00 - Prologue -
His mate, Inn. DEAD.
How could he carry on? They were not the traditional mates, but they had grown to be friends at least? The paper he held in his hands, the death certificate. It claimed Inn died in childbirth, but how could Inn have died in such a way? They had never had sex; they didn’t even sleep in the same room. That meant Inn had been sleeping outside of their marriage and that hurt a little, but not as bad as losing Inn hurt.
Skorwn males that could birth their own children were very rare and often died in the birth. It was like a one in fifty thousand chance a male could carry. He wondered if Inn’s child had made it into the world alive, what would become of Inn’s child? The death of Inn would remove Dagger from the House of Prodigy. If the child had been his, it would have allowed him to keep the position in the first family, but that was not the case. His rank drop was not even that much. Dagger belonged to the House of White. That meant his bloodline was the second to form the second family. Not like that was of any importance right now. The important thing was about what they would do with his husband and the child. Whether dead or alive.
Somewhere in a back room, the male, Prodigy, screamed in anger. His sweet son, Inn. Died in childbirth. The blond tuffs on the head of Inn’s son told him alone, Inn’s husband, Dagger, was not this child’s father. Inn had broken his marriage and bore a child. This was bad, all kinds of bad. Not just because he had been the one to set Inn and Dagger for marriage, but because it had been his son that broke the marriage vows. That would make his family look bad.
Prodigy did not know what to do with this child at this point. Well, Prodigy and Dagger did not see eye to eye, he was not angry when the doctor presented him with the audio from the childbirth. Inn’s voice rang out from the tape, loud and clear. It made his blood boil with a feeling he had never felt.
Please make sure my son goes to Dagger. He must.
Prodigy would take the child to Dagger the moment they cleared it to leave. The birth certificate in his hand named the child as Wick, Son of Inn, House of Prodigy.
Prodigy saw nothing he was not pleased with other than they listed him under the house of Prodigy, well this was his grandchild. He did not belong under the house of Prodigy, but that would change once Dagger took the child. He would be Wick, Son Of Inn, House of Dagger. Prodigy was not the one who should be listed on the birth certificate. It disgusted him they had done that.
Once the child had been cleared, Prodigy took the infant to Dagger. He didn’t knock as he walked inside the home his son once lived. Prodigy was met at the entranceway by Dagger, Son of Risk.
“Inn named you guardian of his child, Wick, son of Inn.”
Dagger looked at the small infant and couldn’t believe his ears. The child he had worried about was here in his home. Inn had named him the Guardian. Just why the hell had Inn done that? Wick had a father, and it was not him.
“Why I? Why not the child’s father?”
“Inn didn’t have any father present or on the birth certificate. He had also demanded before he passed that you be the one to have the child, that you must take him. He wanted no one else to have the infant.”
“I see. But I still really don’t understand why he would want me to have the infant. But I will look after the infant.”
He passed over the tiny infant and Prodigy told Dagger the details of his husband’s pyre. The child was now in the hands of Dagger; He bid Dagger a good night and then left. Dagger shut the door and stared at the only thing Inn had left behind. How could he raise a child when he didn’t even know how? He had never even held a baby before. Inn knew that. How did Inn think he was qualified to look after the child?
The bundled child let out a squeak, and Dagger looked down at the small thing. He weighed barely anything in Dagger’s arms and he worried about accidentally hurting him. The birth certificate that sat on the inside table had his name listed as Wick, son of Inn, House of Prodigy. But Prodigy had clarified that he wanted that changed as soon as possible. Dagger felt a little off by Prodigy’s behavior towards his son’s child. His son was dead. This was his only grandson. Dagger understood that what Inn had done was dirty, not only for him, but for his parents, but that should have been settled. Inn had paid with his life for this.
Rocking the small child in his arms, Dagger called his father Risk. He needed help with the baby and the only person he could even think to call was his own father, who had parental experience. Dagger thought if anyone could help him right now and understand his pain, it would be his father. Dagger paced around with the newborn in his arms. If he held still, the infant would scream. Having this infant gave Dagger no time to mourn the loss of Inn.
When Risk showed up, the child in Dagger’s arms took Risk by surprise. He hadn’t expected this, Dagger hadn’t even told him the details of why he had called, but had told him to come. It was an emergency. There was no time to waste.
“This is the emergency, then?”
“Yes. I need your help.”
“Who’s child is this?”
“Inn’s.”
“When did—- Oh, I understand.”
“He passed away in childbirth. He left his child to me. His father had made it clear he would like the child removed from the House Of Prodigy. As for the infant’s father, he is unknown.”
“He is to be your ward, then?”
“It would seem so.”
“Pass me the child. Mourn the loss of your husband and your friend.”
Dagger’s father seemed to be the only one who understood that Dagger and Inn were not the normal expectation of Skorwn couples. They were not together, but they were together only in name. They didn’t have a relationship that would have produced children, but Inn trusted him enough to pass his only child off after his death, and that meant something more than the fact he had cheated on his partner.
Risk felt for his son. He had a child now whether or not he wanted him, Dagger would honor Inn’s last wish for his son. No matter the cost. He wouldn’t leave the newborn to suffer without someone to love him. Inn left him with the only thing he had that meant anything.
Dagger sat in their shared room, his fingers lingering on a black sweater that hung in Inn’s closet. The scent of his shampoo still lingered in the room. How had he missed the fact that Inn was with child? How had he been that ignorant of the struggles of his husband? He had only been here just days before; He claimed he had a work trip and would be home after that. What had he planned on doing with the child when he got home?
“Why? Why hadn’t you been honest with me? I could have helped you. You didn’t have to do this all alone, Inn. You could have asked for my help.” Dagger whispered into the empty room. Only receiving silence back.
Pain of heartbreak and loss weighed down Dagger’s heart at that moment. He really didn’t know how to mourn Inn when all he could think about was the newborn downstairs and how he was supposed to do right by that kid. Dropping his hand away from the sweater, Dagger made his way back downstairs to find his father walking around with the child in his arms. He was whispering to the newborn. Dagger thought to himself that Inn knew Dagger could handle looking after his son and he would have a support system if he needed help.
Dagger couldn’t wipe the touch of anger he felt inside about Prodigy casting the child aside like this was his fault, but Dagger knew this is how he had always been and probably always would be. After all, Inn complained about his father’s strict code and being prim and proper as the first family. Dagger hadn’t had that, he was the second family after all the expectations were lower.
Inn’s son, however, would be the first family, and Dagger would have to raise him with that knowledge of the first family. He thought to curse Inn for this, but the small smile that was on his lips knowing that Inn had trusted him this much did little for his saddened heart.
