DAY 563

"Silva! I must admit, I am shocked that it's been so long since I've seen you last!" Raylin makes his way out of the Highbranch estate gardens, arms raised in greeting as his faithful guard Taylim follows after.

"Raylin! I'll admit, I didn't expect that you would be the first to greet me on my arrival, either. It's good to see you, though." The half-elf noble looks entirely unruffled despite her long day of riding, having only just led her horse to the estate stables. A coach had been included in the lady's entourage, but it seems that the diviner chose to use it for luggage transport rather than as a personal carriage.

Her comment does cause Raylin's eyebrow to rise, however. "I, humble mortal that I am, have managed to evade your sight? I'll attempt to use my powers only for good, then. Although you do look somewhat different, if I might say."

Silva's hand gestures towards her face, pointing out the obvious. The enchanted eye which once graced her visage has been replaced, with one...moderately less artificial in appearance. While a sapphire gemstone makes up the iris, the whites appear to be almost porcelain, although Raylin highly doubts the woman would ever put anything so fragile directly into her own face. "A new model, indeed. Our first attempt was powerful, but...perhaps too much so. Certainly for everyday use. The new eye is still based on my magic and Gilda's runecraft, but its features are far less...ambitious."

"Well, it does look lovely on you. Might I escort you to the house?"

The half-elf smirks as Raylin offers her his arm. "I assume you mean to my sister's and not your own? Or are those perhaps one and the same these days?"

Raylin clears his throat as he begins to lead her down the path. "I wouldn't perhaps go that far, my lady. But Gilda and I have been somewhat closer of late. To an extent. The pregnancy has left her..."

"Temperamental." Taylim offers a word to forestall anything more descriptive Raylin may have been reaching for. Silva laughs at the interjection.

"I can imagine. And it's good to see you too, Taylim. You've settled in as manager of the estate's security?"

The Royal Sentinel nods. "Not an overly difficult task, my lady. Local threats are minor, and her lady has not visited the dungeon in months. I do escort Honorable Raylin and some of the others on a challenge once a month or so, however."

The nobleman agrees. "Nothing too pressing, just a few of the easier floors. Good to keep one from getting rusty, after all. How about you? I know you achieved Master rank some time ago, although not since I've seen you. What was your new class again, if I might ask?"

"Certainly - you are speaking to a Lady of Fate. Still only level thirty, as I've had virtually no time for challenging at all up north. Besides, it would feel wrong to have my level become out of sync with my sister's. I've only just done enough to keep up with her, if her letters are correct."

"I'm sure they are." Raylin pauses, and Silva turns to look at him. "Lady Silva, if I might ask...if your skills have grown since we've last met..."

"No need for titles between us at this point, Raylin. But I assume you're asking for a personal divination? Perhaps I might make a few mundane guesses as to the concern...the health of your child? Your relationship with Gilda, perhaps?"

"Honestly, I'd take anything you might be able to give me at this point. Although perhaps I might start with asking if you know how long the pregnancy might last. Between your family's mixed heritage, and my own status as a human...well, the local Bountiful Mother certainly believes it will be soon, quicker than a normal elven pregnancy for certain, but the possible range still seems rather large."

Silva's lips spread wide in a grin. "Raylin, dear Raylin. Why do you think I arrived just now?"

Raylin's brow furrows, but before he can ask another question he's interrupted by a shout and the sound of heavy feet quickly making their way through the gravel. "Lady Silva! It's good that you've arrived! Your timing is - "

Silva turns to interrupt the massive gnoll woman striding their way, garbed in the attire of a servant - although a set likely modified to be able to easily hide daggers under the skirt. "Perfect, I assume. Is that not so, Sweet?"

The large gnoll bows her head. "Indeed, my lady. Your sister's labor has just begun."

"Then take me inside. I will help guide the midwives in their work." Silva turns back to Raylin, a smile still on her face. "You may wish to prepare yourself, Raylin. I do believe you'll be a father soon."

The labor is a long one, although that depends on relative standards. Full elven childbirths can be known to take up to a full week, continuing the trend of elven fertility being ridiculously difficult. It's therefore perhaps a short two and a half days later then that Raylin is interrupted from a doze in an estate sitting room by Gilda's personal bodyguard. "Honorable Raylin. Her lady has called for you."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"She has!?" The man jumps to his feet, sleep falling from his eyes. He had done his best to check in on Gilda around a day or so into the labor but the midwives hadn't even allowed him into Gilda's personal chambers, so for Sweet to be fetching him now is surely an indication of... "Is...has everything gone alright?"

Sweet smiles, revealing a long row of fangs in the process. "As if there were any doubt, with both of our ladies involved in the process. But please, follow me and see for yourself."

The man follows her into Gilda's personal chambers, and finds Silva and most of the midwives sitting in the outer room. Silva's usual smile remains on her face, although even she looks a bit worn out from her duties over the past few days. Raylin is about to ask her some questions but she simply preempts him with a thumbs-up, and tilts her head towards the next door.

