To Be or Not to Be !!!

[Sir Dmitrii Zurban]

Her request would be granted even before he spoke, of which would be evident by the smile of his face. He struggled to his feet, despite the sore thigh. “Of course I would love too…” His hand extended to her more out of respect than needed assistance. “Besides what better way to be with yu longer…” he commented.

Dmitrii looked to the servant and waited until Ae spoke to her… sudden thoughts of seduction regarding the bath, soared thru his mind… and he quickly quelled them, though they lingered despite his attempts.

As they walked down the corridor toward the stairs, she uttered her challenge for the morrow… and he smirked… “I shall give yu a test of yer abilities, though I fear I may lose…” he accepted her challenge. Up the stairs, Dmi limped and partially used her for support. Steel-grey eyes looked at her, and if only looks could talk... for the dim candle cast shadows upon her face that was incredibly beautiful. He could define her chin… her cheek… and it was as if he knew each feature with finite detail.

"Oh, luck has its favorites. I am ready." Aegraine laughed, "I cannot wait to discover exactly what it is we are wagering." lePower glanced up and her bright green eyes glittered in the bits of light filtering from the open door.

Oh he just squeezed her hand affectionately and offered her a now familiar smirk… the beard once again crinkling in all the right places suggesting a wicked grin. Leaning his lips down toward her ear, he whispers low with a seductive tone... “Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not one has better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on one's ideas, to take a calculated risk - and to act.”

At her door, he paused… the servant had entered and began preparing her sleep clothes Dmi had provided; while they… He… well, he stood with her hands in his… and his eyes sparkled… “I am glad yu came, Ae… Yu have done wonders for me…” His heart pounded in his chest as if a bass drum was being beaten… and his throat felt as if it was clogged… He knew he wanted to kiss her; but he paused just the same… for he was not sure how she felt about him. For as much time as they had spent together at work… and as much as they had spoken to one another, discussion of emotions had evaded them both.

"Dmitrii? Until I today I was afraid I'd never see you again, that you had not survived the war." Aegraine looked up, standing close enough to brush his shoulder with her hair, as she leaned her head against him. There still was enough light to see her eyes sparkle. "After the war, I missed you so. Every night I dreamed about you; wonderful romantic dreams, and I was almost afraid to wake the next day lest I might discover you had been killed."

Admission… and when he thought his heart could race no faster… The repetitious thud resounded in his ears… and her words echoed upon his brain… Was she actually admitting her feelings, or was it his mind playing tricks upon him? His words seem to falter at the thoughts of them together… “Ae… nights would find me asking God to watch over us…” his hands squeezed her lightly, his eyes flickered side to side…

She hesitated but the day's light was gone and now before another day went by, Aegraine had to tell him. "I promised myself, if I saw you again, if battle spared you, I ..." Standing on tip toe, work boots or not, she came as close as her height allowed and said quiet so the servant did not overhear, "I need to show you how much you mean to me." There was no wild abandon like with her dream self, just an awkward first kiss; not as the child she had been before, but as a young woman attempting to express affection. Aegraine looked down, afraid to know Dmitrii's reaction, at first. "If this goes against your customs, I mean no offense."

A calloused hand released hers, the finger lifting her chin for them to be face to face… Roving eyes once again took into memory the details of her face; the high cheek bones, the lines of her jaw to the chin… Leaning down, he closed his eyes, and moved close to her, a breath away, he paused, “No offense possible my dear” he whispered… and silently prayed she came the remaining distance… His lips finally met hers, his arms embracing her, pulling her in close. Light at first, the kiss then deepened into one of passion and love. Seconds lingered as the two first kissed upon the threshold of her room. Then a regretted parting as he pulled back from her.

"I have to go, now. The maid has my bath ready." A serving girl watched the doorway, from where a scent of perfumed warmed water wafted into the corridor. Ae turned and with more of speech than words aloud, she said, "Until tomorrow."

His hand reached out and caught hers, pulling her back to the door. “Wait… give me a moment more…” Reaching into his jacket, he pulls something out and holds it in his hand. “In God’s Holy Word, in the Book of Genesis I believe, is a word… a word that means an emotional bond… which has been handed down from Mother to Son in my family for hundreds of generations. As long as I can remember… my mother… I mean my second mother, who raised me… would utter it when we were to be apart… and also, twas the last word upon her death bed…” he smiles… “Now I offer it to you…” he beamed… “Mizpah… which mean the Lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another…”

Then he let the small chained pendant drop from his hand; the ends of the chain held by his fingers. It appeared old and the edges of the pendant were well worn. “This was my mother’s… and she gave to me the day she died… and I have worn it since…” he smiled and looked at her with light steel-grey eyes. “She always said to give it to the right woman for me…” he looked at the pendant then back to her. “I feel that is yu, my dear… Yu and I started out a different way than anyone else I have met… and over the months, yu grew on me… Please accept this knowing how I feel for yu…”

Relationship after relationship… battle after battle… even after a fiery marriage that ended him as a widower… Always alone… his search for peace and happiness always a battle away… And now Lord Adam preached of harmony and freedom… And Aegraine had showed him how she felt. Was this a sign? He thought so… and in doing so offered her his prized possession. Would she accept it?

Aegraine held the pendant in her hand, its chain falling into her palm and immediately she felt some kind of warmth from its smooth edges and backing. "It has a history, and I will wear it.” She put the chain about her neck, the pendant fell low at her neck, just at the level of her heart, but directly in the middle of her jacket. "When I was a young girl, I swore to not accept a token from anyone but the most special of men."

As she palmed the necklace, he took the other chain and held it out before her, then looked at the pendant in her hand and back to her… he smiled. Wrapping the chain about his neck, he connected the fine metal link, then allowed the half-heart pendant to drop along his shirt collar. “Yu have half, and I have half… together we make it whole…” he winks and smiles. “Mizpah, my dear…” And to delay no longer, he kissed her cheek and rubbed her arm.

Time passed and now the serving girl was at the door with her candle, anxious to get her guest to the bath prepared and be off duty for the evening. Ae went on into her guest room and prepared to enjoy the bath and rest. Thoughts of Dmi's Mother-figure's death and her own Mother's departure sifted in with other daydreams.

Looking Glass – (Ae visit’s the both the past and Zurban's Manor House)

How long had it been since she slid into a deep bath tub filled with warmed water? Years. Since she first came back from fostering to the master of offense siege arts, at age fifteen.

Then in her Mother’s now empty quarters, servants readied her a nice warm bath and she soaked until her fingertips wrinkled . “Where has my Mother gone, Gladys? “ For the personal maid was here, without the lady, Aurilla.

“Did you Father not tell you?” Gladys ducked the bullet, taking an arm load of laundry to the basket, turning away from the young girl. “She died.”

Aegraine sat up, splashing water all over the tile. “No. How? When did this happen?” It was strange the room was clear of tapestries and rug, which ought to have told her something. But a hand mirror still sat on Aurilla’s dressing table. She never went away with out her looking glass. “She is gone; best talk with your Father, Mistress.”

The enjoyment of coming home tarnished; it tasted bitter and cold to speak of it now, now she only thought of the day when memories caught her unaware. “She is here; she is not far.” Aegraine wrapped up in a huge towel blanket walked in a daze to Aurilla’s dressing table and picked up the mirror. Crafted in a far eastern realm, it was of such high quality that to see one’s face reflected was as if looking directly at a live person, eye to eye.

