Claymore and Dagger (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"And you know I'll tell you no." Fiona said as she leaned against Sam's shoulder. "Before long I'll become a kept woman and I'll not know how to act."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'll jus' have to help behind yer back, then." Sam kissed her cheek. "Y'deserve t'have good things in yer life."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I do have good things on my life. Namely you." Fiona promised, smiling as he kissed her cheek and promised to help her behind her back. "As long as I have you, I have all that I could ever need."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Yer jus' a charmer," Sam murmured with a little grin, something that months ago would've been so rare. He rewarded her sweet words with an adoring kiss and an arm wrapped about her waist.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I have to keep you happy some how." Fiona murmured as he grinned and kissed her, holding her a little tighter as they enjoyed the sunshine.

She was soon working on her gown again, leaning against Kesh and Sam as she worked. It was a beautiful day after such a hard winter.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam set to his own work as well, sharpening his knife and then pulling a book and some paper from his pack with a pen and ink. He was always replying to letters or working on his own in his down time, and this particular letter needed to get to Norway to let his Aunt know he'd be at the ball in Malmo with Fiona.

Sam was still always working passively, but it was much easier to get him to stop and spend time with Fiona and her family.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Do you think I'll fit in with the rest of your family? Your aunt won't toss me out?" Fiona asked with a smile as she glanced towards Sam. "I will wear my best clothes and be on my best behavior."

 

[KieranSoares]

"We're a pretty ragtag bunch. Aunt Kay's a lot like Ma, if tha' gives you any idea how she'll act. Gracious, graceful, an' loving. I think she'll like you. Ma certainly does." Sam set down his writing. "Christopher's a former Irish Captain from Monaghan. Gentle sort, but both he an' Kay turn into no-nonsense leaders when they need to. Honestly two o' the most accepting members o' the family. I don' know if my cousins'll be there, though."

 

[heartofcourage]

"So, a former thief has nothing to hide with the Queen of Norway?" She asked him as he talked about his aunt with fondness in his voice. "I can only hope that I have no outstanding warrants for my arrest here in the country. Or else my serious Sam might have to bring me in."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Unless you've done somethin' I don' know about, I think ye'll be fine," he chuckled. "An' beside tha', Christopher would beat me to it. He an' Kell are ten times th'law men I am."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona grinned at Sam as he chuckled. She loved seeing him in a good mood and she knew that they were rare with him. She had made it her mission to make sure that he smiled often and love abundantly. He would always know that in spite of what had happened between the two of them, she adored him and loved him beyond reason.

Soon enough, Fiona caught sight of her father walking towards them, his arms loaded with an evening meal as the other drakes trailed behind. Elin nipped at his heels as Kennah and Roman brought up the rear. When she would grow too rough, Roman would gently correct her by pulling her away from Owen.

"And where have you been all day, Da? I've been having to keep Kesh company." Fiona called as Kesh raised his head to greet the other drakes.

Elin rubbed against him with a satisfied purr before turning her sights on Sam. She was chewing on his fingers in an instant, rolling around in the grass like a large house cat.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I let Kesh have a day to himself. It figures he'd come find someone to spoil him," Owen chuckled quietly, setting down the baskets he'd brought. "I've been doing some odd jobs here and there. I want to have a little money saved up when we go back to Scotland. My first concern will be Kesh, though I don't think I'll make him stay in a stable. He's never liked sleeping indoors."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Da, you don't have to worry about Kesh. We can take care of him." Fiona said as he spoke about earning some money for when they went back to Scotland. "The royal stables have more than enough room to roam and a covered building if he wants shelter. I'm sure that something can be worked out to lower the cost."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Just as you insist on paying your own way, I insist on pulling my own weight too," Owen told her with a little smile. "Besides, normal jobs would be like paradise at this point." As a Fox who knew years of endless back-breaking labor, normal work was hardly anything to him. "Besides, I know how to support Kesh myself. I shouldn't have to worry too much about food costs and such. It's other little things, mostly."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Da, don't be stubborn. I want to take care of you." Fiona insisted, glancing at Sam as he chuckled and grinned. "And not a word out of you, Samuel Ghis."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I didn' say a thing," Sam chuckled.

