The Raven (closed)

[KieranSoares]

Boar looked up at the open letter and then at Emma, his brows furrowed between fear and confusion. Surely if Brogan wanted to do something awful to him, he would've been dragged to the keep rather than summoned. He rose to take the letter, reading over the plain and to-the-point words written in his brother's warrior advisor's handwriting. There was no clue as to whether he was walking to his imprisonment, death, or freedom only simply 'the King of Inverness has summoned you and your wife to the keep tomorrow at sunset.' It could mean anything.

Boar laid the letter aside and looked to Emma murmuring, "Seems like 'e's in no hurry... Surely 'e wants t'talk to us before 'e makes a decision. Brogan doesn't pass judgement without all th' information."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Boar..." Emma said, fear constricting her throat as she thought about all the possibilities that they might be facing. "What...what if he decides to put us to death?"

She knew that they would wait until she had the child, but the thought of her baby growing up without parents was almost too much to think about. She had seen many terrible things in her life, but that thought was nearly her undoing.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I... I'd like t'think Brogan'd never do tha'... a' least, he'd never do tha' t'you." Boar took her hands and forced himself to take a deep breath. "Whatever 'appens... we'll make it. I won' risk yer life fer the sake of my family. If 'e wants t'imprison us 'r execute us, I'll get you out o' here an' someplace safe... Surely my uncle can 'elp us if it comes t'that."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I don't want to go without you." She said softly, meaning that completely for the first time since she had met him. "I'm not going to leave you behind to that kind of fate."

Emma reached across the table and took his hand, squeezing it tightly to show him that she meant it. If the time came, she would use all of her resources to make sure that they safely made it to a place that they could still be together.

 

[KieranSoares]

"We 'ave t'think o' what's best fer th'baby first," Boar sighed. "But I'll do everythin' I can t'keep us together."

The next evening as they made their way toward the keep, Boar held Emma's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze when they halted before the keep's main door. He took a deep breath as a couple guards opened the door, and he whispered, "Whatever 'appens... I promise ye'll be alright."

Within, all of the Ghis siblings were gathered for the first time in a long while. Boar looked petrified to see them all. Emma had briefly met Durban, but she'd only heard of Ashien, Kayla, and Selena and seen Valentina in passing. Now they were all here and Boar was facing judgement before them and their mother. Guards ushered them on and Boar came to stand before his family between them and Emma. Brogan, looking strong and truly in control of his realm once more, rose to face them.

 

[heartofcourage]

Emma was terrified as those doors opened and they were faced with the entire Ghis family. She knew what the family thought about her and she hoped that they were at least merciful on her. She was trembling as Boar stood in front of her, shielding her from their gaze as Brogan stood. He was taller than his brother, broader, and she knew that Boar was no match for him if that was how things turned out. None of the wives or husbands of the siblings were present. This was strictly a family matter.

 

[KieranSoares]

Boar's heart thudded fearfully in his chest as Brogan stepped around the head table after sharing a glance with Julia, and he took a step back with Emma when Brogan came to stand before him. The other siblings looked on with fairly neutral expressions. At the long silence, seeing Brogan's expression slowly become more gentle, Boar ventured to ask, "... Brother...?"

Brogan sighed and faced the couple, laying a hand on each of their shoulders. "What y'two 'ave done ain' easily forgiven 'specially since it was meant fer Julia... but Boar, yer my brother, and Emma, yer my sister now. I ain' givin' Inverlochly back t'ya, but I ain' out t'make ya miserable. Yer family, and from now on, yer free t'do as y'like as common people. Y'can stay in Inverness if y'like, return t'Inverlochly an' live there, or whatever ya decide... An' no, I ain' gonna 'ave either o' you killed. Like I said, yer family, an' my arms're still open t'ya, an' I'm willin' t'forgive ya."

Boar looked up at his brother like he was some angel descended from on high. "... Why?" He asked quietly.

