Nice to meet you...mom. (7/17, brunch, Open)

[Keiren Caldoran]

"Is she nice?"

"I think so. We shared a nice dinner last evening, and talked of the castle, and you, a bit, just your name, and that I loved you."

"Does she like my name? Does she like blocks or dollies?"

Keiren paused, in the midst of getting his daughter dressed, and frowning about that facet of Skye's base personality..."You know," he answered honestly to the agile and dainty three year old's query, "I didn't think to ask that. We shall of course, pursue this matter fully, and exhaust our resources, delving into the topic. I'm sure she's a block girl though. As for your name? Everyone likes that."

"Why come of the blocks?" Why come. It was Camberlie's go to response, meaning a sort of combo of 'why do you believe that to be so, and how come she feels it?'..

"Call it a hunch. Mkay. All tied." Another Camberism. 'All tied'. Her word for dressed. He supposed it made sense, laced little gown, and boots....he found it cute, along with her other sayings of 'By my own!' and 'Nes'...her word for yes. There were others...'afore, atween, ahind...any word beginning with 'be'...as in before, between, behind, got the a treatment. No one knew why, for she could say be, without a problem. It just was one of her 'things'.

"I will sit atween you?"

"If'n you like, my love."

"I dew."

"Then it is settled. Come. She's waiting for us, for lunch." Lunch was to be a picnic....and not just any picnic...a picnic on the nursery floor, complete with a Camber designed menu. There were, he was informed, going to be tiny sandwiches, small cakes, and 'tea'...which was chamomile tea liberally spiked with fresh whole milk and just a tiny dab of honey. It wasn't really tea anymore, so dilute it was, but it made Camberlie feel grown up, and like a big girl to say she was drinking it.

They left her bedroom and walked to the playroom and day nursery, where a tiny fleet of guards, nannies and nurse awaited the little madam, bowing and curtsying to her, a gesture she wobbly made back, returned to her staff. He smiled to them each, pleased to see the picnic blanket was laid out and his betrothed, said to be on her way. Camberlie was already rummaging through a huge expanse of toys, seeking which ones to impress the almost stepmother with. She knew her father was to marry....but to her, the concept was a shady and dim understanding. Marry meant a kiss. That was about it. He watched her in her little pale blue frock, small long bloomers and petticoats peeping out, along with tiny brown leather boots. Her hair was in a high double set of buns, one over each ear, ringlets on her brow and chubby neck. Brown eyes twinkled as she started pulling her blocks out.

.........she was ALL about the blocks.

[Skye Caldoran]

Skye had known many children in her lifetime. Nieces, nephews, cousins,siblings, etc etc, but never had she met one that she would need consider her own. She felt it important to make Camberlie her own, if she and Keiren were to have any semblance of peace and happiness this meeting today was key.

"Is she a good lass?"

"Does she cry?"

"Make demands?"

"She spoilt?"

She had bombarded her maids with a flurry of questions as they once more did miracles in making Skye the peasant look like Skye the Lady.She had chosen a light blue dress, nearly the exact match of her eyes, and had done so for one reason. It would be easier for Camberlie to remember the name Skye when associated with a blue dress, maybe. Children were all so very different, but she would make every effort to befriend little Lady Cam, Daddy's little love and angel.

It never dawned on her to be jealous of the girl's mother, nor even curious about her much at all. She knew the woman who had birthed Camberlie was dead, and well, that's all there was to it. She wished she had a present to give the little girl, something anything. "Ribbons? Do I have any spare ribbons? Blue like my dress?"

"We did your hair without the ribbons my lady."

"Not for me, for the little girl. For Camberlie," she explained patiently and beamed when two lengths of blue ribbon were produced. That would need work. She was dressed in a modest gown, the seamstress having found enough fabric to cover her bosom completely, which made Skye extremely happy. She did not want her new daughter to see her like some tavern wench.

And so it was, ribbons in hand, led by secretary and maid, Skye Pellan, future Duchess of the Moors, was brought to meet her step-daughter. As she walked the corridor, her skirts swished, and her feet made nary a sound on the carpeted floors. Slippers were nice like that she thought.

