Of the Fells

[KieranSoares]

"They would do Marianne some good too," Warwick nodded, leaning back with a sigh. "I believe she saved my life, Valentina. I might not be here if not for her. Losing Ashelin was enough to kill me, but then Ciaran... Marianne had to force me not to work myself to death. And she confided her own heartbreaks in me. I felt like I had to stick around for her sake if not my own. And now... I've come to enjoy life again."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm glad that you came back, Da. I think that coming home will do you a world of good." Valentina murmured, giving him a small smile as he said that he had come to enjoy life once again. "You'll always hurt. How could you not hurt? But it doesn't mean that you can't live."

 

[KieranSoares]

"When did you get to be so wise?" Warwick asked with a little smile. "Or is that just another Ghis trait you got from your mother?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"No, this all came from Papa." Valentina said with a grin, chuckling as Warwick showed her his sense of humor. "It's good to hear you so lighthearted. You have no idea how worried we were for you after Mummy died."

 

[KieranSoares]

"She would've had my hide for letting myself fall into that state. But she might forgive me now." Warwick looked up as Alex shifted against Valentina. "She would've loved him. She had really looked forward to seeing you all have your own families."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm sure she's still around in her own way." Valentina said with a small smile. "Surely you still feel her from time to time."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Ah, I'm sure she's gotten sick of waiting for me. Probably went gallivanting off to find Marius and some old friends." Warwick rose slowly, leaning on his cane for a moment. "Speaking of. I have some people to bother while you make sure that little one wakes up enough to actually remember me come tomorrow." He smiled down at Alex once more before making his way out. His step was a bit stiff at first, but that was normal.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Have a good visit, Da." Valentina murmured, perfectly content to sit with Alex in front of the fire as he slumbered. "And I'll make sure that he's much better tomorrow."

 

[KieranSoares]

Eventually Alex woke again, looking at least a little more alert as he lifted his head and glanced around through half-length eyes. "How long have I been asleep?" He asked softly, looking toward Warwick's now-empty chair.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Awhile." Valentina said, brushing his hair back from his forehead. "You needed it. I'm glad that you could nap while I sat here and enjoyed just being with you."

 

[KieranSoares]

Alex looked up at her and settled against her once more, trying to wake up properly. "When is the wedding?" He asked softly, knowing it'd been postponed a few times by now.

 

[heartofcourage]

"When you feel better. I can't get married without you standing beside your Da." Valentina said with a soft smile. "When you truly feel better too, bambino. I know you say you do to make me feel better, but you are a horrible liar."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You shouldn't have to wait for me," Alex insisted softly. "And then we can all move to the new house Da is building."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I want to wait for you." Valentina explained as Alex tried to be far more grown than his years. "And your Da is working hard but it will still be some time before the house is finished. We'll marry and then stay here at the keep a while before we move to the woods."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I just don't want to hold things up and keep you from being happy..." Alex nearly whispered. Where such sentiment had come from, it wasn't clear. Alex was always trying not to be a burden, but he didn't seem to believe that he didn't have to go out of his way to ensure other people didn't have to go out of theirs.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Alexander." Valentina said, scolding slightly as she leaned in and kissed his forehead. "You will never, ever be a burden to me. Do you understand that?"

 

[KieranSoares]

Alex was quiet as she insisted he was not a burden, and he only nodded slightly before tucking his head against her neck.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You make me very happy and I want you there to share in my happy moment." Valentina said as he tucked his head against her throat. "Your Da wants you there to stand up beside him as well. Nonna has put a lot of work into planning this wedding, but it can be done at any time in any place."

 

[KieranSoares]

Alex wanted to insist once more that they shouldn't have to wait, but he kept quiet and simply enjoying being in Valentina's arms and listening to her talk. Now that he was awake enough to comprehend it all, he was glad for it.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Your grandpa wants to spend tomorrow with you. I'm sure that he'll get up to all kinds of trouble with you." Valentina murmured, looking down at him with a grin again. "Think you'll feel up to spending the day with him?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"I want to, but don't I have to catch up on my studies?" He asked softly, looking up at her. He was always overly dedicated to his education. He'd taken to heart the fact that most people simply didn't get a proper education, and he intended to make the most of his so he could help his mother in her work as soon as possible.

 

[heartofcourage]

"The only thing you have to catch up on right now, bambino, is time with your grandfather." Valentina said, kissing his brow. "And we will have some time to finish planning this wedding and then we will all live happily ever after. Does that sound like a good plan?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"That's a fairytale ending, Mama," Alex murmured. "Life goes on after 'happily ever after,' even I know that." He didn't hesitate to curl even closer, though. His happily ever after would be to stay and work with her.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Since when did you stop believing in fairy tales?" Valentina asked as she cuddled him closer. "Never let anyone tell you that they aren't true."

 

[KieranSoares]

"It's not that I don't believe in them," Alex insisted. "It's just that I know stories don't end when you get your wish. I don't understand why all the stories in books end there, but the tribal stories go on after that. Just because the princess gets to marry her love doesn't mean her life ends there. She gets to go on and meet more people and have a family, and she gets old and gets to be a grandmother and more. That's a real happy ending."