Realistic or Modern The Moss and the Stones

[NickNacks]

If this sort of conflict made Malcolm uncomfortable, Lennox seemed to revel in it. One hand cupped her chin as she regarded Hector across the table, cooly arching an eyebrow. "Do you have something to tell me, Marquess Westbrook?" she asked, as though daring him to speak his mind directly. Duncan, however, knew tension when he sensed it, and was quick to interject.

"I don't want anything too extravagant. Er...The plan was always to keep things sort of smaller, even when my father was alive. I'd like to pray a bit before the ceremony, but I think that can be arranged." He was talking rather quickly, mostly to try and smooth over Lennox's direct challenge of Hector. He didn't need more drama starting before the wedding even happened.

 

[Hati]

Despite how entertaining it all would be, Aspen was relieved when Duncan interrupted. Her father had just been about to speak, and he was getting that look in his eye that was like that of when they would argue back on the estate. She knew he had a legendary temper among other nobles. "Smaller is good," she offered. "And I'm sure the food can be sorted out... later."

"I suppose you're right," Hector ground out, and Aspen let out a silent breath. "It'll all be discussed sooner or later." She almost felt sorry for all the advisers and others who would be working with him for the wedding preparations. She had no doubt he wouldn't stop working until everything suited him. It was as if he was planning his own wedding, in a way.

"And it'll all be great, I'm sure," Aspen said, shooting her father a quick smile. "Besides, there's still plenty of time to prepare."

 

[NickNacks]

Lennox nodded, even as she continued to regard Hector with an air of cold indifference. Where his anger and temper were loud and obvious, Lennox tended to become detached and analytical when she was infuriated. Duncan was the same way. According to Lennox, his mother had been that way, too.

"If you feel up for it later, Duncan, I think it would be best to get a couple of practice sessions in along with Lady Aspen," she continued. "Just for my own peace of mind."

He was almost inclined to make up an excuse, but they would need to get it done sooner or later, at any rate. He swallowed, glancing nervously in Aspen's direction. "I...Think that can be arranged, provided the Lady has no objections."

 

[Hati]

Aspen let out a silent sigh. It seemed like an argument had been avoided for the moment. She could only imagine how many more moments would occur, and doubted her or Duncan would be able to save all of them. At the very least, she hoped it would be after the ceremony, but that seemed to be asking too much.

"No, of course not. I think that sounds like a great idea," Aspen said, glancing at her father. He nodded slowly, though he still looked irritated. His fists were clenched in his lap. It would probably be best that everyone stayed out of his way mostly, though with the way Lennox was almost provoking him, she wasn't sure how well that would go. "Right, father?"

"I do believe so," was all he said. She almost sighed, giving Duncan an apologetic look. It was going to be a long week.

 

[NickNacks]

Hours later found Duncan and Aspen standing in a disused storage room within the castle. It had been cleared of several of the boxes of things, but a small layer of dust settled on every bit of the room. Lennox had been keen to get their practice session underway, despite Duncan's own nervousness, and after he'd finished checking off a list of a few preparations for the date, he'd been informed of being expected there.

He sighed, eyes glancing around the room, mostly to try and avoid looking at Aspen because he knew that he'd get more nervous if he did. He knew he already had to approach her soon, and that prospect was a little nerve-wracking. Seeing as Lennox had yet to be there, though, he took the opportunity to try and make a bit of small talk.

"I hope you haven't been dragged around all over hell's half acre," he said with a small smile.

 

[Hati]

After breakfast, Aspen had hardly had any time to relax. Being the first day in the castle, there was a lot she had to get done in preparation for the ceremony. She assumed Duncan had to do the same, as she hadn't seen much of him during the day. Until the dance lesson, at least. One of the maids had found her and told her Lennox had called for her, and where she needed to be.

