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That it was a son was already a forgone conclusions, vissies only birthed male heirs, to assure the vissigroth’s line. One of the sons was kissed by the dragon, calling him out as the one true heir to his father’s domain. Every great once in a while a second son with the dragon’s mark was born, but usually the mark was so faint, that there was no doubt who the heir was.
Thalia’s and Darryck’s twin sons had been the exception. Both had been born with the dragon’s mark, both marks equally strong, but since Vissigroth Mallack hadn’t left—and didn’t intend to leave—another male heir, both of Darryck’s sons would inherit a domain. One the Icelands, the other Hoerst.
Now he would have a third son, who would undoubtedly become a strong influencer at court. He would have his own title and income, but he would never be vissigroth. In a way it seemed unfair, then again, Myccael had been born without the scales that called him out as a vissigroth, but had earned them later and not only become the Vissigroth of Leandar, but our susserayn as well. Other third, forth and so on sons had taken their own fortune into their hands, like the ancestor of the Vissigroth of Agradyr, who had taken a planet in the Leandar system nobody had wanted and turned it into the fourteenth planet.
I was sure, a son of Darryck’s and Thalia’s lineage would eventually do great things even if he was the third.
I realized I was stalling and took a deep breath.
“Are they alright?” I asked Kyle as I steeled myself to deal with Darryck.
“Mother and baby are in good health,” Kyle answered, averting his eyes. There was something he wasn’t telling me. I considered forcing him, but if it was really important, a matter of life and death, he would have already done so.
“It’s not every day we see the Chrymphten run like that. Has anybody notified the susserayn? We should have another feast,” Claymor called in his loud, booming voice.
“I’ll comm Myccael in a moment, a word, Vissigroth Darryck?”
Darryck turned to me, narrowing his eyes at my formality. The laughter moved from his face and he looked around, realizing simultaneously with the other married vissigroths, their vissies absence.
“I’m happy to inform you that you have another son,” I told Darryck, preparing myself for his temper to burst.
“I didn’t say son,” Kyle coughed behind his fist.
I turned to him, but Darryck was already upon me, “What do you mean? Where is Thalia?”
“Child and mother and the other vissies are all on the uppermost floor, Vissigroth. All well taken care of.” Kyle repeated, raising my suspicions.
“Well I’ll be damned, what a good omen,” Claymor called, slapping his even for a vissigroth, oversized hand on Darryck’s shoulder. “Born in the middle of battle. What a fine son that will make.”
Darryck’s chest swelled, but his eyes were still dark as the sky before the storm and I was glad I wasn’t Thalia who had talked him into taking her here despite how near to giving birth she had been.
“This way,” I led him and the others to the elevator that would take us up to the top floor.
Darryck’s scowl mostly cooled the victorious atmosphere in the elevator on the way up, but there were some wearing huge grins on their faces and exchanging surreptitiously high fives and knuckle bumps behind his back. It was hard containing our celebratory mood after the triumphant defeat over the Chrymphten. The birth of a another son—I suppressed Kyle’s words I didn’t say son—was just another notch for this great day. A son between a human vissy and a Leandar vissigroth no less. No matter that Thalia had already proven that it was possible, which each son born, it became clearer that the gods shone down on these unions.
The sensation of bubbles exploding inside my stomach made me realize how much the possibility enticed me. Having my own son, my own heir, with Niara. My chest swelled at the thought.
Loudly we stomped into the main chamber of my top floor, making so much noise, the wail of a newborn rang out in annoyance.
I threw a veiled look at Darryck, his barely contained excitement and obvious strenuous attempt to keep his scowl in place made me grin.
Saskia entered and waved us toward the chambers Darryck and Thalia shared during their stay.
My heart dropped, when I saw Niara standing by the foot of the bed, a screaming baby in her arms. A vision of her standing there, with our own child nearly buckled my knees. Merciful gods, I prayed, let it be so, soon.
“Vissigroth Darryck,” Niara stepped forward, holding the screaming baby out to him, exposing the shoulder and chest that had been kissed by the dragon.
Another vissigroth in Darryck’s family? What did that mean? A shudder moved through me. This was unheard of.
“Brother, I bow to your virility,” Claymor stomped his massive fist on Darryck’s shoulder, so hard, that amused I watched Darryck try to keep his footing as he took his new baby into his arms.
On the bed, propped on pillows, more lying than sitting was Thalia, her hair had been fanned around her exhausted looking face. Despite the dark circles under her eyes, she looked radiant with happiness.
Silence erupted as Darryck took his son toward his vissy.
“My lady, it seems you have been busy in my absence. Gifting me another fine son.” He sat down on the bed next to her, looking tenderly at her and their son. “Have you picked a name for our son?”
“Uhm, before you get too carried away, Darryck,” Thalia’s voice was barely above a whisper and I swear the entire room held their breath to hear her. “You should…” she leaned forward, taking the baby’s blanket off to expose its sex. “I would like to call her Daphne.”
