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"Okay, her favorite toy is here, his name is Mr Snufflepaws, do not lose him, she won't settle without him, if she fusses and you can't calm her, try him. She needs feeding every couple of hours, there's a spare bottle in the pantry if you need it, her bedtime is seven thirty, but she needs a nap before that, at about four or she'll fuss. We'll be back sometime after six," Poppy paused barely long enough to take a breath, "She likes talking, just talk nonsense to her, especially if she won't sleep and,"
"Poppy, they'll be fine," Casteel wrapped an arm around her waist, squeezing gently, "It's Kieran,"
"Maybe we shouldn't go,"
"Ouch," Kieran muttered, but smiled, "Go,"
"But-"
"Poppy, go, we'll be fine, I promise. Go and have your day off," Poppy sighed again, not taking her eyes of the small bundle wrapped up in Kieran's arms, "I'll send someone to fetch you if I need to, okay?"
"Okay." Poppy narrowed her eyes, "Did I forget anything?"
"I think you just about covered it. Twice." she frowned at Casteel's chuckle, but relented, "I'm not that bad, right?"
"You're a new Mom, but I have her, go and have a rest, we'll be okay, I promise," Kieran took one step back, and readjusted the Princess in his arms as she wriggled, smiling softly at the tiny, precious child. She opened her eyes to stare up at him, bright golden eyes, overlain with a layer of silver, the eather in her blood already visible even at only a few months old. Even if he hadn't already known that he would fight for her, would protect this child with his life, he would have known then, at the look that was all Poppy, the curiosity with which she stared at him, and the little grin that was all Casteel as she reached out to grab a hold of his shirt. This was what they had fought and died for, a world in which this little Princess would be safe, a world that they could build for her and others like her. She was the future of this world, a world that her parents had been busy building. Tears formed in Kieran's eyes at the memory of the moment that Poppy had revealed her pregnancy to him, the moment when that better world had become a reality.
When he looked back up to bid his friends goodbye, the door was closed, the house empty except for him and little Princess Coralena. This house was new, one Poppy and Casteel had moved into once they'd found out that they were to become parents. Whilst the palace was still in use, this was a better base for raising children, and for babysitting Kieran noted as he carried Coralena to the lounge, to the baby play set that he'd helped Casteel to build, setting her down on the mat.
She squealed in delight and rolled over, reaching out for the dangling toys above her head, not quite managing to grab hold of one, but giggling when they swung and the bells jangled. Kieran grinned watching her, his heart swelling in his chest just when thought it couldn't possibly get any fuller. It wasn't like he'd never looked after babies before, he'd helped bring up both of his sisters after all. he'd always seen his parents happy, full of life, but this time, baby Coralena had made his best friends come alive, had allowed them to step away from the horrors of their pasts. She was the light of their lives, of his life too, she was the proof of what they'd been fighting for for so long, they deserved this, more than anything.
Coralena squealed again, but the toy she'd been reaching for swang out of reach and she wailed in frustration, dragging Kieran out of his thoughts to fetch it back for her, to hold it close and move it away again, until she was once more giggling with delight.
Once she tired of the play set, Kieran sat in front of her, pretending to hide and come back over and over, earning giggles of delight each time. He fetched her her favorite rattle before setting her down for a nap in her crib, and an idea popped into his head. It was almost Casteel's birthday, and Kieran still hadn't gotten him anything, but staring at his goddaughter, Kieran finally knew what to do. He glanced around the room, his eyes landing on an unused notebook, small, but big enough. He hunted around quietly for a pencil and sat at the desk across the room from Coralena's crib. She woke up half an hour later, but was more than content to play on her own, her current favorite being a toy that Kirha had made for her when she was born, bringing a smile to Kieran's face.
The sketch was almost complete, he'd copy it onto a proper canvass later, and fix the numerous little mistakes that had been irritating him. But it was a start, a grinning Poppy holding Coralena, pressed against Casteel's side, his arm around her shoulder, grinning at his wife and daughter. He'd drawn Coralena reaching out to grab her father's finger, staring up at him with that look of curious delight on her face, the look that she'd been wearing most of the day now. Finally satisfied with the sketch, Kieran glanced up at the clock, gods he'd lost track of time, somehow it was almost seven already, and Coralena was less interested in her toys, going quieter and reaching for him more,
"Hungry again are we? C'mon then, Momma left you a bottle, shall we go get it?" Coralena snuggled into him when he scooped her up, wriggling impatiently until he offered her the bottle. She seized it eagerly, holding on to it with both hands as she drank. Once she'd finished she blinked sleepily, and snuggled against him, grabbing onto his shirt as if she was trying to pull a blanket over herself, "Hang on, Cora, your actual blanket will be more comfortable," she wriggled again, and Kieran switched her into one hand whilst grabbing Mr Snufflepaws with the other, chuckling to himself at the way the plush wolven was bigger than the little Princess. But Cora clung on to him, shaking her head when he tried to give her the blanket Poppy had set out, grabbing his shirt again, "Oh, you want Uncle Kieran to shift? Want a wolven cuddle? Hang on then," Kieran set her down on the couch, with Mr Snufflepaws beside her and shifted quickly, bounding up onto the couch beside her and curled around her.
Kieran dimly realized that he hadn't eaten dinner himself as Cora grabbed a handful of his fur, snuggling against him. Oh well, he wasn't moving for a while now, he'd eat later. Still, Cora wasn't sleeping and he gently nudged her side, encouraging her to settle down, carefully pulling her blanket over her as she settled. She liked talking, he couldn't talk now, but perhaps any noise would do, and he huffed gently, trying to move his sides as little as possible. She seemed to like it, especially when he changed the huffs and soft barks to a new pattern.
He was still making soft little noises when the front door opened, and Poppy rushed in, freezing when she saw Kieran curled up on the couch with her daughter. Casteel grinned over her head,
"Royal advisor and glorified pillow," he teased and Kieran narrowed his eyes, but nudged Cora closer when she wriggled away a bit, "She's not going to want to let you go, you know," Kieran huffed in assent, "She fell asleep on me once, and I didn't dare move for four hours,"
"And it was adorable," Poppy injected, "But we'd probably better release him, I'll bet anything he forgot to eat while watching her," as if in answer, Kieran's stomach chose that moment to let out a loud rumble, sending Casteel into a fit of, very quiet, laughter. "C'mon baby, Momma's here, let's get you in your crib now," Cora tried to keep a hold of Kieran's fur, and fussed when it slipped away, "Oh sweetie," Poppy crooned, "We gotta let Uncle Kieran go home, Momma's got you, shall we get Dada to put you to sleep?" She navigated around the toys that had found their way onto the floor, "Cas," she hissed, "Get her to bed." Casteel silently took his daughter, rocking her gently from side to side as she slipped back to sleep in his arms, humming softly to her.
Poppy smiled softly from where she'd perched on the arm of the couch, watching her husband and daughter until they were out of sight,
"Thank you," she murmured, "He needed a break too,"
"I know," Kieran murmured, having taken the opportunity to shift back and slip his shirt back on, "She's perfect,"
"I didn't think I could love any more than I already did," Poppy admitted, "But there she is,"
"There she is," Kieran repeated.