The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 42 - When Awake, Parents *Still* Comfort Your Fears

Chapter 42: Chapter 42 - When Awake, Parents *Still* Comfort Your Fears

"If something can dream, then it certainly should have the potential to produce ones that aren’t pleasant, right?"

Yatrel spoke and adjusted Onya in her arms, as the child had stopped feeding. She gestured for her husband to come over and handed the little bundle with wispy hair that matched hers to him... before quite unhurriedly covering herself. While the mother was unabashed, Qat grew flustered at the sight!

’It looked a lot like that illusion... of what El intends to be like...’

She had been distracted by her other emotions and had failed to *really* consider the event that had been happening when she entered the room. Qatrand had been given to a wet-nurse when her mother died, but she had no memory of that or of being weaned. She also had no personal time or orders to have ever watched it happening through her family.

Despite being unaccustomed, she felt it should have been easy enough to be calm about it when the other party was also treating it as nothing. But the grouping of shapes were burned into her closed eyes... and she couldn’t stop a ballooning feeling that she wished Elua was at her side. Her body tensed again - today was shaping up to be far too emotional for the Yecine and she was beginning to ’want’ something again.

Specifically, to sit in a corner and hug the cute girl that would gladly talk her through things until everything felt better and less confusing again.

"Sorry, dear. That was a bit stimulating for someone your age."

The one partly at fault thought she understood what was wrong. None of their servants ever minded over seeing a peek and the young ’boy’ was soon to be family, so she hadn’t thought carefully ahead.

"No... well, yes. I’m just... having a bad day and miss... I miss your daughter."

Ondua’s smile down at the sleepy looking baby in his arms grew brittle. He had been paying only enough attention to connect ’saw my wife uncovered’ with ’now I want to see your daughter’. He was not about to have-

"I’m sorry to hear that, but I’m also glad that she’s the one you’d like to comfort you. We can’t be complete replacements for her, but please stay a while anyway."

Yatrel quickly spoke and interrupted whatever foolishness her husband was concocting in his brain.

"How about we talk about what it was like raising a child for the first time? It could be a good reference and you’ll get to hear things about your betrothed before you met - from our perspective. What do you think?"

After a few seconds a set of pigeon-blue met the mint that was patiently waiting for her response. The feeling of different-but-familiar struck the tall girl again. The tautness of her shoulders eased a little.

"I would appreciate that. Thank you for... your concern."

After looking away, a wistful smile played on the older woman’s lips.

"You know, Qatrand, I was an orphan. I didn’t have any family to tell me these things, so when we decided to have Elua we had to do a lot of research on our own. That’s why I can tell you that having support is crucial when raising a child. We’ve been fortunate, despite our lack of extended family being present."

The Goltbred father nodded and took a look at the ’young man’. He certainly didn’t think the pair were ready for children, but he was starting to understand that his wife’s aim was different.

"It’s true. Neither of us had family nearby when Elua was born. But we learned that making a family isn’t always about blood ties."

Qatrand tilted her head. She was pretty sure that it was the standard definition of family, but didn’t think pointing it out was the way forward.

"How did you manage?"

"Our household staff became our ’extended family’."

The reddish-blonde woman succinctly answered, before sighing. She knew her husband would eventually be the one to grow closer to the Yecine, as their situations were much more similar. The advice she was working toward would have been helpful to know from the start... but she was still trying to talk to someone who *had* family. It just wasn’t one to rely on for ’loving’ support.

"The head housekeeper was almost like a grandmother to Elua - and our groundskeeper was the doting uncle she never would have had. It was something like that. Everyone looked over her and cared for her."

She continued her explanation and a chuckle tore from the brunette man’s throat.

"I remember when Elua took her first steps. Half the population of our estate was there trying to cheer her on."

Such a scene played in the head of the one listening to them talk. The fiance could imagine how *frustrating* that might have been for her future wife... to know exactly how to walk but not be able to show it easily.

"But it’s not just about having the help, though you *will* want that to keep your sanity. It’s about creating the loving environment for our child that we wanted her to have."

Qatrand nodded at the man, her mind drifting idly to the stark contrast with her own upbringing. There were always people and she did get a kind of care and protection, but there were also heavy expectations and a distinctly felt lack of ’love’. The swordswoman was growing to realize that while approval was what she had always called the thing she sought from her family, she had never even hoped for love.

It was hard to hope for something you didn’t know existed.

"I see. Create the environment... you want for them. And for Onya? Are your servants also her family?"

The doting father stroked the baby’s cheek in his arms before he answered. The eyes that were the same color as his own opened for a moment then shut again.

"That’s right, but for Onya, it’s a bit different. She will also have Elua, of course. And..."