"B'cause," Brogan wrapped an arm gently around each of them, "I believe yer both capable o' bein' good people, an' I wan' t'see if I'm right." He hugged his younger brother and kissed Emma's cheek before bringing them to two open seats at the tables so they could sit down and join the family in the evening meal as their spouses and children soon came as well.

 

[heartofcourage]

Emma felt sick to her stomach as Brogan announced that they were free. She was trembling like a leaf as he kissed her cheek and showed them both to a seat at the table for the evening meal. She couldn't bring herself to touch the plate in front of her, glancing at Boar with a lost expression on her features. This wasn't the kind of family meal that she was use to. If it had been her family, there would have been dire consequences...which she was very well aware of. That was how she had ended up at the mercy of the two men that had been hired to act as her "guards."

 

[KieranSoares]

Boar took Emma's hand once more, his relief tempered with concern for her. "It's okay, love..." he whispered. "Brogan's serious. We're safe. We can make a proper life fer ourselves."

 

[heartofcourage]

Emma looked at Boar with a numb expression on her features. This was all...too much. It was simply too much for her to process. She was barely coming to terms with the idea that she had tried to poison someone. Now...well, now she was trying to come to terms with the fact that Boar's family actually wanted her to be a part of them.

"I don't feel well." She murmured, her skin a pale shade of green as she struggled to keep herself together mentally and physically.

 

[KieranSoares]

Boar's brow furrowed in worry and he rose from his seat with Emma to take her to one of the washrooms. "Jus' breathe, love," he murmured. "It's okay..."

 

[heartofcourage]

Emma felt as if she were shattering into a million pieces as Boar escorted her to a washroom, telling her to breathe. It was alright. It was all over.

"No." Emma murmured, looking at her husband with those panicked blue eyes. "Nothing is ever that simple. There's a catch."

She had no idea why those words were coming from her lips. There was always a catch when she was concerned. Nothing ever came easily or free for Emma, starting in her childhood. If she wanted a new dress or doll, her father would give it to her in exchange for her promise to marry any man he chose. He used her as a pawn in his games, making the kings and clansmen of Scotland pay attention for a chance to marry the raven haired beauty. Her prince had extolled high prices from her as well in exchange for whatever he wanted. She might have believed that she was the one in control, but the truth was that she'd never had any in the first place.

"I never wanted any of this, Boar." She said, her eyes wild as she looked at her husband. "A child. A family. None of it."

She had no idea why she was saying those things. Of course she had wanted that. It was why she was there now. Something in Emma had snapped and she suddenly realized that she sounded as crazy as Boar's first wife had been.

"You should have married that girl from Glasgow. She would have made you happy." She murmured softly, turning away from him as she struggled to pick up the pieces of her heart.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Y'don't mean tha'," Boar lifted a hand to her cheek. "An' I might've loved 'er, but she was more a friend than a lover. Yer my lass now, my one an' only. Despite everythin', we made it an' we've got a chance fer a good future again. Brogan's givin' us another go at provin' we can be honest people." He was afraid for her, worried he might lose his love to her own inhibitions and fear.

 

[heartofcourage]

Emma looked at Boar with a lost expression as he gently cupped her cheek. She was lost in a sea of uncertainty. He seemed to believe that they would be alright in the end, but she was struggling.

"I just want to go home." She murmured miserably.

She had no idea where home really was. Was it Inverness? Was it Inverlochly? Was it London? Emma had never really had a home where she had felt safe and loved. It was almost too much for her to think about right then.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Inverness is home, love... you'll see." Boar felt his heart breaking for her. He only wanted her to see that they'd finally come to a place where they could be at peace and make a life for themselves. "I'm sorry I can't 'elp... all I can do is show ya if ye'll give me th'time."

