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“You've brought me a baby.” Viago stated casually.
“NO! No, he's mine.” Esha said quietly, bouncing the bundle of cloth in her arms and cooing softly.
Viago, ever the father figure of the year, nodded. “I wasn't aware you were expecting, Eshari.” His sarcastic tone was not appreciated.
“Viago–”
“I'm not taking them in. If you haven't noticed, Eshari, my hands are quite full. I have my own ‘bundles of joy’ to look after.”
“You say that like you don't love our replacements.”
“Eshari de Riva-”
“Suledin.” Esha quickly corrected. “And don't worry, like I said, he's mine. I just wanted…advice.”
Viago raised an eyebrow and scoffed. “Don't you have your own little two year old? What advice could you possibly need?” As Esha hemmed and hawed, the blanket she'd wrapped around the infant slipped a bit, revealing the wispy white hair adorning his head. “Where did you find him?” His tone switched to harsh so fast it gave Esha whiplash.
“Uhh…I don't see how that's relevant.” Esha said quietly, dodging the question poorly.
Viago came ‘round the desk, standing in front of Esha as he slipped the blanket off the babies head. He stared at the white hair, poking at with his fingers. “More relevant than you know. And you do seem to know, given your reaction. I cannot help you if you refuse to be helped, Esha.”
Esha grumbled as the baby whined softly and wriggled. His eyes opened slowly, revealing the pitch black scleras, and Viago swore under his breath.
“I found him in Arlathan. We take Assan there for walks sometimes. Davrin was busy in Lavendel, so I took Vi and Assan to Arlathan to get some fresh air.” She shushed the poor infant who was starting to fuss. “Poor thing was crying up a storm. Someone left him out in the rain in a hole. He's mostly petered out by now. Fed him, put him in some of Vi's old clothes back at the Lighthouse.”
Viago pinched his nose. “Only you, Eshari. Only you would find an infant exactly like Kalias.” He said, his voice somewhere between amused and annoyed. “So you've come to ask how to handle your very own.”
“No! Well, yes. You dealt with Kal a lot when we were younger, I just wanted to know if there was anything I should look out for?” Esha looked at him with a bit of desperation.
Looking out the window of his office, Viago rolled his eyes. “Other than the narcolepsy, the nudity, the dyslexia, the trigger-happiness, and the inconsolable sex drive? Ask Monello, he has the manual, yes?” Viago strode over to his desk and began to shuffle through his papers. “Are you even sure you want to keep the child?”
On that, there was no question. “Yes.” She stated it firmly without any room for rebuke. “I knew it when I saw him, Viago. I was meant to find him.” She pressed a soft kiss to the baby's forehead, looking smitten with him already.
“I'm sure Kal would gladly-”
“I said no. He's mine. His name is Oakley. Oakley Suledin.”
“Oh for…you already named him?” Esha stuck her tongue out petulantly, and Viago glared. “Did the Warden okay this?”
Esha carefully laid Oakley down on the desk, rewrapping his blanket with utmost care, his tiny hand wrapping around her finger before it was tucked back into the swaddle. “One day you're going to have to address my husband by his name.”
“Not any day soon. And you didn't answer my question.”
Oakley gurgled so adorably, and Esha's harsh gaze at Viago softened. “He and Violet are going to be great siblings. I know Davrin, Viago. He won't say to a poor elven child who was left alone in the woods. Besides, it'll even out the roster. Dav will be happy to have another boy around. Right now he's extremely outmatched.”
“Fine. You want to cause problems, it's on you. I'll tell you all I know, but there's not much when it comes to Kalias.”