Absolution (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"I finished all my books you bought for the trip." Valentina said softly as she watched her father sketch, his long hands skillful with his pencil and inks. "Aunt Kitty offered me a few of her own, but I'm not sure I'd like them."

When Valentina was bored or uncertain, she would hide away with her books. It wasn't unusual that she would read a mountain of them if someone didn't stop her. It seemed that the trip to Italy had proven stressful enough that she had devoured everything that Vincenzo had purchased before they left Inverness.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Already?" He murmured. "Hm... Maybe we could see if there's a scribe selling books in the city before we head further south. But you'll never know if you like your mother's books unless you try them out. She likes some adventure, a bit of romance, and I believe she has copies of the Odyssey and the Illiad, you've never read those but I've always wanted you to." Books were a valuable luxury, copied by hand and usually only owned by nobles and monasteries. Vincenzo had always pushed the importance of reading to Valentina, so he had a rotating collection of books, often trading old volumes for new to cut down the price, keeping some that either of them particularly liked.

"Or," Vincenzo added, shifting slightly to get more comfortable, "you could try writing your own. Fairy tales, or just stories of things that happen on our way, whatever you like. Ashien and I would even illustrate them for you if you liked."

 

[heartofcourage]

"So...if I read her books, you'd get me a new journal?" Valentina asked softly, pondering the offer that Vincenzo was making her as he encouraged her to read what Kitty had and come up with her own adventures in the mean time. "I guess that sounds alright."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I didn't say you had to trade for it," Vincenzo chuckled softly, hugging her closer as he paused in his drawing. "I wouldn't deprive you of a journal, especially considering how you like to take notes about plant life like I do."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Thank you, Papa." Valentina said softly, turning in his lap to hug her father tightly. "And thank you for taking me to Nonna."

 

[KieranSoares]

Vincenzo set his journal aside for the moment, sitting back and wrapping both arms around her now. It was just the two of them, the way it had always been when Valentina wasn't in Inverness. Vincenzo was the one she saw new sights and faraway places with, even if the frequent traveling was sometimes difficult for both of them.

"I love you, bambina," he murmured softly, brushing her long, dark hair back. "Don't forget that. Even when you're having a tough time, I'm on your side."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I know." Valentina said softly as Vincenzo returned the moment and held her tightly. "And I know everyone else is as well. I just miss Mummy and Da terribly."

 

[KieranSoares]

"We all know, and we miss them too... And we're trying to make things easier." He drew her back a bit to look her in the eye with a smile. "That's part of why I wanted to bring everyone with us to see Nonna and Uncle Van, so everyone could heal a bit together. It's also secretly for Nonna, because when she was a girl, she had a proper big Italian and Sicilian family. I want her to have that again. But you, amore, will always be her girl. You're her only grandchild."

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina was quiet for a long moment as Vincenzo told her that this trip was for her Nonna above all. SHe knew she had been acting like a brat for a long time and people had excused it as grief. She simply needed to figure out how her life was going to work now that Ashelin and Warwick were gone.

"It's alright if Nonna wants others to be her grandchildren too." She finally said, conceding just a little bit in the stalemate that had happened since Warwick had left Inverness.

 

[KieranSoares]

"She loves the others already, but that won't change how she feels about you," Vincenzo promised. "She would've come all the way up here just for you. In fact, she was ready to, but I told her we were coming home."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I know it might be for the last time too." Valentina said, knowing that their trips back and forth to Italy would slow and probably stop all together. "So, I want to make it count."

 

[KieranSoares]

"It won't be the last. I'll have to go back every so often for some time. And then even after that, Nonna would never forgive me if I stopped coming home while she's still around."

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina simply hugged her father when he promised her that, her world seeming just a little less dark that it had before.

Back at the cabin, Kitty was tending to Ruben as Selena slept, catching up on as much as she could while her family was there. Bathing the little boy next to the fire, Kitty smile down at her darling grandson. She was already completely in love with him and couldn't imagine life without him there. She glanced up as she saw Boar entering the house and she caught his attention.

"Are you going to tell me what happened last night? Selena woke me when she came to get Ruben and I heard her talking to someone outside for a long time." Kitty said softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Can't say," Boar said simply, letting her know he knew exactly what happened, but he wasn't willing to tell. He took a seat, having fetched some tools to sharpen his axe and knife.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kitty glanced at him out of the corner of her eye before she focused back on Ruben. The little boy splashed his arms in the warm water, cooing up at her with a silly little grin on his face. She couldn't help but smile back.

"Tell me that they're at least happy together." Kitty said to Lynndon, knowing he was going to be his stubborn self about the situation.

 

[KieranSoares]

Boar paused, letting out a quiet sigh. "No, Ma. I don' think they are. They love each other, but it's no' a good situation."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Does she need help? Do you think she's in any danger?" Kitty asked as Boar admitted that he was sure that they loved one another, but he didn't think that Kreston and Selena were in a good place.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Not at all," Boar shook his head, knowing Selena would kill him once she found out he'd said anything. "He struck me as th'kind o'man tha' wouldn' hurt her or Ruben fer th'world. I don' know the whole story, jus' tha' he can't be here for her much."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I won't tell her that you told me." Kitty promised him, knowing that honor to Boar was the most important thing in the world. "You can deny that you did as well."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I normally wouldn' tell anyone, but I figure of anyone, you ought t'know she's okay, but not in th'best position." Being a person who deeply valued others trusting him, Boar rarely told secrets unless he felt they needed telling, either for someone's safety or, in Kitty's case, for peace of mind.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You're a good brother, Lynn." Kitty said softly, plucking Ruben from his bath and moving to kiss Boar's cheek. "I won't meddle unless she needs it. She's an adult and she can support herself."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'll keep an eye out for 'er anyway while we're here," Boar promised softly. "You focus on tha' little guy."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I intend to." Kitty said as Ruben was wrapped up in a towel and snuggled against his grandmother. "If you wanted to stay behind to be with her, I would understand, Lynn. I'd be disappointed, but I know you want to protect her."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I think I'd wear out my welcome if I stayed too long. She likes 'er new independence." Boar set back to his task of tending his tools with that, secure in the idea that Selena could make due just fine without her overprotective little brother.

 

[heartofcourage]

The rest of the time spent at Selena's cabin was peaceful, the family working to build some kind of connection between Valentina and the rest of the family. She seemed to be warming up, but it was still slow going. Vincenzo had promised her a journal the moment they reached Edinburgh and Selena had decided to travel with them to the city to visit Marianne and Brian and introduce them to little Ruben. She wouldn't go to Italy, but she would go to Edinburgh at the very least.

Ruben was an absolute joy and Kitty was in awe that he was such a calm presence, being so young. He never made a fuss as the family traveled to Edinburgh a few days later by wagon, simply watching the world around him as they trundled along.

Kitty was incredibly nervous about seeing Marianne and Brian again. Tamblin had made it clear that she wasn't to have contact with them after he considered Brian's sentence a betrayal. She had sent letters and small gifts when she could, keeping up the friendship as best she could, but there was still that little voice in her head telling her that she wasn't welcome at their court.