Lynette is five weeks old and she won't stop crying.
Tristan is getting much needed rest, dead asleep in their bedroom while Lancelot bounces their little girl in his arms several rooms away in the lounge area in the royal families apartments so as to not rouse anyone up.
He carefully rocks her in his arms, bouncing her but it does little to help her sobbing. It had been going on an hour now, and Lancelot was exhausted.
"Come on, princess," He groans out as he brushes a hand down her clothed back. "Papa's tired. Aren't you tired too? It's so late."
As if to personally spite him, Lynette suddenly shrills and squirms wildly in his arms and Lancelot jerks just the slightest bit and winces at her shriek. He cusses underneath his breath and reaches up to run a hand down his face. He can practically /feel/ his eyebags.
Minutes or hours later, the doors to the room suddenly open and Lancelot whirls his head around to the entrance as it opens. His magic spikes dangerously in an effort to keep away whoever it was that was entering and protect his daughter; only to relax as he watches his father walk inside and close the doors behind him.
"Rough night?" Ban asks as he waltzes over with a lazy grin and Lancelot's shoulders fall.
"Dad," He murmurs and then glances down at Lynette with a sigh. "Understatement of the century...I don't know what's wrong with her. She won't stop crying. I tried to feed her, she wasn't hungry. Then, I tried to read to her, which she wasn't having. I thought maybe if I just held her for a bit, she'd calm down...it's not really working, though."
"Hm," Ban hums and glances down at his granddaughter as she continues to yowl. If the doors weren't closed, she might've awoken the entire castle with how loud she was.
Then, he raises his arms towards them and Lancelot raises a brow in confusion.
"Let me try?" Ban asks with a tilt of his head. "Let her grandpa give it a go, aye?"
Lancelot eyes him for a moment, a bit skeptical, ever the protective father despite just becoming one barely over a month ago, before he sighs reluctantly and gently hands her over, to which Ban ever so carefully cradles his only granddaughter in his arms.
Lynette continues to cry even as Ban gently guides her down onto his chest and he shushes her softly, clicking his tongue a few times to get her attention and she gazes up at him with the weepiest of blue and purple swirled eyes. The poor thing looked as though someone had horribly wronged her somehow, and that the world was totally against her.
Ban slowly walks over to one of the many couches in the lounge room and then gently plops against one of them, leaning back to get comfortable as he rubs up and down Lynette's back to her from falling. Lancelot follows moments later, looking a little skeptical and confused but takes a seat next to his father nonetheless.
Ban smiles at him wryly, before reaching up to gently cup the back of Lynette's neck and he pinches his fingers around the back of her skull at the base of her spine, squeezing just ever so gently.
"Dad---" Lancelot jerks an arm towards him slightly until suddenly, Lynette's crying quiets, and moments later, stops completely. His hand stills in the air before plopping back down in his lap and Lancelot blinks slowly at the sight of his daughter /finally/ calming down. "...how did you know to do that?" He asks quietly and Ban laughs softly.
"Because," Ban says with a small smile. "I did the exact same thing for you when you were a babe."
Lancelot blinks a couple of more times before he suddenly yawns and slumps back against the couch. He rubs a hand down his face once more and groans as he feels the exhaustion finally hit him right in the stomach as though he were being punched.
"Thank you," He murmurs softly, so to not rouse Lynette who was beginning to fall asleep, finally. "Was worried she'd make herself sick or something..."
"It's no problem, kiddo," Ban replies with a gentle smile as he gazes at his son who yawns again. "Anything for my grandprincess."
Lancelot huffs in amusement before his eyes begin to flutter and his head falls to the side before he jerks back up again. Ban watches, slightly amused as his son tries not to fall asleep right there on the couch beside him.
"You can rest now," Ban says as he reaches over and rests a hand on Lancelot's head. "You've had a long night. I'll watch over her, don't worry."
Lancelot mumbles something before yawning for a final time and nodding. "I know," He murmurs and his head gently falls against his father's shoulder as his eyes flutter shut. "Trust you, dad..." He says, trailing off as his breathing evens and he falls asleep.
Ban leans his head down to kiss his son on the top of his head and brush his free hand through his blonde hair that was so similar to his mother's, the same color of hair that his granddaughter inherited, albeit much lighter. Ban will forever be grateful that his son took on the looks of his mother, will always love that whenever he looks upon his most precious person, the most important thing in his life, that the features of his most beautiful and sweet wife look back at him in the form of his precious son and now absolutely beloved granddaughter.
Ban gently leans his cheek against his son's head of hair and cradles his granddaughter in his arms, being sure to hold Lancelot and Lynette close as they sleep against him, knowing they are safe in his arms forevermore.
And, as Ban closes his eyes, he smiles and drifts off to a peaceful sleep knowing two of the most important beings in his life are sleeping right beside him, in his arms, forever protected and forever loved.
