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The news traveled fast as if it was a fire spreading across the whole continent, though the details became fuzzier the further it went, so by the time Milsiril knew what happened in the island her beloved son was currently in, it took her no more than the mere mention of a certain tallman to make her travel herself.
A new king of a new land that rose from under the sea, having conquered the dungeon and even devoured the demon that dwelled it... And her Kabru was supposedly one of the heroes involved in that whole affair?!
Everyone knew how overprotective Milsiril was in regards to her adopted children, but it was still surprising to see her arrive in less than three days. However, due to the hurry she didn't eat or rest properly, so the moment the exhausted elf laid her eyes upon her son's figure she passed out, the dolls accompanying her falling into a deep slumber as well.
“Mom?!”
That was the last thing she heard before closing her eyes.
When she opened them again, she was laying down in an exquisitely decorated room she guessed was meant for royal guests, though the one who greeted her wasn't her son. Instead, two blonde women, an elf and a tallwoman with strange feathers on her body, were sitting besides her. The latter was casting healing spells on her while the former repeated some information about the patient as if they were given the task to take care of her.
“She is Kabru’s mother, and not only that, but she's the former vice commander of the Canaries!” The blonde elf said nervously. “We need to treat her well!”
“What were the Canaries again?” The tallwoman softly asked, tilting her head while she finished chanting the spell.
“Oh, right, I forgot to tell you! Well, uh, they are basically... Ah! She's awake!”
Indeed she was, but Milsiril had yet to feel comfortable enough to actually speak to those two. The presence of an elf was uncomfortable for her and she didn't hide this fact when accommodating herself on the bed, practically holding onto the bed sheets as if they would hide her from these strangers.
“Oh, you shouldn't move too quickly, you might feel dizzy,” the tallwoman said with a kind smile that wasn't enough to make Milsiril feel at ease.
“... Excuse me, where's Kabru?” Milsiril asked with her eyes locked onto the cream-colored bed sheets, not having the strength to look at them directly.
“He's helping Laios deal with some of the dwarves that arrived, let me call him-”
“No, she should go.” She was referring to the elf woman who felt a bit puzzled by this. Realizing she might've come off as rude, Milsiril lowered her head so she could hide behind her hair, but she still tried to be assertive and spoke to the tallwoman: “You... You stay, please...”
Maybe it was because she looked pitiful or even hostile, but the two women didn't argue and the elf stood up and walked to the door, trying to smile but her nervousness was reflected in her tense body.
“I'll tell him you woke up and we'll bring you something to eat! Hopefully, normal food,” she muttered that last part before exiting the room.
Now it was the feathered tallwoman and Milsiril in awkward silence. Thankfully, the blond didn't seem to mind and she spoke as gently as possible to not frighten Milsiril any further.
“We haven’t introduced ourselves yet. I'm Falin and the other girl is Marcille. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She made it sound genuine, so Milsiril naturally felt more at ease. “You passed out half an hour ago, so we brought you here. Do you feel unwell anywhere?”
“Uh, no, I'm fine...” A bit flustered, Milsiril found herself much calmer in the presence of a tallwoman. She wasn't too overwhelmingly friendly and she gave Milsiril space to breathe, which she greatly appreciated. Plus, she was cute, and the stars knew Milsiril loved cute short-lived children even if this one in particular had something strange. “Thank you.”
Falin offered her a warm smile and respected the following silence, which thankfully wasn’t awkward even if none of them talked any further until the door opened again, but it wasn't Marcille who entered the room. Instead, Kabru practically rushed in while being followed by an imposing tallman who bore a striking resemblance to Falin.
“Mother!” Kabru said with a worried expression, having corrected himself to be more polite than last time, and hurried to her side. “Are you alright? You fainted as soon as you saw me.”
Milsiril finally smiled and the tension in her body disappeared once she saw her child. “Yes, I'm sorry for worrying you, Kabru, I was just so surprised when I heard the news...” She then looked at the tallman who awkwardly stood there wearing a strange cape of monster remains. It didn't take her much time to infer who he was, however, since he was the main character of every gossip she heard on her way to the island. “Are you perhaps... Laios the demon eater?”
