To Capture a Captain's Heart (closed)

Kayla had always been a shy girl. The youngest of the Ghis, born minutes after her twin brother Ashien, she had always been doted on and protected by her siblings. She was still haunted by the thoughts of her father and his violent temper but she was the one that never felt his hand upon her, protected by her sister and her brothers as best as they could.

She had grown up a great beauty like her mother had once been, sharing more of her mother’s features than any other Ghis child. Her eyes were dark like ink, her hair pin straight and as smooth as silk. Her mother had always taken great pains to make sure that she was taken care of and it was how she found herself as a lady in waiting to the queen of Scotland. A dear friend of her mother, the queen had taken her in and given her a position that would further her prospects of marriage when the time came.

She found herself at home in Inverness from time to time and she had never seen the keep so lively as it was now. Despite the snow that was falling outside, Vincenzo had brought a special warmth with him. He had cured her mother, married her, made her incredibly happy and that was all that Kayla could have asked for. She loved Vincenzo like a father and he doted on her as if she were his own daughter.

It was during one of those visits to the keep that Kayla found herself standing outside her mother’s chambers, working up her courage to knock on the door. She wanted to talk to them both about something important to her. She wanted their opinions before she spoke to her brothers. It was with that timid thought that Kayla softly knocked on the wooden door and waited for an answer.

Vincenzo came to open the door, and the tall, dark-complexioned Italian smiled lovingly down at his stepdaughter who was like his own. "Come in, my love," he beckoned her in. He called all the women of the family his love with that lovely Venetian accent. Katherine Ghis awaited inside, knitting. Kitty looked up and smiled knowingly.

"What d'ya look so nervous for, little love?" she asked softly in her lovely Scottish accent, motioning Kayla over to sit with her. "Am I right thinkin' it's about tha' Captain?" She always knew. She had always known.

“Ma.” Kayla said, blushing deeply as she took a seat next to her mother with Vincenzo taking his favorite seat next to the fire. “You shouldn’t ask me things like that.”

Kayla glanced down at her hands as she clasped them together, unsure of what she should ask of her mother. The woman had always been her best friend and she valued her opinion about everything in her life.

“The Captain has asked to court me.” She said softly, glancing up at Kitty and then at Vincenzo. “I told him that he would have to ask my brothers first before we could court and I fear that he might not do that.”

"Oh, that Christopher will, you jus' watch. When 'e an' th' boys come back, he'll 'ave asked them all an' they'll 'ave all given him the entire talk about what'll 'appen if 'e hurts ya an' so on, an' he'll sweep ya off yer feet an marry ya an' steal ya away t'Ireland," Kitty spoke like it was a wonderful fairytale love, making Vincenzo chuckle.

“Ma, you know that fairy tales aren’t real.” Kayla said softly, scolding her mother as she looked towards her step-father. “Papa, I suppose I should be scolding you for filling her head with such nonsense.”

She had started calling Vincenzo Papa shortly after his marriage to Kitty. She had never had a father in her life that loved her like Vincenzo did. Her real father, long dead, was a man to fear not love.

“There’s also something else.” She said softly, her cheeks growing rosy under their gaze. “The Queen has informed me that her nephew is also interested in courting me. He is the son of the Duke of Glasgow.”

"He's a handsome lad, but it's your choice, dear. We know you've had eyes for the Captain for a long while now." Vincenzo spoke up. Kitty nodded in agreement.

“I don’t know what to do.” Kayla said with a hopeless tone to her voice, looking down at her hands once again as she thought about the choices that she needed to make. “I don’t want to anger or disappoint the queen, but I really like the Captain. He’s kind and sweet and he makes me smile.”

“Ma, how did you know that what you felt for Papa was right?” She asked her mother softly, so sorely needing her mother’s guidance on the situation.

"The Queen is a lovely woman who will understand," Vincenzo assured her. After all, he'd once served her, he would know.

"Knowing with Vincenzo..." Kitty said softly when Kayla's question arose. "Well, I spent plenty o' time with 'im, tha' was for sure, not long before your father 'ad gone an' Brogan rose t'the crown o' the clan. He was so incredibly sweet t'me tha' I fell at first fer jus' the way he treated me. But after some time... I outright asked 'im how 'e felt for me because I wasn't sure o' myself. He told me he loved me, and 'e struggled for days to show 'r tell me just how much. He's still trying to, or so 'e tells me. He tried so hard for me, t'give me an answer, 'e spent quite a few sleepless nights still trying. The answer 'e settled with was a bouquet of thirteen roses, an' he told me 'e'd love me til th' last died. An', Kayla, the thirteenth rose was a perfect fake rose that'd ne'er wilt. I still 'ave it in a special box in my nightstand. It was then tha' I knew he was my man, and Valentina came along not too long after tha'."

Kayla smiled at the story that her mother told her. It made her heart melt to think that her mother had found such a great love in Vincenzo. She thought briefly about the few, awkward moments that she had shared with the Captain and again, her belly did that strange little flip that it always did when she thought about him.

“I think I will see where this relationship with the Captain might go.” She said softly, smiling at her mother with a giddy little look on her face. “Who knows? He might be my one great love.”

