Beyond Time (closed)

[KieranSoares]

Ashien looked up from the paper to Elizabeth and gave her an encouraging smile. "Everything's going smoothly. Most of southern and eastern England's men are heading down to Dover and Hastings, and Henry's made it to Canterbury where he'll be staying for a couple days to take in information and plan defenses. He should be in Normandy in three or four days to join your grandfather's family and the generals among them will move forward to secure the borders. He won't be anywhere near the fighting for most of the campaign. Odds are, if Norman and Saxon troops work well together as they've been starting to do, Henry might not even see battle before they get to the border. Once it's secured, he'll be a military governor in the area for a while and if things hold, the regional lord will take over once more and Henry will be home."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You talk as if everything is so easy." Elizabeth commented as Van came into the dining room to serve breakfast. "War is never so easy, Ashien. You of all people should know that."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I do know that... But the fact of the matter is that adding to our worries with my own negativity won't help. Your father commands some of the best and largest armies in the western world, Elizabeth, and I know that he's the safest monarch in the world right now because his men love him and his people care about what happens to him. People take care of their own, and if ever a king was one of his people's own, it's most certainly Henry. I worry, but I feel safe in the knowledge that the soldiers of England will fight to the last if there was ever a threat to your father."

 

[heartofcourage]

Elizabeth didn't respond, her mind a million miles away in that moment. Dylan glanced between Ashien and the Princess, her hand gently closing around her lover's. She shook her head as if to tell Ashien that he shouldn't press the situation further. Let her have her thoughts because in the end it would be stressful for her.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ashien sighed, knowing even without a word that Dylandra was right. Such uneasiness lasted for several weeks despite encouraging reports that Henry was triumphant in his battles. John did all he could to ease and distract Elizabeth, taking his job of protecting her very seriously until it gave way to a genuine care for her well-being. When she wasn't lost in thought and worry, John found her to be a lovely and intelligent girl who could capture his attention fairly easily.

One afternoon when Ashien was with Dylandra in his studio and Van was sitting with Elizabeth in the parlor, John entered into Elizabeth's peripheral with two letters in hand, one open and the other still sealed. "Princess," he spoke up with a smile, pressing the unopened letter into her hand. "From your father." Apparently he knew something she didn't by the smile on his face, letting her learn it on her own from the parchment.

My beloved Elizabeth,

In just a few short weeks, I and my allies have secured our ancestral lands in Normandy and I am already on my way north to return to you. Things could not have gone more smoothly, though I did suffer an arrow to the left thigh. It's nothing serious and was taken care of promptly. As long as I'm riding, I'll be no slower in returning home to you. Be at peace and know your father has come through victorious and nearly unscathed. I hope Ashien and John and Lady Dylandra have kept you from worrying too much, and that John has kept you safe. I'll come for you myself and we'll ride home together. A dear friend, Seamus Ghis- Ashien's uncle, I believe- has sent me home with gifts and I'm bringing you something I think you'll enjoy. A Norman locket like the one your mother wore. I'll see you soon, my dearest love, and we'll have a quiet dinner all to ourselves when I get home.

Love, Papa

 

[heartofcourage]

Elizabeth took the note from John, looking at it with bated breath. Her heart was racing as she looked over her father's familiar handwriting. She slowly exhaled, a smile coming to her lips as she looked up at John.

"He's coming home." She said, hopping from her seat and hug him tightly. "Oh, John, he's coming home!"

 

[KieranSoares]

To say he was surprised was an understatement as John suddenly found Elizabeth hugging him in absolute joy. He chuckled softly and hugged her in return before he looked down at her, "I hope he thinks I did an alright job."

