A Wizard of the Nine

Fandom: Tanya Huff - The Fire''s Stone
Written for: Lesserstorm in the Yuletide 2007 Challenge: http://www.yuletidetreasure.org
Author: Esteliel
Rating: G
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Tanya Huff
Summary: A brief glimpse into Darvish, Aaron and Chandra''s life after the end of the novel.


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"Is it supposed to do that?" Chandra helplessly stared at the squalling infant in her arms.

Darvish chuckled but didn''t offer to relieve her of her burden - he still had the baby''s sister on his lap, after all.

"Oh, don''t complain, Most Wise... Yasimina will be back in a moment." He pressed a kiss to his little niece''s cheek to her obvious delight, while Chandra only rolled her eyes.

"If I ever decide to have a child after all, it will only be the one, mind you," she declared haughtily.

"I don''t know, Yasimina seems to manage just fine with these three, and she is not even a Wizard of the Nine." Darvish grinned when Chandra huffed and looked away, although she now gently rocked the realm''s newest princess to hush her.

"I could always just steal one for you, if you want an heir," Aaron murmured, arriving with a goblet of juice which Darvish took from him with a grateful smile, his finger''s tenderly lingering on Aaron''s hand for a moment.

"It''s only been four years!" Chandra rolled her eyes again. "And with all those princes and princesses your brother has sired, you would think you would be grateful to have some quiet in your own chambers."

"And your own father has not hinted that he would like a grandchild of his own to spoil, not to talk of an heir to his estates?"

"Really, Dar!" Chandra sniffed. "You talk as if I''m going to die of old age soon... There is still so much left to learn! I''m not going to abandon my study in order to sing cradle songs to an infant, not now at least."

"If you want me to steal an heir," Aaron said helpful, "I hear the new Lord Chancellor has become a father yet again, for what - the fifth, sixth time? I doubt that he''d even realize one was missing..."

"Or you and Aaron could always make one of your own," Chandra said with an innocent smile, biting back laughter at the wide-eyed looks she got from both. "Oh, it isn''t done often, but there are spells... I am, after all-"

"A Wizard of the Nine," both men groaned in unison.

Chandra smiled contently and looked down at the child that had finally quieted. "Exactly!"

Darvish twitched uncomfortably. "Could you truly?" he asked after a moment of silence.

Chandra laughed at the horrified look Aaron gave him. "Oh, Nine Above, no! Of course not!" she gasped, barely caring that her helpless giggling made the infant make sounds of complaint again. "Oh, you should see your faces!"

Aaron snorted in disgust and finally rescued the child from her arms, patting it soothingly. "Come, little one, let''s leave your horrible aunt. Who knows what terrible things she might teach you!"

Chandra muttered something under her breath, and the child crowed in delight when suddenly, Aaron''s copper hair released a cloud of shimmering butterflies that fluttered all around them. The former thief batted at them in annoyance, glaring at them when Darvish, Chandra and the baby''s 2-year-old sister broke out in laughter.

"I''ll leave you to your childish entertainments then - I still have, after all, to present your brother and his Most Gracious Wife with a gift to honor the birth of their newest child."

Aaron gave Darvish and Chandra a devilish smile, then turned, ready to flee after this last revelation.

"It''s a new pair of peacocks."