"You want to take the child to the Camelia?" Francis repeated, seemingly struck dumb.
"If he's going to be Lord of the Camelia-"
"He's not going to be lord of some backwater estate!"
"Then what do you think he'll inherit, Uncle?" Eric pressed as his uncle sputtered. "My children take the throne. Eirian's take the Camelia. What remains?"
Francis paled, mouth opening and closing as he desperately tried to think of something, anything that would keep him in control of the situation.
Next to him, Brigitta froze, then clutched at her skirts, her hands, the pearls hanging around her neck. "I don't want to live there." She shrieked again.
"You wouldn't be," Eirian repeated, already thoroughly done with the conversation.
"Either the child goes with Eirian or Chenzhou, or he's removed from the line of succession." Eric's tone allowed for no argument.
Eirian wondered if her father had ever considered this outcome. Had he ever considered that he might just lose his precious son because of all his scheming? He wouldn't be able to control him if he didn't have daily access. Children were resilient, but they weren't stupid. Raised outside of his father's walls, it would be nearly impossible for him to exercise control over all of her brothers' thoughts and actions.
When it became obvious Francis wasn't going to be able to argue his way out of it, Eric demanded that the child be brought to them.
His nursemaid, the same young woman who'd been caring for him at the Camelia, appeared a few minutes later. In her nightrobe and carrying the yawning little boy.
She was clearly confused to be summoned at such a late hour, and she kept a protective grip on baby Soliel as he started to notice the other people present.
He had the Soliel hair, a mass of unruly curls, and the family's fair skin. He clutched at his nursemaid as he looked around with bright grey eyes.
He stared at Eirian and Eric the longest, recognizing his own coloring and curious.
"He's just started walking, your grace." His nursemaid bowed and set him carefully on his feet.
He swayed a bit, grabbed her skirt to steady himself, and peered up at the adults staring down at him.
"He's growing well." Chenzhou smiled and crouched down. "Hello, Brendan."
The nursemaid brightened and glanced at Francis, "That's a beautiful name, my lord."
Francis scowled, then remembered himself and smiled tightly. "Very. You're excused."
She reeled back in surprise, flushed, and quickly bowed. "Yes, my lord."
She turned to leave, but Eric stopped her. "Wait. Pack his things, he'll be returning to the Camelia with the Princess and Lord Ye."
The nursemaid hesitated, glancing between Eric and Francis.
Brendan, oblivious, giggled when Chenzhou made a face at him and reached for him. He took an unsteady step towards Chenzhou, and Chenzhou quickly held out his hand to let him grab on.
Eric noticed the nursemaid's hesitation as Eirian stepped over to Chenzhou and leaned over his shoulder. "Is something wrong?"
"No-no! Your grace. My apologies." She bowed again, nervous. "I- he's still so young. Is there someone to care for him?"
"There are children at the Camelia." Eric drawled.
Brendan took the last few tottering steps to Chenzhou and giggled when Chenzhou gently tapped him on the nose. He strung together several sounds that were almost words and reached for a lock of Chenzhou's long black hair with wide eyes.
The nursemaid bit her lip, and Eirian realized belatedly that she was just worried. Given the lack of interest from her father and stepmother, it shouldn't be surprising. The nursemaid had been with him since the day he was born and was probably as attached to him as she was to her own children.
"You can come with him." Eirian offered, feeling oddly generous.
And a bit terrified at the idea of caring for a child without professional help.
Chenzhou looked up and smiled brightly. "There's more than enough room." He winced when Brendan yanked on his hair, seemingly fascinated by its length.
Cautious hope overcame the nursemaid. "I- I have a family, your grace."
"There's plenty of work at the Camelia." Eirian reached over Chenzhou's shoulder and impulsively poked Brendan on the forehead. His little eyes crossed as they tried to follow her finger, but he kept his fist tight around Chenzhou's hair.
The nursemaid turned hopeful eyes on Eric, who shrugged. "It's fine, go on. They're planning to leave the day after tomorrow."
"I-I'll have them start packing immediately!" She rushed off to tell her family, promising to return immediately to take Brendan back to bed.
Brendan didn't seem to notice, still fascinated with Chenzhou's hair.
Francis sputtered. "You can't just release my staff!"
"She works for the Soliel family." Eric pointed out. "So I can, because I am the head of the family."
Francis's face darkened. Brigitta was still sputtering next to him.
Brendan hadn't once looked toward his parents, and they hadn't looked at him.
It was a bit heartbreaking, Eirian realized, watching Chenzhou smile as Brendan babbled at him and played with his hair. She assumed she'd cared about her father's lack of attention when she was young, but by the time she was a teenager, she'd gotten over it. Maybe Brendan was too young to realize what he was missing, and he wouldn't be damaged by any of it.
Chenzhou certainly seemed like a natural with him. Unbothered by the drool and the yanking and the incomprehensible sounds.
They were kind of cute together. Eirian wasn't so unfeeling that she couldn't see that. With Chenzhou's dark locks and Brendan sharing her moonfire hair, and Chenzhou's gentleness.
It made her feel slightly less nervous about taking on the responsibility of raising him. At least with Chenzhou there, it was clear Brendan would have someone who knew how to communicate with him and had the patience to do it when he was already exhausted.
Maybe this wouldn't be too bad.
She leaned on Chenzhou's shoulder and used another lock of his hair to tickle Brendan's nose, watching it scrunch up in confusion and delight as he giggled.
~ tbc