She was announced and brought into the nursery, eyes going to Keiren first, a smile forming, followed by a blush, and then she lit her sight upon Camberlie. She was beautiful. "Oh.." Skye said aloud. "Excuse me Princess, I must have the wrong room. I am to meet Lady Camberlie ei and they brought me to your room instead. Please forgive me your highness."

Skye knew the truth of the matter, but this was a little girl. Little girls enjoy pretending to be princesses and this one may be no different. Her smile was wide, her eyes sparkling, as she made a deep curtsey to the little Lady.

[Keiren Caldoran]

Dark eyes looked up, little girl seeing woman for the first time, and surveying her with naked interest. At the mistake, Skye smiled and walked over to her, pudgy arms packed with blocks, that she dropped at Skye's feet. "I don't wanna be a pwincess. I wanna be an ar'cha'tek. I am building." She stated, with all due seriousness, running back to get more blocks to construct with. Keiren took a moment to step in, and place a small kiss to the future duchess' cheek. She smelled of powder and lotions, soap and her.

"It's a bit of her obsession lately. Building things. Nearly killed myself six weeks back, I'd forgotten a book in here, one she wanted for a bedtime story...I ended up making a muck of it, stepped on her block, hopped, hit a small chair, and tripped, only to nearly off myself, avoiding her doll's house." He grinned faintly, welcoming her, and allowing her the scoop on Camberlie. "Black and blue shin for a week after that. See if I come in here candleless and after dark again."

More blocks arrived, and the child sat down in a poof of skirts, to begin assembling a castle at their feet. "Shall we?" The young and curious Duke offered, his hand extended to help the plump and winsome almost duchess have a seat. Talk he supposed would only come if they served as her unpaid labor force.....Skye and he the grunt workers to Camber's direction. "We need a tower." she explained, and pointed to where she wished it based.

.........And this would have been fine, save the fact her puppy was here, he barreled in, to stand on the block pile, and generally cause a ruckus. Small and fat, the wee spaniel had absolutely no qualms greeting people with licks, wags, and demands for attention.

The 'princess' wasn't spoiled. The dog? Another story altogether.

[Skye Caldoran]

An architect, how.. new for Skye. Her nieces all wanted to be seamstresses and hunters and mommies and here this little girl wanted to build buildings. She did not plop, but allowed Keir to help her to the floor lest there be an accident of skirts around her ears or some such. And as she sat next to Cam, Cam's puppy and Cam's Daddy, she held a hand out to Cam. "I heard your buildings needed banners, so I brought these. My name is Skye. How can I help you with your tower, or shall I hold this fearsome dragon?"

Skye scooped up the puppy and held it against her chest, laughing as she got licked and nibbled at. "Ohh its a ferocious dragon. We will need keep it away from the castle. And we need to keep your father away from towers at night. It sounds like he was a giant who tried to crush it beneath his big feet." Her eyes were drawn to Keiren, laughing lights in their depths. "You will need to teach me about building, Miss Architect," her pronunciation of the word hardly better than Cam's at all. "I have never built anything before."

Keiren's daughter was lovely, and though she had more toys in one room than Skye had seen in her entire life, she did not behave badly. It was easy to tell that the little girl was the center of her betrothed's universe. And so Skye held the 'dragon' while Camberlie began to show her how to build the blocks up and up and right up.

A good foundation was important for any building, and that included with new daughters.

[Keiren Caldoran]

Reflecting back on it later, he'd confess it went better than he'd thought it might. Skye, earthy, round, easy going Skye, had been a natural fit as playmate, dog/dragon holder, and small sandwich eater. The dog, too, had tried proving his worth as a sandwich eater, and had to be shown the door, that he and a maid could leave the room, lest lunch be devoured by small puppy teeth.

Camberlie had enjoyed herself, that much had been clear. Numerous castles constructed, and large quantities of food consumed, she had eventually sat in Skye's lap, looking together at picture books. Rare,and a pricy thing, books were, and the little lady was pleased to show off her collection of some twenty of them, illustrated with pretty flowers and fat ponies, butterflies and yes, castles. She drooped slowly, tired, and at his nod, the nanny had carted the young miss off, for a nap.