She suddenly rose, wrapping her mother in a tight hug before she did the same for Vincenzo. “And can you promise to not let my brothers get too carried away?”

"They'll only get carried away if Christopher does somethin' wrong," Kitty smiled. "Don't you worry about them, I'll smack 'em silly if they get too flustered."

"I don't doubt it," Vincenzo muttered, and got a flick in the ear before Kitty kissed him.

“I love you both.” Kayla said sweetly, placing a kiss on each of their cheeks before she straightened and stood, going to leave the room before she stopped and looked back at her family. “And even if the Captain does whisk me away to Ireland, you will always be in my heart.”

With that, Kayla left the bedroom and felt lighter after having her conversation with her parents. She was comfortable now with the idea that the Captain wanted to court her and she was surely going to see where he would take their relationship once it started.

Her brother Brogan had gone off and disappeared with his wife as they often did, but Durban and boar were together with their wives and children and Brogan's daughter and infant son. Durban saw Kayla and rose. "So, did ya kiss yer jolly bold Irishman yet?" He grinned cheekily. Being her eldest brother, he got away with a lot of teasing.

“That is none of your business, Durban.” Kayla said as her brother teased her and she took her seat with the rest of her family. “What Christopher and I do is no one’s business but our own.”

"You two're adorable," Durban commented and settled beside her. "So what was goin' on there earlier, then?"

"'E better be treatin' ya well," Boar crossed his arms with an expectant expression.

Kayla looked shyly at Durban as he settled next to her, asking what had happened earlier between her and the Captain. She knew that it was important to her brothers to at least have a shot at vetting her future husband. She glanced over at Boar as he crossed his arms and looked at her with that look that she knew all too well.

“The Captain has asked to court me and I have given my consent.” She said, trying to keep the tremble out of her voice and not betray too much to her brothers. “And I’ve asked that he approach you for permission as well.”

"He's goin' t'have t'earn it," Durban told her honestly. "I don' let men marry m'sisters off title alone."

"Same 'ere. 'E better be a damn fine warrior 'r some kind o' Saint," Boar nodded in agreement.

“Durban. Boar.” Kayla was pouting then, her lips pursing as they both told her that he had to earn the right to court her. “No one had to give you permission to court your wives.”

Being the youngest was sometimes a pain and her brothers seemed to like to lord the fact over her whenever it was convenient. This seemed to be a time when they would use the fact to their advantage and she would be left pouting like a toddler.

"This is different, Kayla," Durban told her quite seriously. "Yer our li'l sister an' Christopher's a military man from Irelan'. The Irish doesn' matter so much t'us as th'heartbreak y'might be settin' yerself up for when 'e's brought 'ome dead from a battle. Our wives're gonna have t'deal with th'fact tha' might 'appen soon, an' we want t'save ya from it."

“I’m not a little girl anymore, Durban. I know that he’s a soldier and I know that he’s in danger when he leaves for a battle field. I’ve known that since I was a wee girl when Brogan fought Da. Da never came home.” She said, sitting there with her arms still crossed and her clear gaze still on her brother.

“You don’t have to save me from anything.” She stood then, fleeing the room and the brothers that always seemed to make life just a little more difficult for her.

Durban just sighed to himself, "Always settin' 'erself up fer trouble 'r heartbreak..."

As Kayla fled, it was her dear friend Cole who came across her. Alongside being Brogan's best Captain, he had been Kayla's friend since she was old enough to speak. He noticed how she seemed to look a little flustered. "Kay?" He asked, setting aside the blade he was sharpening and brushing his long red hair back. "Y'alright?"

Kayla was startled when Cole called her name, setting aside the blade that he was sharpening and looking at her with the look of a man that understood her. Her brothers were always wanting to protect her, but Cole would sit and listen and give her the advice that she so desperately needed.

“They won’t listen to me, Cole.” She said softly as she sat down at his side. “And they all think that I need their permission to court someone.”

"It doesn' matter wha' they think about it. It matters whether 'r not yer gonna listen to 'em, love. Don' let yer brothers lord o'er yer life anymore, yer a grown lass." He leaned over to kiss her cheek. He'd courted her once but they found that what they'd thought was love was really more sibling-like than true lovers.

“I know.” Kayla said with a sigh. “But it’s important to me that my family likes whomever I court.”

She glanced over at Cole after he kissed her cheek and she gave him a little smile. “I shouldn’t have let you get away, but you’re so good with Your wife and your children are beautiful, Cole.”

"Get away? Ye've still got me, love, jus' in a differen' role." As if on cue of Kayla mentioning his children, though, his youngest, a tiny boy of three named Lane came tripping over his little feet, straight to his father's waiting arms. Cole picked him up onto his lap and the boy turned bashful and red at the presence of Kayla. He'd always been that way.

“Well, hello there, Lane.” Kayla said as the little boy buried his face against his father’s strong neck and mumbled a simple hello.

Kayla had always loved children and she enjoyed being surrounded by so many nieces and nephews. It was a lovely time at the keep when everyone was together and happy. Kayla leaned in and kissed Cole’s cheek before she stood and looked down at father and son.

“I’m sure that Lane has been sent to find you. I should go and find something to help with around the keep.” She said softly, bidding them both goodbye.