When hearing that embarrassing nickname, Laios blushed slightly and shyly pressed a hand against his nape. “Ah, please, don't call me that, I've had enough people talking to me and trying to get on my good side with flattery... I can't deal with any more socialization. I only came here to escape from the crowd.”
Milsiril could wholeheartedly sympathize with this man's plight and without realizing, she soon found him strangely endearing. Even more than Falin, who was giving her brother comforting pats on his back, but Kabru didn't seem to relate to that sentiment and instead he gave him a smile that barely contained his anger.
“I told you to wait for me there but you came here anyway. You must think about how the other rulers will perceive you from now on, Your Majesty, running off like that is not good.” Then he paused and looked dead inside for a moment while he whispered to himself. “Then again, I suppose it's much worse to leave him unsupervised...”
“Don’t call me Your Majesty, it’s embarrassing!”
“As you wish, Your Highness.”
Milsiril had no idea what was happening, but she was thankful her son was alive and she decided to stop wasting time; placing both hands on his head, she interrupted the silly argument Laios and Kabru were having and hugged him tight and close to her chest as she would've done when he was younger, stunning both siblings present.
“When I heard what happened I was so worried something might have happened to you! Ah, Kabru, this is why I didn't want you to become an adventurer, to think you'd fight against a demon of all things!” She choked back a sob and ignored her son's protest, who tried to free himself with no success. Milsiril was much stronger than the average tallman, after all, her grip was unshakable. “But...” She paused, holding his cheeks tenderly and finally looking back at him. “You did it, didn't you? You have defeated the demon. Now the world is safer because of you. I'm so proud of you, Kabru, you've done well.”
Kabru's former annoyance quickly dissipated into comfort and happiness that settled in his chest, heavy but warm, and he couldn’t contain his smile. Yes, he knew his adoptive mother better than anyone else just like she knew him, so this small exchange made them both feel as if the people they once were —an overprotective mother with her young and fragile child— had their desires fulfilled at last.
No more demons, no more dungeons, no more Utaya.
“Uhm, actually, it wasn't just him...” Laios wanted to correct the story, but Falin grabbed his shoulders and kindly guided him to the door to give mother and son time to talk. She knew her way through these things and now that she was here, she would make sure Laios would stop messing up.
“Oh, be careful on your way out, Laios, Falin!” Milsiril weakly said, waving her hand as they left.
Kabru didn't expect his mother to like those two of all people. He had to correct this, so he sure as hell didn't leave out any details of their relationship with the Touden siblings when she asked him, no matter if that made them look worse... Or better! For some reason Milsiril seemed to have taken a liking to them and their story, which she listened to attentively until someone else knocked on the door.
It wasn't Marcille, Falin or Laios. This time, the person who entered managed to make Milsiril open her mouth wide in surprise.
“Captain Mithrun?!” They both said at the same time.
Indeed, it was none other than the captain of the Canaries pushing a golden serving trolley with many delicacies on top of it, an image so strange and outrageous it made Milsiril wonder if this was illusion magic or not.
“What are you doing here?” Milsiril asked, the rumors having somehow omitted the fact the Canaries were still on the island.
Kabru rushed to explain while Mithrun brought the food next to the bed with his unchanging expression.
“He's, uh...” He stuttered, something strange for him, and tried to gather enough truth to speak confidently: “He's recovering here! After the demon disappeared, we all tried to give him a new reason to live, something not related to demons, and he decided to stay here for a while to recover and help out. The captain is settling down here for now, looking for a new, uh, path in life.”
Lying to one's mother was both a great sin and a rite of passage for children and Kabru prayed to whoever heard him that it was enough to fool Milsiril. Thankfully —or maybe not— Mithrun also decided to speak, not giving her enough time to see through the lie:
“It's been a while, vice commander. As you can see, recovering means trying out new things, like pushing a serving trolley.” Whether that was sarcasm or not was a mystery because despite everything that happened, he still spoke in that low and monotone voice of his. However, Milsiril could sense something was different and thus, she couldn’t help but be skeptical.
