The Lady of Skye (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"Don' call me 'love,'" he growled quietly, letting his head lean slowly back against the wall with his eyes closed, wishing the light and the noise around him, however little, away. He was in no mood or condition to fight with Kitty.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'll never stop, love." She said softly as he growled at her. "No matter what you do to me, I'll never stop loving you. I know you are a good and decent man. Sooner or later I'll make you see that too."

Kitty was a stubborn woman who loved abundently, even when her husband treated her horribly. She knew he was scared of himself and she would work even harder to make him see that he was well deserving.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Dammit, woman, jus' leave me th'bloody hell alone," he grunted miserably without opening his eyes. He was too hung over to care about her impassioned words. Even if he did care, he'd either lost or purposely gotten rid of his own capacity to show it.

 

[heartofcourage]

"No." Kitty said simply, staring at her husband and standing her ground. "I'm not leaving you alone, Tamblin. You can quit acting like a petulent child and act like the grown man that I know you are. You have a family and you have obligations to your kingdom. Do you not see that these men you keep around are driving people away? Can you not see how terrified your children are of you?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"Oliver an' 'is sort are th'only loyal men I 'ave left," Tamblin snapped at her, opening up his blazing dark eyes. However, he didn't address her mention of the children. "Now bloody walk away b'fore we 'ave a repeat o' last week." The way he glared at her told her he wasn't afraid to hurt her again.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kitty stared down at her husband for a long moment in silence. She knew he would make good on his threat and she let out a long breath before she turned to walk away. She paused only a few short steps away and looked at him over her shoulder.

"I would never leave the kingdom in the hands of those men you think are so loyal. Especially when you are drunk. Think about what happened to Wick. It'll happen here too. They'll kill your children without a thought. Do you really think that Durban and Brogan can defend themselves from someone like Oliver?" Kitty asked him, shaking her head as she took in his sorry state.

"I'm taking the children with me today to the loch. ALL of the children. You're welcome to join us once you pull yourself together." With that, she turned and was gone.

 

[KieranSoares]

Tamblin did eventually come out, but only for Durban. The family was sitting along the shore, Ashelin and Ghell and Warwick helping Kitty to keep the children occupied and whatnot. Tamblin appeared in silence and Durban and Selena went to him right away. Tamblin seemed to only tolerate Selena now, letting her sit beside him until she returned to Kitty. But it seemed Tamblin was inadvertently driving some sort of wedge into the family. He was only interested in his firstborn son for now, and Durban was too young to understand what it meant when Tamblin only gave him attention rather than his siblings.

While they were out, a serving man came to deliver letters to Tamblin and Kitty. Tamblin had several while Kitty received only one and it was from Seamus letting her know he'd made it safely into England. He asked how she and the children and her friends were, and if Tamblin had come to his senses

 

[heartofcourage]

Kitty read over the letter as Ashelin and Warwick decided to take the children on a little walk in the woods. It would leave her alone with her husband and Brogan as the little boy was slumbering on the blanket beside her. Ghell would stay because of that and she knew that he was afraid that Tamblin might do something to the infant.

Carefully she folded up her letter and tucked it into her pocket before she looked over at her husband as he went through each and every letter so carefully. He was a meticulous man and full of so much anger and hurt that it made her heart ache.

"Do you wish to divorce me, Tamblin?" Kitty asked him in a soft voice. "You can set me aside for someone that might make you happy."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I don' divorce," Tamblin grunted. It was not only a highly frowned-upon idea, but Tamblin was also very possessive. Even if he truly believed Kitty was unfaithful and he'd be better off without her, he also knew that he needed her for Durban's sake and to keep the common people who loved her. "'Sides, I don' have time t'dance around lookin' fer some stupid romance."

 

[heartofcourage]

She was quiet again as he told her that he wouldn't divorce. She looked out over the loch, thinking over her next words very carefully.