Lennox wasn't there when she arrived, but Duncan was. "Unfortunately I was," she sighed, a wry smile on her face. "It seemed like I was needed everywhere today. I suppose your day was just as busy?" It was the first time she was alone with Duncan since the previous night, and during her day she had found she missed just being with him. Of course, such thoughts probably weren't proper of her, at least until after the ceremony. But alone with him, she felt like she could be herself. At least, more so than when she was with her father.

 

[NickNacks]

"To an extent," Duncan replied with a soft chuckle. It was generally fairly normal for Duncan to need to be two or even three places at once. He was still attempting to get used to it, but it was a little more manageable when you had someone with you who understood. "Things should die down after all this is over. Of course, we could always sneak into the back courtyard and get married ourselves, have it over with." His green eyes sparked with mischeif.

But, of course, that wasn't a realistic option. He was sure that Hector would probably kill him if he pulled a stunt like that, and if not, it would be Lennox. As far as the dancing went...He supposed he ought to at least explain it a little. "Wedding dances are pretty easy, you're just supposed to look pretty for a while and then we can go sit down."

 

[Hati]

Aspen laughed. "Honestly? That sounds preferable. Better than all this," she said, waving her hand around for emphasis. All the preparations, running around the castle, being bombarded with questions about this and that. It was already tiring, and it was only the first day. That, and she was still trying to get used to navigating all the various rooms and hallways. Bryalshire was considerably larger than her estate, so trying to remember where everything was was proving to be a slight struggle. Already during the day she had gotten lost.

"Well you have that part down at least," she said without thinking, referring to the part about looking pretty. When the words registered, she blushed. "I mean... Yeah, it doesn't sound difficult." She looked away, trying to hide her red face. Had she really said that? Perhaps she really didn't have a filter. If her father was there, he would have dragged her out of the room to scold her about it. As it was, it was still just the two of them in the room.

 

[NickNacks]

Well, you have that part down at least.

He almost didn't quite register that statement, and blinked once he did. It wasn't really that common for a man to be called pretty, but still, the compliment made his face flush. "I try," he replied with a shy grin. "But the dance itself is...Actually, it might be easier if I showed you."

Setting his walking stick aside for the time being, Duncan rose to his feet, dusting his palms off on the front of his clothes-they were sweating a bit, but he was hoping that wouldn't be obvious. "So, all I'll do is set my hand here-" He took her hand carefully in one of his, his grip firm but gentle. His other hand settled high on her waist. "And all it is from here is moving your foot back-you do the right one, traditionally, so that'll be with your left. And...Wait, hang on, is it left or right?" He squinted, trying to avoid looking at her face due to their already close proximity. It was making the steps harder to remember than they already were.

 

[Hati]

Being so close to Duncan did little to help her recovery from her slip-up. Especially with him holding her hand. She had danced with other men before, as the various social gatherings had called for, but somehow it was different, practicing to dance with her betrothed for their wedding. This was one thing she couldn't mess up, nor did she want to.

Aspen mumbled under her breath, but realizing he probably couldn't hear her, cleared her throat. "Left," she said again, barely audible. She had lightly placed her hand on his shoulder, giving him an encouraging smile. Or maybe it was more awkward, but he wasn't really looking at her anyway. If her father hadn't made her take the dance lessons, there was no way she could remember the steps. Not while standing so close to Duncan, face flushed and hardly breathing. "I think, at least. I could be wrong though, it's been a while."

 

[NickNacks]

He glanced up when she spoke, and as soon as he did, his feet froze where they were. He'd been attempting to ignore the fact that he was so close to her for the duration of just getting through a few of the steps, but now that he was looking up, it was impossible. It was several seconds before he found his voice again.

"I haven't actually danced since, uhm..." He couldn't remember. Her eyes was a warm and steady shade of brown, like the pelt of a wolf. His throat felt dry, stomach fluttering. "I can't remember." He glanced down with a quiet laugh, beginning to move his feet once again. He was true to his word about not being the greatest dancer, but through keeping a good eye on his feet, he was managing to avoid stepping on her toes for the most part.

