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Being addressed as 'uncle', Cotillion decided, had a rather ... peculiar effect on one's idea of one's position in the world. Not quite unpleasant, perhaps, but interesting, yes, and perhaps a little unsettling. Possibly, also, he had simply outgrown the expectancy of family.
At the very least, he seemed to have forgotten the way one did not so much choose one's family as that one simply found oneself a part of one, regardless of one's own inclinations.
"Well," Shadowthrone said. "This certainly presents some intriguing possibilities."
Failing at raising one daughter, would you now seek to make the same mistakes again thirteenhundred-fold over? An absurd prospect, really. A valid argument all the same, possibly, should it come to one.
"You think so?"
And what place, Cotillion wondered, would these children accord to Shadownthrone, were he to go among them? Uncle Ammanas?
"Loyalty is a fine trait in any man," Shadowthrone said.
Ah. Not the children at all, then. Cotillion was surprised to find some part of him ease at that. The children would be used, yes - in much the same way all those capable of aiding them in their endeavors would be used, but not beyond that. Kalam. And ... Ben Adaephon Delat.
Better, perhaps, had you turned your attention to the children instead.
"You believe their partnership to still be in effect, then? Even after ... this?" In truth, Cotillion had little to no notion of how much the wizard might have gleaned of his (former?) partner's whereabouts. Safest to assume he knows either nothing or everything.
"Women!" Shadowthrone made a dismissive gesture.
Cotillion politely refrained from pointing out the obvious. Had the persons involved in the partnership been female, he had little doubt Shadowthrone would have uttered the word 'men' with equal amounts of scorn and dismissal, and without the least self-awareness.
"Mind you, she is not without her charms," Shadowthrone added after a moment's pause.
Indeed? Cotillion refrained from voicing his amusement. Perhaps their realm would be the better for its new inhabitants. Isolation was a dangerous state of being, even for a partnership as solid as theirs.
"Stubborn, though. Insolent. No proper respect."
This time, Cotillion permitted himself a smile. "She is Malazan, after all."
Shadowthrone looked at him in astonishment. "Malazan? She?"
"Ah. The Aptorian." Not without her charms, indeed. Assuming one's tastes run to demons.
"Well, obviously."
"Rather fiercely protective of Kalam, I do believe." In fact, they both are, for all that they occasionally have rather different ways of showing it. I cannot say I envy him.
Shadowthrone considered, sighed. "So. The children."
"The children," Cotillion agreed. And let Kalam's choices be his own, inasfar as any man's are.