Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“KAEYA! KAE!” Kaeya hears the eldest Ragnvinder, Crepus, calling out for him. Yet, Kaeya found himself mesmerized by the older man dragging him by the hand. The starry pupils in his eyes… They look just like Kaeyas. The young boy felt something familiar in the man, something safe. Safer than he ever felt with Master Crepus, even if he’d never admit it.

The sky was dark, no stars to be seen tonight. Kaeya doesn’t remember how he ended up in this situation, and it seems less than ideal, yet he can’t look away from the man pulling him along.

“STOP! GIVE ME BACK MY SON!” Crepus was quickly catching up to them. Kaeya yelped slightly when the older, white-haired man picked him up easily in his arms and walked him closer towards an abyssal portal. Kaeya squirmed slightly in his hold as he noticed the distantly distressed look of Master Crepus, yet the man only held on tighter in response. Kaeya wasn’t scared of the man. After all, someone from his homeland must be coming to take him home… right?

Wrong.

After passing through the portal, the first thing that greets the boy's senses is the overwhelming cold. He shudders, gripping onto the large coat of the older man, who pulls him closer slightly in return. The man looks straight ahead even as Kaeya looks up at him, yet through the heavy snow Kaeya can’t discern what he’s looking at.
Snow coats Kaeya’s hair as he soaks into the warmth of the man’s large winter coat. It’s freezing here. Well, wherever “here” is. Where is ‘Luc? Why was Master Crepus so… distressed? When is Kaeya going home? Is he going home at all?

A large cathedral-like building becomes visible in the foreseeable distance. Ice runs like vines up the sides off the walls, snow coating the roof like icing on a cake. It was beautiful, scarily so. The man pushes open the large doors with ease using his shoulder, and it’s then that Kaeya can hear a soft voice singing as it echoes off the cold walls. He buries his face in the safety of the man’s jacket, listening to the lullaby. If it weren’t for the rustling of the man’s jacket as he put Kaeya down on the floor, he might have even fallen asleep.

Kaeya shivered as the man brought him through another set of large doors, into a room with a large dining table and 12 seats. 9 of those seats were being used, the occupants looking up and going silent as Kaeya was dragged in by the hand. A short man with a long nose, near the head of the table, broke the silence.

“This is the child? The Khaenri’ahn?” Did they know him? Kaeya doesn’t remember meeting them… what if he’s in danger? There’s a lot of people here…

“Yes. The child blessed by the Tsarista.” The man answered curtly, and Kaeya felt himself flinch in surprise, this being the first time he’s heard him talk.

“I hate to question the will of our lord, yet the child seems… visionless, no?” A purple-haired boy with a large hat accompanying his coat spoke up, seemingly bored by the situation. The man tightened his hold on Kaeya’s hand.

“We must trust the Tsaritsa’s judgment. The boy will remain with the harbingers, under my care.” Kaeya moved to hide behind the coat of the man as all eyes fell on him. His own eyes eventually landed on a particular three on one side of the table. A tall, beautiful woman with blonde hair and a mask over half her face, sort of like his hair hid his own eye. A slightly shorter woman with white hair and piercing red eyes. A black and pink haired woman with lace covering the top half of her face.

The blonde haired woman looked at him with a softer expression than the others, making him feel secure. She stared into his uncovered eye, looking him over.
“The child will need the proper clothing. The Tsaritsa will not enjoy him frozen.” The white haired woman spoke up for the first time, her eyes leaving his face as she crossed her arms in her coat. Kaeya remembers Diluc getting his vision only a few months after Kaeya entered the household, and it’s times like these where he wished for a pyro vision of his own. It’s horribly cold in the cathedral. Kaeya hates the cold.

“I can make him the clothing. I can care for him in your place during missions, Jester.” The blonde woman spoke elegantly, and clearly her words shocked those around her. They eyed her with skepticism as she continued to eye the young boy.

“…He will have to encounter the Tsaritsa first. We require her judgment.” Said the purple-haired boy. Judgment? Had he done something wrong? Was he in trouble? The man- the Jester- sighed.

“The boy is clearly tired and cold. He cannot face the Tsaritsa in this state. Fair Lady, you are to tend to his needs tonight. He is to meet the Lord tomorrow.” With that, the Jester retreated from the room, his large cost dragging against the floor. Kaeya was now completely alone in front of the remaining people in the room.

Nothing would go wrong. Not if the Fair Lady had a say in it.

She picked herself from her spot at the table and came to kneel in front of the boy. She pushed his hair out of the way, ignoring how he kept his other eye closed.

“What is your name, child?” She spoke calmly, her eyes soft as she peered at him. The others in the room watched with interest at the interaction. Kaeya tilted his head down slightly and looked to the floor.

“…Kaeya.”

“Kaeya. A beautiful name. You may call me Rosalyne.” She tilted his chin up to look at her, and even though she didn’t smile, she kept her expression kind. She wasn’t as scary as the others. Kaeya felt safe with her.

“R-Rosalyne?” The Fair Lady notes how he stumbles over his words. Clearly he’s not that well-versed in the language of Teyvat. A small inconvenience, yet one that can be conquered.

“Yes. Come with me, Kaeya. I’ll show you where you will stay.”

Chapter Text

The room was mostly bare, yet the bed was well-laid out with pillows and blankets of all textures and colors. A small mirror sat atop a vanity in the corner of the room, next to a standing, and currently empty, wardrobe. Lady Signora had Kaeya’s hand in her own, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles. Kaeya felt comfortable with her. She felt like the mother he never got to have.

