#fesecretsanta

His hands are so frail and small.

Ninian blinks down at her son,  her gaze flicking from where his delicate fingertips grip her own to the back of his head as he tugs her out into the back garden, the cool yet gentle breeze caressing her cheeks while the child increases the pace of his limited strides. Roy's hand clenches hers tighter with a unquestionable ounce of determination, and Ninian finds her own brow creasing as he leads her right through one of the flower beds in his march. Soil worms its way into her shoes and rests uncomfortably against her feet as they trudge through yet another patch of vibrant flowers, leading Ninian to look back regretfully at the damaged golden petals as Roy still pushes further.

"... Roy," she finally murmurs with only the slightest tinge of reproach while her son turns into the path marked by the tall hedges framing the garden's only maze. Her voice is so quiet that she fears perhaps the small boy that leads her won't hear, but after a few more moments of marching relentlessly, her son cocks his head so his sparkling, unclouded blue irises meet her own orange ones as the scenery around them becomes obscured by the green walls of the labyrinth.

"Yes, Mother?" Roy asks carefully, his brow creasing as though he thinks he's done something horribly wrong. Although it was hardly detectable, Ninian quickly finds herself regretting the trace of scorn she had allowed into her tone earlier. She tries to reassure him by gently squeezing his small, delicate fingers, and ends up finding reassurance herself as his frail hands grip hers back.

That shocking sense of comfort is enough to free any sense of concern from her mind as she shakes her head, smiling down at the boy leading her through the maze as she softly replies, "It was nothing. I was just..." She trails off, taking a moment to simply watch her son as he continues to trek forward. He doesn't seem at all lost, and she can't help but wonder if this is the reason he's been excusing himself from meals early as of late. "I was simply wondering where we're going."

"I'm showing you to the end of the maze, Mother," Roy says without a moment's hesitation as they take another turn.

"Ah..." she hums, blinking down at her son. "Is there... Something you wanted to show me, Roy...?"

The half-dragon watches attentively as her son watches furiously but doesn't probe him any further as they continue forward. Instead, she looks to the hedges surrounding them and idly finds herself wondering just how well Roy truly knows the path through here. It's not as though she lacks faith in him, because that is probably the furthest from the truth. It's rather... What if they had taken a wrong turn? Ninian physically shakes her head in an attempt to free her mind of her needless doubts. Roy is clever; despite him only being a child, the manor is already constantly abuzz with boasts of his cunning, and neither Ninian nor Eliwood could be prouder. However, Ninian isn't so prideful that she has forgotten that all people -- never mind children -- make mistakes, and wouldn't be entirely surprised if it were to be revealed that her and her son are actually completely and totally lost.

However, that is not at all the case.

The shift of scenery from the tall, threatening hedges to the wide expanse of space making up the manor's pasture is beyond startling, and Ninian finds that she has to go so far as to rub her eyes in order to be sure she isn't imagining things. Beaming, Roy turns on his heel and eagerly tugs his mother's hands, prompting her to delicately kneel down before him.

"Father says you feel trapped sometimes," the boy explains, and Ninian can't help but smile at the smugness worming its way into her son's tone. The slight change of expression seems to egg him on further as he adds, "I thought maybe, er, you'd like some more space, so..." One of her hands are released as Roy gestures to the paddock stretched before them. "I, uh," he falters, looking back to the half-dragon as hesitation wears on his features. "Is it okay?"

A delicate giggle bubbles from Ninian's throat as she tugs gently on Roy's hand so that she may bring him closer to her. "It's lovely," she reassures the red-head, pressing her lips against his brow. "Thank you, Roy."

Immediately, Roy's grin widens, and his hand clenches hers in return. "Maybe we could bring Father out here for a picnic? Would that... Be okay?"

Ninian doesn't reply immediately, instead pensively taking in the small hands clenching her own. Despite their size, it was these very fingertips that carried her through the maze.

What reliable hands they are.