The Lady of Skye (closed)

The creaking of the bed, the slapping of his hips against her own, the sound of her heated moans...everything rang in Kitty's ear like a beautiful symphony. Tamblin knew how to love her, even if he sometimes tried to be cold and uncaring. She knew the truth about her husband...he had an enormous capacity to show her love.

She turned her head to capture his lips, her fingers twining with his own as he remained calm even as he made love to her. She was always amazed at how stoic he was during their times together, but she was slowly wearing away at his rock hard facade.

If Tamblin truly tried to pretend not to care, he wouldn't secretly do everything he could to see that she was satisfied before himself. He had a knack for it too, having found Kitty's weakness their wedding night which was a particular place just under the edge of her jaw, and he pressed a fiery kiss to this very place as he sunk as deeply into her body as he possibly could.

Kitty let out a cry as he attacked that spot with his lips, nibbling on it slightly as he pressed deeply into her body. She arched her back from their bed as much as her body would allow as she came, his name on her lips. She saw stars behind her eyelids as she clenched her eyes closed to tightly, her swollen belly pressing against his own as she gave him the beautiful gift of her release.

It hadn't taken too long and Tamblin wasn't too far behind her as he held her tight and with only a grunt, flooded her belly with his seed. It was like sweet fire that fell to an ember as he pressed kisses across her collarbone and up her neck until their lips connected once more. He lifted his head and looked down at her with an unreadable expression, studying quietly her beautiful complexion and the sweat sheen on her skin. He silently came to lay beside her, drawing her back up against his chest as his broad hand laid across her swollen belly. He rarely liked to talk at all after making love to his wife, so it was a surprise when he said something as simple as what he said then, and not just because of what it was. "I love ya," he murmured, a rare declaration from the harsh man.

Kitty was still shaking from her release as he gathered her against his chest, his hand pressing against her belly. She let out a satisfied sigh, a smile crossing her lips as he murmured his first words of love to her.

"I love you too." She said softly, pressing her lips against the arm that was beneath her head.

She did love her husband. She was very fond of him. It had taken a long time for them to get to that moment and she was sure that Tamblin was finally opening up to her in the way that she could have only dreamed of before.

"Stay here with me until morning." She pleaded, knowing that in the morning this little moment would be over with and they would be back to where they began.

Tamblin was quiet at her request, but after a long silence, he muttered, "... Alrigh', love."

And stay he did. That morning when she awoke, he was still there. He'd woken up some time ago, but he seemed to be half-dozing and his arms were still wrapped around her just as they'd been the night before. It was against his usual ways to stay in bed any longer than a few minutes after waking, but he made good on his promise.

Kitty actually woke with a smile on her face as she felt Tamblin's strong arms around her just the way they were when she fell asleep. She turned her face towards his, looking into his dark gaze with one of love.

"Good morning, my lord." She said softly, pressing her lips against his own. "Thank you for staying with me."

"O'course, darlin'," he grunted in response, returning her kiss before sitting up slowly and gazing down at her with another of his unreadable expressions until a knock sounded on the door. He knew who it'd be. "I'll be out soon, Warwick."

Warwick didn't press his king, leaving them be. Tamblin sighed, scratching his beard. "Well... duty calls, love."

Kitty nodded, knowing that he was needed. She stayed in bed a while longer before she rose to find Ashelin and Durban. Her boy was sunny as usually and she kissed his cheeks until he squealed with laughter. She loved the hugs that her son gave her and she cradled him close as she looked at Ashelin with a secret smile.

"Tamblin told me he loved me...and he stayed with me all night." She murmured, a silly sound in her voice like she was a woman head over heels in love.

Ashelin practically began to vibrate with excitement, "Really?!" she whispered loudly. "Do you know what that means? You finally turned Tamblin soft!" She giggled like a little girl. "So... how was it?" She nudged Kitty's arm with a mischievous grin. "Did he make you see stars?" Even if it wasn't necessarily ladylike conversation, Ashelin loved to tease Kitty and make her blush, even get a few tidbits on whether or not Tamblin was a great lover like she heard rumors that said he was. Not that anyone else would really know, but still.

Kitty blushed and looked around the room at the others eating breakfast. She turned back to Ashelin finally and nodded with that grin still on her lips. Durban seemed to feed off his mother's mood, clapping his chubby hands as he squealed in delight.

"He made me see the moon and stars. I've never seen him like that. It was wonderful." Kitty gushed.

Ashelin scooted a little closer as she spoke. "I still can't believe he stayed as long as he did, Warwick was running around looking everywhere for him til someone said Tamblin hadn't even gotten up yet. I thought Warwick froze, he was so surprised."