A late bloomer, at age fifteen Aegraine’s too thin face showed back, dark circles under her eyes, stared into the glass. Wet and unbrushed her hair framed a pale face with a solid darkness. Two years with the gone-mad-but-clever Carlos Incanto left her drained of energy and all too aware of how cruel one human can be to another. All that happened and now her Mother was gone? Dead?

What Gladys had done was to go get Martin, to have him speak and console his daughter. Therefore, Aegraine’s father appeared in the door as she was staring into the looking glass which had so often held her beautiful Mother’s image in its glossy frame. “Here now.” Martin snatched the hand mirror from Aegraine’s hand. “Your Mother will be searching for that. I will send it on to her, without delay.” There was no mention where Aurilla had gone, if she was truly dead or not. “Vanity. It is vain for a young girl to make too much of her image. You have seen enough.” The subject was closed.

Then, in the guest room in the Zurban Manor house, Aegraine stepped out of the luxurious perfumed bath water, hair tied atop her head, still wrapped in a huge towel and out of the side of her eye, saw what might be a portrait. No. It was a looking glass, one as good as her Mother’s had mirror had been. What she saw now made her stop and blink.

Time had improved her, to a degree lePower had not imagined. She had to get closer and see her face, smile at the reflection and yes, make faces at it. Oh, no one was quite as beautiful a she recalled her Mother to be, but Aegraine was at least half that pretty. “Is this how Dmitrii sees me?” She was talking to the mirror and even changed into her nightgown before the mirror, seeing the rest of her. “My right shoulder did not get scarred! That healer’s potion did the trick!”

The maid walked from the other part of the room and stood behind Ae watching her. “Pardon th’ intrusion MiLady… baet Ah bae sure MiLord sees yu as yae are… Beautiful…” She looks down expecting to be scolded; and with no immediate comment, she looks back up and smiles… “MiLord been actin’ odd o’ late… like his mind bae sumwher else… like he bae hit wit a love stick…” Then she turns sideways to leave but stops and makes one comment. “Ah been married twice, lost both tae war… and Ah see MiLord with want in his eyes, when he sees yae or speaks about yae…” then she turned and opened the door… But once more before she closed the door… “He’s nay a bad lot, yae culd do worse MiLady….” Then she quickly closed the door.

With the candle light out, Aegraine held onto the medallion Dmi had given her, now about her neck. It hung low but not so much that it was hidden by her nightgown neckline. There was something about this token, for the metal of it warmed where it touched her skin. It made her feel there was someone out there, out beyond life itself was watching over her. She slept comfortable in the feeling and dreamed of a man who smirked.

Dmitrii sauntered down the hallway, his door a short distance from her door. Entering his room, he too decided to retire for the evening; now content he had shared his feelings with her. Tossing his shirt aside, his chest was bare and his arms flexed with unseen muscles. Then he removed his boots and tossed them aside… and with one last look at his door, he removed his trousers. His torso was scarred in many places, with several small scars and only a few large ones. His physique was muscular, well toned, and mostly tanned…None of the scars were grotesque… nor demeaned his appearance. Marie, the maid was correct, he was not a bad looking man….

His lamp remained lit while undressing and the self-examination, fully nude, was not from conceit but from his ritual of sanitation and resistance to infestation. With a short ritual of exercise to limber sore muscles before bedtime. The light from his candles would shine thru a portal in the tapestries between their rooms. Would she take a peek or resistant to temptation?

Aegraine was ready to sleep and drew the covers up to her chin, ready to wrap one arm about a pillow, when she saw a spark of light. Not from the hearth fire which was dying down by now, but a bright gleam of light reflected in the looking glass, across the room. Reflected from where, was her first question so she looked around the room to see that there was a glow of light coming from the tapestry upon the wall; the wall that separated their rooms. "Strange." She thought. "What is that odd light?" The more she considered it, the more her curiosity grew. "How odd… I wonder…" She slipped out of bed, in her bare feet, long white nightgown trailing in her wake. Ae walked quietly to the tapestry and began to examine it closely, only to find that she could peer in through small portals in the tapestry.

The door between their rooms was closed and locked, and it fit the frame perfectly. But the light had shown through the tapestry at eye level. With a hand placed upon the tapestry, one could view the other room next door as clear as looking thru a screen.

Once owned by the MacLeod clan, one would not know the reasons why, but the tapestry was fixed with a viewing panel from one room to another by means of fixed slat. Placing hands on each side of the tapestry, one could feel the movable slat in the wall and peer into the other room and investigate what occurred next door. Known by none, it was Aegraine’s side that had the ability to survey the room at leisure. Her room was once used regularly by the tanist and Dmitrii’s room was a guest room. This was a possible advantage that kept the MacLeod clan informed on guest activities or something to the like.

"If I can look from this side, can one in the next room have looked from their side?" It was only logical. So Ae tried to see it that was indeed possible. She watched long enough to determine that it was possible to see through and observe Dmi at his best.

Dmitrii’s room, once housed guests of the MacLeod’s, and in the year he had lived in this manor, he had not moved the tapestry of deer and mountains, as it reminded him of home. Unknowingly, the occupants of that room went about personal activities observed from the adjacent room.

In his room, Dmitrii washed his entire body from a basin opposite the window side of his room, and dried off with a towel. Hanging the towel upon its rack, he walked to his bed, and lay his nude form upon the feather mattress in comfort; the blanket lay to the side. Arms folded under his head as he looked to the ceiling, considering the lass next door.

Without a sound or comment, she hurried back and slid under her covers, glad to have not been caught watching. "I am so glad I turned down all those men Father tried to make matches for me!" She smiled and hid that wide happy smile behind a fold of her sleeve. There are dreams and there are dreams; which is good enough when that is the only option. Given the choice, Aegaine would pick real life and the man in the room next door. If the chance came.

[Sir Dmitrii Zurban]

The next morning came and as the sunrays broke thru the window, Dmitrii would find himself wrapped oddly in his blanket. He had slept well, but subconsciously he had fought with his blanket… or was it dreams of sensual desires that captivated his mind? Either way, Dmi awoke clear-minded and ready for yet another day with Aegraine.

Sitting upon the edge of his bed, he looked upon the thigh wound and found it healing nicely. Then he began to stretch his muscles slow at first then standing beside the large framed bed, he stretched to his fullest height possible. It was a sudden rap upon the door that made him jump.

“MiLord… food is ‘pon the table…” Clarissa called from beyond a locked door. Then she proceeded to Ae’s room and repeated the call to breakfast…

Dmitrii dressed in his finest black and silver… the white shirt with bloused sleeves, the vest of black material with silver highlights… and the trousers made of similar black material. Pulling on his boots, he used his hand to wipe off as much dust and dirt as he could. Standing in the looking glass, he brushed back the errant strands of black hair. With a pair of scissors, he trimmed the hair of his beard. With a smirk, he turned to exit his room, but with a light rap upon her inner door, he called out softly. “Aegraine? Ae, yu awake?”

Song Birds

There were songs at my window, before the day's light. Mourning doves live in the oak; wrens in the roof edge. Light sounds before it was day, and I was amazed. The world at peace sings, it breathes safety and calm. The crows are gone for now. Nothing stays the same forever. Except change.

"I am awake!" she called out, accompanied by sounds of hurried movement by both her and the maid. He could hear her talking, "Thank you Maire! I am so glad you woke me early." Ae came to the inner door, and greeted Dmi with a bright smile. She was wearing a bright blue-green gown with three quarter sleeves laced in tight at the waistline. The neckline of this summer dress was square and cut low, at the front and back, but modest. The front was high enough so the pendant about her neck rested upon the smooth gown fabric. Green ribbons tied her hair up into a mass of curls, some hanging in the air at the back; three longer curls trailed over her left shoulder. "Good morning, Dmi." she met him at the door. "Marie arranged my hair and selected this dress. She took my work boots away, to clean, she tells me."

