Fanfic Time: My Baby Now (6)

It had been  a bumpy start, learning how to be the surprise single parent of a seven-year-old half-drow with anxiety issues. Whilst also running a bar and doing some Adventuring on the side.

Aldiirn wouldn't eat unless someone -preferably Kosh- tasted it while he watched to prove it wasn't poisoned. This only lowered Kosh's opinion of his former hosts. He refused to call them 'guardians' as they didn't guard him from shit. The kid also had a high degree of separation anxiety, to the point of crawling from his nice warm bed to nestle beside Kosh or sprawl across his lap.

He eventually figured out it was easier to set up his mat beside Aldiirn's cot so the boy could just reach out and touch his reassurance. Aldiirn had witnessed Kosh being ready and willing to fight the world, nearly naked, at fuck-off in the morning and that had left him with a lasting impression.

Two weeks of gentle encouragement got the little boy to open up to the point of carrying on a conversation, and Aldiirn was a smash hit in the Tavern. He'd jam with any local Bards as they blew in and the tip jar had never been fuller.

Aldiirn would still clam up and avoid eye contact with anyone he recognised as female. Reverting to key Underdark survival tactics if anyone pressed that point. The Bards, the staff, and the regulars in the Trollhead recognised this, and more than one had sworn to protect the boy with their lives.

If he wasn't flourishing, yet, he was on his way.

And then the fucking Drow decided to legally sue for custody, on pain of restarting an old war. Evidently, their attempt to kidnap Aldiirn back had been such a ludicrous failure that they had to resort to legal threats and sabre rattling.

On one hand, he got to see the Lady more often, as she came to Cumulous for Druiding Lessons in the interim. And Aldiirn was a lot more comfortable with her since she rescued him.

On the other hand... there was a very real risk that the courts would send Aldiirn back into his former living hell.

It was his turn in the dock. Under a Zone of Truth, and several other spells that compelled him to be honest. Spitebane and the crew were watching from a closer gallery than the Lady. A good thing, too. His brother might recognise her as the 'lost' Marchess Bellarin. That would start another pile of trouble that he didn't want to be buried under.

This was trouble enough.

"Explain to us how you invaded our territory," demanded the Drow advocate.

"I didn't invade, I was captured," said Kosh. "I'd fallen through a weak floor and landed in the water. My only option was to strike out for the shore. It was pitch black, so I didn't have many options."

"And then you dominated our soldiers to steal one of our precious children away."

"Nein, I was clapped in chains and thrown into a room. My only guard for a significant time was der kinder. Who was threatened by one of your soldiers if he fell asleep."

The Drow was incensed. "Your honour, I move to have the Tiefling treated as a hostile witness."

Verdammt right, he was hostile. Kosh held back on growling and baring his teeth. He might frighten Aldiirn, currently safe under a very severe cordon of the City Guard.

"What's the matter?" Kosh taunted. "Are Drow afraid of the truth?"

"I want these spells double-checked. Everyone knows those things can't tell the truth!"

"Then why bother having me up here?" he demanded.

The advocate cast another truth spell. "Why did you steal our precious child from us?"

It had no effect because he'd always been telling the truth. "I saw a half-starved and terrified child. He was unwashed, unfed, and uncared for. His clothes were dirty and torn, he was exhausted... And nobody there cared for him at all. He was clearly neglected, and I had to act."

"You interrupted his training!"

"What kind of training involves criminal neglect?"

"Who do you think you are, telling us how to raise a child?"

Oh fuck. He really wished the advocate hadn't said that. The compelled truth spilled out of him. "I am the Lord Viscount Kormwind Arachis Felbourne Whitekeep, ninth of the name," he began.

The crew, to an Adventurer, yawped, "What?"

"Trueborn and firstborn son of the Earl Valiant Stormwight Hallowfine Whitekeep, and the Countess-consort Emmalaina Velvet Diamante Whitekeep."

There was a shriek from the upper gallery where the Lady had been sitting. An inarticulate noise of shock and awe from Spitebane. His baby brother.

