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Mirri was staring helplessly at the male before him. I took his hand and gave it a squeeze, reminding him I was there to support him.
"Mirri," Bird said softly, her heart shining in her light green eyes. "I'd like you to meet your other father, Lord Phoenix Stagburn, only recently returned to our country from across the sea."
Mirri opened and closed his mouth as the truth sank in. "But…how…why?"
Lord Stagburn patted Bird's hand where it rested on his arm, then pulled away. "We have much to discuss, Lord Mirri," he said with a sad voice. But hope glowed in his eyes. "I hope you will allow me to explain." He extended his hand. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, my sweet, lovely child." His voice broke at the end, and tears welled up in his soft honey-colored eyes.
This male was so different from Mirri's other parents. So sad and sincere. I glanced at Mirri to gauge his reaction. The yearning there broke my heart. He took his father's hand as if in a daze and they exchanged a handshake that was a bit too firm, nearly clinging to each other. "I…." Mirri cleared his throat and tried again. "I would like to hear what you have to say, my lord."
I pulled out my best cordial steward's voice and squeezed Mirri's shoulder before gesturing to the square. "Mirri, perhaps you should show our new friend around Mistvale."
Mirri glanced at me, but his attention was soon drawn back to the male who looked so much like him. "Yes. Let's take a stroll," he managed, a tentative smile gracing his lips.
I watched as Mirri and his estranged parent headed off into the crowd.
"You two are ridiculous," Fife said to his mother and Bach's, the moment Mirri was out of earshot. “What a secret to keep!”
Bach crossed his arms over his chest and gave his father an unimpressed look. "And you encouraged them this time. I thought you were the voice of reason."
Bach's father just shrugged, completely unrepentant. "Usually, yes. But this time, I agreed with them. It's a terrible thing that's been done, keeping those two from each other. Mirri needs this. He needs to know he came from better stock than the Woodspurs."
Fife's mother took my arm and drew me away from the two men, who continued to quietly argue about just whose job it was to protect Mirri. Bach's pack-leader instincts had been thoroughly offended by being left out of this whole plan. "Let them fuss," Bird whispered to me. "I'll fill you in on all the juicy gossip before Mirri and Phoenix get back."
Fife and Adder followed us as we drifted over to a bench in a quieter area away from the rowdiest parts of the celebration. Eventually Bach's father and mother moved off to dance, while Bach strode over to join us.
"Well?" Fife demanded, crossing his arms over his chest and tapping his foot impatiently as his mother settled onto the bench beside me and arranged her fluffy skirts.
She grinned. "Well, Fife, dear…when a fae falls in love with another fae," she began primly, "they sometimes celebrate their union in a physical way. Then the female births a clutch of eggs fertilized by the male…."
Fife snorted, unamused. "I think we're all well aware how babies are made, mother."
I smothered my laugh. Bird was ridiculous. And I loved her for it. She just shrugged and fluttered her long lashes at her son in an artlessly demure look. "Then you'll know that if a female mates with multiple males, her clutch of eggs will often bear traits of all the involved partners."
She grinned and glanced at Adder. "Wouldn't that be lovely, Adder, darling? A clutch of children with Fife's pretty black hair, and your lovely fangs, and Kat's adorable freckles?"
Fife groaned. "Please try to get to the point, mother. Before we all die of curiosity."
She laughed. "Oh, fine, you spoilsport." Then she grew serious. "Obviously Mirri's mother had two mates, once upon a time." She arched a brow. "Believe it or not, the Woodspurs were once young and slightly more attractive. And they can pretend to be charming. For a short time." Her voice grew wry. "Also, I believe Phoenix was very high on blue mushrooms at the time." She waved that away. "Anyway. Phoenix rapidly saw the error of his ways, and realized just how awful the Woodspurs really are. He formally dissolved his bond with them and that was that. Until he realized that Lady Woodspur was pregnant. He asked to be involved in the raising of the clutch, but the Woodspurs forbade it."
She sighed. "It was a long time ago, and the Woodspurs were not yet nobility, but Phoenix has never been overly rich or well connected, either. He technically qualifies for the title of lord, but just barely. He did his best to demand access to the clutch once they were born, but the Woodspurs responded in their usual way. They saw children as potential assets, and they didn't want someone with such annoying morals hanging around, getting in their way. They used their criminal connections to drive Phoenix out of Elfhaven entirely, threatening dire consequences should he ever interfere with their child commodity. He has lived across the sea in a human settlement that tolerates fae ever since." She grinned. "Until someone went poking around and found out he existed. Once I heard that the Woodspurs had been taken into royal custody and realized I had enough evidence to keep them from causing any more trouble, well…of course I used every resource at my command to make sure Mirri’s father got here as swiftly as possible."
We all took that in for a moment. "I wish the Woodspurs were here right now," I muttered. "So I could stab them both then banish them again." Adder patted my back in what I assumed was agreement.
But Fife was still watching his mother with narrowed eyes. "And just how do you know Lord Stagburn, exactly?" he asked suspiciously. “You seem quite familiar with the man.”
Fife's mother's smile was pure mischief. "I loved your father dearly, Fife," she assured him. "He was my true mate, and the love of my life. But I wasn't celibate before we met. And Lord Stagburn really is a lovely man."
Fife put his face in his hands and groaned. "You fucked Mirri's father."
She smiled like the cat who'd got the cream. "We kept in touch briefly, but that was it. I never expected to see him again after all this time. But once I learned about Mirri…well, you know how nosey I am. And there was no reason not to hunt him down and re-establish contact once the Woodspurs were no longer able to kick up a fuss." She nodded at me. "Thank you for doing the world a favor and getting rid of them, Kat. I would have gotten them eventually, but you found more expeditious reasons to act. I really do appreciate that. Accusing them of trying to kill you was genius."
Fife shook his head.
I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. But a question occurred to me. "What about the rest of the clutch? Does Mirri have brothers and sisters he doesn't know about as well?" It was a tantalizing thought. What if Mirri had a whole other loving family out there just waiting for him to find them?
But Bird shook her head. "No. As often happens, most of the clutch was unhatched. Only Mirri survived to term." Her eyes were sad but proud as she glanced at Fife. Her only son.
My heart ached for her. And for every mother of a single child. Fae could lay large clutches. But our infant survival rate from birth to hatching was quite low. I tried not to dwell on the thought of what would happen with my own clutch, if I were ever to become a mother. With four strong mates, my odds might be better than average. But the fact was, I didn't even know if my mates would still be here in a few months, let alone long enough to want to sire children.