"I'm not being stubborn. While I still have some amount of youth, I'll look after myself. You're still young. You can take care of me when I'm old and slow," Owen promised her with a smile. "But not a moment sooner."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona begrudgingly agreed, backing down from the argument as he father promised that she would have the chance when he was old and grey. Kesh huffed behind them, settling back down to soak up the last rays of the sun for the day.

"Who have you the food?" Fiona asked, looking at the baskets that he had brought with him. "It looks like mormor's baskets."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I helped her make dinner for everyone and then she kicked me out with these to come find you two, assuming that I would find you together, of course," Owen teased as he settled with them. "I've still yet to get my head around the idea that my daughter has caught a Prince."

 

[heartofcourage]

"He doesn't act much like a prince sometimes." Fiona said, glancing at Sam as Elin rolled around in his lap, grabbing his hands and pulling them to her maw. "He's a brute and a scoundrel."

She gave Sam a grin, enjoying the chance to tease him whenever she could.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I never said I acted like a Prince," Sam shrugged, wrangling Elin quite easily and letting her nibble on his hands as long as she was gentle. Sam followed Roman and Kennah's lead in teaching Elin by pulling her away when she was too rough, or redirecting her when she got too mischievous.

 

[heartofcourage]

"He's taking me to Malmö to introduce me to the queen. I never thought I would see the day where I was introduced to royalty unless it was in the court of law." Fiona said as she looked towards her father. "I don't know if I should be proud or terrified."

 

[KieranSoares]

"They're just people," Owen shrugged. "The only royalty that are different from normal people are those that fancy themselves high and mighty. But if they have anything to do with the Ghis, odds are they're fairly decent."

"Kjersten is nothin' like any queen I've met elsewhere, save 'er mother-in-law Kjotva an' maybe a bit o' Kate," Sam assured Fiona easily. "Her husband Rakkar's a quiet fellow, one hell of a warrior but gentle as they come. I've told you about Aunt Kay an' Christopher. An' then there's Elhardt. He an' Da are cut from th'law same cloth, but Elhardt's a little louder, more forceful. Still jus' a big teddy bear, though."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Sounds like everyone that I'm meeting." Fiona said as she looked at Sam with a grin as her father started to pull out the meal that he had helped to make, setting out the items on a great spread around them on the blankets. "You made Ma's pastries?"

Fiona was surprised to see the special pastries that her mother had made for her as a treat when special occasions had happened. They had berries in them, baked into the dough, and were covered in a sweet icing that she remembered licking off until she was a sticky mess. Of course her father would have remembered them. It was silly to think that he would have forgotten anything about his mate.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Believe it or not, she actually stole the recipe from me," Owen told Fiona with a little smile. "My mother got her from her mother, and so on. I could never cook in practice, but I knew everything in theory. Your mother took all the recipes I knew and made them her own. I might even say she rivaled my grandmother."

 

[heartofcourage]

"She only made them for special occasions." Fiona said as she glanced towards Sam to explain. "I think the last time she made them was the solstice before she died. I woke up from a nap and the house was full of the smell of fresh fruit and bread. It was wonderful."

Her Ma had been so happy that day. Tatiana had come to life around the solstice, even though she was struggling with a strong addiction to alcohol. The house had seemed so much more cheerful and less tense. Even her Da had been relaxed and calm. It was a good memory.

"I never got to meet my grandma. Grandpa told me a lot about her and said that I reminded him of her. I wish I had gotten the chance." She said, turning her gaze towards her father. "Grandpa said she was the prettiest little red wolf he had ever met in his life. With deep green eyes and a gentle voice."