Absolution (closed)

[KieranSoares]

Once they reached the market, the farmers unpacked their goods and had breakfast, giving Selena a portion as well as a rough map to lead her to Edinburgh via landmarks along the roads.

 

[heartofcourage]

Selena looked over the map and thanked them for their generosity in both guiding her and feeding her on the way. While she wanted to stay around the city even longer, she knew that she was in danger. If Ghell were alright and able, he would come to Edinburgh to find her. After a short rest for both her and Fell, she saddled up again and took the map to find the way.

 

[KieranSoares]

Selena's journey took about a week at a fair speed, but she never came across another of Oliver's men. The worst she met with were some apparent highwaymen who followed her a while, but saw she was armed and didn't have much and left her be.

Edinburgh came looming in the distance on the seventh morning, a huge walled city with tall buildings and sprawling outlying villages, bright and dangerous as Selena had heard. No one paid her any mind as she approached, every person going about their own business as per usual. The town gates were open, checkpoints set up by the city watch. They simply cataloged who entered, looked at some goods of wagons, and searched suspicious figures. When Selena approached, the watch officer holding a ledger stepped up. "Your name and your business, please," he muttered mechanically, clearly bored of his job.

 

[heartofcourage]

Selena was exhausted by the time she reached Edinburgh, Fell not much better. They were ragged, mud splattered, tattered, but she had made the long journey. Her eyes were also slightly dulled, the realization that Ghell probably hadn't made it out of the chase unscathed sinking in the further she went on her journey.

"Selena Ghis." She said softly. "I'm here to see King Brian."

 

[KieranSoares]

The officer glanced up in surprise, but also suspicion. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "Can you prove your identity, miss? I'll be happy to send you with an escort if you can."

 

[heartofcourage]

Selena thought back on everything that she had, including her Skye shell and any other thing that might be packed into her satchel. "I'm not sure."

She dismounted and started to dig, near to tears when the first two bags proved fruitless. In the last saddle bag, she found a small Ghis crest tucked into the outside pocket. Turning, she offered it to the guard and prayed that it would be enough.

 

[KieranSoares]

The watch captain examined the crest closely, turning it around in his hands and searching for imperfections that would render it a fake. Unable to find a flaw, he handed it back. "I'll have a couple riders escort you to the palace and the queen will identify you before you're brought to the king." He called over two men who fetched horses and led Selena inside the huge walls. Almost immediately, Selena saw more people on the main Street than she'd ever seen in her life, and a vast array of sounds and smells hit her. It was familiar in a way, but she had been far too young to truly remember it last time she was there.

The palace, standing in the Northeast center, was several stories inside thick walls with a moat and drawbridges. It all looked like a grey giant, but seemed friendly enough with huge blue and white banners all over. The courtyard was the size of a small village, housing staff and horses and outbuildings around a large pond and stream that ran through.

Selena was escorted up toward the main doors where two guardhouses sat to keep watch, and servants were called to deliver a message to Marianne while others took Selena's bags and put Fell away after one older serving man immediately recognized her as looking just like Kitty.

In the main hall, Selena had barely taken her cloak off when a larger, broad woman in a fine but simple gown and circlet entered, flanked by three young men. Selena hadn't seen Marianne since she was a baby, but had seen a portrait of her as she'd once been a dear friend to Kitty.

"Bless my soul," she gasped as her gaze fell upon Selena, tearing up instantly. "Selena Marie Ghis... I almost thought you were your sweet mother..." She remembered Kitty still as the young and healthy, beautiful woman she'd been prior to Boar and the twins' births. "You look so much like her..." Marianne came forward to embrace Selena, mud and tatters and all.

 

[heartofcourage]

Selena was stunned when she was wrapped up in Marianne's arms, the woman holding her so tightly as if she had known her for years. Selena couldn't help it as she burst into tears, completely weak in the moment as she relived the awful journey from her home that she had just taken in order to have a good life.

 

[KieranSoares]

Marianne cradled her close like Selena was her own child. "It's okay, sweetheart..." She whispered. "We're here for you, anything you need... We just got your father's letter yesterday." She shooed most of the surrounding servants away save a couple she sent to prepare a bath for Selena and to take her things to the chambers they'd prepared the day before. "Let's get you cleaned up, fed, and settled. Brian should be free by the time we're done." Marianne ushered Selena gently toward the stairs.

 

[heartofcourage]

Selena refused to let go of Marianne as she was offered a bath, food, and some rest. Her interest was peaked when Marianne mentioned Tamblin sending a letter to them. She knew he had an interest in her escaping but she hadn’t expected him to write a letter to one of his sworn enemies.

 

[KieranSoares]

Marianne got Selena to her room, helping her to settle in and keeping her company til she felt safe enough to let go. By the time Selena was bathed and fed, a broad man with dark hair and a full beard and rich clothing entered the parlor she and Marianne had settled into. "Selena," he murmured in a deep voice, making his way toward her and wrapping her up in his arms. "Hello, my dear... It's been so long..." King Brian Cross was a kind and gentle sort, though firm in his beliefs and dedication. He and Marianne had remained friends with Kitty even after all this time, and allies to those who cared for her and the children as well.

