“He's gorgeous,” Madanach breathed. “Gods, look at him, Nepos, Borkul, get over here, I've got a son!”
There followed several minutes of breathless cooing as the King of the Forsworn, the spymaster of the Forsworn, an Orc who'd killed more people than most people had ever met and a former Thalmor who had been most zealous indeed in hunting down Talos-worshippers all collectively lost it over a tiny baby.
“Hey, boss, looks like he's gonna have human eyes. They're not slanted, look.”
“They don't slant later?”
“No, Madanach, of course not, skull bones don't alter that much! He's got a human face,” Sabrinda sighed. “Well, can't have everything. What?”
“I quite agree, Knight-Paladin, slanted eyes would have been nice, but I'm sure he'll have a lovely personality.”
“... Nepos, did you just imply my son is ugly?”
“What, me? Never, Madanach.”
“Oh, this is gonna be good...”
“Aetherius's sake, what is it with you. Is it a human thing or a man thing, I honestly can't decide...”
“All right, that's it, if you two don't stop disparaging my son, I'm having the pair of you executed.”
“How dare you, I am a Knight-Paladin of Auriel!”
“Oh don't worry, Sabrinda, he's always like this when he's tired. Come on, let's leave the new father to it. He has a baby to dote on, that'll sort him out.”
“I will never understand what Liriel sees in him...”
“Nor do we, my dear, nor do we...”
“My mother-in-law and my steward are ganging up on me, should I be worried?” Madanach asked, glancing up at Borkul. The Orc shook his head, grinning.
“Nah. She'll say something tactless about humans at some point, annoy Nepos but he'll be too diplomatic to say anything and just start managing her instead, which will save you having to do it. I wouldn't worry, boss. Worry about your wife and this little one and let the rest look after itself.”
His wife... Liriel. Madanach reached for her in a panic... and felt her respond. Tired, shattered, sore and weak but there, conscious and there, and Madanach practically sprinted for the bedroom, his baby son who would be named Caradach eventually but not just yet, nestled in his arms, having calmed right down once his father had taken hold of him.
Liriel was propped up in bed, pale and exhausted but breathing. Eola was sitting next to her on the bed, Cicero kneeling by it, both gently stroking her forehead and hand respectively and cooing over her.
“You're gonna be OK, Mama Liriel,” Eola was saying. “You did it, sweetie, you did it, I'm so proud of you.”
“It hurt,” Liriel whispered tearfully. “It hurt so much.”
“I know, cariad, I know,” Eola said softly, kissing her forehead.
“Listener is all right,” Cicero was cooing. “Cicero was worried! But Listener lives and Listener can still listen.”
“I don't think I can move,” Liriel whispered.
“No Listening for you just yet,” Eola scolded. “Nine days of rest, Forsworn style, and then we can think about you getting up and moving about, and then you can start Listening again, hmm?”
“Cicero has set up the Night Mother in the Keep especially!” Cicero cooed, apparently not seeming to quite realise Liriel had just had what sounded like a difficult birth, to put it mildly.
“All right, that is enough,” Keirine said, bundling up bloodstained bed linen and towels for later disposal. “Eola, nieceling, time for you to go to bed, and take your man with you. And thank you. You were invaluable, not sure what I'd have done without you.”
“You would have managed,” Eola said, grinning. “All right, Cicero, we're leaving the new parents to it. Night, Da. Night, Liriel.”
Eola chivvied a squealing Cicero out of the door and Liriel visibly collapsed as soon as they'd gone.
“Thank Sithis that's over with,” Liriel whispered. “Madanach, we are never having another. How in the world does anyone have more than one child?? Humans especially, Mother had a century to get over one before having the next!”
“I couldn't tell you,” Madanach said, smiling as he approached the bed. “Keirine, we're all done, you're clearing the afterbirth out, yes?”
The merest flinch from Keirine, but then she smiled.
“Yes, yes, consider it disposed of. Right, I'm off. Liriel, do not hesitate to call me if you need anything.”
