Ghis (closed)

[KieranSoares]

Around noon, a blizzard set in, burying the highlands under nearly a foot of snow on top of the half-foot that was already there. But still, the people continued as if it didn't bother them. Children played in the snow and built tunnels and little forts out of snow they'd cleared from the road and pathways, adults continued with their work or went to the village's single tavern for hot cider. Brogan joined the lumberjacks in the nearby forest, never afraid to get his hands dirty and do real work alongside his people. No one, highborn or low, was immune to real work here, unlike England. Even Kitty busied herself with her weaving and knitting.

About that time, Valentina, who'd been helping Kitty and the kitchen staff, came to Julia's bedroom and knocked lightly, "You know you can't sleep all day, Queen or no," she chuckled.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia let out a groan as she heard Valentina’s voice, rubbing her eyes as the woman bustled into the room and demanded that she rise. Julia’s body still ached, but she supposed that she had a point. She couldn’t spend her day in bed if everyone else was up and about.

“I suppose.” She said softly, turning her head to look at the other woman. “I’ll be up in a few moments.” She assured Valentina, giving her a smile before she let the room.

With a long sigh, she rolled from the bed and started to dress in the orange gown that she’d arrived in that first day. Her other gowns had yet to arrive and she wondered when they would make the journey from Chester to Inverness. Smoothing out her long hair, she pinned it in place before her circlet was placed upon her brow once more. She didn’t particularly like wearing it all the time, but she supposed that’s what a queen would do.

Leaving her new fur cape behind for the time being, she stepped into the hallway and into a bustling world. She was shocked that there was so much activity when there was so much snow falling. Men were hustling to and fro, women were carrying out chores, and children were playing in the large white piles. It was truly a sight to behold.

Finding Kitty in the warm kitchens, Julia stepped up to her mother-in-law and leaned down to kiss the woman’s cheek. “Good morning, Kitty.” She said with a soft smile. “I apologize for not rising sooner. I didn’t notice that most of the day was already gone.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Oh, no worries, love," Kitty turned to hug Julia. She seemed a little stronger now, likely driven by happiness at the recent events. "Brogan's out with th' lumberjacks, we've been busy cleanin' up all morning, jus' finished. Val's off t' th' market if ya'd like t' go see it with 'er?"

 

[heartofcourage]

“I would love to go.” Julia said, suddenly realizing that she had no money with which to buy anything with. “But…I don’t have any…any coins.”

She blushed deeply at that realization. She had never broached the subject with Brogan and her father had never given her much to begin with. “But I suppose I would like to see it none the less.”

One more kiss to the woman’s cheek and she was hurrying back to her rooms to put on her new cloak. It was most certainly warm and it made her smile to think that she owned something so lovely and fine. Then she went to find Valentina, eager to see the city.

 

[KieranSoares]

Valentina was at the doors awaiting her, Ciaran beside her, but she looked a little disappointed, "Lady Julia, I'm sorry to say I can't go out to the market right now. A friend needs me on the other side of the village. But Ciaran's offered to take you as well as my duties there." Ciaran smiled kindly to Julia at that. He'd cut his hair short overnight it seemed, and his beard had been trimmed down considerably. It only served to make him look more dashing.

 

[heartofcourage]

“I’m sorry to hear that Valentina, but I’m sure that Ciaran can take good care of me.” Julia said with a smile, watching as the dark haired woman hurried to complete her task.

Turning back to Ciaran, she gave him a shy smile, noticing that he had taken steps during the night to groom himself. He looked very handsome and Julia found herself blushing slightly at that thought.

“Thank you very much for my new cloak. It’s very beautiful.” She said softly, taking the offered arm that Ciaran held out for her. “But you didn’t have to go through such trouble just for me.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Yeah, I did," Ciaran smiled kindly down at her, "y'ain't used t' this kinda Scottish weather, m'lady, y'need a good cloak that'll keep ya warm, an' keep th' rain off when it comes. Any'ow... y'ready?" He was so set on taking care of her, it was clear he wasn't doing it out of loyalty to Brogan. He never had. He'd liked her from the moment he met her in England and was always the one to talk to while Brogan was the man of few words and the harsher of the two. Ciaran was sweet and charming, Brogan was barbaric and didn't care much for charm.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia blushed again as Ciaran insisted that he needed to give her the cloak to protect her from the harsh Scottish weather. She had to admit that it was nice to have someone care so much about her well being. He was charming, but she also felt a fierce loyalty to her husband.

“Lead the way.” Julia said, smiling at him as she took his offered arm and they made their way towards the market.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ciaran showed her everything he could think of. The market was made up of stalls and permanent shops with everything from a tailor to a blacksmith, or a bowyer to a jeweller. Exotic goods existed here too from as far as Africa and the Middle East, things the Scots found use for, like lion skins, spices, silks, foreign weapons, and so on. And Ciaran knew everything about all of them, explaining that he was a lover of different cultures and the trade between them.

