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As Lucia was stalled in the wake of the docks and suddenly at the mercy of a storm rolling in, she was regretting taking this last minute job. Mara was due to give birth any day now and she felt foolish letting Caterina talk her into taking on some high ranking Venatori. She felt helpless as she paced below deck. The ship rocked more and more but the risk of even taking a look was more weighing than just staying put.
“Lucia!” There was a secret knock on the top of the door before the hatch opened. She could hear the raging storm more clearly now. “We’re gonna have to stay undocked!”
“For how long?!” She shouted over the howling wind.
“Overnight! At least! We’re waiting for the waves to calm down. The ship is too big to dock!”
“No!” Lucia ran topside, her rapier in her hand. As she ran to the navigation quarters with the first mate, pulled out a small map of her own overlapping it with a map of Treviso. “There is a smuggler's port here. Can you get me close enough that one of you may row me to shore?”
The first mate looked at the map furrowing his brows. “Yes. I’ll tell the captain right away.”
“Thank you. Can I stay in here?” The detour shouldn’t take long.
“Of course,” the navigator nodded. The first mate ran back out leaving the two of them in the loudest silence. “May I mark that on my personal map?”
“This?” Lucia gestured to the small piece of paper.
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Understandable.” The navigator nodded as he went back to packing up his things. “Rumor has it you’re having a baby.”
“Well, if my wife’s very large belly didn’t give it away, everyone will know when they see me with a carrier,” Lucia laughed. Really she was terrified that people knew about them having a child. Mara was still having nightmares two years after she sent Solas to the Veil. While Spite was better behaved and stopped eating candles, she still occasionally had out bursts and Lucia was worried for when the baby would actually be here; which was any day now. Mara was having some false labor pains before Lucia left on this latest contract, but she was terrified that she would come home and she would miss Mara being in labor.
By the time that Lucia had docked she was rain soaked and white knuckling her dagger as her only source of comfort while she was being rowed ashore. She quickly made her way through the smuggler’s tunnel carefully popping out of one of the maintenance tunnels. This area of Treviso was closer to the tourist side which meant there were horses.
“Senor!” Lucia got a seller’s attention. “I need a horse.”
“You and everyone else. I only have my most expensive left, thoroughbreds,” he warned. Lucia nodded.
“Perfect. I am Lucia Dellamorte,” she informed him. “I do not have the money on me now, but lend to me a horse and I will pay you tenfold for it when I make it home. Please, my wife, she is due any day now and I must be there. The Dellamorte’s will owe you greatly.”
The man’s eyes went wide. “Well- I know where the Dellamorte gardens are,” he stepped aside and Lucia rushed over grabbing a saddle and the nearest horse. She was able to introduce herself fairly quickly and started riding as fast as she could through the streets.
As she got closer to the villa she had a sinking feeling. There was no proper stable, instead tying up the horse near a secluded spot in the gardens where it wouldn’t eat anything. She took a staff entrance into the building. It was quiet.
Quiet was bad.
Lucia made it to the kitchen where some of the staff was cowering, waiting with frying pans and knives.
“Thank the maker,” Sofia, the head chef, looked relieved to see her. “Mara went into labor and the Venatori attacked.”
“Mierda,” Lucia felt the dread turn to ice in her veins. “Stay here, don’t make a sound. I need to go find her.”
The safe room.
Lucia ran up the stairs, finding the bodies starting to pile up the further into the villa she went in.
“Lucia!” Viago’s voice rang. “The attack started fifteen minutes ago. Where have you been?” His clothes were bloody and he was also rain soaked.
“My ship was delayed by the storm. I had to ride here from Port Silence,” Lucia answered, rushing over to meet him. “Where are the others? Where is Mara?”
“Teia said she’s safe. We haven’t even done a full sweep yet. Goose!” Lucia ducked just in time as the knife was being thrown and she heard a thud. “Like cockroaches.”
“I need to find Mara,” Lucia told him, starting to move forward again. She ran into the room that had the most bodies outside of it, the birthing room set up for Mara’s comfort. Teia was inside breathing hard, Illario next to her exhausted, slumping over a Venatori body with his knife in the cultists’ throat. “Illario? Who let you out?” Lucia demanded.