He paused, waiting to meet the Yecine’s eyes with a warm smile. The teenager noted that this one was also actually quite familiar, even though his face was very different from that of a cute girl. It was still very obviously the person El learned it from.

"She also has you too, if you’re willing to spend your time."

The mother stood to her feet and started approaching the ’boy’. Her husband may end up winning the most favor in the end, but she wasn’t going to go down without a fight!

"Ultimately, any relationship is what you make it, Qatrand. Even family. For us, it’s about who you choose to let into your heart and deeper into your life. So, when the time comes for you and Elua, remember that."

The beautiful woman slowly wrapped her soon to be official ’son-in-law’ in a hug, giving ’him’ time to retreat if ’he’ wanted to refuse it. She knew how cagey the Yecines could be about showing affection... but she also knew how much her daughter had been breaking that down with this one.

"Build your family with her, whether it’s through blood, friendship, or loyalty... and remember that you already have us here if we’re needed. Even if it’s just to get away for a while by yourself when you’re overwhelmed."

Qatrand felt like her throat was constricting. It took a few moments to realize it was that she had been influenced by the inclusion in their family circle. The girl had never really thought far ahead about how things would go with this pair of parents after the marriage happened. At best, she figured that she would be tolerated as long as Elua was happy.

While she still thought that was mostly the case, it didn’t change the fact that she was being accepted *right now*.

"I... I’ll remember that. Thank you."

The woman pat her back twice and began to pull away, which is when the tall teenager’s brain short circuited at the thoughts it induced. It centered around the ’soft-press’ of a pair of shapely globes she had just experienced. Qat looked very dazed and ill at ease due to her imagination, which busily produced the sound of flirtatious giggling and a certain shorter brown-haired adult illusion.

At least until her hand clenched tight... as she vowed that she would have to grip the devilish girl’s forehead once for every time that purposely implanted seduction reared its head!

"If you’re uncomfortable with me hugging you, then-"

"No, it’s not... sorry, again. Your daughter just... I *really* miss her."

She really did, but she also really wished she was here for a different purpose than the last time she voiced her longing note toward the girl’s absence.

"You know, Elua was quite something. She took to cultivation like a fish to a lake."

Ondua suddenly beamed with pride and spoke. All the talk about when his eldest was small made him want to brag. His wife also nodded, a fond smile on her face.

"We barely had to teach her anything. It was as if she knew just what to do."

Qatrand’s brow furrowed slightly, wondering if the woman suspected something or if the statement was just innocuous. Her gaze shifted over to not give her concern away and fell on the sleeping Onya. That choice only dribbled into a very different concern. Yet, they had been so good to her today - and really since always - so she did not want to accuse them.

"That’s... impressive. She really always has been smart. But, um, what if... what if Onya doesn’t pick it up as quickly?"

The couple exchanged a knowing glance before Yatrel spoke softly. How could they not know about the pressures of the Yecine family after being friends with Anper?

"Every child is different. We don’t expect Onya to be exactly like Elua."

"Indeed. What matters is that she grows at her own pace, surrounded by love and support."

"But... wouldn’t it be disappointing if she... if she struggled? Or if her progress was slow?"

The swordswoman fidgeted with the cuff of her blazer. She honestly wasn’t sure why she was letting it bother her this much or why she was pressing forward with this. Both parents’ eyes softened further with understanding.

"My dear, a child’s worth isn’t measured by their cultivation speed. We’ll love Onya just the same, whether she becomes an Enchanter at six or sixteen."

"Or not at all. Even if she were to have been unlucky to be born a mortal, she would only have to live as she pleased. Our job as parents is to nurture and support, not to demand or compare."

The Hero of the last Descent declared rather firmly. Qatrand swallowed hard, her proceeding voice barely above a whisper. As the words left her she understood why she had felt the need to keep asking.

"So even if... she can’t meet the expectations of others?"

The parents shared another look, this one tinged with sadness. The ’boy’ was quite clearly fishing about ’his’ own circumstances, afraid that the care they were showing was as conditional as that of the biological family ’he’ came from. Ondua stepped over and placed a gentle hand on ’his’ shoulder while cradling his youngest in one arm.

"Especially then. A child should never feel they’ve failed their parents simply by being themselves."

"We know Anper can be... dutiful and demanding, But that’s not how we see parenting. Or you, for that matter."

Yatrel clearly hedged her phrasing about the child’s father, but Qatrand barely noticed. Her eyes widened, realizing her underlying concern had been transparent. She thought it was only her fiancee that could read her so well! But as she met their warm gazes, ’weight’ lifted once again from her shoulders. She hadn’t even realized she had become tense again.

"I know that... I’m saying this a lot, but... thank you."

For the first time, she felt she understood the difference between a family that prioritized duty when raising a child and one that did so for love.