 

[heartofcourage]

The market was a lovely little place, Julia decided. The people were friendly, the wears were well made, and it seemed that Ciaran took a lot of pride in knowing everything about his home. He made her laugh, he was incredibly charming, and she felt her heart swell at the attention that he was lavishing upon her during their trip.

“Everything is so lovely.” Julia told Ciaran as she fingered a piece of fine fabric, her mind turning with the thoughts of making a new dress out of it. “Very lovely.”

She gave him a smile and turned from the fabric, the price too high for the lack of coins that she currently had.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Wouldja like a bolt o' this?" Ciaran asked, looking down at the cloth. "It'd make a real nice dress, ye'd look stunnin' in this 'ere color." He decided to take the bull by the horns and, without waiting for her answer, be bought a bolt of the cloth, enough to make a dress for Julia's size.

 

[heartofcourage]

“It’s very lovely.” Julia commented, dumbfounded when Ciaran instantly bought it before she could tell him no. “Ciaran, you don’t have to…”

She blushed deeply as the fabric was pressed into her hands, a smile on her face as Ciaran paid the vendor and turned back towards her. No one, save Brogan, had bought her such lovely things. First the cloak and now the fabric for a new gown…it was truly humbling.

“Thank you, Ciaran. You’ll be the first one to see the new gown that I make.” She promised, laughing softly at the look upon his face. “After Brogan, of course.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Yeah, 'e migh' get jealous, y'know," Ciaran took the fabric to carry it for her. It was a rather large bolt. "Not that I mind rufflin' 'is feathers e'ery now 'n' again. Hell, I migh' do that sometime t'morrow..." He chuckled heartily.

Ciaran spent most of the day at her side, showing her all the village had to offer, and he stopped into the tavern with her in the early evening to get her a warm drink after such cold outside. As they sat down at a table, the barkeep brought them hot cider, a local favorite during winter for both children and adults, but Ciaran ordered hard cider for himself while the tamer non-alcoholic cider was brought for Julia.

"So, m'lady..." Ciaran began after taking a sip of the warm drink. "How're ya likin' Inverness s'far?"

 

[heartofcourage]

“I’m thinking that perhaps it won’t be so bad living here.” Julia said, thanking the bar keep as she brought the delicious cider to her lips and took a sip of the warming liquid. “The people are friendly and despite the weather, the scenery is lovely.”

She smiled at Ciaran, thinking that she was lucky to have a friend such as him to keep her company. She wondered if Brogan was even missing her yet. It didn’t really matter, she supposed. Brogan was a busy man and didn’t have much time for her or her needs.

“I suppose we need to be getting back. It’s almost time for dinner.” She said, taking another sip of her mug and placed it back down on the table.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Enjoy yer drink, lass, we'll 'ead back after. No rush," Ciaran sat back in his chair comfortably.

 

[heartofcourage]

“I don’t suppose Brogan will come looking for me, will he?” She asked, giving Ciaran a smile as she picked up her mug again, taking another sip as she relax across the table from him.

“He’s a good man and he has moments where I have hope for our future together, but he doesn’t seem to know how to make a woman feel very special.” She confessed, glowing red as she told Ciaran one of the faults of her new marriage.

 

[KieranSoares]

"'E migh' come lookin', but 'e won' mind when 'e sees yer with me." But listening to her admission, he just chuckled. "Oh, 'e knows how, better'n a lot o' men 'round 'ere. It's jus'... well, maybe it's not m'place t'tell ya...." His smile faded, "Ah, y'deserve t'know... Y'see, Brogan was married once before. Had a daughter too. Y'might see 'er one day soon, she's been in Ireland fer 'er own safety whilst Wick's been after us... Any'ow, I won' tell ya th' details... But Cassie- 'er name was Cassandra, lovely lass- was killed 'ardly three years ago thanks t' th' English an' Wick joinin' t'gether... But I won' say anymore, Brogan'll 'ave t'tell ya th'rest."

 

[heartofcourage]

“Brogan has a child?” Julia said, dumbfounded and a bit heartbroken that he hadn’t even told her such an intimate detail of his life. And he was married once before…

What a fool she’d been, she thought to herself. It made sense why he had wanted to save her from a father that was about to abandon her, but it truly made her stomach hurt to think that he hadn’t wanted to share a thing like that with her. Did he see his first wife when he looked at her? Had he loved Cassandra? Had he shared his bed with her, the same one where he had taken her innocence the night before?

“Just when I think I have everything figured out, it all changes…” Julia murmured, thoughts of Brogan’s shattered life running through her head.

He didn’t want to get close to her. It was apparent now. He didn’t want her to suffer the same fate that his first wife had and he certainly didn’t want to go through the same heartache. That made Julia incredibly sad. Still, she put on a brave face for Ciaran.

