A Natural Father

Writers: Heather, Suzee
Date Posted: 19th December 2015

Characters: Rethisa, Demir, Allera
Description: Demir and Rethisa bond over their daughter.
Location: Hidden Meadows
Date: month 3, day 1 of Turn 8

Demir

"I think you are a natural, milady." Allera said as she brought a
clean burp cloth over and placed it in Rethisa's outstretched hand.

The new mother beamed at the praise from where she sat reclined in a
cushy chair near the fire. It had been a sevenday since Mirresa was
born and she was feeling well enough to move around her quarters, but
not so bold as to brave the public quite yet.

The front of Rethisa's soft pink gown was unlaced and open, and
Mirresa was happily suckling away for lunch. Rethisa had never
imagined how complete, how perfect, the baby would feel once it
arrived, but everything about Mirresa was perfect. Beautiful and tiny,
the little doll made Rethisa so glad that she had gone through with
the pregnancy. Already she could not imagine life without her
daughter.

The sound of the door opening caused both women to look up. Allera
inclined her head and stood, "Lord Demir," she greeted, "I'll give you
two some privacy." She squeezed Rethisa's shoulder lightly and grabbed
a basket of the baby's things to take out and wash.

Demir watched the maid go and smiled at the picture of maternal grace.
He took a deep breath and went to the chair on the other side of the
fire. "How are you feeling?"

"Tender," and that was putting it mildly, "but it's not so bad when I
look at Mirresa."

He nodded, "I'm sure." Then he looked at the baby in her arms. "She is
beautiful," he said with the ghost of a smile. Then he took a deep
breath. "I haven't been very supportive though I think you know why."
He shook his head and looked at his hands. "Suppose you tell me about
the snow." He looked up at her with serious eyes.

Rethisa tilted her head to the side, not immediately following her
husband's line of thought, "The snow?"

"Yes," he said "Snow, Allera mentioned it when you were in labor.
Walking through snow."

In the whirl of emotions and feelings during labor Rethisa had
completely forgotten about Allera's comment. Now it brought a light
pink tinge to her cheeks. "Oh, that." She readjusted her grip on
Mirresa. "When Verlow sent me away it was on foot. I tried to go in
the general direction of Amber Hills, hoping that I would find a
cothold or farm along the way."

"How far did you walk in the snow," his eyes showed their concern. He
would feel that for anyone who suffered that kind of treatment. He'd
know she'd been married before but not all the circumstances.

"I don't know, I walked for a long, long time." Rethisa's eyes became
a little more distant as she added, "Before he sent me away he made me
watch as he killed my runner. Her name was Shadow in the Wind." She
had kept those memories at bay for a long time, once she had arrived
at Amber Hills blocking out what had happened had been the only way to
keep her sanity.

"Wait," he held up his hand. "He turned you out in winter after
killing your runner?" What kind of monster would do that to any person
unless he planned for her to die. His jaw worked at that. But
amazingly her sadness was over her runner. "I'm sorry," he said. "I
don't understand how anyone could do that to another person.

Rethisa's laugh was mirthless, "Verlow could do unimaginable things to
people." And she had been on the receiving end of most of those
'things'.

"Is Mirresa his..." he didn't finish the sentence and was sorry he'd
let the question out the moment it left his lips.

Her eyes snapped to his and her arms tightened around the baby. "No.
She is not his." Rethisa thought of Pevran, somewhere at Jade Harbor,
not even knowing that he had a daughter.

"Alright then," he said and stood. "One more question. Is another
father going to show up and try to claim her?"

Rethisa's eyes followed Demir's movements, wondering if he was leaving
so soon. "No, he doesn't know." She avoided saying the words "her real
father" because for all intents and purposes, Demir _was_ Mirresa's
real father. If they didn't act that way when they were in private
then it would be too easy to slip up in public.

For the first time a genuine smile lit his eyes. "Good," he said and
held out his hands. "May I hold her?"

"Of course, she needs to be burped." Rethisa used one hand to draw
closed the front of her gown, and then she swaddled Mirresa's blanket
snugly about her little body before extending her to Demir.

There was no hesitancy as he took the babe in his two hands. He was
an uncle after all and although his only child had died unborn with it's
mother he'd 'practiced' with his sister's children. He supported the
head and threw the cloth over his shoulder before lifting her up. A
tiny sigh escaped and he fell in love. Or maybe he let himself fall in
love with the little girl after holding his heart back for so long.
His eyes closed as he patted her back and swayed. "She's mine," he
said softly.

Tears pressed to Rethisa's eyes as she watched Demir with Mirresa. How
had she gotten so lucky to find a man like Demir? Good and kind, so
kind as to keep her and Mirresa even after the way she had manipulated
him. From the expression of adoration on Demir's face when he looked
down at the baby Rethisa had no doubt that her daughter would always
be well taken care of.

He sat on the edge of the bed while he continued to pat the tiny back
until he was rewarded with a decided burp. His eyes widened. "Well
that was most unladylike like Mirresa," he grinned at her mother and
carefully took her from his shoulder to lay back in her mother's arms.

"You're a natural." Rethisa said as she reclaimed her daughter.

He smiled at the baby first and then her mother. "I am going to want
more of these," he said softly.

It wasn't what Rethisa had expected to hear. The words sent a flutter
through her stomach. "Me too." she said, looking up into his eyes.

He leaned in and placed soft lips on hers. "Get some rest," he said
and walked out the door sending her maid back in.

Last updated on the December 21st 2015

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A Natural Father