To Capture a Captain's Heart (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"Thank you, Ash." Kayla said softly, taking Ashleigh as she was passed into her arms. "I'll watch over her for you. Don't worry."

She kissed Ash's cheek before she pressed her nose against Ashleigh's hair, breathing in the sweet smell of the little girl. She adored her nieces and nephews and doted on them as much as she possibly could. It didn't matter that she had a kingdom to run. She was going to sit in her garden with her little niece, enjoying the sunlight.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kayla was able to enjoy quite some time alone before Skoll came out to see her, but he was quiet and simply curled up at her feet. Hrolf was probably out with Christopher and Ashien as the smaller hound never let Christopher leave the keep alone.

"Milady?" A serving woman's voice asked quietly after a long silence, as if afraid to disturb Kayla. "Letters for you, from Kiev and Novgorod."

 

[heartofcourage]

Ashleigh whimpered as the serving woman spoke, her tiny face crinkling as Kayla drew her a little closer. Patting the baby's back, she glanced at the woman with a slight nod.

"Thank you. Please just leave the letters on the bench I will deal with them in a few moments." Kayla said softly as Ashleigh fussed against her aunt's neck and shoulder.

Kayla crooned to the baby, whispering soft words in Norwegian and English, settling her back to sleep. Kissing Ashleigh's forehead, she placed her safely on the bench beside her in her blankets and picked up both letters. She decided to open the one from Kiev first.

 

[KieranSoares]

From Kiev came a letter directly from Monomakh, apologizing and encouraging Kayla's neutrality. It was short and to the point, telling her that the Prince of Novgorod was trying to take the throne with fear and long-past customs and ignoring the will of the common people. Monomakh didn't say much about his own right to the throne, only about the importance of the people's choice even if it wasn't Monomakh himself.

The letter from Novgorod was written by an advisor to the Prince, letting Kayla know that the Prince would be at the port of Trondheim in exactly one month from the letter's estimated arrival. It said little about what the Prince wanted to discuss, or why he was so focused on the Triad and getting them to deny any recognition of Monomakh as Grand Prince. However, the advisor did mention that the Prince would be bringing a heavy guard, and that they would not disarm when entering Trondheim.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kayla knew what she would do. Making no comment was just as powerful as taking a stance. She tucked the letter away in her pocket and scooped Ashleigh up into her arms.

"Come on, little love." Kayla murmured against the little girl's hair. "I'm going to spoil you rotten until your Da comes home."

 

[KieranSoares]

After a few precious hours with her niece and no one bothering them, Christopher and Ashien returned to the castle. Christopher looked at least a bit more relaxed, and Ashien was glad to return to find his daughter happily curled up with Kayla, and Burke quite the same with Dylandra.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kayla had spoiled her niece, the little girl happily cooing at her aunt as Kayla entertained her with a bauble from the Crown Jewels. The little girl kicked and squirmed at her aunt, moving in unsure motions as she swatted at the blue sapphire.

"You're going to enjoy jewels, little one. Make your Da pay for all those sins he's committed." Kayla cooed, grinning at her brother and her husband as they stepped into the bedroom. "I've convinced her to demand all of the expensive things in life."

 

[KieranSoares]

Christopher was the first to approach, smiling down at Ashleigh and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "And your Uncle Chris is going to make sure to send you pretty things so your Da has to compete with me," he promised the girl, and was rewarded with a little giggle at all the attention the girl was receiving.

"I won't compete, I'll just catch everything you send and pretend it's from me," Ashien told Christopher with a smirk.

 

[heartofcourage]

The baby was bright eyed, glancing as best as she could towards the sound of her father's voice. It was clear that she loved her Da and Kayla was all too happy to let Ashien scoop his daughter up. Ashleigh let out a content sigh as she buried her face against his throat.

