Ghis (closed)

[KieranSoares]

Kell smiled and hugged Julia a moment before Brogan arrived, and he left them to return to Kate's side. Brogan came to Julia and kissed her with a surprising energy and brightness, clearly glad about all Kate had told him.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I haven't seen you his happy since the end of the war." Julia said with a smile towards her husband, kissing him gently as he came near to her. "Kell promises to protect Kate's heart...and I gave Aleister the key to Kayla's."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Settin' up all our girls, aye? I s'pose Elise is next if she isn' already set on 'er soldier." Brogan went to sit on the edge of the bed. "But I don' know tha' Durban would let y'get away with it," he added with a chuckle.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You're not suppose to know about her soldier, love." Julia said with a smile as she sat at Brogan's side with a content sigh. "Her Da doesn't even know yet. If he does, he's been very good at hiding his true feelings."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Of course I know. Y'don' keep a throne without a good spy network, though tha' particular piece o' information was found out by accident." Brogan chuckled and shook his head. "Leave it t'sweet little Elise t'fall fer a knight in shining armor. Sometimes I wonder if Annie influenced 'er too much."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Durban will lose his mind when he finds out. She has never been away from his side since she as born and he is most definitely more protective of her than her brothers. Boar, on the other hand, seems at peace with the idea of Aleister and Kayla. He knows that they will both support each other and they love Lynndon completely."

 

[KieranSoares]

"That's because Boar knows Al. Boar watched 'im become a proper fighter an' he helped Al get over some rough memories after 'is last mission, like we 'ad to after th' last war with Wick." To this day, Durban was still haunted by nightmares and loud, sudden sounds could really scare him. Ashien was just as bad, whereas Boar and Brogan had managed to control those memories to some extent, but stress made it much harder to manage.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Our family seems to be growing again." Julia said softly as she took her husband's hand and gave it a squeeze. "We just have to stay the course and hope that all of those little ones make the right choices about who they wish to love."

 

[KieranSoares]

"An' we'll pick 'em up if they stumble an' fall, jus' like we always have." Brogan drew her close to sit in his lap, kissing her with a gentle welcome. "Sam an' Rho'll be next, maybe Seamus too if 'e shapes up."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Sam's eye seems to wander more than Rho's. He's too serious to make a move though. It's just puppy love at this point, however." Julia said as Brogan mentioned Seamus. "Marri said that Gabriel is willing to give him a second chance if he shapes up. Gabriel just doesn't want his little ones to be hurt by their uncle."

 

[KieranSoares]

"He'll make it sooner or later. He jus' needs t'be patient an' find his place without causin' too much more trouble. I've 'alf a mind task if 'e's considered workin' fer Gerald an' Ria. I know 'e wants freedom an' t'go sailin', but I also know 'e's good at handlin' a tavern an' he likes Gerald's place. But I'll leave tha' be til 'e proves 'e can behave 'imself."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Gabriel loves Seamus and wants to see him safe. He just can't stand to watch his children be hurt if he is arrested again. They loved Seamus." She said softly as Brogan talked about giving Seamus time to prove himself. "I wonder where that stubborn streak came from."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I blame Boar. Seamus is th'same troubled lad Boar was when we were young. Well, I guess I blame Da fer tha', but Boar was always a little more... Free-spirited, an' temperamental."

 

[heartofcourage]

"He is a Ghis through and through." Julia agreed, kissing Brogan's cheek before she stood to ready herself for bed.

The next morning, she walked from the castle to the market with Sam at her side. It was a day to spend just with him, she had decided. Brogan could handle the other children while he talked to the other kings that were at the castle as well.

"I'm thinking a journal, at the very least." Julia said as she wrapped her arm around Sam's shoulder. "Perhaps a new sword belt too. You've nearly outgrown the one that you already have."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I can make a new one, Ma, you don't have to spend money on me," Sam murmured, still trying to deflect attention from himself.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Samuel. Let you your Ma dote on you, love. It makes me happy." Julia said as she kissed the top of his dark hair. "I hardly get to do it anymore."

She guided him towards a book vendor, greeting the man in the store as she directed Sam towards the leather bound journals. She could see him looking and knew that he was slightly overwhelmed.

"Pick one that you like, love. We can have it stamped with the Ghis coat of arms." She murmured softly, trying to let him make his own choices in what he got without too much input.

 

[KieranSoares]

Even though Sam was nearly as tall as Julia now, he had to admit that having his mother kiss him and still treat her like her baby was comforting at the very least. He stopped resisting when she told him that doting on him made her happy. Looking over all the journals, his eye was drawn to an overdyed green leather book with a strap and hook holding it shut. He took off his gloves and picked it up, examining the quality of paper- something he'd picked up from his Uncle Ashien- and looked to his mother. "I think I'll take this one."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You're sure?" Julia asked as Sam picked up the green journal and looked it over carefully. "How about a pen set to go with it? We can get you all set up to be a proper scholar."

Julia held the journal for Sam as he looked over the sets of ink and pens. She enjoyed watching him decide on things for himself. It meant that she had done a good job as a mother that her son could be independent.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam soon chose a simple metal pen and dark ink. Books and paper were not cheap, paper being quite labor intensive to make and bound into books by hand. And though Sam's was blank, any other book had to be handwritten and took hundreds more hours. The vendor kindly wrapped up their purchase and let Sam take it. "Good day, milady, milord," he said with a smile.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Thank you." Julia said with a smile as Sam took his packages and they stepped out of the shop. "Where to now, Sam?"

She couldn't help wrapping her arm around his shoulders and pulling him in for another hug. She loved her children, every single one of them, fiercely. She hated to see them in pain and hurting, but Sam needed to find his own way out his guilt.

 

[KieranSoares]

"It's been a long time since we went riding together," Sam said softly. It had once been his favorite thing to do with his mother as she'd taught he and Rho to ride while Brogan had been away visiting Kayla in Norway for two months when they were six. Sam had continued to ride often with Julia til he began his proper training as a page, when his father and uncles took over.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I think a ride sounds lovely. Perhaps we can have lunch out on the highlands." Julia suggested as they made their way back to the castle to gather two of their horses and a simple meal.

Sam was always destined to be a page and she had missed teaching her little boy when Brogan and his brothers took over his education a short time ago. As soon as they had a meal and the saddles on their horses, Julia allowed Sam to lead the way.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam's riding form was a far cry from his siblings'. Rho had quickly adopted Brogan's solid and low form, made to keep him in the saddle during battle even if he was hit squarely in the chest. Sam's was a combination of solid and tall, speaking to what his mother had taught him about good form and good show. But he could also brace and charge low like his father. His own horse, named Maul, was the colt of Julia's mare, named after a type of war hammer that Sam favored next to a sword.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Maul looks like he's been itching for a good ride." Julia said as she looked over at Sam. "You've been too serious with your studies if your horse is this hungry for some attention. You use to ride your pony all over the loch. Perhaps in a few years, Ness will give Ashelin and Heather the same joy that he gave to you and Rho."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I've just been busy... Now that Rho's in line to take Da's throne, I have to be for him what Kell is for Kate when it comes to running things. But I make sure I take Maul out every morning, just... Maybe not as much as he'd like. He needs to be treated more like Ferrous, I think."