“Mara gave me a fork,” he was catching his breath also. “Speaking of,” he passed Teia back the dagger he was using. “The walls have ears, but Mara is fine.”
It was too convenient. Illario getting out the same night Venatori attack the villa? It was a massive coincidence if it was one. Lucia eyed him critically, taking in the injuries. He looked like he’d been fighting for a while, and he was beat to shit.
“I know,” Illario said, struggling to stand up. “I know how this looks. The only thing I have to say is Mara came to feed me, she left the fork, while I did use it to get out… I heard the fighting and had a feeling that instead of running I should come up. You can talk to the dead Venatori in the dungeon if you’d like.” He moved his head, Lucia seeing a huge bruise on his cheek as well as a black eye forming.
“He saved Mara and your child,” Teia vouched. “We wouldn’t be standing here without him.”
“Call in your houses,” Lucia told Teia and Viago. “We need to secure the estate. Illario, with me. We need to clear the floor and find the midwife, and I don’t want to leave you alone. You look one hit away from dropping.”
“Hey,” Illario put his hand out. “I’m two hits away from dropping.”
“Sure, keep telling yourself that,” Lucia snorted, passing him one of her rapiers.
“I will gather the houses while Teia starts on a check,” Viago said. “You’re sure Mara’s fine?”
“She is, but she took a hit. Nothing she can’t stop the bleeding for until I get the midwife,” Teia said. “The walls have ears though, so let’s get moving.”
Lucy felt a rage that she didn’t know she had. Maybe it was her’s and Spite’s. “I want every single cultist drained of their damned blood by sunrise!” She barked to the incoming guards, Spite’s voice coming through. “Slaughter them all!”
They all split up. Illario and Lucia cleared two floors before Viago returned with the full force of his and Teia’s house. As they made their way more into the Villa they passed by Caterina’s office which was barred from the inside. Lucia quickly knocked on it, whistling the tune for Caterina.
“Thank the Maker,” she yanked the door open. “Is the house clear enough?”
“Almost,” Viago said.
“Nonna!” Teia was running with Joanie, the midwife. “Good you’re all here. We need to get to Mara. We’re enough on our own to protect her if there’s Venatori in the tunnels.”
Teia is right. I can’t get Mara’s blood out of our nose. Spite was restless.
“I know, Spite. We can go now that it’s safe. Is she where I think she is?” Lucia asked.
“Yes. There were too many of them and she’s defenseless.” Teia answered.
Caterina rushed everyone in, baring the doors and windows before opening the secret door. “To the left.”
Lucia rushed down the hall, slowing to listen. It was silent, but there were no bodies. She crept into the main space, seeing nobody inside. She inhaled deeply, letting Spite taste the air.
Mara’s blood. No poison. Spite was staring at something in the cabinet. Opening it, she saw evidence of Mara’s cleaning herself up. Lucia looked around again before letting out a low whistle, mimicking an Antivan coastal finch, Lucia’s sign that the coast was clear. There was a soft sob before Mara let out her own whistle of an Arlathan pigeon.
“Mara!” Lucia threw the door open to the closet it came from. Mara was sitting on the floor in her robe, bloodsoaked and cradling an infant. Lucia quickly scooped her up, cradling her. “Thank the Maker, you’re both okay.”
“I was so worried. What happened? Where were you?” Mara asked, holding on to Lucia with one arm and the baby with the other.
“The storm came in, I knew it was going to be impossible to dock when it hit so I had them drop me off at the closest port we could reach. I had to ride horseback the rest of the way. Teia said you got hurt- Joan is here, she can heal you.” Lucia put her on the lounger in the main room, hovering anxiously over the bloodied bandages.
“Take Estella. She was impatient or knew what was going to happen.” It took everything in her to not start crying. Estella. She was perfect in every way imaginable. She had Mara’s deep brown eyes, the slightest hint of a point to her ear, but had Lucia’s jet black hair, nose and mouth.
She’s very large. Spite commented.
