Chapter 43: Doctor

Corvo sifted through the mail. Well, he was sifting through his mail. Dunwall Tower received a staggering amount of mail, some of it directed to the household staff, a significant portion addressed to Emily, and the largest bulk was for the Spymaster. Corvo did not miss managing the folks that had to determine between legitimate tip offs, insane conspiracy theories, and jokes. And Void knows that some crazy and stupid stuff still got through.

Luckily the position of Royal Protector was not one that saw a great deal of mail. He simply received letters regarding appointments for Emily, a couple memos from the Spymaster's office. But this one, this letter was not from any of the usual suspects. The envelope was a muted black, and sealed shut with an orange wax seal. On it were two crows holding crossed scythes above a chalice- the seal of the Voronin family. Corvo frowned, sliding the letter opener under the flap of the envelope. He was not the one who wrote to the Voronins, that dubious honor was given to Lurk. Why were they writing to him?

"Dearest Protector Attano,

We have received a pleasant letter from Spymaster Lurk, and of course we have replied to her. However there is a matter that you must be addressed with as well. We do not foresee your attendance, so we ask to you take caution. My wife does not think your life is in danger however I think such a warning would be appreciated. While the Empress will certainly be safe in our company, I encourage you to choose a temporary Protector. May I recommend someone who is comfortable with magic? It would be an utter shame not to make your acquaintance, but I have a feeling we shall meet soon enough.

My your health be strong and your wits stronger,

Stanislav Voronin"

What on earth? Corvo blinked hard and read it again. 'We do not foresee your attendance…' yes, it seemed that Stanislav was warning him of something that would keep him bound to Dunwall. But what? Damned Voronins and their pretentious arcane obtuseness! Was it so hard to give a blunt accurate warning?

A knock on his door drew him from the letter.

"Come in."

Emily swung open the door, a small smile on her face. "Ready for training?"

Corvo raised an eyebrow at her. "Is it wise to continue?"

She immediately waved him off, very much unconcerned. "I will certainly have to put it on hold at some point, but right now? I should be fine."

That pulled a wry smile from him, and he tossed the letter onto the nearby table. "Alright, let's go."

"It is going to take six weeks for a fracture like this to heal."

Corvo stifled a groan at Dr. Bonnefoy's words, glaring up at the infirmary ceiling. Emily sat beside him, her face the picture of sheepish contrition. Really, it was not her fault, he was being careless.

"Or perhaps age is getting to you" murmured a voice in his mind. Corvo squashed it with a vengeance.

"No putting weight on your left leg during that time," Dr. Bonnefoy continued. "Otherwise you will only prolong the healing process or possibly cripple yourself."

He nodded, willing to take her words to heart while also resenting how inconvenient this was. There was no way he could perform his duties with a broken leg.

"Perhaps I can have you and Billie switch tasks?" Emily suggested. "After all she is a skilled fighter, and you have held her post before."

That was a good choice. It was certainly convenient that the Spymaster did not have to do any actual spying, and was mostly bound to a desk and coffeehouses, as he knew from experience. Not to mention that Lurk would be more than able to fulfill his duties. It was likely that she would accept the temporary switch in positions. But…

"But if Lurk says no," Corvo replied. "Who would you choose instead?"

"Owen."

The speed of her response caused Corvo to pull a face. The Outsider was not what he would consider a good Royal Protector. While he had improved in his combat skills, there was something ruthlessly violent in the way he fought. No discipline, and very little control. If Emily was threatened, there would be nothing left of anybody that opposed him.

"You do not approve," Emily said flatly.

"I do not trust him to be restrained if someone threatens you," Corvo replied, pulling himself up. "Especially when restraint is an important part of the job."

Emily laughed. "You surely cannot believe he would be that violent?"

He sighed. She must be blinded by love to say such a thing, yet Corvo could not fault her. "You saw what happened to the people on that boat, Emily. He is a dangerous person, and not one who is easy to keep in check. While I am confident that he would rather rip off his own toenails than harm you, I am not so certain he would show mercy to anyone who would do you any harm."

"What is so wrong with that?" Emily asked quietly.

Corvo winced. "Emily, by mercy I do not mean letting the assassin go. I mean not brutally killing the person."

Emily scoffed. "He would not do such a thing!"

And they were back to square one. For all her intelligence and growing wisdom his daughter could remain rather stubborn about some of her less reasonable opinions. He could argue until he is blue in the face about the Outsider's unsuitability but Emily's opinion would very likely not budge. Corvo leaned against the pillows, his head touching the pale wallpaper just above the metal bedframe. The only way he could see Emily changing her mind is him proving that the Outsider did not have the restraint needed. But how exactly to go about it without getting someone killed?

There was a noise just outside the infirmary door, catching everyone's attention. Then, the door swung open and Billie pushed in a poorly-bandaged and bloodied Outsider into the infirmary. Emily gasped.

"What happened?!" she cried, springing up and running over to the Outsider.

"I found this idiot trying to patch up his own injuries in the basement," Billie groused. "You can't fix a broken arm while your eye is missing."

"You did it before," the Outsider grumbled, a thin line of blood running from the mess of stained bandages that covered his right eye. Billie scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"I have no clue what you are talking about. Dr. Bonnefoy?" her gaze shifted over to the good doctor, who was already yanking out several bandages and a couple splints. "I hope you do not mind seeing to him."

