Ephemeral Affairs [MXM]

His Majesty, The King

"Although I didn't want to face him, he can't even give me an excuse as to why he did what he did," Alosrin sighs deeply and pinches the bridge of his nose.

Maeve sits still as he nurses his child and continues to give Alosrin a listening ear.

"Why is everything not going as I biasedly predicted?" Alosrin asks rhetorically, already knowing the answers.

"Mother, it's okay," Maeve gives a soft smile. "We can find a solution to this."

"You're so sweet," Alosrin's shoulders relax a little.

Then the mother asks his son-in-law, "Tell me, how did you face my son?"

Maeve sucks in his lips trying to recall the time they met in town when Nisara bumps into Nillin on the road.

He shakes his head gently and answers, "I was unwilling at first, I eventually gave in little by little. But, I still don't know if..."

And then there's a knock on the lower half of the door.

Alosrin jumps with a smile on his face and rushes to open the door for his daughter to only see Niltiocles right behind her.

"Mommy!" Niowei quickly hugs her mother's legs.

"Yllathanise, are you ready for your lessons?" Alosrin ignores Niltiocles and kneels to face his daughter.

"Lessons? Shouldn't she be playing in the garden and asking questions that come to her?" Niltiocles kneels beside them with a serious face.

Nillin is behind them and gestures for Maeve and them to leave. He trusts Alosrin's decisions.

The elf gives an annoyed glances and turns to his daughter, "What would you like to start on?"

"Um," Niowei turns to look at her father and answers, "I want to learn about daddy's culture."

"Awesome. Daddy is the perfect person for Niowei to learn from," Niltiocles winces at Alosrin to show off his victory.

"Do your lessons with him instead. Mommy will be here if you need anything," Alosrin kisses Niowei's rosy cheek and sends her back to her father.

The girl pouts and her face squints together, "No. I want mommy to learn with me."

Niltiocles stares with amazement when he sees how gently Alosrin comforts their daughter. Something in him begins to kindle an emotion he isn't aware he had.

"Please? I want to be with both mommy and daddy. I've waited so long for this. Please say yes, mommy?"

"Yes. Anything for my Yllathanise," Alosrin wipes the tears on the girl's cheeks while wearing a mother's tenderness.

Niowei jumps with joy and pushes her parents inside the room while closing the door for unnecessary listening ears and watching eyes.

From time to time as Niltiocles retells Niowei the Aarthian stories his scholarly subjects had taught him, he catches Alosrin stealing glances.

He is unfamiliar with how Alosrin feels for his original body.

In the midst of it all, Niltiocles's initial impression of Alosrin had changed to a growing interest. He wants to know how much he loved this elf, how things between them were, and how their relationship came to where it is now.

"But mommy told me a different story," Niowei tilts her head confused. "Mommy said the world began with Mother—"

"How about some snacks?" Alosrin interrupts because mortals aren't supposed to hear the story of how the world began.