#des'din

It is very much unheard of to find babes abandoned in the wood. Especially ones as young, and quiet, and remarkable as this.

She does not behave quite like the children she has met before; she does not pull at clothing or jewelry, or even the strands of hair peeking out from beneath Selenes hood. There is no screaming or crying, only fear and curiosity and loss pouring out of a body far too small to hold it.

It is harder to see the strings, since the events of the festival so long ago. Selene can not read people as easily as she once could, but even so...Even so, this child is alone and scared and clearly reeling from a trauma she is too small to have experienced.

It only makes sense then, to tear off her hood and wrap the baby before she can freeze with the setting sun. A simple matter to warm her hands and arms as she holds her, rocking the small body back and forth with a soft song until she is calm and close enough to sleep that she can be carried back without drawing too much attention.

A hope, perhaps, that was always in vain.

Ana's eyes go wide, when she re-enters her halls, a swaddled baby asleep in her arms. Selene does not fight it when Ana immediately dismisses the other attendants and ushers her into the room, only whispers at her not to wake the baby with her worry.

“Is this what your retreat was for?” Ana whispers once they are alone in Selenes chambers. “Why wouldn't you tell me?”

“I didn't intend it,” Selene explains. “I went on my retreat because it was necessary. I found the baby on my journey back.”

“You 'found' the baby?”

“Yes.”

Ana gives her the look she always gives her when she thinks she is lying.

“It's the truth.” Selene reiterates.

“So Dirthamen's not the father then?” Ana asks skeptically.

“I suppose its possible, biologically. I don't think he'd procreate with someone who would abandon their child in the woods though. And he never asked for permissions, so if he had, there would certainly be compli-”

“That is not what I meant, and you know it.”

Selene lets out a breath.

“We are not.....” She shifts her arms before remembering the baby lying in them and immediately abandons the gesture she had been about to make. “We're not a 'we'.”

“That's a lie.”

“Could we focus, perhaps, on the baby instead of my inactive romantic life?”

“Mm...”Ana relents, eyes drifting back down to the sleeping infant. “Do you know whose she is?”

“Mine,” Selene answers plainly.

Bright green eyes look up at her incredulously from their freckled home. “You're sure?”

Selene nods. Even if she did not birth the child...she has become attached. Too attached to give her to another, who might simply leave her again in the woods.

No, with her is surely the safest place she can offer.

Selene sends Ana off to fetch Des'din, who will likely be upset if any other member of their family learns of the newest addition before he does.

In the meantime, Selene sends for food and drink from the kitchens. Soft, easy to swallow foods and an assortment of milks and juices.

...Perhaps she should look into proper childcare procedures soon.

Selene is trying to dress the baby in one of her old cowls and losing a debate about putting food into small mouths rather than a tiny scrunched up fist, when Des'din slams open the doors to her bedchamber.

“IT'S TRUE!” He squeals as soon as he spots them. Before Selene can register her other half's presence, he has snatched up the baby, and is swinging her in a wide circle over his head. “Oh, you are just the sweetest, cutest, most precious thing, aren't you?! Yes you are, yes you are!”

“She is not a pet,” Selene sighs, “Please be careful.”

“Of course I'll be careful with my daughter,” He scoffs, moving smoothly into a rather impressive one armed carry while he waves dismissively with the other. He grins back down at the baby “Look, she's got my eyes!”

“No, she doesn't.”

“Well, she's got the same gleam. Family resemblance and all that.”

Selene raises an eyebrow at Des, but otherwise lets his comment slide as she holds out her arms. “Please give me back my daughter.”

“You've had her all day, she deserves to spend time with her father.”

“You're not her father,” Selene frowns.

Des lets out a hurt gasp, one hand moving to cover the babies ears. “Excuse me? We are each others other halves, Selene! If you are her mother, then of course I'm her father! Who else could it be?”

“She...well, she doesn't have one yet-”

“Good, I volunteer for the position. Any other takers? No? Lovely,” He carefully raises the baby, who looks rather lost and swept up in the sudden commotion, up to his eye level and rubs his nose gently against hers. “Hello Da'Des, I'm your father. Can you say 'Papae'? 'Papae'?”

“Her name is not Da'Des, and you are not her father,” Selene gripes as she pulls the baby back into her own arms. It is strangely reassuring to have her back, as something inside her settles down that she hadn't even realized had become anxious.

Perhaps she should have taken longer on her retreat after all.

Des'din pouts, arms crossing over his chest like a petulant child. “She's Dirthamens then? Because he's still technically mine, so if you two went and had a baby-”

“She is not Dirthamen's, why does everyone keep asking-” Selene takes a deep breath before her temper can get out and potentially scare a baby that right now needs more than anything, someone to keep her safe. “Dirthamen and I did not procreate. We had a single night together, and occasionally he agrees to accompany me to social events. That's all.”

“And also you're in love with him.”

Selene lets out a long groan “I'm not-he's not-...look, it's complicated and it's just...he's safer-happier, really, without having to deal with the problems a relationship with me would entail.”

“You can't lie to me about your bonds you know?” Des tsks with a disappointed look in his eye. “And you can't just will this away by going to hide in the woods or a cave or whatever section of the dreaming you've been hiding in these last few months. I may not know the details of whatever happened between you two, but you fucked up.”

“Language,” Selene insists, turning the baby away from Des. “And I didn't-”

“You did,” Des asserts. “Whatever else may have happened, you two formed a bond and the instant you realized it, you got scared and abandoned him. Where do you think the first place he went to look for you was? With me. So yeah, you fudged the heck up, Selene.”

Selene opens her mouth to argue, but stops before she speaks. There are two dark eyes looking up at her expectantly while she sucks on her knuckles, currently gripped around the edge of a golden coin.

“I think you're missing a piece of your outfit, Des,” She says instead, carefully plying the object away from tiny fingers.

He blinks down at the shining coin, patting himself down until he finds the empty space.