In this fanfiction, Katsa's father was alive longer than mentioned, but the mother and Raffin's mother had both died of a fever at the time referred to in the book. Just an FYI. : )
The nursery was empty, except for the babies, of course, and a small six year old girl who had fallen asleep in one of the reading chairs.
"Darling," her mother whispered softly, "Please, wake up. You can't fall asleep here." The little girl finally uncurled and dragged herself sleepily out of the room after much prodding from her mother. As the little girl was leaving, a man walked to the doorway. The woman stiffened at the sight of his bright blue eyes-eyes as blue as the sky.
"Pardon me, Lord Elliot," she said with disdain.
"Don't scorn me," Elliot snapped.
"Then don't send us out of the palace," she countered angrily.
"Vidia, you know why I must. Each day as Katsa grows older her appearance more and more resembles that of your daughter." Vidia clenched her teeth, and took a deep breath which did little to calm her.
Eyes boring into Elliot's, she said in a dangerously hushed voice, "My daughter? Our daughter, you mean. I don't obligate you to acknowledge that in public, but do not make our daughter go through more pain than she already has by refusing to acknowledge it to yourself." Elliot was unfazed.
"Either way, she cannot stay." Vidia shook her head.
"How could you?"
"Do not make me the enemy. You can stay for one year more. I will provide you with shelter and money and such when you do leave. I am not throwing you and her out into the streets. This is for her protection!"
"How you've fooled yourself into believing that I'll never know." The two stood there for a moment in silence thick enough to swim through. "Lady Riona, your wife, is also my best friend. I would never want to hurt her. I had never meant to."
"Nor had I," said Lord Elliot. And with that, he left the room leaving Lady Vidia alone with her thoughts and the sleeping babies.
