Ghis (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"My fault," Kell spoke up with a smile. Most of the wear and tear to their clothes was from hunting, riding, and chasing around in the woods together.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Of course it's your fault. You're nearly as rough on clothing as she is." Julia said with a smile towards Kell as he spoke up in Kate's defense.

 

[KieranSoares]

"But I mend and make my own," Kell countered with a grin. He preferred his clothing a certain way so he rarely bought from tailors.

 

[heartofcourage]

"That's your saving grace." Julia said with a laugh with Kell. "Kate is hopeless with a needle and thread. Always had been."

As the family laughed, Heather reached out to touch Justin's fur against. She smiled at the texture, her tiny fingers taking in every single detail as she looked towards her father's booming voice.

"Da. Puppy." She murmured to him, reaching out her other hand for her father's hand.

 

[KieranSoares]

"He's a pretty big puppy, lovely," Brogan told her with a chuckle, taking her little hand. Justin was absolutely smitten with her by now.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I think you have an admirer." Julia commented in a soft tone as Heather seemed absolutely enchanted with Justin. "Which is good since Ciaran adores the two of them. I think he's spent more time with the twins than even I have."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Probably," Ciaran agreed, scooping up Ashelin now that Justin had Heather. Ciaran loved the girls like nothing else in his life. They had saved him from the worst part of his life.

 

[heartofcourage]

Ashelin hugged her brother tightly, smiling wide as he gave her attention. She loved him almost as much as she loved her Da, making him one of the most important people in her life.

As lunch wore on, the family decided that Justin was very much a part of them. They were very happy that he brought joy to Ciaran and Julia was excited that her eldest son was happy again.

 

[KieranSoares]

From that point on, Justin became a very regular visitor, bringing his mother occasionally when she wasn't too busy. Soon all focus was back on getting Kate ready to take the High Throne, and Brogan was leading the way in her education, teaching her about rulers both good and bad, as well as the tiniest but incredibly important details.

 

[heartofcourage]

As they talked in the library one afternoon, Kate was fidgeting slightly in her chair. She was a dutiful student, but her mind was millions of miles away.

"Da, can I talk to you about something?" She asked softly, looking at her father as if she couldn't decided what she was going to tell him.

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan was in the middle of a biography about his own grandfather Old Tamblin, and he looked up as Kate seemed distracted and uneasy. "'Bout what, kitten?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"About Kell." She said softly as she looked down at the table. "He told me about his family. His two cubs and his mate. We talked about maybe being married. I'm not sure if he's ready for that again."

 

[KieranSoares]

"But 'e's crazy about you, love. I didn' think there was any hesitation on 'is part." Brogan set aside his book and reached across to take her hand. "What about you? What d'you think about all o' this?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"I think its terrible what he went through. I want his old family to be a part of ours, but he seems to be against that idea. I don't blame him, but I also don't understand." Kate said as Brogan took her hand and squeezed it. "I don't want him to have regrets if we're married and I feel like this would be something that he always regretted."

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan considered her concerns for a long moment, and then he offered quietly, "Let me sit an' have a talk with 'im. I've been meanin' t'ask about this sort o' thing fer a while now. Maybe we can come to an understandin'. I know what it's like... T'lose everythin' an' want t'forget." He never spoke of Cassie to anyone but Annie, and he rarely mentioned the years Annie had been in Ireland because he couldn't bring himself to raise her without her mother.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Da, I'm not sure that he wants to talk about it." Kate said softly, knowing that her father would understand the pain that Kell had gone through. "It is painful for him to think about. His daughters were so young."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know. But I don't want you two sticking yourselves t'gether only t'realize in a few years tha' he can't handle it anymore. It'd be devastating no' just t'you, but him too when 'e tries to come up with some way t'cope an' it ruins 'im."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Don't mention that I told you." Kate said softly. "I don't want to embarrass him. If he doesn't want to talk, that's fine too."

 

[KieranSoares]

I won't. But 'e'll probably figure it out anyway. He usually does." Brogan rose from his seat intent on this new task. Kate's heart was on the line in this situation, and so was Kell's future as Lord Protector. Memories could ruin a person. Brogan knew it all too well seeing his brothers struggle with them and having watched his father be destroyed by them.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Thank you, Da." Kate said softly, kissing his cheek as he came to her side. "I'll keep up the studies until you come back."

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan went off to find Kell and the too disappeared for nearly two hours into Kell's tower room. When they finally came down, nothing was said about their long conversation, what they'd talked about, or anything they'd decided upon. They simply came to join the main hall for dinner.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate was nervous for Kell and what her Da was talking to him about, but she knew that her Da wouldn't do anything to make Kell upset if he could help it. She was at dinner, waiting for the both of them, and breathing a sigh of relief when they both appeared and seemed to be alright.

"Everything alright?" Kate asked softly, glancing to Kell as he took his seat next to her.

 

[KieranSoares]

"If you were so worried about my past coming back to haunt me, you could've said so, love," Kell murmured and kissed her cheek. He'd figured it out quite easily. He knew Kate shared everything with her father, and he found it didn't bother him.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm sorry, Kell." Kate said softly. "I didn't think that you wanted to talk about it anymore with me. I was worried for you."

 

[KieranSoares]

"But you have every right to worry," he assured her softly. "It's not just my future. It's yours too, and I don't want you to think my past is going to get in the way of how I feel about you. I let my girls go a long time ago. It still hurts more than I can say, but... I'm ready for a new life. One day I'll be able to look back and smile on the good times. Just... not yet. It only happened two years ago."