 

[Hati]

"Duncan?" He had stopped, and Aspen cocked her head to the side, concerned. At first, she thought it had something to do with his illness, but that didn't seem to be the case. Only a few moments had passed before he looked up and spoke, once again moving. Though when he looked up, it was her turn to be speechless, momentarily lost in his green eyes. Her heart seemed to skip a beat. Somehow she was able to keep dancing, her feet moving of their own accord.

He looked back down at their feet and she blinked, as if coming back to reality. Slowly they danced around the room. Her movements weren't nearly as graceful as she would have liked, but it had been months since her last lesson. "Yeah," she whispered, "me too." She was all too aware of how close they were, of her hand in his, of-

Of him stepping on her toe. Aspen winced.

 

[NickNacks]

"Oh, damn-" The stumble was fairly jarring, and Duncan almost fell into her, even as he laughed a little. "See? I told you I wasn't very good." he said with a small smile. She looked different, more relaxed. Honestly, he wasn't really as nervous about dancing now as he had been that morning. His ears were still a bit pink with embarrassment. "I'm sorry about that, though. I didn't keep my promise very well." At length, Duncan took a step back, removing his hand from her waist.

His hand was still in hers, though.

"I think we'll be fine, really. At least it'll be enough for aunt Lennox. She doesn't look it, but she'll probably be crying the whole time."

"Hardly."

A voice from the entryway made Duncan jump, his hand snatching away from Aspens', the cold air hitting his palm. Speak of the devil.

"If I'd know you two would be fine on your own," Lennox stated, "I'd have gotten a few other things done."

 

[Hati]

She only laughed, a little awkwardly. "It's okay. You're not bad, honestly. And I did promise you I'd forgive you anyway, didn't I?" He moved away, and she found herself almost missing how close he had been, a thought that startled her. This time, she didn't say anything, keeping it like a secret close in her chest. Hesitantly she let her own hand drop from his shoulder down to her side, though she kept her other clasped with his.

"Crying? I can hardly imagine-" She was interrupted by Lennox, and just as quickly as Duncan pulled his hand away, she did too. Her hand felt cold without his. "Well. Beginner's luck?" she offered sheepishly, though even she didn't think it was. It hadn't felt like luck when they were moving across the room together, so close to each other it was almost scandalous. It had been nice, she thought. Really nice.

 

[NickNacks]

"That's right, isn't it?" Duncan mused, a small, almost fond smile on his face as they talked. Honestly, out of all the possible outcomes, this had without a doubt been the best one. He'd been worried about being married to someone who was vile or cruel, or worse, taking a bride only half his age. He could remember that dynamic between his father and mother, her often pouring his wine with a dull, vacant expression. He hadn't wanted anything like what they had, despite loving them both.

"Might be," Lennox replied, flashing Aspen a smile before turning her attention to Duncan. "You'll need to go over invitations and such soon, and if I were you, I'd teach your betrothed how to forge your signature. It'll work faster with the both of you." Duncan actually rolled his eyes in response, but Lennox soon turned and left them alone. He decided to take a seat atop one of the nearby desks, which had been shoved aside to clear out extra room.

"....Your father wasn't too upset with you yesterday, was he?" Duncan asked, trying to keep his voice casual. The truth was, the mental image of her getting shouted at in the hallway had been on repeat in his mind since the previous night. He was hoping she wasn't still shaken up about it. IF she was, he'd have to do something to make her feel better.

 

[Hati]

Aspen snorted at Lennox's words, though she quickly raised a hand to her mouth to cover it up. She had thought that Lennox would stay, but she was apparently satisfied with what she had seen. Soon enough it was just the two of them again, the room briefly lapsing into silence. It was almost strange. When her father had first told her about her marriage, she had been angry. For the weeks leading up to their departure to the castle, she had been dreading the whole thing, unsure of what to believe about her husband-to-be with all the rumors flying.