"Not at all," the woman replied cheerily. "It seems like today is a day for fractures, so you are in good company."

Billie seemed to finally notice him sitting up on the nearby bed as Bonnefoy ushered the Outsider over to the nearby examination table, a worried Emily following them.

"What happened to you?" she asked, taking Emily's now abandoned chair.

"A training accident," Corvo replied shortly. "I am going to need you to take my place."

"I can do that," Billie replied. "But I can't leave Dunwall. I have a couple court orders to stay in the city as I am a key witness against some embezzlers and those Threshers." She made a noise of disgust. "I have no idea why they are even going through the whole charade. We know they are guilty, just sentence the trio already."

"Justice must be maintained, even for the guilty," Corvo intoned, a frown growing on his face. Billie could not leave Dunwall and his ankle was broken, leaving Emily unprotected for her trip to Bastillian. Well, unprotected except for the Outsider. "Tell me Lurk, what do you think of the Outsider stepping into the role of Royal Protector?"

Billie's face contorted with thought, wincing oh so slightly. "Truly? I think he is prone to ruthlessness. You have to provoke him to actually get into a fight, but once in it… Not to mention that he will blatantly use magic if it means keeping Emily from harm, this is not what we really want to showcase as an ability of his."

Corvo nodded, crossing his arms with muted frustration. "He is not ideal but I do not want to assign anyone to Emily that does not know his true identity. We could ask Greta or her Sisters, but that would put the Voronins on their guard."

"Actually," she held up a finger, a thoughtful look blooming in her eyes. "I happen to have recently recruited an assistant who is one hundred percent aware of who Owen is and by good luck for me is a former member of the Eyeless gang who seems to idolize me a fair bit."

"So we can trust her to keep her mouth shut," he remarked with a frown. "But would she make a good bodyguard? Can I trust her to keep Emily safe?"

Billie fixed Corvo with a long look. "She's decent with a gun, but really what we need is someone who can keep the Outsider in check when he particularly doesn't feel like keeping himself in check. She'll happily do as I ask her but we don't need her to give her life for Emily."

He turned his gaze from the Spymaster over towards Dr. Bonnefoy, Emily, and the Outsider as he mulled over her words. Emily had given herself over to chatter, prattling on to distract the Outsider from Bonnefoy realigning his arm. It seemed to be working, as his one black eye was fixed on her, affection winning over pain.

"Do you think this person can do that?" Corvo asked softly.

"To be honest, no," replied Billie tartly. "But without her we are out of options."

And so they were. Corvo resisted a long sigh. Void knew that he was dreading meeting the Voronins anyway. At least Emily would not be facing them alone.

"So all that is left to do is inform the Cabinet?" he asked.

Billie nodded, her gaze shifting over to Dr. Bonnefoy, who was giving the Outsider quite the lecture on wound care. "That should be pretty easy. I don't foresee much protest, especially over a vacation. Though, I do wonder what Virtanen's take on the Voronins is."

"You are going to visit the Voronins?!"

The shrill horror in Olga Virtanen's voice pierced everyone's ears. A drowsy Harold Baldwin jumped at the interjection, startled. Eulalia, perched on the back of Emily's chair, made a loud beep of consternation, punctuating the din. Corvo himself was surprised at the vehemence in her voice.

"Dear Mrs. Virtanen!" cried Secretary Purcell in shock. "Surely there is no need for such a tone of voice."

She shook her elegantly coiffed head, eyes wide. "You do not understand. The Voronin family has long been spoken about in Tyvia- not because they are admirable but because they are cruel and powerful. When Karol Topek first moved to unify us, there was only one family that succeeded in opposing him, and that was the Voronins. They defended their endless fields with crows and the dead, burning town after town as they retreated to Pradym, the land forested with the corpses of friend and foe alike on tall spikes! The siege of Pradym was long and bitter, the people there still sing songs about it. It finally came to an end when Shura Voronin proposed a test of single combat between him and Karol. If he did not die, then Karol was to leave them alone, and let them join his kingdom on their terms. If he died, then the Voronins will unconditionally surrender. In the duel Karol cut off his head, but Shura laughed at him, and put it back on his neck! And so the Voronins and their lands were left alone and ruled alone until 1600 when they joined Tyvia in return for certain privileges only known to them and the King, now the High Judges."

The room was silent after the minister from Tyvia finished her history lesson. From what Corvo could see, skepticism was the prevailing emotion on the faces of the Cabinet. But the Outsider, who stood quietly in a shadowed corner, bore a fond smile on his face. That gave Corvo pause.

"Well that certainly is a fascinating story about a family I have heard nothing about," Marcell Blinker said with a tone of indulgent condescension. "A myth to scare the High Judges and remind the people that they are better off without the Princes."

"Now hang on," Giovanni García wiped his bald head. "You might not have heard about the Voronins but I have. I have even met them and attended one of their funerals! What Secretary Virtanen says has a grain of truth. They raise cattle on their land outside Bastillian and they drink their blood. When old Ruslan Voronin died they fed his body to their pet crows. When I asked the visiting Judge from Pradym about it she told me they had been doing that for hundreds of years! And as for special privileges, they might live in Serkonos, but they sure do not answer to Duke Abele. Whenever any of the Tyvian Judges visit, they go to Bastillian."

