Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Percy sat at his desk in Castle Whitestone, trying to sort out some paper work for the Whitestone Council, making sure it was all in order when he heard his wife's voice.

"Percival Fredrickstien von Musel Klossowski ..." Vex was screaming the name at the top of her lungs, in a voice that told him she was pissed beyond measure, and was not going to give absolutely any mercy for the sin that she discovered. Percy held his breath, bracing for her to finish his name. "de Rolo the Fourth, get your ass in here NOW!"

He couldn't help it, he let out a breath of relief, glad it was not him who Vex'ahlia's wrath was toward. In the corner of his office, he saw his son, who had been reading a book cringe then had a look he's seen before, on his own face. "Freddy, you know, running from your mother will make this a thousand times worse."

Freddy, the nickname was coined from his uncle, shook his head. "You can get a thousand times worse than her killing me?"

Oh, if you only knew kiddo. Percy thought. "Kill is a strong word."

In Percy's ear he heard Vex. "Percival, dear, if you see our oldest son, get his happy ass to me right this second, please."

Their earrings from years ago, still kept private conversations between them, and their friends, if they're in town. However they kept this secret from their children until they were older. He discreetly tugged his ear activating the communication and letting his wife know he heard, but couldn't reply to her. "Freddy, what happened? There are only a few things that would cause your mother to be so angry to disturb the peace, and possibly disturb your Aunt Cassandra and Uncle Kynan."

"Why don't you come with him, Dear. However if you laugh when you see this, I swear to The Raven Queen, Pelor AND Sarenrae I will let Trinket eat you for dinner."

Swallowing both a chuckle and cringe from the threat, he stood up. "I'll go with you, Freddy. I have a feeling your mother will be yelling again soon, and it will get worse. Do you remember running after the Trinket incident?"

"Uncle Vax..." Freddy started as his father pushed him in front of him and out of the library.

"I don't doubt Vax put you up to the ribbons and bows, but I know he didn't tell you to hide from his sister. He knows that's poking the bear." Percy looked down at his son, who was the spitting image of his wife, which made him know what Vax looked like at seven years old.

As they walked down the hallway where their family lived, Percy noticed his eldest daughter, Elaina hiding in a door way with pity on her face for her younger brother.Again discreetly Percy tugged on his ear. "Where are we going?"

In perfect unison, both in his ear and in front of him he heard "Your workshop."

Now the anger was making sense. "Percival," He paused for a moment as he always did when he called his son by their given name, it was bizarre for him to say his name without introducing himself or sound like he was speaking in third person. "Did you touch Fenthras, or any of my weapons?" Percy was okay with his past, but he was not exactly forthcoming with guns and how they came about to his children. They still needed a childhood, and not to know their father assisted in breaking the world.

"Not exactly..." Freddy replied.

Before he could ask for clarification, they turned and saw Vex tapping her foot directly in front of his workshop's door. Trinket was lying at her feet looking bored, but alert as he knew his human was agitated.

"Percival, have you told your father what you did yet?"

"No, Momma." He whispered. "Can we just show him? That way I don't have to be eloquent in death."

Vex shot a glare at her husband, with a look that plainly said. "He may look like me, but his morbid sense of humor is definitely yours."

Percy shrugged, and decided to take matters in his own hands, and opened the door. Inside he choked as the smells of Sulphur and black powder and smoke all hit his nose.

"Percival Fredrickstien von Musel Klossowski de Rolo the Fourth, what the hell did you get into here? Tell me now what you mixed so I know if its going to explode."

"They won't, Dad. My books said they are all safe and nothing is flammable."

"Percy, isn't that black powder I smell?" Vex asked, pushing Freddy away from the room.

He nodded at her. "Freddy, this is extremely flammable, and wouldn't be in any of your books." He tried being patient, but thoughts of Victor in Vasselheim's cottage and fingers (or lack there of) and it being his child or wife who could be exploding, his panic was barely covered.

"I thought it was dirt, so I just made mud out of it. I only added water, I swear."

"Actual water, or a clear liquid in any of the jars around this room?" Percy felt bad, he knew he was scaring his son, but he was scared and needed to know as much as he could.

"Dad, I brought the cup with me."

"Okay...Vex take the children outside while I clean this up?" He asked his wife, who nodded, and pushed her son towards the exit.

"Oh, and Freddy, your mom and I will talk about consequences later, however if you want to know what these things do I will show you, so it will be safe and you don't accidently blow up the whole bloody castle."

Chapter Text

He sat on the bed, watching her pack. "Is Trinket going...? He was cut off by his wife's glare. "in the necklace or walking?" He finished, now ignoring her interruption. He knew better than her leaving her best friend.

