Ghis (closed)

"His expression, mostly. Whenever you actually manage to get an expression beyond that calm stare, of course." He finally crawled up on the bed beside her, happy to give her a playful nudge to steal some of her space.

"It sounds like you're talking about yourself, Kell." She said as he moved her over, making her give up more of her spot on the bed until he was neatly curled around her and she let out a soft sigh of contentment.

"He's worse than I am," Kell murmured. "At least I'm willing to chase around and have a little fun. He's all business. Kell had a different relationship with Qira than Kate did, that much was certain. The way Kell sometimes spoke about him, it was as if Qira used to be a playmate when they were cubs, while Kate knew Qira only as the stoic and gentle protector.

"You can chase me around any time that you wish." Kate murmured, giving him a smile as she felt his arm tighten around her just the slightest bit. "I promise only to let you win some of the time."

"Mhm," Kell murmured, knowing it was a challenge and not letting her get the better of him. He was content to relax a while before they got up to mischief.

Kate simply smiled and snuggled up against her husband’s warm fur, sighing as she relaxed again beside him.

Their day of relaxation ended up spilling a bit into the following two, until word arrived from an English royal messenger that Carlisle had been overtaken peacefully by King Henry, he was setting another lord in place temporarily, and he was headed for Paxton. News also arrived that Baron Alba had been seen in the area of Rothbury, potentially taking shelter and building up his forces with the aid of Baron Jonathan Sordeaux, another known outspoken lord who, up to this point, had only spoken against Henry and not actually rebelled.

Henry's plan was outlined to Kate: he would see to Paxton with another temporary lord, and then march on Rothbury.

As news reached them that Henry was on his way to Paxton, Kate and Kell returned to duty. Upon arrival, she ordered her soldiers to be ready to leave for Rothbury the moment that Henry was ready to be on his way. Speaking to her father and uncles, she learned that they were ready to go with her to see that this fight was done properly.

"You are welcome to go back home to Inverness." She insisted, looking at each one of them as they shook their heads in defiance to her offer.

"We didn' drag th'Axemen out in arms an' armor jus' t'skip on back 'ome once th'real fight reared its 'ead," Boar insisted. "An' no Ghis leaves th'battle line unless family is at stake somewhere else." That ideal had held since before Kate's birth, even when Inverness itself was threatened. Part of the family had gone to fight in Wick and been captured, part remained in Inverness to defend it, and only a few left the battle lines to secure those who couldn't fight.

Durban, who had been sharpening his Claymore when Kate came to find them, shouldered the blade with a calm smirk. "An' you think Clan Ghis would leave Clan Aleister's side before a fight? Y'don' know us at all, lass."

Brogan, meanwhile, looked on with a smile, his brothers having said it all for him. But he added simply, "Lead th'way, Kitten."

"This is Henry's fight, Uncle Durban. Scotland will simply provide him with the men that it will take to tame a couple of wayward lords. I intend to get justice for all of those effected by this terrible event." Kate said as her uncles put her in her place when it came to going back home. "And while I do agree with you, Uncle Boar, I also know that Aunt Emma would be very angry with me if I let you get into danger that was completely unnecessary."

"Henry's family, love," Brogan explained before Boar could argue, earning a nod from both his brothers. "Nothin' about this is unnecessary. An' the order an' peace of England is important t'everyone in an' allied with it. This isn' a big fight, in fact we're probably outnumberin' Alba at twenty t'one with th'combined forces on 'is tail. But it's an important one, one tha' even a Clan King an' 'is brothers need t'see t'the end. Not t'mention our girl headin' a small army. We're here as much fer you as we are fer Henry."

Kate looked at her father with a small smile as he mentioned that they would stay for family, supporting her in whatever she needed. "You just want to see me at the head of my army, dressed in my fancy armor."

"I never wanted my little girl t'be a warrior, never wanted it fer any o' my children. But bein' tha' y'are one, I take a lot o' pride in you bein' a damned good one. An' seein' you raise a blade fer th'charge'll be all th'pride I can 'andle," Brogan chuckled, stepping forward to kiss her forehead.

"Da, you wouldn't have spent so long training me and my brothers if you didn't secretly want a warrior." Kate murmured as he kissed her forehead, swearing that it wasn't his intention to train his daughter to be a warrior. "But I'm happy you're staying just a bit longer."

