Ghis (closed)

[heartofcourage]

“Not in our bed, you’re not. Go sleep in the other room.” Kate called after him as he made to go to their bed.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Try and stop me," he called back, quickly making himself comfortable in bed.

 

[heartofcourage]

“I’ll get Qira to kick you out.” Kate challenged as he flopped down on their wide bed.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm sure," Kell muttered, pulling the blanket over himself and turning on his side, falling still.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate watched him for a long moment before she promptly stood and went searching for the panther. She practically dragged him back to the room before she pointed to Kell in bed.

“I want him removed.” Kate said simply, crossing her arms over her chest.

 

[KieranSoares]

Qira came to a halt just inside the door to the bedroom after being dragged from his quiet perch in Kell's office looking over some shared reports. He was entirely bewildered, looking at Kell and then back to Kate.

"I... Don't understand," Qira murmured.

"Don't give her the satisfaction, Qira. She's being ridiculous and kicking me out for it," Kell told him, his back still to them as he lay comfortably under the covers.

"... Um..." Qira looked to Kate again, entirely confused.

 

[heartofcourage]

“I want the Lord Protector removed from this room...now. He’s not welcome here at the moment.” Kate said as the two men seemed entirely unconcerned with her little tantrum.

 

[KieranSoares]

"... Okay." Qira slowly made his way toward Kell.

"Don't you dare, Cat. Don't give in to her acting like a petulant child," Kell warned, surprised as Qira scooped him up blanket and all and there's Kell over his shoulder like he was nothing. "Qira... Put me down. Now."

"You only make her more angry. Both of you, cool down," Qora scolded in his native tongue before carrying Kell across the hall and leaving Kate alone.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate slammed the door behind them for good measure. She was angry with Kell, hurt that he didn't see her point of view, and jealous of the mysterious Rissa. She was jealous of the woman's easy manners and her ability to keep control in any situation. It wasn't something that felt like it came easily to a woman like Kate, but she would never confess that to anyone. Least of all her infuriating husband who would use it to his own advantage.

 

[KieranSoares]

To Qira's credit, he made sure Kell stayed away for the rest of the night, perhaps getting some rest of his own while guarding the door. It was never clear when he slept. In the morning, Kate woke alone. There was some evidence Kell had been there to get fresh clothes, his weapons, and some paperwork, but Kate remained entirely undisturbed. It was a typical misty, grey Scottish sky and a dim sun outside, a few breaks in the clouds here and there hinting at clearer skies later. Kell was out considering an addition to the stables, and Warwick was talking with Rissa over breakfast on their own, explaining bits of the work she'd do with him. Kate was left to her own devices for the moment, though there would be the typical meetings and such later on.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate was soon out of the castle in her riding gear, pausing only briefly when she saw Kell at the stables. She spared him one glance before she didn't think about him again. She moved into the stables and readied her horse for a ride in her spare time, wanting to run to her heart's content until she was called back in for meetings and more grappling with lords that she didn't care a bit about.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell watched her go by, a formal nod as he often gave her when other people were around. The stable hands brought out Kate's horse for her, having long since learned not to question what she was up to when she came to the stable alone.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate was soon mounted on her charger, turning the horse away from the stables to take him to the extensive lands beyond. She would let him run, forgetting her worries as Kell watched her every move. She hoped he would come crawling back, but they would be at a stalemate for days if she knew him at all.

 

[KieranSoares]

For the next two days, Kell remained steadfast, letting Kate have their chambers to herself. He busied himself with his usual tasks, but Kate often saw him conversing with Rissa after meetings, explaining this or that about one lord or his lands, perhaps giving her a lord's track record and letting her know who to keep an eye on. It was the third day that Warwick came to Kate after she'd negotiated the split of an inheritance between twin sons of a lord who hadn't had a chance to leave a will.

"Good morning, Kate," Warwick greeted as he stepped into her office, seeing the door open. He leaned heavily on his cane as he came to a halt. "... I think we need to chat."

 

[heartofcourage]

"About what?" Kate asked, looking up from her correspondences as Warwick stepped into the room and asked to speak to her.

 

[KieranSoares]

"About this nonsense between you and Kell," Warwick spoke firmly. "I just finished telling him what a fool he is, and now it's your turn. You cannot make a marriage work by ignoring a problem and each other, or your relationship is no better than the marriages of most nobles. Now what has gotten you two to be so ridiculously stubborn as to avoid speaking, and avoid each other entirely?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"He can't see that I'm not comfortable with something and insists that it's all my problem." Kate said with a shrug of her shoulders. "And I kicked him out of our rooms because of it. If he wants to be ridiculous about things, I'll let him."

 

[KieranSoares]

"So you're both at fault," Warwick told her plainly. "I know this dance, Kate, it happened between Ashelin and I a handful of times. One of you has an issue, the other doesn't understand, and no one explains anything so you default to being angry and ending communication entirely. But you two are stubborn enough that you'll let this silence last for weeks, I'm even concerned you'd let it ruin your marriage just to prove a point, bull-headed as you two are. Now what is the actual problem?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"He knows that I don't want a lady in waiting. He knows that I don't want a new adviser, especially right now. However, all he can focus on is the fact that he thinks I'm simply jealous about Rissa." Kate said as she looked up at Warwick. "When he apologizes, maybe I'll listen. Until then, nothing. I won't cave to him."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Are you jealous?" Warwick asked plainly, not accusing, but simply questioning. "I've known you all your life, Kate. And I've never seen your hackles raise at anybody like that unless they threatened your family. What exactly is wrong with her?" Warwick had always approached Kate as his grand-niece, someone to help and guide when she was stuck. They had never really fought at all in her lifetime, because he seemed to understand that Kate's mind worked behind closed doors, that while she often spoke her mind, there were some things she kept silent.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm not jealous." She insisted, her voice a soft whisper. "Sure, she's very beautiful and she has all the freedom that I don't, but I'm not jealous."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You just told me exactly why you are," Warwick murmured. "Kate... sweetheart. Why would you be jealous of another woman's beauty? It doesn't change anything for you or make you lesser. Yes, she is lovely, but so are you. You two look completely different, one can hardly compare you fairly. And as for freedom... you can still have that, love. We have all made it clear, all this time, that you can step down and be your own woman. No one would blame you, and we would figure out who to place on the throne in time, likely one of Gale's nephews when they came of age."

 

[heartofcourage]

"How can you say that when both Qira and Kell have been falling over themselves when she's in the room? I don't exist in Kell's world when she's near. Is that the way a husband is supposed to treat a wife?" Kate asked as he told her that she could step down if she wished. "I can't, Warwick. I was given this position for a reason and I'm not going to sully Gale's memory by simply giving up when things got too tough. If I did that, I dare say that any future queen would never be taken seriously in the future."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I won't deny I've seen Qira looking at her, but as for Kell, you mistake hospitality for attraction, my dear. He treats honored guests much the same. And I did ask him to make sure she was comfortable here, so he's doing his best to make her feel welcome." At her explanation of her keeping the throne, Warwick simply sighed. "We'll talk about this throne business later. It shouldn't be a cage. If it feels that way, things need to change."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Trust me, Warwick. It's much more than simply making her feel at home." Kate said softly, looking back down at her paperwork. "He's my husband. I know."