o.0.o.0.o

He heard soft cries, each ending, occasionally with a hiccup or a whine. He slowly lowered the rag, glancing about, then turning.

At first he assumed it was that young servant, Felicia. Damned girl was known for tripping over every other thing and clumsily making mistakes. Quite honestly, he was only checking up on her to make sure there was nothing valuable broken.

Going around the corner, he paused, seeing a head of dark hair over that of light pink, and seeing the girl whom he had to serve, only eight years old, holding her foot, which was bare.

"Lady Esmerée?" he asked. The girl flinched, looking up at him. He leaned around her, and saw a bit of blood dabbing her foot, sprouting from several small cuts, most likely from the glass that littered the floor around her. She looked up at him, tears flowing down her face.

"J-Jakob! I cut my foot!"

"Cut? It looks like you took a dagger to it." Jakob responded. "Where are your shoes?"

"They don't fit anymore." she murmured. Jakob had a feeling she was lying, as he often saw the young princess running about barefoot, despite the lectures of many and new shoes distributed to her every other week. He truly believed the brat had it coming. She lifted her arms up, out to him, still teary-eyed. "I need help, Jakob!"

Jakob blinked, having half the mind to just leave her there, but also knew punishment would ensue should he do that. So despite his disdain for serving the brat, he allowed her to crawl on his back, and piggy-backed her back to her room, so he could properly treat the injured foot.

o.0.o.0.o

Jakob kneeled before the lady he served, her foot resting in his palm as he tried to, as gently as possible, pull out the sharp bits of stone that had gotten caught in the flesh.

He could not help but recall the earlier memory as he did this, when he first came to serve the family about two years ago, and it seems that history was repeating itself.

She was sniffling, having been carried here, sobbing, by her elder brother, Xander. He himself had been dusting the room, making sure every surface was pristine and clean for when she returned, when he eldest prince walked in, cradling his younger sibling. It took only one look for the dutiful, twelve-year-old butler to realize what was wrong.

Lady Esmerée was not wearing proper footwear, and had cut her foot again.

As much as Jakob hated to admit it, this was a normal occasion, happening every other week if not every week. The now ten-year-old girl he served simply refused to wear proper footwear, no matter who lectured her. Himself, Sir Xander, Lady Camilla, Sir Leo… Even the youngest princess at the age of five, Lady Elise, had tried her hand at getting Lady Esmerée to wear shoes.

And sure, the dark-haired princess would wear shoes, but this lasted for a few days, tops, before she was back to running rampant through the hallways, barefoot.

"Lady Esmerée," he sighed, bandaging the hurt limb. "We've been over this."

She pouted.

"I don't like shoes." she whined. "Isn't there a spell or something that can protect them without wearing shoes?"

He sighed, feeling as though he should be irritated with her, but not able to find the will to do so. Lady Esmerée was to kind, to forgiving…

"Do we need to have special shoes crafted for you?" he asked, finally finishing his work. "Do you not like your boots, Lady Esmerée?"

She shrugged, focus now on her bandaged foot, all but her toes securely wrapped. She wiggled her toes a bit, staring at the bandaged foot in disdain. Jakob sighed. She was being stubborn again.

"Is that the problem?"

"I will have new shoes ordered immediately. But please, just wear your slippers, if anything."

She pouted for a moment, then nodded, standing up and bounding across the room, putting on her comfortable slippers reserved for her dancing lessons, then ran out of the room.

o.0.o.0.o

Eight Years Later…

"Isn't this a familiar situation?" Lady Esmerée spoke, a twinge of laugher ton the edge of her words. Jakob sighed, again, wrapping her foot. Even eight years later, she still refused to wear proper footwear, and basically everyone had stopped lecturing her long ago.

It had become an accepted routine. Lady Esmerée wouldn't wear shoes, and either she would hobble up to her tower herself or one of her siblings or one of the servants would help her, each finding him with the same look.

Lady Esmerée was not wearing proper footwear, and had gotten something stuck in her foot again.

The only real difference now was that, instead of being greeted with teary eyes, he was greeted with an embarrassed smile.