"So?" Silva drawled, looking deeply unimpressed. "We are talking about a Tyvian family that keeps to itself and has a scary reputation. If they want to meet the Empress and the Empress wants to meet them then I say have fun and report back. Besides, she is taking Mr. Pharmakós along. I am sure the Voronins would find a kinship in him."

A light flickered behind the eyes of half the table, and suddenly many, many eyes were pointed at the Outsider.

"You are a Voronin bastard, aren't you?" minister Cassidy asked, her keen eyes narrowed.

To his credit, the Outsider simply shrugged. "I could be, I might not be."

"So Empress, are you paying a visit to the Voronins to explore that possible connection?" there as a teasing smile on Admiral Haddock's face.

"Perhaps," Emily replied coyly. "Who knows what I will learn from the Voronins?"

Minister Virtanen shuddered. "Oh please do not go Empress! I understand there is a strange darkness around Mr. Pharmakós but just because he has been cursed so by the Void does not mean he is kin with those who worship it! I beg of you, stay away from the Voronins!"

Blinker rolled his eyes very hard. "You are letting your superstition rule you, Mrs. Virtanen! From what I can see, the Voronin are strange but harmless. Our Empress has defeated a witch, she has a man with all the strange powers of the Void at her side. What is the harm in a week-long visit?"

There was a clearing of the throat from Secretary Purcell "Now that we have settled that Empress will be out of town for a week, let us move to the next item on the list, which is the hunting of the Áneukhrmato. So far there has been great success in Tyvia and Serkonos with the distribution of the narwhal tusks and the killing of those beasts. I understand that Mr. Pharmakós here personally dispatched one out in Morley."

As the Cabinet members trickled out of the room Corvo saw Minister Cassidy take the Outsider aside and hand him a letter. As subtly as he could on his crutches Corvo sidled up near them, curious as to what is about.

"Are you kidding me Cassidy?" the Outsider snarled, the paper crumbling into dust in his hands.

"Don't shoot the messenger Pharmakós," Corvo could not help but admire the courage it took Cassidy to remain placid in front of the fuming Outsider. "I respect what you did for the people of Ballyrood and agree that Fitzpartick being callous. But it is his right to seek restitution for damaged property."

The Outsider gave a guttural sigh, twisting his head to glare down the empty hall. "So what is the best way for me to tell him that he should shove his foot up his clenched asshole?"

Corvo could not help a snicker from where he stood, which seemed to attract the attention of Harold Baldwin.

"What has coaxed mirth from you, Protector Attano?" he asked quietly but with curiosity. "Is it the conversation between Ms. Cassidy and Mr. Pharmakós?"

Corvo nodded shortly, not wanting to miss the next part of the conversation from the rather beleaguered looking Cassidy. The woman put a hand on her hip and sighed.

"Well, you have two options. Pay the bill, or take the matter to court."

The Outsider stared dumbly at her. "Pay him? I literally cannot do that."

"Then take him to court," Cassidy replied curtly.

The expression on the deity's face was rather priceless; Corvo did his best to not snicker at how dumbfoundedness and indigence made quite the comical expression. After a long beat the Outsider closed his mouth, a muscle in his jaw twitching.

"How the fuck am I supposed to win a godsdamn case against a rich boy like him?" he hissed, single dark eye boring a hole into the stern woman. "I can't pay this bill, how the fuck am I going to pay a lawyer?"

Cassidy's jaw fell open, clear shock crossing her face. "You mean to tell me you haven't a penny to your name?"

The Outsider made a clicking noise, and flashed his uninjured hand in the shape of a gun. "Hit the nail on the head dear Minister."

"Do you not do work for the Spymaster, does she not pay you?" Cassidy said, utterly aghast.

"Why?" he shrugged. "I live here rent free, I get to eat as much as I please and the work is a breeze."

The minister turned around, finally noticing Corvo and Baldwin listening in on them. Shocked, she pointed at the Outsider like he was a strange animal.

"Did you know that he was flat broke?" her voice squeaked.

Corvo nodded while Baldwin shook his head.

"And you did not think that was a problem?" somehow her voice got even higher.

"The kid eats literally anything, never asks for anything, freely assists the Spymaster and makes the Empress happy," Corvo replied with a shrug. "Him not having money never came to be an issue."

"Well, the Empress did ask him to exterminate the beast, so if we interpret this as a command, then it is the Crown who is responsible for footing the bill, not Mr. Pharmakós here," Baldwin interjected cheerfully. "Now let me see what Mr. Fitzpatrick was asking."

The Outsider twisted his fingers and the paper reappeared out of the particles of dust. With a flick of his wrist, he handed it over to Baldwin, who calmly put on his reading glasses.

"Hmmm, this well… By the Void is this man mad? 300,000 coins for a greenhouse? 2,000 coins for "emotional damages"?! I think not!"

"What on earth is going on here?" Emily finally appeared, and Eulalia landed on Corvo's shoulder. He reached up and absently gave the little bird a couple scritches.

"Extortion, pure and simple my dear empress!" cried Baldwin in a passion. "Wyman Fitzpatrick has authorized this utterly unreasonable bill regarding the recent damages the Ballyrood estate undertook during the Áneukhrmato hunt. I say to you the Crown shall not pay a single cent to this man!"

Emily opened her mouth in indignant surprise before the Outsider cut her off.

