The Drow Queen of Glaley [Very NSFW]

[Coquette Blacquin]

"The harem would be fine," she argues, "and I'd make sure to tell varisia that I was planning such a ritual so she wouldn't blame you for this." Still, she glances to Bull, falling into silent contemplation. And doesn't that just go to show, how she's concerned more about what would happen to him if she died than dying a horrific death?

"Then, I suppose plan C is, Shisou gets me pregnant, and we claim that I was already pregnant when Zevran arrived. A week or so isn't easy to tell."

[Zevran]

Zevran looks side long at Shisou, curious about what he thinks of Coquette deciding such a thing.

[Shisou]

Shisou hesitates, fidgeting a little. "It's n-n-n-n-n-not th-th-that I d-d-d-d-don't w-w-w-wa-nt t-t-t-to b-b-b-b-but... m-m-m-me? N-n-n-n-not L-l-l-ux or Nat-th-tha--"

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Not Nathaniel," she growls, before taking a deep breath. "Sorry. I didn't mean to cut you off. But... why not you? You're just as much my husband as Nox or Lux."

[Shisou]

Shisou looks at her a moment, then gestures down at himself. 

[Coquette Blacquin]

Coquette raises an eyebrow, waiting. 

[Shisou]

Shisou colors a little, then nods. "I-i-i-if y-y-y-y-ou're s-s-s-sure, th-then... I w-w-w-would b-b-b-be h-h-honored."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"I'm sure. If you don't want to, I'm certain the twins would oblige me, but I'd rather have one from each of my beloved husbands. And I already know you'll make a great parent."

[Zevran]

"Beloved?" Zevran asks, eyes not just fully open but intently focused on Coquette. "You consider yourself to love them all?"

[Coquette Blacquin]

"I-- yes. It's different with each of them, but... yes. I am capable of loving more than one person. Well, consider children: a mother loves all her children, not just the first one. So should a wife love all her husbands." A pause. "In the interest of full honesty... I find myself struggling to love Nathaniel. He is more Varisia's husband than mine."

[Zevran]

"It is not the number but the..." He hesitates a moment, settling on, "social context that makes me doubt such can truly be possible."

[Coquette Blacquin]

She shifts a little, but a glance at Shisou's face and she keeps going. "I fell for Iron Bull first. We held each other in such mutual esteem, striving to protect each other... it wasn't hard to love him. For my first husbands, Nox and Lux, it took a little longer. I had to learn to see them for who they were, not for what Varisia chose to use them as. Seeing them together helped. Seeing how they treated each other when they thought nobody was looking, how stubborn Nox was in protecting his brother, seeing Lux's true smile peek through... soon I swore to protect them from my wife, just the same as Bull. And how could I not love shy, sensitive Shisou? He deserves better than here, but sending him back would have meant sending him into worse. I love them just as I love my girls. We all are working to make the best of this situation, together."

[Zevran]

I... I think I might believe her? That is... "Huh." Was that out loud? 

[The Iron Bull]

Deciding that, given what his Lady just said, he can drop the professional act, Bull steps up behind Coquette and wraps an arm around her so he can pull her against his broad chest. "She's had to make a lot of sacrifices over the years," he rumbles, pain and sorrow clear in his eyes. "Some of it was pain direct on herself. Beatings, rape, humiliation... worse. More and more of it was shit done to those she loves or even just cares about. And some of it, the darkest of it, was having to hurt herself or others in order to prevent worse."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"I don't love you yet, Zevran," she says quietly, drawing strength from Bull's embrace. "But I don't know how long you'll be here, and maybe someday I will. Regardless, you are mine to protect for as long as you're in my harem. For the sake of the future me who might love you, for the sake of my duty, I will do what it takes to protect you. You have indicated that having a child is abhorrent to you, so I will not let you be used in that way. No more than I will let you be raped if I can prevent it. So. I will let Shisou impregnate me, to grant you some years of being left alone, and I will work to figure out what that price Varisia mentioned is, so that we can ensure it gets paid and you are freed on paper as well as in our intents."