Interstellar Beastworld: Raising A Cub With My Mummy System!-Chapter 43: SOME FATHERLY ADVICE

In the study, Alistair settled into a chair near the fireplace. Uriel sat across from him, waiting.

"When you were born," Alistair began, "I was terrified. I had to command armies, negotiated treaties, faced down enemies who wanted me dead. But holding you for the first time, I realized I had never been so afraid in my life. I did not know how to be a father. I had to learn and fast too."

Uriel said nothing, but his posture shifted, listening.

"I learned that being a father means being present. Not just in the room, but present. When you were small, I made time to walk with you in the garden, to answer your questions, to let you sit beside me while I worked. Your mother taught me that. She said a child needs to see their father, not just hear about him from servants."

He paused. "What about you? How do you plan to be present for your son, with the responsibilities you already carry?"

Uriel considered the question. "I have already cleared my schedule for the next two months. The Zephorian situation may change that, but I have told Magus that unless there is an immediate threat, I am not to be disturbed. I want to be here while he is this small. I missed the first hours of his life because I was waiting in corridors while his mother fought to bring him into the world. I will not miss any more."

Alistair nodded slowly. "Good. That is the right instinct."

He leaned forward. "Now, the woman. Taking care of a woman is different from taking care of a child. A child needs you to survive. A woman needs you to see her. When I married your mother, I thought providing for her was enough. A house, security, status. It was not. What she needed was for me to understand that she had left her own world to join mine. She needed me to notice when she was tired, when she was worried, when she was pretending to be fine when she was not."

He looked at his son. "Do you see her? Uriel. Do you see when she is overwhelmed, even when she does not say it?"

Uriel thought about the way Lin Yue had held Auriel after the birth, the way her hands shook when she thought no one was looking.

He thought about the way she had asked to take over the household accounts, not because she wanted power but because she needed something to hold onto in a world that was still unfamiliar.

"She hides it well," he said. "But I see it. She is exhausted, not just from the birth but from everything. She has been here eight days. She has given birth, nearly died, and now she is learning to be a mother in a house full of strangers. She asked to manage the accounts because she needed something she could control."

Alistair’s expression softened. "Then you see her. That is more than half of it. Honestly you’ll never understand women, but you’ll understand the one you love overtime.."

He sat back. "The last thing is balance. You have duties to your family, to your people, to your position. There will be times when those duties pull you in different directions. When you were a child, I spent months away during the last war. I missed your first steps. I missed your first words. Your mother sent me recordings, but it was not the same. I told myself it was necessary, that I was protecting our family by fighting. And I was. But I also missed moments I can never get back."

Uriel was quiet for a moment. "What would you have done differently?"

Alistair exhaled slowly. "I would have found ways to be present even when I could not be there. I would have sent more messages, more recordings. I would have made sure you knew that even when I was gone, I was thinking of you. I would have trusted your mother more with the decisions I thought only I could make." He looked at his son. "You have the advantage of better technology. Use it. And when you are home, be home. Not half here, half elsewhere."

"I will try my best."

"That is all anyone can do." Alistair stood and walked to the window, looking out at the garden. "Your mother was the one who taught me most of this. She was young when we married, younger than Lin Yue. She came from a smaller house, a quieter life. She had to learn to be a queen while learning to be a wife and a mother and idid not always make it easy for her."

He turned back to Uriel. "The woman you have chosen is in a similar position. She is learning to be a mother, learning to live in a world she did not know existed, learning to be part of a family that carries the weight of a kingdom. She will need you to be patient. She will need you to notice when she is struggling. She will need you to be present."

Uriel nodded slowly. "I understand."

"Do you? Because I did not understand when I was your age. I thought love was enough. It is not. Love is the foundation, but what holds a family together is showing up, every day, even when it is hard. Especially when it is hard."

He moved back to his chair and sat down. "The Zephorian situation will demand your attention. It is designed to. They chose this moment because they knew you would be distracted. Do not let them win by being absent when your family needs you. Delegate what you can. Trust your people. And when you are here, be here."

Uriel looked at his father. For the first time in years, he saw not the king but the man who had carried him through the Castle when he was small, who had taught him to ride, who had sat beside him when he was recovering from the venom that had nearly killed him.

"I will," he said. "I promise."

Alistair studied him for a long moment. Then he nodded once, sharply.

"Good. Now, the other matter." His voice shifted to the crisp tone of a king. "The family tree. Your son’s print needs to be added. I expect you to bring him soon."

Uriel almost smiled. "I will."

Alistair stood, and Uriel rose with him. His father placed a hand on his shoulder for a moment, a rare gesture. "You will be a good father, Uriel. You have the makings of one. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise."