Morgott had just sunk into a large bath, looking forward to the chance to unwind a bit after a stressful week. He leaned back, closing his eyes contently as the warm water seeped into his bones.
It was short lived.
“Papa?” Came a small voice.
Morgott jolted, water sloshing out of the tub. He peered over the edge to see his small son: Maddox. The boy blinked up at him.
“What are you doing?” He asked, stepping on his toes to get closer.
Morgott took a breath to steady himself, sure he had latched the door. “Partaking in a bath.” He answered.
“I’ll help!” The little omen exclaimed excitedly, already pulling off his clothes.
“I am quite practiced in bathing mineself.” Morgott’s words fell on deaf ears as the boy scrambled up the tub side, “Have been successful for some time…”
He sighed as the small one fell into the water, whatever relaxation there was to be had no longer an option. He fished Maddox up to the surface, the boy a fit of giggles.
Morgott leaned back once more, watching as the boy played in the bubbles and splashed about. At least he was getting clean…
“This is fun!” Maddox smiled, clinging to Morgott’s arm to stay above water.
“Aye.” Morgott gave a soft smile, taking a rag to wash behind the little one’s ears.
“Papa.”
“Hm?”
“I gotta pee.”
Morgott scooped up the boy, gently placing him outside the tub.
Maddox dropped to all fours, shaking off like a dog. He send a spray of water and suds all over, before standing to scamper away, leaving sopping foot prints behind.
Morgott read silently in his chair, the glow of the candles and the soft light of the Erdtree illuminated the night enough to see the pages. It was very late, the children put to bed hours ago. He couldn’t bring himself to sleep, however.
Business had taken his little Tarnished away from him once more, and as hopeless as it leads him to sound he was…lonely in her absence. The bed seemed much to large, so he wasted away the hours in a book, waiting for morning.
A sound roused him from the page, a patter of small feet. He glanced up, watching the knob of his heavy door jiggle a bit. From the fumbling he knew he was in no danger.
Finally they got a good hold on it, the door creaking open to reveal his young daughter. She was dangling from the knob, having to hop to turn it properly. Her antics brought a shadow of a smile to his lips for a brief moment before he saw the concern over her young face.
“Mine wee flower?” Morgott hummed.
Matilda let go of the knob, falling back on her feet. She shuffled into the room, clutching the front of her nightdress. She looked down, head tilted forward, cloudy eyes unseeing. “I can’t sleep.” She murmured.
“Ah.” He nodded, knowingly.
“Where is Mama?” Matilda asked, looking at the empty bed.
Morgott shifted a bit to follow the child’s gaze, that feeling in the pit of his stomach returning. “Mine Lady tis away on business, remember?” He asked gently.
“…oh.” Matilda nodded, drooping a bit.
Morgott closed his book, gently setting it on the bedside table, his spectacles soon to follow.
Before he could speak, another small question came from the child. “Do you miss her?” Matilda asked.
There was a pause, emotion threatening the words when they were found, “…aye.”
“I do too.” Matilda nodded, padding up to him.
“Tis just for a day.” He soothed, patting his lap.
The child eagerly climbed up, so small still. Morgott placed a hand around her protectively, feeling her relax into him. He softly stroked her downy wings, their feathers soft under his fingers. Exhaustion started to creep up on him now that his book was abandoned, making the decision to finally rise.
He scooped up his little daughter, easily bringing her over to the bed with him. It wasn’t uncommon to find any of his young children visitors to their bed after a bought of nightmares, so the omen was quite accustomed to not rolling over in his sleep as of late. Morgott laid down, placing Matilda beside him, moving to tuck them both in. The child wiggled a bit as the blanket was placed over her. He heard a big sigh leave the child, now warm and safe.
Just as he started to drift, a small pat woke him back up…sleep would not come so easily. He blinked into the dim light, “Hm?”
“Papa?”
“Matilda?”
There was a pause, the other thinking hard over her thoughts.
“Petra said sometimes people go away forever.” Matilda spoke, the words holding long held in worry, “But not just to a different town, they go away away.”
“Aye.”
“Did anyone go away for you?”
“…”
“Papa?”
“Aye…many.”
She made a sound of acknowledgment, deep in thought as she made herself comfortable in the crook of her father’s arm.
“Do…Do you think we’ll always be together?” Her small voice broke the short silence, an innocent hope and wavering fear ringing true in that simple little question.
Morgott was quite, the question echoing around his heart as he looked up at the ceiling. He hugged the girl closer to his chest, feeling her instantly snuggle into him. An ache was felt deep in him, the words almost not bubbling to the surface. “I hope so.” He managed, not able to look at her in that moment.
He didn’t need to, the child already falling into a peaceful sleep. She murmured a bit, clutching his robes as she drifted.
Morgott swallowed, whispering more to himself as he branded this moment to memory, “…I hope so.”