She hugged him tightly for a moment before she let him go, doing the same for each of her uncles as well. They had all had a hand in raising her, training her to be the queen that she was today. It was as if the entire family had an interest in Kate and keeping her on the straight and narrow so she didn't end up like her biological father.

"I trained you so tha' you could defend yourself, an' fight well when fightin' was th'last solution." Brogan watched her meet each of her uncles in an embrace after that.

"When y'were younger, he might've dreamed o' ridin' t'battle beside you. But us old warriors tend t'grow out of it, we don' want our children t'know so much war."

"Which is why if it were up to all of us, your children and your nieces and nephews, none of you would ever have to fight again." Kate said, looking at the three of them, her arm around her uncle Boar's shoulders.

"Someone'll have t'replace us," Durban chuckled. "We've been sub-par fer years." Each laughed at that. While the circumstances of their conditions weren't happy, they could have a good sense of humor about it, from Brogan's illness to Boar and Durban's old wounds and all three's trauma.

“As long as I live and breathe, Inverness will always be protected.” Kate said softly, leaning her head against her uncle’s, glancing around at those that were there with her. “And my children and their children will always know how much it means to us.”

Durban hugged Kate close in one arm. "I'd tell ya t'focus on Edinburgh, but I know ye'll always be thinkin' o' home. An' hopefully Aleisters in th'future'll come home too."

"I'm sure they will," Brogan nodded. "But til then, we 'ave some Barons t'put down. Henry'll be here anytime, an' he won't stay long. We'd best get everything ready t'move out."

Kate, of course, had little to pack and what she had was attended to by an assistant to Kell. She had little that she could do those days to tend to herself. Instead, she waited for Henry to arrive, greeting him the moment that she saw him ride into the courtyard at the head of his own forces.

"Henry, it's always good to see you, no matter what the circumstances are." Kate said with a smile towards the man that she had known since she was a child.

In all her life, Kate had never seen Henry in proper armor nor at the head of an army, only in parades in decorative arms. As he approached with his royal guard, he was an imposing figure to say the least. Henry was a broad man, a bit heavier than most, but his armor made him look even broader and larger atop an armored charger in barding. A soldier hurried forward to hold the horse steady as Henry dismounted, leaving his helmet strapped to the saddle with his shield. "Kate," he turned to greet her in the best embrace he could muster in full plate armor. "Let me start by apologizing, my dear, for all of this nonsense. As it is your territory that's been damaged, I've come with coffers to pay for the rebuilding, and a good young lord to look after the estate til you can appoint a new one or til the previous lord's successor can take over. But that's up to you... I'm aware the noble family was just about destroyed."

He looked to his royal guard, one removing his helm to reveal it was none other than John Davies. As husband to the Crown Princess and potentially future King, he very rarely stayed behind when Henry left London. "I've brought John as well, he's learning how to deal with upstarts at my side. And your Uncle Ashien is with a scouting party headed for Rothbury. I tried to get him to come here, but he insisted he needed to be useful rather than follow on my heels. But seeing your father and uncles here... he may regret his decision."

Henry smiled to the three men as they came to back Kate, greeting each with a handshake and friendly embrace.

"Uncle Ashien has always done his own thing when it comes to war." Kate said as he father and uncles greeted Henry on their own, each man embracing him like a long lost brother. "And there is nothing to worry about with this attack. The family will be cared for by the treasury of Scotland until they decide what they wish to do. We are still looking for the son who was taken by Alba."

"Hopefully this strike on Rothbury will kill several birds with one stone," Henry faced all of them. "Alba and any of his supporters are our main target, followed by the securing of Rothbury and the rescue of any prisoners. Alba has nowhere else to hide as far as we know right now, and even if we can't catch him at Rothbury, he can only go as far as the coast before we corner him."

“We can send forces towards the coast just in case. If we cut them off from an escape, it might end sooner.” Kate suggested, glancing over as Kell joined them as quietly as ever. “Henry, this is my husband, Khelt Aleister. I don’t know if you have been introduced properly.”

"Only briefly," Henry shook Kell's hand. "A pincer movement would do us well. Seeing as we have two small armies, we can come in from the north and west. If they try to move south, they'll be running directly into the territory of one of Alba's worst enemies among my Lords. I'll send messengers ahead."

"Allow me, sir," Kell murmured. "I can get a man there quickly and quietly."

"Do so, write up whatever you need and I'll seal it. But we need to get going quickly."