Ghis (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"She seems fine. She won't say anything to me. Lynndon, what if this is serious?" Emma asked, concerned for her daughter.

 

[KieranSoares]

"We'll see. Fer all we know, she jus' made a mistake r' Marianne sent 'r home because she wasn' doin' well there." Boar drew her closer to kiss her cheek. "I'll find out, love. You jus' try t'relax, 'ave breakfast with th'family." He stepped away and headed home.

Upon his arrival, he opened up the door to find his daughter sitting before the fireplace. Leon and Eli were with the rest of the family, so it was just the two of them. He closed the door quietly behind him, fixing his daughter with a concerned gaze. "Welcome 'ome, love," he said softly. Though Boar could be hot-headed and very harsh to outsiders, he had always been incredibly soft with his daughter, even more so than he was with Emma. Everyone always teased him that his daughter could get away with murder with him around. "Wha's goin' on?"

 

[heartofcourage]

Kayla looked achingly like her mother. She was a true beauty with clear blue eyes that could steal anyone's heart. She let out a long sigh as she glanced down at her lap, not wanting to speak with her father just then. She didn't know if she had the courage to tell him why she was home.

"Da, I can't tell you." She said softly, her fingers twisting in the fine gown that her mother had made for her to wear to court. "You would hate me forever."

She had been gone just a few months. Her father had been so proud of her the day that he had taken her to Edinburgh and being in the queen's court had been a grand adventure. Now...well, now she just felt sick at heart.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Kay..." Boar sighed softly. She knew he'd ruined his knees not long before he was born, and her mother had always encouraged her to keep him from overusing them. But, just as he'd always done when he was being serious or very worried about her, he knelt stiffly before her despite the pain it caused him, and he took her hands in both his own. "I could never hate ya, love... y'can tell yer Da anythin'," he assured her softly, as he'd said from the moment she could talk.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kayla looked into her father's eyes, tears welling in her own as she squeezed his fingers tightly. She knew that he would find out the truth sooner or later and she knew that it was best coming from her lips before he heard it from someone else.

"I'm...pregnant..." She whispered in the softest of voices, the tears falling as her clear blue gaze met his own. "I...Da, I didn't mean for this to happen and I know how much I've hurt you and Mummy."

 

[KieranSoares]

Boar's gaze registered only shock, and Kayla saw a moment of anger flash across his features. But he closed his eyes and lowered his head with a deep breath as her tears fell. He told himself silently that he couldn't explode. She was upset, she was scared... Instead of the eruption of anger anyone else might've gotten, he simply asked quietly, "... Who...?" The man responsible was probably going to suffer the beating of his life.

 

[heartofcourage]

The moment that she told him, she knew that her father would be up and out the door. Her fingers closed tighter around his own as she leaned her head down and pressed her forehead against his own. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

"The king." She murmured. "Gale makes me happy, Da. We had one night before he got ill. It was one mistake."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Jesus Christ..." he whispered. Gale had never had the thought to marry anyone, and now that he, like his late brothers and father, was wasting away, he wouldn't end up marrying at all. Gale was going to die, and for a moment, Boar considered how it must've broken Kayla's heart to know that. But he still couldn't ignore the fact that his daughter was pregnant with the child of the King of Scotland.

"Kayla..." Boar murmured, "I... ugh... Gods, I don't know what t'say..." He was battling with the so-called 'values' his father had instilled in him. Kayla knew all about her grandfather, and how, if Boar was most like him, he might've thrown her out on the street and said he never had a daughter. But then there was Kitty's values, and the loving man Boar really was, who wanted nothing more than to hold her and defend her from all who might hurt her, and promise her that everything would be alright. And because she was his little girl, that was exactly what he did.

