Ghis (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"Hell, you knew how t'ride by th'time y'could run. I couldn't stop you," Brogan muttered with a smile, sitting at Sam's opposite side. "You always seem like y'have a mission, lad."

"I do," Sam confirmed with a sure nod.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I wished you would have stayed small a little while longer." Julia said, pressing her forehead against her son's. "You were a sweet little baby. Rho wanted your father all the time, but you were always my little one."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam softened a bit as his mother pulled him closer, especially as she touched her forehead to his. He didn't say anything more, instead curling against her side. Even if he were halfway to being a giant who'd one day make Julia look like a child in comparison, he was still just small enough to fit against her side.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You'll always be my boy." She whispered against his ear for only him to hear as he curled up against her side in contentment.

 

[KieranSoares]

By the time they returned home and Brogan saw Sam off to bed, all was peaceful in the keep. Brogan quietly looked over the Main Hall, reflecting on each tapestry and old mounted pieces of armor and weapons. The keep had been there since the days of Aodh and Dianh, it had seen all the stories they'd found in the glen. Brogan couldn't help thinking about what it would see in the future, even long after he was gone.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia had long grown used to her husband's melancholy moods and she typically left him be when he was like that. However, that evening, she stayed at his side, her arm wrapped around his waist as he looked over the keep hall that had been his home since the day that he was born.

"There's been sorrow and happiness here. Hopefully far more happiness now than anything else." Julia murmured softly, her head resting against his shoulder.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Since I fell fer you, definitely," Brogan murmured in return with a little smile, leaning down to kiss her. "Yer story belongs on tha' wall for sure. Y'did a lot fer Inverness tha' no one else could."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Can I be a warrior queen?" She asked with a grin, kissing her husband freely as he told her of his love and pride for her.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I think th'way you took Inverness back from Olaf already secured tha' title," Brogan chuckled, his arms draping easily about her waist.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I tamed Brogan Ghis. That alone earned me the title." Julia teased as he wrapped his arm around her waist and held her tightly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm no' tame, just old an' slow," Brogan grinned, kissing her once more.

"Get a room, you two," they heard Valentina call as she passed through the great hall. Brogan let out a deep laugh, deciding to take her advice. He swept Julia off her feet and carried her away.

Come morning, Maxwell and Beth properly introduced Julian. Both mother and son were in perfect health according to Vincenzo and Valentina, and little Julian was already curious about the world around him.

 

[heartofcourage]

Sam was the first one there to hold the baby when Max and Beth appeared in the great hall. Beth smiled as her nephew held Julian so securely, the infant squirming and watching him so closely. It seemed that the both of them would be the best of friends together in the future.

"Thank you, Samuel." Beth said as she took a seat next to him with a tired sigh. "He was quiet for a while last night, but it seems this morning all he wants to be held and eat."

 

[KieranSoares]

"That's pretty normal," Sam commented, remembering well how Ashelin and Heather had been. "I know Uncle Max still has to work even if 'e wishes 'e could stay all day. So I'm happy t'help."

From what little Beth knew of the deadly serious and focused boy, he was always busy himself. But that never stopped him from dropping everything if his little sisters needed him, or if Julia and Brogan were struggling with something. It seemed the same was extending to Beth and Julian.

 

[heartofcourage]

"It seems he's a curious little boy. He loves to look at everything. When he's not sleeping." Beth said, getting to know her nephew in a way that she had never known him before. "For only being a day old, I feel like I've known him forever."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You've known him for nine months. You just finally get t'see him," Sam told her. It was similar to what Brogan had told him about the girls when Sam had already felt attached to them.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Maybe you should come back to Chester for a while with us. I'd love to have you around." Beth commented as Sam looked at her with his normal serious conviction. "I'm sure your uncle would enjoy having you around and teaching you about Chester."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I might come t'visit sometime, but I 'ave a lot t'do here. A lot t'learn, especially." Sam was dedicated to the path he'd set himself on. While he didn't aspire to power for the sake of it, he did aspire to a high military position for the defense of those he held dear, especially for Rho, essentially letting him keep to his favorite part of being a Prince- dealing with the people. Sam liked the people, but he never knew how to make friendly conversation very well. He was all business.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You're a lot like Maxwell." Beth said with a soft smile. "I didn't think that he had a sense of humor when we first married. Over time he started to loosen up and soon he felt he had enough confidence in Chester to let it go for brief amounts of time. You might be serious now but you'll find a nice balance when you're older."

 

[KieranSoares]

"And you sound like Ma," Sam shook his head. "She worries too much about me. She ought t'focus on the girls."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Until you have a child, Sam, you won't understand." Beth said with a smile as Julian started to fuss, his tiny brow crinkling as he balled his fists up next to his face. "Oh, little one, you're far too young to be so angry."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam let Beth take Julian back, knowing he had no idea how to calm the boy. "I should probably go... I promised Uncle Durban I'd help him shoe his horses today."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Don't work too hard." Beth commented, kissing his cheek as she held Julian tightly against her chest. "And come and visit me more often."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I can only promise one o' those," Sam told her with a hint of a smile, kissing her cheek in return before heading off outside.

 

[heartofcourage]

Beth smiled as Sam teased her back before he ran off. He was a good boy who was trying to grow into an honorable man. She had a soft spot for him and hoped that he might find some peace after everything that had already happened in his life.

 

[KieranSoares]

In the coming weeks as Maxwell and Beth prepared to journey to Beth's clan territory as her brothers couldn't come to Inverness, Brogan began focusing even more on Kate and Kell. Kell had already gone to work with Brogan's small spy network who were less spies and more defenders, and he ended up training them rather than learning from them. Brogan was focusing on teaching the two everything he could about running a kingdom, down to the gritty, difficult details. But Inverness being so much smaller meant they'd encounter plenty even Brogan didn't know in Edinburgh, but they'd also have a large staff of advisors and those trained to keep finances and field other official issues while they focused mostly in law and relations near and far. With Julia, they learned etiquette and how to deal with the most stubborn of lords, and compromise.

Brogan soon brought in an entirely new type of training for them- military. As a Queen, Kate was essentially becoming a General alongside her Lord Protector. While he was the primary military leader, she would be the one deciding what fights they got into. Brogan knew the High Throne had always had minor skirmishes with some of the clan kings who thought they could raid the High Throne's people and lands without consequence, and then there were always issues with the northern English barons who would attack Scottish borders despite the English throne's peace with Scotland.

Sam ended up learning right alongside them, following Kell's training especially. Brogan would've told him to wait til he was older, but he knew Sam would refuse, saying he needed to use his time wisely. One particular day, Brogan had Sam up against Kell more for Sam's benefit. Sam wanted to know how to fight such quick assassins, and Kell had begrudgingly agreed to show him. And so Kate and Brogan got to watch as time after time, Kell completely destroyed Samuel and left him on the ground disarmed and pinned when Sam couldn't keep up. Kell never left more than a bruise as they were using wooden weapons, and while Sam could beautifully keep up with Kell's sword, he couldn't account for the fact that Kell used a dagger in his off-hand and was fast as lightning.

Kell explained every time what Sam had done wrong, but despite every correction, Sam just wasn't quick enough. He wouldn't give up, so Kell gave up for him after the twentieth defeat. "Alright, Samuel. I think that's enough," Kell sighed, helping the boy back to his feet. "You can't learn all that speed in one day. It'll take time. You're doing everything right, just not fast enough."

"I can do it, just let me try again," Sam said for the third time, dusting himself off.

"You can work on your reflexes for a month, and then try again," Kell told him firmly, and the boy sighed in frustration.