 

[heartofcourage]

Emma nodded slightly, wrapping her arms around her husband's chest to hold him tight. Her cheek pressed against his firm muscles, her body trembling like a leaf caught in a winter storm. He was her best friend...perhaps her only friend, and he understood her so much better than she even understood herself. Through all of the pain that she had suffered and all of the pain that she had caused, he was still right there at her side when she needed him most.

"I love you, Lynndon." She whispered softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"An' I love you, Em," Boar whispered in return as he held her tight. After a long while when they came out, Durban approached them with a concerned but rather hard expression.

"Y'alright, lass?" Durban asked quietly. They'd badly betrayed any trust with him, but as with all the Ghis siblings, Emma and Boar were still family and being allowed another chance. Boar felt the urge to stand between his brother and wife, but kept an arm around Emma and faced his giant, eldest brother with a strong front. "Listen..." Durban sighed. "If Brogan's givin' ya another chance, I will too. Ma wants t'see us all as a family again, an' I'd like that too."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You don't have to give me a second chance if you don't want to." Emma said softly, looking up at Durban as he tried so hard to play peacemaker. "I've known your feelings since we first met in Inverlochly."

That first meeting had been tense and she knew that Durban had tried to convince Boar to set her aside. That didn't really matter now, but she wouldn't force a friendship on someone who obviously wasn't ready for it.

 

[KieranSoares]

"It was different then. I didn't think y'had anythin' good in mind fer Boar... but I've seen 'ow y'two love each other an' he protects you. That's enough fer me t'give it a chance. We're a family an' Brogan keeps us together... tha's what's important here. Long as y'know that, I think we could become friends."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Perhaps in time." Emma said softly, knowing that the peace she had with the Ghis family was tentative and new. "I would like to be friends with all of Boar's family."

That was a lot for her to say, especially since Boar's family was her only family now. She felt her husband's grip tighten around her waist, her blue eyes looking up into his.

 

[KieranSoares]

Boar gave Emma a small smile, and Durban stepped forward to hug each of them. "I never did get t'welcome ya t'the family, Emma... so let this be tha' welcome." He left them when he heard Marri call. Ashien and Kayla soon passed them by, each smiling with a nod as the twins walked arm-in-arm. It seemed they really were willing to listen to Brogan and give the couple a chance.

 

[heartofcourage]

Emma never once let go of Boar as they made their way back to the table. Her belly was still rolling from her startling revelation and she found herself unable to touch her meal. Perhaps it was the way that the baby tumbled nervously or the bad taste in her mouth from the fear that they had gone through...she simply couldn't bring herself to lift the fork to her lips.

 

[KieranSoares]

Boar didn't push her to eat, simply glad that she was okay and things were looking up for once. Brogan meanwhile carried on conversation with Selena whose silent son Ruben was huddled into her side, and Kitty happily talked with Julia and eventually Kayla who rejoined them. It ended up being a fairly quiet evening just for the family and Emma became acquainted better with the twins, Selena, Marri, and Kitty. As with all her daughters and daughters-in-law, Kitty immediately considered Emma 'one of the ladies' and said ladies tended to tease their husbands and enjoy watching the men get embarrassed.

 

[heartofcourage]

Emma was in unfamiliar territory as the women of the family accepted her without hesitation. Kitty seemed happy with the turn of events that had occurred and she was working to bring Emma further into their little circle.

As the evening wore on, Emma dosed, the slightly sick look still on her features. She was startled when she felt someone resting their hand on her belly. Her eyes opened, turning towards her mother-in-law as the older woman seemed to be concentrating on something.

"It's been...difficult." Emma said softly, unused to the look of compassion and understanding that came from Boar's mother.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know," Kitty nodded, taking a seat beside Emma. She was so frail and small, but her features were an echo of a once-vibrant and youthful woman whose hardships had dragged her down and nearly killed her. "I didn't have an easy time with any of my children, especially not Brogan or Durban. The Ghis men are giants, the only one who didn't start off as a giant was Brogan, but now he's nearly as big as Durban. They're not easy to carry for even the most robust women."