"Ambassador Søren!" I hear her calling. Yana. I turn to see her just as she catches up with me.
"Princess Yana, how can I help you." I try to make my tone light and welcoming, trying to sound Fatherly. It doesn't go well. "My Mother wishes to speak with you." I nod. Theodosia is easy ground, "Of course, where is she expecting me?" I try to meet Yana's gaze but she looks away. "Why don't I show you."
We walk for a while in dead silence. I tried to make small talk:
Me: "I heard your speech this morning, I thought it was very...well read."
Yana: "Oh yes...uh, thank you. Ampelio's doing very well."
But it just made her uncomfortable.
She seems scared of me some how. No, not scared. Shameful. Like my very presence makes her embarrassed. Embarrassed to be my daughter. She stops suddenly and gestures to a door, "She's just in there." I nod my thanks but she doesn't see. Eyes fixed on the ground. She turns to leave. "Yana," I say, cautiously. Trying out her name on my tongue. I'm no fool, I know what it means to call her but her first name. I'm your Father. Yana turns to face me wth nervous eyes. "Yes?" I sigh.
"Could we talk in here." I gesture to an empty room next door. She nods.
Once inside I close the door and sigh, "Yana," I say. She looks at me again. She looks so young. "I'm sure you know by now that I am you Father." She looks away,
"Yes."
"And I'm sure you understand why we can't be so public about that." She nods again,
"Yes."
"Look," I say, uncomfortably, "I just wanted to apologise." She frowns,
"Apologise? What for?"
"Not being there for you when you were young. Running off to another country instead of staying and caring for you." I meet her gaze with sad eyes. "I've been a terrible Father to you and." I pause, forcing myself to spit the words out, "its my fault some Astrean's might not accept you." Her eyes widen,
"W-what?" I shrug,
"I'm sorry Yana. I want to be a better person. A better Father." I watch her then. Unsure what to do. Do I hug her or something? Is that what Father's do? My Father never hugged me. The again he didn't do the most terrific job of being a Father, did he. Yana's eyes shine with tears as one escapes down her cheek. I curse myself. Look at you, Søren! Criticizing your Father then making your own daughter cry. "Yana, oh no, I'm so sorry." I take a step towards her but she shakes her head, wiping her tears quickly away. "No, no it's fine," she says, pushing past me to the door, "it's not you fault." And then she disappears out the door. Great.
Nice work 'Ambassador'.
_ _ _ _ _
"Søren!"
"Yes?"
"By Houzzah! Weren't you listening to a single thing I just said!?" Theodosia huffs, crossing her arms. But I can see the pain behind her expression. She worried. "I'm sorry, Theodosia, I was... distracted. Tell me again." She looks at me, concern eating at the edges of her mouth. "Søren has something happened? Whats wrong?" I sigh and her hand snakes up to cup my face, she gently guides my face to look at hers. "Whats wrong Søren?" she repeats, softer now. I kiss her tenderly but she pulls away, eyes still fixed on mine. I'm not getting out of this one. "Fine." I say and pull her into me, my chin resting on her wavy brown hair. "I talked to Yana, today." I feel her intake of breath, the hope and apprehension in her expression without needing to look. "And?" she says, gently pushing me. "And... we talked." I tell her all about what happened, what she said, how she looked. How she cried. Theo's still for a moment, "That's good, Søren. Thats really good progress."
"Right. Sure." I shift uncomfortably. I made her cry, Theo! Even my Father didn't make me cry, at least, not in front of him. Suddenly she stiffens, then breaks from my embrace and looks at me sternly, "I know you going to say." she says, "and its. Not. True." I get up from the sofa and stand with my back to her, unable to see the raw empathy in her eyes. "It is, Theo." I whisper, "I'm worse than the Kaiser." I hear her get up quickly,
"Worse!?" she exclaims, "The Kaiser was a horrid, disgusting villain, who not only enslaved the innocent people of countries like Astrea, but starved them, raped them and kept me captive for ten years of my life!" she's shouting now, furious and hurt and a thousand other emotions. I feel her hand on my shoulder, "He was a monster who didn't love his own son," she says quietly by my shoulder, "and her is nothing like you. Because you love Yana, and Ampelio." Theo's walks around me until she's looking up into my eyes, "and you love me." I take her hand and squeeze it gently. "I do, Theo. I really, really do."
YOU ARE READING
Søren's child (Ash Princess fanfic)
Fanfiction(16 years later) What if Theodosia and Søren had children? Meet Ampelio and Yana. Ampelio is loved as Astrea's heir and his likeness to his Mother. Yana is hated for her Kalovaxian looks and rumoured father, Søren. While Yana tries to come to terms...