Yes, that means she’s healthy. Lucia let her know. There wasn’t a scratch on her. She seemed completely unaware of anything happening as she was deep asleep.
“Illario…” Mara’s voice was rough.
“Be more careful with the cutlery next time, Mara. It is expensive,” he snorted. “Don’t worry. I know. Back to my cell.”
“Don’t you want to meet your niece?” Lucia called to him softly, stepping towards him. “You helped save her life, it’s only right you see her.”
Illario looked over reluctantly before giving a short nod. Lucia closed the distance, turning her body so Illario could see Estella’s face. She couldn’t stop smiling, tears in her eyes as she stared down at the infant. Lucia looked at Illario, watching him crack. His eyes watered and his shoulders dropped, a smile splitting his face for the first time since he was caught.
“And she’s going to be just fine, because of you,” Mara told him.
“Estella Dellamorte. She looks just like you, Lucia,” he said softly. “I was going to run, but then I saw the Venatori… the Dellamorte’s have too many orphans,” Illario told them. Lucia saw the pain on his face, the deep bruises and the cut on his cheek. He’d saved Mara and Estella, risked his life for them. He was still family.
“Here. Support her head, and hold her here…” Lucia passed him Estella, Illario’s eyes widening.
“I do not think this is-“
“Hold the baby,” Lucia cut him off flatly. Illario carefully cradled her, smiling again.
“Hello, Estella. It is very nice to meet you,” he said softly. “I am your un- I am Illario.”
“No. Say it. You are her uncle. This is your uncle Illario,” Lucia corrected to the infant.
Viago walked over to Mara when Joan was done fixing her up. “Idiot, I’m glad you’re okay.” He was holding her like a protective dad.
“Me too; I’m glad you’re all okay. Where are we on the Venatori situation?” Mara asked.
“The Venatori situation is that you are recovering from child birth,” Joan said flatly.
“But-“
“We’re fine, we’re safe. The estate is being cleared, you just focus on recovering,” Lucia told her firmly. “I have your birthing present coming, and you don’t want to miss it.”
“But this is serious, Lucia.”
“So am I.”
“Is it safe to move to the baby’s room? All of her things and mine are there.”
“Yes, of course,” Lucia walked over, gently picking her up again. “I’m sorry I missed her birth. I was coming as fast as I could,” she whispered sadly, holding Mara close.
“It's okay… I guess you’ll have to be there for the next one.”
“Next time I won’t take any trips starting at the five month mark,” she laughed, nuzzling into Mara. “Illario, come on,” she nodded her head for him to walk. He was just staring at Estella in wonder, following after them while cooing softly at the baby.
Everyone circled up, as if they were the kingsguard. The hallways were littered with Venatori bodies, Crows were helping to clean them up. When they got to the room, Teia took her turn holding the baby to show Caterina.
“She has your nose, Lucia.”
“She does. Nine months of hard work and she came out looking like her stupid mamma,” Lucia teased Mara. “You can hit me when you feel better if you’d like.”
“I’m too tired to hit you,” Mara chuckled. “Once the day is done, I’ll be fine.”
“Viago and I are going to oversee operations,” Teia said softly, holding Mara’s hands. "Be careful and rest.”
“I’m going to go get settled down the hall, I’ll be fifteen minutes but you’ll be okay." Joan let them know.
“And I will go with you Teia. I need to know how the Venatori got in here,” Caterina nodded.
“Thank you, Caterina. I’m glad you got to see her,” Mara told her. Illario was standing awkwardly by the door.
“I didn’t realize Caterina kept everyone’s stuff.”
“Turns out she was softer on us than she ever let on,” Lucia nodded. She looked at him, straightening out and walking over him. “Go. Take a bath, change into clean clothes. Your room is just how you left it. And once you’re cleaned up… get some rest.”
“You’re not sending me back?” Illario asked. “The Venatori attacked and I just happened to get free? And you don’t find that suspicious.”
“No,” Lucia answered, reaching up to jab her finger into his bruised jaw and making him yelp. “You would never let someone ruin your pretty face for a ruse.”
