His new year is quiet - spent away from prying eyes as he danced his daughter about the floor in tight, tight circles. She loves music, he can see it already, in the way she closes her eyes and giggles and hums. So much like her mother it hurts. She dances like a clumsy, awkward thing - teetering on legs that are too small and too chubby to hold her weight well - but he knows that wont last.
One day she'll be too tall and beautiful and indipendant to want to dance with her father, so he squanders her time and holds her close, letting her dance on his bare toes as she laughs.
The new year is hope, so then is it not fitting that he spends it here with her? For in her are all his hopes, dreams of old and wishes of tomorrow. His little star. His tiny sun.
Aleethia.
He will make Ivalice brighter for her, he promises her that now. For while he is no hero, he is a man with two good hands. He is a builder, a creator, an architect and he will build a better future for her.
"Has your uncle ever talked to you about patience?"
The question was asked in a dry tone to the young girl as they sat on a thick branch, hidden by wide, bright green leaves. Or rather, the girl was the one who was sitting. Celes's feet were lodged securely into the man-made crevices of the trunk of the tree as the two of them scanned the streets beyond the walls of the estate. She had placed herself to act as a solid net for the young girl as they stood lookout for her father to return.
The girl in question pouted and huffed, shooting Celes a look that gave her a marketed resemblance to her father when he was starting to grow impatient. Or cranky. Or all of the above. "Yes." It was a sullen answer, cluing her in that Gabranth perhaps had done so too often for Aleethia's liking.
Celes sighed, eyes scanning the skies for any sign of Balthier. "It is from my personal experience that things come to you when you least expect it."
That caught her interest. Celes knew it would. When she realized that being around young kids simply involved being their friend first and doing your best to immerse yourself in their world, it became easier to spend time with them and feel comfortable doing os. At just over six and a half years old, Aleethia's attention span was certainly better than it was even a year ago, That was due mostly to age. And Celes certainly sympathized with her restlessness. Her initial recovery from her illness a year and a half past made her wary to be cooped up for too long. "Like the one we played when we watched the airships fly in and out of the aerodome remember? Only this time," she gestured to the people walking up and down the streets in the near distance, oblivious to their watching. "We have people." They really were nestled quite safely inside of the apartments.
"Hmm." Aleethia swung her legs back and forth, and Celes's ever-watchful eyes shot to her movements. "That lady over there with the jewels in her hair."
"I see her." She looked a bit too gaudy. But then again, the elaborate clothes of the Archadian nobility never ceased to astound Celes in their lavishness.
"She," Aleethia proclaimed, "Is going to a party." Aleethia then shot Celes a glance, looking for her to add on.
"She doesn't want to go," Celes supplied. "Not because she doesn't want to go to the party, but she doesn't like the people who will be there."
"Yes," Aleethia nodded her head with interest. "They're too insufferable."
Celes gave a fond, half smile at her plowing through of new vocabulary. "Indeed. Too many of them are stuck up people her in-laws prefer." The woman in question visibly paused along the sidewalk and began tapping her foot irritably.
"She's waiting for someone!" Aleethia declared. "Her husband, and he's late. But he doesn't want to go either."
"He was either held up at work or deliberately buying his time, and he's forgotten he was to meet his wife." Celes agreed.
"Why do people go to things they don't want to go to?" It was abruptly interjected, but Celes didn't mind in the slightest. Aleethia would on occasion ask questions like this as she tried to piece together why adults behaved the way they did. Terra said it was natural for her to do at her age. Luca was very much the same.
Idly, Celes wondered if Aleethia and Luca would get along. They were about the same age. "Because it's often expected of them," she explained quietly. "They might have to attend something in order to keep good standing at their work, or they do it to please someone they love."
"Uncle Setzer said in-laws are a boar."
Celes snorted. "There's only one person that could qualify as an in-law for Setzer, and he's quite friendly with her."
"Does papa have any in-laws?" Keen eyes were fixed onto the street, looking for her father's lean form.
"Well, he may have when he was married to your mother," Celes responded thoughtfully. "Though I don't know who they would be."
"What if he was married to you?"
That question made Celes's breath grow still. Marriage had yet to be spoken of, what with the chaos of the past two and a half years since they had met. Celes didn't mind. She was skittish of marriage, and being with Balthier was what she wanted. "Yes and no, I suppose. I have no family by blood."
"You don't?" Wide eyes turned to look at her. Was Aleethia concerned?
Celes's gaze softened. "You could say your father would have potential in-laws, just not by blood."
Aleethia nodded, her eyes lighting up. Celes chuckled. It seemed children were universally drawn to her. "I met that bandanna man everyone loves when Papa and I went to Figaro the other month," the young girl added. "Is he one?"
"He is," Her lips tugged upward into another half smile. "His name is Locke. And there's Edgar, Sabin, Cyan -"
Aleethia's eyes grew wide again. "Edgar's the King! So is Sabin!" She swung her legs again idly. "Is it like how Papa knows the Queen of Dalmasca?"
"Exactly," Celes nodded. Aleethia was becoming increasingly astute as she grew older. "And of course there's Relm, Setzer -"
"Indeed. And your father regards Uncle Faris as family of his own."
Satisfied, Aleethia's gaze moved back to the street. Then she gasped, eyes lighting up like fireworks. "Papa!"
