Ghis (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"I'm yours to command, milady," Kell promised her with a handsome smile. He'd already made it clear in Edinburgh that the council would hold no sway over his duty to his queen when they each took their positions at the head of the unified counties of Scotland.

 

[heartofcourage]

"There's a little glen in the woods here in Inverness where the stream courses through. It has green grass and rocks all around. I found it when I was little, exploring the woods with Ciaran and Annie and our Uncle Kreston. I think it would be a lovely place for a little wedding." Kate said softly, glancing towards Kell with a small smile on her lips. "When I'm old enough, of course."

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell's expression grew warmer and ever so slightly amused as she suggested the place. "Why, Lady Katherine, are you asking me to marry you?" It was not so strange to Kell because he knew her so well, but it was unheard of for most women of their part of the world to propose marriage, and even more unheard of for her to propose without her father's previous, clear consent.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Perhaps." Kate said softly, taking a bite of the pastry that Chessie had packed in the pack for them, her green eyes looking out over the loch as she sat with Kell. "Da already calls you our wolf. I think that he would say yes."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Well then perhaps I'll wait until you ask me properly. I deserve to be treated like a lady," he insisted with a chuckle at his own foolishness. She could make him act like a childish cub sometimes even when she didn't mean to.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Or perhaps I should wait for you and the ring that you'll give me to make everything official." Kate countered, smiling as she looked over at Kell with another bite of her pastry. "After all, I don't want to rock the boat."

 

[KieranSoares]

"If you wait for me, it'll never happen," he assured her. "If you want to tie me down, you'll have to do it yourself. I'm completely happy just shacking up in sin with you, but that wouldn't be wonderful for your reputation, now would it?" He challenged.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Then don't expect a nice home and children. I refuse to keep house or raise the children of a man who just wants to shack up with me." Kate said, the stubborn tilt of her chin growing just a little more. "On one knee, at my 18th birthday party, in front of my family...if you're brave enough."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I would never actually make you do that," he assured her, but then added, "Unless you wanted to." He gave her a cheeky grin that turned into a smirk at her challenge. "And what if I don't do it then? Is that an automatic 'no?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"You might convince me otherwise." Kate said with a soft laugh as Kell seemed to be warming up to her. "Because I love you."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Is that so?" Kell slipped down from his perch and met her with a long, lovely and warm kiss. "Well it's lucky I'm a good sport who can stand up to all this teasing." One more kiss and he murmured. "And I love you too, Kate."

 

[heartofcourage]

"And my family loves you too." Kate said softly as he kissed her warmly, letting her know just how much he adored her. "And they cannot wait for the day that you are officially a member of our family."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Neither can I, but mostly because you'll be mine when that day comes," he murmured. He was a little bit of a romantic at heart, brought out by Kate's teasing and love.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Who would have thought that the great assassin of Scotland would have such a soft heart?" Kate teased him as she snuggled up against his side. "I'm glad that you're my wolf, though. Completely and totally mine."

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell was tempted to tease a little more and say 'until someone more interesting comes along' but he didn't ruin the moment, instead wrapping Kate up in his arms and holding her like she were the most important thing in the world to him.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Does it frighten you to talk about marriage? You had a wife and cubs before and they were all taken away from you." Kate said softly as he held her tightly, nuzzling against her cheek and shoulder as they enjoyed the afternoon.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell paused as she mentioned his lost family, and he sighed quietly. "I won't lie to you and pretend I don't worry... but in those days, I had handlers who wanted to 'keep me focused,' and there was no low they wouldn't stoop to."

He pulled back to meet her gaze. "I didn't even get to properly marry her. And for my girls' sake, we pretended for years that their father was someone else and we never spoke to each other in public. But it wasn't enough. There were better spies and assassins watching me, and they eventually found out when I got careless."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm so sorry, Kell." Kate said softly as he met her gaze and told her about his lost family. "For what it's worth, that won't happen this time. We will be safe to express ourselves and show everyone that we are together."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know," he nodded. "But as sure as I am of that... it doesn't stop the worry, you know? Or the memories. I try to keep it all to myself, but some days I just can't, even now, years later."

 

[heartofcourage]

"What were their names?" Kate asked softly, wanting to know more about what made Kell into the person that he was today.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Lillian and Alexandria. Lilly and Ali, we called them. And my mate's name was Eve." Kell was trying so hard not to close up and avoid all mention of his lost family. He wanted Kate to know, but it was painful.

 

[heartofcourage]

"They sound lovely." Kate said softly as he told her what their names were. "And I'm sure that they were well loved by both you and your mate."

 

[KieranSoares]

"A little better by Eve than me," Kell commented quietly. "I wasn't around as often as I should've been. I didn't even get to see them when they were born. I was gone a whole year while Eve was carrying Lilly. I'd had to leave the day after she told me. So I didn't meet Lilly til she was three months old. I can't believe Eve still wanted me around, but she did. And a few years later when she had Ali, I didn't meet her til she was a week old because I was sent off to kill some upstart in Ireland so my handlers could return a favor to old partners. But they took all three of them when Ali was six months old, and they threw me into a cell until I finally broke and agreed to go back to work."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate listened as he told her his story, the heartbreak evident in his voice as he thought about the little girls that he barely knew and the woman that he had loved. She hugged him a little bit tighter, kissing his cheek to help rid him of some of the sadness.

"If we have our own children, we will have to tell them about the sisters that they never knew." She said softly. "I want them to be a part of our family. They were important to you, Kell."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I don't know," he muttered. "I'm not sure I want to hold onto that life... but I'll think about it." Unlike Theo, the other man Kate knew who'd lost his family to tragedy and the old Wick, Kell wasn't at peace with his loss and he didn't want to think back on the good times because there didn't seem to be many, if any.