George stopped in front of the crowd expectantly, and everyone quieted, his deep voice was strong and booming as he said, “Gather your gear! Operation Eagle Eye leaves in two hours, at the stroke of noon!”
There was a muted cheer from the commoners, and the knights all put on their serious looks as they went into motion to gather their gear, eat, and say goodbye to their loved ones if they were in Wexbury.
I sighed and looked over at the knight that the rest of the knights of the realms of Sparo feared and called the Harbinger of Wexbury in whispers behind her back. I just called her love. “Shall we, love?”
She fought so hard not to grin at me, but she failed miserably as she inclined her head, flashing me a look that heated my core, and offered, “Of course, my impossible Herder.”
I held up a hand, and she placed it in the crook of her arm, with a smile that made even my sigh, sigh. She has always treated me like a lady, from the very day she rescued a dirty and disheveled chicken farmer from Marauders not far from that very spot.
I almost skipped to the Hall with her, I did so love how she towered over me.
She whispered to me as we approached mother, who was standing with the kids and Sylvia, “Those are military airships.”
I just nodded solemnly, letting her know I pieced together her apprehension, then forced a smile as Misty and Ingr pried me from Celeste to hold my hands. My smile turned genuine, I loved the children so. And I swear those girls always know when something was bothering me.
I was barely able to kiss Sylvia's cheek in greeting as the girls dragged me quickly past everyone at a jog. Ever the big brother, Jace called out to the girls as he caught up, chastising, “Slow down, you hyperactive munchkins, no running in Templar Hall!”
I looked over my shoulder and giggled at the little procession following us as I was dragged to our family apartments.
Celeste and I should really be staying in them with our immediate family, but we preferred to sleep in our Mountain Gypsy wagon in the back courtyard. And Celeste's family were sort of prominent figures in Wexbury, being the Prime Techromancer and the Matron of the Great Library and all, living in the castle proper. And mother split her time between our family manor in Wexbury and here at Templar Hall.
The girls pulled me into the apartments, which were embarrassingly grand. I had argued with Prince George to no avail about the waste, and how the funds could have done far more to benefit the citizens of Sparo. He was always quick to counter that the people wished to celebrate us. That there hadn't been a Templar in over a century, and now they had three and one quarter to look up to.
I smiled at the thought of the one quarter. He had named Misty, Templar of her imaginary Junior Regiment. Which only gave her claims more validity to the masses. I hear all the children of the Lower Ten now play Junior Regiment instead of Knights and Nobles. I was proud of my daughter that she inspired children to use their powers of mischief to help others instead of the usual hijinks associated with giggling and squealing of children at play.
I hesitated when I saw two people on the couches in the great room. Who... then my smile grew as they stood. The girls released me as I stepped up to the handsome middle-aged couple opening my arms to give them hugs in greeting. “Karl, Janice, it is so good of you to come.”
I noted their clothing was of better quality then when I had met the Cobblers, Misty's original parents before I fostered her. I was glad the stipend they were receiving from my referral to the Duke, was giving them a better quality of life. They had been barely able to make ends meet in their small cobbler shop in the Belt by the Market when I first met them.
They refused my offer of monetary support when Celeste and I were in talks with them to foster Misty. Fosterage was such a mixed blessing to us commoners. It was the feelings of immense joy and relief that your child wouldn't have as hard of life as you had, combined with the reality that under normal custom, you would not be allowed contact with your child until after they are of the age of consent, and only if they wished.
I understood it wasn't just pride. It felt too much like the other way Nobles brought children into their families. All commoners are the property of the realms, and as such, it is the right of the Duke of the Keep to sell such property or the parents to sell their child. It is an archaic practice and makes the children feel as if they are cattle.
Celeste herself had been brought from her Trapper uncle by Donovan when she had saved his son from injury by a runaway horse. Though she loves her new father dearly, I see the young Trapper girl in her sometimes, feeling as if she were still just property. She is free of any of those feelings now as she is truly free, as Templar, she bows to no man or woman.
Purchase or fostering were both accepted means in which a couple who could not have children of their own, could grow their family, as the children would be recognized as theirs as if by blood.
It is common knowledge that you give up all claim to your child when you hand them over to another family's loving care. But I abhor that custom and chose to forge my own path. We welcomed Karl and Janice as extended family, and allow them to freely visit Misty or Misty them if she sees fit. I think it a travesty to cut a child off from their biological parents. They had only given her up so that she could have a future far brighter than the one they felt they could give her.
Most nobles look down their noses upon Celeste and me for our decision in this, but I think it is time for us to evolve as a people. I envied the family structure of the Mountain Gypsy bands over that of the Altii. With them, every child born into a band is raised not only by their mother and father but by every person of the band. They all work together to raise the children as if they were their own.
I pulled back and grinned as Misty gave them enthusiastic kisses and hugs. I grinned at my machinations behind the scenes. I had argued a point to the Duke, that we should outsource some of the needs of the Castle to skilled commoners to strengthen the ties between them and the nobles, and to strengthen our realm as a whole. So instead of having an in-house cobbler, for example, contract with our citizens instead to do the work.