"What if I need romance?" She asked him softly, her eyes turning towards her brute of a husband. "What if I need that in my life and the only person I want it from is the person that hurts me? How will this work, Tamblin?"

"As much as you hate the idea of show affection, I know that part of you can. We had a few beautiful months before Brogan was born. All of that is gone because of a stupid decision I made. What do you need from me to show you that I'm truly sorry for not telling you about the herbs?" Kitty was desperate to reach her husband and to make him see that she was the only one there for him.

"I'm scared, love. Truly scared."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Yer still harpin' on about the herbs?" He growled at her quite viciously. "I could've lived with tha' even if it did hurt." He still truly believed she'd been unfaithful and that the herbs were not to prevent her having his child, but Seamus' child.

 

[heartofcourage]

"What do I have to do to convince you that you are the only man that I've EVER been with?" Kitty asked him, surprised by his viciousness. "Because I think you know the answer to that question already, Tamblin."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know nothin' of th'sort," he snapped. His manner told her that he was telling his own truth. He was truly wounded and it seemed he'd lost all thought to believe her over anyone else. It just seemed like there were too many rumors from Oliver's men and some of the nastier folk around Inverness for it not to have been true at least once. Ghell, Seamus, and Marius had always been in danger of being accused her lovers, and now one was dead, another banished again from his home, and the last remained close by keeping a close eye on Tamblin, ready if the king lost his temper completely. He could fight Tamblin one-on-one, but not with Oliver's men around, but he wasn't afraid to fight regardless of the circumstances when it came to the woman and the infant before him.

"Listen t'me, Kitty," Tamblin growled darkly. "Except fer bein' my wife an' the mother t'my children, yer nothin' t'me. So you jus' live yer life an' do yer job an' I'll do th'same. Y'want romance? Hell if I care anymore 'bout who y'sleep with. Sleep with th'beggars on th'street fer all I care, but if y'ever have anyone's children but mine, I'll bloody kill ya. Tha's my only limit now after ye've crossed th'line so many times." He rose then, stiff as he was from his ruined leg and lack of sleep and overall pain from always being so tense and stressed. As he walked away, Brogan let out a quiet sob, having been terrified by his father's hateful tone but having kept quiet until he was gone. Ghell scooped up the boy to comfort him, and silently looked to Kitty with deep concern.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kitty sat there with a stoic look upon her face as Tamblin savagely told her that she was nothing to him. Inside, her heart was tearing in two. That young woman who had wanted so much from her life in Inverness suddenly found herself with nothing. The same look was on her face as Tamblin stormed away and Ghell comforted Brogan.

"Excuse me, Ghell." She said softly as she stood from her spot and walked away down the loch.

She needed to be alone. She needed to be away from Inverness. She couldn't help the tears that fell as she walked away from the wolf that protected her, the aching in her chest becoming so overwhelming that she swore she might die right then and there. Time continued, however. No matter how cruel it was to her, time continued to move past her.

 

[KieranSoares]

Years passed Kitty by in her prison that was Inverness. As beautiful a place it was, it would remain a prison as long as Tamblin ruled it. Within nine months of Tamblin's assault, Kitty gave birth to a stocky boy named Lynndon Oswin, named for two Scottish heroes of legend, but everyone began calling him Boar after he went with his father on his first hunt and fell in love with the sport. However, except for birthdays and rare good moods, Tamblin paid no mind to his children except for Durban, whom he was trying to turn into the perfect, warlike heir. By the time Boar's fifth birthday had passed, Selena had completely iced over toward her father. Even though she had been too young to truly remember, she still knew deep down that he'd betrayed her love and she instead clung to Ghell as a father and he gave her all the love a father possibly could, to the point that she called him Da when Tamblin wasn't around. She knew not to do it in his presence. Under Tamblin, Selena and Durban had matured far too quickly and weren't allowed to be children. Brogan, smaller than even his younger brother, was especially ignored and it broke his little heart because, despite how afraid he was, he only wanted to love and be loved by his cruel father. Boar was far more angry about it and constantly demanded to know why Tamblin hated him, going so far as to demand an answer of Tamblin himself which had gotten the boy a broken arm once and always left him with bruises when he gathered any courage against the man.

