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As much as a goodly portion of the weight had been removed from his shoulders, that didn't mean that it would be smooth sailing from this point on. With everyone finally calming down, conversation had shifted to how to let the rest of the family - because Artoirel's youngest was on garrison duty at Dragonhead and the girls and their mother out shopping in the Firmament - know about this most monumental of occurrences. Because as Honoroit helpfully pointed out, it would make far more sense to gather the rest of the family together so that Haurchefant could tell his story once instead of a dozen different times.
Which was true, and while he couldn't fault the peerless logic in his brother-in-law's suggestion… he couldn't help thinking that perhaps he shouldn't have asked Francel to let him do this on his own. He could have used the gentle support of his lover right now.
Edmont easily solved the problem of gathering family by summoning one of the household guards and dispatching him to Camp Dragonhead. "Take a message to Lord Elment at Dragonhead that he must return home immediately for an urgent family matter. Haurch."
The redhead straightened as he was addressed, gaining his grandfather's approving nod as he was told to fetch his mother and sisters, as well as his cousins if he could. With an affirmation, he dipped a quick bow and darted out the door. Orders dictated, the aging patriarch settled himself back down into his chair with a sigh as Haurchefant did his best not to inwardly panic. Or at least…not to outwardly show that he was already inwardly panicking. He'd not expected that his father would send summons to the entire family, which he could only assume included his own children. Another milestone he was facing with trepidation and also… that he wanted to face with Francel.
Edmont allowed Artoirel to take the reins of the impromptu reunion, leading everyone into the drawing room that was far more capable of housing the group than his own small study. Steering his son to a chair before he took the seat beside it. Leaning his cane against the arm of the chair, he reached to grip Haurchefant's forearm again in a tight squeeze. Likely reassuring himself Haurchefant wasn't some sort of mirage as he flashed his son a warm smile. "It really is like a dream… having you back. Although you seem to have raided someone's closet… should I assume young Francel is to thank for that borrowed armour?"
The question reminded him of the fact that he was still in Francel's gray cloak and the borrowed suit of Haillenarte mail and Haurchefant felt his cheeks burn even as he managed a laugh and a shrug. "Better than what I came out of the aetherial sea, at least. I'd have been rather cold in nothing but what the Twelve gifted me with. But yes, it was Francel who lent it." That was something else that would need to be addressed; doubtless his family knew that he and Francel were close. They'd been as much before his death, but he had no way of knowing whether they understood just how close he and the blonde had been. Perhaps they did, given that Francel had been the one to adopt and raise his children, but it was equally likely that his lover had remained tight lipped out of a perceived respect for Haurchefant. Letting the world assume it was merely a sense of loyalty and abiding friendship that had prompted it rather than a deep and enduring love.
Edmont chuckled with a nod. "Then we are indebted to Francel it would seem. But grateful though I am for his aid and his thoughtfulness, I rather think we can make an improvement."
Catching Emmanelain's eye, he nodded towards the doorway and his youngest son jumped to his feet to grab Haurchefant by the arm. "Let's get you something that fits a bit better before the rest of the family gets here, shall we?"
He honestly wasn't sure what they intended to do. It wasn't as though he was built that much different from either of his brothers and though it would feel less awkward in his own family's heraldry…that wouldn't solve the problem of it fitting a bit better. It would still be borrowed finery, and that would be more awkward than ill fitting armour. Neither did it help to stem the rising tide of panic creeping up his spine as the minutes ticked past and he was shoved closer and closer to the inevitable meetings. But he allowed Emmanelain to pull him along the hallway, frowning as he realized where they were headed. It was… but it couldn't be…not after all this time. It was surely a mere guestroom by now.
Emmanelain answered his unspoken thoughts with a faint smile. "You'll likely feel better in your own clothes. Probably a bit dusty, but…" His shoulders shrugged slightly as he pushed open the door and they stepped into the past. "Father packed most of your things away…but he couldn't bear to throw them away or to change the room. And none of us would disregard his wishes, not even when Artoirel married Rivienne and this became his family home. And besides… it kept you in the house and we weren't willing to let go of that."