A single glance behind Aegraine, he saw the maid exit the door into the hallway… it was then his hands went to her arms and drew her close… with an embrace and a slow, soft, kiss upon her lips he kissed her good morning… “I could not resist…” was all the excuse he could offer. And the next move he made was to let her slip to arm’s length and he looked at her. “Yu look absolutely divine… no one would ever know yu are a wall climber…” he offered a charming smirk. “Shall we?” then he escorted her from the room and into the hallway…. Her hand upon his crooked arm. What a sight, as if they were Lord and Lady of the Manor.

Sunlight caught the silver threads in his black vest; it made his white shirt brighter. "You look very nice, this morn." She watched Dmitrii's face, leaving it to his guidance that she did not miss a step on the stairway down. "Songbirds woke me; it's been so long since we in the city have heard birds in the morning." Then as they came to the end of the stairs, added, "And Marie made sure I was awake. She does speak well of you, Dmi. And Marie tells me she's going to teach me about embroidery." There were a lot of gaps in Ae's education, things her Father did not teach.

With a quirk of the corner of his mouth, moving the neatly trimmed beard in its familiar manner. “Tis good to hear yu had such a pleasant evening and morn…” then he smiled… “Embroidery?... excellent…” and he followed that with a smirk… “They shall make a Lady out of yu yet…” nudging her teasingly with his elbow.

"What challenges will the day bring? The only work left to do is going over all the options for the City Gate design." Work was the last thing on her mind. "Hmm? If there is an idle hour or so, maybe we bet at cards?" She glanced over her right shoulder, to observe his reaction as she stated, "And I still have no idea what we will bet. If not coins, then what?"

Challenges? He offered her a curious look. “Ti zoli? Ra bo to? Nyet se wod nyiay dye visch ka…” {Challenges? Work? no, not today my dear}… patting her hand softly… “But as for cards… maybe this evening… First we partake of morning sup… and a walk about the manor afterwards… I intend to enjoy our time together…” the r’s just rolled off his tongue with the Rus accent.

“I cannot say I am sorry to skip thinking about the walls and work for a little while." They came to the end of the stair and headed into the small dining room. "Life is not all work, is it? Well, unless you were to ask Father that question; he lives for his work." She sighed at the memory of Martin and his single minded approach.

“Fear not my dear… work shall be done whilst yu are away… I guarantee it.” For he had competent people on the construction crews… and newly hired refugee workers… a plan initiated by the Mo’r Triath to reduce joblessness in Skye. “Nyet, life is much more than work…” his hand touches her arm. “To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right..” Quoting an ancient proverb from Asia, he offers her a familiar quirk of his lip ending in a smile.

"I am not certain when my Father will arrive in Turas Lan, but he has a pattern of going into a town and taking in the problem, before he is known. I would not be too surprised he will come calling. Here."

“I am ready to meet this Master of Engines… and the Father of my…” he glanced to her and gave her a wicked little smirk… the trail of words were interrupted by servants moving their chairs for them. He shunned his chair at the end of the table and moved closer toward her… and a servant quickly pulled out a chair next to her and offered the pair a smile.

The breakfast was another banquet to Aegraine, the table set as if for a formal dinner. Fresh breads and scones were displayed on their own dish. Sauces were for selection; fish grilled at the kitchen hearth sat on a bed of fresh greens. "This is so different from what Dora prepares for the morning; she makes a cereal gruel and we can dip yesterday's bread in it; 'tis hot and filling in winter but not so appetizing for spring."

Dmitrii thanked his servants for the fine setting of food… then his attention went to her once more with a smirk… “Gruel?” making a face, shaking his head… “As I grew up on the streets of Paris, and in Kievan Rus as a youth, I had forms of gruel… and I shant eat it now… Now that I have a choice, gruel will not be my first choice… though as a soldier, I have eaten worse…” he teases her.

There were fresh picked berries and cream, for the scones and she tasted the combination. "If I were to dine like this every day, I would grow too plump." For this one time, laughing, she disregarded that thought.

Oh this morning, he was full of smirks and smiles… his thoughts a bit far from gentleman’s standards… “I doubt that Ae… I would find ways to keep yu active and trim…” his hand once again finding her arm; his eyebrows wiggled in a tease.

"I look forward to walk about the grounds, here." It was the tone of her voice, the direct look into Dmi's eyes as she spoke, that said the rest of her statement, that she too enjoyed every moment she spent with him.

Steel-grey eyes seemed to sparkle as she looked at him… It had been a long time since his eyes had sparkled in such a manner. He swallowed quickly to speak… “T’would be my pleasure to show yu around…” If he could he would touch her as often as he could… and smother her with affection… though he would attempt to control that…

"Taste. This is so delicious." Aegraine held out a bit of scone topped with a berry and cream, her hand reaching across the table to offer this treat to Dmitrii. "It is so sweet."

A look…a lean… and a partially opened mouth invited her fingers to taste her offering. “Aye… yu are…” he whispered and smiled.. then bit off a piece of the berry and cream covered scone…, the cream sticking to the tip of his nose… “Mmmm, it is good…” he said with a partially filled mouth as he sat back in the chair unaware of the cream.

"Dmi? I think I have got some of the dessert on your face, I did not mean to be so careless. Here, allow me." She reached out with a cloth table napkin to clean away the bit of cream off the scone which now decorated his nose. It was too far a lean forward, without getting her gown into the sauce platter, so Aegraine stood and walked about the table, leaning in over his shoulder, cloth table napkin in hand. "There, this is better." her voice almost a whisper in his ear.

Dmitrii’s steel-grey eyes crossed as he looked to his nose and chuckled; scooting back from the table a bit as she rose and walked around. He watched the napkin in her hand as it came into view of his peripheral vision from behind, then glanced at her as she spoke… “Aye, tis better…”

She was so close… he could smell her sweet scent, and he could almost taste her breath of cream and scone. As she started to rise, he took her arm and spun her into his lap, her back in his arm… face to face. Curling her toward him, he smirked… the beard crinkling in all the right places to offer a familiar feature… “Aye much better…” His steel grey eyes once again flickered side to side as he placed her face to memory of the moment. “Ae… yu do know yu mean a lot to me…” He wanted to say it… it remained on his tongue like an after taste… He wanted to profess his affection for her, but those three words meant a vow that would last forever.

Months… Years…!! Victoria’s death !! The long string of dwindling relationships… But, it was after Willa left… after his drinking binges… after his exploits with the prostitutes… that he found himself in such a degraded state… Late one night, in the darkness of his room, he knelt upon bent knees and asked God for guidance… repenting his sins… knowing that all he had learned, he tossed aside to drown in his own pity of heartbreak… In asking God for forgiveness, he vowed that IF God allowed him one last chance… that he would love that person with all his might… and he would be with them until death… or even after… And in doing so, he became to offer true feelings, hesitantly… too cautiously to proclaim Love… To say I love you would mean a vow that he would die trying to live up to.

All these thoughts would pass quickly as his eyes looked at her in his arms. Was she the one God had arrangements with, for him? Would she be the one he would say those three words to? Would she reciprocate those feelings? No words… just a look, and he pulled her to him for a kiss… one that would stir the senses… one that would say a thousand words… Slow, deliberate, and breath-taking could be used to describe it. How would she describe the moment?... the Kiss…? her feelings and emotions?