He supposed it would be considered an ongoing joke between them as of now, one in which she found funny and he found annoying.

"Unfortunately so." he muttered, shooting her a pointed look. It was very rare that he got annoyed at Lady Esmerée, and though he knew he should be quite used to this by now, he could not help but be irritated by the total lack of self respect. What would she do if the cut was to deep, an an infection followed?

"Are you angry?"

"No." he sighed, standing up fully as the princess stared at her now bandaged foot, wiggling her toes as she always did. "I just don't understand why you refuse to wear your shoes."

"Well, they're-"

"Not to tight nor to big." Jakob said, hating to interrupt his lady, but he assumed this was necessary. "Nor are they 'not your style', or one of them are missing." he gave her a small smile. "You're out of excuses, milady."

A stubborn pout formed on her face before she sighed, crossing her arms.

"You're right." she said, looking down. "I just… don't like shoes…" she trailed off as he crossed the room, recovering her forgotten slippers, then holding them out for her.

"Wear them." he said, knowing it was not within his position or right to order her around, but he was no longer going to stand around and allow her to risk her pain. Esmerée, in response, opened her mouth, then narrowed her gaze.

"No."

"Milady, don't be stubborn."

"No."

She stood.

"Lady Esmerée-" he began, only for her to bolt out of the room. He ran after her, still holding her shoes, only to hear a crash and a squeal of pain.

"Ow! It's in my other foot!"

Jakob let out a huff of frustration.

"Lady Esmerée!"

o.0.o.0.o

A piercing wail echoed throughout the castle walls. Jakob sighed, moving away from cooking dinner and leaving his eldest son, Deere, to his own devices. Though young, Jakob trusted Deere just fine in the kitchen.

Following the wails, he found his youngest son, Kanna, sitting there, holding his foot, blood dribbling from the cut.

"Daddy, I cut my foot!" he cried out, holding up his arms. "I need help, Daddy!"

Jakob sighed, smiling gently, then lifting the boy from the floor. Passing the kitchen again, he called to Deere, handling the dinner brilliantly.

"Deere, don't let your mother near the west wing, there's broken glass." Deere glanced up for just a moment, then rolled his eyes, knowing the stories of his mother when they were younger.

"Yes, Father."

Jakob continued, Kanna now sniffling. He turned the corner, seeing Kanna's twin, Kaida, running rampant down the hall with her mother chasing after her. He whipped around.

"Deere, your sister!" he exclaimed. Deere immediately darted out of the kitchen, snatching up the smaller girl, much to her disdain. Esmerée sighed in relief, going back to pulling the girls hair out her face while Deere went back to handle dinner.

Jakob continued back to the first aid kit, caring for Kanna's foot, when another cry echoed throughout the house.

"Ow!"

"Oh no!"

A piercing wail.

"Daddy!" a little girls voice cried out, followed by sobs. "Daddy, Mama cut her foot!"

"Father…" Jakob turned to the apathetic voice of Deere, who was already used the the shenanigans that seemed to follow the family everywhere. "Kaida's crying and Mom cut herself. Again."

Jakob sighed alongside his eldest son, then stood.

"Kanna, stay with your brother."

o.0.o.0.o

I don't know what spurred me to write this. Probably the looming date of Fire Emblem Fates and the humoring thought of bare-footed troubles that seems to follow the avatar through to the next generation.

Name time!

Esmerée is the avatars Nohrian name. I think that, on both routes, the avatar would have different names. I mean, really. Who kidnaps a kid only to keep the same name? Anyways, I chose Esmerée because it means "to like, love, and respect", which seems fitting for a princess, but also has a story to it. In the Arthurian romance, Blonde Esmeree, Queen of Wales, was turned into a serpent by the wizard Mabon and his brother Evrain. And although the avatar is not a queen nor is she spelled to turn into a serpent, she is royalty, and she can turn into a dragon.

So, yeah.

Also, Kaida is the female Kanna. Kaida is a japanese name meaning "little dragon". Enough said. I just think twin Morgan's and twin Kanna's are so cute! It's like "who's the most adorable son/daughter?".

Anyways, a little preview for Fates.

Amy47101 signing off! ^.^