Indeed, while Chise still did not see any neighbours on their actual property, she was, now, all too aware of flitting shadows and watching eyes upon the borders of their little world. She didn't feel outright threatened, and Silky seemed unconcerned; but the intensity of the now-constant regard left her a bit uneasy.

"I just feel watched all the time," she said, lowering the bedroom's curtain again as Elias gave Thistle her evening bottle. "I—I feel like I'm on display. I keep wanting to put up heavier curtains."

"I doubt it would make much of a difference," Ruth commented sleepily from the foot of the bed.

"That isn't much consolation."

"I can strengthen the wards further, if that would help," Elias murmured, keeping his voice low. Azami's eyes were dimming as he gently rocked her.

"Thank you, but that wouldn't stop it, would it? I mean, they'd still be watching, just from further away." She paused, then asked, a bit plaintively, "Do you think they'll eventually get bored?"

"It may happen. Thistle is a new thing to them, a wonder; but faeries are famous for having short attention spans. When she hasn't done anything new or interesting for a while, some of them at least may lose interest and drift away."

Chise sighed. "They don't seem to have ever lost interest in me."

"Mm, well, no; but you are a sleigh beggy. You are fascinating."

"But Thistle is, too, isn't she? I mean, she's my daughter, and I'm pretty sure my Mum was a sleigh beggy… She'd have to be, right? Isn't she?"

Elias looked upward, seeming to search for the right words. "It's easier for the fully-fae to tell, I think," he finally confessed. "All I can tell easily is that you smell amazing. You—there's a pull, you understand. But until I actually tried to tap into your magical energy, I wasn't able to tell how much or little you had. And while of course they said that you had the Sight, until I saw you use it for myself I couldn't confirm that. Angelica, you remember, couldn't tell whether or not you had any magical potential at all. And I believe alchemists rely upon devices to detect magical ability; they cannot do so innately."

"Which means..?"

Elias shrugged, a bit helplessly. "I can only tell how strongly someone pulls me, and infer from that. And of course with you I felt that sleigh beggy pull before I cared anything for you as a person—let alone before I realized that I cared anything for you."

Chise smiled. "You've come a long way since then."

"I have, thanks to you." His eyes curved. "I am more aware that people are individuals, as well as being more aware of my own feelings. But so far as Thistle goes…" The thumb of the hand cradling her gently stroked her leg as he looked down at her, his eyes softening. "She's my own daughter," he murmured. "We wanted her. She's a part of me as well as you. I'm her father.

"How can I possibly separate my love for her from any potential sleigh beggy pull?"

Chise absorbed that in silence, absentmindedly patting Ruth's head as she sat down beside him. His tail gave a brief, sleepy wag.

"I suppose," she finally mulled, "That the simplest way would be to ask Ariel or one of the others if she was."

"Simplest, yes, probably. I'm not entirely sure that would be the safest path, though."

"But it's not like they won't already know, is it?" she argued, shifting 'round to face him as he leaned against the headboard. "They've already met her. I mean, the only other alternative I can think of is to ask the College if they can measure her magical potential—"

"Absolutely not!" Elias's eyes flashed in alarm.

"No—I agree. But what I mean is, they'd have to actively try to measure her, wouldn't they? They wouldn't just know the way the neighbours would, like they did with me."

Elias settled a bit, but still looked wary. "I really would prefer that the College not find out that she is anything but a perfectly ordinary human being for as long as possible," he muttered. "We can't trust them to have her best interests at heart. She will have enough of a target on her back just from being our daughter; there's no need to paint it any larger."

Chise looked at Thistle, where she lay in Elias's arms, fluffy little white body blending into his sleeve, thick little opalescent tail trailing down to the bedspread, her face an adorable echo of Elias's own. "I… think they may figure it out."

"I didn't say it would be easy," he grumbled. "But she needn't be able to fully shift as I can. If she can at least walk upright, I can always cast a glamour over her; that will give her a measure of protection against casual observation, at least."

"Can't you do it now?" Chise asked, curious.

"I could; but she moves differently from a crawling baby."

"Creepy," mumbled Ruth.

"Yes, I rather think it would be. The effect would be less noticeable if she were upright, however. Or so I believe."

Chise nodded absently, her brow furrowed in thought. "What about Lindel?" She said at last. "Do you think he would be able to tell? Or the dragons? Nevin knew right away that I was a mage, and he was blind. And I hadn't even learned any spells yet!"

"Oh? He said that right off, did he? Well, he was one of the old, great dragons. I'm not sure if the younger ones would be able to sniff you out as he did. But I can always ask, I suppose."

"Iceland is west of here, isn't it? Why don't you ask him once Thistle's down? Surely he will still be up; it shouldn't be too late there yet."

"Er… It may be better to send a message that he can read at his leisure. Besides, Thistle ought to be a deal older before we take her so far from home, and I don't think he could tell just by looking from there."