“... It surprises me you aren't using teleportation magic to move it.”
“I was told to stop overusing it because of mana sickness.”
“Oh... Yes, you did suffer mana sickness a lot back then.”
Kabru was clearly nervous despite trying to smile as he always did. He already knew his mother and Mithrun were acquaintances, but seeing it in person, especially taking in account what he hid from her, was nerve-wracking. However, he knew Milsiril was extremely compassionate, so her following reaction was exactly the one he envisioned; she tilted her head slightly and her lips curled up in a gentle yet amused smile, practically beaming.
“Trying out new things... I’m so glad! I feared what would you do now, I even thought about asking you to come with me and work in the orphanage, but to think the great captain of the canaries is pushing around serving trolleys for a living now... Hehe, Helki won’t believe me!”
Mithrun paused and looked at Kabru for merely an instant, deciding not to correct Milsiril’s incorrect assumption that he was now a serving trolley pusher. It was easier to let her think that and it was honestly a much better option than letting Mithrun of all people deal with short-lived orphans, something that Milsiril thought was a fantastic idea, for some reason. They thought she was busy thinking about that so they didn’t bother to hide their silent communication, which made Milsiril raise an eyebrow.
Those two... Both Kabru and Mithrun seemed so comfortable in each other's presence, something she promptly pointed out while she extended a hand to try one of the appetizers on display.
“I’m surprised you two get along, though. In Kabru's letter, what he told me seemed like an unlikely comedic duo in a chaotic situation, but you became friends!”
Kabru was going to say something and Milsiril wanted to express how happy she was, but regretfully, Mithrun was quicker.
“We're not friends.”
Milsiril seemed disheartened to hear that. “Huh? Really?”
“Really.” Mithrun then looked at Kabru again and Kabru felt his blood run cold once he realized what would come next, but he couldn’t stop it in time. “We're boyfriends.”
There was a long pause and the appetizer fell to the floor once the words settled on Milsiril’s brain, who then stared at the two of them with wide eyes and a frozen smile.
“... What?”
Mithrun, once again, was quicker than Kabru who tried to salvage the situation to no avail; the captain grabbed Kabru's collar and pulled him closer to him, both lips touching each other in a short but very obvious kiss. After they separated, Mithrun looked at Milsiril with a strangely mischievous gleam in his eye, though he remained expressionless.
“We are dating.”
Her movements were so fast Kabru couldn't keep up with them, but Mithrun managed to evade the attacking doll that appeared behind him and grabbed one of the dining knives on the serving trolley. The puppeteer was practically oozing with bloodlust.
“Keep your hands off my son!” She roared furiously, her magic flowing like fire through her veins. “That's sexual harassment! How dare you...! You, you...! Liar!”
She had no words to describe the utterly ridiculous and offensive claim she saw.
Mithrun didn't react to the threat and he just stared at her, which pissed off Milsiril even more to the point the doll seized the knife more threateningly. However, it was grabbed by Kabru once he finally reacted to this insane scene and he tried to pacify his mother, placing himself between the two elves.
“Mother! Please, calm down, let me explain!”
Hearing her son speak made her return to her senses.
Of course, there had to be a reasonable explanation. Maybe it was a joke! Oh, that captain, always making these strange jokes, right? Though it was the first, Milsiril decided it had always been a part of Mithrun’s personality —or lack thereof—, to keep her nerves intact. She now looked at Kabru as if he was the victim of Mithrun's cruelty and deceit and she hoped that whatever Kabru had to say would clear this awful misunderstanding. It had to be a joke! It had to-
“He’s telling the truth,” Kabru said with a nervous smile, leaving the doll on Milsiril's lap. “I didn't tell you because I knew you would freak out, but... Yes, we are dating.” He then looked back at Mithrun with profound tenderness reflected in his blue eyes, an image that made Milsiril’s mind go blank in shock.
