A special child

Nikolas left the room, leaving her perched on the pillows in the bed with a distraught look marring her face. And what a pretty face it is. He thought to himself. Goddess, but he was about to tell her everything he had seen in the vision that morning and wouldn't that just frighten her off for good. He couldn't really tell her that he had seen the two of them together after she had healed. That he had basically fallen in love with her at the first sight of her in that vision. That he ran like the hounds of hell were chasing him as soon as he realized that she was coming and that she was in danger. That he wasn't certain if the images of them saying their wedding vows in front of almost everyone in the village gathered in Whispering Park was real or not. That he saw them living their lives together so long into the future that she was large with child and he looked to be the happiest man alive. How could he possibly explain that to someone he had not actually introduced himself to yet. How could he tell her that he planned to marry her, and he did not even know what her name was. Just that he knew that he wanted her to become Mrs. Nikolas Castaman sometime very soon. He could not even explain it to himself, he just knew that he had never felt anything like that before in his entire life.

He walked out of the infirmary and down the hall to the guest quarters. The Lyceum may serve primarily as the village school, training children in both magic and general studies, but it also functioned as the town hall, the local inn, and the local hospital. So, until their newest visitors decided to stay in town permanently this would be where they would be staying, and oh how he wished they would stay.

Opening the door to the first guest room on the right, he heard the elderly ladies he had charged with caring for the newborn baby girl cooing over her with obvious delight.

"Good afternoon ladies." He said walking in and stepping up next to one of the two women, she was a tiny thing, short and thin with silver hair and eyes and looked like a strong wind would blow her over but she was the most loving woman he had ever known. "How have things been Gretta?" He asked her.

"Everything is fine, Mr. Castaman, wonderful in fact." Gretta answered.

"Yes, they are indeed Mr. Nik." The other woman answered, she was almost as different as could be from Gretta, she was tall for a woman, nearly as tall as a man, with slightly broader shoulders and looked strong still even as she was pushing seventy; their only similarities were that they both had silver hair and eyes.

"That's wonderful to hear Linette." Nikolas said, and it was indeed, this baby was no ordinary baby and needed to be kept safe.

"She has slept most of the time you have been gone, we've taken our turns holding her while she slept, and we fed her some milk mixed just the way you told us to, she seemed to enjoy it." Gretta informed him.

"Yes, and the little thing has barely made a sound, she's so sweet and doesn't seem to fuss at all, that's the best kind of baby there is." Linette added.

"I am truly glad to hear that, and very grateful to you ladies for caring for her."

"Twasn't nothing, Mr. Nik, Gretta and I have not had much time to fuss over a baby like this, not since the last of our own grandbabies grew up and moved away to start their own lives." Linette looked sad as she stared at the baby in Gretta's arms.

"My sister is right Mr. Castaman, we have missed them so much that this seems more like a favor you did for us than we are doing for you." This made Nikolas happy to hear, if he could make people happy while doing what needed to be done then it was all worth it.

"Can I have her now?" Nikolas asked, holding his arms out for the little girl.

"Heavens yes." Gretta exclaimed as she handed the baby over, but he noticed how her hand lingered, stroking the baby's thick black hair.

"Has the mother woken up then?" Linette asked, a hint of sadness in her strong voice.

"Yes, and she is very anxious to see her little girl." Nikolas said looking between the elderly sisters, he knew that they missed having babies and little children around to fuss over, that is why he asked them to be the baby's caretakes for that short time.

"I can see why she would be anxious. This baby is so adorable and sweet, the momma must be going out of her mind with worry right now." Gretta said lovingly.

"You get that baby back to her momma quick as can be, Mr. Nik and tell her that this is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen, and I had three of my own." Linette said, laughing as she spoke. Nikolas smiled and nodded as he turned to leave the room.

"Thank you again for your help ladies, hopefully they will stay and then we can have you ladies help her get settled in town. The baby doesn't have any grandma's here for her after all." He heard the women gasp in delight as he left the room.

Walking down the corridor back the way he had come, he stared at the baby's face. As soon as he had left the room with the older ladies behind him the baby opened her eyes and stared right back at him.

"Hello little one." He said watching the baby as she watched him. "My name is Nikolas, and I want to do everything I can to take care of you and the woman you came here with." He saw the baby's eyes flash ever so slightly as he spoke to her, just a hint of purple for the briefest of moments. Nikolas knew what that meant. The flashing of the power inside the baby, it was rare for someone to be born so powerful that there would be manifestations at this young of an age, usually something like this would start presenting when the child was nearing adolescence. But for it to be there in a baby that was just born so recently, that meant that this child was likely the most powerful magic user Nikolas had ever met or would be when she was trained.

"You truly are remarkable, aren't you little one?" Nikolas said in awe.