Beyond Time (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"We'll have to get them together soon, then," Carmena said with a nod, drawing Dylandra close to kiss her cheek. "And if I'm not mistaken... I can hear tiger paws."

Sure enough, Ballas came padding in and rubbed up against Dylandra's side with a deep purr. Ashien wasn't with him, but that probably meant he was talking to one of his siblings or still putting his horse away.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Hello, my love." Dylan said as she pat Ballas's great head, scratching his ears like a house cat as he rubbed against her side and purred loudly. "Where's Ashien?"

 

[KieranSoares]

Ballas circled around Dylandra and glanced back at the door while Carmena scratched his ears. Ashien soon entered and gave Dylandra a smile, his twin sister close behind him with her Captain. Kitty and Carmena both rose to greet them, Kayla having been so reclusive lately.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Nonna." Kayla murmured as Carmena rose to greet her. The young woman was soon in her embrace, her eyes closing tightly as she struggled to keep everything together.

Dylan turned from the scene to smile at Ash, moving to kiss his cheek to give his sister some privacy with their grandmother and Kitty. "Did you have a good ride?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"I did. I came across Kay and Chris on my way, and I brought them to see Gran," Ashien murmured, glancing over as Carmena held Kayla, then freed one arm to welcome Christopher as well.

"She's getting a little better... But she's still just as hurt as Durban and Brogan, if not worse," he sighed, only speaking loudly enough for Dylandra to hear.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan looked over at her sister-in-law and frowned. Kayla had always seemed just a little fragile, something beneath the surface that could break so easily. However, she knew that the Ghis were made of sterner stuff than most people.

"I know, love." Dylan said as she glanced up at Ashien, learning her head against his shoulder. "We'll all make it through this together. It's the only way."

 

[KieranSoares]

Ashien let his head rest against hers with a sigh, closing his eyes. After a long moment, it was Kayla herself that came to them to finally meet her brother's wife properly. Ashien opened his eyes to look at Kayla, and wrapped an arm about her shoulders. "Kay, this is Dylandra."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Ashien has told me so much about you." Dylan said with a smile as she greeted Kayla, letting Ashien hold his sister tightly against his side.

"I hope it's all good things." Kayla said with a weak smile, leaning her head against her twin's shoulder with a sigh. "I only wished that we could have met under better circumstances."

"It doesn't really matter. I'm here and that's all that matters." Dylan said with a chuckle.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I never say anything but good about you, little sister," Ashien promised with a warm smile, kissing Kayla's forehead.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Good, because I never say anything good about you either." Kayla said as her twin kissed her forehead gently. "Or our traitor tiger."

She glanced down at Ballas purred and nuzzled against her hand, nipping at her lightly in a sign of affection.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ballas rumbled happily in between his three favorite people, and Dylandra could see Ballas treated her similarly to Kayla in most ways. "He's absolutely a traitor. He dropped you for me, and then dropped me immediately for Dylandra."

 

[heartofcourage]

"He just likes me because I feed him." Dylan commented as Ballas looked completely over the moon with the three of them. "Chessie ran him out of the kitchen with the warning that she wouldn't feed him any longer if he kicked you out bed again."

 

[KieranSoares]

"If he liked people just for feeding him, Van would be his favorite. But Ballas does his best to ruin Van's hard work around Darkwood." Ashien nudged Ballas away with a chuckle, and the tiger simply went to seek more attention from Kitty. As he'd been a cub with the twins and Kitty had had to deal with his antics, he loved her dearly too even though he'd caused her no end of worry until he'd proven he would not be a danger to her younger children.

"Chris," Ashien looked to the Captain, welcoming him over. "Dylandra, this is Christopher Callaghan, a Captain over in Monaghan for Lord Stephen."

"Milady," Christopher nodded to Dylandra. He was polite to a fault, well-trained in etiquette, and confident though visibly tired and still disheartened by the war that was still so fresh in everyone's memory.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Captain." Dylan said as she greet Christopher, a sweet man and obviously smitten with Kayla Ghis. "It is a pleasure to finally meet everyone in this family. Ashien has kept me away in London for far too long, it seems."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I was busy," Ashien insisted, earning a chuckle from his mother behind them.

"I agree, though, that it's good to have everyone together. Even if I'm not a Ghis myself, it's good to see such a strong family come back together," Christopher said with a nod. As many things depended on the strength of the Ghis, such as their lands, people, and allies, it was always a weight off the shoulders of others to see the Ghis knit back together and heal. Christopher being an officer in service to Monaghan, a longtime ally, meant he too had a stake in the well-being of Inverness' royal family.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm happy that the family is all together. Now I don't have to nag Ashien so much." Dylan commented, drawing a soft laugh from his sister.

"And we can give you the wedding that you didn't have." Kayla said with a smile towards her Ma and her Nonna.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Yes, because it's all my fault," Ashien rolled his eyes and kissed Kayla's forehead before taking Dylandra and letting Kitty and Carmena have some time with Kayla and Christopher. Ballas stayed behind, enjoying his first mistress' attention.

 

[heartofcourage]

"It's always going to be your fault." Dylan said with a grin as they left the room, Ballas staying behind with his head in Kayla's lap. "You should just accept that now."

She wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned into his side, sighing softly as she simply enjoyed the moment with her husband.

 

[KieranSoares]

"So what have you been up to today, love?" Ashien asked as they took a leisurely stroll around the keep as it was snowing outside.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Well, since my husband never returned with breakfast in bed as promised, I got up and went into town." Dylan said as Ash asked what she had done that day. "I might have purchased him a wedding band as well. However, I'm not sure that I'll give it to him."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I promised nothing," Ashien told her with a smirk, though the truth was that he'd gotten side-tracked.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You let me starve." Dylan said with a laugh as he grinned at her. "I could have wasted away, Ashien Vincent Ghis."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Chessie would never have let that happen, much less Van." Ashien chuckled, pausing when he caught sight of Brogan sitting in the main hall seemingly lost in thought as he stared up at the Claymore mounted above the huge fireplace.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan kissed Ashien's cheek as they paused, her husband staring at his older brother as he stared at the claymore above the fire place. The Ghis children were scared by their past and she knew a little about what their father had done to them. Ashien had never been willing to talk about his issues with Tamblin, preferring instead to talk about Vincenzo as if he were his real father.

"Let's go check on him." Dylan said softly, nudging Ashien towards his brother.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ashien kept Dylandra's hand as they drew near, and he settled beside Brogan to look up at the Claymore for a moment. "Thinking about Da...?"

"Yeah..." Brogan murmured hoarsely. "I almos' wish I could ask 'im fer advice..."