Now, more than five years later, Kitty was pregnant again. Six months prior, the shipment of pregnancy-preventing herbs had not come in for an entire month and Tamblin had had a week-long good mood and wanted Kitty's company. Now carrying another baby, or twins if Ashelin was correct, Kitty was in some danger. The night of Boar's birth, she'd nearly died of blood loss and a fever that had plagued her half of her pregnancy. She had been losing strength little by little over the past years with some good spells and bad here and there. Ghell, Ashelin, and Warwick eased her way by letting her have plenty of rest, but the truth was that she had been struck by some slow, debilitating disease and this next birth would surely kill her if not specially dealt with.

Tamblin had dragged his feet for the first month of her pregnancy, but when he actually learned she was expecting- having not been around enough or sober enough to notice- he tried to contact Selma and Saano. They were both in China and could not be reached and wouldn't be back anytime soon. Even if they rushed, they'd never make it back in good enough time to help. So, Tamblin found some of the best doctors and tribal healers in the isles, but none could cure the disease, only treat it and slow it down. Now, six months in, Tamblin proved that he genuinely still cared about Kitty's life by looking to the rest of Europe for help. A reply came all the way from the Vatican City from an Italian traditional healer who was known for having saved Italian and Vatican nobility and even treated the Pope himself and saved him from a deadly fever. This healer and doctor, Vincenzo Ambrose, welcomed Tamblin to send Kitty to his home in Venice. As long as Tamblin paid for travel costs, Vincenzo offered to treat Kitty free of any other charge. He was known for being a man who asked for room and board and food while he worked his craft, rather than money, and was a fairly humble but incredibly skilled and intelligent fellow. Tamblin accepted and sent Kitty on her way. The children couldn't go on such a journey, so Kitty was going alone. She would be escorted by one of Oliver's men who was on his way to the Vatican, but he wouldn't trouble her while she was in Venice.

The day they arrived in Venice, the cloaked man drove the carriage out into the countryside to a medium stone cottage near the sea cliffs on the island that overlooked the city and the Adriatic Sea to one side, and then a beautiful vast orchard and a vineyard to the other. Outside was a hanging sign along the wooden fence that surrounded a front garden and a stone path. On that sign was written Dottore - Erborista - Ambrose.

The cloaked man stepped down from the carriage driver seat and opened up the carriage door for Kitty, offering a hand to help her step out. He'd proven to be at least a gentleman in their long travels, not cruel or sneering like Oliver. He seemed to view his job as necessary for a living, but he was not out for power like his master. "Milady," he murmured.

The front door of the cottage opened and out stepped a tall, lean man dressed in a long brown jacket over a white tunic and dark riding breeches and knee-high brown leather boots. He had a tobacco pipe in hand and his long jet-black hair was tied back in a tight ponytail, a trimmed and nicely-edged goatee framing his kind smile. "Ah, mia regina. Benvenuto." He welcomed her as she stepped out. "Welcome, your ladyship," he said when he came to stand before her and bowed his head. He shook the cloaked man's hand and thanked him for bringing Kitty. "I imagine you both must be exhausted. Please. Come in,"

"I can't," her escort muttered. "I have a firm date to reach the Vatican. I'll be on my way if everything's in order." He pulled Kitty's luggage from the top of the carriage.

"Well, suit yourself, sir. No need to carry those in, I can manage that. Can I give you anything for your trouble?"

"Whiskey'd about do me."

"How about a strong red wine?"

"That'd be just about great," the tried man sighed.

"On your way through town, stop by the Achillo Vintner's shop, tell them Vincenzo sent you. They'll set you up and I'll pay for it next I'm there."