It left he and Skye alone.

Last night their dinner had been a simple affair...soup, pheasant, salad and bread, with three types of cheese and pie to follow. He'd ordered it to be such, wanting her to ease into the grand dinner party style living oft embraced in Taldorach. His sisters and Grandmere, social butterflies, were devotees of the 'Season', a round of parties and visits that swirled with glitter and intrigue.

Skye........needed the basics. The Season? Was the deep end.

He sat on the playroom floor with her now, the room deserted save the vast army of General Camberlie's toys..."So...you are due two things about me, I suppose, per our...deal? Would you have them now?" He tilted his head, leaning back on his palms, watching the young peasant now lady..."Or shall I wait, and give all four to you tonight? Lady's choice."

She was plucky. He'd give her that. Her good attitude was almost...sort of....infectious. Even if her voice was rude and her manners...different....she did TRY, and that was more than he could say for many.

[Skye Caldoran]

She had enjoyed holding Camberlie, and looking at the books as Cam asked her to say each word. She had looked at Keiren for help, rescued by a "Why don't you tell her the names of the pictures as you remember them?" Skye rewarded her betrothed with a grateful smile. A favor owed for not letting her look dumb in front of his daughter. Often she had found her cheek on Camberlie's head as she nuzzled her, soft and sweet, innocence in a handful of adorable little girl.

"Do you think she liked me?" She could not get the words out fast enough when Camberlie was carted off for naptime, but then she was reminded, their agreement. "Two things, yes, from us both actually, if I remember the terms correctly."

Their lunch had been cleaned up, removed from the nursery before tiny cups and teapots had been washed and returned to their own shelf, displayed proudly. The room had been righted, all but the final tower built, left at Skye's request, "Leave it for her to play with later." There were blue ribbons wrapped around a block and hanging at the front of the 'tower' which Camberlie had dubbed "The Tower of Skye". Whether she meant the sky or Skye herself was unsure, but it had touched her future step-mother and she wished it left alone.

"Will you go first, your grace?"

[Keiren Caldoran]

"I think she very much likes you. You gave her castle it's flags, after all, that is a prize."

"Did you like her?" For he was...nervous...some. Camberlie was his world, in a lot of respects. How would Skye and she get on?

"Your memory of our terms, my lady, is correct. I shall, if it pleases you. Let me think....two things that are things you do not know about me...alright. For one, I love horses....don't look smirky...that is not all I was going to say...I love them because as a boy I was very shy. Horses were a comfort to me. I didn't much care for other lads my age, I was a bit scrawny and short, small, I suppose. I'm tall now, but until I was well into my teens I was a scrap of a thing, ate all day, didn't gain an ounce sort of deal."

"But on horseback, I could beat anyone. I think I've jumped every fence, wall and shrub within fifty miles of here, in impromptu races and runs."

He considered his second, puzzling...."I hate politics, and yet....it's a large part of my job. Some love it, the inner weavings and machinations of court. Eh. Leave me to my horses, my lands, my family, I'm not getting my jollies butting heads in the capitol. Perhaps short sighted of me, but I happen to believe there is nothing better for a duchy than the footprint of it's Duke, here, on home soil. I travel to the capitol to support the crown, naturally. I'm a loyal son of the realm......but I think my best and brightest tasks occur here, in the Moors."

There. Two things.

"And not a bird mentioned. I might add." He winked, pleased to have avoided a cop out answer. "Your turn." He reached for, and stole her slippered foot, holding it in one hand as he laid down on his side, propped on an elbow. "Tell me of you."

[Skye Caldoran]

"She was adorable, and lovely, and so smart. Smarter than any little girl her age. You should be very proud of her. I mean, I know you already are, but you should be too, because she is." She stammered over her words and repeated herself, before giving up and nodding. "I loved her, your grace. She is perfect." A smile punctuated the statement, the luncheon declared a success.

"I would never have guessed you liked horses," she laughed remembering the time just days before when she had teased him about such a thing. "That is something I respect about you, or can respect. All living creatures have worth and none should be mistreated. And politics, I think I would be a poor politician, you are certainly skillful at negotiations though." She smiled, allowing him to claim that slippered foot as she leaned back and looked thoughtful.

