Shattered Windows, Broken Locks

Kalt I say goodbye to my weakness, So long to the regret, and now I see the world through diamond eyes.     Watching her carefully, observing the interaction between Ashetta and the little girl, Kalt didn’t hide the grin on his face. She had no idea. Whether she really didn’t put it together, or whether it was a subconscious denial of what was right in front of her face, he didn’t know, but she had no idea who the little girl was.     ”She’s very brave,” Kalt muttered, brushing the toddler’s hair away from her face with the tips of his fingers, looking at her softly. ”Takes after her momma.” He flashed a crooked grin at Ashe, then returning his gaze to his daughter. His daughter. He wasn’t sure if he would ever really get used to saying that, to hear her calling him papa. Never had he truly imagined that he would have this kind of life, a domestic side. The thought was laughable once upon a time.     When Ashe asked for the little girl’s name, the man felt his muscles tense for just a moment, his heart pick up pace slightly. Theea. The realization would mean something to Ashe, really mean something, and Kalt wasn’t sure that she knew what she was asking. He wasn’t sure if she was really ready to walk through the door she had just opened, but there was no stopping it. If he denied her the little girl’s identity, it could only drive her away.     The toddler looked back at Kalt with cautious eyes, and he gave her a gentle smile, silently telling her it was okay. “Star,” the little girl said.     Kalt nearly flopped over to his side with a laugh. Instead, he leaned forward, rubbing his hand over his face with a gentle pinch to his eyes. ”That’s your nickname,” he said, glancing over to her with a quirked brow and a look of ’quit messing around’ in his eyes.     The little girl squirmed slightly with a smile and scrunched nose, clasping her hands together and lifting her shoulders. “Theea,” she finally said, bright eyes looking at Ashe.     There was a silence following, as Theea once again began readjusting the sheet over her to her liking, and Kalt brought his gaze back over to Ashe. ”You remember Theea, Ashe?” He smiled at her, almost if he was waiting for it to click in her mind. He didn’t expect it immediately, didn’t expect her to instantly realize that the three-year-old girl sitting between them was the baby they had taken care of in the Keep years ago.     Ashe didn’t know what happened to Theea, but it would have been a safe guess that Master had killed her. He would have. He ordered Kalt to kill her, but clearly Silver Wing’s defiance was part of him that ran deep in his veins. The fact that Theea was alive and healthy was evidence of that. Now, Ashe’s reaction to the news would make the difference between talking in front of Theea or Kalt making up an excuse to excuse himself and Ashe from the room for some privacy.