"It's okay, baby," he whispered. "I promise it's all okay... I... I won' say I'm no' disappointed an' surprised if nothin' else, but... if y'were happy with Gale, I'm no' gonna be angry with you for it." He lifted her chin and made her look him in the eye. "Yer in a world o' trouble... an' I'm not sure how yer Ma's gonna take it, or th'rest o' the family when it starts t'show. An' the king's child... but I promise you, sweet'eart, I'll stand beside ya." Boar was probably the last person anyone would expect to do so, but it was his daughter and she meant the world to him.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Oh, Da." Kayla said, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and pressing her cheek against his chest.

She cried like a child, sobbing in his familiar embrace as he told her that he would be there to support her no matter what. She had been dreading the moment when she had to tell him what had happened. Marianne had been upset with her, unable to look her in the eye as she sent her home from the court. She hadn't even gotten the chance to see Gale again before she left. He didn't even know that there was a child on the way.

"I'm so sorry for all of this, Da. I'm so sorry." She kept saying over and over again, struggling to make amends for her mistake.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Shh, li'l girl," he said softly, rising with some difficulty to sit beside her. He drew her into his lap and cradled her close like he had for as long as she could remember. "I love ya, darlin'... an' we're gonna get through this t'gether. We'll work it out some'ow." He didn't want to think of how hard it'd be, but he decided that his first task would be making sure that she and the baby were safe and healthy as possible.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kayla cried and cried until there was nothing left inside of her. She rested in her father's arms, completely numb and tired. She had been wracked with guilt over the whole situation and knowing that her father still loved her was a great relief off her shoulders.

"I can't tell Mummy." She murmured softly after they had sat in silence for a long moment.

 

[KieranSoares]

"She'll 'ave t'know sooner 'r later..." Boar told her quietly. "... Would y'like me t'talk to 'er for ya? Migh' calm 'er down a bit b'fore she sees ya." His broad hand smoothed over her back in comfort. He'd run through fire for her and she knew it well, and facing Emma's wrath if she ended up angry was just about the same idea.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Would you?" Kayla asked, looking up at her father with a little relief in her eyes. "Thank you, Da." She hugged her father tightly, suddenly feeling weak and tired.

"I think I'm going to get some sleep. It was a long journey from Edinburgh." Kayla murmured, kissing her father's cheek one more time before she slipped from his lap and excused herself to her room.

It was quiet as Boar sat there in front of the fire when a sudden tug on his kilt broke his thoughts. A tiny little girl stood there with a sleepy look in her dark eyes. She clutched a stuffed horse that was well worn under one arm, her dark curls framing her face.

Little Lucy was only two but her eyes looked like someone who had seen a lifetime already. Lucy looked like her Da, Eli. He had married young and within 9 months, his beloved wife Lucille had lost her life giving birth to Lucy. Emma doted on the toddler and Lucy loved her grandfather, but in her little life she had never uttered a single sound.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Hiya, Lu, darlin'," he said softly, the same thing he'd called her late mother in the short time he'd known her. As Eli was often off working, Lucy spent a lot of time with her grandparents. That particular day, Eli was joining the family for breakfast while he'd left Lucy to Emma and Kayla while she was still asleep.

Boar lifted his beloved granddaughter up onto his lap, where she fit easily against his broad arm as she had since she was born. Boar loved his girls almost to fault, and Lucy was no exception. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and offered a smile. "Did y'get anythin' t'eat yet this mornin', love?"

 

[heartofcourage]

Lucy shook her head no and immediately showed Boar her stuffed horse to let him know that she wanted to go riding. She loved riding with her Da and Grandfather and she had a small collection of horses brought back by her father during his travels.

 

[KieranSoares]

Boar chuckled and rose from his chair. "Alrigh', love. We'll ride on over t'the keep an' get breakfast with everyone else." He knew Kayla would be alright without him, so he carried little Lucy outside to where his horse still waited. He sat her up in the saddle and climbed up behind her with a fair bit of difficulty thanks to his knees, though he'd never properly admit the pain or weakness. Once he was seated, he took up the reins and let her hold onto them as well, nudging his horse's side to set him off at a slow trot.