"The Crown won't pay a cent because this is not the Crown's bill to pay," his tone was frustrated and rather defeated. "I was not commanded to kill the Áneukhrmato, I was requested. I could have said no and the only punishment would be knowing that I could stop one more person from being killed and not preventing that death. As a result, this is my bill to pay, as extortionate and petty as it may be."

A sharp look entered Emily's eyes, and she turned her gaze to Baldwin.

"If you took this bill to court, what would be the best outcome?"

The man looked somewhat surprised to be even asked his opinion. "Well, the best outcome would to have the bill be dismissed as extortion of a government official carrying out the wishes of the Crown. It should be easy enough to win, but only if Mr. Pharmakós does not testify that it was an unofficial request."

Emily nodded. "Good. If you do not mind please take this up with the court, you are now the official lawyer regarding this case and representing Owen and by extension the Crown."

Corvo was surprised to see such a large smile cross Baldwin's face before he became serious. "Of course Empress! It would be my pleasure!" His chest puffed up with pride, the man scurried away.

"As for you," Emily approached the Outsider, her eyes locked with his. "Your mission to Ballyrood was my command, not a request," with each step she moved closer, the deity locked into place. "You were acting as my agent, and thus the bill is not for you, understood?"

"Understood," the word came out quietly, reverently.

Emily nodded, then turned her head and locked eyes with Corvo. "Go bring Corvo up to speed with the ongoing matters. I will see you both later."

She turned heel and took off down the hall, Billie melting out of the shadows of the wall and following her. Eulalia darted off after them, twittering gleefully. The Outsider let out a long sigh and then approached him.

"Come Attano, everything of note is within Lurk's office."

Corvo placed another file on top of the short stack of finished work. He certainly did not miss this menial but necessary work of updating old files, compiling reports, and outlining new objectives. Even so, there was a soothing simplicity to it, not to mention it was the perfect sort of work for someone with an immobilizing injury. As he laid open a new file the frustration returned. Corvo glanced up at his supposed helper. The Outsider had yet to even touch the files, and was simply sitting atop the file cabinets, a strange book floating in front of his face and occasionally writing furiously into a thick notebook. Corvo rolled his eyes and glared at him.

"Any particular reason as to why you seem to be allergic to the files?"

The Outsider started, a sheepish wince overtaking his face as he looked up from his notebook. "I'm sorry, I'll be finished in a moment."

"What even are you doing?" Corvo asked, his curiosity and irritation intermingling.

With a downward flick of his hands, the Outsider sent the book down. Corvo plucked it out of the air, staring at the open page. It was clearly an old, woefully out of date book of medicine, indicated its yellowed pages flecked with stains of ruddy red. As for what was the focus of this particular page, it was about ensuring the health of a pregnant woman with a slew of herbs, spells, and rituals. Corvo put down the book with a frown, glancing back up at the Outsider.

"Why are you reading this? It's not only out of date but the advice is ridiculous! Don't throw frogs at the woman, don't allow her to bathe naked, to look at ugly things, have her hold a magnet in her right hand always? What are you hoping to do with this information?"

The deity slumped and sank his uninjured hand into his hair. His black eye started hollowly into the middle distance, a stressed expression growing as his jaw clenched. "Emily won't tell anyone else she is pregnant. She does not want to tell Doctor Bonnefoy, she always brushes me off when I suggest her seeing Greta's Sisters. Since she refuses to see anyone who actually knows medicine and midwifery, I have to step in to make sure she is safe. All I know is magic and superstition. It can work, but honestly, I'm too close to this to think objectively. I have to try, but I… I can't do this."

Irritation fled from Corvo. He felt sorry for the Outsider. When Jessamine was pregnant he never had to worry about being her doctor. All he had to do was be there for the emotional tumult that pregnancy brought about, and occasionally reinforce doctors' orders. Void, he wasn't even in the delivery room during Emily's birth. The poor deity was trying to fill a gap that he should have never been asked to fill.

"Have you told her about this?" Corvo asked gently.

"What good would that do?" the Outsider snapped. "She would simply ask me not to worry about it and carry on with not seeing anybody. We'd just be back at where we started."

Corvo folded his arms. "You are letting yourself become uncomfortable for the sake of her comfort, and that is a dangerous path towards resentment. Your fear of being disliked by Emily has caused you to lose your spine in the face of needing to put your foot down. Emily won't hate you for forcing her to see a midwife. She will be grumpy and uncooperative but once it is done the first time it will be a lot easier the next."

The Outsider nodded, but the frustration did not go away. He took his hand out of his hair and shifted his one-eyed gaze towards Corvo. "I am already becoming overbearing and nagging, in no small part thanks to what I have read in an effort to learn how to help Emily. I do not think she will take me putting my foot down well."

"So I take it that you would rather me do it?" he drawled, raising an eyebrow.

Relief and hope overwhelmed the Outsider's face. "Would you do it? Please at least convince her to see Greta's Sisters Reilly and Marzia. They're good midwives, and they know who I am."

"Alright," Corvo acquiesced, a teasing smile blooming on his face. "But only if you start doing your fair share of the paperwork."

With a snap of his fingers the Outsider disappeared the book and his notebook, then with an upward flick summoned half the stack of files up to his perch. "Done. Please, bring this up as soon as you can?" he begged.

