Two Overbearing Grandparents

His majesty, Perseus Whiteheart, and her majesty, Laliana Whiteheart, often visited us on ‘official business’ whenever they could spare a moment.

Sadly, however, that was only once or twice a year, meaning that their grandchildren often forgot their faces and we had to somewhat awkwardly reintroduce them every time.

However.

“Look, George, it’s grandpa!”

“Yelena! You look so cute in that dress! If you want, grandma will get you more of them.”

They started visiting unofficially which leads us to their now bi-monthly trips here, using the court mage to teleport them both ways. Said mage is currently asleep in our guest bedroom, desperately trying to recover the MP he spent bringing them here.

Teleportation was possible, but expensive to cast and few in the whole world could use it - the brilliant Bartholomeus the Grand was one such wizard, and he suffered greatly at his liege lord’s whim.

At first, I think Yelena really did look forward to seeing her grandmother every other month, until Laliana started using it as an excuse to dress her in an excessive amount of cute clothes. As a result, Yelena went along with her grandmother’s whims for a bit, but then often retreated behind me or Alex whenever she could.

George, though, was at the age when he wanted to be spoiled more and more, and his very wealthy grandfather was more than willing to give him that attention and wealth. He was even ready to have custom armour made for George and a fitting sword, though I refused both.

“Mother, father, please don’t bother the children too much,” Alex said with a slightly weary smile. She too, at first, had been happy to still see her parents so much, but now she was somewhat fed up with them. “Also, mother, we don’t have anywhere near enough wardrobe space for all of those dresses.”

“Then, I’ll have a bigger house constructed next-!”

“Mother.”

“A-Alexandria, it’s not nice to look at your mother so coldly.”

“…If I even hear a rumour about that happening.”

“I won’t do it,” Laliana protested, sulking a little. “I just think it’s a shame that you don’t have the space, is all.”

“We like it here, a lot, mother. Now, Yelena.” Alex bent down to our daughter’s eye level. “You can pick your favourite three dresses to keep, but the rest have to go back with grandma, okay?”

“Okay!”

“Good girl.” She rubbed our daughter’s head affectionately. “Also, George, your father didn’t defeat any demons during the war.”

“Really?” George asked.

“Of course I did, my boy,” Perseus said, thumping his chest with his fist. “I might not be as impressive as your ma or pa, but I did my fair bit.”

Um, when and where was that, your majesty? - as if I could say that!

I sighed internally before smiling warmly at them. “While your mother and I were busy defeating the Demon Lord’s generals and armies, your father was stopping evil people back at home, weren’t you?”

“Yes, the truest and worst sorts of demons you could imagine, George. If it wasn’t for my hard work during that difficult time, the Holy Kingdom of Tythe would’ve sunk into the sea.”

Tythe is in the centre of the continent and far away from the big seas of the world.

Still, it wasn’t a bad feeling, having days like this, though they do sometimes make me a little sad.

I’d always wondered what my family would’ve said when they saw my beautiful wife and kids? Would they have been like this, too?

Well, there was nothing I could do about that, alas.

So, instead, I thought of happier things as Yelena proudly marched over to me in a

brand-new purple dress. She stuck her hands on her hips, raised her chin and asked, “How do I look, daddy?”

“You look like a princess.”

“Really?!”

“Really.”

“Yay! I love you, daddy!”

With a dumb grin on my face, I took my daughter into my arms and pecked her soft cheeks with kisses. She giggled and got embarrassed, before trying to peck mine back.

Why are my kids so cute?!

Is this what it means to be an annoying, overly affectionate parent?

If so, I’m alright with-

Wait!

…I didn’t think about something key.

Her future - when she’s a teenager, when she’s in her rebellious phase.

“I love you, daddy.”

“Huh? Don’t talk to me, dad.”

I think I just heard my heart break in two as my HP hit zero; if I didn’t have Phoenix Lifeline as a skill, I really think I would’ve just died there and then.

“Yelena.”

“Yes?”

“You’ll always love your mother and father, right?”

She enthusiastically nodded and beamed. “Yeah!”

“Please, stay this way forever.”

“Daddy?”

“Nothing.”

We played and talked for most of the rest of the day, only stopping for Alex to make some snacks and tea here and then. Originally, we’d asked if they wanted to stay for dinner too, but there was some urgent business back in Tythe that needed to be addressed.

“I really wish I could say a golden age started with your victory,” Perseus muttered, sipping lightly from a cup of wine he’d asked Alex for. “It should’ve been, by all accounts, yet all that happened was the world went right back to where it had been before the Demon Lord rose to power.” He grunted and rubbed his brow with his free hand. “What a ridiculous thing, hey?”

“…It’s most unfortunate.”

“You can say it how it is, Haruki - it’s awful, through and through. Right now, there’s talks about possible invasions from the south or a famine that could come in the next rainy season as the scholars believe that Oporo has forsaken us, for whatever reason.”

“They didn’t say?”

Perseus shook his head. “…I don’t suppose you’d reconsider my offer, no?”

I didn’t hesitate to turn him down. “I fought my war. I earnt my peace, and my happiness. I won’t fight for anything more than that.”

“Even if the winds of war carry invaders some 20,000 strong here?”

“Then, I’ll defeat them all and send them running.”

“What if they touch Yelena or George?”

“They wouldn’t even realise their heads had been cut from their bodies. Also, we’ve been teaching them magic and swordsman ship since they could walk and talk; they’re not weak, naïve kids - they’ll be strong too, one day, just like their parents.”

“If you came back with us, I could give you a whole palace, servants and soldiers for your every need. Proper instructors and tutors for-”

“Perseus.”

I rarely referred to my father-in-law by name out loud but, when I did, the room would always descend into silence.

Thankfully, the kids were with Laliana outside playing, while Alex finished making our family dinner for the night. Truthfully, Laliana and Perseus should have already left by now, yet they stayed far longer than normal.

Now, I know why.

“Let’s not speak of this again,” I said, rising from my chair. “It was lovely seeing you both, but I’m afraid it’s getting late and the kids are probably starving.”

Perseus smiled wryly at me and stood up too, shaking my outstretched hand. “A pleasure, as always, Haruki. Look after Alexandria and the children.”

“Of course.”