correct me if im wrong (tho honestly does canon even exist anymore) but i remember some time in legacy ??? maybe ??? it was mentioned that Gisela needed keefe to be something very specific. I cant remember most of the details but i think one was that he needed to be a boy??
but thats kinda irrelevant.
My question is do you have an idea of what she would have done if he wasnt what she needed? From the way she talks about the whole thing it doesnt really sound like she has it down to an exact science. So do you think shed say 'fuck it' and just hope it still worked despite it or would she just have like.. tried again ? Honestly thats probably less likely just due to the whole weird genetic thing with elves (like idk i feel like cassius would only wanna have one child for the sake of that)
god im sorry talking about characters having children always weirds me out but i think when you dont focus too much on it its a fun topic. (( the mechanics of whats going on with sophie and keefe)
(( -- man im giving myself a 'name' cause i always find you reply to these and then im never able to continue on w/ convo :( ))
Nonsie, I think if there's any place in this fandom where canon still exists it's my blog. I'm one of the few safe havens for canon simply observing while the rest of the fandom devolves into ideas further and further from the source material. Though I will admit sometimes the attempt to adhere to canon results in even more chaos (ogre titty skin...)
But onto your actual ask! You are not wrong! Lady Gisela mentioned once that the requirements she needed, as far as we can tell, were a male empath. That's why she married Lord Cassius, as originally he was going to serve in Keefe's place as whatever she needed. But then he was found to be incompatible with whatever she wanted, so instead she made what she needed and had Keefe, who is also a male empath. I do not remember where this is in the series though otherwise I would try to find it for you.
(cw: i talk about the mechanics and specifics--not graphic or anything--of lady gisela's plan when it comes to having a kid, which might be a little weird or uncomfy. )
As for what she would've done if Keefe wasn't "correct" or however I should word that, I think she probably had backup plans. Plan Bs. Well, having a kid was the Plan B (ironic) as Cassius was Plan A. You're right, it doesn't sound like it's an exact science and she has room for error. So if Keefe hadn't been an empath, hadn't been male, what would she have done? I have an idea, but it's just my idea and me theorizing so don't take this too seriously.
I think, based on her actions throughout the books, she would've tried again. Had another kid. There are two different versions to this plan that all depend on whether or not she knew Keefe would be an empath, but otherwise it's about the same. Given the experimenting she did on herself and Cassius, if that was able to alter Keefe's abilities and give him the one she wanted him to have, then it's just a matter of chance being male or female. That is assuming being male was one of the requirements; I can't remember the line very well but it might not have been.
Assuming she knew that her child would be an empath, then as soon as the sex of the kid is confirmed she'd know whether or not they'd be able to serve their purpose. If not, she and Cassius can have another kid and go through the same process again. Given the thing about having more than one kid, she could use the Neverseen's washer to erase Lord Cassius's memories of the incompatible kid and he'd be none the wiser. And if she'd kept the pregnancy hidden, there's no reason anyone else would've known either.
If she didn't know her child would be an empath, then it would be a bit more complicated given that she'd have to wait until they manifested to see if it had worked. In this case, I think Lady Gisela would have to go with an aloof, reserved kind of approach to parenting the kid. As in, keeping them away from people as much as possible until they manifest. That way fewer people know about them and it's easier to disappear given the need. They could use some excuse about private tutoring and raising their son away from everyone else to ensure he would be the best of the best or something. This way would be more time consuming, but elves are immortal so she's got time; there's no rush for any of this.
You know, this just makes me ask...why keep Cassius around at all after she had Keefe? Could she not have taken him and literally raised him in the Neverseen? that way he'd agree with her and be ready to accept what she wanted as what's best with no outside influence. he wouldn't fight her on nearly as much if she indoctrinated him from the beginning. Maybe she needed him exposed to the outside world to understand what was wrong with it or didn't have time to be a single parent (and sorry, but realistically the Neverseen wouldn't serve as a large, strange adoptive family coming together to take care of Keefe and have movie nights on the weekends). Well really I think it's because Shannon needs Keefe on our side and as a friend/love interest to Sophie, but I wonder if this was a world completely accurate to the character's best interest if Keefe would've grown up literally in the Neverseen.
All of that to say that I think Lady Gisela would try again. Her options are limited and having more kids is only a matter of time, as creepy as it sounds to say it like that. As far as it goes for elves, I don't think there's a limit or deterrent from having more aside from the superstitions. I mean, she'd already attached herself publicly to Lord Cassius in hopes that he'd work out, but he didn't and filing a matchfail in search of another empath near his strength would be undoing so much progress. Aside from the stigma of being a matchfail, she'd be started from stratch trying to find another empath like him on her lists who would agree to be with a match fail. She does have time on her hands, but this kind of work is so tedious and just over complicates things.
It's simpler and safer for her to stay with Cassius and try again until she gets the results she wants. This way she avoids public attention for seeking someone else out, and gets access to Cassius's strong empath genes to mess with as she needs. Which was clearly successful given that it produced Keefe.
Also no need to apologize! I don't mind the topic at all, so in fact I instead extend my apologies in the event that any of what I said was unsavory or uncomfortable to you. it's an interesting topic and definitely has a lot more focus on it in this series than I've seen in others. There is...a lot of pregnancy related content in keeper. All the information about Sophie's human mother and how her embryo was altered, the fertility things with Lady Gisela and Lord Cassius, troll hives and their pregnancies explained, Silveny's whole thing complete with a birth scene. It's overwhelming at times.
Oh and cool name!! it shows up funky on desktop for me but I saw it on mobile and I must say: very nice. Also now I'm curious what other asks you've sent me. You could've just sent more telling me what ask you're continuing though! Like "hey it's the nonsie who sent [insert here]" Either way, it's always cool when people give themselves names, so nice to officially meet you!