Yet he had been nothing but kind to her upon their arrival. Arranged marriages could be far worse, she knew, and she considered herself lucky that she was engaged to someone like Duncan. Though as he spoke about her father, her blood ran cold.

"No," she lied, the smile slipping from her face, "he wasn't." It had been almost too easy to forget about her father's looming threat when she was alone with Duncan. Being alone with him made her feel like she could relax. But her father's warning came back, and she stiffened slightly. "So, about those invitations," she said, all too eager to change the subject.

 

[NickNacks]

He almost wanted to press the subject, to ask why it was she always retreated into herself whenever the man entered the room. He wanted to tell her that there was no way he'd allow Hector to do anything to hurt her, that once they were married she'd be his responsibility to keep safe. Duncan knew himself to be a kind person, but he was surprised at how intense his distress at seeing Aspen upset was. He almost wanted to settle a hand over hers again to try and reassure her, but ultimately decided against it. They weren't married yet, after all.

"Right, right." he said, trying to play along with the change in subject. The atmosphere had tense after his question. "Apparently you'll have to commit a few felonies on my behalf. Hopefully it's not too much to ask," he teased.

It wasn't long, however, before his expression became more sober and thoughtful. "You know...I sort of wish I was someone different. Well, not like that, I mean...That I'd met you differently. During...I don't know, a festival or in a marketplace, or however normal people meet each other."

 

[Hati]

He didn't ask further, though Aspen had the distinct feeling he hadn't quite believed her. But she dismissed it as her simply being too paranoid. She had many facades, after all, and one of them was that her and her father got along moderately well. It was all part of appearing like the noble she should be, and that was that. Besides, even though they were to marry, and it would be Duncan's job to protect and take care of her, she knew he had bigger problems on his mind than her father. He had a country to rule.

"Not at all," she replied, a slightly strained smile on her face. Even with the subject of her father passing, the atmosphere hadn't quite recovered and she mentally cursed herself for freezing up. They had had such a lovely time while dancing, and yet somehow even then her father managed to ruin it. But he spoke again, and she listened quietly.

They were far from normal, and their meeting was far from it as well. Aspen understood, though, and she slowly went over to sit beside him. "I think that would have been nice," she said softly. "Nobody to tell us what to do or what to say." She looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. When she was younger, she had wished she was just a normal person. She still did, sometimes. "I can almost imagine it, you know? Looking up, our eyes meeting, and we smile at each other, just a little shy. And-" she broke off, realizing she was rambling on like it was a fairytale out of the books she read.

 

[NickNacks]

Duncan turned his head to regard her when she took a seat next to him, a small smile on his face as she described their imagined first encounter. A quiet chuckle left him after she cut herself off, and he nudged her shoulder with his to reassure her. "I'm not sure if you would've liked me, anyway. I'm a bit quiet. I'm sure you already know that." If he'd met Aspen regularly, Duncan as sure he would've been too nervous to approach, and if he'd worked up the courage, he probably would've stumbled over his words. Giving long speeches was one thing, trying to talk to someone when you ere nervous was quite another.

"But I would've liked you. I'm sure I would've." He added with a firm nod. Even with all the turmoil following the arranged marriage and everything else, he was happy he'd gotten to meet Aspen. If he was going to spend the rest of his life with someone, she was an excellent choice. Even if he did run the risk of her getting bored of him eventually.

"So..Invitations," he said, rather reluctant to bring them up. "I won't ask you to sign any of them for me, but if you're willing, I'd appreciate the company. It's going to be dull work, and if I have someone to talk to, I won't be as liable to lose my head over boredom."

 

[Hati]

"Yeah, I know. But that's not a bad thing," Aspen replied, a slight smile on her face. They were close, not as much as when they were dancing but close enough that she could reach out and take his hand. She almost did, but held herself back. It might look too forward, though something told her Duncan wouldn't mind. Either way, she didn't quite want to risk it.