“You’re right,” Illario massaged his jaw.
“Dinner is on Thursdays now,” Lucia let him know, giving him a small smile.
“I’ll be by to see Estella again after you’ve gotten some rest,” Illario looked at Lucia again before leaving in the direction of his room. Lucia closed and locked the door.
“The fork was an accident, I didn’t realize I had left it. Sorry,” Mara told Lucia.
“Weirdly, I am glad you did. Teia would not have been able to hold off the Venatori alone,” Lucia replied softly. “How are you? Really?”
“Terrified. I’m terrified that I'm actually dying and I’m just imagining all this.”
“You’re not. We found you. You and Estella are both okay. My two perfect girls.” Lucia stroked her head. “I’m never leaving again.”
“Good,” Mara nodded, curling into her. “Are you injured?”
“Not very much, no. Just the usual bumps and bruises. I avoided the planned ambush they had for me so they had no idea I was coming.”
“The first Dellamorte baby,” They both looked at Estella sleeping soundly. “She’s got a lot to live up to.”
“Not yet. We’ll let her be a child for a while,” Lucia said. “I was thinking, for the middle name… what about Varlan, for your mother?” Mara immediately got tears in her eyes, an ugly sob ripping from her chest. Lucia’s eyes widened in panic. “Oh no, no, I am sorry! I did not mean to make you cry, mi amor.”
“No it's okay-“ Mara said through the crying. “It’s what I want.”
“Estella Varlan Dellamorte. Our little girl,” Lucia smiled. There was a knock, and Lucia cautiously went to check. “Oh good! Your present is here!”
“Viago will want to poison check it. You- you got this for me?” She looked at the jamón in awe as Lucia rolled it in.
“Of course. All for you,” Lucia smiled. “This is your own personal leg of Gran Reserve bellota ibérico jamón, you don’t have to share it with anyone. I had it specially brought in from the butcher out in the valley.” She took out the carving knife, carefully taking off the top layer to get to the meat. “Viago has already poison checked it. I made sure he looked at it before it was brought up.”
“Thank you,” they heard the door unlock, only a few people had the key.
“I need to do a full exam, any other visitors?” Joan asked as she came in.
“No, and I’ll keep everyone out.” Lucia said.
“Let’s get to it.”
🗡️
Lucia and Spite were hyper vigilant as Mara slept. Spite was trying to soothe the nightmares Mara was having and Lucia was holding Estella. They didn’t have a wet nurse and Lucia was dreading the three hour mark coming up.
Why can only Mara feed the baby? Spite asked, gesturing to Lucia’s chest.
“Because I didn’t carry the baby. So my body isn’t ready to care for one.” Lucia showed all the things she had learned, and reminded Spite of all the things the midwife had said when they first started seeing her.
But it is also your baby. Should you not have also made the milk? Spite asked, looking confused. And why does it look like you and not her? I wanted a small Mara.
“That is where we are both disappointed,” Lucia chuckled. “I wanted her to also look like Mara. Unfortunately my genes are very strong.”
That’s okay. The next one will look like her.
“I hope so,” Lucia stroked Estella’s face.
Once the baby was a little more settled, Lucia set her down in the bassinet, getting her used to the swaying motion of it. She picked up one of the parenting books to read for night now, taking the time to project all the information to Spite as well.
After a while Lucia could hear Mara shuffling awake, getting her bearings.
“I need to do a perimeter check,” Mara said, her voice still thick with exhaustion.
“You need to get back into that bed, mi amor,” Lucia replied calmly, doing a quick sweep of the windows. “There’s five sets of guards rotating the property constantly, and guards on every entrance, vantage point, and corner of the house. De Riva, Cantori, and Nero are all here in force to help us protect her. Please, rest.”
“I can’t rest- I need to see it for myself.” Lucia could see the anguish on her face as she gripped the railing of the bassinet.
“Okay. I’ll have Teia and Viago come in to watch Estella while we do a check. Ground level only, you shouldn’t be climbing with your injuries. But I’ll help you up and down the stairs so you can check the inside.”
“How about you stay with the baby, I’ll go with Teia and you and Viago could stay here?”
