Ephemeral Affairs [MXM]

Being Mean

"Don't tell anyone, okay?" Alosrin makes a firm face.

Jaufasi sucks in his lips and chuckles loudly with a quiet nod.

Alosrin picks Jaufasi up and allows him to run out of the bathroom. He sighs and shakes his head, "Why do I feel like he can't keep a secret?"

The elf follows the little boy out and sits with the children for breakfast.

While breakfast is being consumed, Jaufasi giggles to himself and hugs his fish beside him, and Niowei and Arabret compete one another for best mannerism.

"Baby, you need to eat," Arabret says after he has completely swallowed the food in his mouth.

But Jaufasi only giggles louder.

"Baby!"

Niowei clears her throat, "Don't yell at him. He can always eat later when he's actually hungry."

"That's not the point. He should be eating when we're all eating so that he doesn't cause an in—inconvenience for others," Arabret does his best with the bigger words he is implementing into his daily usage.

"He's a baby. You can't expect a baby to follow your arbitrary rules," Niowei purposefully further enhances her vocabulary as well.

"It's not arbit-air-e. It'll be better for everyone if the baby does what we all are already doing," Arabret's voice tapers as he quickly realized his bad pronunciation.

Jaufasi, not paying attention to Arabret or Niowei, glances at Alosrin and then hides his face in the fish while giggling.

"Why don't you say anything and let those two children yell at one another?" Da'an Ryul enters their room and sits with them, "Serve me my breakfast."

Alosrin ignores the Regent and continues to eat and stay silent.

Niowei notices her mother's reaction and answers, "We weren't yelling at each other. We were debating on how to instruct the baby."

"The baby?" Da'an Ryul glances away from his plate of food, "What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing. It's none of your business," Arabret blurts out.

The Regent takes in a deep breath and sighs, "I have had enough of your attitude, Crown Prince Arabret. As the heir to the throne, you ought to learn discipline and respect."

"And what are you going to do to me?" Arabret glares at the Regent with his fork stabbed into his pancake.

"I will gladly strip Your Highness of your title and banish you," Da'an Ryul smirks condescendingly.

"You're bluffing," Arabret balls his little fists. "I'm the Crown Prince, the rightful ruler of my country."

The Regent eats a small bite and forges a delightful grin, "Would Your Highness like to see it happen or behave better?"

Then he turns to Alosrin, "Are you mute? Why don't you teach your children how to behave better? You said you're just a mother, didn't you?"

"Arabret behaves like a diligent child of his age, I needn't do anything," Alosrin answers.

"What about that child beside you? He's been giggling to himself like a madman."

Alosrin answers the Regent, "I told him a funny joke and asked him to not tell anyone. He's doing his best to contain his laughter and that's very good already."

"What about your daughter? She's been glaring at me since I've walked in and introduced my presence."

"Children stare. That's something I cannot do anything about," Alosrin places his eating utensils down.

Da'an Ryul heaves a long breath, "You should eat more. You're getting thin like a stick."

"It's fine. I don't want to be plumped for anyone."

"Have you considered that it's because you're like that to make children such terrible children?" The Regent smiles to himself, but when he glances to see Alosrin his smile turns into a frown. "Why—what are you smiling about?"

"Why do you care so much that I eat?" Alosrin chuckles softly.

The Regent quickly averts his attention, "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just saying that the children copied your bad attitude."

Alosrin smiles but says nothing to Da'an Ryul and instead, "Let's go study now, children."

Arabret and Niowei stand up and narrow their hateful eyes at Da'an Ryul, "Okay."

And it's only now that Jaufasi's stomach growls.

"Baby." Arabret sighs and asks the maids, "Please bring us some snacks as soon as you can. Thank you."

"Yes, Your Highness," the maids answers with blushed cheeks.

"So you do know how to say please and thank you," the Regent murmurs, and Alosrin and the children leave him to finish breakfast alone.

When they get to the study room, Jaufasi feeds his fish and himself, and Alosrin helps the two older children study.

Niowei crosses her arms and pouts, "I don't like it."

"What don't you like? Isn't mathematics your forte?" Alosrin pulls Niowei's worksheet toward him. "I know that you know how to do these—"

"That's not what I'm mad about mommy," Niowei frowns. "I don't like the Regent and they way he's mean to you."

Arabret looks up as if he also would like to add to Niowei's argument.

"Thank you," Alosrin smiles and pinches their cheeks. "It doesn't matter what he says to me or about you guys. I know who each one of you are and he doesn't."

"Exactly. He doesn't have the right to question you because he doesn't even know us," Arabret balls his fists.

"No. He does have the right to question how I'm caring for you guys. There are things that I'm lacking as a caretaker and having someone like him help me reflect about how I'm caring for you," Alosrin opens Arabret's palms. "He may sound rude and mean but the things he said could help me become a better caretaker for you."

Alosrin pushes Niowei's cheeks to form a smile on her face, "Don't get angry because the things he said are mean. You must keep calm and think about why he might be saying those things. If he's wrong, then ignore him. If he has a chance of being right, we must figure it out and take action."

"Well. Does he have a chance of being right?" Arabret asks meekly.

"Maybe," Alosrin smiles and shrugs his shoulders. "Do you think he might be right about us?"

Arabret and Niowei glance at one another quickly and then shrug their shoulders.

Alosrin chuckles and answers, "I think we're being mean to him and it's my fault. Let's be nice to him even if we don't like him."