He gave a squeeze to shoulder before stepping out to give Haurchefant some privacy to change. Waiting for the door to click closed, he took a long moment to stare around the familiar room. It had seemed like a splendid palace suite when he'd first come to this house to live. Far grander than anything he had known in his short life and the fact that it was meant to be his had stunned him. Though over time it had become familiar and comfortable, there had always been a part of him that still thought it too much for a bastard son.
Perhaps that was why he'd all but moved out entirely upon his posting at Camp Dragonhead. Feeling more comfortable in the spartan and rough quarters that didn't remind him of his own insecurities or inadequacies. Walking slowly around the room, he let his fingertips brush over the collection of trunks and crates in the center of the room before brushing dust from the spines of familiar books that remained on shelves. Even with things packed up, he could still feel himself here. It still felt like home… and yet it didn't. Home was… here, true but more than that, home was where Francel was.
Reminding himself that his brother was waiting, he made short work of flipping open trunks and finding a spare set of Fortemps mail that he traded the borrowed set for. Adjusting the fastenings with a small smile on his face as he called out to the soft knock at the door. "It's open. You hardly needed to leave in the first place, Emmanellain. It isn't as though you've never seen me undressed, you know." He teased his brother only to glance up and see his father step through the door instead. Pausing to look him over with a nostalgic smile before walking over and holding out a long object with a slow sort of reverence.
It was a sword, a winglet like the one he had once carried, and as Haurchefant reached for it and his fingertips brushed against a particular knick in the side of the pommel he realized it was his sword. The same one he'd carried into battle that fateful day at the Vault, and his eyes widened as his fingers froze halfway to taking the sword. "Father, is this…?"
"Lord Aymeric retrieved it from the Vault and brought it home alongside your body that day. And while I gifted your shield to W'ynter so that she could honour the sacrifice you made… I kept your blade. Ever since then it has held a position of honour on the same wall that my grandfather's sword has rested since I was a boy. But now… the greatest place of honour that it can occupy is at your side where it belongs."
Haurchefant swallowed hard as he took the sword with shaking hands. It was a familiar and comforting weight in his hands and the motions of buckling it in place only served to bring more familiarity. Clasping his father's hands in his own, he swallowed back the emotion that rose heavy in his throat.
"Thank you, father. I will do my best to bring honour to House Fortemps with it, as you once trusted me to do so before."
"Of course you will. I have nothing but faith in you, Haurchefant."
The sincerity in those words was humbling, and he would have knelt properly as a knight should before their lord had he not been relatively certain his father would have refused to let him. Instead, he savoured the feel of 'family' as they made their way back towards the drawing room.
And froze on the spot, boots feeling rooted to the ground as the door opened to reveal a noisy and crowded mess of new faces and voices. All turning towards him with a mixture of surprise, awe, and confusion. It made no sense; he knew they were family and glad to see him, but he was suddenly terrified by their attention. There was a roaring in his ears as one hand groped for the doorframe and he couldn't understand why his chest felt constricted and he was unable to properly breathe. Everything was suddenly too loud, too blurry, and someone was shouting. He thought he recognized the voice, but it wasn't until he found himself grabbed and pulled against a familiar chest that he knew; Francel. The world was still too loud and he still couldn't catch his breath, but his lover's presence was like a pillar grounding him. Long fingers combing through his hair, a familiar voice coaxing him to just focus on him. To breathe with him, shut everything else out.
It was what he'd done so many years ago, when he'd been a stripling youth rescuing his only true friend. When Francel had been so panicked that he couldn't walk and they sat there while he gently eased the younger boy out of his panic. As Francel was doing for him now. Only…that wasn’t all he was doing, and though his mind was still muddled, he could hardly believe what he was hearing.