"Alright. Best of luck. Milady," the man bowed his head and was off.

 

[heartofcourage]

Long gone was the girl from Skye that laughed easily and smiled to everyone. She had been replaced by a shell of her former self, one that was lonely and broken. The depression that Kitty had fallen into was deep and wide, a world that was incredibly cold save for the sunny bright spot that was filled with her children.

She lived for them. She did absolutely everything for them. On especially dark nights when Tamblin was deep into his cups, she would bring them all into her bed, snuggling with them and telling them stories from Skye while their father raged in the keep outside. Durban, Selena, and Cole were old enough to know that Tamblin was a cruel man. Boar, Brogan, and Ciaran were still young enough that they didn't have a grasp on him just yet.

Her illness had begun with a cough that wouldn't go away. It was accompanied by a weariness that settled into her bones and would take her away from the outside world for days at a time. Some in Inverness thought that Tamblin was poisoning his wife little by little. She did nothing to dispel the rumor until he had demanded that she make appearances to show them that she was truly alive and somewhat healthy.

Then came the news that she had dreaded. She was with child again. She had hoped that perhaps it could be prevented. Another child would surely kill her and she couldn't leave her babies alone. They wouldn't survive with Tamblin as their sole parent. Everything had come to a head one morning when she rose from bed to dress for breakfast, only to find herself on the floor of her room, Brogan screaming to Ghell that she wouldn't wake up. It was the beginning of the end, she thought to herself. She would die very soon. She had thought she had made peace with the idea, but she was secretly scared to death.

Italy had seemed so far away when Tamblin had told her that she was going. She had argued with him, begging him to let her take at least Brogan and Boar with her, but she had been denied. They were to stay in Inverness. Her heart had broken all over again that morning that she had to kiss them all goodbye, not knowing if she would ever see them again. Each was left with a small reminder of her, however.

She gave Durban her book of pictures from Skye, the one that his grandfather had given her so many years ago. Selena was left with her Skye shell, the little girl sobbing uncontrollably as she placed it around her neck. She gave Ciaran and Cole the miniature of their mother and father that she had saved until they were a little bit older. She left Brogan with a blanket she had made for him, one that was soft and warm and smelled like her favorite perfume. Then there was Boar. She worried about him the most out of all of them. He was so full of anger and pain, never knowing a time when his father had really loved him.

"Listen to me, Lynndon." She whispered softly to the little boy as the carriage was loaded and Ghell, Ashelin and Warwick stood by with the other children. "I need you to be a good boy while I'm gone. Watch over everyone for me and make sure that they stay safe, alright?"

Really, she was asking him to stay with the others to make sure that he stayed safe. Tamblin had been especially hateful towards him as he seemed to be able to speak his mind more than any of the other children. From her pocket she pulled out a tiny stuffed boar, one that had been made especially for him and she placed it into his little hands.

"And keep this wee beastie safe for me, alright?" She asked him, giving him a smile as she kissed his cheek gently. "Your Ma will always love you. No matter what."

Her thoughts were broken as the carriage came to a stop and her guard helped her down from her seat. She was exhausted, her skin pale, and her clothing rumpled from the journey. The man that appeared at the door seemed kind enough, greeting her before the man that had brought her bowed and headed off on his way.

"Signore Ambrose." Kitty said softly, her hand pressing against her swollen belly as the baby within tumbled violently. "Thank you very much for inviting me here."

 

[KieranSoares]

It was easy to see that Kitty was with child and Vincenzo seemed a bit surprised. "Forgive my shock, milady. The king's letter hadn't mentioned you were expecting. But that's alright. We'll be just fine." He tapped the ashes from his pipe onto the ground and tucked it away. "I meant to quit smoking anyhow. Now's a fine time." he picked up the two large cases she'd brought and led her toward his small home. "Now... tell me what it is you've been experiencing. The king was... vague, to say the least. All he really mentioned was that he believed my friend Selma would be one of the few people skilled enough to treat your illness." He opened up the door for her, showing her into a beautifully-kept and cozy den with a connected kitchen and dining area, and three doors to the back wall leading to a washroom and two bedrooms.