Like an echo, the word dating and the image of that kiss resonated within Milsiril’s head. Dating, dating, dating...
“Mom!” Was, again, the last thing Milsiril heard before she passed out again.
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When she woke up, another thirty minutes had passed. Maybe it was due to her training, but she could regain consciousness very soon, so soon that neither Kabru nor Mithrun were prepared for it. They didn't even realize Milsiril woke up, they were too busy discussing the situation.
“Seriously, why did you do that?” Kabru asked, annoyed.
“I just corrected her,” Mithrun responded with a shrug.
“You could've done it in a more normal way, though! Or, hear me out, you could’ve just not told her!”
“Why?”
“Because it was obvious she would freak out!”
“She would find out sooner or later, the vice commander is smart.”
“Of course she is, but...” Kabru sighed, already knowing this would lead nowhere. “I wanted to take my time breaking the news to her.”
Mithrun paused for a moment and something incredible happened; he lowered his head and apologized in a whisper Milsiril could barely hear, looking... Ashamed?
Despite still being unable to show any emotion, his voice was clear and genuine and this earned a tender smile from Kabru, who then placed a hand around Mithrun's waist to pull him closer, as if he was comforting him. They whispered amongst themselves a few more times and the scene was so loving and sweet Milsiril could practically taste it.
It was awful! She couldn't bear to look at this anymore and she was about to send out her dolls again, but her stomach growled like a monster once the hunger she was suffering settled in. This of course made both men look back at her. Mithrun, as inexpressive as always, stared in silence while Kabru's perfect facade cracked under both relief and worry as he made his way towards Milsiril.
“Mother! You're awake! Do you feel dizzy? You must eat something, it's the hunger that made you faint,” he said, holding a bowl of warm soup a certain dwarf made when he was asked what to feed a person who just fainted, but Milsiril rejected it instantly.
“No, I am quite sure it wasn't hunger.” She was glaring daggers at Mithrun who looked at the window like he had nothing to do with this. “Kabru, you have exactly three seconds to explain what is going on. What do you mean you are dating him?”
Well, he expected this conversation would come, but never this early. He knew this type of relationship was frowned upon, especially when one of the parties involved was the former co-worker of his mother whose horror and murderous intent was increasing with every second that passed.
“Kabru!”
“Mother, I...” He gulped. “It's a long story...”
━━━━⊱༺༻⊰━━━━
Well, not very long but long enough to make Kabru not want to retell it, much less in front of his mom, but he had to be honest now that everything had come to light.
And maybe, just maybe he could make sense of it too.
It all happened so subtly it had yet to sink in the fact they were now a couple, especially after all that happened and how their first meeting and subsequent days went.
Despite how tough and dangerous their first week together was, Kabru found himself reminiscing fondly on those memories whenever he wasn’t helping Laios in diplomatic affairs or checking important documents.
It was as if those memories were a source of comfort for his exhausted mind. They were embarrassing and he wouldn’t want to repeat any of that, but he kept coming back to them. He surprised Milsiril with how tender his voice was when explaining more in detail what happened from the start. He glanced at Mithrun a lot, he couldn’t hold chuckles and he even showed his annoyance when remembering when they ate that walking mushroom or that griffin’s egg.
Milsiril knew Kabru wore a perfectly tailored mask in front of whoever he spoke to. Even her to an extent, but seeing him break off from his facade so easily in front of Mithrun made her chest feel strangely at ease, but it wasn’t enough to keep her murderous aura at bay once she realized how close both men were.
“You massaged his feet?!” She asked in a high pitch, grabbing the corners of the bed to keep herself from assasinating Mithrun, though the doll was swinging the knife at him like a madman.
“It helped him sleep!” Kabru hurriedly replied, letting out a sigh and taking the knife away from the doll like he would do with a child. “Please, mother, let me continue.”
She pressed her lips together with a frustrated expression, her heart aching for a moment. She knew how hard it was for Mithrun to sleep and if the circumstances were different she would be the first person to celebrate, but... From all directions, this was wrong! These two were not supposed to be like that!
And yet...
