Claymore and Dagger (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"Why not Sam?" Julia asked, glancing back towards her son as he held Fiona close to his chest, so gentle and reassuring. "He knows Inverness like the back of his hand. And, let's face it, he knows the laws of the land better than anyone else alive."

 

[KieranSoares]

"He'd be perfect if I wasn' afraid 'e'd ruin 'is life. Y'know how 'e is... He'll drown 'imself in work til 'e dies of exhaustion. An' I wouldn't be surprised at all if 'e swore off love because it might interfere..."

 

[heartofcourage]

"How many times has he left a gathering because he had something pressing to do? How many times this evening do you think he's even thought about work? Look at him, love." Julia said, pointing out that he only had eyes for Fiona. "I think we need to have a little bit of faith in our boy. He looks happy and calm. The first time in ages."

 

[KieranSoares]

"What about her?" Brogan murmured. "If Sam does stay with her... He'll never have time for her. He'll never leave a job half done to be with family. An' she doesn' seem th' type t'enjoy bein' a king's lass, much less a queen herself."

 

[heartofcourage]

"She's not the kind of woman to simply fall apart because she doesn't have the attention of her lover." Julia said, looking at Brogan. "Did I fall apart? I missed you, of course, but I never crumbled to the ground. She already tries her hardest to help everyone around her. Isn't that what a queen is supposed to do?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"I jus' don't think they'll be happy, love. They migh' do well fer Inverness, but I think they'll be miserable behind closed doors." He looked of at her, weary of the worry on his mind.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Are we ever miserable, love?" Julia asked as he looked at her with a weary look on his features. "We have moments of disagreement, but we're not miserable. I see a lot in the two of them that we share."

 

[KieranSoares]

"But they're not us, love. How can we know what it'll be like for them? I can find someone else... I don' want t'risk their happiness... Rho would've done well, but I hones'ly would never wish a throne on anyone..."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Talk to Sam, love." Julia said one last time, giving Brogan's hand a squeeze as he insisted that he would find someone else. "I don't think you'll be disappointed."

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan simply sighed and nodded, letting the matter go.

By the end of the night, Sam had danced with Fiona many times as well as the ladies in his family, and Fiona had also enjoyed a dance with Will who had insisted until she gave up trying to tell him 'no.'

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was actually very happy by the end of the evening. She showed Sam that as she kissed him passionately in the shadow of the keep, the other guests filing out slowly as the former thief kissed the prince of Inverness. When the kiss broke, she grinned up at Sam, her blue eyes bright and full of life.

"I don't know if I've ever been this happy before." Fiona murmured, letting him in one her deepest, darkest secrets.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'll consider tha' an honor, lass," Sam chuckled, his normally dark eyes full of life and love all for her. He couldn't help kissing her once more, finding the simple act addicting. As they parted, he let his forehead rest against her own, his eyes remaining closed. The outside world was far from his mind.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Let's go to the tree tonight. It's warm enough to lie under the stars." She murmured, looking into his warm green gaze. "Kennah could carry us both."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'd like tha'," he murmured in return, seemingly in a happy haze as he forgot all responsibility and walked with her to the drake stables.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona waited for him to get Kennah saddled and ready to go. Roman would be jealous, but she didn't want to disturb Annie and David as they tried to get the children to bed. Instead, she helped Sam to rid up a temporary harness that wrapped around her waist so she wouldn't fall from the saddle during the steep climb. Once she was in position, she felt Sam slip into the saddle behind her and she grinned.

"Hey, you two." Julia called as she stepped into the keep's courtyard with a blanket over her arm. "Be safe tonight."

She offered the quilt towards Sam, giving her son a soft smile of pride. She was proud of him and happy that he had found another person to complete him.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam was ready to feel embarrassed, but his mother's simple care and love made him smile warmly in a way she saw all too rarely. He leaned down to take the quilt and kissed his mother's cheek. "Thanks Ma. See ya tomorrow." With that, he gave Kennah a little nudge and that was all she needed to head out the courtyard gate.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona smiled at Julia as Sam leaned down and kissed his mother's cheek, taking the quilt and tucking it away for safe keeping. As Kennah set off, Fiona waved goodbye to Julia before she settled back against Sam's warm chest with a long sigh.

"Are all of the parties your family hosts for birthdays like this?" She asked, as Kennah moved smoothly across the highland towards the cliff.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Only when we feel like it, an' fer the little ones," Sam answered as Kennah began to pick up a bit of speed on the empty street. "An' of course when we need a little cheerin' up fer someone."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I don't ever want a party like this, Samuel Ghis. Do you hear me?" Fiona told him, turning in the saddle to look up at him. "The thought of all those eyes on me makes my skin crawl."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Y'gave me a similar warnin' about dancin'. An' y'know you enjoyed it," he teased, an arm wrapping about her waist.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I mean it this time. Just because you think you're charming doesn't mean that I'll agree to it." Fiona said as his arm wrapped around her waist and held her tightly. "You're not as convincing as you think you are, Ghis."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Yeah, it'll be my Ma doing th' convincing anyway." As they approached the cliff, Sam stood up in the saddle, and Kennah slowed until they were both ready for her to begin the vertical climb. She seemed to have absolutely no trouble, as if she were still running on flat ground.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona held on to the leather saddle as Kennah started her climb. It was such a strange sensation still as the drake had little trouble carrying them both up the cliff until they were safely at the top. Fiona unbuckled herself from the harness and slipped from the saddle, taking the quilt from Sam to spread it along the ground beneath the tree while he tended to his drake.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam easily slid from the saddle and unbuckled the belts and harness to let Kennah roam free and perhaps hunt in the night if she liked. He pressed a kiss to her maw before letting her go with a simple phrase in Lunar, and she took off at a full sprint to the west. A simple leather band about her neck and front left arm marked her as a trained beast and the bands had the name Ghis, so no wayward hunters or travelers would mistake her for wild.

Sam laid the saddle behind the tree before settling on the quilt with Fiona with one more sweet kiss.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You should be careful with those kisses, Sam. I might think that you like me if you kiss me like that." Fiona teased with a grin as she worked to pull her hair free from the pins that she had secured it with earlier that evening.