Francel, his sweet, gentle Francel… who found it difficult to even criticize someone or speak an unkind word towards them…was currently giving not only both his brothers, but his Lord Commander nephew and his father the kind of verbal dressing down that would have had his teenage self promising to spend all afternoon in penitence at the family chapel just to make it stop.
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He'd been home, intending on breaking the news to Gabrielle when the knocking had come at the door. Wondering offhandedly if it was Haurchefant, he'd opened it to find a breathless Zouvant, who'd apparently been fetching a supply shipment at the airship landing when he'd received the message that he and his siblings had been summoned to Fortemps manor. Fearing the worst, he ran into Haurch who had asked him to fetch the rest of his family.
There had been no question as to the reason, though it seemed a bit odd for his lover to choose such a way to meet his family. But sometimes bandages were easier when they were ripped off in one fell swoop and if that was what his lover wanted then he himself was committed to doing whatever it was that Haurchefant needed.
That commitment had been the reason why he saw red the moment he watched his silver-haired love step through the door. Instead of nervous anticipation, he'd watched those blue eyes fill with panic. Stomach lurching, he'd realized that Hauechefant likely hadn't been the one to turn what was doubtless an emotional and difficult reunion into a veritable circus.
Shoving his way past anyone in his way, he'd been at the trembling man's side in a moment. Wrapping arms around shoulders and gently but firmly holding his head to Francel's chest in a mimicry of the way he'd been held so many years ago. Terrified and overwhelmed after his rescue, he'd been a sobbing, gasping mess and Haurchefant had held him in the same way. Whispering reassurances as he coaxed Francel to focus on him. On pacing his ragged gasps to the older boy's breathing. Counting the seconds in a soothing tempo until Francel had gained some manner of control over himself.
As he could feel Haurchefant beginning to do, starting to breathe in time with Francel's soft strokes to his hair as he kept his grip firm enough to provide grounding but not so much that Haurchefant couldn't pull away if he chose. His own worry beginning to ebb away, he raised his head to snarl at Artoirel with venom flashing in blue eyes. "How dare you?! Did you even tell him? I'll wager that you didn't even think to ask him if he was ready to face his entire family, did you?"
The lord of House Fortemps stared in surprise, his mouth agape, but Francel wasn't finished yet as his attention snapped from one to another. "Halone's frozen tits, you are his family! He is returned to you after so long and none of you think of anyone but yourselves! Do you think it's been easy for him to come to terms with a world that he doesn't know his place in anymore?! That he hardly even recognizes?! None of us know how much he is struggling right now and you are making it worse!" He gave one more scathing glance at the entire group with a disgusted snarl. "You should be ashamed…"
Turning his attention back to soothing his lover, he missed the way several pairs of eyes fell to the carpeted floor before Edmont spoke up softly. "You're right, son... And the fault is mine. I can only try to excuse my decision as a product of being overcome by my own emotions. But I should not have acted without discussing it with him first. I am sorry, Haurchefant."
Releasing his grip on Francel enough to raise his head and take a shaky breath, Haurchefant managed a wan smile and a shake of his head. It was already done, and he couldn't very well send them all away now that they knew. There was no need to perpetuate the anger and awkwardness. "No apology necessary, Father. It was just overwhelming, facing everyone all at once so suddenly. Though I do feel as though perhaps I would consider it a worthwhile trade to see Francel here scold you as though you were a schoolboy caught putting stink bombs in the studium library."
His words seemed to break the angry spell that his lover was under, as the verbal confirmation of his recent tirade began to sink in and his expression turned into one of mortified horror and embarrassment. Stumbling over his words as his face turned crimson to the tips of his ears, he tried to apologize to everyone at once as Haurchefant let out a bark of laughter before leaning to whisper in his ear.
"Don't apologize, love… You were marvelous. I've never wanted you more than I do right now."
