Beyond Time (closed)

[KieranSoares]

John gave Elizabeth a smile of apology, having not realized he'd been looking at her for so long. Meanwhile, Durban looked to Van. "'Ave y'been back t'Italy lately, Van?"

"I was, just before our lady of the manor came here."

"How's Carmena?"

"Slowing down considerably, but still very lively. In fact, she's responsible for the olives we have tonight. She took over Vincenzo's home and has a young man living there who pays his rent by keeping up the garden and olive trees."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Ashien keeps promising to take me to Italy for our honeymoon but then he says he never has the time to go away for so long. Perhaps I should appeal to his employer. Surely there is something that the king of England can do to help his work load." Dylan said with a sly smile towards Henry. "He is an excellent horseman after all."

 

[KieranSoares]

"His work load is entirely his own making," Henry insisted. "I never said he had to provide horses for my entire cavalry, but he seems to think he needs to. I only asked for horses for my knights."

"You can hardly expect the cavalry to operate without good horses," Ashien insisted.

"Of course not, but you are not my only provider. You just happen to be my best." That make ashien chuckle and shake his head. "Take your dear lady away. After your visit home this spring, go to Italy."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I told you all you needed to do was ask." Dylan said as she leaned over and kissed her husband to lessen the sting of her meddling in his business.

"Ashien never asks for anything, Dylandra. He's as stubborn as the day is long. I remember when he first came to England to be part of Papa's court, his clothes were so ragged, but he insisted on repairing them himself." Elizabeth said with a fond smile towards her friend. "Thankfully the were tribe got him set straight."

 

[KieranSoares]

"He was quite the challenge," Dorn commented softly with a smile. "But his greatest weakness is women. Not for romance, but women who remind him of his family. The little cubs had him all wrapped around their fingers."

"It's like being home already," Ashien said rolling his eyes.

 

[heartofcourage]

"They pick on you because they love you, Ash." Dylan said with a grin towards her husband. "I don't think I've seen someone as loved as you before in my life."

 

[KieranSoares]

"They pick because they know they can get away with it," Ashien grumbled, but he couldn't help a smile, knowing Dylandra was right. He leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "Is that why you tease me in the evenings? Or do you have other reasons?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"I tease you because I have seen that passionate side and I enjoy spending time with him." Dylan murmured back, a smile and a blush on her cheeks as she admitted that to him. "You are a very complicated person, Ashien Ghis."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Am not. I just like pretending to keep you interested," he kissed her cheek, then caught his brother smiling at them. "What, you big oaf? You're twice as bad with Marri."

"Yeah, but I've been married ten years, lad. This is new fer you, even if y'are a charmer."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Ashien does not seem like the kind of man to keep a string of women." Dylan said with a smile towards her brother-in-law. "And I suppose that makes him even more desirable to me. To know that I am his one and only."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Unlike him. He's broken more hearts than he can count," Ashien murmured with a grin.

"Not willingly. Jus' a lot o' lords' daughters tha' didn' get t'marry me when I went off t'Mongolia," Durban insisted. "Then a lot o' really cute Mongolian girls... but never anythin' serious. Only ever 'ad two serious lasses in my life. Chessie an' Marri, but Chessie loved Ciaran an' I knew we were more siblings than lovers."

"Chessie's the keep cook now in Inverness. We've known her since... well, not long before Val was born, right? Chessie's Ma was the head cook before her."

"Yep. It was almos' like th'ol' lady never left when Chessie took over."

 

[heartofcourage]

"A good cook is invaluable." Elizabeth said as she glanced towards her father. "Papa hired the cook that we have in the palace just before I was born. I don't know what we would do without Peter. He's like a member of the family at this point and he makes the most amazing dishes. Many kings have tried to hire him away, but he stays out of loyalty."

 

[KieranSoares]

"He's an old man now, though. I might just have to force him to retire. But his girl Mairead would do him proud in his place," Henry said with a nod.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You would miss him just as much as I would, Papa." Elizabeth said as she glanced towards John. "Perhaps I could convince him to make one last banquet for my wedding before he retires for good. Certainly it won't be that far off."

 

[KieranSoares]

John swallowed hard when he heard that, but did his best to hide the fact he was trembling ever so slightly with nerves. He'd fought off an assassin without hesitation or fear, but the thought of actually asking Elizabeth to marry him made his blood run cold.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan saw John's sudden attack of nerves and wondered just what was going through his head. He looked so out of sorts. She knew that he was saving for a ring to propose to Elizabeth and she thought that he had enough to buy one, but he hadn't mentioned anything else since.

"We could always lend you Van, Elizabeth." She said with a smile. "He is one of the best cooks that I've ever met."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I don't think we could talk Van into more than one night. He belongs here," Henry chuckled, looking to the older man.

"You're not wrong, sir," Van said with his usual small smile. "Young Ashien is my charge above all."

"Van, that was when I was a child. You don't have to look after me for Nonna anymore."

"Of course I do."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I think it's easier now that I'm here to worry about him as well." Dylan said as she shared a smile with Van. "Once I meet your Nonna, she'll understand. Van can be free to do other things with his life."

 

[KieranSoares]

"She released him from that job a long time ago when she told him to go find a wife," Ashien told her. "But he's too stubborn and his poor lady friend has to take a back seat to what he thinks is his mission in life."

"Hardly. She still gets most of my attention," Van assured him. Of course Dylandra had never seen the woman nor noticed Van gone often. So how he did it was beyond them all.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You have never in your life brought a lady friend to this manor." Dylan said as she looked towards Van. "How on earth have you kept that a secret from me? I demand to meet her, Van."

 

[KieranSoares]

"A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell," Van murmured, lifting his mug of tea for a drink.

"You know her, love. She's the second head of staff. Eliza." Eliza was often Dylan's helper in projects around the manor when Ashien wasn't around, and had been her first girl friend in Ashien's time since arriving.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Eliza? Van, you should have told me." Dylan said, in awe that the man that she adored so much could keep a secret like that for so long. "She's lovely. How long have the two of you been seeing each other? And don't say years because I don't know if I could take that."

 

[KieranSoares]

Van was quiet a moment before giving her a smile, "Then what other answer would you like?" He'd been seeing the woman since he'd arrived in England when Ashien had turned ten years old, after having served the Ghis family two years prior after the fall of Tamblin.

 

[heartofcourage]

"We will be discussing this later." Dylan said as she smiled towards him and turned her attentions back towards the meal.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time. That was what she had aimed for. A good time with good company to celebrate all of the good things coming their way.

 

[KieranSoares]

Once the werefolk had gone home and Van had gone about his usual work, that left the Darkwood lord and lady, Henry, Elizabeth, and John to a parlor with tea just talking, but John was still incredibly distracted, to the point that Henry nudged Elizabeth and whispered to her to go talk with him.