Ghis (closed)

[heartofcourage]

“How are you so calm?” Kate asked him, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared at her husband’s with a bit of disbelief.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Why should I be nervous?" Kell cracked a tiny smile. "We've been through far scarier situations."

 

[heartofcourage]

“But never as queen and lord protector.” Kate said as he gave her a handsome grin. “Every decision means something more to everyone else but ourselves. We’ll make enemies and we’ll make allies. Hopefully more friends than anything else. It just weighs heavily on me sometimes.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know it does. Which is why you don't need any more worry coming from my end." Kell came to kiss her. "I keep calm so that no one worries about me."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You're my husband, an assassin, and a lord protector. I'll always worry about you." Kate said with a small smile as he came to her side and kissed her. "Let's go find our family. It's time for a nice dinner before the rest of the world comes crashing down around us."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Yes, milady," Kell nodded, offering his arm before they stepped out. The Ghis were gathered mostly around the second floor, some in the library or parlor rooms. Brogan and Julia in particular were sitting out on a balcony overlooking the palace garden with Heather, Ashelin, Ciaran, and Justin.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia was on the ground, not minding in the least that her dress was getting dusty as the twins crawled all on her. If it made her children happy, Julia was more than willing to do it. It was something she had done with them all since Ciaran had come into her life so many years earlier. She could stop everything she was doing to play, getting on the floor to be on their level.

"Hello, kitten." Julia greeted Kate with a smile as she continued to braid Heather's hair while Ashelin played with her mother's.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ciaran and Justin were sitting together on one of the benches on the balcony, hands linked as they chatted about this and that quietly. Brogan, as he was wont to do, seemed to be looking over it all like a proud lion, half-dozing along the way.

Hearing Julia speak up, all eyes turned to Kate and Brogan offered a smile. "Well, no blood on yer Wolf's hands. I'm guessin' it went alright."

 

[heartofcourage]

"For the time being." Kate said as she left Kell's side and went to sit down next to her father with a sigh. "No one has openly opposed me, so I suppose that is a small victory."

 

[KieranSoares]

"They won' do it in front of the others unless they think they'll have a good backing," Brogan nodded, wrapping an arm about Kate's shoulders. "An' I imagine Warwick keeps 'em in line normally."

 

[heartofcourage]

"And soon that will fall to Kell to do." Kate said, glancing towards Kell as he scooped Ashelin up, the little girl squealing in delight at her brother-in-law's attention. "If they'll allow him to act as a true Lord Protector. So far, I think they will but only time will tell."

 

[KieranSoares]

"There'll be plenty o' opposition t'both, one potentially more vicious than the other. Humans're jus' startin' t'learn y'love at peace with th'were here in Scotland. An' in a city tha' once had a thrivin' market fer slaves an' plenty o' fur only three generations ago... People still fear all th' Big Bad Wolf stories. T'have a Wolf o' Kell's background an' o' course black fur... Tha' sets a lot o' people on edge. An' then he's married to a human woman who's now Queen. According to a lot o' people my age an' older, you two're a recipe fer trouble. Which is true," he added with a smile. "But not th'kind o' trouble they're afraid of. An' then there's people who jus' won' follow anyone who's no' a human Scottish man with a long noble bloodline."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Well, I say tough luck to all of them. This is the way that things are now." Kate said with a flash of her stubborn streak, tucking her legs beneath her on the bench even though she was wearing a skirt.

As ladylike as she had been in the past few days, when it was just her family, she still let her tomboy side free. She was at her best when she was in a pair of trousers with her hair messy and free flowing. However, she had learned best from her ma, that there were times where being a lady was appropriate.

Ashelin let out a squeal as Kell teased her, the little girl laughing so hard that her cheeks were red. Heather, sitting in her mother's lap, looked around at the noises, wondering what was happening. Julia kissed Heather's brow, finishing up her hair before she got up to toddle over to Justin and Ciaran.

"Up, Puppy." She said, holding up her arms to be picked up. "Up!"

"Heather, don't be demanding." Julia said softly as she was completely ignored. "How is it that I've ended up with three little girls whom are all headstrong and stubborn? Was it too much to ask to have one that was small and kind and ladylike?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"Kate is th'closest you've got righ' now," Brogan chuckled deeply. He watched Justin scoop up Heather, nuzzling against her adoringly before settling back beside Ciaran.

"Besides, they wouldn't be any fun if they were easy to manage," Ciaran added with a smile.

 

[heartofcourage]

“You both remember this when you think about having children of your own.” Julia said with a sigh as Heather was scooped up into Justin’s arms. “They are demanding and are never really happy until you give them what they want.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Kate never grew out of that," Kell teased with a loving smile to his wife. "Thankfully she married someone who doesn't mind too much."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You best watch yourself, Khelt. You forget who rules this country now." Kate said, looking over at her husband as Ashelin hugged him tightly. "I'll send you back to Inverness if I need to."

 

[KieranSoares]

"But it's for the good of Her Majesty the Queen that her Lord Protector remain close," Kell countered calmly with a handsome smile.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Lord Protectors can be replaced at the Queen's discretion." Kate said as she arched an eyebrow at him. "I'm sure your grandfather would fill the role nicely."

 

[KieranSoares]

"He serves another queen. And I'm not sure you want the rumors when you replace your own husband." Kell was thoroughly unbothered by any threat, a quality that served him well in both joking situations and before true dangers.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Alright, you both. It's too early in your marriage to be having arguments." Julia said as she pulled herself up off the ground and dusted herself off. "I will set your Gran on you if that's the case. She will box both of you until you kiss and make up."

 

[KieranSoares]

"We argue daily. It's half the foundation of our marriage," Kell chuckled. "Surely you noticed our debates from the moment we returned from Wick."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Just don't let the arguments become everything that there is in your marriage." Julia said as she kissed Kate's cheek and then retreated into their rooms to relax.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell looked to Kate at that, knowing Julia's warning did hold worth. He let Ciaran take Ashelin before going to sit beside Kate, taking her hand.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate glanced at Kell as she heard her father chuckle from beside them. "Are you coming to ask for forgiveness?"