whose afraid... [Sette / Any]

[Kushiel]

Kushiel was undeterred by Gryffen’s lack of enthusiasm. It is only to be expected, when you’ve gotten nothing but coal in your Christmas stocking for every year imaginable. Kushiel didn’t need to know everything to know that the Chamber’s white wolf was one, very naughty boy. His daughter, however, was just about as cute as one could wish for a tiny little filly.

Kushiel’s love of children was one of the few completely sympathetic things about him. More impressively, was that he made no attempt to hide it, as he did with most of his more admirable qualities. Kids were hilarious in their bluntness, and usually said exactly what everyone else was thinking. Kushiel, though he may be fully grown, felt a kindred spirit with the little beasts. In fact, he aspired to be just like them when he grew up. Still, the adults had to be attended to, and the gray stallion made a sour expression at Gryffen’s words.

“I’m happy to report that…until now, I’ve lived my whole life without needing to think about the state of your celibacy.” Truly, he did not want to imagine how Gryffen chose to take his pleasures. Even worse than how he slacked his lust was what exactly those pleasures were. Truly, Kushiel shuddered to imagine it. He shook himself violently, as if he was suddenly overrun by crawling ants. Always the dramatic, he turned back to the child, for she was speaking, and mercifully giving Kushiel something else to contemplate.

“If you’re not a princess you certainly could have fooled me. You’re every bit as pretty as one.” Ever the flatterer, Kushiel had no qualms with starting them young. Granted, he was not completely sick, and until they were of a proper age, he liked to flatter for the sake of flattery itself.

“Well, Anguisette, while you certainly could be on fire I don’t think you would like it very much. I’m sure your dad would advise you not to try it.” Kushiel never considered that he could be considered a very bad example for the kids at home. Yet, there was very little he could do about it. It would have to be the parent’s responsibility, to teach their children not to play with fire. Of course, with an eternally burning tree sitting not 100 feet away, the temptation was considerably greater here than anywhere else. With the future the child in mind, he turned back to Gryffen.

“So Gryffen, is it bring your daughter to work day or is she here to stay? I do hope you don’t show her everything you do in service of queen and kingdom.” Kushiel, as a semi loyal servant of queen and kingdom, was hardly one to question the actions done in their honor. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder if the Chamber was the best place for happy little girl children. Certainly, there were children running around, and they all seemed to turn out relativity normal. Engelsfors had her fabled son, and everyone kept insisting that Erebor had once been a child. Though, secretly, Kushiel doubted that very much. That one seemed to have all the childlike joviality of a piece of wood.