Teo's Daughter

Chapter 1

Teo had been pacing in the waiting room, how long he wasn't sure. It felt like days. One of the docter's students, too young to help with patients yet, had tried to offer him something to eat, but Teo's stomach was too knotted up with worry. His own father had had two sons die shortly after birth before Teo had been born. What if the same happened?

The birthing room door opened and the docter stepped out. "Sir Teo, you are the father of a baby girl."

Teo smiled with relief. But the docter was not finished speaking. "Your wife did not survive the birth. I'm very sorry."

Teo's eyes widened. "Sel?" He ran into the birthing room to see with his own eyes. "Sel!"

* * *

Gremio noticed, as he stirred supper, that the McDohl house was very quiet. Too quiet to mean anything but trouble. He peeked out into the hall, but didn't hear or see anyone. "Young Mistress?" he called. "Ted?"

There was no answer. Of all the days for Cleo and Pahn to have off! Gremio couldn't very well cook supper and keep track of two small children at the same time!

Gremio ran to the front door and looked out. Where could they be? He heard laughter coming from the direction of the fountain. Gremio followed the sound and when he found them, he was horrified.

Both children had water splashed all over them and their clothes. Kaya's hand darted into the fountain water again.

Not again! "Young Mistress!" Gremio said with distress.

She sheepishly turned and looked at him. "Oops."

"I told you two last time that you are not allowed to play in the fountain!"

Ted attempted to hide a laugh. "We were fishing..."

Gremio sighed in exasperation. Fishing in the fountain? By hand? Where did these ideas come from?

He smelled something burning. It was coming from the house. "My stew!" He ran back to the house as fast as his legs could carry him.

Kaya and Ted both laughed as they watched the fussy man run off. Several other people in the square smiled with amusement.

"We should ask your dad for a fishing pole next time he's home," Ted suggested.

Kaya nodded with a grin.

* * *

Teo was tired when he arrived in Gregminster. The War of Succession was finally over and he could be home more than just once a month. The one tradgity of the war was the death of Barbarosa's wife, Claudia. She had been assassinated even as they marched towards the final battle.

Teo sighed. The long war was finally over. Now he could finally get back to his family.

"Daddy?" With sleepy eyes, his daughter stood at the top of the stairs.

Teo smiled. He'd missed so much of her childhood already. "I'm home, honey," he whispered, careful not to wake up anyone else in the house. With Barbarosa setting up the new capital as Gregminster, he shouldn't have to leave often.

He quietly climbed the steps and picked her up. "You should go back to bed now. I'll be here in the morning."

She nodded and yawned sleepily. "I missed you daddy."

"I missed you too." He carried her back to her room, which was shared with Ted, and tucked her in. "Night night," he whispered and kissed her on the forehead. She fell asleep again before he reached the door.

* * *

Kai picked up a staff off the rack and tested the weight. Well balanced... Light... Yes, this staff would do nicely. It was a little too long for the girl, but she would grow into it in no time. He tossed it for her to catch.

Kaya fumbled but recovered quickly, not dropping the staff. She looked at it with wide, curious eyes.

She had good reflexes, he took note. If she had the build, he'd have suggested swordsmanship to Teo. But they'd be hard pressed to find a trainer that would be fair to a female student. The staff would suit her just fine, he decided.

He picked up his own staff and held it in a neutral position. "To use the staff in motion you must first learn how to hold it while still. Match how I hold it and match as closely as you can. I will correct your form."

Kaya nodded and tried to hold it just like he was.

And thus Kaya, daughter of Teo, began her training to fight with a staff.

* * *

Teo removed his reading glasses and rubbed his temples. When he helped Barbarosa assend the throne, he never pictured himself in front of a desk. Of course, at the time he hadn't thought much about what he would be doing in ten years. He'd seen that something needed to be changed, but not how it would end up. He folded four letters and sealed them inside envelopes with wax and his personnal seal.

He took the envelopes downstairs to where Kaya and Ted were playing. They looked up as he entered. "Can you two deliver these letters to Sonya, Kwanda, Kasim, and Milich for me?"

"Sure," piped Kaya.

"Make sure you're home by lunch time or Gremio will have a fit," he said, giving them the envelopes. "I don't want to hear anything about fountain fishing, either."

Both children turned red. "That was a long time ago, dad," Kaya said.

"Yeah," Ted seconded, "Before you got a real fishing pole."

They ran off to deliver the envelopes.

* * *

Kaya was surprised, as always, by General Milich's wardrobe. The time he was wearing a peppermint green blazer, hemmed red cape, rainbow-colored pantaloons, and a triangular hat. At least there was no sign of that body suit... "What can the flower general do for two children such as yourselves," he said with an elagant bow.

"Father told us to give you this," Kaya said, giving him an envelope.

Milich frowned slightly, "I shall be certain to take time for Teo's excellent penmanship."

"Bye!" Ted called as they ran off to the next house.

* * *

At General Kwanda's home, he answered the door and, for the first time, they saw him not wearing his helmet. He had curly blond hair that was not at all intimidating.

Both children tried to not laugh, but their eyes reflected their mirth. Ted gave him the envelope without a word, afraid that if he opened his mouth laughter would come out. As they left, they heard him mutter something to the effect of, "See if I ever set foot outside without that helmet again..."

* * *

It turned out that General Kasim was not at his home when they arrived, but he would be back later in the day. The servant who informed them of that said that he was probably at the training fields at the castle. Rather than walk all the way to the castle and find him, they left the envelope there with the servant to be given to him once he returned. They quickly continued to the last stop before they could get back for lunch.

* * *

Lady Sonya's house was the closest one to the McDohl house. Kaya was in awe of Sonya. She was a beautiful and respected woman, just like Kaya wanted to be some day. That was the reason why she sometimes wished she were learning the sword instead of staff, to be more like Sonya.

"Yes?" Sonya asked when she answered the door.

Kaya couldn't find her voice. Even when Ted elbowed her in the side, she couldn't think of something to say.

Finally Ted spoke up for her. "General Teo told us to give this to you, Lady Sonya," he said, giving her the envelope.

Sonya nodded, glancing at it briefly. "Give him my thanks."

They returned to the McDohl house, Kaya blushing with embarassment for freezing up right in front of Lady Sonya.