Of the Fells

[KieranSoares]

"Only for you," Aleister promised her as he settled with a content sigh.

Come morning, the keep was a little busier than usual. Kitty was getting the final preparations in place for the wedding, giving directions from her seat in the main hall while she knitted calmly as if she weren't in the center of controlled chaos.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You look as calm as can be." Valentina murmured as she sat down beside her mother and kissed her cheek gently. "Papa already took care of all my patients, so I have nothing to do but sit around the keep and be lazy. Theo left to check on our cabin and Alex is still sleeping."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Good. That means you and I have some time to chat." Kissing her youngest child's forehead, Kitty smiled despite a little melancholy. "When you were just a little thing, I was so sure I'd never get to see what you made of your life. I was sure you'd choose to stay in Italy permanently when you were old enough, and I'd never get to see your wedding or your family."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Ma." Valentina said softly, taking her mother's hand and squeezing it. "Ashelin and Warwick always made sure to let me know who my Ma was and why she had to give me up. Plus I always knew that Papa's heart was here. Without him in Venice, I wouldn't have stayed."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Ashelin always insisted you knew about me, even though I tried to tell her she shouldn't. I didn't have much to hope for in those days. Durban and Selena were becoming unreachable, Brogan was still so small, Boar was angry... And the twins just wanted their Papa." Kitty kissed Valentina's forehead and drew her closer. "And even though they didn't know much about you then... They still cared. It seemed every year around your birthday they'd ask about you, ask me to finally tell them what had happened and where you had gone. Brogan was the first to figure out where you were, and he's loved you dearly ever since."

 

[heartofcourage]

"When I gave Boar his stuffed boar back for his birthday last year, I thought he might fall apart." Valentina said with a soft smile as her Ma held her tightly. "Ashelin always told me that I couldn't give up any hope. If we had hope that things would be alright, they would be. I think she knew she was sick back then too and didn't want to tell anyone just how serious it really was."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I only wish she and Ciaran could be here for this. They wanted nothing more than to see you happy." They had also desperately wanted to see Kitty happy, but neither had lived to see her marry Vincenzo.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Da's here now and that's good enough for the both of them, I'm sure." Valentina said with a smile, very happy that Warwick was there with them for this occasion.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Speaking of which, I believe we'll be ready any time to have the wedding. It's just up to you and Theo what day," Kitty smiled. "I know Alex is still a little unsteady so I wouldn't want to push him."

 

[heartofcourage]

"We can see if next weekend will work. It should be easy to tell if he has the strength or not." Valentina said as she relaxed next to her Ma. "Don't mention him the date though, Ma. He will push himself to get better and if he isn't feeling up to it, I would rather not break his heart."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm so glad he chose you," Kitty said softly with a smile to her youngest daughter. "I know Durban and Marri would've taken good care of him, or we'd have found a proper home for him. But I think you two needed each other, even if you were both petrified of the future for your own reasons. Add Theo into the mix and you're a fine little family."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I feel too young to have a son and too old to take care of him all at once." Valentina said with a soft laugh. "But I do love him deeply. He's a good boy who tries his hardest to do things to the best of his abilities."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Sometimes he tries too hard for his own good. Not unlike you. You're getting a little taste of what your father and Ashelin and Warwick used to have to deal with."

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina smiled as her Ma mentioned what she put her father and the others through. Kitty had never once showed bitterness towards the situation that had allowed Valentina to be born while she was still married to Tamblin. She was graceful in everything and Valentina always felt as if she had a lot to live up to.

"I love you, Ma." She said as she leaned in and kissed her mother's cheek.

 

[KieranSoares]

"And I love you, little lass," Kitty murmured. It wasn't long before a little commotion arose off to one side as a group of Lunars entered, likely members of the Gol Dun that were settling in the eastern wood. They'd just arrived recently so it was still quite a culture shock for the Invernessians to see some many werefolk at once. But it was all part of the usual Keep's goings-on, and Kitty rose to greet them and see what they needed. She had a fairly strong handle on Lunar thanks to listening to Ghell teach Selena when she was young.

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina watched her Ma go to greet the newcomers and she chuckled. She was always the graceful queen, welcoming everyone to her adopted home even though Julia had long ago taken that mantel. There was a lot to learn from her mother and she would have to keep learning from her for the rest of her days.

 

[KieranSoares]

When Alex woke, he was still in a bit of a haze and he only wanted to lay around. When Valentina went looking for him, she would find that he'd made his way to the library and he was curled up at one end of a sofa looking at one of Annie's books that was half illustration and half story.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Feeling better, bambino?" Valentina asked softly as she lifted him into her lap and cuddled him close. "Are you hungry? We need to start eating more to get your strength up. I want you to meet Warwick soon."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Still tired," he murmured, struggling not to simply drift off in her arms once he was comfortable. "I haven't really been hungry..." Valentina had seen the same of several patients in Ireland after their brush with the plague. It was due in part to the painkilling herbs and the pain of swallowing which usually sapped any appetite they might've had.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Would you try for me?" Valentina asked as he insisted that he wasn't hungry. "Just a little bit of soft pasta. Then I won't bother you until dinner. We can sit and read and enjoy the day together."

She was determined to be a mother and not let work interfere when her son needed her. There were other healers that could take up the slack if she took a day or two.

 

[KieranSoares]

Alex nodded at her suggestion of food, but when she offered to stay with him all day, he looked up. "But you have things to do. I'm okay, I promise." Though he did often cling to Valentina, Alex had always done his best since he understood her profession to stay out of the way.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Nope. You get me all day long, bambino." Valentina said softly as she picked Alex up and took him towards the kitchens.

She settled him next to the fire, leaving him for a moment with a kiss to the forehead. She watched him over her shoulder as Chessie gave her free reign to cook for her son.

 

[KieranSoares]

Alex sat quietly, trying to stay awake despite the long rest he'd already had. When Vincenzo entered, he looked to Alex with some measure of concern, knowing the strong medicine was rough on the little boy. Vincenzo quietly came to join Valentina's side, pressing a kiss to her cheek before he opened up a cupboard where Chessie stored a few cooking herbs and spices. Cinnamon could be a rare commodity in their part of the world, but Vincenzo kept it around for tea along with a few other things.

 

[heartofcourage]

"A heaping bowl of pasta always does the trick." Valentina said with a smile towards her father as he rummaged around for spices. "And maybe a little less on the herbs. I think it's time for our bambino to wake up."

She glanced over at Alex as he tried his hardest to stay awake. "Rest your head, love. I'll wake you when it's finished."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Agreed," Vincenzo nodded, switching to Italian as Alex curled up in his seat. "I didn't expect them to effect him so much. Then again, I suppose I should have. His immune system isn't as developed as most children his age. At least he still has time to catch up."