The kiss spoke to her and Aegraine caught her breath. Face to face with Dimtrii once more, she found herself leaning forward, forehead to forehead, and out into the clear clean air, Ae was saying in a voice for him only, "And you do know don't you? I love you, Dmi." Then she tucked her head into the space between his neck and shoulder. Shyness and reserve fought a good battle, but in the end Aegraine said what she had seen coming, slow and sure as the seasons return and the spring comes back anew. "There will be none for me, but you. No matter what my Father may say."

And as she declared her love for him… he smiled... his eyes sparkled… and it was as if a new life had started… his heart raced and thudded soundly in his chest. This master of weapons… this “Le guerrier principal”, Master warrior… forged by battle, steeled by war, a man of stilled nerves and calmness, not restrain his exuberance… As she buried her face against his shoulder, he chuckled softly… and a curved finger gently lifted her head by the chin… and looked directly into her eyes… “Ae… I suspected it, but I wanted to hear it from yer lips… to speak the truth of heart… and now that I have heard it, I shall tear down my walls that life has built around my heart and proclaim to yu, the way I feel.” He smiles again… “I love yu, and yu are the only one for me… forgive my past and enjoy my future… let us live, and love, as we deem right for us… regardless of what others may say…” he was regarding her father by saying that… “I shall ask for his blessings to court yu… if yu desire it so?!”

"Yes, I would like my Father's approval, since he will be here in person, soon. It will cement the peace within my family, after the break we had. For the life of me, I cannot see any reason for him to object." Yet still, there was a shred of doubt in her mind. Did Martin have any other reasons to visit Turas Lan, but the repairs to the wall and gates? To see Aegraine, of course, aside from business reasons.

Dmitrii huffed a bit… Knowing that overcoming a Father’s hesitancy is the hardest to do… They were close in age, close in likes and dislikes, close in work… but a bit varied in religious beliefs… Though it was not an arranged relationship, she would not have to worry about being taken care of financially, and he did not care if she had a dowry or not… He too could not think of a reason the man would object… “I too want yer Father’s blessings… for our sake…”

It was not for nothing Ae had survived the terrible times in Ulster, alone since she left her family over three years ago. It was a long, long road to come from being the cold, remote almost mechanical personality she had been, back in Ireland to this new knowledge that she was in love with this one special man. "This is the best of breakfasts!." If it were not for the servants making themselves known by the sounds of their work, in the next room the two might have lingered longer at the table, as they were.

His free hand stroked her hair as she lay in his lap. “Da… the best of breakfasts… for now…” he winked and waggled his eyebrows with a sensual tease. “Maybe someday soon, I shall make waking even better…”

"Where do we begin? Are there gardens at your estate?"

Though he wished they could remain as they were longer, he knew he could not… so with a gentle nudge, he allowed her to stand… and he too stood beside her.

Arm in arm, they walked away from the sumptuous breakfast, to begin the tour. A day without work was unique in her experience. Even while traveling, on shipboard, a young Aegraine was expected to be at work, memorizing the ship's sail names, what stars mapped the route there and back, and in the evening, Martin, her Father, insisted she go over a section of Castle constructs. A day without the endless rote recitation in her mind left lePower with the time and space for new things.

Not moments before, he had placed them at a precipice of the relationship. And now they would take the walk he had promised her around the Manor… “Nyet…” he walks with her across the bridge to the land. “No place inside the manor, but some of the groundsmen’s wives maintain gardens… everything from vegetables to roses…” He points to a clutter of smaller buildings, some thatch roofs, some tile… some very small, some sufficient for families of five or more. “There, the people care for them… and they usually sell what they grow…”

Dmitrii owned the manor and land numbering some 200 hectares… not much for royalty, but sufficient for him. People lived upon his land, grew gardens, raised sheep and cows, and he set no tax upon them; only asked that they offer a fair share for his land. “I demand not a duty, nor tax, but only that they provide some compensation for the land they reside.” He walked slow and pointed out a small livery stable and blacksmith shop… and other small necessity work areas. “We are basically self-sufficient… I own the land, people live here on it… if they work in the manor, I pay them wages… if they work the land, or raise animals upon it, or own a shop, they pay what they can…usually a percentage…” he chuckles. “I know I shall never be rich this way, but it keeps them employed and off the Mo’r Triath’s debtor lists… and entrusts them to do the best they can…” He guides her around a mud puddle and some scat laying near the path.

"I had inherited Ulster estates from my Mother's family, but all were lost when the English took over." Aegraine moved about the mud, her dancing sandals lent themselves to a light, springy step. "If not, I would be back there, like Eirian, making sure things got done and the sheep were sheared." Fate or God's will had moved her from one square of the chess board, like a token, to become a player in the war game at Turas Lan. The game was still on, it seems.

Dmitrii looked down as they walked, then canted his head and looked at her. “Now that the Mo’r Triath has freed Ulster… and removed the English chokehold from all o’Ireland… yu can petition for yer family land to be reinstated…” Kicking a rock away from his path, he nervously glanced at her… “That would take yu from Skye though…” and he stopped and looked at her, his hands capturing her arms. “I would hate to lose yu…”

"I have no thoughts on leaving Skye, for any reason other than if I am sent on work assignment and return here. Last I saw the estates, both manor houses were just roofless stonework, the horses and sheep gone. Even the farm folk drifted away or died; the lands are far from livable. My Father and brother Francis are investigating what might be done." While she spoke, Aegraine was forming the outlines in the air, the patterns of blocks and design of the old houses. It was a habit that her fingers "drew" the walls and tower in the air, memorization prompts, much like rhyme makes it easier to recall Ulster Laws or a poem.

Dmitrii offered her that familiar charming smile… Her “drawings” were cute and he loved to watch her. He just guided her along the path of the village. He wanted to hold her hand… to walk hand in hand… but it was not time… later mayhaps…

"Does your sister reside far? Is it a walk or will that take horses to reach? Outside of Eirian's estate, I have little knowledge of the country around Turas Lan." That would be another day.

He points to a pair of high knolls to the north… “There thru that small dale… into the forest below lies Ravencrest... A long walk, or a short ride… My sister being a Ranger, just had to be near a forest…” he laughs… his arm clamping down on her hand… “My dearest Ae… we shall learn together… for all I have seen of Skye is thru the eyes of a warrior… now we shall see it in peace…”

All thoughts of Martin LePower arriving at Dmitrii's manor house were placed back burner. All Ae thought about that day was Dmi; it was a new time in this world for Aegraine. Mairi was right; she does have instincts.

He had guided her down into the small gathering of buildings to meet some of the people that worked his land.

For better of an hour they stood inside the smithy and watched the man for metal into a blade… then curved it into a plowshare… Dmitrii just smiled reflecting on a passage in the book of God’s word. As they were leaving, Dmitrii patted the man upon the back, more of a friend than a lord… but still the man offered his lord a bow…

Next they came upon one of the gardens, one with vegetables on one side and flowers blooming in all its glory. Dmi bent over and picked one… and a small boy of five years or so came out… “Tha’ bae 3 copper gryphons MiLord…” he managed to say abruptly… The lad’s mother came from the garden… “Andrewww… shaew sum respct will yae…” she retorted… then looked to Dmitrii and Ae, curtseying deep… “Beggin’ yaer apologies Milady…Milord…” Dmitrii laughed and handed the boy several coins… He smiled and went back inside the house… Looking at the woman Dmi nods… “No problem Lilly… good to see he is enterprising…” followed by a laugh.

Polite exchanges of introduction and departure were exchanged and just before he guided Ae away, he stuck the flower behind her ear and smiled….

