Ghis (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"Do you, though?" Warwick raised an eyebrow at her. "If you really believe he'd be swayed... you can use Qira to find out. You'll either be right and miserable, or feel absolutely foolish and wrong. You're a young woman in love, Kate, very young, in fact. You're protective of what's yours, and you don't like it when anyone poses even the slightest threat, even if they're not interested in taking anything. Kell, on the other hand, isn't too terribly much older, but he's lived a lot of life you haven't, including losing everything. He chose you, after all that, because he was certain of what he wanted. The first pretty face to wander by will not sway the devotion of a man like Kell Aleister, as much as another handsome face wouldn't sway you because you're so fiercely loyal. But let Qira tell you. He operates separately, and he holds you above Kell. He will tell you the truth."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I shouldn't have to ask a spy about my own husband." Kate glanced up at Warwick as he told her that she was incredibly young and naive about a couple of things. "If Kell is having an affair with someone else, I would trust that he tells me. However, I don't like him looking over someone else when I'm still in the room."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Your need to be right is making you miserable, love. And it's going to alienate Kell," Warwick warned her softly before stepping out of her office to leave her be.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate watched as Warwick left, her arms crossed defensively across her chest. She didn't want to think that Kell had done anything with another woman while they had been together, but there was something about the way that he and Qira interacted with Rissa that put her on edge.

Cursing under her breath, she pushed away from her desk and made her way to Kell's tower office, not even knocking as she entered and closed the door behind her. She watched her husband at work for a moment before she even uttered a word.

"Are you messing around on me?" Kate asked him bluntly.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell glanced up as she entered and stared at him, and he let his pen lay on the desk as she leveled her question at him. "Messing around?" He asked quietly, his gaze calm. He knew exactly what she meant, but he couldn't see the logic behind the question. "No, I'm not. You think I am?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"It's possible." Kate said as he asked her if she really thought that way. "You aren't completely honest with me sometimes because you claim it's your job. I see the way that you look at Rissa. I simply want to know."

 

[KieranSoares]

"So that's what this has all been about." Kell rose from his seat to face her. "Yes, I do keep secrets from you. Professional secrets, and some personal from my past that I don't have the nerve to talk about yet. But I have never kept a part of my personal life from you otherwise. And besides all that, what 'way' do I look at Rissa?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"The way you used to look at me. Like I was the only woman in the world." Kate said as he stood from his desk and she was forced to tell him just what she was thinking. "I know this is hard and I know neither of us thought this was going to be a possibility when we were first planning on getting married, but have we really gotten so far apart from one another?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"Kate... What are you talking about?" Kell asked, at a true loss. "What do you mean 'used to?' Yes, we're busy and we miss out on a lot of alone time together, but my eye hasn't wandered. I'll be perfectly honest with you that, yes, I do think Rissa is beautiful. Yes, she's interesting to talk to. And yes, I'd like to befriend her. But it stops there. She can't compare to you, you're on an entirely different level." He stepped forward. "You're gorgeous, Kate, you're an adventure, and you make all of this court and throne nonsense bearable so that we can make an actual difference. You gave me this life beside you, rather than leaving me behind or even having me executed for my past crimes. You welcomed me to Inverness, you loved me, and you took me to your bed trusting that I was your mate and no one else's. I would never betray that trust. And if I ever wanted to wander, I would admit it and we'd figure out what needed to change. It goddamn hurts to think you feel like you can't trust me. I've never given you a reason not to, and I pride myself on being open as my job allows with you, and faithful. I still want you, and I'm just about certain that I always will."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate couldn't look up from the floor as Kell told her that she was crazy. Her feelings were still deeply hurt, but it seemed that he really didn't think about other women the way that he talked about her. She had thrown a fit and had only served in pushing him a little further away. He hadn't seen that she wasn't comfortable in a situation and had inadvertently hurt her feelings. She had no idea how to bridge the gap between them.

"So...what? We just continue to ignore one another?" Kate asked softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"No." Kell stepped up before her, but he didn't.touch her, not til he knew she wanted him to. "We stop ignoring each other because it didn't help anything... I get it now, Kate. I'm sorry I couldn't understand before. But we've really got to be clear with each other from here on out. I'm supposed to be smart, but I can't always figure out what's wrong. And regardless of whether I do or not, I shouldn't be ignoring you back just to prove a point."

 

[heartofcourage]

“And I shouldn’t get so angry.” Kate admitted in a soft voice. “I’m so tired of everyone wanting and needing something from me. I’m just an object to them.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"You're a queen, Kate. You chose to be the authority that everyone has to come to," Kell murmured, knowing she was having a terrible time adjusting still. "But that's why I try to split up your work and make different small councils, so you're not constantly badgered with nonsense. That was the whole point behind this entire situation, to get someone who could help Warwick with that. It was meant to be a solution, not even more trouble."

 

[heartofcourage]

“I don’t know what else to say then. I suppose I’m just a silly, stupid girl with a terrible temper.” Kate said with a defeated shrug of her shoulders.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I won't argue with you about the temper," Kell murmured, drawing Kate into his arms and hugging her tightly. "I love you," he told her softly. "And I promise you that you're the only one."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate hugged her husband tightly, burying her face against the thick ruff of fur at his neck. She let out a soft sigh as he held her just as tight.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Now," Kell murmured as he held her. "Do you really want me to send Rissa away? If she makes you this uncomfortable, it might be best."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Kell, everyone else adores her. I can't send her away." Kate said softly as he made the offer to her.

 

[KieranSoares]

"This isn't about everyone else. This is about you. I'll find her another job and that'll be that, unless you want to give her a chance to show you she's more than a pretty face. I honestly believe you'll like her."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate pulled back slightly and looked up into Kell's honest gaze. He had never lied to her if he could help it. If he believed that Rissa would be a good fit, she had to believe that he was right.

"She can stay." Kate said softly. "And if it gets to be too much, I'll let you know."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Deal." Kell pressed a kiss to her lips and hugged her close once more.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate hugged him tightly again as it seemed that everything was forgiven. "I am counting the days until you tell me we are getting away from this city. I want to go where no one knows me and no one needs anything."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I promise I'm working on it. It's just a matter of reserving time in advance and fending off anyone who tries to interfere. But right now, the plan is to head out three weeks from now, and we'll have ten or so days to be nobodies with nothing to do."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate actually hugged Kell a little tighter as he told her that they would be leaving in three weeks. Now that she had a date in mind, she could work hard to make sure that everything was done by then and they had nothing to worry about while they were gone. It would be the much needed time away that she had been looking forward to.

 

[KieranSoares]

As things settled with Kell and Kate, Qira was quietly watching over everything in the castle with his own inner circle, keeping an eye on Rissa less out of suspicion and more out of curiosity. Qira, more observant than most, recognized her confidence and her clear ability to command a situation or patiently wait to speak, whichever was wisest. She was beautiful, he wasn't the only one who thought so, and he was certain she was used to the stares of men around the court. Her Egyptian blood gave her an exotic appeal. Qira, being from Africa himself, grew only more curious, but he rarely approached her and only occasionally was involved with her work with Warwick and the councils.

About a week before Kate and Kell were set to leave, Qira was quietly patrolling the second floor when he walked past Rissa's open door, his step faltering as he glanced in. His natural need to secure his surroundings overcame etiquette, especially when something was out of place, like an open door that was normally shut.