She cared for Mithrun too.
She spared his life once she saw him clinging to a single desire and hoped it would help him keep living. Honestly, she didn’t trust her decision that much and once she heard the demon had been defeated, she thought about what would happen to Mithrun and who would take care of him. She hoped whoever took on that role was a good person.
But why did it have to be Kabru?! Sure, he was a good person, but it was her child!
She stabbed the fork into the beef she had been served after finishing the soup —which, by the way, was divine— and she glared at both men, but it didn’t last much since the moment Kabru mentioned he helped Mithrun go to the bathroom, she couldn’t help but laugh.
“I did too! It was only some days after rescuing Mithrun. Helki was so grossed out, but you know, I’ve changed diapers and I’ve cleaned up vomit so many times ever since I became a mother, it wasn’t that different. If anything, Mithrun was much more well-behaved than some of the children I took in.” Her tone was warm when she reminisced on those days and Kabru wasn’t sure if she was thinking about the orphans she raised or the captain she took care of. “I hope it wasn’t too much of a hassle for you, Kabru... Though this experience will help you a lot in life, I believe...” It’s a mother’s dream to see the faces of her grandchildren someday, after all, though she didn’t say that since she knew it would make Kabru angry.
Kabru did his best to not let his expression crack when he heard his mother, but it was futile once Mithrun decided to tease him as well. Placing a hand on Kabru’s shoulder, Mithrun then horrified Kabru and asked:
“Milsiril, did you change Kabru’s diapers, by any chance?”
She chuckled and shook her head. “No, he was too old for it when I adopted him.”
Kabru mouthed something to Mithrun, probably a plea for him to stop talking, but Mithrun pretended not to notice and only sighed.
“What a shame.”
“What a shame indeed.” Milsiril sighed too, forgetting for a moment she was supposed to be angry and she took a bite from the beef. “Oh, but I do remember he used to wet the bed for some time after he came home with me. Poor thing, he must’ve had such awful nightmares... He tried to clean after himself without telling me, but he couldn’t keep it from me for long.” She looked at the window with a soft smile. “Kabru never wanted help from anyone and it took a long while for him to warm up to me, but to think he would be the one others relied on... And to think you, who couldn’t even eat or sleep without help, are so much better now... It happened so quickly. Time is an amazing thing, isn’t it, Mithrun? Amazing and frightening.”
“I agree.” Mithrun stared back at Kabru and his lips barely curled up in a smile. So subtle only Kabru noticed, but he couldn’t say anything about it because Mithrun quickly added: “You should tell me more stories about Kabru’s childhood. Maybe while eating some elf nut cake. What do you think, vice commander?”
Milsiril clasped her hands together in delight.
“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea!”
“No, it’s not!” Kabru interjected, losing his patience and he didn’t even bother to fake a smile as he always did. Why would he? He was in front of the two people who could make him lower his guard, for better or for worse. “Let’s not do that.”
“You already know my whole life story, why can’t I know yours?” Mithrun then asked, his head tilting slightly. Was he pouting? Milsiril couldn’t believe her eyes. “That’s not fair.”
“How would you feel if I asked your parents about some embarrassing stories about your childhood?!”
Mithrun didn’t answer and instead just stared blankly at Kabru, who answered his own question with a groan. And then, another amazing thing happened: Mithrun chuckled.
The one and only Mithrun was laughing. Softly, it sounded a bit like he was in pain, but he was laughing nonetheless, and now Kabru had smiled as if he was defeated but didn’t mind, which only made Mithrun laugh more.
Now Milsiril couldn’t believe her ears either.
It was as if a new person had risen from the ashes of Mithrun, someone who she believed would never laugh or even smile again, but there he was, sharing this gentle joy with none other than Kabru. Her Kabru.
This made her come back to her senses.
No, she couldn’t let herself sway. This was her child, she wouldn’t just give him up to anyone, much less someone of her age!
“So, what happened after that?” She asked with a raised eyebrow, coldly interrupting the laughing session. “I doubt it was the foot massage or the assistance to the bathroom that made you think dating Mithrun was a good idea.”