"Walking, unless I need to choose otherwise, which is why I prefer horse over carriage." Vex'ahlia stated, closing her backpack and grabbing Fenthras to strap to her back. "Okay I think I am ready for the trip to Westrunn. Remember it will be one week, and Pike is coming back with me for Winter's Crest Festival. Everyone else should be here that day as well."
Percy looked at his wife, quizzically. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
"I will kiss you goodbye, right before I leave."
"While I appreciate that, I was talking about the one thing you take on all trips, even as Lady Vex'ahlia, Grand Mistress of the Gray Hunt, ambassador of Whitestone. You take Trinket, Fenthras, and..."
"My broom?" She sighed. "I know, but maybe it's better to leave it this time. It's not like I will ride it, right now."
Percy shrugged as her point sunk in. "I agree, but that hasn't stopped you from taking it before, as an aesthetic. And if you don't take it Pike will realize something is going on."
"Darling, Pike has figured out I was pregnant with every child, before we announced anyway. She will know."
"Fair point."
"Besides, maybe you will want to take it for a joy ride."
"Not bloody likely." He laughed. Vex knew it wasn't a fear of magic, but a distaste for anything he couldn't replicate in his workshop.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Vex was antsy to get home. It was a week into her trip, and she missed the *home* she had in Whitestone. She was sitting in the main room of Pike's home, while Pike finished packing for their trip to Whitestone for Winter's Crest.

Pike walked in "I'm ready Vex."
Vex had heard her walk in, as Pike was in her full armor. "Don't you think you're a bit overdressed, Dear?"
"If I learned anything while we adventured was prepare for anything, and even a journey to Whitestone, can be dangerous. Besides you have Trinket and Fenthras." Pike paused and looked at her friend. "We have a few minutes, why don't you scry before we leave. It will calm your nerves."
Vex laughed. "It's odd to be around anyone but Percy anymore, who can read me that well. Thank you."
As a wedding gift, Keyleth gave both of them each a scrying eye, so that if one was away on Whitestone business, the other could see what was happening, as a calming device. Which went hand in hand with Pike and Grog's gift of gatestones so if something was off they could get to the other as quickly as possible.
Vex unwrapped the scrying eye. She started to concentrate on her husband, then thought better of it. It wasn't Percy's well being nagging at her, well it wasn't that Percival anyway. She concentrated on her eight year old son.
He was in her room, with a familiar object in his hands. He was examining her broom. Moments later the vision ended and Vex was staring at Pike. Instinctively her hand went to the gatestone.
Pike's eyes went concerned, "Do you need to get back now? I can travel by myself, if so."
Vex shook her head, and pushed her fear aside. "No, Percy is there. He can handle this. Freddy was examining my broom. He doesn't know the activation word. It will be fine until this afternoon."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Percy was just outside the castle gate , speaking to Cassandra, Kynan, and a few elders of the town. He was trying to not be on edge, despite knowing his wife would be home later today, as well as all their friends. He was trying his best to concentrate on the conversation at hand, when he heard something that made his blood run cold. His eleven year old daughter, Elaina, screaming at the top of her lungs.