All of his puff titles spilled out of him, and he felt like his world was burning. He finally reached, "...and humble saviour of Voon." He followed it up with, "Thanks a lot, asshole. You just killed me with that question. I barely survived the last assassin, and they were able to get into a Dojo of the Shadow Arts. The next attack is going to fucking splash! It'll hit everyone I love and care for. My crew, my son..." he dared not mention the Lady, who had run off from her perch in the upper gallery. "And my brother. My father's favourite. You wanted to threaten a war with a city state? How do you feel about war with an entire fucking Earldom? And all their allies? And their fucking allies?"

The Drow were very suddenly less assured of their position. The advocate looked to his matriarch, who was very quietly panicking in the middle of her own trained guard. She made a universal gesture that said, how the fuck was I supposed to know about that?

While they were having an urgent deliberation, Kosh turned his attention to Lord Silverhand's advocate. "Any further questions?"

Spitebane, in the Noble's gallery, was repeatedly mouthing, I have a brother, at varying levels of incredulity.

"Oh you have an older brother, Junge."

"Let me pass! I have questions," the Lady squirmed past the guards. Half fury and half righteous indignation.

Even though his hope of loving her was dead and burning to ash, he still felt his heart bend her way. She. Was. Glorious. He couldn't not fall in love with her. He couldn't not be in love with her.

He blurted, "M'lady, your fiancee is in the room."

She snapped, "M'lord, my fiancee is standing in the dock. Step down for a moment, if you please."

"Yes, ma'am," he made it halfway to Aldiirn, with a mind to reassuring his boy, when what was said sunk in. He was poleaxed by those words. His mouth agape in shock.

Aldiirn could see his entire mouth full of sharp!

He clapped his hands over his mouth the instant he realised. Part of him wanted to scream with joy. Another part of him had leaped to the truth - She would rather eat broken glass and chase it with wyvern venom than have anything at all to do with Whitekeep... and he was a Whitekeep.

"I call upon the Mother-Queen Tythanie of Alean Micaror," said the Lady. "Enter the dock and speak the truth before all."

Betrothed or not, she wouldn't want a Whitekeep. She didn't want Spitebane, and she despised Valiant. Why would she want a Tiefling... a monster like him?

And he loved her enough to gift her her own freedom.

Aldiirn pulled one of his hands down to hold and pat it. He'd also heard every word she'd said.

Behind him, the Lady began destroying Alean Micaror.

"Who was responsible for Aldiirn's care and wellbeing?" she asked.

Tythanie stammered, "I would have to consult my records, I do not have that information ready to hand."

"Would you consider any caregivers in your clan to be exemplary at childrearing?"

"Of course they are! We pride ourselves on raising the best warriors that Drowkind have ever known!"

"Then why was Aldiirn starving under your care?"

"Er."

"How did his hair become so matted that it was nearly solid?"

"Uhm."

"Why was he dressed in rags?"

"Now hold on a moment..."

"Why is he afraid of women?"

The Mother-Queen snapped. "Because he's a weak little mongrel and doesn't deserve any coddling! He is blessed to be gifted our hospitality! Every scrap of food he took was stolen from the mouths of more worthy daughters and sons of Lolth! Every minute spent on him is a waste! He is worthy only as meat for the spiders!"

Silence reigned. It practically flooded the room, drowning them all.

"Then why," whispered the Lady, heard by all, "did you risk a war to get him back?"

She was in a Zone of Truth.

Words poured out of her, about how Aldiirn counted for a specific tally that would grant the clan a monetary boon. If they had less children than a very specific number, then the boon would drop by half. Aldiirn was no more than a thumb on those scales.

"I suggest you get breeding," sniped the Lady. "Quickly."

Tythanie scurried back to her gallery with her head down.

"My lord Kormwind," said the Lady.

Kosh reluctantly turned. She was standing in the dock. Inside the Zone of Truth.

"I much liked you as Kochis Shaydden. In fact, I would go with you and raise your son with you. Even if it means having to withstand Spitebane and the Earl Valiant."

"I have to withstand them too," he said, but inside his heart was singing.

Gods.

He was going to have to walk through it with Aldiirn.