"Still, I imagine he will want to hear how she's doing. I'd like to say hello myself; it's been ages since we've seen him!"

"Then… Why don't we, uh… why don't we talk to him in the morning, when she's awake, so he can see her for himself? —Or better yet, I can send a message and ask him to call us whenever is convenient for him. I imagine he'll be busy with hatchings and reindeer calvings and things— You know, it might be best to just leave him to it for another month or two…"

"Elias." Chise eyed him sternly. "Why are you being so weird about this?"

"W-weird?"

"Yes, weird! It's like you haven't even… Oh no . Elias, you did remember to tell Lindel when Thistle was born, didn't you?"

Silky, enjoying a quiet sit and knit in the peace of the sitting room below, almost dropped a stitch at Chise's outraged shout.

"What do you mean you didn't tell him I was pregnant?!"

"I still can't believe you didn't even mention it to him," Chise grumbled, sitting back. Elias hung his head, looking properly chastised. Silky and Ruth had discretely left the kitchen as soon as breakfast was done.

"I honestly didn't even think about who should know about it," he admitted. "I was more concerned about who should not know. And about you. And her. And the birth. And—"

"All right, but still! I even had a baby shower and everything!"

"Yes?"

"Well, I mean… I mean, that's usually the cue that it's okay to start letting people know about the pregnancy, right?"

"Is it?"

"Isn't it?"

They stared at each other for a moment before Chise shook her head at Elias's blank look. "Well, I suppose it's too late to change any of that now," she sighed. "So. Lindel doesn't know about Thistle's birth or that I was pregnant. So we need to tell him." She rubbed her face wearily. "Actually, perhaps you should tell him."

"But—!" Elias stopped himself, was silent for a moment, and deflated. "All right."

"I will be there to talk to him as well, though," Chise added, smiling fondly at him.

"Thank you."

"Who else didn't you tell?"

Elias thought for a minute. "Out of everyone we know? I'm still not quite sure who I should have told," he admitted. "It might be faster to just tell you who I did tell."

"All right." Chise picked up a pencil and readied herself to write.

"Silky."

Chise paused, and looked up. "Well, I mean, of course you told Silky," she said, giving him a Look. "That doesn't count."

"Why not?" Elias seemed honestly confused.

"Well, because she lives here! You didn't need to make any kind of a birth announcement to her; she knows! She was here for it!"

"Ah." Elias paused. "So I don't need to list Ruth or Shannon, then."

"No."

"Or Angelica or Alice? I think it was probably you who told them, though…"

"Elias. Who, of the people who have not been here since Thistle was born, and who might therefore still not be aware of her birth, did you tell about her?"

Elias suddenly became deeply preoccupied with picking a piece of lint from his glove. "I mean," he mumbled, "Lindel probably does already know, since the ariels here know…"

Chise sighed heavily, dropping her head to her folded arms on the table. "You didn't tell anyone, did you?"

"I'm sorry," he confessed. "I didn't know I should have."

"No, I suppose not," Chise sighed. "I don't think you ever even really thought about having kids someday until I mentioned it, did you?"

"No. I had no reason to."

"So you had never had any reason to imagine having a child of your own. All the little things you'd do." Chise pushed back her chair, and came around to her husband, giving him a little push on his shoulder for him to slide his chair out. He obliged, and she settled onto his lap with another sigh, resting her head against his chest as his arms came around her.

"One of the first things you ever actually told me about yourself was that you didn't like children."

"Very true. And I still didn't fully understand the usual concept of a family at that point. Nor what a marriage properly was, or what was expected from it."

"But when… when we first became intimate, and we were trying to figure out what kind of birth control would work the best for us, you didn't—you honestly never thought about the alternative? Even as a 'this must never happen' sort of thing?"

"Alternative? To… birth contro—Oh. Oh." Elias dropped his face into his hand. "Birth control. Oh my lord."

"Elias, my husband, you know I love you. But sometimes, you're kind of an idiot."

"I am, aren't I?"

In the sitting room, Ruth murmured to Silky, bouncing Thistle on her knee beside him, "Well, birds of a feather…"

Silky hummed amused agreement.

"All right. What about Rahab?"

Elias looked confused again. "Rahab?"

"Your old teacher? Lindel's master?"

"No, I mean, what about Rahab?"

"Should we tell her?"

"I haven't seen nor spoken to her in well over a century. Perhaps two. —Would informing her be socially required?"

"No, I suppose not, then," Chise replied, slightly regretful. "So I suppose it's really just Lindel that we ought to call."

"Yes, I think so." Elias sighed. "When do you want to do that?"

"No time like the present, I suppose."

"Hello, Chise! Elias. Is anything wrong? You two look anxious."

"Hello, Lindel!" Chise smiled at his reflection in the seeing-stone. "No, everything's fine here. It's good to see you! It's been a long time!"