Well... It was complicated.
No matter how much Kabru thought, how many details he expanded on as he told the story again or how deeply he thought about their little excursion while waiting for Morpheus to take him under his arms, he couldn’t for the life of him pin down the moment he fell in love.
The realization of it was sudden. It was on a day like any other; Kabru was finishing some arrangements to receive gnome nobility and he decided to take a stroll to stretch his legs, numb from sitting on a desk for too long. While walking across the busy streets, he caught a glance of Mithrun in the distance. He was sitting in one of the restaurants, talking with one of his comrades, Pattadol, and while Kabru couldn’t hear them he could tell she was trying to bring him back to the elven kingdom. The Canaries were very attached to Mithrun, especially Pattadol who wanted to convince him to go back with them. That possibility always bothered Kabru and he never really knew why, he just didn’t want Mithrun to leave, so whenever he saw Pattadol sigh in defeat when her offer was rejected, Kabru found his heart beating again. It was as if whenever he saw the Canaries talking with Mithrun, he held his breath in fear. Fear of... Mithrun going away, of not being by his side anymore.
That day, he rejected the offer again and Pattadol left with a dejected expression, which made Kabru unbelievably happy, but the moment both their gazes collided across the street, his foolish smile froze in place. “Crap, did he see it? Did he think I was celebrating? Well, I think I was, but what that makes me look like a jerk, doesn’t it? What if Mithrun finds it annoying? What if he decides to go to the Northern Central Continent because I was being too clingy? Well, it’s not like we are too close, I have a lot of work to do so we don’t talk that often, but what if-”
But all his thoughts stopped once he saw from afar that Mithrun looked away and his cheeks were slightly reddened. He was a bit worried at first and was about to go straight towards him, but Mithrun finally looked back and... Smiled at him. Not weakly like he usually did, not sarcastically, but the same way he did when he found out vegetable scraps had their uses. When he found a new reason to live.
It was then that he understood that feeling and desire to be by Mithrun’s side had somehow grown roots in his heart so sneakily it was as if it had always been there. It was soft and warm, familiar and comforting, like...
“Lamb stew?”
“It tasted like crab, though,” Kabru replied.
“But it was better than the eggshells you gave me.” Mithrun raised his chin slightly with a trace of cheekiness in his voice. Something which Milsiril never thought would witness again.
They argued some more, though everyone with eyes could see it wasn’t anything serious despite the fact Mithrun still spoke with that monotone voice of his. The tidbits of their story of course was interesting —Milsiril wanted to see so badly how cute Kabru looked as an elf!—, but she didn’t comment further and instead just observed them closely.
How Kabru’s voice would rise higher whenever Mithrun said anything that made him feel embarrassed, how Mithrun’s dull eye would ocassionally brighten up when they collided with Kabru’s, how they were far too close but never touched, as if they would containing themselves in front of her, though it was clear they were so used to touching each other it felt strange for Mithrun not having Kabru’s hand on his waist or shoulders.
Milsiril observed everything silently, nodding while she heard the story and finishing her meal. It was good, but she had to say the presence of two people she cared about made everything taste much more delicious. However...
“Kabru, it sounds like such a fun and exciting adventure, but you have yet to explain how it developed into this.” She wasn’t glaring at Mithrun anymore. She just stared at him with a calm expression while she cleaned the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief. “Kabru did most of the talking, but I want to hear your perspective too, Mithrun.” She paused. “I am his mother and I don’t want to see him with someone who doesn’t deserve him. What do you exactly feel for him?”
Mithrun didn’t say anything for a couple of seconds. To be honest, at first all he wanted was to see how Milsiril would react. He knew she was Kabru’s adopted mother, but up to that point he was never interested in them. All he wanted was to kill the demon or be devoured by it. The lives of an ex co-worker of his and her adopted tallman child was like a flower he saw while he was in a moving carriage, beautiful but uninteresting. He never stopped to properly stare at it, he never took the time to search for the differences between this flower and all the others and he never bothered to pick up its scent until now.