“Who needs a life filled with silly romance anyway…” She said in her soft voice, her emerald eyes trying so hard to hide the hurt that she felt inside. "It makes a person weak and he cannot afford that. Especially with a wee little one to think about..."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Don' say that, love," Ciaran leaned forward and placed a calloused hand on her own. "Brogan wouldn'a married ya if 'e didn' care. Jus' 'cause things're tough 'r 'e ain' shared everythin' with ya yet, don' mean 'e's opposed to it. It'll jus' take 'im a while, y'know. 'E ain' a man t'warm up quickly, but 'e will. Y'might 'ave to ask 'im t' tell ya 'bout 'imself, though."

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia listened to what Ciaran said and glanced down at the warm hand that covered her own. Brogan hadn’t been the one to give her a new cloak to fight the chill. He hadn’t been the one to take her to market and buy her a bolt of cloth for a new dress. Whatever she had thought about him in the time that they had shared the evening before had shriveled up and blown away in that single instant.

Even a daughter was too insignificant to tell her about. In a few brief moments, Julia had gone from a new wife in a new land to a stepmother. It was incredibly daunting to think about and she hadn’t even lain eyes on this little girl yet.

“He cared because I would be out on the streets.” Julia said almost bitterly, pulling her hand away from Ciaran’s grasp. “Not because he loves me.” She couldn’t even bring herself to say those last few words any louder than a whisper.

“I want to go home, Ciaran. Please.” She said quickly, tears already starting to form in her eyes for the second time in so many days.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Anythin' y'say, love..." Ciaran said softly and rose with her, securing her cloak about her shoulders. He escorted her home and they arrived just before dinner. Brogan was there, awaiting Julia. But, seeing the telltale sign of previous tears, his gaze immediately turned to Ciaran.

"What happened?" Brogan demanded in a growl.

"Nothin', m'keng, jus'-"

"Clearly it ain' nothin', lad," Brogan's voice became darker.

"Jus' a bit upset's all. Overwhelmed, she's okay," Ciaran attempted to deflect Brogan's attention from Julia for the sake of her sanity. Brogan seemed to accept the idea of her being overwhelmed by her new home, and calmed.

"Where ya been?"

"'Round th' village, showin' 'er everythin' Inverness 'as got."

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia felt incredibly numb as Ciaran escorted her home. It might have been the chill or the gloomy day, but she felt chilled to the bone and was visibly shivering as they stepped into the keep. Brogan was the last person that she wanted to see, but he had been there awaiting their arrival. She couldn’t speak because she didn’t trust her voice. Instead, she stayed silent, taking her bolt of cloth and her cloak back to the room that she shared with her husband.

She hadn’t really meant to leave Ciaran alone with Brogan, but she wanted to hide like the coward she felt like. There was nothing strong about her in that moment. She felt raw, wounded, and incredibly hurt that he hadn’t even bothered to mention his dead wife or his daughter to her. What a fool she was…

She let out a sigh, wiping the last of her tears away as she stared down at the bolt of cloth that she’d thought was so pretty that morning. She was still staring at it when she heard the door open and she turned to watch Brogan enter the room.

“I’m not hungry, my lord.” She said softly, her eyes turning back to the fabric, unable to look at him.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I figured tha' was th' case..." Brogan stepped up behind her, laying a hand on her arm. "Since Ciaran's avoidin' it... Tell me what's really wrong, darlin'. Must'a been somethin' I did, 'cause I know ya were avoidin' me...."

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia jerked her arm away from him as he placed his hand upon it. She moved away from him and towards the fire, her thoughts still swirling as he asked her to tell him what was wrong.

“When were you going to tell me that you have a daughter?” She blurted out, wishing that those words didn’t hurt her heart so much. "We've been together for nearly two weeks and you haven't said a word."

She could feel the panic rising in her chest and it threatened to overwhelm her entirely. "Or what about your wife? How many people attended out wedding yesterday just to see who was taking her place? How many people see me with you and wish that Cassandra were still here?"

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan stared at her, feeling a rage rise in his chest at the mention of his late first wife, followed by a dark, depressing feeling of loss. He looked down at the floor, fists clenched, and he was tempted to avoid the subject and leave for the night like he had when he first exploded at her. But she deserved to know...

"I... don' like thinkin' about Cassie... I don' like hearin' about 'er... I don' even like hearin' tha' name... As fer me little girl, Annie... I don' think I'll e'er get t'see 'er again... Not if Wick 'as their way... So... jus' don' even worry 'bout 'er..." It was clear how terribly hurt and deeply scarred he was by his family being forced apart by Wick, it was a pain he couldn't even wrap his head around, and it brought tears to his eyes. He quickly wiped them away, not willing to let Julia see him cry.