Lucia glanced at Estella before looking back at Mara. “Take Teia and Viago, and Spite and I will stay with Estella.”
“I will flay anyone who touches her,” Spite hissed darkly.
“I didn’t think you would have maternal feelings. I’ll have to let Emmrich know,” Mara gently brushed some hair out of Lucia’s face. “I love you Spite,” Spite stroked Mara’s face.
“I love you too. But I am very confused about the baby,” she told me. “Lucia has been answering my questions. But I do know that she is yours, so she is ours. Looks… too much like Lucia. Not enough like our Maaara.” Spite wrinkled their nose.
“She has my hair. She also has my ears, less prominent because she's a quarter elf.”
“Maybe she will have my magic!” Spite smiled.
Spite that’s not how this works.
“You don’t know that.”
“Don’t discount it,” Mara shrugged. “An abomination has never co-made a baby before.”
“She doesn’t smell magical.” Spite sniffed her. “Smells like… curiosity and happiness. And urine.”
“I got her,” Lucia said, picking up the baby while fronting again. “I’ll get her changed.”
I will observe how you do this.
Lucia could hear Mara start to get changed into more armor than Lucia wanted her to be him.
“We have a built night and nap sitter.”
“I will happily watch the gnocchi. She is very chubby. Lucia says this is good for mortal babies.” Spite grinned widely.
“Yes. Babies need to be fat. I promise I will try to get some sleep after this.” Mara said. Lucia watched Mara speak with the two Crows posted outside the door asking for Teia and Viago. “What if we move this back into our room? It has better choke points, less ways to get in and we know it better than we know this room?”
“It is a good idea, I will take care of it while you are out. Please walk safe,” Lucia pleaded. “You just gave birth, do not strain yourself. I cannot lose you now.”
“I’ll be better once I walk,” they looked to Teia and Viago walked in now changed and cleaned up. “And now I have my baby sitters. I want to do a perimeter walk.”
“And you’re letting her?” Viago asked Lucia with a scowl.
“She needs to see it’s safe for herself. She already agreed to not climb anything, and I am going to be moving the bassinet to our room so she can sleep somewhere comfortable when you get back.” He was the only other person who knew how frustratingly independent Mara was.
“Come on, Mara,” Teia smiled. “Vi and I will walk around you and show you the defenses.”
“Thank you, I’m restless. Literally.” I walked over to Estella, kissing her forehead. “I’ll be back, my little gnocchi." I giggled.
“She does look like a gnocchi,” Lucia admitted with a laugh, kissing Mara’s cheek. “I’ll see you in a little while, Spite and I have her.”
“I know you do.” Lucia watched as Teia held her hand and Viago protectively flanked her.
Lucia swaddled the baby and put her in a kangaroo pouch while she started moving everything to their room across the hall. It didn’t take long and just as Lucia sat down and opened her book, Estella started fussing.
Babies are very strange. She smells… irritated.
Lucia got up and walked around a little more. She set up the bathroom and made more things easily reachable for Mara. “That’s because this world is new to her. She just spent the last nine months being cozy and warm and out here there’s loud noises, bright lights, Venatori. These things did not exist in her world state.”
Interesting. Spite hummed while she watched the door.
Lucia sat down again, the baby started fussing again. She didn’t know what she could do so she grabbed the bookmark as a stand-in for her blade and started doing fighting forms. Once again, Estella started calming down, the fussing slowly stopping.
Mara walked in the room after a while, smiling at them as Teia helped her out of the few layers she put on. “What… are you doing?”
“Estella cries whenever I stop moving, but she seems to really like this. How was your walk, mi amor?”
“Good. It was good. I feel better seeing the house fortified.”
“This could never be me,” Viago told Lucia.
“Which part?” Lucia asked.
“All of it. Biological kids, infants, Venatori attacks. Hm.”
“But look at her,” Lucia cooed, gently kissing Estella’s cheek. “She’s so chubby and sweet and perfect and I would literally burn the entire world down for her. My little Estella Varlan Dellamorte.”
