"I know you probably already heard," Morgan said approaching Ciaran amidst
the crowd, "but I want to say you can't change my mind."
"I wouldn't ask it," Ciaran replied smoothly. "Cal has served his purpose."
"His purpose?" Morgan asked, frowning slightly.
"My grandchild will have pure lineage and he has drawn both you and the seeker here," Ciaran explained. "Who you prefer now is of your own choice."
"So I was never important?" Morgan asked bitterly. "You just wanted a baby?"
Ciaran shook his head, "You are important, more so than the child. You will be our leader."
"I don't remember signing on for that," Morgan replied harshly. "And I expect you to allow a respectful amount of autonomy while I make decisions from now on."
Ciaran nodded and drifted back into the mix, but Morgan called back to him, "What about the loyalty test?"
"You passed," Ciaran replied. "In the library, you did not flee with Giomanch and he came here for you. True, his loyalty is to you, but yours is to Amyrath."
Turning from Ciaran, Morgan watched Hunter out of the corner of her eyes, waiting for the plan to begin. She wasn't thoroughly pleased with all aspects of the plan, but whatever it took the end justified the means.
Slowly Liadan approached Hunter from his side and lightly touched his arm. A friendly smile was exchanged, Hunter grinned as she spoke, most likely of the elapsed time. Then his smile froze and the conversation took a turn to the serious.
That was her cue. Morgan found Cal and asked, "Have you seen Liadan? She was supposed to set up a time to visit."
Cal's brows drew together in a frown, "Visit? At the house?"
"Yes," Morgan replied, feigning confusion, "Is that a problem?"
"Uh, no, I suppose," he replied hesitantly. He looked around until he spied Liadan, "She's right – " he broke off as the crowd shifted and he saw her companion. Cal marched over angrily, closely followed by Morgan.
"I thought you said you would never see him again," Cal hissed angrily.
"That was when we were together, Sgath," Liadan reminded him. "I can talk to whoever I please now."
"What's this she tells me, Sgath?" Hunter asked vehemently. "I had a son and you never told me?"
Morgan looked away painfully, but built up her courage to face the issue, "Now that we have you together, we're going to tell you how it is going to be."
Cal and Hunter stared at her in shock as she continued, "I am going to be with Hunter and we will raise my baby. Cal and Liadan will raise Bran."
Cal managed to regain control of his jaw to speak, "Did you two just decide this?"
"Well, I felt bad about raising Cal's child without him, but Liadan had a great answer to my dilemma. We are all going to move into Cal's house together so that everyone can be near their offspring."
"You do understand how peculiar this is?" Hunter stuttered.
"I am not letting him live in my house," Cal stuttered. "And he is not raising my baby."
"There is option two," Liadan informed them. "Morgan and I leave both of you and take our children with us."
"Where would you go?" Cal asked.
"See, that's the point. We wouldn't tell you," Liadan pointed out.
"Well, I suppose if I get Morgan, I'm up for it," Hunter shrugged, though continued to look at Cal disdainfully.
"Yeah, why does he get Morgan?" Cal whined.
"You get me," Liadan reminded him gently. Morgan also detected a hint of promise in her tone.
Cal nodded but still looked slightly miffed.
"I wouldn't ask it," Ciaran replied smoothly. "Cal has served his purpose."
"His purpose?" Morgan asked, frowning slightly.
"My grandchild will have pure lineage and he has drawn both you and the seeker here," Ciaran explained. "Who you prefer now is of your own choice."
"So I was never important?" Morgan asked bitterly. "You just wanted a baby?"
Ciaran shook his head, "You are important, more so than the child. You will be our leader."
"I don't remember signing on for that," Morgan replied harshly. "And I expect you to allow a respectful amount of autonomy while I make decisions from now on."
Ciaran nodded and drifted back into the mix, but Morgan called back to him, "What about the loyalty test?"
"You passed," Ciaran replied. "In the library, you did not flee with Giomanch and he came here for you. True, his loyalty is to you, but yours is to Amyrath."
Turning from Ciaran, Morgan watched Hunter out of the corner of her eyes, waiting for the plan to begin. She wasn't thoroughly pleased with all aspects of the plan, but whatever it took the end justified the means.
Slowly Liadan approached Hunter from his side and lightly touched his arm. A friendly smile was exchanged, Hunter grinned as she spoke, most likely of the elapsed time. Then his smile froze and the conversation took a turn to the serious.
That was her cue. Morgan found Cal and asked, "Have you seen Liadan? She was supposed to set up a time to visit."
Cal's brows drew together in a frown, "Visit? At the house?"
"Yes," Morgan replied, feigning confusion, "Is that a problem?"
"Uh, no, I suppose," he replied hesitantly. He looked around until he spied Liadan, "She's right – " he broke off as the crowd shifted and he saw her companion. Cal marched over angrily, closely followed by Morgan.
"I thought you said you would never see him again," Cal hissed angrily.
"That was when we were together, Sgath," Liadan reminded him. "I can talk to whoever I please now."
"What's this she tells me, Sgath?" Hunter asked vehemently. "I had a son and you never told me?"
Morgan looked away painfully, but built up her courage to face the issue, "Now that we have you together, we're going to tell you how it is going to be."
Cal and Hunter stared at her in shock as she continued, "I am going to be with Hunter and we will raise my baby. Cal and Liadan will raise Bran."
Cal managed to regain control of his jaw to speak, "Did you two just decide this?"
"Well, I felt bad about raising Cal's child without him, but Liadan had a great answer to my dilemma. We are all going to move into Cal's house together so that everyone can be near their offspring."
"You do understand how peculiar this is?" Hunter stuttered.
"I am not letting him live in my house," Cal stuttered. "And he is not raising my baby."
"There is option two," Liadan informed them. "Morgan and I leave both of you and take our children with us."
"Where would you go?" Cal asked.
"See, that's the point. We wouldn't tell you," Liadan pointed out.
"Well, I suppose if I get Morgan, I'm up for it," Hunter shrugged, though continued to look at Cal disdainfully.
"Yeah, why does he get Morgan?" Cal whined.
"You get me," Liadan reminded him gently. Morgan also detected a hint of promise in her tone.
Cal nodded but still looked slightly miffed.