"Has it? I suppose it has. Well, you know that my granddaughter may call me any time." He returned her smile warmly. "I hope that—"

A dragon hatchling popped into view, bouncing excitedly. "Chise?! Chise! Hi, Chise!"

"Back off, you!" Lindel grumbled, pushing it back; but another head popped in from his other side. "Chise! Hi, Chise! When are you going to come for a visit again?!"

"Settle down! You're in the way. Sit down!"

In the brief lull, Chise cleared her throat. "Um, speaking of granddaughters, there's something we need—we want to tell you…"

"This may not be the best time, Chise," Elias murmured. "He seems distracted. We should call back later."

Chise discreetly elbowed him as the dragons popped back into view. "Oh! Is it about the baby?!" the first asked, bouncing excitedly. "You should bring her along! We can all play with her!"

"Is she there now?! Let us see her!"

Lindel dropped his face into his palm amidst a flurry of excited flapping and bouncing, and calls of "Show us the baby!"

Elias perked up. "Actually, this may be the perfect time to call."

"You told them too soon," Lindel grumbled. "Now they know we know."

"Ha! You were going to make me tell you, weren't you?"

"Of course I was! Where's the fun in just letting you off the hook?! You didn't mention anything."

"We're sorry, Lindel," Chise said, echoing the subdued hatchlings' murmurs of, "Sorry, Lindel," and "We didn't mean to give it away."

Elias huffed. "I was distracted. But," he added, at Chise's prompting look, "I should have found the time to let you know she was expecting. And about the birth. I apologize."

"Well, that's okay then. Just make sure to tell me right away the next time. I want to know when you put Chise through these things!"

"I didn't 'put her through' anything, Lindel," Elias grumbled.

"Oh, I'm sorry? She just conceived on her own? I was under the impression you were the father."

Elias huffed as Chise hid a small smile. "See? This is why I never talk to him."

"You never talk to me because you're a brat."

"Regardless," Chise interjected, "Would you like to see her?"

Lindel was all but trampled by wildly enthusiastic hatchlings. "Sure," he said, voice muffled. "Let me just stand back a bit."

Silky peeped around the doorway, and brought Thistle in, Ruth following close behind.

Thistle's eyes widened at the sight of the glowing viewing stone, and the jostling babies. She shrank back against Silky, thumb instinctively seeking her mouth.

"Hi, Thistle!" Chise crooned, opening her arms wide as Silky passed her over. "Look! These are our friends. They're baby dragons! And your grandfather Lindel is here, too! Do you want to say hi to them? They very much want to say hi to you."

The hatchlings stilled as Chise cuddled the uncertain Thistle to her, Elias wrapping a comforting arm around his wife as he reassuringly stroked Thistle's back. "You can call them Uil, Beanna, and Gaoth Arach," he said, pointing at each kind in turn. "Lindel, this is Thistle. My daughter," he added, chin lifting with pride.

"Aww, look at her!" the Uil said softly. "She's so tiny! Hiya, Thistle!"

"Hi, Thistle! We know your mum!"

"And your dad!"

"And your granddad!"

"Yeah, he lives with us!"

"He looks after us!"

"You should come for a visit!"

"Yeah! Come play with us!"

"All right, all right, that's enough," said Lindel, pushing his way back to the forefront. "Don't overwhelm her. Calm down. Hello, Thistle," he added, with a gentle smile. "I'm your Grandfather Lindel."

Thistle remained cuddled back into her parents' arms, but popped out her thumb long enough to say, "...Gafalalal? Lalalalalal….."

"Aww! She's so cute!"

Lindel rolled his eyes at his charges, but smiled. "Grandfather Lindel, yes. Perhaps you will come and visit me and the dragons some day, yes?"

"Yeah! Come and play with us!"

"Bring your mum and come play!"

Thistle sat up a bit, looking livelier. "Pwah?" she asked, popping her thumb out.

Chise laughed. "Yes, play with the dragons! Would you like that?"

"Pwah dago! Lalalal!"

"It's settled then. When you are a bit bigger, have your parents bring you for a visit."

"When she's bigger," confirmed Elias.

"Yes. And," added Chise wryly, remembering her own early visits, "Maybe once she's learned to swim."

A/N: I feel that I ought to mention, for posterity's sake, that as I write this chapter we are awaiting the release of Chapter 70, so Elias at this point has indeed not seen Rahab since he left her tutelage, after deciding that Lindel was not the most optimal Teacher of Human Things. However, (minor spoilers for Chapters 51 and 52), Chise, unbeknownst to Elias, has.

On a more personal note, we're also a few weeks from heading into our fifth month in quarantine. Luckily we're okay financially, but I have to admit, I'm struggling emotionally, and it's slowing me down. So I'd like to particularly ask for reviews/comments if you're up to it; I could really use the boost.

Thanks, guys. Love you all. Stay safe out there.