This gave our weavers, cobblers, bakers, and other skilled individuals, work with the Castle Proper with generous stipends. The quality of the goods has increased as a result, as well as the opinions of the nobles in the eyes of the serfs. A win for everyone. I may have had ulterior motives, as Misty's parents were the most skilled Cobblers in the Keep, and they were awarded an exclusive contract to maintain the boots of the Knights of the Keep.
The Cobblers grinned as Ingr gave them hugs just as enthusiastic as their former daughter had. Karl ruffled her hair as the girls grabbed their hands. The Cobblers would be taking care of the girls while Celeste, Sylvia, and I were off on the mission. It would be a team effort between the Cobblers, the Lupei, and mother.
It may seem extreme to you, that we had such a layered support network just to watch two girls in our absence, but the last mission we went on, Misty had stowed away on the Outrider. The girls had survived a marauder attack in which Bex had almost been killed, and Misty kidnapped.
So there was that.
We weren't about to have something of the sort happen ever again. So they would be spirited away to the keep after we ate so that we would know they are safe before we leave.
I glanced around. Cassidy was going to be a bear when we returned from the mission. We had indicated we may have a few guests for the meal before our departure. Besides us, there were three Gypsies, the Cobblers, the girls, and mother. Donovan and Emily would be joining us shortly with Mother Udele.
Almost as if she knew I was thinking about her, Cook Cassidy poked her head through the door to the kitchen, and she cocked an eyebrow at me, her long black curls bouncing as she slapped the wooden spoon in her hand absently. I gave her a toothy, apologetic grin, and she rolled her eyes and then shot a crooked smile back. Good, I wouldn't be killed in my sleep upon my return.
Cassidy had been a godsend. When we were looki
ng for a maid to join our family to tend our apartments while Celeste and I were pulled in a million directions by the political demands imposed upon us, the Bakers, the parents of the girl Jace was seeing, recommended Cassidy. She was a cook at one of the restaurants in the Belt.
The Belt was the arcing strip of multi-story buildings that separated the Market and Mid End, where the richest commoners lived in the Keep.
We had been dubious that a cook would be up to the demands of a head maid. We... were wrong. Not only did she have our apartments, including our Gypsy Wagon in line in short order, but us as well. It was apparent that Celeste and I were not in charge of our own place. Cassidy reminded me so much of the sassy maid at our family manor, AnnaMarie.
I was so glad that she had a fear of neither noble nor Templar and spoke her mind. Commoners were generally meek around those of a higher station, and I liked that she didn't view things that way. She took umbrage when we suggested getting a cook, since she was so busy keeping our lives in order, and she performs both tasks with ease. She has made a great addition to our little unorthodox family.
Our poor Lord Bexington has shared how envious he is of us. In his apartments, next to ours, he and Brenda have a three-person staff to do the same, but they don't have the same relationship with their staff that we do. I think it may be the fact that they had had servants their entire life and they view them differently than those of us of common stock.
Not to mention that Cassidy was trained in the kitchen by the Lady of the Kitchen in the Castle proper, Corwin herself. And Cassidy's culinary skills were close to on par with the woman everyone affectionately just called Cook.
We had all just gathered at the table a minute later when Donovan, Emily, and Udele arrived. Once our ever efficient cook brought out multiple platters and joined us at the table, she knew better than not joining us after our first night with her, though I don't think she was impressed by my growling, she had capitulated and joined us in the meal. We had a wonderful time eating and visiting, and speculating about the wonders we would see in the Uninhabitable Lands and the Westlands if we found it.
I sighed. This was what made all the trials and hardships worth every scar we bore to earn it, family, and happiness.
It was with bleary eyes and wet cheeks that we said goodbye to the children after the meal. I told Misty as I wiped the tears from her eyes, “You be good for me while we're gone?”
She just nodded, and I kissed her cheek and assured her, “I love you lots, we'll be back before you know it.”
Celeste crouched and hugged her. “Take care of Wexbury and Templar Hall for us while we are gone.”
Misty straightened to attention and pulled her little wooden sword. “The Junior Regiment shall be ever vigilant...” Then she added cutely, “...mom.”
We kept waving like fools as the Cobblers started for the portcullis to bring our girl to the Keep. As Jace trailed past to join them, Celeste caught his arm absently with one hand while she kept smiling and waving at the girls who kept waving too. She said through her clenched tooth smile to him, “Make sure they get to the Keep.”
I almost snorted, she was thinking the same things I was. Jace gave us a wry smile. “I think I can handle my niece.” Now I was gritting my teeth in my smile as I kept waving... well... because the girls still were.
I said to him. “You just go on thinking that little brother.” Then added, “Love you, see you before you start to miss us.”
He looked between the girls and us then my brother broke and gave me a tight hug. As he got older, he has been less and less comfortable showing affection. I think it is a boy thing. He was so much taller than me now – and stronger and faster – and unfortunately getting quite skilled with a blade as the other knights had taken to training him whenever he stops to watch us in the training courtyard between messenger runs.
I dreaded the day which I knew was coming all too soon when he became a squire. I still saw him as the little boy who helped me tend the flock in our little cottage in Cheap Quarter as we scraped for pennies to get mother's medicines. He was in such a hurry to grow up.
