Chapter 433 - Marceline Avery Ⅳ (2/2)
Letting out a sigh, Evan bitterly remarks, ”She shouldn't have died.”
”No, she should not have,” Avery Sr. agreed. ”But her water broke, and she did not call for the midwife and healers until hours later. By then she had already begun to bleed, and the midwife and healers could only do so much. That and her magic weakening certainly did not help the situation. In the end, she chose to give up her own life to birth your son or so the midwife told me. Don't invalidate her sacrifice by your guilt, son. She was a strong young woman, who knew exactly what she wanted and was willing to pay the price for it.”
”I promised her freedom, a future, and education in exchange!” Evan rebuked his father. ”Tell me, if all of that was worth her very life?!”
”She clearly thought it was more than worth it,” Avery Sr. calmly explained. ”And like I said before, she knew her own mind better than you or I.”
Evan lets out a cry of frustration accidentally jostling the sleeping baby in his arms. Barnabas Avery lets out a soft whimper, before letting out another breath of deep slumber followed by a tiny snore. It was an adorable sound in all honesty which even managed to pull a faint smile from his father.
Glancing into the distance, Evan distantly says, ”I know that we will be leaving for England after the week is up. But I would like to at least pack up some of her things for Barnabas to have one day once he is older.”
”That is a good idea,” Avery Sr. acknowledged, before broaching the subject. 'There is also the matter of electing a godfather and godmother for your son.”
”Marceline wanted great uncle to be the godfather,” Evans quietly replied.
”And the godmother?”
”Rowan or Georgine Prince.”
”What?!” Avery Sr. bellowed in surprise causing the baby to whimper again at the shout. Quickly quieting down, he takes a deep breath to calm himself before asking, ”And why exactly would you do so, taking into account the circumstances related to your abrupt departure from Hogwarts?”
”Two reasons,” Evan solemnly replied. ”One to make peace with her, and to offer Barnabas the best possible future. With Rowan Prince as his godmother she will more than amply fulfill her role her as godmother out of duty and ensure that he does not commit the same mistake of my own youth. She is a half-blood, no matter what her grandiose lineage.”
Avery Sr. thoughtfully nods his head, before murmuring, ”But you are making one mistake assumption, son.”
”And just what is that?” Evan stiffly asked.
”You are assuming that Rowan Prince will accept in the first place,” Avery Sr. pointed out.
”There is that,” Evan admitted as he peeked at his still sleeping son. ”But that is still why there is Georgine Prince as an alternative. I will even put aside my pride and beg on my knees if that is what is truly required of me.”
”Very well,” Avery Sr. finally said. ”I shall arrange a meeting with the old Prince upon our return to England. He should be at least somewhat amenable to the idea and won't refuse us right away, but he is a sly old man. Nothing is ever as it seems with the old Prince.”
”Thank you, father,” Evan quietly said, before his father clumsily patted him on the back, before the two of them sat in silence for a great deal in the afternoon until Barnabas Avery began to fuss. After this, they quickly made their way back inside to ensure that the babe was properly fed, and then had his nappy changed.
It was a most shocking experience to say the least to Evan, which only caused his father and Solia to chuckle. What did he expect would happen? Really, young foolish fathers the whole lot of them.