Twins

Extra: Duke Eddigton

All my life, I have lived by rules. Under the King I rule my fief and soilders who, under me, do their best to follow the rules I have set up for them. I am both a leader and a follower. It's not anything special to do what I must.

However there are exceptions and lies that make a mess of the straight line I was supposed to be on. A despicable wife who spends money willy nilly, going out to meet random men at night for the first 5 years of our marriage. An apprentice knight who works under a neighboring fief's lord who sets our houses on fire. A king who's clumsy and irresponsible as soon as he has children.

The straight path I one walked on is taking turns that try their best to hammer in the thought that 'I must learn to be flexible'. So I am trying.

I try to get along with my wife. Try to aid the king. Try to assuage the worries of my citizens. Eventually, I did get a small break. The king finally got his life together after learning that he would have more then one child, and sent me off to battle at the borders.

When I came back, I thought I would greeted by a straight life once again. Instead, I got children. My only solace was their white hair, so evidentially they were mine. I'd half expected them to be bastards like the few she aborted secretly. It gave me some relief to know she had not cheated, but if she truly raised them (which I doubted), they would be less then polite.

When I did greet my children, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were not as a expected. Dressed in all white, immaculately clean with proper manners, they looked nothing like the spoiled and vain children I expected.

They were direct twins, almost the same face with only a few tells of their difference. I could tell that my wife had tried her best to make Lukas look exactly like his sister. Their only difference was the color of their eyes and their personality.

Luka with her large, nervous blue eyes reflected the exact purity anyone would want as a wife. She's most definitely be a pawn to be married off in any other family, pampered and precious, treated like a glass doll until they could get rid of at to the highest bidder. Yet, this was something I would not normally bring up. Maybe it was the fact that she was my daughter or that she was so young, yet I couldn't help but pity the fate she would have at the hands of any of my immediate family.

Lukas, opposite to her, looked calm and calculating, ready to step up and protect his sister from any harm. A loyal knight and a good eye. He would make a good knight, was my first thought, and it sparked a sense of pride in me.

At first, I was rather fearful of the children I would have to greet, and yet I now find myself expectant. I hoped for a closer connection with these children, my children, then my parents did for me. This was the first step in becoming a dotting father, just like that shameless king. All I could do now was hope for my sanity as I got closer to these little bundles who had entered my life.

As I got to know them more, I learned of Luka's tomboy nature and rowdiness. Her love for animals and search for fun. She was oblivious and couldn't read the room. She was horrible with faces and if I ever gave her a fiancé, it was likely she wouldn't even remember him.

I also learned of Lukas's lack of stamina, interest in reading, and utter disdain for his mother. He was attached to his sister like she was attached to him. It seemed they would never part. They had learned to form their own opinons of their mother while I was away. I'd also known of Lukas's ability in magic which I had ignored in hopes he would tell me himself. He seemed guarded and I could understand why.

I had left them alone since their birth, and my dead face did not do anything to help.

Luka seemed to have the very same facial muscles. Her eyes told everything for her. She could pull of a bright smile and maybe a frown, but the rest of the time it seemed like she was as still as a statue. She was almost an exact copy of her father and it was adorable!

Even before their debut, I had shown off a few picture of their exploits to my peers. However they'd just laughed at me as I doubt it was as a cute to see a deadpan man gushing about his children as it was for the expressive king. To my subordinates, I had stirred them into a panic with my dotting. Almost everyone of them was recommending their children as a guard to the twins.

It was mostly happiness until I came back home find my wife with another man once more. I had ignored it when I did not have children, but she was the example I had for my children and I could allow it no longer.

She was destined to be pushed away from the estate. Her family had thrown a tantrum and left the fief in protest however their spot was soon filled up. All they did was leave her alone and without support.

I know from where she inheireted her smarts. I'd heard from other ladies that my wife had been complaining about having a boy as it wasn't as he wasn't as nice to dress up and drag around to parties. Some ladies would be glaring daggers at their stomachs for having a girl instead of an heir, yet my wife isn't even smart enough to realize the worth. 

I think it's likely she believes they're just bastards. Most commoners don't know about genes and heiretary  traits. The Marle trade family happen to be the most common of commoners. Our marriage was set up by my grandparents who had always despised their own noble blood. They thought that it was absolutely abhorrent to hold themselves higher then others.

So they chose a commoner family to become the barer of the next family branch, despite all opposition. I do not have qualms against those of lesser blood but I do not dare enjoy the time I spend with my wife. As a commoner, she has no grounding in the life of a noble and the inner workings of it's society. So she throws parties and spends money wildly like she believes all nobility do.

Grandfather was the one to truly set it up. He always believed that Grandmother was from a different world. He used to tell us wild stories about the world she once came from. About how he would have been broken without her. My parents believed him to be delusional.

It wasn't until my daughter grew ears that I stepped into the territory of a believer. It was easy to say that I heartbroken at the thought of my lovely daughter growing up broken and abused. Then sold off to the demons as fate original had foretold. Or that she once lived a different life as a common alley cat. Or that my son was never supposed to exist.

All I can say is that I am thankful for both of them. And that I am glad I remedied the problem before it began. 

For whatever God that has gifted me both son and daughter, I am truly grateful. It seems that a family was the perfect detour on my path of life.

{Author's Note}

Can you tell I was half dying while writing this? My brain is literally dead. Call the grim reaper cause he's late for the pick me up. 

I'm sick. I can't feel half my hand. My eyes are burning cause I keep coughing and sniffling. Dear god, death better hurry the hell up, I'm starting to get tired. Or is heaven more insulting to people from hell then just 'hell'. 

While I writing this, I was watching the most mundane videos and I think it lowered my IQ. I was also surfing on Quotev which contains that most braindead novels you can think of. Wanna read something crappy, just head on over and 90% are just shit shows and lemons. Ugh. I need god. Or death. Just one please, I ain't got the time to deal with too.

Unedited. 1400 words.