“M-Ms. Rosa..?” His words mushed together, his accent from a long-forgotten nation prominent. She hummed in response, taking on a thoughtful expression as she ignored the unintended nickname. Kaeya looked to the floor, clenching his free hand into a tiny fist.

“When d-do I… get to see ‘Luc a-again?” Signora looks him over with a confused tint to her eyes.

“‘Luc?”

“Dilu-c. M-my brother..” Right, Jester had mentioned a sibling. Archons, this will be a pain in the ass. Lady Signora knelt in front of Kaeya, her hands placed on his shoulders.

“I’m sorry, darling. You won’t be seeing him for a while. But that’s okay, you have me now.” She ran her hand over his head in a comforting manner, moving the bangs out of his face. His other eye remained closed. Kaeya looked away from her face, his expression growing sad. It’s going to take a long time for him to settle in with the other harbingers.

“Tomorrow you will meet the Tsaritsa, the Cryo Archon. Try to focus on that. The Jester and I will be with you the entire time.” If you asked, Lady Signora would not have an answer to why she’s grown so attached to the child. Children have been blessed by the Tsaritsa a multitude of times before, and not one has survived past meeting her. She doubts this meeting will go any differently.

“Hmm… Kaeya, would you like something to cover your eye? Besides your hair?” Kaeya looked up at her, his lips parting. Signora knows from experience how strenuous keeping one eye closed can be.
“Please…” He mumbled his words. Signora had to lean in closer to hear him say it.

“Okay. Stay here.” She got up from her kneeling position and left the room, closing the door behind her. Kaeya was alone again. He wasn’t cold anymore, though. Ms. Signora had given him one of her coats. It was much too big for him, so he had to use it as a blanket to wrap around his shoulders, but he didn’t mind much. It was comfortable. It was safe.

It only takes her a few minutes of rummaging to find a soft, medical-grade eyepatch. When she returns, she’s surprised to find that Kaeya has not moved from the spot she left him. She kneeled down by the door, using one of her hands to beckon him closer, to which he obeyed.

She gently pushed his hair aside and put on Kaeya’s new eyepatch, working slowly so as to not make the boy uncomfortable. She wanted the boy to be able to say “no” if he so desired… especially since that’s a luxury she rarely received in her lifetime.

She led Kaeya over to the small mirror and held him up slightly above the vanity so he could see himself. She watched as he moved his hair in every way possible to see in awe the different angles of his new eyepatch. It was an ordinary black adorning, yet it must have seemed extravagant to the boy. Lady Signora can’t help but wonder why the child’s past parents never thought of this simple solution.

Against her will, the Fair Lady finds herself hoping for the boy’s survival. Nothing sets him apart from the others that came before him. Nothing except… nothing except the pity she feels for him. The sympathy. He’s been discarded, abandoned. He deserves more than that. He’s only a child.

–

The night passes quickly, almost too quickly. Before Lady Signora knows it, she’s walking down the great halls with Pierro, and Kaeya walking between them as he fidgets his hands. Signora, with his permission, had braided his hair and clipped his bangs out of his face. The child has not been briefed on what will happen when he meets the Tsaritsa. Lady Signora is unaware of if that is a blessing or a curse for the surprisingly obedient child.

As unforgiving as the Tsaritsa is, she has a soft spot for children. Bandages and medicine are always supplied to the caregiver of the child to support them. Even so, few survive the night, whether it be due to the blood loss or the fever that follows. Perhaps… Perhaps Kaeya’s otherworldly nature will give him strength. Celestia has never been kind to the likes of Rosalyne but… perhaps today will be different.

Kaeya hides behind Lady Signora and the Jester as soon as they step into the main room. The Tsaritsa drums her fingers against the arms of the large throne of ice as a multitude of skirmishers back her. Kaeya hides his face in the back of Rosalyne’s coat, whining softly at the sudden drop in temperature.

“Rosalyne, bring the child closer.” She has a sharp dagger in her hand, the same one used for promoting all harbingers. Only two harbinger spots remain open, 11th and 12th. The child is too young to be the 11th, and without a vision he’s weak. Lady Signora can only hope the life of a harbinger will be merciful to the young boy.

Rosalyne takes the child’s hand in her own and urges him closer to the archon. She encourages him to walk forward, to which he shyly obliged.

“Hold your hand out, child. Palm facing up.” Kaeya holds out his right hand, looking expectantly at the shiny crown atop the archon’s head.

“This will hurt. Calm your mind.” The next thing Kaeya knows, a sharp, horrible pain feels as if it’s splitting his hand apart. Rosalyne kneels behind the boy, reluctantly holding him still as he squirms and cries out. The Tsaritsa removes the dagger, waiting for something unknown to the boy. Soon enough, ice extrudes from the large wound in his palm, stopping the blood from pouring more into the puddle below him.

“The child does not have a vision, and yet is capable of controlling cryo purely from his heart. He will survive and will live as the 12th harbinger. You are dismissed.” The jester walks forward, picking the crying child off of the floor and holding him close in silence. He beckons the Fair Lady to follow, not needing to look back to know she obeyed.

Chapter Text

I am so, SOOO sorry to anyone who's actually been (trying) to follow this fic, BUTTTT good news: i'm reworking it!! There's only one chapter posted but I'm already drafting 2 and starting to line out a general plot. I can't say how consistent updates will be, but there WILL be updates :3 I've added this fic to a series, so you can go directly to the rework through there if you're interested. Thank you to anyone who gave any kudos or kind words way back when <3