Chapter Text
Rook woke up, stretching in the big bed. Emmrich was already awake, as usual. She wasn’t sure how he could be, given their late night at the party, but she had long since ceased to be surprised by his ability to be up before the sun and somehow manage to be coherent.
She walked over to her wardrobe, opening it and selecting a simple blue shift dress. She laced a dark blue velvet bodice over it, richly embroidered in gold. It had been a gift from Emmrich, and she wanted to look nice for him today.
For my future husband, she reminded herself, grinning. She twisted her gold hair high on her head, securing it with a jeweled clip.
A knock came at the door, followed by a raspy hissing voice. “Rook up? Tea?”
She opened the door, smiling at the skeleton. “I’ll take it downstairs, thank you, Manfred. Is Emmrich home?” She hoped he was. Sometimes in the mornings he would go out to the market or work in the gardens, but she needed to talk to him.
Manfred nodded. “Cooking for Rook.”
Rook raised an eyebrow. This was somewhat unusual. Emmrich cooked very well, but not very often. Usually their breakfasts were just tea, pastries, and fruit.
She made her way down to the kitchen and over to Emmrich. He was standing in front of the cooking fire, stirring something in a pan. When he saw her, his face lit up with a smile. “Darling, just in time. I made your favorite.”
He used a spatula to push the food onto a plate and put it on the small kitchen table for her. She sat down, excited. It really was her favorite, a scramble with eggs, cheese, and peppers. Emmrich only occasionally ate eggs and cheese, and she noticed there was no second portion. “Did you already eat, Em?”
He looked at her sheepishly. “Yes, dear. I had a small breakfast, but I wanted to do something nice for you after our late night.”
She picked up a forkful of the scramble and brought it to her mouth, but then just as quickly put it back down. The smell, usually her favorite, had caused her stomach to turn over uncomfortably. She saw the look of concern that suddenly darkened Emmrich’s face.
“Darling, you’ve gone pale. What’s wrong?”
“Emmrich…I need to talk to you about something.” She turned the chair so that it was facing away from the table, towards him. He took the other chair from the table and set it down, sitting and taking her hand in his. She sniffed, realizing that she wouldn’t be able to hold back the tears.
“Tynna, darling, what has made you so upset?” Emmrich looked so very worried that she couldn’t stand it. Frustrated, she swiped the tears from her eyes.
“I’m not, I don’t know why…” She swallowed. She supposed she did know why. “I’m not upset, Emmrich. I’m pregnant.” She studied his face, trying to gauge his reaction.
His jaw dropped, and he clapped his hand over his mouth. When he removed his hand, his face was stretched into a huge grin. “You are?”
Rook nodded. “I suspected I was, but I wasn’t sure until Taash confirmed it for me last night. Apparently they can smell the hormones, which seems weird, but…” Her babbling was cut off suddenly by Emmrich’s lips, meeting hers in a kiss. “You're happy, I take it?”
Emmrich pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed at the corners of his eyes. “Beyond ecstatic, darling.” He sighed. “Before I met you, I had long since given up on the idea that I could have any of this. You have made my life immeasurably better, Tynna.”
Manfred appeared in the kitchen, noticing the untouched food. “Rook not want?”
Emmrich beamed at the skeleton. “Manfred, there’s going to be a new addition to our family.”
Manfred looked confused. “More nugs?”
Rook laughed. “No, Manfred, I’m going to have a baby.”
Manfred looked even more confused. “How?”
Rook raised an eyebrow to Manfred. “Em?” She wasn't about to try to figure out how to explain this to a spirit of curiosity.
Emmrich didn't seem sure either. “Well, it's…you see, Manfred, when a couple…oh dear.” He sighed, rubbing his brow. “I'll find you a book,” he promised.
“Book!” Manfred hissed as he clapped happily.
Rook laughed. “Maybe you can borrow one of Bellara's serials.”