Just as she spoke, the very man she mentioned paused before them. "I heard my name?" He looked down at Ashelin over the rim of his half-moon glasses. He dressed smartly in a simple dark blue tunic and black breeches with a black vest that carried all manner of tiny things in its pockets from little tools to some charcoal pencils for him to make notes with on the tablet of paper he always carried with him. His hair was combed quickly, still a tad messy even if it was short, and it was a lovely dark oak color and he had a very short but full beard that apparently hadn't been trimmed that day amid his running around. He was always busy, whether there was a lot to do or not.

"Oh, nothing, just talking about you earlier running around like a chicken with his head cut off. As usual, but worse." Kitty knew Ashelin had a deep and secret affection for Warwick, but she'd never acted upon it as he seemed not to be interested in a love life. Instead, the two were close friends that loved to tease each other.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat. "Well, Miss Ashelin, it's not every day that the man giving all the orders just doesn't show up as planned to a meeting of warriors. While you were having fun playing with the prince, I was dealing with a score of giants demanding orders to send to the fortifications out in King Tamblin's outer territories." Then he looked to Kitty, "Of course, madame, he told me he spent the morning with you, and I was happy to hear he was setting more time aside for family." He gave her a kind smile and looked down to his papers. "Now, if you lovely ladies will excuse me, I have to arrange a shipment of goods to Aberdeen." He hurried off without waiting for an answer.

Ashelin sighed longingly. "God in Heaven, he's handsome..."

"Then go talk to him." Kitty said as she looked at her dear friend and the way that she practically swooned over Warwick. "I will watch Durban today on my own and you can go and try to seduce my husband's second in command."

Kitty always had a bit of a matchmaker in her. She was a hopeless romantic who liked to see others happy. As she bounced Durban on her knee, she knew that her friend was at the very least infatuated with Warwick.

"And then perhaps you can make Warwick just as late to his meet as I intend to make Tamblin." Kitty laughed at that, looking down at her son as he played with her prized shell.

"The man doesn't have half a second to spare even for you, Kitty, what am I supposed to do? He doesn't have time to just talk..." She sighed, but then thought of something. "Wait... can you talk Tamblin into giving Warwick some time off...? Since you're making him go all soft and whatnot." She grinned at the idea, and she would've loved to tease Tamblin about it if he weren't so serious.

"I can try. He'll probably be working twice as hard until the baby comes though. Tamblin didn't have a spare moment even for me up until Durban was born." She said, glancing down at her son as she said his name.

He seemed to know and his curious brown eyes turned towards her. She smiled at her toddler and pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose, watching as he smiled broadly up at her.

"One day, my boy, you're going to charm one lucky woman with that smile." Kitty murmured.

"He'll probably sweep some steady girl off her feet and into a world of adventure, if he's anything like his Uncle. Even if he's more like Tamblin, he's got you to keep him from getting too serious," Ashelin chuckled and rose from her seat. "I'm going to help clean up. You look after her, okay, little guy?" She tapped Durban's nose and he giggled brightly before burying his face in his mother's shoulder. Ashlein could only smile as she made her way away.

The day was peaceful for the most part, until dinner when Tamblin and Kitty were eating quietly among chatter across the hall, when a man with a bloody cut across his temple burst in. "M'keng!"

Tamblin stood and grabbed his claymore from the back of his chair instantly. "Sir, news from th'north! O'Hennessey's attackin' Fort Shireland!"

"Warwick!" Tamblin's voice boomed. He didn't even have to give an order, Warwick knew what to do, literally vaulting over the table and sprinting out the door past the wounded man. The messenger, having finally brought word to his king, let himself go weak and he collapsed, passing out from exertion and bloodloss. "Ashelin!" Tamblin's intense gaze turned to the woman, who was already standing to fetch the healers. "Call all th'healers y'can reach."

Kitty stood as soon as Ashelin hurried off to get the healers, everyone else in the room springing into action. Her only duty was to get to safety. Tamblin had told her that many times during their marriage and she did her job, scooping Durban up against her shoulder and hurrying out of the great hall with her armed guard. If they were as close as Fort Shireland, then they were coming for Inverness.

Tamblin had made sure to fortify their room against such attacks and the moment that she crossed the threshold, she would bar herself inside. She was just walking down the hall with a fretting Durban against her shoulder when she no longer heard the footsteps of the guard behind her. She turned, frowning as the hulking man seemed to have disappeared.

"Charles?" She asked softly, letting out a soft shriek as arms seized her from behind, Durban ripped from her grasp as a sweet smelling cloth was pressed against her nose and mouth.

She arched her back, bucking in the man's strong grasp as he pressed that cloth so tightly. She heard Durban whimpering and soon that stopped and she let out a shriek like a wounded animal trying to get to her son. Strong fingers pulled at her jaw, bruising her fair skin as a voice hissed next to her ear, telling her to open her lips. She shook her head, clawing at the arm that held her until a blow from a fist was leveled against her ribs that staggered her. Her lips finally parted, her breath coming out ragged as the cloth was pulled away and bitter herbs were placed on her tongue. The world tilted and grew disorienting as everything started to spin. Then...it was black.

