Darkwood (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"You should bring her here to Darkwood. I would love to show her around London while you're off training. It gets lonely here sometimes with no one else around but Kiva and Van." Dylan said softly, admitting to him that she did feel lonely when he wasn't there.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I've invited her in practically every letter I've sent," Ashien sighed. "Sometimes I think she's afraid to leave Inverness. Other times, either something is going on or she isn't well. Travel's risky for her regardless, and Vincenzo certainly won't let her go if he thinks she might suffer for it." He smoothed his own hair back, thinking. "Having been fairly solitary most of my life, I guess I just haven't made a lot of friends. I've always been fine with the few I have. But you're more social than I am."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'll survive, love." Dylan said softly as Ashien nearly apologized for being a solitary person. "I just have to make my own way and figure things out."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Well, hopefully having Burke helps, and soon neither of us will have time for anything with a baby." Ashien smiled gently at the thought before rising. "Go back to sleep, love. You need it."

 

[heartofcourage]

“Don’t spend all evening in the studio. You need your sleep too.” Dylan said, knowing where he would go from there and knowing that he still suffered nightmares from his fight in the last big war.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Says the one who does it more than twice a week," Ashien teased gently, blowing her a kiss before shutting the door behind him. He knew he still had plenty to work on for his own mental health, but he tried to keep a good sense of humor regardless.

 

[heartofcourage]

A week later, while Ashien had Burke off tending to their horses, Dylan took the moment to slip down to the dining hall, catching Van alone and polishing the silver they would use for a Solcstice party coming up that weekend. She sat down beside him, thinking about what she wanted to ask for a moment.

“How were you able to slip between times so easily?” She asked, her hand resting on the slight belly that seemed to have grown almost overnight.

 

[KieranSoares]

Despite his blindness, Van seemed to know exactly how much to polish each piece, setting them aside one by one on a towel he'd laid out. As Dylan sat beside him, he didn't stop in his work but he did tilt his head toward her to let her know he was listening as she spoke.

Considering her question for a long moment, he simply answered, "Practice." He set a silver teapot aside and turned fully toward Dylandra, adding, "and luck."

 

[heartofcourage]

“It’s happening to me again.” Dylan said softly as Van answered that his luck really was just that. “At Henry’s palace. I thought it was suppose to stop with the help of the tribe.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"And you want to know how to do it at will so to avoid those situations." Van sighed. "I had the same problem too, when I first came here. It may well be beyond just the piano."

 

[heartofcourage]

“Van, I know that Ashien dies young. Now I’m paranoid that it will happen any moment.” Dylan said, letting him see just how upset she was by the idea. “Do you think the baby has something to do with this? I mean, Ashien and I should never have known one another and now we’re suddenly having a child.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"I have no idea, dear... From what little I know from studying in the future... You wouldn't still be here if your presence was causing some sort of paradox. You can't be your own predecessor or descendant. It's simply not possible. I can't tell you what the problem is. All I can do is try to help you figure it out."

 

[heartofcourage]

“Van, what if I get trapped with the baby?” Dylan asked in a soft tone, more frightened for her unborn child than anything else.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I can't answer that for you, my dear... All we can do is try to learn how to prevent these slips. I don't know how they might affect a child."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Well, I guess all I can do is hope that it doesn't permanently effect us." Dylan said with a long sigh, standing up and giving Van a kiss on the cheek. "Invite the tribe to our celebration this weekend. I would like to see them here at Darkwood. And make sure that Ashien doesn't hide away like he always does."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Of course. And I know you get after him about his late nights already, but I think he needs a good talking to. He went to bed at a decent hour, but he didn't stay there. He was up and skulking around between his gallery and the studio til dawn."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm afraid that's partly my fault. I haven't been sleeping well, myself. When I'm in our bed, I toss and turn or I have Burke with me more often than not." Dylan said, feeling a little guilty that Ashien was forgoing sleep and it might have been her fault.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Perhaps I should send a letter to my brother. He'll have advice for both issues, if he doesn't show up in person that is. Just focus on yourself for now, dear. We have some mysteries to be solved for certain, but there's no use dwelling this very moment."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I've been trying to get Ashien to bring Kitty to Darkwood for months. He always has some kind of excuse over why she can't. I think it would do him a world of good and I would love to be able to host her and Vincenzo here." Dylan said with a sudden smile. "You might just be the person to get her here. Maybe a surprise for the holidays?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"Understand that he's terribly protective of her and he hates to put her health at any kind of risk. It isn't that he doesn't want her to come here. After all, she's never seen this place and what he designed. But I think she'd be willing to make the trip. More than willing. And my brother will see her safely here." Van smiled lightly. "And Vincenzo only saw this place in early construction. Both of them would consider seeing Darkwood as reason enough. Seeing you and Ashien would only sweeten the deal."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Then make it happen, please, Van? I'll pay for it all myself if I have to." Dylan said suddenly excited at the idea that he would bring Kitty and Vincenzo to Darkwood. "And keep it secret. I want Ashien to be surprised."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'll do my very best," Van nodded with a chuckle. "It's up to you to decide when, and if you want anyone else to come with them." He began gathering the polished silver then, finished with his current task and now thinking of how he'd make all of Dylandra's hopes come true on short notice.

 

[heartofcourage]

Over the next few days, Dylan threw herself into her work. Getting Darkwood ready for its first official holiday party was a large task, one that she knew very quickly was nearly too big for her. First there would be a feast for all invited in the great hall. Then there would be dancing in the ballroom. She had decorated nearly every room with fresh trees and greenery, lighting everything with hundreds of candles until it shone.

For Burke, she had set up a small tree in his room with tiny wooden horse decorations. While he pretended to be cool and mature about it, she had caught him on occasion sitting in front of the tree and staring in wonder for hours. For her and Ashien, she had set up a tree trimmed with shots of silver and gold, glittering in the light from the fireplace as they slept. The great hall tree was simple with candles on the various limbs until it glowed in the light. The ballroom was her favorite, birds of every shape and color featured to honor her husband's love of the animal.

Each of the rooms were polished and clean, the smells of the holiday drifting through the halls. It reminded her so much of when her grandfather was alive and how he worked to make the entire manor come to life just for her.

"Ashien?" She called into the bathroom of their apartments. "They'll be here soon, love. Hurry up."

She had just finished her hair, the long locks curling down her back. Placing a simple pair of emerald earrings in, she looked back at her reflection in the mirror. She looked tired, but she had been working very hard on this party. In fact, she hadn't ordered a new gown until Ashien had surprised her with one that morning seeing as she had forgotten. It was emerald green, cheerful and festive, and it made sure to emphasis her surely growing belly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"We have time, love," Ashien called back, soon emerging as he fastened a green sash about his waist that was the same color and material as her dress. His shirt and trousers were black, and the jacket he would wear was a combination of the two. He paused behind Dylandra, smiling at her reflection in the mirror. He leaned down, gently brushing her hair back and kissing her cheek. "You look absolutely stunning."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You say that and you're always late." Dylan groused as he came into the room nearly dressed and stealing a kiss to her cheek. "I've been planning this for weeks and I just want everything to be perfect. This is the first big party we've had here. I know it would reflect badly on me if anything went wrong."