A/N: Short chapter....
Part 15- Guess Who's A Mother (A/N: I'll give you a hint- it isn't Constance)
A few nights later Matthias and Cornflower were summoned to the abbot's room after dinner. He had very good news for them.
"Aah, here you are. I wanted to talk to you about little Retto. When he came to this abbey, he was put under Cornflower's care. I hoped that this would work out, but then everything was happening at once, so I decided that the idea was not the best. Now that this has all calmed down a bit, and that you are married, we thought that if you want- and ONLY if you are completely sure- you may adopt him as your son. If you don't wish to, I completely understand."
It took Matthias only a glance at Cornflower to see that she was all for it.
"I believe I speak for both of us when I say that we would be most pleased."
"Wonderful! I have to get some things together for you, and I can bring them by later. You can take Retto now, if you wish."
"Now would be great," Cornflower said, taking the small bundle from his equally small cradle. "Thank you so much, father."
"Of course. I am very confident that you two will be great parents for him. He will grow up in a very strong, loving family, something I am not sure he would have gotten had he not been found," said Mordalfus, smiling hugely at them.
They left then, taking their precious bundle with them. True to his word, the abbot delivered a small satchel of things for them and Retto's cradle not much later.
Cornflower put Retto to bed, humming a song to him to calm him down. After he was sleeping, she got ready for bed too. Matthias came in as she was crawling under the blankets. He bent over her and kissed her goodnight.
"Sleep well mommy," he said with a smile on his face.
"Aye, you too. I'll take care of him if he wakes in the night," she replied, kissing him back. "When are you turning in?"
"Right now, I'm worn out."
He heard her sigh happily and then watched her as she snuggled down further into her cocoon of blankets. After he got on his bedclothes, he climbed in the bed and wrapped his arms around her. She snuggled in close, her back against his chest.
Within minutes, they were asleep, though not for long. Retto woke up crying two hours later. Cornflower got up swiftly, rushing to his cradle and picking him up gently.
"Sssshhhh.... what's wrong, Retto?" The babe was staring out the window in horror. "There's nothing out there, sweetie. Ssssshhhhh... don't worry. You're fine." Turning to Matthias, who had also awakened, she said, "Will you take him for a moment?" She passed the weeping babe to him, not waiting for an answer. Matthias tried to get Retto to calm down too, but no luck.
Cornflower closed the window and curtain. This seemed to help him a bit. Taking him back from Matthias, she started rubbing his small back lightly. The smooth, rhythmic movement put him back to sleep. She placed him back in his cradle, kissing his forehead. The second he was out of her paws, he started screaming.
"Just bring him in our bed," groaned Matthias.
And she did just that. Within minutes the three were sleeping peacefully.
Part 15- Guess Who's A Mother (A/N: I'll give you a hint- it isn't Constance)
A few nights later Matthias and Cornflower were summoned to the abbot's room after dinner. He had very good news for them.
"Aah, here you are. I wanted to talk to you about little Retto. When he came to this abbey, he was put under Cornflower's care. I hoped that this would work out, but then everything was happening at once, so I decided that the idea was not the best. Now that this has all calmed down a bit, and that you are married, we thought that if you want- and ONLY if you are completely sure- you may adopt him as your son. If you don't wish to, I completely understand."
It took Matthias only a glance at Cornflower to see that she was all for it.
"I believe I speak for both of us when I say that we would be most pleased."
"Wonderful! I have to get some things together for you, and I can bring them by later. You can take Retto now, if you wish."
"Now would be great," Cornflower said, taking the small bundle from his equally small cradle. "Thank you so much, father."
"Of course. I am very confident that you two will be great parents for him. He will grow up in a very strong, loving family, something I am not sure he would have gotten had he not been found," said Mordalfus, smiling hugely at them.
They left then, taking their precious bundle with them. True to his word, the abbot delivered a small satchel of things for them and Retto's cradle not much later.
Cornflower put Retto to bed, humming a song to him to calm him down. After he was sleeping, she got ready for bed too. Matthias came in as she was crawling under the blankets. He bent over her and kissed her goodnight.
"Sleep well mommy," he said with a smile on his face.
"Aye, you too. I'll take care of him if he wakes in the night," she replied, kissing him back. "When are you turning in?"
"Right now, I'm worn out."
He heard her sigh happily and then watched her as she snuggled down further into her cocoon of blankets. After he got on his bedclothes, he climbed in the bed and wrapped his arms around her. She snuggled in close, her back against his chest.
Within minutes, they were asleep, though not for long. Retto woke up crying two hours later. Cornflower got up swiftly, rushing to his cradle and picking him up gently.
"Sssshhhh.... what's wrong, Retto?" The babe was staring out the window in horror. "There's nothing out there, sweetie. Ssssshhhhh... don't worry. You're fine." Turning to Matthias, who had also awakened, she said, "Will you take him for a moment?" She passed the weeping babe to him, not waiting for an answer. Matthias tried to get Retto to calm down too, but no luck.
Cornflower closed the window and curtain. This seemed to help him a bit. Taking him back from Matthias, she started rubbing his small back lightly. The smooth, rhythmic movement put him back to sleep. She placed him back in his cradle, kissing his forehead. The second he was out of her paws, he started screaming.
"Just bring him in our bed," groaned Matthias.
And she did just that. Within minutes the three were sleeping peacefully.