Re: Thicker Than Blood 14.11
There followed several minutes of breathless cooing as the King of the Forsworn, the spymaster of the Forsworn, an Orc who'd killed more people than most people had ever met and a former Thalmor who had been most zealous indeed in hunting down Talos-worshippers all collectively lost it over a tiny baby.
“Hey, boss, looks like he's gonna have human eyes. They're not slanted, look.”
“They don't slant later?”
“No, Madanach, of course not, skull bones don't alter that much! He's got a human face,” Sabrinda sighed. “Well, can't have everything. What?”
“I quite agree, Knight-Paladin, slanted eyes would have been nice, but I'm sure he'll have a lovely personality.”
“... Nepos, did you just imply my son is ugly?”
“What, me? Never, Madanach.”
“Oh, this is gonna be good...”
“Aetherius's sake, what is it with you. Is it a human thing or a man thing, I honestly can't decide...”
“All right, that's it, if you two don't stop disparaging my son, I'm having the pair of you executed.”
“How dare you, I am a Knight-Paladin of Auriel!”
“Oh don't worry, Sabrinda, he's always like this when he's tired. Come on, let's leave the new father to it. He has a baby to dote on, that'll sort him out.”
“I will never understand what Liriel sees in him...”
“Nor do we, my dear, nor do we...”
“My mother-in-law and my steward are ganging up on me, should I be worried?” Madanach asked, glancing up at Borkul. The Orc shook his head, grinning.
“Nah. She'll say something tactless about humans at some point, annoy Nepos but he'll be too diplomatic to say anything and just start managing her instead, which will save you having to do it. I wouldn't worry, boss. Worry about your wife and this little one and let the rest look after itself.”
His wife... Liriel. Madanach reached for her in a panic... and felt her respond. Tired, shattered, sore and weak but there, conscious and there, and Madanach practically sprinted for the bedroom, his baby son who would be named Caradach eventually but not just yet, nestled in his arms, having calmed right down once his father had taken hold of him.
Liriel was propped up in bed, pale and exhausted but breathing. Eola was sitting next to her on the bed, Cicero kneeling by it, both gently stroking her forehead and hand respectively and cooing over her.
“You're gonna be OK, Mama Liriel,” Eola was saying. “You did it, sweetie, you did it, I'm so proud of you.”
“It hurt,” Liriel whispered tearfully. “It hurt so much.”
“I know, cariad, I know,” Eola said softly, kissing her forehead.
“Listener is all right,” Cicero was cooing. “Cicero was worried! But Listener lives and Listener can still listen.”
“I don't think I can move,” Liriel whispered.
“No Listening for you just yet,” Eola scolded. “Nine days of rest, Forsworn style, and then we can think about you getting up and moving about, and then you can start Listening again, hmm?”
“Cicero has set up the Night Mother in the Keep especially!” Cicero cooed, apparently not seeming to quite realise Liriel had just had what sounded like a difficult birth, to put it mildly.
“All right, that is enough,” Keirine said, bundling up bloodstained bed linen and towels for later disposal. “Eola, nieceling, time for you to go to bed, and take your man with you. And thank you. You were invaluable, not sure what I'd have done without you.”
“You would have managed,” Eola said, grinning. “All right, Cicero, we're leaving the new parents to it. Night, Da. Night, Liriel.”
Eola chivvied a squealing Cicero out of the door and Liriel visibly collapsed as soon as they'd gone.
“Thank Sithis that's over with,” Liriel whispered. “Madanach, we are never having another. How in the world does anyone have more than one child?? Humans especially, Mother had a century to get over one before having the next!”
“I couldn't tell you,” Madanach said, smiling as he approached the bed. “Keirine, we're all done, you're clearing the afterbirth out, yes?”
The merest flinch from Keirine, but then she smiled.
“Yes, yes, consider it disposed of. Right, I'm off. Liriel, do not hesitate to call me if you need anything.”