"Springtime is my favorite time of year. I love the new baby animals and the new flowers. I love the rebirth of life after the cold of winter. I am not so fond of cold. Maybe not so much here, but.." she left off there and smiled. "The castle at least seems cool in summer." Watching him closely, admiring even, she pondered over her second choice.

She would tell him her fear, her failing, her dislike, all in one. "And for the second, I fear being thought of as stupid. I am not, it may take time to learn new things, but I will not stop trying until I do. I am stubborn like that. But to be called 'dumb' or 'stupid' hurts, really hurts. It is why I asked you to not be mean, because I don't want to be hurt."

She wiggled her toes near him, stretching out to lean on her hands, settled upon the nursery floor as a smile formed. "Do you think someday, maybe, our children, including Camberlie, will play here?"

[Keiren Caldoran]

"Oh, I don't know if I'd call you bad at politics. You managed to arrange a marriage with a pretty eligible bachelor, after all, and charm a architect/princess all in one week. Plus tame a spaniel dragon and build a castle. That's a lot of jobs to have managed. Color me impressed." Said affably, as they spoke, the conversation easier here for some reason. Toy therapy? Being on the floor?

Maybe the lavish praise to Camberlie's very being? "She can be precocious too...I've caught her being quite the scamp, and running people quite ragged. She's charming and bright, sometimes too much so for our good. Three. It is a curious age, sincere, tender, and bossy."

"Spring, hm? I can see that fitting your personality...I wonder if you'll love spring here....I do hope so." For it would be different, very, than she'd known before. "Where exactly are you from? Tell me of your home before here?"

"And hm....I don't think anyone that managed to find me three times is dumb." That was sincere. He nodded and leaned in and kissed the foot he'd caught. "You irritated the absolute hell outta me. I couldn't evade you to save my life. It was...and is....impressive. And children...ours...yes......" He smiled faintly...it felt....odd discussing it, but it was what they were to do, breed, make heirs...lots.

"I would like to see that. Them playing here....very much so. Perhaps this time next year, we shall have one to call our own, in addition to the Lady Camberlie."

[Skye Caldoran]

"That... was not politics. It was good hunting and bad luck on your part." She laughed softly, watching him with a growing fondness. "On whose part I am unsure just yet." She teased him, yes she did. "as for the rest, Camberlie built the foundation, I just had to build the walls to begin our friendship. I was not sure what to expect, and I wanted to bring her a gift to remind her I am thinking of her. I thought she might like the ribbons for her hair, if she had been a prissy miss, but they worked well as banners, no?"

My home..

"It could fit in this room. There was a kitchen with a table, and a sitting room which became a bedroom. A loft, and everywhere you would look at night there were children sleeping. The fireplace kept it warmish in winter, but in summer it is miserably hot. Some of my male kin even sleep outside, preferring the company of insects to the heat inside. It was never the same after my parents died though." It wasn't really sadness in that statement just fact, and she was still smiling, which she did alot.

"I will love spring here, I do believe. Flowers aplenty I wager, considering the sheer size of the gardens and park." And for the first time, ever, she was truly considering children, of her own, and how it would be in spring if she were carrying his child beneath her heart. Freckles on fire, she was blushing and looked at his waist, chest, shoulder, feet.. yes feet were safe, except she wondered if what they said about a man's foot size was.. oh dear, shoulder, easy girl shoulder, safe spot to look at there. Breathe.

"Hunting was something my father taught me. Animals are creatures of habit. As are men. You may not have even realized it, but the instinct to flee takes you on a journey similar to that of a deer fleeing a wolf. The difference was you were on horseback, so I had to consider where the horse would run in tighter quarters, where you could fit. You wanted out, your horse sensed it and you both went where a hunted animal would. I know your forests, as well, or better than you. While you were doubling back, trying to cover your scent, I could get ahead. Simple really." She shrugged it off. "They may be your forests, but I know them better than anyone, brothers included," She beamed, proud. Then looked at him, unsure as she felt, yes a kiss, and she trembled.