There is one final midwife sitting near Gilda's bed when Raylin enters, but as soon as she sees him she stands and makes her exit, leaving her chair for Raylin's use. He quickly takes her place, and only once he's seated does Gilda turn her attention to him from the bundle in her arms. If Silva looked tired, Gilda looks downright exhausted, and the smile on her own face is so faint Raylin almost wonders if he imagined it. While he's reasonably sure everything's gone well, the nobleman would have to admit that he still feels rather nervous until he can confirm things for himself.

"Gilda! You're alright? Is...is everyone healthy?"

"Everyone is just fine, Raylin. Even if I do feel as if I've been run over by a carriage once or twice. Next time, you can bear the child." She catches the glance Raylin sends her, and rolls her eyes. "No, do not take that as any sort of guarantee that there will be a next one. But I'm sure you're here to see what all the fuss was about - here, meet your child."

She hands the bundle over to Raylin, who takes it with the utmost caution before looking at the face he finds. The infant certainly takes after their mother's side of the family, apparently - their ears end in obvious points, and there's already hints of bronze-colored hair. Perhaps a mix of Gilda and Silva's bright pigments? They're asleep, so Raylin lowers his voice as he continues to speak. "They're - beautiful. Do we, ah, are we welcoming a son or a daughter to the world?"

Gilda sighs. "We are welcoming a child."

"...Well, yes, obviously. Am I missing something?"

"Know that our child is quite healthy. That said, the midwives and Silva have determined that while they...mostly have the appearance of a son, that is not the full story. They may develop in...other ways, as they age. Such things happen from time to time, in a variety of ways. What they'll become may be as much a matter of their own choice as anything else."

"Ah, I see...I think." Raylin smiles, despite his confusion. "I suppose they're lucky that they have parents who can afford twice the usual number of toys and outfits, so that they may have a selection. Does that change your thoughts on a name for the child?" The two had discussed it before, but it had always been clear that the ultimate authority on naming their offspring is in Gilda's hands. Raylin is a mere consort, meaning the child is legally a member of the Highbranch house rather than the Perlins, making her voice the only one that matters.

So it is that her response surprises him more than anything else so far. "I have decided on Arlina. Perhaps Arlin or Lina for short, depending on which they prefer, we will see."

Raylin blinks. "You mean, Arlina as in - "

"After your cousin Arlon, yes." Gilda sighs. "It was the conflict between our houses that brought us together, and conflict which ended your cousin's life. I did not know him well, but he seemed like a good man, and...I think I'd rather believe that our encounter is one with a positive legacy, rather than a tragic one."

"I know he would be more than honored to know of your choice, Gilda." She nods and reaches to take back little Arlina, and Raylin carefully hands them over. With his hands now free however, he finds one of them almost impulsively making their way into his pocket.

"Gilda...I know that in some ways this may be a terrible time. And yet, I don't think I could bear to let the moment slip away, either. We've discussed it before, but I must ask again..." Pushing the chair back, Raylin goes down to one knee next to the bed and offers a ring with one hand. "Gilda Highbranch, will you marry me?"

Gilda's face seems impassive, and she seems more focused on the ring itself than she does Raylin's question. It's silver with a purple gem, certainly not toy jewelry from a market vendor, but still a little different than a traditional engagement gift. "...That ring. There's something special about it, isn't there?"

The man nods. "I recovered it myself from Worthy Dungeon, some time ago actually. I've had it identified, and...it's a Ring of Fortune, a powerful one. Whatever its bearer desires most will be sure to come their way, be it riches, good health, loyal friends..." He trails off and shrugs slightly. "It might possibly have reversed effects within the dungeon itself. But outside..."

"Yes, that's...a rare and powerful item. I know of many nobles who have such things, but they're all family heirlooms, cherished throughout the centuries." She turns her attention from the ring to Raylin himself, and sighs. "I rather wish you hadn't offered it to me."

Raylin blinks. "You do? If you wish to turn me down again - "

"Because now people might think I was convinced by a shiny treasure." Gilda sighs, before shaking her head and giving Raylin a slightly-less-faint smile. "Very well, Raylin Perlin. I will marry you."

"You will!? I mean - yes! I promise, I will make you a happy woman, Gilda Highbranch. Although...if not the ring, I wonder what it is that finally changed your mind?"

Gilda doesn't answer at first, instead looking down at little Arlina and brushing their thin hair aside. "I meant what I said earlier, about not making assumptions. Especially given my heritage. Arlina will take somewhat longer to grow than a human child, and I'm certainly not going through another year of that again any time soon. But...it would be a shame were Arlina to grow up an only child. As a twin myself, I can barely imagine such a thing." She turns back to Raylin. "And if we are to raise a family, then it ought to be a proper family, don't you think?"

"I most wholeheartedly agree. We - we'll set the wedding for - "

"A date which we'll discuss at a time when I'm not on the verge of passing out, I believe."

"A wise thought, Gilda." Raylin smiles, and leans forward to kiss the foreheads of both his fiancee and child. "We'll have plenty of time, after all."

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