Redhawk Caldera Break my neck for the holy bassgod.

That's the general idea, Towhee thought inanely, otherwise caught off guard by Niamh's reaction. She drew in a breath at those foreboding words. What hadn't Niamh told her? The Sovereign could feel her insides tightening with dread, uncertain what might come out of her Regent's mouth.

Niamh didn't leave Towhee in suspense for long. It took her a moment to make sense of it, then she had to bite her lip to hold back the entirely inappropriate laugh. Was that all? Of course, the information intrigued Towhee and all sorts of questions popped into her head. She actually knew so little of Reyes's background and was now quite keen to learn more.

Like Niamh, the information had another effect on the Sovereign. One of the many things she didn't really know about Reyes included his age. For a second, Towhee wondered if she was some sort of creep. But, no, he was sexually mature. That was all that mattered to her, really. And if he proved to be a good father, then that was just a bonus.

Would it be tactful to say that though? Towhee looked closely at Niamh's features, trying to discern whether her friend was angry with her. "I didn't know," she replied, "but if he's related to you, then we know he comes from good genes, right?"