 

[heartofcourage]

Lucy was over the moon as Boar carried her outside to his horse. She loved his horse and greeted it with a soft pat on its neck as she waited patiently for her grandfather to mount the horse behind her. Her grandmother had always told her to be easy with him, but he never seemed to complain as he carried her around or helped her to ride his horse. Lucy set her hands on the reigns as he settled and they set off towards the keep at a trot.

She beamed like she was the queen of Inverness up there in the saddle, her smile a ray of pure sunshine. She had been born from an incredibly sad event, but she brought joy to her downtrodden father whenever he was around to do so. She missed him horribly when he was gone for work, but she had been so doted on by her grandparents that she saw them almost as her father and mother as well.

 

[KieranSoares]

As they entered the keep courtyard, Boar slid from the saddle and helped Lucy down before handing his reins to one of the keep's serving men. He let Lucy go to join the rest of the family, leaving her to Ciaran. He came to Emma's side, taking her hand and leading her quietly into the hall where they'd spoken earlier. As they came to a halt, he held her hands in both of his and met her eyes. "Emma... I need ya t'be calm when I tell ya this... an' I need ya not t'get angry."

 

[heartofcourage]

Lucy scampered off to her father's side, wrapping her arms tightly around his knees before she was lifted into his arms. She hugged him fiercely before she was settled into his lap for her breakfast.

Emma glanced up at Boar as he led her from the table to the hall, his hands taking both of hers. She knew things were serious as he told her that she needed to be calm and to not be angry. Whatever Kayla had told him must have been bad.

"Boar...what did she do?" Emma asked.

 

[KieranSoares]

With a deep breath, Boar met her eyes and began. "She told me tha' she an' King Gale 'ad some sort o' thing goin' on... That 'e made 'er happy... She's pregnant, Emma," Boar explained softly, and his hold on her hands tightened ever so slightly on her own, not sure how she'd react.

 

[heartofcourage]

Emma was quiet for a long moment as Boar told her that, the grip on her hands tightening to keep her there and her temper under control. At first, she thought that she had misheard her husband. Then the words sank in and she was angry.

"What?" Emma said, her jaw clenching tightly. "How dare she, Boar. Everything that we did for her to get her that position in the queen's household and this is how she repays us?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"Emma..." Boar spoke softly. "She's hurt an' she's terrified of what people'll think, especially us." His expression grew very serious then. "I told 'er I'd stand at 'er side no matter what, tha' I'd protect 'er." That was a clear message that if Emma opposed her daughter, Boar would not be joining her side. But his expression grew soft again. "Our little girl's hurtin' enough, an' she's dealin' with guilt fer all tha's happened, not t'mention heartbreak tha' Gale's dyin'."

 

[heartofcourage]

Emma was in a world of confusion. This is not what they had wanted for their daughter. She was reminded of her own past and the mistakes that she had made and she had always swore that Kayla would be different.

Emma let out a long sigh, lowering her head as she thought about the situation. "I won't kick her out." She said softly. "But she's going to learn from her mistake. I expect her to pay her own way, Boar. She'll find employment if she wants to stay in our house."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Don' be so quick t'judge, Emma..." Boar muttered. "We did far worse than she'll ever do. I'm takin' full responsibility for 'er. I'll 'elp 'er find a job, but she's no' workin' 'erself t'the bone jus' because she was a fool in love... she's no' gonna be me." He still distinctly remembered the back-breaking work he'd done while she was pregnant with Eli and Leon, and how Brogan's good grace had saved him. He'd still paid dearly in the end, with the loss of most of the strength in his knees. He'd always believed that it wasn't Wick, but karma that caused it.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Boar, she isn't a child any longer. You can't protect her forever." Emma said, knowing that her husband still held a lot of guilt over what had happened during her pregnancy with Leon and Eli. "I never wanted my daughter to turn out like me."