"Let me raise him." Colette said. Maric's eyes widened in shock. A moment before, she had seemed so hurt by his revelation, and now she wanted to raise the child?
"Come again?" he asked. She frowned at him.
"You heard what I said, Maric. What were you planning on doing with him? Were you going to ship your child off to some monastery? What was your plan?" she accused. He flinched at her accusation, but she wasn't wrong. He did not have much of a plan.
"I'm just a little confused. When I told you that he was my son, you seemed so..." he began.
"Hurt? Maric, is it really such a surprise that I am hurt that you slept with another woman when I have so patiently waited for you to grieve? I'm not made of stone." she drawled. Again, she was right. He had genuinely cared about Fiona. She was a strong, brave woman, and she had given him that final push out of his depression. He would always be grateful to her for that. A few days before, she had shown up on his doorstep with a child that she said was his. He looked at the infant in Colette's arms and smiled. There was no question that he was the father. The boy looked just like him. However, his feelings for Fiona were miniscule compared to how he felt about Colette.
"I know, Colette. I never meant to hurt you. But I think that having you raise him would only bring questions to the minds of the people. They can clearly see that he is my son, but they also know that you never carried him. It would be a mess." he pointed out. She sighed, and nodded, smiling down at the boy.
"Well who will raise young Alistair?" she asked. He blinked.
"Alistair?" he asked. Colette grinned up at him.
"It means 'Defender of the People'. I have a good feeling about it." she said. He still stared at her.
"You named my son?" he asked. She glowered at him.
"Were you just going to call him 'my half-elven child' forever?" she hissed, but there was no real anger to it. He snorted.
"I doubt it. Alistair is a good name." he agreed. She beamed at him. Maker she was beautiful. And if she was willing to forgive what he had done... He didn't deserve her. Colette had been the first person he had summoned after Fiona and Duncan left the child with him. He hadn't hesitated to send one of her people to fetch her. She had seemed surprised when she arrived, but he had always known that she had her own spies in the palace. He had told her about the child before asking her to meet him in his chambers, where he showed her the baby. She was the only person that he trusted fully. He would tell a few others some of the truth, of course, but Colette was the only person other than Fiona and Duncan who knew everything.
"Who will raise him, Maric?" she asked again. He thought for a long time. Loghain was not an option. He would loathe the child for not being Rowan's. He would hate Maric for having a child with someone other than Rowan.
"I am not sure. All I know is that Loghain is not an option." he answered. She hurriedly nodded in agreement, quietly singing under her breath to the boy. He cooed in her arms for a time before falling into a deep sleep.
"You should send him to Eamon." she suggested. He arched an eyebrow.
"Why Eamon?" he asked.
"Because Eamon would want to defend his sister's honor by keeping Alistair a secret. You could tell him that the boy's mother was a maid at the castle and she died in childbirth. I happen to know that one of the maids here is heavy with child, and it would not take too much persuading to make her leave the castle. We tell everyone who needs to know that she was the mother, and that she died, and my people can confirm it to anyone who asks. That way, Eamon will raise the boy away from the politics of Denerim, and you know that his heritage will be kept secret." she explained. He nodded.
"That could work." he murmured.
"It will only work if you do not tell Loghain the truth. As of right now, only four people know the true parentage of your son, and we should keep it that way." she ordered. She was right, and she knew it. He nodded in agreement.
"How long will it take to escort the maid out of the city?" he asked. She grinned.
"It is already being done, my king." she admitted.
"How did you manage that?" he gaped. She chuckled.
"You told me to wait for five minutes before following you into your rooms. A lot can be accomplished in five minutes." she suggested.
"How did you convince the maid?" he asked. She shrugged.
"It did not take much convincing. I gave her a hefty bag of coin and told her there would be more coming if she managed to keep quiet about it and didn't ask questions. She's on her way to Orlais as we speak. We were lucky, as she never told anyone who the father of her child was. She does have another child, and I have ensured that she would be taken care of until she becomes an adult, but the woman was willing to leave her behind. With the kind of money I gave her, she was more than willing to play dead, no questions asked." she revealed.
"You never cease to amaze me." he said with a smile. She grinned back.
"I do my best. Now, you should spend some time with him. I have a trip to Redcliffe to make." she reminded him. He frowned.
"You are taking him yourself?" he wondered.
"Who better?" she asked. Again, she was right. Not only could she defend herself and the boy, but she was more than capable of sneaking in and out of the city. No one would suspect her. She handed Alistair to him before giving him a swift kiss on the cheek and disappearing from the room. He smiled sadly at his son.
"I hope I can show you that I love you, even if I cannot be the one to raise you, my son." he said softly. In the morning he would say his goodbyes. Hopefully he would see Alistair again.