Corvo turned back to his work, attention slowly returning to the files. "I'll bring it up at dinner. But in the future, you need to have these conversations yourself, alright?"

The Outsider did not respond. Corvo shrugged it off, and pulled over the typewriter. Some handwritten notes needed to be compiled.

Dinner was a cozy affair. Snow had fallen throughout the day, lining the bottom of the windowsills and hushing any noise from outside. Unusually the Outsider was missing, and neither Emily nor her guest Greta had any clue as to where he was. Corvo nearly scoffed. Was the Outsider so afraid of a negative reaction that he avoided dinner altogether? In any case, his absence brought an odd ease to the table. That was likely because nobody was committing crimes against manners as well as stealing bits of food. Emily was rather preoccupied with talking to Greta, and as the two chatted from soup to nearly the end of the main course Corvo felt free to let his mind wander. He contently watched Eulalia acrobatically flit around the room, constantly returning to the table to peck at the hardtack left for her.

"So that's why the Outsider and I are visiting the Voronins," Emily explained, punctuating the sentence with a bite of broccoli.

"Ahhh, but don't you think you should wait to get married? I mean it's a little sudden?" Greta commented.

"Me getting pregnant is a little sudden," Emily retorted good-naturedly. "Besides, I rather like the idea of calling the Outsider my husband. Much more fun than calling him my lover."

"Or as Bernice would put it, baby daddy," Greta added.

Emily barked a laugh. "Bernice sure has a way with words!"

"Wait," Corvo interjected quietly, shifting his gaze over to Emily. "Greta's sisters are aware you are pregnant?"

Greta blushed bright red, staring down at her near-empty plate. Emily nodded, a smile on her face.

"She told them quite by accident and is still really embarrassed about it," she answered fondly.

"Are you sure you're not mad about that?" squeaked the sheepish Sister.

"Honestly Greta, it's alright!" Emily reassured her, probably not for the first time in Corvo's opinion. "In fact, I'm a bit relieved that you told them."

Greta blinked hard, her sheepishness melting away as she straightened with confusion. She glanced at Corvo, then back at Emily. "Really?"

His daughter gave a sheepish laugh, setting down her fork and knife. "It's a little silly of me, but I am rather nervous about telling people I am pregnant. I want them to be happy with me rather than judge me or be upset. It's a relief not to have to tell them but also hear that they are willing to support me."

Greta relaxed and sent a mischievous glance over to Corvo. "Hope has already called dibs on teaching the baby to use firearms."

Corvo nodded slowly. "So the Sisters who are aware are the Sisters I have met?"

"Yes, thank goodness!" she replied quickly. "I would never have forgiven myself if I shared the news with another group of my Sisters. I love them all but they wouldn't understand."

Indeed it was good she had only spilled the beans to this trustworthy bunch. Other than the blind outspoken Bernice, Corvo had trouble recalling who was in the group. "This includes a Sister Reilly and Marzia?"

"Yep," Emily answered. "Sisters Mary, Reilly, Marzia, Eileen, Hope, and Bernice."

"Good," he murmured. "Since Sisters Reilly and Marzia are aware that you are pregnant and are happy to support you, why don't go see them?"

Emily went from cheery to stone-faced in a heartbeat. "The Outsider put you up to this, didn't he?"

"That he did," Corvo replied swiftly, laying down his utensils as he finished the last bit of broccoli. "And I happen to agree with him. He wants to see you happy and healthy however he is ill-equipped to ensure that you stay healthy. The Sisters are better equipped to do that, so let them take care of it."

She rolled her eyes. "Corvo, I am fine! I'm eating, the nausea is manageable, I'm not going to suddenly drop dead. I don't need you worrying about me too."

Greta cleared her throat. "Actually, I'm with the Outsider and Corvo on this one. You might be fine now but some things can sneak up on you. It's important to check now while you're healthy than try to do damage control while you're sick. I know it sounds ridiculous but it would make all of us feel better if you at least checked in with Sister Reilly and Marzia. I promise, they will be discreet and helpful."

"Not you too Greta!" Emily groaned.

A sharp look overtook the Sister's face. "Look, Emily, I'm going to be blunt. Pregnancy is dangerous even when everything is going right. If things go wrong, both you and your child can and will end up hurt or even dead. The Outsider is keenly aware of that and will very much blame himself if anything happens to you, especially if you refuse to see any midwife or doctor. Unless he knows you are getting advice and care from someone, he's going to keep trying to fill that gap. Holgar knows he is going to give the wrong advice at some point because books are no substitute for experience. We are all begging you, please see Sister Reilly and Marzia."

Silence filled the room. Emily stared at Greta, defiance giving away to contrition. Greta softened and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. Corvo sought her gaze and found it, and within found a flicker of vulnerability.

"Emily, I understand how vulnerable it is to see a doctor," he said gently. "It must be even more so when seeing a midwife. If you need someone with you I will happily go. I am certain the Outsider would also tag along with you."

"I'll go with you too if that's what you want!" Greta added earnestly.

Corvo nodded, a small smile crossing his face. "We all want you to be safe and happy. I know it is difficult for you to see doctors, but I promise you, you will be glad you did."

Emily nodded, inhaling deeply. "Fine, I'll go see them, but only when I return from seeing the Voronins," she said stubbornly.