"She loves you, Ash." She said with a grin, watching her brother with a sense of pride.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I can only hope so," Ashien murmured, pressing a kiss to the infant's soft hair. "She may never know it, but I'm fairly certain she saved me, even before she was born. Between Ashleigh and Burke... I think I've managed to heal quite a bit."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm proud of you, Ash." Kayla said with a warm smile as Ashien confessed that Burke and Ashleigh had helped to save him after his horrible experience during the war. "I can see the love and pride you have when you hold her."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You should've seen me the morning I first held her. Dylandra could hardly console me," Ashien chuckled. "Burke appeared while I was away, and Dylandra had loved him almost immediately... and I think it was after Ashleigh was born than he and I found real common ground, loving Ashleigh and Dylandra and wanting to do anything we could for them. I think Ashleigh saved him too, in a way."

 

[heartofcourage]

"What is Burke's story? Where did he come from?" Kayla asked as she watched Ashleigh stretch and yawn in Ashien's arms, her little fingers gripping his vest in a familiar way.

 

[KieranSoares]

"The short version is that he was a runaway orphan," Ashien told her with a sigh. "The long... the poor lad's father died fighting for King Henry in Normandy, and when his mother found out, she threw herself into the Thames while Burke was asleep. He ended up in a workhouse instead of an orphanage, and he ran away after too many nights going to bed hungry, the older children having beaten him up and stolen his dinner. He ended up on the other side of London. Apparently he saw Kiva driving a wagon with supplies for the kitchen, and he followed. Kiva caught him trying to climb into the wagon to take some vegetables, so he brought Burke to Dylandra. She decided to let him stay until I got home at the very least. But by then, she was in love with him. There was no way I was going to send him away, especially not with how sweet he was to her, and how helpful he tries to be to Van and I."

 

[heartofcourage]

"He seems like a good lad. Perhaps I'll have to spoil him next." Kayla said with a smile as Ashien told them story of how Burke had come to them from a brutal work house in London. "Well, now the two of you can give him the life that he only dreamed of before. It's sweet that he wants to help with Ashleigh. Perhaps the two of them will have the kind of bond that we had with our brothers and sister."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Good luck getting Burke away from us. We're still having trouble convincing him that he won't be sent away the moment he does something wrong or leaves our sides," Ashien shook his head with a small smile at the thought of the poor sweet boy.

 

[heartofcourage]

"He's just scared, Ash. Give him time and he'll forget all about that part of his life." Kayla swore as he mentioned that Burke was scared of doing something wrong. "And simply let him be a little boy. Let him pick on his baby sister and get into mischief."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You talk like I'm trying to stop him from being a little boy," Ashien chuckled and shook his head. "We try to help him, but he's so much like Durban used to be. I think I might have him spend a little time with Durban, in fact."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I never said that you weren't letting him be a little boy. Maybe spending time with Durban would do him some good. He can convince him to not be so serious." Kayla said with a grin as Ashleigh cooed and nuzzled against her Da.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ashien looked down at Ashleigh with a soft smile. "Why don't we go see Ma, lovely?" He pressed a kiss to Kayla's cheek before stepping out.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kayla smiled as she watched Ash carefully cradle his daughter and walk out of the room. She could see how much he loved that baby and how brightly he smiled when he looked down at her fair features.

"I don't think I've ever seen him more in love." Kayla said as she turned to look at Christopher. "And how are you, love?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know you sent your brother to come make sure I'm alright," Christopher told her with a soft smile. "And I appreciate it. I feel a little better after talking with him."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I have my own motives, love." Kayla said as he smiled at her and told her that the talk with Ashien had helped. "I know I'm not the only one hurting because of this and I needed to know that you were alright too. Everyone is so focused on me."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Seeing you happy with your family certainly helps," Christopher assured her. "Though I think it's safe to say neither of us will completely get over what happened.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Nor should we. We lost something precious." Kayla said as she hugged her husband tightly and pressed her cheek against his shoulder. "I have hope that the future will be brighter though. If Ashien can find a little boy to give a home, then I suppose we can if our wish never comes true. I wasn't sure that I would be alright with that thought, but I am."