Sanguinius: Why the Fuck Is It You?!

"Mother." Guilliman's voice trembled as he gently clasped that aged hand in his own enormous one.

"You look so tired, child." The elderly woman gazed at Guilliman with gentle eyes, her voice full of tenderness. "You always place so many responsibilities upon yourself, and so many people depend on you that they forget you need rest too."

"I am a primarch, my lady. You need not worry about me." Guilliman gave a smile that could almost be called radiant, adjusting the muscles in his face to make himself look a little less weary.

"But you are still a person. You are my child." The old woman spoke with heartache.

Guilliman parted his lips slightly, wanting to say something, but in the end, all his countless words became a single sentence.

"You are right, my lady," Guilliman said softly. "I promise you, I will rest properly."

That brought the faintest smile to the elderly woman's face. She turned to look beside her.

"My lord, won't you come and speak with your child? Look at him, he has grown so haggard."

Guilliman froze at the woman's words, his body nearly going rigid.

"Thalassa. Lady Yuton, he is a ruler. How can a ruler pour out the bitterness in his heart to another man?"

"Even if that man is his father, he cannot. It is a man's pride, and a ruler's pride."

"...Robert, if something is troubling you, you should speak more with Lady Yuton. There is no shame in confiding in your mother."

"Lord Konnor." Guilliman realized who the man standing behind him was.

"...Just call me Father, child." The voice was imposing, yet touched by the weariness of age.

Guilliman turned and looked at the mortal man standing behind him. He was far frailer than Guilliman, and even less comparable to