Instantly, he went running for the courtyard, without a thought Animus was in his hand, ready for whatever was after his children. He didn't even notice Cassandra and Kynan, were less than a step behind, both unsheathing daggers.
What seems like days later, but in reality was just a matter of seconds, he found his daughter in hysterics. "Elaina, what is it?"
The girl continued screaming and crying, but now Percy could understand she was screaming her brother's name. He looked in the direction she was staring, and saw the child on the ground still. Cassandra touched his shoulder. "I've got Elaina, Kynan has the younger one's. Go take care of Freddy."
Percy ran to his son, praying to any god who would listen that his son was breathing. "Freddy?" He whispered over the boy, releived to see light breathing.
"Daddy? I think I hurt myself."
Percy let out a relieved laugh, "Yeah buddy, I think you did. What happened?"
"I fell off Mom's broom."
Sure enough several feet away was Vex's broom lifeless. He figured that was the least of his worries at the moment. He checked his son for injuries. Freddy's right arm was at a very bizarre angle, and he the wind knocked out of him, but otherwise seemed okay.
"Well your arm is definitely broken. Let's go inside and see if your Aunt Keyleth, Uncle Vax or Scanlan is here, to fix you up. Mom and Pike will be a bit later."
"Does that mean you won't have to tell Mom what I did."
"Oh, I am not telling her, Percival, you are."
"Dad!" Freddy exclaimed, as his father picked him up and grabbed the broom.
"No, you have to tell her. There is a chance she will be the first healer here, anyway. Either way you will come clean with her."
Percy got Freddy back to the Whitestone Castle Library. He did a make shift sling for his son. "Sit still so you don't hurt your arm worse. I will be back with a healer as soon as I can."
Percy got out of earshot of the room he left his name sake in, and tugged his ear. "Keyleth, Vax, hell Scanlan, is anyone in range yet? Pike? Vex?"
A moment of silence then a deep rumbling voice came through. "I'm here, Percy. Can I help?"
"Grog," Percy replied in a sigh. "Actually, you and I are the only two in our family who can't. I need a healer."
"You're hurt? Was there a fight? That I can handle."
Percy laughed. "No fight. Freddy got hurt, and I need a healer for him."
"Oh. Okay I will let anyone know when I see them."
"Percy, did you say Freddy is hurt? Vax and I just came into range. Where are you?" Percy laughed, nervously to hear his best friend's voice.
"Keyleth, thank the gods, Library please."
There was a quick okay, and radio silence. Percy stared at the broom still in his hand. The seat looked okay, all the mechanics were in place. With a quick look around to make sure no one who didn't know the activation word wasn't around. "Hauk-tooey" he muttered, the Draconian word for candle, and the broom jumped to life again.
"You're picking now to go for a joy ride?" A voice broke through his concentration.
"No, Vax. Although nice to see you, your nephew did take it on a joy ride and fell off it. His arm is broken. The seat and mechanics are fine, so I figured the enchantment broken. I don't know how he fell." Percy explained, more as to berate himself though.
Vax looked at his brother-in-law intensely. "Kiki." he said, looking at his wife quickly.
She nodded. "I will go take care of that arm. He'll be as good as new shortly."
Percy turned to follow Keyleth. Vax put a hand on his shoulder.
"Percival, you and I are staying out here while she does what she's good at. We're going to talk."
"About what? That I am as terrible father and blacksmith as I am a person. I really don't need that conversation, I am already having it."
"That's the problem, Percy. No one else thinks you're terrible. Your eight year old fell off a broom, which I am guessing as I know my twin and you, he didn't have permission to be around. Especially with Vex out of town."
"The seat should have kept him from falling, Vax. I was damn careful making it, and I maintain it all the time."
"Percival! You made that seat for a adult half elf, not an eight year old, or a gnome. You do realize there is a good chance Pike or Scanlan would have fallen off of it as
well, right? Would you beating yourself up then?"
"For Pike I would, Scanlan? Maybe." He joked. "And Vax, even if what you said is true, Vex is not going to see it that way."
"I'm not going to see what, in what way? And oh good you caught Freddy with the broom and took it away." Vex said seeing her brother and husband in the hallway.
Keyleth walked out of the library. "Freddy's arm is as good as new, but it was a pretty heavy healing spell he will probably need a nap before dinner."
"What the hell?" Vex questioned, looking between the three others in front of her.
"Keyleth and I need to go unpack. We'll see you at dinner. " Vax said, kissing his sister's cheek and pulling his wife out of the hall.
"Percival..."
Percy shook his head. "One more person needs to be in this discussion." He stated pulling her into the library.
"Percival, your mother is home, and heard Aunt Keyleth say you were healed. Why don't you tell her what happened?"
Freddy looked between his parents, frightened to even explain.
"You fell off my broom, didn't you?" Vex asked.
"How did you know?" Both Percy and Freddy asked.
"It's in your dad's hand, and a arm healed. I connected the dots. One question, Freddy, how did you know how to get it to fly?"
"I didn't. I was looking at it this morning, and checking out all the enchantments, they're in Draconic, so I said it aloud, and it started flying. I didn't know it would
happen, I said the elven phrase and it didn't work. I thought it was a design."
"Okay, well I am thinking injury is enough of a punishment. Keyleth said you need to go lie down, so why don't you go do that, while I settle in." Vex told her son with a kiss on the cheek.
"Before you do, Freddy, go find your sister, you gave her quite a scare. She needs to know you are alive." Percy added, as their son left. "Welcome back to the crazy." He greeted his wife.
"Thanks. What were you and Vax talking about when I came in?"
"You blaming me for the accident. I am so sorry, Vex."
"Did you give him the broom and show him how to activate it?"
"Of course not!"
"Then why would I be mad at you? Freddy is absolutely like both of his parents, curious, stubborn, and doesn't give a damn about consequences, until it's too late. Frankly, this was inevitable. I just wish I was here, so you didn't have to search for a healer. Grog was pacing the gate when we arrived. He was a little offended, you said you and him were the only two who couldn't help, although it was true."
"I panicked. I have looked at the broom, nothing seemed to malfunction. He must have fallen off the seat."
Vex looked at him, realizing the problem. "This is not your fault. This is Freddy's fault. And maybe after the festival I will take the broom to Gilmore to get a new enchantment on it. Now lets got check on the kids and enjoy the holiday."