Sionnach (closed)

[heartofcourage]

Riley was stunned when Andre produced the old silver ring from his satchel. She had heard stories of Kitty all of her life. The woman that she had never know was still very much a part of their family, especially her Da’s life. Sam had adored his grandmother and she had saved him from sorrow and anger before her Ma had come along. Her Ma’s necklace still had the button from a vest Kitty had made for Sam as a young man.

Perhaps Sam hoped that his gran’s calm demeanor would rub off on her through the use of that ring. Maybe he wanted to show Andre that he supported him by giving him something that was so precious to him. Either way, Riley felt a lump in her throat as he knelt and properly asked her what she had wanted to hear for so long.

“Yes.” She said softly, dropping to her knees to wrap him up tightly in her arms. “Of course i will.”

 

[KieranSoares]

Andre pulled her in close with a gentle kiss, slipping the ring onto her finger. Sam had even resized it to fit Riley perfectly, it seemed. Andre couldn't help smiling as he drew back to meet her gaze again, ever easygoing even if he'd been nervous. "So does this mean I get to be Andre Ghis?"

 

[heartofcourage]

“You want to change your name?” Riley asked softly as Andre held her gaze. “I guess your name doesn’t hold good memories, does it?”

 

[KieranSoares]

"My name will always be Koah first," Andre assured her. "But as far as I'm concerned, 'Zaufberg' can be forgotten. I'd much rather be part of a Scottish clan of warriors than some useless German baron's house." Nuzzling his forehead against hers, he added, "I think being 'Riley Ghis's husband' is a pretty good title too."

 

[heartofcourage]

“No. You’ll be your own man.” She said as she nuzzled against him. “Whether that be Andre Ghis or Andre Blackstone or Andre Zaufburg. I’m not going to have you living in my shadow.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"If you insist. But I still might hide behind you occasionally." Andre pressed a kiss to her lips and simply held her for a long moment, sitting down right where they were with Riley in his lap.

Eventually, they heard the distant sound of Sam's voice downstairs, and Andre glanced to the window realizing they'd gotten distracted longer than he'd intended. "Woops," he chuckled. "You can blame me if he asks what took so long."

 

[heartofcourage]

“You really expect me to go down there after all this?” Riley asked as she nuzzled against Andre’s neck. “I don’t think so.”

Fiona had woken when Sam entered the manor, Soma still sound asleep beside her. “Lose something, love?”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Yeah, Riley," Sam sighed with a smile as he stepped in, having left his apron and gloves in the shop and shut it down for the night. "I assume she got distracted." He stepped over to Fiona and knelt down to kiss her. "Y'okay, love?" He asked softly. "Noticed you were a little melancholy earlier, Dola looked worried about you."

 

[heartofcourage]

“Thinking about my Ma.” She said softly, knowing that Sam would understand. “Sometimes those thoughts just come back without warning.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Yeah, I know all too well." Sam occasionally had the same experience remembering his grandmother's memory. "I'll get Soma t'bed. You need some sleep too. You still look exhausted."

 

[heartofcourage]

“I think I’ll stay down here a while longer. All I’ve done today is sleep.” She said softly as they both got Soma up and moving in the direction of his rooms.

 

[KieranSoares]

Soma was too groggy to talk or protest much as they guided him along, but he was awake enough by the time they reached the stairs for him to continue on his own. "Night," he muttered as he began climbing, leaving his parents at the bottom landing.

Sam looped an arm about Fiona's waist as they watched him go, and soon led her off to the kitchen where he put a log in the dying hearth embers, and placed a kettle over top. Taking a seat at the kitchen table, Sam sat back with a sigh as he relaxed, content to sit still. They had done this many times over the years, sharing a drink or tea after their children had gone to bed. Sometimes they talked about their worries, sometimes they were quiet and simply enjoyed the silence.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona sat at her spot at the table, watching Sam put on the kettle before he took a seat as well. It amazed her that he had been raised a prince, but he was just as relaxed in the kitchen as he was in the forge.

"For a few moments, I thought that I was back at home with my parents. The sounds of talking turned...very angry." She said softly, telling him more about her moment earlier. "I'm still startled that after all this time I can become a scared little kit in an instant."

 

[KieranSoares]

"The things tha' hurt us most never really leave us," Sam murmured with a nod. They both knew it all too well in their own ways, and both knew nightmares and seemingly innocuous things could bring back their fears in a moment.

Reaching across the small kitchen table, Sam offered out a hand for hers. "With all we've been through this past year, and waiting for another fight t'start... It's no surprise other things are coming up an' making you uneasy... Always seems t'happen when yer stressed 'r unsure."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona reached out and took his hand, running her thumb over the smooth metal of his wedding band. She often did that when she felt uneasy. Or she traced his tattoos when she couldn't sleep. It was all so familiar to her now that they had been together for so long.

"Jani, Ezra, and Dani are going to start training me again." She said softly. "I don't feel like I have the luxury of waiting for my hip to get better."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Just... Take it easy..." Sam murmured, knowing there was little else he could tell her. "Working too hard too fast will only make it worse."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Trust me, they don't like the idea any more than you do." She said softly as he warned her to take it easy. "So, I don't think they'll let me take risks that they don't deem necessary."

She sighed softly and met his green gaze, shaking her head slightly as she did. "As infuriating as the entire lot of you are, I know that you have my best interests in mind."

 

[KieranSoares]

"We're the infuriating ones when you're th'one always pushin' too hard?" Sam smiled lightly. "Either way... Let me know how yer armor holds up. I can build up tha' brace a little more if it's not enough."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I want to try without the brace." She said quietly, knowing that he was being good to not lose his mind as she talked about pushing her limits with a very serious wound.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Fiona..." Sam rubbed his eyes, sitting back in his chair with a deep sigh. But he didn't chastise her further, knowing it rarely went well. Shaking his head, he simply murmured, "Alright..."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Look, I know I'm lucky to have kept the leg or even be alive." She said softly as he pulled his hand away and sat back with that disapproving and frustrated sigh. "I also know that you want to support me. I just want to see if I can do this on my though. All an enemy needs to do is see the modified armor and they know my weakness."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm not gonna argue," Sam assured her quietly. "But if it's difficult without th'brace, I can hide th'reinforcement so you can keep it. It'll jus' take some careful planning."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Would that make you feel better?" Fiona asked him softly as the kettle started to boil on the fire.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Try it your way first," Sam encouraged despite his better judgement. "Jus' be honest with me if you think it'd help." Rising from his seat, he fetched the kettle and their favorite tea, pouring it all into a pot to steep. Placing two cups on the table as well, Sam also brought out some bread Siobhan had made that day, and a jar of jam that Dola had made while they were gone.

Changing the subject to avoid arguing, Sam spoke up as he went: "Assuming Riley ever gets measurements without bein' distracted, I'm gonna make Andre a shield before we head to the Voya. Jani thinks he'd do well with it. He can carry a proper viking round shield like his stepmother."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Jani thinks everyone would do well with a Viking shield." Fiona said as she made her tea the way she liked it before she helped herself to some bread and jam. "You're smitten with that boy almost as much as Riley is."