Ghis (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"He's a rambunctious boy with a lot to prove and a lot of respect to earn. But he's a fine leader and he's never agreed with his brother or father. Though, he does harbor resentment toward your father for killing Arland. Not Inverness as a whole, just your father. Hatred or no, it was still his family. I admit I like that, that he has such family values. I think with a proper meeting with Brogan, it could all be sorted and Inverness would have a new ally. Prince Cahal is a good candidate for that and he excells in military strategy."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Does he know why my father killed Arland?" Kate asked softly, wondering if the entire world knew about her mother's rape and the resulting child from that. "Perhaps I should talk to him..."

It was odd to think that she was the niece of a boy that she had never met. She was still trying to come to terms that she had not a drop of Ghis blood in her.

 

[KieranSoares]

"All of Wick does now... that is why he doesn't blame your family. He only wants to hear from your father, the real story unaffected by rumors or doubts. He doesn't want to fight nor does he want to keep this bad blood going."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Am I walking into a trap?" Kate asked honestly, looking over at Kell to get her answer. "It does not matter if I am, I would just like to be prepared for whatever might happen to me."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You're walking into chains," he answered honestly. "And so am I."

Their arrival at the Keep had them surrounded by soldiers recognizing Kell and those knowing the description of the Invernessian princess. "Stand down," Kell suddenly snarled, the fur on his neck rising. "She goes to the Regent and none of you will touch her." They all took a step back, knowing well what the wolf was capable of. Kell dismounted with Kate and they left their horses. Kell kept her close as they entered, soldiers following on their heels til they came to the throne hall of Wick Keep. There sat a man in his fifties dressed to the nines in the most lavish lord's attire, and then a young man beside him dressed much more simply in his practice leather combat garb with his real blade at his hip and his shield hanging at the other.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate tried her hardest to remain brave in the face of what they were walking into. She remembered how her father would have acted in the face of overwhelming obstacles and she channeled his spirit through her own body. She wanted to make him proud...even if he would probably want to tan her hide when he found out what she was up to.

She kept close to Kell as they walked past the soldiers and into the keep, greeted by a richly dressed older man and a boy that looked around her own age, dressed much like she was. She stared at the boy for a long moment before she regarded the man that was seated upon a throne.

The silence in the room was deafening, but she didn't back away. She simply pressed a little closer to Kell, unsure of how the moment would continue.

 

[KieranSoares]

The younger man stepped forward to face Kell and Kate fearlessly, and he extended a hand out to Kate with a somewhat... confusing expression. He almost seemed relieved to see her alive, but he also seemed conflicted about something. "Princess Katherine. I'm Cahal Dunland, Arland Wick's half-brother. This is my Regent and General Hiram Ledger." He motioned to the man, though there was a moment of deep hatred in his eyes at the name. The heir was only fourteen, but he looked much older.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate didn't say anything as she extended her hand and shook Cahal's. It was obvious that Hiram held the power here in Wick and Cahal was resentful of that. Still, as the full blood daughter of Arland Wick, she was the rightful heir to that throne.

"My lord." She finally muttered, still not leaving Kell's side as she tried to size up the situation going on around her.

 

[KieranSoares]

Hiram rose from his seat with a straight, unsettling expression of utter calm. His eyes belied that calmness though, revealing something along the lines of panic and lack of confidence in the presence of a girl who was supposed to be dead and the top notch assassin who'd been meant to kill her. He cleared his throat and stood tall to appear as if he were confident as could be. "I do hope you are aware of why we sent young Master Kell for you."

"He sent Kell to kill you," Cahal spoke bluntly, earning a dark, deadly glare from Hiram. "However, I'm glad he didn't have to."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate's mind worked quickly, turning over the information in her head as she looked at the panic stricken look in Hiram's features. She cleared her throat and finally pulled herself from Kell's side, taking the slightest step forward.

"Perhaps you wouldn't mind telling all gathered here today why you sent an assassin to kill the only living full blood heir of your beloved King Arland." Kate leveled at him, the threat clear.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I sent him with the intention of bringing you here. His last resort was his profession's specialty." Hiram spoke firmly now, fixing her with a stern gaze. "But it was not my original intent."

"Bloody liar," Cahal muttered. The only thing saving the young man from being killed right then and there was the fact that there were witnesses. He knew it, too. He was clearly a daring lad.

"Cull your tongue boy," Hiram snarled.

"You are my Regent, not my father or brother." Cahal growled and decided to ignore him from there. He laid a gentle hand on Kate's shoulder, "But welcome. I just wish it were under better circumstances. My older half-brother Abel is the one who asked us to get you here. He's a full-blood heir too, but he doesn't want the throne. He wants to meet you to find out if you want Arland's throne and whether you're fit for it. He also would like to speak to your father, Brogan Ghis, if you'll give him your help to put together a safe meeting."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Then I would like to speak to him." Kate said softly, still stunned that the man she was speaking to was her Uncle.

