Short Story: Mothers & Daughters

“Hup!”

“That’s right, keep it up!”

“Now look… Loop up through the bottom, see?”

“Oh! I got it!”

Elze and Linne were training on the field while Linze and Elna were knitting together off to the side. One might think the two were matched up with the wrong daughter, but things seemed fairly natural. The mothers were twin sisters, after all, so it stood to reason that they’d be very close with each other’s daughters.

When the training finally ended, Linne ran over to Linze and Elze came over to admire Elna’s knitting. It was quite the tender sight.

“Hm… I wonder about this situation, I do…”

“Ack! Where’d you come from?!”

I was looking over at Elze and the others with a smile on my face when Yae suddenly appeared by me out of nowhere. Behind her stood a grinning Hilde and a mostly confused-looking Frei.

Crap… They caught me looking on all sentimental-like!

Frei spoke up, saying something unintentionally mean-spirited.

“What’s the big deal? Father looks at us like that from afar all the time in the future. Sometimes, he even sniffles and cries.”

“What?!”

“He’s always worried about us getting married or leaving the castle, so he quietly keeps an eye on us while fussing to himself. It’s pretty lame.” Man… I clearly have some issues, huh?

I tried to imagine giving my daughters away at the altar, but the thought was just too much for me to handle.

“Ghhh!”

“Good grief… That is just how our husband is, it is… How regrettable.”

“He’s getting ahead of himself, if you ask me.”

My wives couldn’t possibly understand the feeling that burned in my chest… Like it or not, it was something I could only share with Ende… But then I reconsidered, since Allis apparently had a thing for my son…and I didn’t want to invite the guy’s ire so early in the day.

“My daughter will be subjected to this as well, she will…”

“Maybe we should marry her off soon so you can stop worrying.”

“Huh?! But she’s not even born yet, technically! Gimme a break!”

Like hell was I going to let that happen… Our girls were barely women!

“The others and I are seventeen, we are. Sue-dono is thirteen, she is. Is that not soon enough for you?”

Ack! Stop using that against me! That’s not my fault! Ugh… Now I know how the overlord feels about Sakura… This is the worst… Maybe I should treat the poor sap a little better next time I see him.

“I wish my daughter would come here soon, I do…”

“Don’t worry so hard. She’ll come when she’s ready.”

“I am glad that you and Elze-dono can spend time with your daughters, Hilde-dono, but I must confess that I am jealous, I am.”

Hilde seemed a bit bewildered by Yae’s dejected response, so Frei butted in to save the day.

“Uhm… You’re my mother too, you know?! Why not train with me?”

Yae’s eyes suddenly went wide, a little smile overtaking her expression as she reached down to pat the girl on the head.

“You are a lovely girl, Frei.”

“He he he… Thanks…”

“Very well, then! Linne, Frei! I will fight you, I will! Have at thee!”

“H-Huh?! But… I don’t wanna train too haaaaard!”

Before Frei could voice further complaints, Yae grabbed her by the hand and bolted off toward Elze and the others.

“Glad to see her mood improve.”

“Indeed. It doesn’t matter who gave birth to whom. We’re all family here.”

Seeing all my wives and daughters get along so well really swelled my heart up with pride. I couldn’t help but smile…

But it was still too soon for my daughters to get married. I knew that for a fact.