Child

[Philomel]

An hour later and they discovered that the wine had indeed been strong. A fine aged vintage it was found, that was perhaps not all wine but maybe something more profound. Two goblet worths down and the human and the faun were on the ground before the fireplace, leaning against the chairs and each other. Philomel's eyes were half closed, caught in the hazy light of the slowly dimming fire, the cold of the cobble floor barely affecting her furry behind.

Gently she leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed long and slow.

"We've done a lot you and I, my friend."

"Hmm," came her grunting reply. "Since the ship, yes. Two years I've known you."

"And two years I've known you," she smiled, being more lazy in her drunken state than joyous.

"Fancy that," the grumbling man said. Neither was he energised and happy dosed up with alcohol. Instead he was merely more docile and grounded.

The faun let out a merry laugh. "Ah you make me crack up, Vaeron."

Simply, the mage raised his eyebrows, but a shine was in his eyes. A shine of amusement. "Princess," he drawled a little, picking up the ewer and shaking it. A small sloshing sounded, denoting a little liquid left. "I reckon you're going to be something big."

"Pah," Philomel scoffed, taking up her goblet and holding it out to him. She still didn't lift up her head from his shoulder. "Mate, I know I'm going to be big."

With a slightly shaking hand he splashed her a half filled vessel before tipping the rest into his. "Yeah you are."

She grinned, then laughed, raising her goblet in the air. "Because I'm fucking Philomel. Of the Gilded Lily, pirate, whore and bloody warrior. I was once an assassin, you know that."

"You still are," he clanked his drink against hers with a slight hiccup. "You still are, so much. Not free from Lichensith, never ever."

"Man I'm going to be something so big."

"Yup," he agreed, tipping back his head. "Yu-up."

"I should..."

"You should cement it with a legacy," he finished for her.

Philomel lowered her goblet. In her drunken state she paused, and then looked confused. It took her a long time to express her feelings. Almost a full minute.

"Ehhh?"

Vaeron grinned at her with everything but his lips. And he chugged back a huge gulp of his wine. Then, quite promptly, he turned to her and looked at her directly in the eyes, speaking in a very lethargic voice.

"You should have a child."

Drunk Philomel stared, head cocked, annoyed to be shrugged off his shoulder.

Once, twice, three times she blinked.

And she pulled a face. "A child, Vae. That is a bit extreme."

He shook his head, "The mightiest empires all had one thing in common - a bloodline. You are forging an empire here, Princess, and ... kid."

"I can adopt, Vaeron," she shook her head, slightly disgusted.

"Yeah, bu' who else would have your blood? Who else," and he stuck a finger in the air, "Who else would Drys bless."

Philomel paused and frowned. It was a good point. Her power did come from the goddess, who had taken an unusual shine to her. Anyone of her direct bloodline would have her magic running through them, surely. It was a high likelihood ... or at least a high chance that Drys would look very fondly on them.

"But that means I need to get pregnant. Just who would ..."

Cold. Wet. Alien. Sweeping forwards, Rameses Vaeron swept forwards and planted a full kill in his Princess' lips.