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Damen looked wonderful with three little girls in his arms. Eha, Laine and Terje were giggling as they clung to their father's arms and shoulders, playing while Damen was still talking half-formally to the Vaskians. They did leave him be shortly after they brought the kids to him.
The Vaskians were there for the festival celebrating the new kings, and as every year they had the kids with them too. It was supposed to be a special occasion, Halvik only mentioned her idea to Laurent, before proposing it to the father of the kids.
Laurent was not sure what he thought about it. It was something they could not calculate the damage of, until the deed was done. He knew few men rode with the clan but he was not sure a kid would feel happy without his mother and sister at such a young age.
The boy, Koit, the fourth kid that was born nine month after Damen's and Laurent's first visit to Halvik's clan, was bit separated. He was toddling around, wooden figures in his hands, slowly making his way towards Laurent who was sitting on the floor in front of the throne.
Koit was beautifully happy as he reached Laurent. He did have his father's smile. His skin was paler, his eyes bluer, his cheekbones sharper, but the curls of his hair was undeniably Damen's.
The boy, as he sat down in front of Laurent, did what he found the best way to greet anyone. He grabbed a lock of Laurent's hair and pulled it. He smiled wickedly when Laurent turned his head with it.
"It's not a gesture of a gentleman," he said in Vaskian, something Damen still struggled with. Koit giggled and pushed one of his wooden toys into Laurent's face.
"It's you," he waved it in front of his eyes. He seemed proud of it. Laurent did not want to think about how much it made him feel. The small sculpture was without detail, but had shoulder-length hair, a sword and Laurent herald on its chest.
"Who do I fight against?" he asked head indicating the other toy, still clutched by Koit.
"Kastor," he answer enthusiastically. Laurent carefully took the mini-Kastor out of his hand. It had curly hair, a small blade and his own herald.
"He was not such a bad man, you know?" he looked at the boy. Koit pouted, he felt his play ruined. Laurent did not push it. Koit was too young to understand what power made man do. A few years perhaps and he would see it, he would feel it, he would know it. At the moment he seemed like he already forgot it.
"Play with me," the boy raised his Laurent-toy and crashed it against the Kastor-one still in Laurent's hand.
They played. It was pushing and waving, it was story and smiles. Laurent did not know his heart was capable of caring and loving this much. He was distantly aware of Damen and the girls. They were chasing one another at the great hall, Nikandros trying to look professional as the Vaskian women teased him about everything in Veretian with rough and pretty accents. The flush of his cheeks was apparent even on his dark skin.
It was Eha who first dragged them out of their game. She was tired of running with her sisters, she just joined them on the floor, loudly cheering for Laurent. The toy-one, not the human-sized. A few minutes later Damen joined them, two girls in his protective embrace, holding kids like they weighted nothing. Laurent held Koit a few times and he really did weight almost nothing.
"What are you playing?," asked Damen as he sit down, managing not to drop the girls. Laurent wasn't sure they should answer it.
"We are fighting for Vere," answered Koit. Laurent saw the amusement in Damen's eyes, those were easy words he had no problem recognizing. Koit liked to fight for Vere or for Vask. He was imaginative enough to be able to fight for it every day he wanted to play.
"My Lady," a servant arrived talking to Halvik with heavy accent, "your dinner is served," he said bowing, one hand extended towards the balcony. They did not usually eat there, but it provided view to the city below them, an entertainment for the Vaskian delegation. The Vaskians got the message, collecting the hungry - Terje and Laine – and the reluctant - Eha and Koit – kids to feed them something after their long journey.
Laurent stayed behind with Damen who took his hand for a moment, squeezing it, fingers lingering on his hand for a few seconds, before letting go. They were looking at the families, who were trying to figure out the traditional Akielon meals in front of them. Koit was curious, Halvik was frowning.
"Halvik told me, she wants to talk to me," said Damen causally, not even remotely subtle.
"Do you know what she's going to say to you?," Laurent asked voice low, gaze fixed on the balcony. Damen nodded eyes still lingering on the kids and their mothers. "And?"
Damen turned to him, warm smile appearing on his face. "It would solve the heir problem. You said, you do not wish for them to be your blood and only the Veretians are closer to the Veretians in blood than the Vaskians.”
"I'm aware." He felt Damen's searching gaze on him.
"What do you think?" his husband asked and he knew Damen thought he was not satisfied with something. In reality he was just afraid. It would most likely be sealed as a deal at the evening if Koit and her mother did agree to it.
"I have not learnt the ways a-" his breath got caught in his throat, "father should act." He deliberately did not look at Damen, he could feel how he smiled, first slowly, then wide enough for it to look almost childish.
"Don't get your hopes up," he turned to Damen. "I will be real competition for you."
"Of course you will be. You are already Koit's favorite."