The three members of the Emissarial staff stood in front of a stout wooden door. It was a tasteful door with the edges etched to display vines growing up the sides and straying along the top. The door's brass handle was being ignored in favor of the brass knocker embedded in the center of it. Artex reached up and clanked the knocker three times then let go of it and let his hand fall.
The Human and two mares heard a series of hoofsteps approaching the door for a second or two before the handle turned down and the door opened, revealing the face of Fleur-de-lis,
"Oh hello," she chimed merrily, "Come on in."
She held the door as her guests entered the home. Artex, Razor, and Oriana had been unsurprised that the home of the two rich Ponies was quite large. It could not have been labeled a mansion, but manor might have been appropriate, even if it felt just a little on the small side to be identified as such. From the outside it was obviously a two storied home, but the eight windows on either side of the door were indicative of many rooms within. True to their assumptions, the interior of the house was wide and open. The foyer alone had a vaulted ceiling and the hallways led left, right, and back to other rooms. Looking to the right Artex saw what he could only imagine was either a library or a study. The entire room was lined with books from floor to ceiling, each snugly shelved into bookcases which stood the entire height of the room. In the center of the room stood a globe of what Artex assumed was the world.
Looking left, he saw a dinning room. The oval shaped table stood to shoulder height for the Kavim but only came up to mid thigh on Artex'. The chairs around the table numbered twelve and were all fashioned to the Kavim frame. The perimeter of the room was lined with folded down buffet tables on wheels. A single wine rack sat atop each buffet table, all of them empty. On the ceiling was a chandelier with crystals installed instead of candles.
Looking toward the rear of the home, a good twenty Fathoms back from the front door, Artex could make out a stove and a large, partitioned, white ceramic sink set into the counter directly across the house from the door. To either side of the hallway leading toward the back were a set of gently spiraling staircases leading up to the second floor. Looking down he noticed that the flooring was different in every room. The foyer had cherry wood colored hard wood flooring laid out in finely meshed slats. The library was plushly carpeted in eggshell colors, the dinning room was covered with what looked to be marble underneath a huge circular rug which sat underneath the table, and the kitchen had patterned ceramic tiles as a flooring.
Artex held back a whistle. The house was really nice. Even the walls were made of what looked to be stained oak paneling. Fleur-de-lis closed the door behind the three visitors and trotted to the left side of the stairs.
Clearing her throat, she called for her husband,
"Fancy, they're here."
There was an audible clunk as four hooves met the floor in the room just above the dinning room,
"Coming love." came the cultured voice of Fancy Pants from above.
The aforementioned stallion came trotting down the stairs a few seconds later,
"Forgive me for not being present to greet all of you myself, but I was making final adjustments to some of the paperwork for our staff. They have the day off today and one of them requested maternity leave, so I was balancing the books to accommodate such a need with the appropriate financial stipend of course."
Fleur-de-lis frowned at her husband and nuzzled the right side of his neck with her muzzle,
"Calm down dear." she soothed, "We knew this was coming. I swear you are more nervous than I am."
Fancy took a quick breath and shifted his weight from left to right and back again,
"I hate to sound rude, but the suspense is really keeping me wound up. Do we have a chance to make a good impression on the adoption board before the final decision?" he asked, "That is how it works, isn't it? First the interview, then the presentation in front of the adoption board? We are ready this time and we'll be sure to be appropriately punctual."
Razor shook her head,
"I'm afraid not. Since it's a Human baby, the three of us conduct the interviews and make the final decision. It will still likely be the case in the future as well, though hopefully we won't be called upon for this particular purpose for a long time."
Fancy and Fleur seemed to deflate and Fleur asked the question floating behind both their eyes,
"So you have reached the final decision then?"
Oriana nodded,
"We have..." she paused briefly for minor dramatic effect, "We chose you. Congratulations."
The two Unicorns froze like two deer caught in headlights. Neither one seemed to breathe for several seconds while their minds processed the news. Slowly but surely their reactions emerged. Fleur-de-lis' eyes watered and she slowly sank down onto her rump as her right forehoof came up to her mouth, choking back a happy sob. Fancy Pants also sat down on the floor, lips pulled between his teeth as a colossal grin threatened to split his face in half. He reached out his left forehoof and wrapped it around his wife, pulling her close.
He closed his eyes and turned his head so that his muzzle was in the mare's ear as he whispered a simple, quiet phrase,
"We did it."
Fleur-de-lis couldn't hold back the tears anymore and blinked furiously as they began ruining her perfectly applied mascara,
"Oh Fancy!" she sobbed quietly, "We're going to be parents!"
The Emissarial staff all stood in place smiling down at the two deliriously happy Unicorns and even Artex had to admit to being touched by the sincerity. He had been concerned about how they would react. If it had been an underwhelming response, something accepted casually, he would have called another vote on the spot. Hearing them quietly speak about how they felt and seeing the authentic reactions of joy firmly cemented in his mind that they had been the right decision. He didn't bother to even try to hide the heartfelt smile on his face.
"Congratulations to both of you." he said quietly.
Fancy Pants looked up and wiped his eyes,
"Pardon us for our little moment there."
"There is nothing to apologize for." Artex replied, "Your reaction helps to let us know that we picked the right family."
The Unicorn couple laughed bashfully and smiled hugely at one another,
"We *sniff* we knew we would have a full family eventually. We have a nursery already set up. Would you like to see it?" Fleur-de-lis asked.
Oriana nodded,
"We need to. It's part of our responsibilities to oversee the living conditions that the baby will be raised under."
