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Adopting the two hadn't always been in the cards.
Niles felt himself unfit for a father, and even though Corrin never said it himself, he too felt that way. His lack of true father-figure, or any parent really, made him anxious to try and be that to a child.
Let alone two.
The two girls were inseparable. As a two year old would be from her older sister, living abandoned on the street.
Corrin would often go to visit the two alone, usually at night, his kingly duties keeping him trapped indoors most of the time. Twice now, Niles had come with him. But judging by the way the girls' faces lit up seeing him, he'd been by more than a few times.
It was a chilly fall morning, one of Corrin's few days off, when Niles turned over in bed and asked Corrin if he'd like to have a couple of kids.
Corrin said he'd never really thought about it before. Being the second son and not very fit for the throne, he'd never seen a need for children. But now….
Niles reached to Corrin's face, pushing his hair away from his face. Niles understood. They both never thought their lives would go this way.
The king of Valla, a country previously lost to time and an crazed dragon, and his husband.
And then Niles pointed out that if they could bring Valla up to its current status as a stabilizing country, they could probably raise two little girls, living abandoned on the street.
---
They went to work on a pair of empty rooms in the castle. The pair cleaned them, moved in the best furniture they could find, and, after a visit from Camilla, filled them with dolls and play houses and everything the two little girls didn't have.
Ever since they'd made the decision to take in the two, they'd been visiting them together. Baby Kana had yet to say more than 5 words at a time, but her smile was still as bright as the sun.
Nina would always make jabs at Niles, which Niles seemed to enjoy bantering with her. For a five year old, she had a sharp wit.
Finally, when Valla hit a high point, and Corrin had more free time, the two set out to visit the girls again.
They found them hiding in an alley, chewing on what looked to be stale bread. Nina squealed when she saw the men, hiding her half behind her back.
"We definitely didn't steal this bread!" She cried, trying to stand in front of Kana as well. "The baker just gave to us!"
Corrin kneeled down in front of Nina. "We're not here about that, little one. Niles and I just have a question for you and Kana."
"Question?" Kana leaned around Nina.
Corrin looked to Niles. Niles smiled lightly before clearing his throat. "We happen to have a few spare bedrooms, just hanging about, and we were wondering if, perhaps, the two of you would like stay in them?"
Corrin stood up and elbowed Niles in the ribs. The thief shrugged. "What Niles means to say is, we would like if you two would join our family."
Nina's eyes widened. She looked back at Kana who was clutching at her sister's leg. Kana looked up at her, her eyes hopeful.
"Like… adopt us?"
Corrin nodded. "Yes. Like adopting you."
Kana gripped Nina's leg tighter. "Both of us?" Nina asked, laying her hand on her tiny sister's head to comfort her.
Niles glanced over to Corrin. "Of course. We would never split up a family."
Kana let go of Nina's leg to run up to Corrin and Niles. She clutched both of them as hard as her tiny arms could.
Nina was slower. She watched her sister hug the men, obviously wary. But then Niles and Corrin had smiled gently at her and offered her a spot in the hug, and she joined her little sister.
The walk back home, Nina had convinced Niles to let her ride on his shoulders. Kana asked for Corrin to hold her, and she clung to his neck when he did.
"So what do we call you?" Nina asked, pulling on Niles hair.
"Well, whatever makes you comfortable, I guess." Corrin shrugged, shifting Kana to keep her close.
The two year old reached up to pull at Corrin's hair, smiling widely. "Papa!"
Corrin glanced at Niles, a smile threatening to split his face open. "I'm Papa?"
Kana nodded. She pointed to Niles. "Daddy!"
Niles chuckled. "Guess Kana decided that for you, Nina."
Nina huffed.
---
The girls settled into their rooms quickly. Kana immediately latched on to a small knitted dragon plush that Camilla had made during her visit. Nina squealed when she saw the little wooden dolls Niles had found at the market.
The two sat in the floor playing with their new toys, giggling with each other. Corrin and Niles sat behind them, watching the girls play.
"Are you happy?" Niles whispered, glancing over to his husband.
Corrin nodded, his face looking more serene then Niles had ever seen on him. "Of course I am." He leaned his head on Niles' shoulders. "Are you?"
Niles wrapped his arm around Corrin. "Happier then I knew I could be."