The shock of learning who he real father was hurt a little and every time she thought about her Da, she wanted to cry. Why had it been that one of the most hated men in Scotland had his blood running through her veins? And how was it that her sweet mother, the one that loved her so much, had accepted what had happened without another word?

 

[KieranSoares]

Cahal nodded and led her away, Kell following close behind in the shadows to defend her from treachery that he expected to come from Hiram. Cahal brought Kate into a library, past the table and chairs in the center, and to the back where the massive windows stood. There at a desk sat a thin man who was just a bit taller than average, with mahogany hair the same color as Kate's but with darker undertones. Her own were lighter thanks to her mother.

"Abel," Cahal said softly, and the man looked up. Upon the sight of Kate, she saw pain in her older Uncle's eyes, but then gladness as he rose to face her.

"Welcome, my dear girl," he spoke so kindly. Kate had only ever heard of awful leading men in Wick. It seemed the brothers Cahal and Abel were different, similar to how Brogan and his siblings were so different from their long family line of ruthless warmongers. Granted, some had been fair, but their father and grandfather had not been so.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate had never met her mother's family, though she knew she had an Uncle and cousins and her grandmother was still living. She had always thought that her looks came from her mother, but now looking at the man that had been introduced as Abel, she knew that she was most definitely a Wick. The feeling that she had was indescribable. It hurt, but she was intrigued.

"Thank you for having me here." Kate said politely, remembering her mother's lessons to always be cordial and polite.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Come here, darling," he spoke softly, hugging her close. He was nothing like she'd ever heard of the Wicks. "It's so wonderful to finally see you... I've been hoping to meet you ever since I found out about you. And I'm sorry for the fuss about it all... and for Hiram. We wanted you to come in secret, yes, but... not under threat. I hope you can forgive Cahal and I for not being more forward about it. We would have sent Kell either way, but Hiram... I'm sure Kell's told you. But he will keep you safe." He stood up straight once more and Kate finally had a good proper look at him. He wasn't the large, muscled warrior man that Kate was used to back home, but he had the look of a fine fighter about him, more a gentleman who would be suited to fencing than an all-out brawl. He had some muscle, but he was lean and agile and well-dressed in a tunic, vest, long jacket, breeches, and tall boots of mostly neutral and dark colors with the exception of the Wick banner sewn to his breast pocket.

"Come, we'll have the cook make up something and we'll talk over a good meal." Abel laid a kind hand on her shoulder and led her away. Cahal and Kell followed, but Kell disappeared now and then as they walked. He didn't seem worried about Abel and Cahal, only Hiram. His only concern with Cahal was that he might be influenced by Hiram's hatred.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate followed as Abel led her from the room, promising her a nice meal. She was still quiet, but she was growing bolder.

"Why was my family threatened? I would have come if someone had just asked." Kate murmured, looking up at her uncle with an accusing look. "My family has never done anything so bad to Wick that they needed to be assassinated."

 

[KieranSoares]

"It's Hiram... he's the one in power, and publicly he proclaims your family a threat to our homeland. When the public are not looking, he speaks of how you will come and take away the throne meant for Cahal. But we know that what he's really worried about is that if he manages to get Cahal out of the way, you'll be another obstacle on his way to becoming King rather than regent. As Arland laid it... if there are no heirs left to the throne, the Regent's family will become royalty. You're here now because he's trying to corner you, and we want to protect you. You are family, no matter how it came to be."

And that sounded like Brogan.

"Arland was a good man..." Abel spoke softly. "He took our father off the throne, following the example of Brogan Ghis removing Tamblin. Brogan was his hero. That was, until that jealous woman Sarah came and destroyed the man we'd known. He was so in love that he forgot what was right and wrong. He would've done anything for her, he loved her so... but all she wanted was your father, and she was using our brother to get him. Arland learned to hate his former hero, and he went so far for Sarah that... well, that you were born... I don't know how much you know of the story, but... it was hell here for the Ghis. Arland sent a man to kidnap Lady Julia and young Ciaran, and he lured Brogan into his trap. They only managed to escape later because Sarah wasn't paying attention. Brogan gave up to her in exchange for Julia and Ciaran's freedom. When she had the chance, Lady Julia knocked Sarah unconscious and freed herself and Brogan. Arland came in, and he was so caught off-guard by the sight of Sarah laying unconscious, that he didn't have time to defend when Brogan ran him through with Sarah's dagger."

"Brogan thought he died instantly... but he didn't. He lingered for days, I was there at his side with our mother. He told us what happened, his head finally clear. He told us that if Lady Julia did end up with a child of his, that he or she would be family and treated as such. He wanted to heal and go to Inverness and give his life over to the hands of your parents to punish him any way they saw fit, and he left the throne to our mother because I wouldn't take it. But he couldn't hold on, and he died in the night four days after the incident."