 

[heartofcourage]

Selena was absolutely stunned when the king of Scotland welcomed her with open arms and a tight hug. As soon as she was released from his grasp, she remembered to dip into a low curtsy, her mother's training and lessons making her show respect to the man that she barely remembered.

"Your highness." She said softly, looking over at Marianne as well. "I'm sorry if coming here has caused any troubles for you."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Now none o' that," Brian scolded gently with a smile. "It's Brian t'you outside court. You can 'Your Majesty' me all you like when troublesome lords're listening." He bid her to sit down and he did the same. "You could never trouble us by bein' here. We've wanted t'see you children again ever since Kitty last left us. An' we only got t'see Durban a short time when 'e passed by."

Brian sighed, sitting back. "But I can assume things aren' gettin' better in Inverness if yer here."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I don't even know where Durban is right now. He writes Ma, but it has been a while since his last letter home." Selena said as she took her seat again and Brian asked her about Inverness. "Da is waiting for the day that Brogan takes his throne. No one is ready for it and everyone is needing it. Especially Ma. She'll die if something doesn't change."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Durban was in Normandy last I knew," Brian murmured. "But 'e expressed interest in widespread travel. He'll write back when 'e can, I'm sure... As for Brogan takin' the throne... Many of us here want that badly. He's th' right temperament from what I've 'eard, an' he has Kitty's heart an' sensibilities."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Lynndon is too angry to ever be king and Ashien is too young. No one would ever consider myself or Kayla for the throne, even though Inverness has had queens in their own right in the past. Brogan is the only one that fits the bill right now. I think he's the only one with a stomach for it as well." Selena confessed to Brian. "He's a gentle soul, but he would do anything for his mother and his family. He wants to see us all come back home at some point and he knows the only way to do that is to get rid of our Da."

 

[KieranSoares]

"But Brogan loves him too," Brian shook his head slowly. "Even from 'ere, we've received letters enough t'know tha' lad 'as always tried t'be what Tamblin needed in a son, t'make 'im proud... Well... I only hope th'old Tamblin... The one tha' loved you all once... I hope 'e comes back before the end."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Whether he comes back or not, he has to go." She said softly, looking down at the ground as she told Brian about her feelings on her father. "He's a danger to my family and to Inverness and I wish someone had acted sooner."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm sorry we couldn't stop this," Brian sighed. "We've tried in the past, but we've always been afraid of hurting innocent people with invasions, especially your family."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Instead, we have had to do it on our own. Da lost an eye and Durban lost what was most important to him." Selena said, a bit of anger in her voice that Brian was lamenting that there was little that he might have been able to do without injuring the innocent. "My brothers and sister are being terrorized by a man that should be put down like a wild dog. It isn't fair and we have lost more than you probably think that we have."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know, dear. And there's nothin' we can do t'take it all back. But what we can do is support Brogan, an' look after you as best we can, even Durban if we can figure out how t'send things to 'im. Let me ask you this, Selena... what do you want? Knowin' you're out here on your own, an' we'll help you find whatever life 'r place you like til you can go home... what d'you want? No one's going t'force you t'marry anyone, do anythin' you don't want, you can be independent, self-sufficient even. It's up t'you now."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I want to know what happened to my uvore most of all. He told me he would find me here in Edinburgh." Selena said, thinking about Ghell and how he hadn't come to find her yet. "Other than that...I don't know."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You only just arrived," Marianne reminded gently. "He may just be a bit behind you. But we'll spread the word about him and find him if we can." She didn't have to say it out loud for all three to know the myriad ways Ghell could've been held up. Oliver's men could've caught him, he could've run into highwaymen, bandits, hunters, even slavers.

The king and queen saw that Selena was settled, letting her know that she had free rein of the castle and grounds, the city, and practically any of their holdings should she like.

 

[heartofcourage]

Selena didn't know what to do with herself as Marianne and Brian gave her free reign of the castle. She had never had that kind of freedom in her life and she was almost a little afraid that she might do something wrong. At first, she simply stayed within the walls of the castle, only brave enough to step outside when one of the royal children offered to escort her.

She was completely overwhelmed with all of the sights and sounds of the market, the smells of cooking food and the overall bustle of Edinburgh, Selena had never seen anything like it before. Inverness was far quieter, much less colorful and depressed. She wondered if Durban had struggled in his first few days of freedom as well.

 

[KieranSoares]

Selena's most frequent companion outside the castle was Gale, the Crown Prince being the first of the triplets born. He was calm, confident, and seemed to know his way around perfectly. He also welcomed Selena out hunting with his brothers and father. He explained that occasionally his brothers-in-law and sisters would come out too.

Selena was never barred from anything by the family just because she was a woman. Things like training with weapons and proper riding and hunting were all wide open to her.