Fancy Pants helped his wife to her hooves then turned and took a step toward the stairs,
"We decided on a gender neutral theme since we don't know whether it's going to be a boy or a girl."
Fleur followed him up the stairs followed by Razor, then Oriana, and with Artex bringing up the rear,
"What kind of a theme did you chose?" Artex asked.
Fancy's answer came down from above him,
"Barnyard animals."
* * *
Fancy Pants, Fleur-de-lis, Razor Wit, Oriana, and Artex all sat around the dinning room table flipping through, signing, and passing out paperwork. The nursery had been perfect, even in Artex opinion. The nursery was nestled right in between Fancy Pants' office and the couple's bedroom. The stallion, being an inventive toy maker, had constructed several swinging gates that would keep any little one from wandering somewhere they shouldn't or from falling down the stairs. He had installed one in every door in the upper level. For daytime activity, they had decided to convert their former ballroom into a playroom which attached to the kitchen. They explained that the acoustics made possible by the walls of the former ballroom would act like an amplifier in case one or the other needed help or if they had to be in the kitchen or bathroom or had to leave the baby alone for any amount of time.
All-in-all the Emissarial staff were very pleased with the home. There were very few sharp corners and the ones that existed were as tall as the adults. Artex was relieved that Kavim had child-proof cabinets. Apparently mischievous little ones was a universal fact of life no matter what species you were. The couple also already had a list of medical personnel to go to New Humansville to be trained: a Pediatrician, four nurses, a General Practitioner, an Optometrist, a Dentist, and Fleur-de-lis' O.B.G.Y.N. they also has a list of emergency contacts and their addresses 'just in case'.
Artex was finishing up explaining what was to happen for them to be there when the baby was born,
"You need to be ready to go within four days or less. Have the medical professionals ready to go too. We'll leave as soon as everypony is ready, so the sooner the better. We'll land in New Humansville and get you all checked into the hotel where you'll be staying until the baby is ready to come back here. While in New Humansville you will be expected to get to know the Humans there and I have a list of Humans who have raised children, some of them have even done so while holding full-time jobs and not having a spouse. Listen to these people and take what they say to heart. You will also endeavor to absorb as much Human culture as you can. The baby is to be taught both Human and Kavim culture. When the child is ready to begin school, we will meet with you and the staff at the school so they can understand how Humans develop. The parents and other students must be made aware that rough housing will likely lead to serious injury of the child. Humans are nowhere near as strong or tough as Kavim. We will discuss more on that topic when the time comes. Do either of you have any questions?"
"What about the name?" Fancy Pants asked, "Kavim foals are named by their mothers at birth through magic. Is it the same with Humans?"
Artex shook his head,
"No, the parents decide on the name. Did you have any potential names picked out?"
The two Unicorns shook their heads,
"I am afraid not. Will we have a chance to learn about normal Human names?"
Artex tilted his head from left to right,
"There are no really 'normal' Human names. Naming habits change from one region to another and often within a single region depending on background. Artex Rias for example is not the name my parents gave me. My birth name is Daniel Christopher Pering. Now each and every Human name has meaning and I would suggest learning about those meanings too. My first name means, 'God is my judge', my middle name means 'Christ bearer', and my last name indicates what my family name is. Humans have a long, long list of possible names. I decided to change my casual name to Artex Rias (Crash Course), because that is what my friends used to call me as a nickname."
The couple nodded along with his explanation before Fleur-de-lis spoke up,
"Will we have time to think about the name before the baby is born?"
Artex waved his hands reassuringly,
"Of course. We're certainly not going to ask you to make that kind of a decision right now." Artex paused and decided to clarify something, "Despite all the mandates and requirements, we aren't trying to tell you how to raise the baby. I hope we don't come across like that."
Fleur-de-lis shook her head,
"Not at all. This is a cultural first so there are bound to be difficulties and mistakes. None of us know how this is going to turn out. You are trying your best and we will too. There are no hard feelings, I promise."
Razor spoke up next,
"Do either of you have any other questions?"
"Yes," Fleur said quickly, "What about food? I know newborns of any mammalian species need colostrum from the mother's milk to help them develop a healthy immune system, but if we have the baby how will we feed it? Is the mother going to nurse the baby or will she submit to a spell to make Thamalac?"
Artex' eyebrows rose,
"Thamalac?"
Razor heard the confusion in his voice,
"I've heard of it, but I'm afraid I don't know much about it. Fleur-de-lis would you please explain what that is? Humans don't have magic on their world so they never developed it."
Fleur-de-lis cleared her throat,
"Thamalac is milk which is altered by magic in order to be a perfect match for what an infant needs. It was developed for large herds where the biological mother had a dry teat or was unable to produce sufficient milk for her foal. The spell copies the mother's body chemistry and imbues it into the mammary glands of another female. The spell transforms the produced milk and can even be used across different species. About eighty years ago a Minotaur cow died due to a sickness she caught while traveling alone. Her body was found and the calf she had was newborn. The calf was adopted because no extended family could be found and the herd that adopted the calf had a mare who volunteered to have her teats altered so that she produced Thamalac based on the body chemistry of deceased cow. I would be willing to undergo the spell if it would help, but we're going to need to know when to wean the baby off of milk."
"Well for that last part about weaning, you will need to take notes from what the Human parents tell you. Almost everything they say will be crucial to the health of the baby." Artex explained.
The Unicorns smiled and exchanged a warm gaze,
"We can be ready in two days." Fancy Pants said eagerly.