 

[heartofcourage]

"My husband is a man of very few words." Kitty said softly as she watched Vincenzo tap the ashes from his pipe, declaring that he would be quitting. "It doesn't surprise me that he failed to mention that I was with child."

She followed him into his little home, looking around at the surroundings. It was beautiful here. She wished that the children could have come with her to see it all. Selena especially would have loved the wide open spaces and the sea.

"I suppose it all started when I had my last child. Nearly five years ago. There was a cough that wouldn't go away and I had fevers most of the time while I was carrying him. I nearly died with his birth. With all of my sons' births, actually." Kitty said as she took a seat in one of his chairs with a long, tired sigh. "I have no energy. My bones ache. I pass out from time to time. Signore, I fear that even you might not be able to solve this problem of mine."

 

[KieranSoares]

"If there's anyone I will never give up on, it's a mother," Vincenzo assured her softly. He set her suitcases aside and took the seat next to her. "This is my passion, signora, my life's work is to solve these problems. If there is a cure, I will find it. If not, I will still see you to a ripe old age with as little pain as can be managed." He reached out to take her hand, noting how it seemed a bit bony and her skin was far too pale. "I will make your time here as relaxing as I possibly can, and I'll make sure you return home in far better health. It could take some time, and I don't imagine you'll be going home alone..." He knew she wouldn't be able to take such a journey again until after she gave birth, and the infants would need a little while before they could make it too.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I wish my children could have come with me. It would have made this time a little less lonely." Kitty said with the honest truth as he took her hand and held it gently.

It had been a long time since someone had held her hand the way that he was. Tamblin had long ago quit caring. True to her word, she had never once taken another man to her bed, even though Tamblin still accused her of doing so from time to time.

"There is one thing that I would like to ask of you, Signore. Do you think it is possible to get a letter to France? My brother-in-law lives there and I would love to see him again one more time." Kitty said softly, needing to say her goodbyes to the people in her life that meant the most in case these were her last days.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Of course, my dear lady. I'll do everything I can to see he makes it here should he need the help. Write your letter tonight and we'll send it off tomorrow in town. Until then, is there anything I can get you? I'd like you to rest and relax for today after such a long journey."

 

[heartofcourage]

"No. Thank you." Kitty said softly as she propped her aching feet up on the ottoman before her, relaxing with a long sigh.

She was incredibly weary and missing her children. She wanted them all there with her, especially Brogan. He was still her sweet baby, even though Boar had long ago taking his place as the youngest. Being so small, she had a special place in her heart for him and she hoped that he wasn't missing her too much.

She couldn't help the tears that came. They were tears of loneliness and despair. She was so afraid of what her future held and even more afraid of leaving her babies all alone with the father that despised them.

 

[KieranSoares]

Vincenzo fetched a kerchief for her, returning to her side to dry her eyes. "I hope you know, Lady Katherine, that I am more than just a healer, and healing is not physical alone. I'm here to listen too." He knew it might take time for them to build trust especially considering whom she was married to, but he wanted it to be clear that he would be a friend, not just a host and a doctor.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kitty kept crying as he returned to dry her tears, sniffling as he told her that he was there to listen if she needed. She shook her head slightly, unable to admit to him that her husband was an abusive drunk who hated their children save for Durban.

"They're just babies and he wouldn't let them come." She said in a miserable tone. "They're my life, though. He knew by keeping them in Inverness that I would have to go back once I'm better. He knows how much they mean to me."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I've heard about his rampaging... nothing very detailed, but enough to understand that you have suffered since he went mad. Yet I understand you have still supported him and served his people. If nothing else... would you tell me why you haven't turned against him?" It was an honest question that Ashelin, Warwick, Ghell, and even little Boar had asked her in his own way.