“Good luck. You’re going to be good moms,” Viago turned to Estella. “I will make sure you’re immune to all poisons." Estella let out a heavy sigh as a response.
“She’s going to be perfect in all things.” Mara said as Teia bullied her into bed.
“She already is. Just like her mother,” Lucia said, watching Estella fall asleep again. She kept gently rocking the infant before carefully setting her back into the bassinet. “There she goes,” Lucia whispered.
Lucia had set up the bassinet in a way that where Lucia planned on sleeping she or Mara could easily reach the baby. “Do you think you two could stay at the Villa? The guest room across the way is set up.” Mara asked Viago and Teia.
“We’ll stick around,” Teia agreed. “We’ll come see you in the morning. Get some rest.”
“You too. Are you going to stay awake?” Mara asked Lucia as Teia and Viago left.
“No, I’m going to get into bed with my beautiful wife, and let Spite take the night shift.”
“I will stay awake and watch,” Spite nodded.
“Please wake me up if you need anything,” Mara told Spite. Lucia curled into Mara and instead Lucia could feel Mara’s restlessness. Lucia held her wife close, kissing her head before quietly starting to read.
“Chapter four,” she spoke. “Donnen Brennokovic didn't stand on ceremony. He strode through the barracks and slammed open the door to the captain's office without so much as a nod to the guards he passed...”
Mara had startled awake. Lucia was slowly coming into consciousness while Spite reached over and stroked Mara’s hair. Mara had woken up three times to feed the baby, and Lucia felt like she had not rested enough.
“Shh, Maaara, go back to sleep.” Spite said.
“I can't, I'm awake now,” Mara said, propping herself up on her elbow. Spite was sitting up, holding Estella in her arms while the baby slept.
“She fussed once. She likes the sparkles I make. The midwife came in and helped me feed her while you slept.”
“Thank you, Spite. She already loves you too. I hope she gets some of you too.”
“She will,” Spite nodded confidently. “I willed it. She will be the greatest assassin. But I am sad. I wanted her to look like you. But she is still… perfect.”
“Sometimes babies are funny like that. The next one could look exactly like me with none of Lucia. Or the next one could have a mix of both of us,” Mara moved to lean against Spite. “Do you want any coffee? I could use a cup.”
“Lucia told me to wake her up the moment you said the word coffee,” Spite teased, leaning in to kiss her softly. Mara pressed into Spite gently, and Lucia let them have their soft moment.
“We’ll have a family day, you and me very soon.”
“I would enjoy that,” Spite smiled. “Lucia is waking up. Can we have her make us fried tomatoes with eggs?”
“Absolutely.”
Lucia mentally woke up, recognizing how Esetlla was being held before fully fronting. “Good morning, my love,” Lucia smiled, touching my cheek. “Coffee and fried tomatoes with eggs? Would you like Orlesian toast with that?” Mara perked up. “I’ll make it for you.”
“Can I come with you?” She batted her eyes.
“You can’t manipulate me with that anymore. You are on strict bed rest, Mara. On Joanie’s order and mine.”
“You can’t boss me around.”
“Yes I can.”
“I just want to sit in the kitchen.”
“No, you have two wounds.” Lucia’s voice cracked, not meaning too, but she was just so worried for her family.
“Okay- okay- I will stay here in bed.” Mara unsheathed her dagger, placing it closer to her.
Once Mara was comfortable, Lucia handed off the baby.“Thank you, here. You two relax, get comfortable, talk about knives…”
“Knives?”
“I don’t know what she likes yet aside from Spite's sparkles,” Lucia chuckled. Kissing Mara’s forehead, Lucia adjusted Mara’s pillows a little more, and passing her more that she could grab. “There’s also a dagger under my pillow that you can reach. Your throwing knives… You’re all set.”
“Thank you.” Mara gripped the bag of throwing knives tightly.
“I’ll be back soon.” She did one more check of the room before sending Teia in.
This was just a normal morning. Lucia was making breakfast for her wife, there were no Venatori to worry about today, Illario would come by later to hang out and they could talk. For a moment, Lucia could pretend that nothing went wrong as she made coffee for her and Mara.