He wanted to know if Milsiril loved Kabru to that extent too, and her reactions left no more room for doubt. Mithrun now knew both elves loved Kabru dearly.
Mithrun had a complicated relationship with love, but everything from his past life was dull and unimportant in front of what he had now. He had friends, a new path he wanted to walk in and a turquoise flower that gave him a new reason to live. Did he deserve it? He wasn’t sure, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to make sure that flower would feel as loved as it could. After all, it did the same for him... He wanted to give back what he was given. Wasn’t that love? Giving and receiving, adoring and being adored. Caring and being cared for.
They began dating in a strange manner. Kabru and Mithrun decided to live together at the request of the Canaries who believed Kabru was the most reliable individual in that den of madmen that was the castle, and neither found it particularly strange. The presence of each other was something they grew accustomed and even comfortable in.
A night like any other, Kabru was taking care of Mithrun like he always did, and even if the elf could now do most things alone, he didn’t want to let go of Kabru’s caring touch. It was gentle, very gentle, and it pressed on his skin so tenderly it took merely a massage for Mithrun to realize what he felt towards him. And then, he asked him out, as it was the most obvious next step for him, though the way he did it made Kabru believe for the next few days he was being a jerk who decided to make a fool out of him out of nowhere. “Let’s date.”
It took a bit more of insistence and a whole conversation to make them both come to the same conclusion and they decided to go out, though until that point neither had spoken the three forbidden words of romance.
“I love him,” he said rather matter-of-factly, striking down any shyness or bashfulness that was supposed to come with a confession. Those words abandoned his lips so naturally it stunned both mother and son. Mithrun thought he was clear enough, but when he saw Milsiril gaping like a fish out of water and Kabru’s face as reddened as a ripe tomato, he explained himself as best as he could. “I can’t assure you I deserve him and I’m not sure when it happened, but I do love him. Kabru gave me a new desire, the strongest one I’ve ever had.” He paused, holding his hand towards Kabru’s, who took it without thinking twice despite his chaotic state of mind. “I want to keep living by his side... No, it’s more like he’s my reason to live.”
Milsiril gasped, Kabru closed his eyes while he felt his cheeks burning like they had been set on fire and Mithrun tilted his head, confused.
“Why do you look so surprised?”
“You-” Kabru stuttered, baffled. “You never told me that!”
“Oh. My bad. But we did agree to date, didn’t we? I thought it was obvious that I loved you. Do you not love me?”
“Of course I do!” Kabru hurriedly said, both angry and offended that Mithrun could ever doubt that, but he couldn’t stare back at him. It was too embarrassing for him who read social cues as a sport to deal with someone so blunt. “How can you say those things like nothing? In front of my mother... It’s like you are asking her permission to get...” He stopped speaking, though Mithrun made sure the sentence wasn’t left unfinished.
“Married? It’s not a bad idea.”
“Captain!”
“Why do you still call me captain? At night, you address me by my name easily, why-”
“Please, stop talking. My mother is still here.”
“Is she?”
They both looked at Milsiril who, despite being stunned, was thinking deeply about this.
Yes, she spared the life of one who didn’t want to live unless it was for revenge.
At first, Milsiril hated how perfect he was. He was loved by everyone, he had everything he could ever want... But turns out, that was only a facade. If only they talked properly, if only Milsiril saw through his lies, maybe it wouldn’t have taken a whole dungeon made with jealousy and inferiority for her to realize they were more alike than she thought.
She was full of regrets about this and she hoped, no matter how silly and unrealistic it was, Mithrun could someday experience happiness and love again. She still didn’t want her son to be that love, but...
“... You do know you will have obstacles, right? Not only other long-lived races who disapprove of these relationships, but time as well.”
She mentioned its name again as if it was the name of a demon that should not be summoned and silence fell upon them all.
Time, frightening and wonderful alike, it would tear them apart much sooner than they would realize.
