He could see her pleased surprise at his temporary gift for her from the comfortable way she stood and the soft look of her face as she studied her reflection in the tapestry of ice. A faint smile tried to pull at his lips, his bright eyes warming with affection. He’d always been considered the Heart of the Taiga, filling it with his endless love as his wife did what she was more experienced in and dealt with the politics. Ex-wife, he reminded himself for what must be the millionth time.
Now, he was barely a shell of his former self.
His heart, his skin, his body were cold. Smiles forced.
And alone. God, so alone.
”Hey, dad,” he heard, already turning to his daughter of fire, his smile growing just the slightest. No, not alone. These two of his daughters had steadied him far more than they probably realized. He needed them far more than they realized. ”I would almost think you picked a favorite,” Jinju teased, briefly pressing her nose into his shoulder. He smiled up at her with a soft chuckle as she pulled back, silently noting the familiar signs of her growing pregnancy. It sent a pang through his heart, but he didn’t let it reach his face.
”I came to meet her, would you introduce us?”
He nodded and followed her gaze to the miniature castle his magic had made for Polaris to play in for the day. She was already there in the carved archway, soft recognition clear in her glassy face. A small frown briefly tightened her expression, before it was gone and she was moving carefully, tinkling forward. He wondered at what had put it there, but his concern was as brief as that flicker of uncertainty. They lived in the moment as best they could. She was content just now, so he was content just now. She paused, though, still a great distance away.
”Do you remember when you were that little,” he asked Jinju, keeping his eyes on the teal, glass princess --a title only for the day, as he was not a king. ”The world had done so much to lose your trust. Had taken so much from you at such a young age.” He had a purpose for bringing it up, for reminding her. It wasn’t a walk down memory lane, though he took many -countless- of those silently in his own time. ”Everything, anything, could be another disappointment to you, could break your heart again.”
She’d been timid and uncertain, mistrusting and afraid of more loss. She’d seemed most comforted under the shelter of his wing and in his steady presence until the world around her had earned her trust for the time being and she would venture out, slowly building up her confidence again over time and practice. Through experience. Until now, here, she was this strong young woman. Fiercely loyal, and protective of those she cared for. Formidable and powerful, dangerous if she so chose to be.
It was much the same for Polaris. She, too, had been abandoned. Had known loss and disappointment at such an early age when there should only be happy memories and smiling faces. He didn’t say it aloud though, knowing Jinju would see where he was going with it. Jinju would understand her little sister’s caution, hesitation. Polaris, like baby Jinju, perhaps couldn’t trust the world yet, hadn’t been given reason to. She only trusted Ruan. She loved her older sister, because he loved her.
"Lay with me and she'll come to you when she's ready," he offered quietly, turning his smile from Polaris to Jinju. "How have you been? How are you feeling?" Setting anymore forest fires, he didn't ask, but the mirth was lighting his eyes regardless.
Now, he was barely a shell of his former self.
His heart, his skin, his body were cold. Smiles forced.
And alone. God, so alone.
”Hey, dad,” he heard, already turning to his daughter of fire, his smile growing just the slightest. No, not alone. These two of his daughters had steadied him far more than they probably realized. He needed them far more than they realized. ”I would almost think you picked a favorite,” Jinju teased, briefly pressing her nose into his shoulder. He smiled up at her with a soft chuckle as she pulled back, silently noting the familiar signs of her growing pregnancy. It sent a pang through his heart, but he didn’t let it reach his face.
”I came to meet her, would you introduce us?”
He nodded and followed her gaze to the miniature castle his magic had made for Polaris to play in for the day. She was already there in the carved archway, soft recognition clear in her glassy face. A small frown briefly tightened her expression, before it was gone and she was moving carefully, tinkling forward. He wondered at what had put it there, but his concern was as brief as that flicker of uncertainty. They lived in the moment as best they could. She was content just now, so he was content just now. She paused, though, still a great distance away.
”Do you remember when you were that little,” he asked Jinju, keeping his eyes on the teal, glass princess --a title only for the day, as he was not a king. ”The world had done so much to lose your trust. Had taken so much from you at such a young age.” He had a purpose for bringing it up, for reminding her. It wasn’t a walk down memory lane, though he took many -countless- of those silently in his own time. ”Everything, anything, could be another disappointment to you, could break your heart again.”
She’d been timid and uncertain, mistrusting and afraid of more loss. She’d seemed most comforted under the shelter of his wing and in his steady presence until the world around her had earned her trust for the time being and she would venture out, slowly building up her confidence again over time and practice. Through experience. Until now, here, she was this strong young woman. Fiercely loyal, and protective of those she cared for. Formidable and powerful, dangerous if she so chose to be.
It was much the same for Polaris. She, too, had been abandoned. Had known loss and disappointment at such an early age when there should only be happy memories and smiling faces. He didn’t say it aloud though, knowing Jinju would see where he was going with it. Jinju would understand her little sister’s caution, hesitation. Polaris, like baby Jinju, perhaps couldn’t trust the world yet, hadn’t been given reason to. She only trusted Ruan. She loved her older sister, because he loved her.
"Lay with me and she'll come to you when she's ready," he offered quietly, turning his smile from Polaris to Jinju. "How have you been? How are you feeling?" Setting anymore forest fires, he didn't ask, but the mirth was lighting his eyes regardless.