"It is a lovely flower." with a light touch to the bloom behind her ear. "The lad is very intelligent, little Andrew. Will he be learning to read?" Aegraine walked arm in arm and added, "I do not recall ever learning to read, it was as if it came as natural as breathing." LePower knew almost nothing of children, nothing practical as a normal young woman might. She could not but notice that Dmitrii's people liked him as an individual but respected his rank, as well. Now that is a tricky balance of power.

He smiled at the placement of the flower, and how the bright color of it against her dark hair brought out her eyes. “Aye, Lilly has tried with the boy but as a widowed mother…” he shrugs… “He attends classes… I have a man come here every two months for a week… He teaches those unfortunate to read and write.” Then he chuckles… “This man is good… and I do try to encourage education… and I occasionally teach some to speak Rus…” he nods… “It’s like having some homeland right here… and some like the challenge…” his nose crinkles… “It’s new… some try to use it, some shun it because of its difficulty…”

"It is difficult, the sounds are so different than the local dialict. I am trying to learn, a little." Aegraine looked up to Dmitrii and proved she had been listening, from the first. "I can say ' “Do bro oot tro, dye vetch ka…” Her accent was lacking the proper roll of word and sounded a bit crisp and British, not like the sounds in her memory were at all. "That is good morning, isn't it?" She recalled that from the trip to Eirian's estate, back at their campsite. “The first time we met in person, you told me "Dras vo chi…” , when you told me hello the first time. And when you got angry, you said, "Chort! " Laughing as she pronounces this in imitation of the irritation she heard in voice tone. It was not much but it was a beginning. "I can learn more words...in time." The accent, however, might not ever be quite right.

The people of the village gathered around Dmitrii and Aegraine… Farmers, smiths, wives, mothers… the manor had a small village of maybe twenty-five people… including newborns… It was not a large contingency but they were proud of their Lord of the Manor… despite him not being Scot…

“She be a beauty…” one woman said… “Aye… goot bones and strong arms… Ah bet she be good for bairin children…” said another… “Laird Dmitrii bae lucky he is… fine wholesome woman he ‘as…” said one man... “Looks a goot stock…” said another. “She’ll be ‘appy in bed she will…” one young woman said jealously… “Nay, he will be a ‘appy man…” a young man teased. All of the words whispered in gossip, but unless one was deaf, the buzz could be heard and undrstood… Dmitrii’s heart raced and his eyes sparkled at the comments as he looked to Aegraine… now all he had to do was gain her Father and Kaelyn’s blessings.

It bode well that the people were not afraid to be themselves around their landowner. Aegraine did her best to pretend not to overhear what the folks were saying, but she blushed at their frankness. If that kiss at breakfast was a sample, they could be happy, she just knew it. The part about "bairin children" cut to the heart of what was expected for a woman in these times. It was the first time she thought about what all a future could hold for them. If only her Father and his Sister did not object, of course.

It was in a teasing manner that Dmitrii made the people go back to work… shooing them off and stating idle hands were the Devil’s tools… He took Aegraine by the arm and led them away from the village, across an open field of heather, to a nearby stream… From their vantage point he could look southeast, down across the field to the lake where the manor stood on the far bank… or upstream to the northwest toward the hills. This was a small shaded area where they could sit by a babbling brook and enjoy time together… alone…away from prying eyes…

The scenery was glorious and she gasped at the beauty of it all. Then, she walked with Dmitrii into the shade, for she had not worn a sun hat and skin as fair as Aegraine's gave her the habit of seeking shade in summer.

Removing his jacket, he spread it down upon the ground, and indicated her to sit…. “Ae… the tournament starts day after tomorrow… will yu go? I am jousting…” he smiled and sat beside her, his shoulder close to hers. “It would do me proud to wear yer colors…would yu allow me?”

Folding her skirts carefully as to keep her seated mostly upon the jacket on the ground, Aegraine thanked him, enjoying the sound of the brook's water in the background. "I am going to attend the Joust, I would not miss it for anything...you are healed enough for this?" She had not asked more about his injury in battle, trusting that it was Aislin who directed his care, so it was the finest quality to be had. "Yes, Dmi. I would be honored. I will be watching you, so glad this be not actual battle." In real combat, in conflict there is no watching over your loved one; she knew that. The joust did give Aegraine a chance to see Dmitrii in action, without the life and death element to it.

A grand smile captured his facial features as she agreed to attend the joust. “I am healed enough… the wound is healing well, and I shall wrap it up aforehand.” He laughs… “The worse I can do is lie upon my back in an unseat…”

This morning had truly been wonderful… valuable time had been spent together… she had spoke Russian for the first time.. and she agreed to go to see him joust. Truly this woman had quickly captured his attention… and his heart… He turned slightly facing her, and looked directly into her eyes. “I am so very proud of you for attempting Rus… with no lessons, yu captured it perfectly for a non-speaker…” She could see the pride he held for her at this very moment… He had no said anything in front of the people, as they would think she already knew such words, and more. But he was ever so proud of her… His fingers found some curls of her hair along side her face, and played with them, wrapping the errant strands around his fingers gently.

Leaning to her, his lips spread slightly… and he heard her gasps as he pressed his lips to hers… a hand found the back of her head, pressing her to him for a full, slow, breathtaking, and passionate kiss. The sounds of the birds and the babbling brook were silenced by the deafening heartbeat inside his chest and ears. As they kissed, he lay her back upon the ground, moving a bit of his jacket as not to grass-stain her dress. There he lay next to her, his solid body pressed aside hers; his hand stroking her back. The kiss only paused for his soft words that brushed warmly across her lips… “I love yu my dear… I am so proud of yu… and yu make me happy.” This kiss would make the morning kiss seem slight.

A leafy cathedral, her Mother used to call arched leaf bedecked branches overhead. To Aegraine this was simply heavenly, looking at Dmitrii’s face with the background of new oak leaves, outside the tree bright glossy green in their new to the world existence, as new as she was to being in love. One wonderful kiss followed another and this time it was Aegraine who began their sharing. It was as if this was a paradise and everything was suspended in time. Therefore, she did not notice that a lone person walked closer to the pair.

Martin arrives.

Two riders came out from the city gates, leaving a healing, recovering Turas Lan behind, for the time being. All day they had traveled the city, the walls, the gates interviewing and chatting with citizens here, for research if not for curiosity.

White dust of broken block clung to them and their horses, as the two men rode out, in the direction of Zurban’s estate, with a purpose. Side by side, the men kept a good pace and spoke little, the younger only replied to his elder’s questions, no more than that.

“Well, Rhupert? I am thinking of the walls but I wonder what my daughter has got herself into this time. Did the old woman tell you any more of why she left?”

“That was her servant, Goodwife Lynch, sir. She told me that Aegraine went a visit with her officer commander, that the man was serious injured in the battle. Here or in an other aspect of that war, I cannot discover.” Jenks scowled at the roadway before them, even though the journey was no more than an hour. He was anxious to get this work done and finished, and back on the road again.

Rhupert Lewellen Jenks was a man of varied decent, at age twenty eight. He was so brilliant a stone master builder that he became allied with lePower for a decent wage and formed the function of aide to the family patriarch, Martin. Reddish brown beard and curly hair to match, he was neither handsome or repulsive; average of height and weight. Dark brown clothing blended in with the tone of the horse he rode so close that out of his hearing, of course, lesser employees dubbed him “the Centaur”.

The older man, bald head bronzed by the sun, wore the dark blue garments of a well to do merchant, his silver and black family crest embroidered over his coat over the heart and at the heart of his entire existence. Family came first. Family was business, of course. Martin narrowed his eyes at the sight before him, drawing a nondescript dark brown horse to a halt, for it was his first view of Zurban’s manor house.

