onto his hand with all the strength you can possibly muster – which isn’t to say, very much.
You nod, lips twisting into a pout, managing to quash down the giggles that threaten to erupt. You’re the only girl in the family of five rambunctious boys, and it’s become glaringly obvious that your father has a soft spot for you, his youngest girl.
His face softens as soon as you enter the room, and he makes a point of seeking you out everyday to hear about your adventures in school, as busy as he is with paperwork and missions, and, as a result, the two of you are closer than ever.
You wait impatiently as your father dismisses his squad members, keeping up a constant string of tugging upon his pinky finger all the while. Normally, you’d bid them goodbye with a wide smile and friendly eyes, but today, you can barely restrain yourself from bouncing up and down on the tips of your toes in your impatience. The process seems slow and tedious to you, but as soon as the last of them leave the room, you crowd closer to your father, turning the full force of wide and shiny eyes onto him.
“Daddy, can we eat ice cream?”
Nozel, to his credit, manages to stand his ground, even as he is presented with large eyes and a quivering bottom lip.
“No.”
“Please?”
“No.”
“Please, Daddy? Please?”
Nozel, to his credit, manages to stand his ground for all of five seconds.
“One scoop. But only after dinner.”