Kitty woke to the smell of smoke and horses, metal jingling loudly in her ears. As her blurry eyes opened, she noticed first that she was bound by her wrists and that Durban was securely in her arms. Her cheek was pressed against the course grass beneath her and her belly ached fiercely. The second thing she noticed was that she was on the field of battle. How long have I been asleep, she wondered as the point of a sword was slashed into the ground mere inches from her face.

"TAMBLIN GHIS! WE HAVE YOUR FAMILY!" Came the deep voice from above her.

Above her stood a lean and tall man who was outfitted in full armor except for a helm which lay in the arms of a squire beside him. His surcoat that covered his armor and hung to mid-calf was white in two quadrants with a single black diamond in either quarter, and the other two opposite quadrants were royal purple. They were the colors of Wick, no doubt, and though Kitty had never met Lochlan O'Hennessey, she knew that this imposing figure was none other than the King of Wick himself. He'd married into the title and had abused it from day one, but he'd never dared to launch a full-on attack on anyone.

As his army shifted into place, Kitty saw her guardian Charles out of the corner of her eye, wounded and beaten half to death, being dragged from the crowd of soldiers until he was forced to his knees some twenty feet away.

Tamblin's own men were assembled across the field before the keep, all of them ready to destroy Lochlan for taking their Queen. Lochlan chuckled when Tamblin appeared on his horse with his claymore drawn, and Kitty heard her husband call, "Come face me, y'coward! Quit hidin' behind yer little rabble!"

Lochlan didn't respond to his taunting with words. Instead, he tore Durban from Kitty's arms and lifted him high by the back of his little tunic, making him whimper and struggle and soon he was screaming. Lochlan drew his sword from the ground, and Tamblin suddenly charged across the field without warning, and his men followed instantly. Lochlan's own men hurried forward, and Kitty was quickly pulled out of the way by Lochlan's young squire.

As Durban was pulled from her arms, Kitty let out a cry like a wounded animal and tried to scramble to her feet. She was unsteady as she pushed herself to her hands and knees, her eyes glued on her son as Wick drew his blade. Not her son, she thought to herself. Durban would not die that day.

She heard Tamblin's cry across the field of battle and before she could reach her son, she was being dragged backwards by the squire. The moment she lost sight of Durban, Kitty felt her heart sink.

"Durban!" She screamed, yanking her arm away from the squire to get to her feet.

She was staggered however as a great pain tore through her belly, leaving her breathlessly kneeling as her bound hands cradled her stomach. Not today, little one. I need you to hold on a while longer she begged silently as tears filled her eyes.

The squire knelt before her, and she was met with an honest and worried face. He looked a fair bit like Lochlan, and when she saw he was dressed in similar colors and armor, it became clear that Lochlan's squire was also his fourteen-year old son Breven. She'd heard of him and how Lochlan absolutely hated him, but was trying to shape him into a king.

"Your Majesty?" He asked softly. "Please... I have to get you away from the field before you get caught up in the battle." He had a distinct lack of a Scottish accent. In fact, it sounded English, like Lochlan's wife was rumored to be. Lochlan appeared from the crowd of warriors, shoving the crying Durban into Breven's arms.

"Secure them, boy. If y'lose 'em, I swear t'God I'll 'ave yer head," he snarled, making Breven shrink slightly. Lochlan stormed away, roaring out orders.

"Milady... please. I promise I'll keep you safe."

"I think my baby is coming." She said softly as the pain passed and she glanced up at the young squire that was holding her screaming son. "I need a healer from Inverness."

"I... I'll do all I can, ma'am," he told her softly. He pulled two men aside who, at their prince's orders, helped get Kitty to a tent. Durban was left with one of the guards as Breven rode off. It was nearly an hour before he returned with Ashelin and a healer. Ashelin had known that Kitty had been taken and demanded to come to her aid. The healer set to work immediately gathering what she needed while Ashelin ran to Kitty's side, taking her hand.

Kitty held Ashelin's hand tightly as the healer checked her over. It was too early, but that little one was going to come whether she wanted them to or not.

"Ashelin, get Durban. Take care of him for me." Kitty murmured softly as another pain ripped through her belly.

Ashelin could only nod, taking Durban from the guard who held him. Only then did the boy start to calm. The healer pushed everyone else out. The battle roared and raged outside, a sound like Kitty had never heard before between the roars and screams and the clash of metal.

Kitty had never been more terrified in all of her life as the healer helped to make her comfortable. She focused her attention on Durban, watching as her son snuggled against Ashelin. He sniffled, sucking his thumb for comfort. Kitty groaned softly as another pain laced through her belly, her eyes clenching shut at the pain.

"Can you make it stop? This little one should have another month at least." Kitty finally said as she looked at the healer.