“Here it is.” Martin steeled him to go forward, making sure the sword and bow he carried were secured upon the horse, as not to appear threatening or weak. “We go to the gates; speak and announce us, Rhupert. I will find excuse to speak with this Zurban alone. Follow my lead.” Then he started off to the Manor, Jenks scrambled to catch up and ride along side.

“Yes sir.” Jenks was not eager to take this step, but without conversation he agreed to what ever lead his boss wanted.. He felt half man and half horse, led by the reins that held him to good employ and the stonework he loved. Yes, Rhupert knew the workers nicknamed “Centaur” and when a rare good humor stuck him, he chuckled that it fit.

"Boy." Martin hailed a little boy, the child Andrew in fact, and inquired of him, "Boy? A few coin to direct me to you Sir Zurban; I am a good friend and ally of him and have urgent business, stat." Le Power was so kindly old grandfather like that the little boy gave directions without and into his outstretched hand seven coin clinked, rewarding the child well.

That is why, leaving his horse with Jenks, Martin lePower walked into the green leafy shade, to seek out Dmitrii. [/font]

[Sir Dmitrii Zurban]

Uh-oh, Papa's In Town

Martin walked up the path, careful to make enough noise that his presence be known before he was seen, for it would not do to be mistaken for an intruder on another man’s lands. Into the leafy glade, where greenery provided shade and a nearby brook sounded a pleasing water feature background music, the Elder lePower came up to where two folks were. One seemed to be likely Sir Zurban, from the descriptions and there was a young lady with him. He took a good look at the dark-haired girl, dressed in a blue-green gown. “Nice figure, makes me wish I were young again, or less old that is.” Martin thought as he turned away, arms folded and gazed at the way he had walked to get here. Folding his arms, he waited but no one noticed his presence. One hand over his mouth, as if he did not really want to do this, but it was necessary, he pronounced a loud, “Ahem! “

“Pardon my interruption, you be Sir Zurban? I am Martin of the lePower Organization, come to discuss with you our aid with the wall and gate reconstruction.” He began to step away, to leave the man and the young lady some space, for he had not recognized his own daughter, her face being turned away from his sight at the moment. “I will confer with you at your estate, when you are free. I go back to the city well before nightfall and we must talk." There was not mention made of Aegraine, for he was certain his daughter was at the Manor House, busy with plans, drawings and specifications for the Turas Lan wall project.

The kiss was mesmerizing… for both of them… and sparked life anew in ways only one could imagine. Were it not for the religious standard for the times, it was possible that intimate bliss would soon follow. But as it were, the lover’s embrace made them oblivious to their surroundings…. Until… an “Ahem” startled them. Embarrassment was not one sided as Dmitrii turned, his face a bit pink from the sudden flow of blood. His companion turned her face away as not to display the same features… a pink blush from being caught.

Dmitrii swallowed hard as the man stated his name and purpose… followed by a quick glance to Aegraine… with a quick snap of his head toward Martin. The man did not recognize his daughter??!! He quickly thought… Dmitrii immediately gave a smirk to the older man while standing immediately… “Aye M’Lord… we shall be there directly. Let us gather our belongings… I shall meet yu in the foyer…” giving them the ability to gather thoughts and talk before confronting her Father…

As the man walked away… Dmi turned and looked down at Ae chuckling… “For God’s sake… He did not recognize yu….”

"It's no surprise, Dmi." Aegraine stood and swept her skirt clear of bits of leaves and the wild flower petals clinging to her. "It has been over four years since Father and I spoke, face to face." She stood and looked after her parent, the one whose approval she had been seeking since day one. "He is going to expect the plans ready for the gates, but we have not gone over them yet." There was nothing wrong with a few kisses out here, near the brook, for with a chaperone present, that would have been as proper as Martin might expect.

Dmitrii huffed as the plans for the gates were the last thing upon his mind… more intimate details now filled his consciousness. With no chaperone, on his own land, it is a surprise Dmitrii did not attempt something further… but he did honor Aegraine… and her wishes. But he would settle for kisses… especially ones like they shared. “I know my dear… but I trust yu emphatically… When we meet with yer Father… yu discuss the gates… I will back yu… as if we had discussed them…” Yep… there was that familiar, charming smile… as he took her hand and placed it upon his arm.

The old man plodded on, deliberate strides matched with his determination to get this work done. His shoulders did not droop with age, as Ae had imagined nor did his bald head, sun tanned even in winter, turn and look back at them.

"I will get the drawings and unroll them upon the large dining room table; Marie can help." Aegraine hung onto Dmitrii's arm as they followed her Dad to the Manor House, at some distance back. "Please, he can be so set in his ways, do not let him take me away, back to Waterford. I want to stay where you are." She turned bright green eyes up to him and asked once more, "Please, Dmi. Don't let my Da take me away."[/i][/color]

He snapped a look to her… then offered a wicked smirk… “Fear not my dearest Ae… NO ONE will ever take yu from me… except yu… Yu can stay with me as long as yer heart desires…” It was then and there he made a silent promise to both of them… no one would physically take her from him… unless it was she, who walked away.

Martin would recognize his only daughter's voice and face once they were face to face. He had expected to be reunited with the same boyish, sullen Aegraine he saw in his memory's eye, a young woman with mind for naught but the family business and work, just as he had taught her. To one of his age, little time had gone by; he was just the same, himself, wasn't he? Elder lePower forgot to consider that children grow to become adults, even his little "Graine".

Back at the Manor House, Jenks waited at the doorway, along with a doorman, to be escorted into wait for audience with Sir Zurban. "Will he see us?" Rhupert inquired, as the two of them walked into a room of the house, noting all the details of decoration and the wealth they proclaimed.

"He will see me; I guarantee." Martin gave the doorman a nod but did not accept a seat or drink, while awaiting Dmitrii's arrival. "And I know my daughter is here; we need to talk."

The pair walked into the manor together… Ae breaking away down a corridor toward the room where she stored the plans… then into the large dining room… Meanwhile, Dmitrii approached the foyer and eyed the two men… “M’Lord… May I officially welcome yu to Lake Manor…” it was Dmitrii’s name for the Zurban Estates… “I did not expect yu so soon… forgive me, I have been enjoying some company since the war ended… I am glad to finally meet yu… Aegraine has told me much of your organization…” he mentioned the organization instead of Martin, the Father… that would come later…

"I have heard good things about your leadership. Have you found it difficult dealing with Aegraine? She does tend to do things her way."

“Why thank you M’Lord… but I am no leader… what I bring to the Mo’r Traith is but a warrior’s blood…” he smiles faintly… His attitude changed a bit at the mention of Aegraine…, his response was a shake of the head. “Nyet… er… No M’Lord… she is no trouble at all… she has been very very helpful…” the Russian accent punctuating the r’s as they rolled from his tongue.

“I saw how much damage came to the walls and gates, and cannot imagine how the city held out as long as it did." The polite, dignified man accepted the chair which was indicated and was seated, for the moment. His aide continued to stand, nearby.

