Sionnach (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"If you get to be a grump, so do I, til you believe me that things are gonna be okay. You Blackstones are so damned impatient." Sam turned his head to kiss her, letting her know he wasn't too serious. "Here," he muttered, reaching to his satchel by the bed and pulling out a book, a collection of tales from England. He also lit a candle for her to read by, laying his head against hers to read with her for a while.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Fairy tales?" Fiona asked as Sam placed the collection of stories in her lap and lit the candle for her to see by. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you have this book in your satchel. You always have a story to tell Tati when she asks."

She opened the front cover of the book and settled into the nest of pillows next to him. He was trying to distract her and make her see that she wasn't as useless as she seemed. She wasn't sure that it would work, but she couldn't argue with him.

 

[KieranSoares]

By the time Riley came to check on her parents with Andre bringing along a meal to give Fiona something less bland to eat, Sam was dozing off beside Fiona. As the door opened, Andre set down the tray and plates and looked to Fiona. "We're here to disturb the peace," he said with a smile.

 

[heartofcourage]

"He's just trying to get on your good side by fixing your food," Riley murmured as she took a seat as Fiona quietly put her book aside and Sam started to wake up. "He saw the sorry state of food that we had here and decided to take matters into his own hands."

"You don't have to cook for me, Andre." Fiona said as she handed the book back to Sam. "They take care of me from the kitchens well enough."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Offense very much intended, when I say you Northerners' idea of food for the ill is terrible," Andre chuckled. "People who are feeling less than their best shouldn't have to survive off bland, grey food. That's when you really need something good."

He stepped over to give plates to each of them, serving out fall-apart tender pork with stewed vegetables and rice. It wasn't too extravagant, but it was a sight better than bland soups and porridge.

 

[heartofcourage]

"When Alex isn't in charge, the healers tend to fall back on what they know. Vincenzo kept us full and satisfied with his pastas. Alex does the same. The others...not so much." Fiona said as he offered them each a plate of food made with his own hands. "I think he's just buttering us up for when he finally asks for Riley's hand in marriage."

"He knows that he has to go through hell in order for that to happen." Riley said with a small grin. "So, I'm not too worried about all of the food that he's using to work on you with."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm not too worried either," Andre said with a grin. "She already said she wanted to, all the titans of your family like me, and my Ma loves all of you."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You haven't asked me in a while. I might have changed my mind." Riley murmured as she teased Andre, a grin on her lips as Fiona shook her head.

"Don't string him along, love. He might get tired and move on." Fiona said as she looked over at Sam. "Or be like your father and just become stubbornly obstinate about the entire thing."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Jus' remember she needs to work jus' as hard t'deserve you as you do her," Sam reminded, giving Andre a light smile. "Needs t'be a two-way thing."

"We'll see if I even say yes," Andre nodded, giving Riley a smirk.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You better say yes." Riley said as she gave Andre a look. "Or else."

"That's not how you propose to someone, little kit." Fiona said, rolling her eyes at her daughter's stubborn streak.

 

[KieranSoares]

"So then it IS a yes?" Andre grinned at Riley, making Sam chuckle.

"Alright, you two. Argue out yer nonsense banter another time."

"If I can't outdo her physically, I have to outdo her somewhere else," Andre reasoned.

 

[heartofcourage]

"He thinks that he's smarter than me." Riley said as she leaned into Andre's side. "I let him think that so not to bruise is ego."

 

[KieranSoares]

Despite Fiona's wounds and nightmares, the next couple weeks passed by without too much issue. Once she was able to walk with the crutch and little other help, plans were made to head for Calais and get the real preparations started for the invasion, and then return to Trondheim a while before the final, hopefully much shorter war began.

As the thaw really set in and the grass was beginning to grow and the trees were getting their first new leaves, Fiona's family arrived in Calais. Qira had come with them, though he was still less than his best. Infection and pneumonia had laid him up for two weeks straight and while he was recovering by the time they arrived, he was still a few weeks away from being healthy, and a few more from being back in fighting shape. Thanks to Rissa's care and Kell delegating Qira's work to others, though, the Panther would be fine.

Once the Ghis and their officers and guests were settled into a large manor lent by the local baron, the first to come meet the new arrivals were Soma and Joachim. Tanya had stayed with the Ghis to pick up some of the slack left by Fiona's medical leave, and so she was there when her husband arrived with his bodyguards, carrying their infant son in his arms. Unwilling to leave the boy in Vienna without them, Joachim had brought the young Prince along and taken the journey slowly, but Prince Arnulf had proven to be hale and hearty, unbothered by travel. That didn't stop Tanya from berating Joachim, not for bringing their son, but for being there at all so close to England and enemy territory, but the young Emperor took it in stride, simply giving over their son which quieted Tanya and distracted her with the other love of her life.

