Alliance

Chapter 11- Filius

Filius

Latin

Son

-

i won't sing the old songs any more

because

my new ones are far better.

-

"My ball."

"What? I- that's not even a ball, that's an apple-"

"My ball."

"But I've been busy and haven't eaten all da-"

"That MY ball!" Jem shrieked, and Peter immediately tossed the red fruit to him.

Of course the toddler couldn't catch it, and the fruit instead dropped at his feet, and he immediately burst into tears.

"What- why- Jem, what's wrong?" His uncle- sort of- couldn't understand why he didn't just bend down and pick it up. Surely even a little child could do that.

"My ball fall!"

"His vocabulary and sentence structuring used to be much better." His adopted mother spoke critically, before taking pity on him, and scooping both him and the fruit in her arms. "Lucy was right, he has grown younger."

"Well, he is a fae-" Peter started to tell Sanya, before stopping. "Sorry."

"It's alright." She shrugged, her son now happily grabbing at the 'ball' in her hand. "I slip up and call him Graeme sometimes- it's good and lucky that Jem and Graeme almost rhyme. And that he's a baby and doesn't realise."

"And Edmund? Still calling him James?"

"Yes. And he never stays in the room when Jem is awake, except at night- he bolts out as soon as he wakes up, and I have to explain to a groggy child that that speeding blur is his father- well, his mother's husband."

Peter rolled his eyes. "That's just ridiculous. Is he scared of him, or something?"

"I wouldn't even be surprised if that's true." She shrugged.
Jem began to tug at her hair suddenly, and- knowing what that meant- Sanya kissed his forehead and then let him down.
Immediately, he threw the apple across the courtyard, and ran- as much as his little legs could run- to it.
Sanya smiled adoringly at her son, before turning back to Peter with a frown, "But who knows. We don't exactly have very many- how do I say it?- emotional conversations."

"Still utter indifference?"

"Not really. We're more- acquaintances now, I suppose." It should have been odd, speaking about her marital matters to her brother-in-law- who she had hardly spoken to before. But it wasn't. Another potential friend, maybe? "I think he's still a bit annoyed that I won't fuck him anymore."

Peter choked. "No- I- er. Sanya, you shouldn't say that word."

She frowned, "Why not? It's simply a non-romantic and shorter way to say making love."

Peter didn't know how to explain, and decided to drop it altogether.
"Well, I can see where he's coming from. You did say you two couldn't have that sort of a relationship in case you get pregnant. But it's unlikely you will, considering Edmund is horrendously cautious about everything, including contraception." Hm, he needed another point to drive it home. "And you already have a child, you know. I don't see how it matters, really."