The telling of the story had clearly done a number on Abel's heart and he paused. "He was a good man... but a fool who fell too hard for a woman who never loved him."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate listened to the story that was told and took it to heart. It was proof that her mother hadn't done anything wrong. In fact, Kate knew that her mother could have gotten rid of her entirely but instead kept her with the family. Kate felt herself tear up at the thought that her mother had loved her so fiercely despite the horror that she'd gone through.

"My Da...Brogan is a good man too." Kate said quickly, wanting her Uncles to know that her family wasn't the monsters that people had said. "He cares for his people and loves his family fiercely. I know that he would be open to ending this feud between Wick and Inverness."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know he is, and that's why I would like to ask your help to hold back Hiram... I don't want to kill him but he must be kept away from Cahal until he turns fifteen. That is in four days. That is... unless you do wish to take the throne." He turned to face her to gauge her expression about the idea.

 

[heartofcourage]

As her uncle stared at her, waiting for an answer on the throne, Kate thought about what was already in her future. She would have the throne of Inverness and she didn't know that she had the forethought to rule two combined kingdoms.

"I do not want Wick." Kate answered honestly. "My brother has already passed on the throne of Inverness and I am next in line. I do not think I can handle both."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Then We must keep Cahal safe, or else Wick will be facing another Lochlan O'Hennessey." Abel brought her to a private room after he spoke to the cook, and they sat down together around a small round table in a hearth den. Kell didn't join them at first until Abel welcomed him.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate was quiet for a little while longer after Abel had ushered her into a private room. She wanted to ask so many questions about Wick, but she was nervous. If she showed an interest in Wick, it felt as if she would be betraying Inverness.

"Was my father a good man?" She asked Abel, sitting down across from him as she waited for her uncle to tell her about the mysterious man who had been her father.

 

[KieranSoares]

"He was an incredible man. He took after Brogan and the Ghis siblings, but Brogan and Durban the most. He was the only son of Lochlan O'Hennessey, whereas I had been born first to a blacksmith that our mother had loved. Cahal is from the same man, whom the three of us love dearly. Arland learned everything about how to be a gentleman and a generous soul from my father Astor Dunland. Lochlan taught him cruelty, but he ignored it. All his life from the moment he could walk, he would get in Lochlan's way of hurting people, and often bring that hand upon himself as the Ghis siblings did with Tamblin. But Arland was only one boy, and he suffered dearly and lost his childhood to the man. Still, he grew to be kind-hearted and bright."

Cahal then spoke, "I didn't know him... but I know the story. He was fifteen years old the day Lochlan sent Kell's father of the same name to kill Cassandra Ghis of Monaghan. When he found out, he told the public and though most of them hated the Ghis thanks to Lochlan's lies, many of them rallied to revolt because it was just too cruel even to fall upon people they hated. Lochlan ripped the rebels apart... that included Abel, who led them in Arland's stead because Arland was too young. I don't know if you've noticed, but Abel walks with a limp. It's because his leg is gone below the knee. It's a fake leg now. Lochlan removed it personally as punishment, and also took off our mother's arm for supporting him. Arland was beaten half to death and into a come for several days."

Abel came back in, "But when he was twenty-four, he fought back with more rebels, and with his charisma, he got half the military on his side so the war against Inverness began to fail. That was when he engaged Lochlan in a duel and defeated him, but didn't kill him. He took the throne and made a treaty with Inverness. He emptied the treasury of half its wealth to return to the people who'd been taxed to starvation and they all received equal share. He made the city of Wick beautiful again and restored honor to our mother's family that Lochlan had married into and ripped apart with the help of his own father. Our grandfather on our mother's side passed away a happy man seeing his clan restored, and Arland even brought back the true banner of Wick, the white bear against the purple and black shield. But then Sarah came after he announced he was looking to marry... The day she arrived, she seduced him into submission, and within a month, into insanity. When he took your mother and brother away, he had become Lochlan to Inverness, but he was still the lovable Arland to his home. That is why they were so willing to fight, for the man they loved despite his reasons... It wasn't until you were born that we realized what had happened to him and why he fought. Still today, no one outside Wick will listen or cares to know. They shame him as a fool and a warmonger like the O'Hennesseys. But he was a Wick and a Dunland... He just lost to a tainted love that the siren didn't return."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You sound like you still love and miss him." Kate said softly, watching the emotion spread across the two brothers' features. "I would like to visit more often now that I know who you are. Perhaps we can strengthen our family bonds."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I would love that. And I would certainly like to be friends with your mother and father one day... And hopefully one day Wick and Inverness will lose their hatred for each other... but first we must defend against those who want to keep the hatred going. There are rebels in Wick and Norway who want to destroy Inverness and keep Hiram on the throne and kill Cahal and I, and remove Queen Kayla and Lord Protector Christopher from the throne in Norway in favor of the former Archduke Jarjaan Sedgerickssen."