He let go of a breath he did not know he was holding in. A full smile reached his face, and he locked eyes with her. Corvo nodded slightly, trying to convey his acceptance and gratitude. Emily, formerly stiff as a board, relaxed, thankful recognition gleaming in her eyes. Beside her, the little Sister's face lit up.

"Good enough!" Greta cheered. "Now, to switch to a more interesting topic, did you know a bunch of Bloody Bones were found in White Cliff's sewers?"

"Bloody bones?" Corvo asked, mildly confused. "So were they part of a ritual?"

Greta shook her head, holding up her hands. "I think I need to clarify what Bloody Bones actually are."

"So they are not what the name indicates?" Emily pressed with a raised eyebrow.

"Not exactly," the Sister pulled a face, looking rather disgusted with something. "Bloody Bones are an undead flayed and gutted human corpse that haunts water-filled pits and sewers. We're not too sure what sort of spirit is within the corpse or how exactly they come about but they seem to have a strange sense of humor because when you play any sort of music, including our music boxes, they dance."

Corvo couldn't help the amused smile come to his face as he imagined the Overseer's faces when they found out that their music boxes were useless. Well, not useless, just producing unexpected results.

"So, do they just hang out there?" Emily frowned, looking a little confused. "Other than their overall repulsiveness, are they dangerous?"

"Oh they are dangerous," Greta answered with deep sincerity. "My Brothers only started to look as people kept finding body parts in the sewer grates, and several workers vanished for days on end. Unfortunately, we don't know how to get rid of them yet, just how to avoid them and pacify them."

"Does pacifying them perchance have something to do with music?" Corvo dryly jested. Emily gave him a chiding look but failed to stifle her smile entirely.

"Actually, yes," said Greta just as dryly. "So my Brothers are having me look for more permanent solutions so they don't have to chaperone everyone who needs to go down into the sewer."

"Can't you just give sewer workers a music box?" Emily asked with a puzzled frown.

Greta blinked, then pulled a face, chin in hand. "You know, I was wondering the same thing, especially since it sounds like the Bloody Bones dances to any music that it likes on top of our special music boxes. I think it is guaranteed to dance to our special music boxes, but all other types of music are subjective. As for why we can't just give anyone our music boxes, the standard types are pretty hard to make and several important Overseers would rather cut off their hands than let just anyone touch them. High Overseer Chopin's tiny music boxes are a potential tool but he has yet to share to anyone how to make them. Perhaps I should ask him."

"I agree that you should," Corvo added quietly. "Such devices can keep many people safe, even if they are not the sort to run around in the sewers. Though I doubt that the Abbey would permit the sale of such boxes, even if they inspire devotion; selling the boxes means they lose some control."

"And we do like our control," Greta sighed. "I've gotten a couple letters from my Brothers in Baleton and Old Lamprow regarding Bloody Bones. We've pretty much been finding all sorts of strange critters since the Áneukhrmato showed up, like knuckers in wells, ghosts in houses and graveyards, owls that fly upside-down. Everywhere except Dunwall really."

Emily made a noise of interest, a thoughtful look in her eye. "I wonder why that is. We did have the Áneukhrmato show up, so why not anything else?"

"Perhaps the Outsider did something," Corvo suggested.

As if that was a summoning spell, the Outsider materialized in the room, a severed hand floating beside him as he gnawed at the exposed brains of a boiled sheep's head, flecks of juices jumping up to stain the bandages covering his injured eye. In the corner of his eye, Corvo saw Emily immediately turn green.

"Outsider, would you mind putting that away?" Greta piped up, her voice tight with queasiness.

He lifted up his head, his mouth shiny with grease, and finally noticed that Emily was eagerly looking out the window with her napkin over her mouth. "Oh! Sorry," the floating severed hand disappeared, but not his rather abhorrent meal.

"She meant the sheep's head," Corvo added with a sigh and roll of his eyes. The Outsider flushed, and then the head vanished to who knows where. Taking the napkin off his lap, Corvo balled it up and tossed it to him. "Clean your face, then join us."

He snatched the napkin out of the air with surprising elegance and carefully set to wiping his face before approaching the table. Emily's eyes were closed as she took deep even breaths, Greta soothing her in a low voice. She opened her eyes and finally removed the napkin from her mouth as the Outsider sat down, his posture contrite. She flashed a tight smile at him, then said:

"Please don't eat whatever the void that was in front of me again."

He nodded earnestly, wincing. "I'm sorry, I let my hunger get the best of me. I promise it won't happen again."

"What the void was it that you were eating and did you make it yourself?" asked Greta, still revolted.

The Outsider glanced over to Emily, seeming to ask her permission to speak. She nodded oh so slightly, looking rather curious.

"Well," he started slowly. "What I was eating was sheep's head and brain. It's a traditional meal in Tartary. I grabbed it because I was hungry, and it looked pretty good."

Corvo couldn't help but chuckle. The Outsider was like a disposal bin, willing to eat anything. Still, that was not the most curious part of the answer. "What were you doing there?"

A noise of disgust came from the Outsider as he leaned back in the chair. "I decided on a whim to see how Yusef, one of my Marked, was faring. Well, he was faring far too well. He had become entitled and complacent. He screamed and demanded me to bestow my mark upon his firstborn son. First off, said son was an infant and more likely to accidentally kill someone or himself with those powers. Second off, his ten daughters were far more worthy of my Mark than the boy will ever be-"

"Ten daughters?!" Emily interjected, sounding horrified.