As someone who took care of short-lived children, she had already come to terms with this side of life. Milsiril knew she would see them perish, she knew she would weep for them and she knew she would be heartbroken, but she hoped she could enjoy the time they had together and that she could give them the love they were robbed of the moment they became orphans. Kabru was of course no exception for this and she was prepared to weep for him when he abandoned this world, but...
Could Mithrun take it? If Kabru was his reason for living, then what would happen once he was gone?
She cared for Mithrun and to an extent, she saw him as another one of her beloved children —though comparing her cute kids with Mithrun felt a bit offensive— and wished for him to be happy and loved, but was this really the correct way?
“We’ll figure it out.”
Kabru’s grip tightened around Mithrun’s hand and he maintained Milsiril’s gaze without faltering once, his blue eyes piercing any doubts in her.
“You told me yourself, didn’t you, mother? That I should live in the present and not dwell on the future.”
Though she said it to try and keep him from training too hard in hopes he would get stronger and be able to venture into a dungeon sooner, having her words redirected at her made her blink once, then twice, and then sigh.
“I still don’t accept you, Mithrun,” she said with a stern voice that made both of them flinch, not believing that she was still not convinced. “So you have to convince me further and make it clear you will treat my son well. Otherwise, I will slit your throat and I will let my dolls paint pictures with your blood.”
A very graphic threat that only made Mithrun nod, to which Kabru could only sigh. That was his mother alright.
They seemed to reach an agreement and while Milsiril was still a bit freaked out by the whole situation, she decided it was best to change topics, so after clasping her hands together as she did when she wanted to catch the attention of the kids back at the orphanage, she finally exhaled all the nervous air she held inside her lungs and smiled.
“Now... Can I meet the others?” She asked shyly. When she was faced with the confused stare of both men she grabbed one of the strands of hair tied up on the sides of her face and hid behind it. “I heard so many amazing things and I want to meet your friends, but... Kabru, dear, can you mediate for me?”
It sounded like an excuse. After all, Milsiril wasn’t a very sociable person, but Kabru decided to indulge her in this. He looked at Mithrun who nodded in silence and with a small smile on his lips and they decided, without the need for words, to talk later. First, Kabru would have some fun guiding his mother around the castle to meet all the heroes of the legend they were now a part of. Time would probably not remember their names, but they weren’t in the far future. As of right now, they would enjoy the present they shared.
━━━━⊱༺༻⊰━━━━
“Please, be sure to eat well and rest properly, alright?”
“Yes, mother.”
“Oh, and don’t forget to brush your teeth either.”
“Yes.”
“And, and write to me often, please, one letter a month is not enough!”
“I’ll try.”
“Oh, and please give this to Laios and Falin, I couldn’t do it myself because it was embarrassing, but they are very good people. Make sure to get along with your friends.”
“They are not...” Kabru pinched the bridge of his nose, exhausted, and he didn’t even know if the word friends was accurate or not. He then looked at what she was handing over to him and it made him go pale. They were two dolls being exact replicas of the Touden siblings, down to the feathers on Falin’s doll body. “When did you...? Ah, it doesn’t matter.” He grabbed them and smiled as best as he could once he saw Milsiril nervously pick on her hair, waiting for the verdict of her son. “They are lovely. I’ll make sure to give them these gifts.”
She was about to depart back home and the carriage was waiting for her. Mithrun stared at the duo some meters away with his arms crossed, and he couldn’t help but find it funny how the only two people capable of handling him were a mother and his son. And now, he was part of the picture, albeit not like Milsiril would’ve wanted, but she would accept it someday. That process was starting now, it seemed, because when she caught Mithrun smirking to himself she waved her hand to call for him.
She tried to smile but it looked like a grimace instead. “You two, uh...” She paused and then gave herself courage with a small smack on her cheeks, making Kabru flinch. “You two should visit me sometime...! Together, I mean. We could talk over some tea and elf nut cake, uhm, what do you think?”
While Kabru said no instantly, Mithrun nodded and said “sure” nonchalantly, making the former close his eyes in despair, though he ended up smiling anyway.
They had a lot of time to spare and many nut cakes to taste in the future.