Emmrich frowned. “Now, my dear, I’m certain I can find something more suitable…”
“Are you sure? Some even have pictures.”
Emmrich sighed, leaning forward to kiss her hand. “I shall have to make a trip to the library, darling, will you be all right here?”
“I’ll be fine, Em. Saved the world, remember?”
He looked like he wanted to object, but then pressed a kiss to the top of her head as he stood up. “I remember, love.” He turned to Manfred. “Let’s go immediately, I will want to stop by the Necropolis as well.” Giving Rook one more kiss, he and the skeleton left the apartment.
Pebble came hopping up to her for morning scritches, and Rook was happy to oblige.
***
When Emmrich and Manfred returned, Manfred wouldn’t look at her and went directly to his room. Rook raised an eyebrow at the sound of the slamming door, and Emmrich sighed deeply. “I think Manfred needs some time to process the information,” he said wearily.
Rook laughed, wrapping her arms around her necromancer. “Should have gone with the serials.”
Emmrich frowned. “It isn’t that, dearest…” He shook his head. “Manfred appears to be experiencing feelings of, well, insecurity and envy.”
“He’s jealous?” Rook thought about it for a second, then sighed. “Of course he is. Oh, Manfred.” The skeleton considered Emmrich and Rook his family. She had been skeptical of him at first, as she had been with all of her future husband’s necromancy, but she thought of him as her child now. Their “firstborn” would obviously have feelings about a new baby. “Should I go talk to him?”
“If you would like, although I do believe that given enough time, he will understand,” Emmrich said patiently.
Just then, the door flew open. Manfred clattered out of his room, handed a folded piece of paper to Rook, and then stormed away again.
Rook opened the paper. It was a drawing of a tall figure with gray hair and purple robes, a shorter figure with gold hair and a scribbled blue dress, and a skeleton standing between them. At the bottom, in a shaky hand, it said “Familee.” Below that, in large letters, it read “NO BABBEE”.
She handed the picture to Emmrich. “He definitely needs more time.”
***
Rook and Emmrich spent several days trying to reassure Manfred that he would always be important to them. Rook thought he was starting to understand, and perhaps even accept the situation.
She was sitting on the couch with Emmrich, both reading, when Manfred came out of his room with a black bag dangling from his skeletal arm. “Hello, Manfred, what do you have there?”
Manfred reached into the bag and pulled out a skull. Rook fought her instinct to pull back in disgust. Living with a necromancer, she had needed to get used to such things being around. “Skull,” Manfred explained, helpfully.
Rook raised an eyebrow. “Yes, that is a skull. Why do you have it?”
Manfred jumped happily. “Skull. For babbee.”
Rook looked at Emmrich. “I think I need some help here, love.”
Emmrich put down his book and looked curiously at Manfred. “What do you mean, Manfred? Why do you have a skull for the baby?”
Manfred tilted his head to the side. “Skull. For babbee. Like Manfred.” He tapped his own skull, and Emmrich let out a sharp laugh.
Rook was still lost. “I’m definitely missing something here,” she said warily.
Emmrich shook his head, but smiled indulgently at the skeleton. “That’s very sweet of you, Manfred, but the baby will be born with their own body. We won’t need to assemble one for them.”
“Oh,” Rook said, finally getting it. She was trying very hard not to be horrified. She knew Manfred meant well. Noticing the disappointed look on the skeleton’s face, she smiled brightly at him. “It is a very nice skull, Manfred. Maybe we can keep it in the nursery for them?”
“We could turn it into a night light,” Emmrich suggested. Manfred clapped happily. “I’ll research enchantments that may work.”
Manfred trundled back to his room, happier than Rook had seen him in days. She turned to Emmrich. “I’m assuming this is a good sign?”
“Most definitely,” Emmrich confirmed. “Somewhat misguided, yes, but it shows a level of acceptance of the situation.”
Rook smiled. “Good,” she said, placing her hand on her belly. “This little one is going to have the best big brother.”