"Yusef has three wives, Fatima, Roxelana, and Sara," the Outsider counted them off on his fingers.

"Yusef sounds like a greedy bastard," Greta grumbled, placing her chin on her hand as she leaned on the table.

"He is, but that's not what angered me," the Outsider declared absently. "Roxelana, the mother of the son, was just as entitled as Yusef, all because she was the one who bore a son. She wouldn't even let me hold the babe. He was a year old, it's not like I would break him!"

A very sappy smile crossed Emily's face, clearly endeared by the idea of the Outsider holding a baby. Corvo looked him up and down and raised an eyebrow.

"You currently have a broken arm. I wouldn't allow some stranger with only one viable arm to hold my child."

Instead of being irritated, like Corvo fully expected him to, the Outsider waved him off. "Oh, they couldn't tell that. To the people of Tartary, I always look like a shadow, two arms, and two legs. In any case when I refused Yusef threatened me, which was rather irritating as without my Mark he would be nothing special. He owed much to me and instead of being grateful demanded more. So I cut off his hand."

Greta pulled out a notebook and scribbled down something, a look of concentration on her face as she wrote. Then her head shot up, a confused look on her face. "Wait, why do the people of Tartary see you as a shadow?"

"Because Tartary is further from the void than the Isles, I believe," the Outsider shrugged, a small frown forming on his face. "Though I doubt that is a sufficient explanation anymore. Perhaps I appear how people expect I appear? Who knows. In any case, I cut off his left hand, grabbed my sheep head, and left."

Emily barked out a short laugh. "That sounds like quite the evening!"

A smile crossed the Outsider's face, his eye locking onto Emily's face. "It was, I suppose. It certainly was nice to put Yusef in his place. His family will be alright."

"It's good that his daughters and wives won't necessarily suffer due to his folly," Greta remarked absently. Then her gaze sharpened with recollection, and she perked up. "So before you arrived we were discussing why no strange monsters could be found in Dunwall, and Corvo suggested that you might have done something."

Suddenly, the Outsider looked rather uncomfortable, and if he had swallowed something the wrong way. "I did do something," the words came out reluctantly. He seemed to be more than happy to leave it at that, but Greta stared at him expectantly. "I completed a ritual to the god Lupercus, the guardian of my long dead home, to protect Dunwall and its citizens and prevent any beast or foul spirit from hunting within its bounds. It was the only rite of protection I knew of at the time, and I was expecting that it would grant me the power to protect Dunwall. Instead… I think Lupercus is doing the protecting."

There was a long silence as everyone digested the information. Greta's eyes bugged out, and she scribbled furiously.

"So," Corvo said, hesitant. "You, a god, called on another god to protect Dunwall, and it is fulfilling your request?"

"I guess?" the Outsider sounded wildly frustrated. "Though it does not make a lick of sense to me. There are no gods, none but me. Yet… I heard his voice! He accepted the sacrifices I gave him! But the Void forbade me from asking any questions, and was quite furious to find out I had done the rite, so you know as much as I."

"Wait, the void forbade you from asking questions?" Greta asked, confounded. "How is the void able to forbid you from asking questions?"

"By having the possibility of preventing me from ever living in the Isles during this lifetime, as well as many other horrible, horrible things," the Outsider shuddered, a haunted hollow look crossing his face. "The Void is not kind, and it is very particular."

A look of distaste crossed Emily's face. "It's condescending and idiotic while also having the cunning and ability to ruin your life on a whim."

A chill ran down Corvo's spine. "How do you know that?"

"It wanted to meet me so it dragged me into the void the last week," Emily sighed, rolling her eyes briefly. "It was an experience I could do without."

Corvo shifted his gaze over to the Outsider, worried. "I did not realize the Void had a powerful personality."

"Oh it does," the Outsider remarked dryly. "You need to have a certain amount of exposure to it to get a comprehensible handle on it."

Greta looked up at her writing with a raised eye brow. "You mean you normally need to be batshit insane. I'm betting the only reason Emily has any sort of handle on the anthropomorphic side of the Void is that she's pregnant with your child."

"That sounds about right," Emily commented. "I could feel the presence of the Void beforehand occasionally, but it wasn't anything that doesn't come with being Marked. I also sometimes dreamed of the Void and whatnot, but it was pretty abstract and incomprehensible."

"Sounds pretty standard with what I have read," Greta closed her notebook. "We've got some interviews with those who are really off the deep end, like Vera Moray aka Granny Rags. She had a raging lust for the Void. I never did find out what happened to her."

"Oh Gods why did you have to remind me of that!" the Outsider cried, sounding very pained. "Crazy old bat always summoning me to give things to the Void, and then the Void would force me to give her new magic. I am very, very glad Corvo offed her; I was getting sick of the whole thing."

Greta and Emily looked at him, and Corvo just shrugged. "She was trying to kill me."

"In any case, she was oddly enough the most coherent of the interviews I read," Greta leaned back into a chair. "My favorite is the interview of Titus "the Rat" Matherson who constantly saw the Void as millions of rats in a greatcoat. Kept a ton of cats around to keep the Void away, and when he died the cats ate his face off."

The mention rang a bell in Corvo's mind. "I remember hearing about that when I first came to Dunwall. It was the talk of the town for a solid week. When the Rat Plague appeared several folks that could remember Matherson seemed to regard him as having some sort of foresight."

