To Love, Once Again

Chapter 77

Breakfast had gone quite well after that last pat on Lucien's head from Leo. Though Leo's competitve streak that he had fighting for Sera's affection was still present, it was softer, more relaxed. Leo would still use his adorable looks to attract his Mama's attention, having her feed him by messily smearing tomato sauce over his face, ignoring the disapproving look blaring behind Sera. Bea was upset, for sure. She'd taught him to eat with good manners, using his smaller sized cutlery when Mama came back from fairyland.

When he first began learning to eat on his own, he'd made a huge mess of the floor and table, smeared pie all over his clothes. Bea had excused herself after multiple tries, disappearing as Leo sat happily enjoying the feel of warm pie smushing against his face.

When he'd grown tired of waiting for Bea, Leo had scooched himself off the chair and slid down the leg, to find Bea:

"There is no possibility that I would let my Queen down and let her come back to find the prince with manners no better than an animal!!!"

Brrr. Small shoulders shivered at the sight. Her intensity was too scary.

She'd been giving herself a pep talk in the bathroom mirror, wagging her finger at herself with eyes ablaze. Gulp. And she was looking at Leo with that same look now. 'Wait till I get my hands on you later' Leo knew she was thinking. Another impossibly long lecture was coming sometime today. Even so, he continues to et sloppily, beaming when his Mama wipes off the tomato sauce and gives him a kiss on the cheek. She even leans over to teach him how to hold a spoon, while his father looked on with a blank expression. Leo didn't care. He'd risk a scolding from Bea if it meant he could keep just a little bit of his Mama's attention focused on him and not his father.

--------

The breakfast was finished, and it was time for Lucien to go back to the castle and carry out his judgement, though that was glossed over as his 'duty' when Leo asked about it.

Sera follows Lucien to the door when he gets up to leave. Before he'd left, Lucien had brought out the long wooden box and laid it on the carpet before Leo.

"Fwather?" Leo cocks his head in confusion.

"Here."

"This is for you.....my son."

Leo's face lights up, his eyes crinkling at the corners in the exact same way Sera's did when she was happy. Lucien could feel the muscles of his face relaxing at the sight. "Thank you!"

Lucien carefully sets a heavy hand atop his small son's head. "You are most welcome"

"Ooooooh!!" Even the box itself looked so cool!  Leo's fingers scratch against the sides of the lid, trying to figure out how to open it. But it was too unwieldy for small hands like his to open.

Lucien crouches down and asks his son, whose eyes never leave the box in front of him.
"May I come here to have dinner with you and your mother today?" That makes Leo pause, puffing out his soft round cheeks as he thinks.

A pause.

Leo shifts from one foot to another and begrudgingly replies. "Yes..."

Another soft pat on the head.

"Then I shall see you tonight."

"Mhmmm" Leo doesn't look up, too busy trying to shake the box and guess what was inside.

Lucien knew the small boy didn't want to welcome him whole-heartedly with open arms just yet. But having the young Leo call him Father was a good start.

While Leo excitedly hops about, begging Bea to open the wood box carved with hawks, Sera rests her head against Lucien's shoulder as they walk together to the door, Lucien's arm around her waist.