Nodding at the man’s comment, Dmitrii formed a smile…. “The walls were already solid against any siege… but Aegraine’s diligent work, and extensive knowledge of construction brought greater strength… even against heavy ballista and trebuchets at close range… Plus, her command upon the wall was exemplary… Yu should be proud…”

"There were canons, I am told. Nasty business for a city's walls once the enemy comes back shooting at walls and cities; I imagine once that becomes a common practice, my business and my kind are history." Martin leaned upon the chair's arms, a resigned exhale…

He allowed the man to speak and then attempted to reassure him… “Da, M’Lord… Cannon shall change ways of battle…” then he chuckled... “With the intervention of cannon, I fear that yer work shall increase in other areas M’Lord… Aegraine is learning those ways very quickly…”

… and then he went on. "I do not like the idea of my child on the walls with canon crews; teaching recruits is one thing; getting herself exploded into bits in quite another. Yet she is determined to remain here in Turas Lan, once the walls are reconstructed; that I do not agree."

Dmitrii could not help but snicker at the man’s lack of knowledge of his daughter’s abilities…. “Lord lePower… I must emphasize how important yer daughter is in the scheme of things… She learned the cannon quick, and was able to use that knowledge to reinforce the walls… and as such, she commanded with great respect the soldiers upon the wall… all this portraying a great advantage when the heat of battle raged most fierce…” Then his expression changed a bit… “Lord lePower… yer daughter is a great asset here for the Mo’r Triath… she is my Captain of Engineers, and a member of the Gryphon’s Silver Spur… She HAS earned her place in Turas Lan…”

LePower leaned forward and spoke to Dmitrii in a quieter tone, "Did she mention I have retired from my life's work at Caernarfon? Now that the order in England and Wales is changing so fast, there is no place for an old warrior like myself; I need my home hearth and a few more grandchildren to instruct." His good natured chuckle emphasized his true desire for some leisure in the last few years of a long career.

Shaking his head, he smiled… “Grandchildren M’Lord? Do yu have any to speak of?” His thoughts were not on grandchildren, but on the fact of Aegraine and him… All he could do was offer a smile… one so familiar to many people… the beard crinkling in certain ways.

"Grandchildren, I have. Twenty or more. Some older than Aegraine here and even a few great-grandsons, in Waterford. Time has come for me to see if any are interested in what an old man has to teach, to keep the family arts ongoing…" Martin acted as a type of a "sorting hat" to help determine which child could benefit from any specific instruction, in defense or accounting or whatever.

"Well, before we go see Aegraine's gate plans, If there is anything in particular you would like to do besides the gate and wall, we are at your command. This is my last repair work and tis not too bad if it goes a while."

Dmitrii started to pace slowly, limping a bit… he rested the cane against the table; his hands going behind his back and cupping one upon another… In his path, lay a wall… a map of Lake Manor placed upon a portion of Skye… Looking to the map, he paused and gazed upon it… only briefly did he glance to Martin… Thoughts of the future forming a foundation in his mind.

"I am not going to take much of your time, for you have house guests and after work is the time for rest and recoup." As they stood to go view the drawings, and Rhupert went before then, the older man remarked, "You ought to spend your time with your lovely lady, not an old codger as myself." That was what he said and truly felt, until Martin turned the doorway and walked into the large dining hall, with Zurban.

“Time is what I have plenty of I presume… I am on orders to rest and recuperate before the tournament…” he chuckled as he walked back to Martin. Dmitrii immediately guided Martin and Rhupert toward the large table where Ae had laid out the plans.

For there was the lady from the leafy woodland setting, the one wearing bluegreen and now unrolling scrolls across the table width. The maid Marie was assisting. Aegraine looked up and ran to greet her Father, with her old childhood name for him. "Da!" and she ran to hug him, for it had been over four years and one very long family dispute now over.

"Aegraine?" Martin turned to Dmitrii and the old man's face reddened, his ears turned white and out of his mouth, "That was my daughter! What is going on here!"

Dmitrii remained by the table as the pair embraced… Then with the man’s words, Dmitrii looked between the pair… “M’Lord… be not surprised… but Ae and I have been seeing each other for some time now… It took a war to bring us together…” he walked over to Aegraine and stood beside her and Martin… his hand capturing hers at the last moment… “Ae and I have declared our feelings for one another…” he glances to her, then back to her Father. “I love your daughter… and I would be honored to receive yer blessings for me to court her…”

Aegraine stood by Dmitrii, her glowing admiration showed in that one glance up to his face.

Even Martin could not ignore the obvious, no matter how he denied it. His baby girl was a young woman now, one who no longer needed him to outline her future for her.

"Well. Yes. I give you both my blessings. You may court my daughter, Sir." The Elder lePower wrapped one arm about each of the young couple and in that move hid the beginning of tears in the tough old man's eyes. Now, finally Martin felt old. Ancient. It was not his horde of sons, grandsons and great-grandsons that kept him thinking young. His strength and mental acuity had not diminished yet. Little "Granie" was an adult now; that fact hit the Elder with a hard clout.

Dmitrii looked to Ae and formed a smile that was familiar, yet a bit unfamiliar… one of joy… He immediately wanted to embrace her, to offer kisses unsolicited… but he decided against it in the presence of her father; there would be enough time for that later.

"Now onto the gate plans; Jenks has samples of stone facing for the outer walls and there are some selections to be made." Martin dodged his emotional reaction to this situation by diving into the work project, feet first.

“Aye M’Lord…” Dmi could see the emotional outlay deterred by the old man and figured he would follow suit and look at the plans, albeit of lesser importance than the boding of union for him and Ae… He and Aegraine stood hand-in-hand looking at the plans and some of the stone that Jenks laid upon the table.

Then with one last effort, Dmi looked to Martin… and tested the waters “M’Lord, are there any stipulations yu place upon the courtship of Aegraine?”

"Yes, now that you mention it, there are a few things I must list. I need to ask you both if you have any religious vows or other commitments that might make courtship and the eventual conclusion null and void?" Martin waved for Jenks to get pen and write this. "Aegraine, you were in the convent in Ulster, where I had you sent. Did you take any vow while there?"

"Father? Vows? Not I. They ejected me for not being pray-ful enough and wearing gloves." Only the Mother Superior was permitted the honor of gloves on her hands. Were walks in the green woods not prayer in themselves?

Martin waited for Dmitrii's reply to the same question.

Dmitrii’s beard crinkled in all the right places as he smiled… “No M’Lord…” shaking his head… “There is nothing that would prevent the courtship and marriage becoming null or void…”

"And there be need for proper chaperone at all times; have you two been in accord with that custom? I would not like to hear rumors of scandal; that might make me come and make things aright, know you this." As he spoke, Marie stood back, but she was there, across the dining table quietly moving weights to keep those scrolls in place.

Listening to Ae’s Father, he would nod in acknowledgement… taking a quick glance to Ae, his eyes widening a bit… Could they be considered in accord at the stream? “There be no need for making things aright, M’Lord… I guarantee it…”

"I would not like to see courtship go too fast, or extend into too many years." Lord lePower motioned to Jenks to write faster. "No less than three months and not beyond three years, without good reason. Within in that time, you both will know that you are going to wed some day or not at all. And if and when that happy day comes, I expect to be present. Waterford is less than two weeks away by sea, even when the winds and currents are adverse."

Had Dmi opened a can of worms by asking of limitations? Better to ask now than to suffer the pains of ignorance later upsetting her Father. His hand squeezed Ae’s and he looked at her, the wink reassuring her.

"Are you of the Scottish Church, Dmitrii?" The old man asked, although the interior of a church had not seen his own form for many years; a few steeples he had rebuilt but not knelt before the altar since his wife was taken away. He addressed the younger man by his first name, in a gesture of being friendly, not forward.

His chin quirked sideways as the man asked his question. “I have attended Church in Turas Lan… but my background is of the Cathedral of Saint Sophia in Kievan Rus…” he pauses… “I hope this suffices M’Lord.”