Predictably, Francel turned even redder and stammered out an appropriately scandalized response that would have fooled anyone who didn’t know how to read the heat in the quick look he flashed at the taller man. A look to which Haurchefant merely responded with a smirk and a wink.
That seemed to break the remaining tension, and they found themselves quickly surrounded by family. Hugs were shared and tears shed before a smiling Francel gently slipped an arm through Haurchefant's and pulled him towards the half dozen young men and women lingering at the fringes. Giving him a soft nudge forward.
"It's okay… they won't bite."
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He almost panicked again as Francel gave him a gentle push towards them. Towards his children. He wasn't ready, and some sarcastic portion of his mind remarked that he might never truly feel ready to do this. Swallowing back his nerves and soaking up the support he could feel from Francel's palm where it rested at the small of his back, he let his gaze study each face. Stalling, but also…learning. Memorizing them and realizing that despite this being their first meeting… they weren’t strangers. The two with the silver hair - Fionault and Arroux - looked so much like him it brought an ache to his chest. And he could see himself in the others, too. In the way Zouvant carried himself with an easy long-limbed grace, the ghost of a confident smirk on his face. In Gabrielle's blue eyes, the same shape and shade a his own. In the way Imelle's cheeks dimpled in a mimicry of his own when she smiled at him. He knew them, as though he'd always known them… and that realization swept away most of the trepidation as he smiled.
"Hello. You are…" He nodded to each in turn. "Fionault, Zouvant, Gabrielle, Imelle, and Arroux… right? I know you don't know me, but I'm…"
"Our father. You're our father, Haurchefant Greystone. We've… known you all our lives, even though we never got to meet you."
It was Imelle who spoke up, blinking back tears from brown eyes as Arroux nodded. Gabrielle looped an arm through Zouvant's as she nodded in agreement. "We know you. You were in every bedtime story Da ever told us. He would act them out and do all the voices."
"We celebrated your nameday every year." Zouvant added, shooting a grin at Francel. "And he always brought home a cake because Olette always burned it every year but she said she'd keep trying because you'd be proud she didn't give up."
"Mom kept your picture over the mantle." Fionault remarked with a grin. "Saved up and bought one of the small versions like the one at Dragonhead. Always told me she wanted me to know my father was a hero… and that I should be proud to be his son."
"We're all proud to be your children, Father. You're not only the reason we exist… you've been the inspiration for most of us. You and Francel… you're the reason we're who we are." Arroux added softly, his voice shaking slightly as he gave a subtle nudge to Imelle's shoulder. The gesture seemed to break some invisible tension and she sucked in a shaky breath before flinging her arms around Haurchefant's neck with a whimpered 'Father'.
If he hadn't been crying as his children's honest words stripped away all his defenses and banished any fears that he wouldn't measure up, he certainly was now as he returned Imelle's hug. Burying his face in the top of her dark head as he made a valiant attempt to open his arms wide enough and pull all 5 of them into the embrace. A gesture they all seemed more than willing to accept as they clustered around him.
Francel remained on the fringes, not wanting to intrude on their moment, but it was Gabrielle who pulled away to grab his wrist and pull him into their family hug. "You too, Da. You're our father too, remember?" He went willingly enough, wrapping his own arms around to aid in enveloping all 5 as he twined fingers with Haurchefant's.
There was no way to get closer to his lover with their children in the way, but Haurchefant untangled one hand enough to reach around Aurroux's shoulder and cup Francel's cheek in gentle fingers. Whispering a barely audible 'thank you' to the man whose generosity and love years ago had allowed him to have this moment now.
Because as much as they were his children…they were just as much Francel's. He hadn't merely made sure they were provided for out of charity, or facilitated their wardship under either of their houses… he had chosen to become their father in every conceivable way. Loving them and raising them into the remarkable men and women standing in front of him right now.
There were no words that could express properly just how much that meant to him, and Haurchefant only hoped that Francel could see it in his eyes as he blinked back tears to whisper it yet again.
"Thank you…"