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"... You called?"
Corvo gently closed the door to Jessamine's quarters behind him, moving the handle as slowly as he possibly could so that he wouldn't disturb her or the child. He slowly walked into the bedroom, being extremely mindful of his steps— too much noise could wake up little Emily.
He had hoped to find Jessamine already in bed, with little, precious, Emily sleeping in the crib by its side— instead, he found the Empress wide awake, standing close to the window; hair down and wearing a simple white nightgown as she cradled the infant in her arms. The sight tugged at his heartstrings, his pulse skipping a beat and his thin lips curving up in the gentlest of smiles.
It had only been a couple of months since Emily had been born, yet her birth had already stirred controversy at court. The fact that Jessamine was unmarried and appeared pregnant seemingly out of nowhere hadn't gone unnoticed, especially by the elite of the Empire. The moment Jessamine's stomach had started to swell, gossip had become rampant amongst the gatherings of the highborns of the Empire.
The fact that the child had a resemblance to him helped even less.
Jessamine was quick to react as she heard Corvo's voice calling for her. His lips curved into a smile as he looked at her, closely holding their child to her chest, her right hand going up and down the baby's back.
"... Corvo,"
Her reply was faint and she slowly started walking towards him. His smile disappeared and his heart filled with worry as he got a closer look at Jessamine. She was biting her lower lip and her bright blue eyes were surrounded by red corners— brimming with tears.
"... Jessamine," He muttered, carefully holding her left forearm with his right hand, his left cupping her right cheek, "... What's wrong?"
She took in a deep breath, a choked sob barely containing itself as a lone tear ran down her right cheek, which Corvo quickly wiped with his thumb.
"... I can't put her to sleep, I-I," She paused on her words, taking a moment to try to regain composure, almost embarrassed that she had so easily broken down in front of him. She knew he wouldn't mind— he had comforted her many times before. But she hated showing weakness. Especially so soon after Emily's difficult birth. When whispers about her child's paternity were still incessant, while her body was still recovering from the ordeal. When several people at court refused to take her seriously. But she hated showing it to him, most of all. She wanted to prove that she could be a good mother. To court. Her advisors. Her people. Her little, raven-haired Emily. Corvo. Herself.
"... I don't know what's wrong, she's not sick, she's been fed, she's clean, she—"
"—Jess—"
"—I'm a terrible mother—"
"—Jessamine," He whispered her name sweetly, his hand comfortably resting over her shoulder, "... No, you're not..."
It was in times like this where he felt lost. He could swing his sword at anyone who dared lay a finger on her, on them, and have their heads rolling on the floor. He had always been good at that.
But he was terrible with words.
He truly wanted, from the bottom of his heart, to say something that would comfort her. He knew she didn't have it easy, ruling the empire and taking care of a newborn child. The maids and other staff around the Tower did help, but Jessamine insisted on being thoroughly involved in her daughter's upbringing. Corvo had told her that she didn't have to overwork herself and that she should take care of her well-being, too— but his beloved Jessamine was as stubborn as a rock and insisted on doing all tasks by herself.
"... I'll put her to sleep," He muttered, "And you go to sleep—"
"—Corvo—"
"—I am also responsible for her, Jessamine, " He said, smiling briefly at her, "You need to rest," He added at the end, kissing her forehead briefly.
The guards must have thought he was crazy. Looked at him with a slight tinge of suspicion.
Surely the sight of the Royal Protector walking around the gardens of the Tower past midnight with an infant tucked under his jacket was an amusing and quite unexpected sight.
If he were anyone else, they would have already attacked him. But then again, Corvo Attano was probably the most powerful person in court right after Jessamine— he wasn't a man of many words, indeed, but he was the closest person to Jessamine herself. Even if they found his demeanor to be odd, they wouldn't dare speak out against it. He was very much aware of the rumors surrounding himself, Jessamine, and the infant heiress to the Empire. He might not partake in such conversations with random aristocrats, but that did not make him ignorant of the fact that his relationship with Jessamine wasn't as secret as he would've hoped it to be. And that sweet, delicate Emily, as small as she was —and how compelled he felt to just behold her during hours to no end, in pure amazement— had made their little secret considerably conspicuous.
He held Emily close to his chest, her small head resting on the crook of his neck, trying to cover her up with his jacket as much as he possibly could. His arms were holding her in place, afraid to let her slip or even fall. To his dismay, the child still hadn't stopped fiddling and moving in his arms, which meant that she still hadn't fallen asleep.
"... Emily," He started, his voice low and barely audible, only meant for her to listen, "I understand that you're a busy lady, but you should give your mother a proper rest," He sighed, "... She hasn't slept decently in weeks."
He looked around from where he was standing, checking on the guards doing their rounds around the gardens. He knew those guards would help him if anyone even tried to attack him right at that moment, but he still felt wary of his surroundings. He had just always been like that— careful and observant of everything involving him. He wanted to make himself sure that everything was going as planned— that there were no intruders, and that no one would be in danger. That Jessamine, whom he had left alone in her private quarters, was okay and sound asleep.
He wanted to be absolutely sure that no deranged individual could make their way up to him and slit his throat.
Much less with the royal heir in his arms.
His child.
How he wished he could just say those words out in the wind.
The mere thought of anything ever happening to his Emily sent a cold shiver down his spine. He pulled her closer, his hand gently tapping on her back.
"... If your mother agrees, I'll take you fishing with me someday. Perhaps even teach you how to climb a wall or two," He chuckled, "That should get you tired enough that you'll fall asleep in a heartbeat at night."
He climbed the small steps of the gazebo, stepping under its protective dome with light steps. His first kiss with Jessamine was there, he recalled. They had run away from a party and it started pouring down heavily while they were strolling around the gardens. He smiled to himself at the fondness of the memory and kissed the top of Emily's head, leaning his right side against one of the gazebo's pillars as he took a moment for himself, staring at the night sky.
Some of the lights coming from the buildings reflected on the surface of the Wrenhaven. Sokolov's advancements with whale oil were delivering its fruits— the Clock Tower standing tall and proud in the background as the moon shone upon the city, accompanied by a number of stars that Corvo didn't even bother counting.
"... I will take you to Karnaca someday," He muttered, "Where the sun shines and people sing in the streets. Dunwall's best banquets are dog meals in Serkonos, that I can assure you," He smiled, recalling his childhood and upbringing in the southern island of the Empire, "My sister and I used to watch the ships come and go when we were children. There are ships in Dunwall too, but it's... different."
He looked down at the bundle resting against his chest, feeling her warm breath against the crook of his neck. Carefully, he lowered the collar of his coat, checking down on what the little one was up to.
Her eyelids were down, eyes tightly shut. Her little fingers of her left hand tightly held onto his clothes. Her pinkish and small lips parted.
He smiled as he caressed her left cheek with the tip of his right hand's fingers, Emily slightly reacting to his touch by scrunching up her little nose.
"Good night, Emily."