He released me and ruffled my hair. “Hey!” I slugged his shoulder, and he feigned injury, and then he stood a little straighter in front of Celeste. Good lord, they were almost eye to eye now, and my wife was quite tall for a woman, when was the scrappy teen going to stop growing?
He offered her an arm. She rolled her eyes, slapped it away and pulled him into a quick hug. His eyes bulged humorously at the strength of her grip. Then he blushed when she released him. “Bye, brat, love ya.”
He smiled and almost tripped over his own feet when he turned and sprinted toward the gates, yelling out, “Hey! Pipsqueaks, wait up!” Then he yelled back over his shoulder at me, “And do try to come back to us in one piece this time, sis?”
I sighed in exasperation then looked around. Why was everyone looking at me expectantly with those stupid grins? It wasn't like I tried to get injured every time I went on an adventure.
Then I sighed in relief, knowing that Jace would make sure the girls got to the Keep and ensure that they stayed out of mischief until we departed.
I sighed then said wistfully without looking around. “I'd like more children.”
My evil wife just chuckled. “Of course you would, love.”
I kicked her shin without looking then gleeped when she wrapped an arm around my chest from behind and pulled me to her. Then I snapped back to the present from that future and left a misty ghosted afterimage behind as I dodged her sweeping arm she had captured me with the first time I lived through the moment.
I grinned and stuck out my tongue at her as she cocked an eyebrow. I started to dodge another future hug, but she was getting good at countering my ability to see a few seconds ahead in time, and she simply changed her decision, and I found myself face to her chest plate with her arms wrapped around my waist instead. I giggled and snuggled in a bit.
She spoke into my dark hair as she kissed the top of my head, “You're nothing but trouble, you know that?”
I nodded, and she asked, “I suppose you already have an idea on the subject?”
I took her hand and laced our fingers as she released me. I shrugged. “I may have just met the cutest little girl from Hell's Gate this morning, who reminds me so much of Misty when she was younger.”
I almost jumped out of my boots when Mother said from my side, “Oh, do tell.”
Rain added with a bright smile, “More granddaughters. Splendid.”
Celeste muttered, “Do you two have grandmother radar or something? You were twenty feet away a moment ago.”
I had often wondered what radar meant. I mean, I understood it by context but had wondered where it came from.
Emily had shared once when I asked, that bats can use their cries to locate things in the dark. They can hear the sound bounce back at them, she calls it echolocation or radar. I simply loved knowledge and devoured it any chance I got.
I looked at the two women, one who looked to be an older sister to Celeste and me, and I wondered... not for the first time, just how Celeste and I were bound to Great Mother Ranelle. Everyone acted as if we had the same blood tie that we had with Mother Udele of the Lupei making us her heirs, her Soras. But nobody would explain it to us except to say cryptically, “You are the Great Mother's.” The green piping on all of our gypsy clothing identified us as such, and she doted over Misty and spoke as if she were her birth grandmother.
Celeste shooed the women away like she was swatting at flies in the air, which they found quite humorous. I scrunched my nose at them as Celeste started to spirit me off to the private courtyard behind the Hall. “Come on Laney, the airships leave in less than a half hour.”
We hesitated when we heard Captain Thomas exclaim as they were leading Goliath into the Condor's cargo bay, “This thing is a fucking monster.” Then he was calling out to his men, “Offload two of the chargers. This beast would put us over capacity.”
I
giggled. My boy certainly wasn't puny. I felt that relief inside of me again that he would accompany us on the mission.
We rounded the corner of the building and passed through a hedge and two guards. Was this to be our lives now? I felt like we were living under lock and key and had no real privacy anymore. Was this how Duke Fredrick and Prince George felt all the time?
I smiled wryly, well at least the Templar Guard couldn't follow us on this mission.
My heart swelled with pride as we walked up to our little cottage on wheels. It was the pinnacle of Gypsy craftsmanship, and the gabled roof looked so traditional to me. I preferred this style to the other which looked like a huge barrel which had tipped onto its side in a stiff wind. I squeaked when I was lifted over the fold-down steps by the waist to the platform at the door.
Was it wrong that my wife's strength warmed me in some very pleasant places? I used the opportunity of being taller than her for the moment to bend and steal a quick kiss before disappearing inside.
The look on Celeste's face mirrored my own want and desire. She held me back for a moment once the door closed and I found myself in heaven as her lips greedily devoured mine, igniting a fire inside me as my magic reached out and coaxed hers to the surface. It heightened my wanton desire for her as our magic caressed each other as her tongue dance around mine.
She broke our kiss, my lips still searching for hers in their absence as she panted out, “Ok, you little vixen. Everyone is waiting for us, if you push me over the edge, they'll be waiting for quite some time.”
I made kissy fish lips and put on a hurt expression, which got her grinning like a loon. I grinned back and said, “Fine... but at least I can see you out of this armor for a moment.”
She bit her lower lip, and that almost threw me over the edge again. The fire I had for her seemed to burn brighter every year, and I found it amazing. Just when I thought I loved her with all that I had, I always found some more to give.
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