Soma came to greet his family as well, dressed in a Northern blue and black version of an Imperial officer's uniform, a pin marking him as an Imperial Councilman. As an advisor to the newly-forming council, some members of which were present in Calais with Joachim, Soma was taking his role seriously.

"Ma," Fiona would hear Soma's voice, so much deeper than it had been only a year before, call as he entered the private chambers given to her and Sam.

 

[heartofcourage]

While Fiona couldn’t physically do many things like she once had, she had taken over all of the paperwork from Sam. He could take up her duties on the back of a dragon. It gave her the opportunity to do what she was good at and still contribute to the planning while healing and waiting as patiently as possible.

She was working that morning after breakfast, looking over the intended paths that riders would take to the isles. It was a massive undertaking, the maps and strategy that had to be considered to keep as many safe as possible.

The sound of someone entering the room made her glance up, noticing that her mug of morning tea was long cold as well as most of her breakfast. Sam would most likely scold her but she worked as hard as she could to make up for lost time. Hearing Soma’s voice, however, she dropped everything.

“I’m here”. Fiona called as she grabbed her crutch and struggled up to her feet, hurrying to get to him. “Love, you are a sight for sore eyes.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Don't get up," Soma tried to stop her, but she was already making her way toward him. He wrapped her up in a tight hug as they met, sighing at the comforting contact. "I can't leave any of you alone for even a second, can I?"

 

[heartofcourage]

“It seems to be a theme in this family.” Fiona said softly as she hugged him so tight she might hurt him. “Thank you for taking care of your sister, love. Both of them, I suppose."

She took a step back to look up into his handsome face. He was growing a soft beard from his time in travel with Joachim and the rest of the force. His hair was neatly combed and cut short. In short, he looked like Sam with her coloring. He wasn't her scared little mite anymore. He was a man that was ready for his own fortunes in life.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I try my best." Soma smiled down at her, encouraging her gently back to her seat. "Anything I can help with? I know I made the main plans, but I'm happy to help with the details."

 

[heartofcourage]

"It's these details, my love, that keep me from completely losing my mind. They've kept me cooped up for far too long." Fiona said as she eased herself back into the plush chair at her desk and propped her crutch beside her. "I can't even ride my own dragon less they fuss over me for an entire day afterward. Schaller has been a bit more grumpy than usual because of that."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'll spend a little time with him too, then," Soma said with a nod, sitting down across from her. "So tell me what happened. Everyone's already telling tall tales- especially Jani- about some heroic raid. What actually happened?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"Jani wants to boast because it makes her feel better about what happened. Soldiers and axemen died in the end. I don't know how heroic that really is when they were killed because of a coward." Fiona said with a long sigh. "Qira and I had a chance to search for von Morden in the chaos. When we found him, he used a weapon on me that is very rare. It did extensive damage to my leg and I almost didn't make it. The bastard has been in jail ever since. We've been trying to keep him away from your sister because even though she gave him a beating once and swears she learned her lesson, I'm not so sure she wouldn't do it again."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm pretty sure a lot of us would do the same." Soma's brows furrowed, partly in curiosity, partly in concern then. "What are your plans for von Morden?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"I suppose I should know, but I haven't thought much about it. My mood has been terrible, little kit." Fiona admitted, looking up at her son. "I waffle between wanting to murder him with my bare hands and wanting to keep him in abject poverty in some far flung were village for the rest of his days. Then I fall into depression so deep that I'm not sure I can get myself out. It hasn't been easy to make any kind of decisions lately."

"Your father and I had talked about having another child when we made it home. We are both young enough, but...I feel like I'd be a fool to consider that after a war and this injury." A long sigh issued from her lips and she shook her head. "It's made me reconsider everything."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Don't give up on anything while you're still down," Soma encouraged gently. "Wait til you can see things clearly again and you actually know how well you'll heal." He reached across to take her hand. "And if you need help- and I mean asking for help before you're worn down to nothing again- Da and I are here for you. Riley and Andre too, though they're useless for most things. No one stops believing in the sun when it's behind the clouds. So you can't decide you're useless just because you're down and healing. You'll get better, and then you can take stock logically."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona gave his hand a tight squeeze and she suddenly remembered something that she had for him. "I nearly forgot." She murmured as she stood and limped towards her satchel to retrieve the box that was within. "I wanted to give you something special for your position on the Imperial Council."

She handed him the wooden box and took a seat again, encouraging him to open it. Inside the box was Ephriam's pocket watch, the same one that Sam had bought for her so many years ago. The Blackstone emblem in Greek was still emblazoned on the front. It was the perfect gift for her serious son, the one who had never shown much interest in toys or puzzles.

"Your Da added the bear paw on the chain for the Ghis side of the family, but the rest is from mine." She said softly. "It's one of the only things I have left of him. You remind me a lot of my grandfather. He would be absolutely smitten with you."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Ma," Soma gasped quietly, seeing the shined and beautiful old watch. "I... I can't take this. It means so much to you..."