 

[heartofcourage]

"He'll be happy you managed to keep me from coming after him." Elizabeth mentioned, giving him a luminous smile. "You have no idea how happy this makes me. He'll be home and things can get back to normal."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Yeah, for you and England both. Come on, we ought to let Ashien and Dylan know." John offered her his arm with another smile. Despite his odd speech habits and strange ways that seemed a bit foreign, he was quite the gentleman.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan was working diligently on a painting in Ashien's studio. She was scowling, considering just what was wrong with the sketch that she had made of Ballas. There was something that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"What am I missing?" She finally asked, glancing towards Ashien as he worked on his own project across the studio.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ashien rose from his chair to come look at the sketch. After glancing over it and looking to the tiger happily asleep by the hearth, he smiled and knelt by Ballas. With a great yawn, Ballas lifted his head and laid it in Ashien's outstretched hands. Ashien traced the stripes on his forehead, "You've got the stripes extending too far down the bridge of his nose, and if you move his eyes up a bit, it'll make his face look about the right length."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Perhaps I should have picked something easier to sketch than a tiger." Dylan said as she started to make the small changes that were suggested. "You never model for me anymore. Always too busy with something else.

 

[KieranSoares]

"It's certainly not for lack of want on my part," Ashien sighed as he rose from Ballas' side. He came to Dylandra and wrapped his arms about her waist. "We could always make time for that once Henry is back."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I know you can't help it." Dylan said softly as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Perhaps we can make time for one another. Maybe...you can paint me...in the nude if you wish." She murmured softly against his ear.

 

[KieranSoares]

A soft though ever so slightly devious smile came to Ashien's face before he pressed a warm and adoring kiss to Dylandra's exposed throat. "That certainly sounds like a plan," he muttered. One of his hands had found her thigh. She could get him going so easily and he loved and hated how much a slave he'd become to his love and need for her.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Perhaps you should gather your paints and we should retire to your chambers." Dylan suggested in the most scandalous manner as he gripped her thigh in his hand and nibbled at her throat. "I love the look in your eyes when you're studying me."

 

[KieranSoares]

"We will... As soon as John and Elizabeth are gone." He could hear them coming down the hall and he stood to open up the door before they could knock. He noted Elizabeth's excitement and raised an eyebrow. "Good news, I assume?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"He's coming home, Ashien!" Elizabeth exclaimed, her excitement palpable as she rushed forward to hug him tightly.

Dylan stepped from the princess's path, watch as the two embraced like brother and sister. She wondered just what their relationship had been for a brief moment before she glanced towards John. She wondered what his relationship was becoming as well.

 

[KieranSoares]

John gave Dylan a soft smile but let on nothing. Ashien hugged Elizabeth tight with a soft chuckle. "I told you it'd be alright."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I know. I should have trust you." Elizabeth said, backing away from Ashien with a broad smile on her features. "Everything can go back to normal. Like this battle never happened."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I think this calls for a little celebration. We'll do something special for dinner, then maybe go on an evening ride around the grounds." Ashien smiled to John then, "Don't look so nervous, John. You've done your job well."

"I didn't really do much," John chuckled.

 

[heartofcourage]

John had always downplayed himself when it came to his skills. He had a knack for comforting people when they were down, something that Dylan had always used to her advantage. She could see what his gentle nature was doing to Elizabeth.

 

[KieranSoares]

After John and Elizabeth left them to take a walk in the clear, crisp air, Ashien quietly began gathering up his easel, a canvas, and his painting materials. He smiled to Dylandra, his gaze welcoming her to follow as he stepped out of the studio and headed for their bedchamber.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Have you always been close to Elizabeth?" Dylan asked softly as she followed behind Ashien until they reached the bedchamber door. "You seem so at ease around her."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I've known the royal families of the isles since I was very young, but I became best acquainted with them all after my brother Brogan defeated our father and took the throne of Inverness. My mother made sure my twin sister Kayla and I had plenty of opportunities in royal courts seeing as we were the only two interested in court life. We're the noble scholars of our family. Our older brothers are warriors and our sister Selena is her own woman, and Valentina of course is a healer. So, we had plenty of opportunities. Brogan and Ma found us places in the court of King Brian in Scotland, but I kept to my horses and eventually got a letter from King Henry to become a cavalry trainer, and eventually a cavalry officer. I started when I was sixteen and Elizabeth and I were very close... we almost thought we were in love for a while, but we were and are the best of friends. She's the reason I lost my Scottish accent and manage to make my way without anyone questioning me for being Scottish. I don't know about your time, but most northern English hate Scots and the Welsh are terrified of us. South of London, though, no one really minds us. Elizabeth... managed to make the northerners accept me as worthy of their time, pompous as they are about accepting foreigners."