"He might have," the Outsider shrugged. "The Void likes to give certain people visions of what might be just for fun, but since it's the one giving them without any of my mediation such visions tend to be…twisted."

Greta shuddered. "Ugh. Why is direct exposure to the Void so bad for us?"

"It might be just because it's how things are supposed to be," Emily remarked thoughtfully. "Like how salt kills slugs and too much sun can burn the skin. Perhaps you could devise some experiment to figure it out?"

"Perhaps," the word was punctuated with a yawn from Greta. "Unfortunately I must get going. I promised to help Marzia with her meditations."

"Farewell!" Emily grasped her hand and the Sister gave it a brief squeeze. "Thank you for coming over."

"It was my pleasure!" Greta got to her feet. "I'll be able to pop in before you go to Bastillian. Until then, stay safe!"

"You know I will," Emily declared with a smile and a wink. Greta laughed, and then gave a wave over to him and the Outsider.

"Farewell you two, I hope you both get better soon!"

"Farewell to you too Greta," Corvo said, offering a small wave back. The Outsider simply gave a thumbs up.

As Greta closed the door behind her the Outsider stood up, a rather tired look on his face. "I can hear the Void screaming for me. I'll be back before the moon reaches its zenith."

Corvo nodded, even though he knew this information wasn't for him. Emily gave him a softer smile and held out her hand. The Outsider went over to her and took it, bringing it to his lips, brimming with affection.

"Don't forget to eat," she murmured warmly. He gave her hand back, revealing a mischievous smile.

"I certainly won't." Then he dissolved into nothing.

Emily gave a long fond sigh, slowly shifting her gaze over to Corvo. Eulalia finally returned from some far-flung corner of the room and landed on the table between them. She beeped cheerfully then darted to Emily's shoulder, happy settling into the crook of her neck, fluffing up into a little ball.

"So why did the Void want to see you now?" Corvo asked. In the quiet, his voice felt loud and the question felt accusing, even though he was truly curious. "I thought the Outsider was locked out of the Void? How were you able to go to it?"

Instead of clamming up, Emily tilted her head thoughtfully. "I was asleep when I was pulled into the void, and I am sure the Outsider was also there not in body. He has a shrine in the safe room, and the few times I see him there before it he is like a statue. I don't think we are in the void physically, but we all have a little bit of the void within us. Thanks to that it can reach out and affect us physically if it so desires."

"Ah," he nodded. It seemed to make sense, though little about the void made any meaningful sense. "But why meet you now? Why not earlier or later?"

A flicker of caution sprung up in her dark eyes. Emily hesitated, and then reached across the table, holding out her hands. Corvo took them, shoving down his wariness so he could be properly supportive. He looked her in the eyes, as warm as he could be.

"You must promise me not to get upset," she insisted, eyes pleading.

Corvo gave her hands a gentle squeeze. "I promise."

Emily let out a long exhale, seemingly steeling herself before speaking "Greta and her sisters found out my life was in danger due to my pregnancy. They warned the Outsider, and he went to see the Void about it alongside other things. He did not tell me about that danger; it seemed that he wanted to find a solution before telling me about the problem. In any case, the Void pulled me in to meet me and to negate the danger. I am fine now, so please do not worry."

He felt his head spin a little. Her pregnancy made her dangerously sick, and the Sisters of all people were the first to catch it. How did the Outsider not know? How did he, her own father, not know? But she was fine now, the Void fixed things. Things it might have caused in the first place. But he promised not to worry, not to get upset.

"Did the Void do anything to you?" Corvo asked quietly, trying to suppress his worry with curiosity.

"It altered me to be more resilient to the more corrosive side of the void," the words came somewhat reluctantly from Emily's mouth. "Who I am should not be different in the least, but should be more physically resistant to damage alongside other things the Void threw in for a laugh."

"Other things the Void threw in for a laugh?!" Corvo could not stop the horror from blooming through him. He promised not to be upset but how could he not be? What in the boiling summer sun did that creature do to his daughter?

"It's nothing serious, really!" Emily squeezed his hands, trying to reassure him. "Just things like itching around blue haired men and being marginally more delicious to certain animals."

"Marginally more delicious?!" Void he was simply repeating words because he was so shocked. "There are bloody monsters wandering the world now, and it made you marginally more delicious?!"

She fell silent, blood draining out of her face. She didn't even consider that. In fact, Corvo could guess that nobody considered that. Anger rose in his throat. "Did the Outsider not protest?"

"Oh, he protested," Emily murmured, her voice faint. "But the Void refused to remove them. I would rather take that bullshit than slowly die as my child unwittingly eats me alive."

Corvo felt his breath stolen from him. He had felt powerless before; forgive him he had felt it all too often. But so often he could find a solution. He could outwit his opponents, recruit allies, or simply muscle his way through. What could he do here? Scold the Void for endangering his daughter?

"I am sorry," the words came out of his mouth quiet, defeated. He did not know what else to say.

Emily squeezed his hands, her smile sad but eyes warm and understanding. "You are here for me, and that is all I could ask."

He returned the squeeze, filled with love for his daughter. He would never leave her undefended against the slings and arrows of fortune, not while he had a say.

AN:

Apologies for the late upload! Thank you all to reading and reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed this new chapter!