"With proper company, I see no problem with you two traveling, say to the town for Jousts, if that is the custom here." Martin wrote two numbers on a scrap of parchment and slid it to where Dmi could pick it up and see. "The first number is the dowry I propose." The sum was a nice decent dowry, suitable for a daughter of a successful merchant. "I know, I know...too early to state such things." Martin looked over the items Jenks had listed and considered if he had left out anything.

Once again he nodded to Martin’s demands… and his steel-grey eyes followed the paper that martin wrote upon, then slid to Dmi. Before picking it up, he took a glance to Ae and then to Martin. His hand upon it, the writing unseen, Dmitrii speaks softly in response to Martin’s comment about a dowry. “M’Lord… I am self-sufficient and am well abled to care for Aegraine… Whatever number yu have written shall be placed in the Griffin Bank for her future… or the children’s…” the added comment causes him to look to Ae…

The Griffin Bank was well established now and some rumored that the banking system was established by the Templar of old but redesigned for the new Gaelic Nations.

Dmitrii stated his intentions and picked up the paper, looking at a handsome sum. Looking to Aegraine then to Martin… “A suitable sum M’Lord… one to make any man want your daughter… I must be at the ready always…” offering her a wickedly, teasing smirk…. Then pocketing the paper without showing Aegraine.

“M’Lord… the day Aegraine and I wed… yu shall be a guest… I presume Ae would want her Father to give her away…” once again offering that familiar smile. Dmi bent her arm behind her in a way to allow him to wrap his arm around her waist at the back.

Aegraine looked up to Dmitrii, "I would like that very much." She said that out in the air, in presence of other people, the final note of making lasting peace with her beloved Father. Now only there was his family to meet. She stood with both their arms about her back, side by side against the tall handsome man, in her Father's sight and approval.

"I ought to warn you Dmi, that my Da is given to offering details and plans whenever he's asked. Why he would even try and tell everyone what color underwear they should be wearing, if someone wanted his ideas on the subject." She was joking, of course but her Father took the subject and ran with it.

"Aegraine." Martin pointed at his daughter. "Pure white." He ticked off his idea for Zurban, "Him, ecru." Across the room he gestured a gallant gentleman wave to Marie. "Her, sky blue with rosettes sewed on." Being included in this list got the maid, Marie, into barely disguised laughter, half hidden by her hand. Next lePower looked over to his aide, and considered this a while. "Jenks? Any color, if you will only elect to wear underclothing at all." It was like being around the family campfire once more; Aegraine's Dad was still making folks laugh.

Dmitrii could not help but laugh at the designated colors and the associated people… a slight squeeze of Aegraine’s hand and… a wicked smirk given to the elder Marie, who subsequently adorned a bright blush… His own thoughts fleeting to Ae’s color of underclothing and what treasures were held there…

"Now," Martin skipped back to the work to be done, as if nothing else mattered. "So we will go with the reinforced stronger walls here and here; able to withstand maximum battering and style the outer gates to look as the old did, before, but fortified for improved battering ram defense." Jenks was making notes of which stone samples were to be used where, as he rolled the plans to put into their circular leather bin of a map case.

Dmitrii displayed sincere interest of the walls and gates, though it was difficult to pass thoughts of his beloved Aegraine… His limited experience of such talk was to what Ae discussed with him previously; so he just listened and nodded, occasionally glancing to Aegraine for approval.

"I will see you both again, before long." Lord lePower kissed his daughter, a peck on her cheek and shook hands with Dmitrii. "At the jousts, at the wall construction, and we will get this city back to where it was before, stronger and as beautiful, too." Then Martin and Rhupert departed for the city, to arrive before dark. "Take care of my little girl, Dmitrii! And for Lord's sake, do not let her cook your dinner until she has had some lessons!" It seems Aegraine's lack of culinary skill was a long standing joke in her family.

Dmitrii released Ae’s hand and extended his toward Martin… The pair walking Martin to the door… At the door, he chuckled and winked at Aegraine. “That is no worries M’Lord… I have cooks aplenty… who shall keep anyone from their kitchen… and yes, even shall provide lessons should Lady Ae wish to learn…” He looked to Ae and smiled, nudging her lightly. .Standing upon the stairs, they waved farewell to the pair… “I think that went well…” he said softly as they rode out of sight.

"My Father is looking older, Dmi. He has painted on that suntan on his head and when I wrapped my arms about to greet him, he's thinner. His shoulders are not wide as before; his coat is padded to make him appear as if his arms are still strong and youthful. And did you see? Jenks had to assist him to mount the horse, even though the stirrups are at normal height." Aegraine saw the very old man lePower as now, for he had been old back when she was born. How old she did not know. "I was afraid he might challenge for a joust, you know? Da used to be so impulsive."

Taking Ae’s hand guiding her back into the manor… “He has seen many years and lived a long eventful life… And now he has given us hois blessings to begin our own… should yu decide that is yer wish…” he paused and faced her, his hands softly upon her arms… “If he had, I would do my best…” he winks… “To win and yet not harm him…” His hand pushed back a errant strand of hair and caressed her face. His steel grey eyes wandered back and forth as if trying to search her true feelings. “Ya, lyub blu, tyb ya… ”

His thoughts immediately went to their time together at the creek and to the morning kiss… Softly he commented… “I am glad your Father did not ask about sleeping arrangements while yu are here…” followed by a familiar wicked smirk, crinkling the neatly trimmed beard.

[Sir Dmitrii Zurban]

After Martin and Jenk's visit at Lake Manor....

Martin lePower and his aide, Rhupert Jenks, rode off from Lake Manor, headed for the city once more. Light dust from the trail marked their passage and as the men rode along, side by side, Martin asked. “Well, Jenks. How do you like the man Zurban? Will he be a good match for my daughter or what!” Obviously it was a bit late to be asking that.

“Not. That is how I like him, Boss.”

“Jenks? Why do you say that? Do you not see how my Graine looks at him?”

“Yes. I see how he holds her, like a spell. And with her own arm about her back. For that alone, I would have words with Zurban. But he is the friend of the Majesty in this land, so I hear about town.” Rhupert had high hopes for getting acquainted with Aegraine during the Turas Lan Wall and Gate repairs.

“Did I promise you anything but to meet my daughter, Jenks?" Martin spat out the words. “What more do you want?”

“I may speak freely? I want to go to the jousts and challenge that man and knock him off his high horse onto the dirt, on his back like a turtle.” Jenks was not laughing. In as little as three months what could happen? The Aide might lose his chance to be promoted to son-in-law, if that courting situation lePower approved did not fail.

Rhupert Lewellen Jenks was a man of varied ancestry. It is said that his family crest has so many bar-sinisters that it is entirely composed of diagonal stripes from left to right. It was of his own talent with stonework that Jenks made his way from apprentice to Master in his craft. Now he has ambition to make a difference with his family, in the future not the past. He had his mind on marrying the boss’ daughter, to say it plainly. Now, thanks to Dmitrii that goal was at least delayed, if not impossible.

“Will you make trouble then?” Martin turned to face his aide, his voice tone were too calm, for there might be no stopping Jenks if an idea struck as do-able. “I will dismiss you if you make waves between myself and this land’s government, know this.”

“I know. But I still want to knock that son of a...”

“Rhupert! I know you want to go joust, so joust if you will… but leave my daughter’s name out of it.” Aegraine’s father had lived enough years to know how much trouble a young man like Jenks might stir up. “We will see, then. First the walls and gates, Rhupert. Then we will see.” He spoke only to pacify Jenks, for this was not a time and place to act than other civilized.