It's about time. Celes caught Balthier's form just as he slipped inside of the building that housed the Bunansa apartments, carrying, she noted with curiosity, something that looked suspiciously like a baby carrier. And Gabranth followed him inside.
What on -
"Uncle Gabs is with him too," Aleethia bubbled excitedly, and she began to rise, but not before her leg slipped off of the trunk. Celes had anticipated the move seconds before it happened, and her arm whipped out to steady her with lightning reflexes. Slowly, Aleethia moved to a kneeling position.
"That," Celes said slowly, gaze fixed on the young girl, "Is why you are not to climb this tree without direct supervision. And only this tree."
Aleethia cringed, nodding sheepishly as she waited for Celes to lower herself down the steps. There were handles hammered into the tree as well, and she guided Aleethia to them with a steady hand as they gradually began to climb down. As taught, Aleethia was glancing to the ground, and back to the handles, feeling for the next step with her foot. When they both landed on solid ground, Aleethia took off out of the courtyard and into the apartments, Celes following quickly behind her. "Be careful -"
"I know I know!" To her credit, Aleethia slowed down just enough for Celes to catch it before arriving at a halt as Balthier and Gabranth entered.
"-It's bloody ridiculous, who needs five different kinds of rattles to take with them on a trip?"
"They said he's teething," Gabranth sighed, shifting a massive bag on his shoulders. He was almost unrecognizable, as he was out of his uniform. "The boy is certainly not without wants -"
"And Faris wanted to pack everything in a trunk," Balthier scowled. "I am not lugging a bloody trunk up the street -"
"Papa! Uncle Gabs!"
Balthier's rant ceased at the sound of his daughter's excited squeal as she barreled right into him. He made a soft 'oof,' wrapping Aleethia in a brief, but tight one armed embrace before moving to hug Gabranth.
His other arm was preoccupied with carrying a ridiculously elaborate baby carrier, both in appearance and accessories. The child inside however, didn't appear to care. He was busy trying to reach and bat at the four, gold encrusted, mother-of-pearl inlaid toys that resembled a rabbit, a dragon, a ship, and some dice.
When Kefka fell for good, a bet went around among the Returners and their close companions about who would be the first to have a child. Needless to say, no one expected for it to be Setzer and Faris.
Aleethia then crouched and peered over the elaborate workings of the carrier to squint at the baby. "Who is that?"
"His name is Marius," Balthier sighed. "And he will be staying with us for ten days as his parents go on a holiday trip."
The way Aleethia was unsure of what to make of little Marius was comical. She squinted suspiciously at the hanging toys and then back at the seven month old, batting at the dragon. Marius cooed.
Celes glanced over the carrier, the bag on Balthier's back, and the two on both of Gabranth's shoulders. Gesturing for Balthier to set the carrier down, she helped him take the large canvas bag off of him. He winced, grimacing as he rubbed his undoubtedly sore back. Undoubtedly, because Celes was pretty sure there was at least twenty pounds worth of items inside.
Her brows shot up as she made a mental note to herself to persuade Balthier to settle down for a good massage. "What on earth -"
"Clothes." Gabranth supplied dryly. He was as unimpressed as Balthier was with the massive retinue of items they were carrying. "Food and bottles," he held up the bag on his left shoulder. "Books and toys, and records" He held up the bag on the right. Celes blanched.
"And," Balthier drew a rolled up parchment from his pocket, handing it to her. "Instructions."
Celes untied the ribbon, unfurling the parchment and gaping as the end of the list proceeded to end just up to her knees. "This is ridiculous."
"Try telling them that," Balthier grumped, rubbing his back. "Faris wanted us to take a massive trunk. Setzer talked him out of it."
Aleethia gawked at the long parchment before turning back to the seven month old baby, who was temporarily pre-occupied with reaching his legs. "You're a spoiled little thing aren't you?"
She's small within his arms - too small and too wiggly and giggling like the adorable fiend that she is. It's the first time in months that he has had the chance to spend a day with her, others have been spent working, slogging away at papers and classes and guard. Empirical duty is not a thing to be taken lightly and Balthier now finds that his life revolves around it rather than the things that matter most.
"Papa," She coos, a laugh to her voice as she squirms in his hold and he huffs, trying his level best not to drop the mass of four year old trying to escape him. "Papa I want it!"
He turns, as every father must, to look in the direction the rascal has pointed. It's nothing he expects a child to point out - it is neither cake, nor toy. Rather her chubby little finger extends towards the vague outline of a glider.
It's a small thing - the newest prototype from Draklor, and nothing that a child should ever own or be given the reigns of. She'd kill herself (and him) within two seconds flat, but he cannot stop the small swell of kinship that rises in him.
Flying is in her blood.
"Why?" He murmurs, hoisting the girl higher upon his hip. She's so much bigger than she was before and Balthier cannot shake the feeling that time is passing him by with every waking moment spent away from her.
"It's wings." She hums, happily in broken Archadian. "I can fly with you."
It's such a simple statement, so innocent in it's delivery that he is floored. Blinking down at the child so happy in his arms, his brows draw and his heart is pained. She has never flown with him, nor, had he though once, would she ever. She was too precious a thing to be gambled so. But here he gave that idea new though - a sigh drawing from his lungs thick and fast.
He takes her out that night in the Strahl - tethers them high above the city and sings with her as her mother once had, watching the stars come out. And as she falls asleep upon his lap, he pets her hair and strokes her cheek and say's within her mother's tongue 'Happy Birthday, little one'.