"And I think... I would've liked you too. Even if you were quiet." Part of her heart ached, wishing for what could have been. Just two people, meeting like normal people do. Walking around the festival or the marketplace or wherever together, maybe holding hands. Maybe being too shy, but slowly inching closer. But instead he was king and she was soon to be his wife, with the future of a fractured kingdom on their shoulders.

She was almost disappointed when he changed the subject, but she didn't let herself show it. It was best to stay grounded, after all. "Oh, now I don't have to commit any felonies? How generous," she teased lightly. "But of course I'll go with you." She'd probably be expected to, anyway. Though even if she wasn't, she'd go with him anyway. Just to spend more time with him.

 

[NickNacks]

That sense of nostalgia, of longing for a place he'd never been to and a person he'd never been, suddenly struck Duncan like a keen arrow. The feeling was almost like an ironic parody of the Cupid myth-he wasn't in love, he didn't think, but he was in love with the concept of loving someone the way other people were allowed to.

Even though Aspen didn't reach for his hand, Duncan briefly covered her own with his for a moment before getting to his feet and retrieving his walking stick from where it leaned against the wall. "Off we go, then." He said with a small smile, all at once comfortable to simply be near her, not nessicarily talking or anything like that. His study wasn't a long walk from where they had met up, a rather small room with a desk and a fireplace, which had been lit in preparation for his arrival. Duncan groaned at the thick stack of parchment resting at his desk-invitations for all the important people. He doubted he would recognize any of them.

Defeated, he took a seat at his desk. There were plenty of chairs for Aspen to choose from, and the servants had even sent up a pitcher of water with small leaves of mint resting amidst the liquid. Duncan poured himself a glass and took a long drink, sighing in satisfaction when he placed it back down. "Try some," he encouraged Aspen. "Technically it's for my condition, but I think it's delicious."

 

[Hati]

Aspen stood, dusting her skirts off before following him to his study. Another important place to keep track of, though her mind was still somewhere else. Somewhere far away, where she was meeting Duncan for the first time because their eyes had met across a crowd of people. But that was impossible and here she was now, following her betrothed into his study so they could invite people to their wedding. Or at least, he could. She laughed at his groan, eyeing the stack on his desk. "It's not too bad, is it?"

She took the seat directly across from him, reaching for the pitcher. The servants must have anticipated she would be there with him, as they had set out two glasses and she took the other. "It's wonderful," she said after taking a sip. Minty, but not overly so, and refreshing. While drinking more she snagged one of the top pieces of parchment off the pile, leaning back in her chair.

"Oh, I know him. Vaguely," she said, frowning down at the invitation. She only knew him and his wife from her father. They had been at one of the dances she had forced to attend, and she never cared for him. He had stared too long and too hard at her for the duration she was there. She returned it to the pile, wondering how many others she would know and how many she would not.

 

[NickNacks]

"Hm?" Duncan leaned over to look at the inscription on the parchment, written in elegant script. "Sir Maccormic...I think I've heard that name before. I'm a bit out of the loop. I was in England until fairly recently, as you know." Duncan explained as he quickly signed the invitation. As traumatic as the whole experience had been, he did have some fond memories of England's landscapes. The jagged rocks that seemed to challenge the very sky, the moors which lay green and lush out to the grey ocean...He'd have to take Aspen there at some point after they were wedded.

"I haven't met most of these people-or maybe I have? I'm better with faces than with names." Duncan continued signing with a relatively practiced hand, motions nearly robotic as he picked up a paper, signed it, and set it aside over and over again. "But I don't remember Maccormic doing anything important, besides having too many c's in his name."

"Now, this fellow, I do know." Duncan nodded to the next paper. "Captain Strek. He was probably the most handsome fellow in our military, before a broadsword got him on the cheek. Likeable man, though. He told me how to first hold one, though I was never very good at it. It'll be nice to see him again."

 

[Hati]

Aspen shrugged. "He was always at gatherings father dragged me to. Never liked him, though." She didn't elaborate on why. He was nice enough to her, though she didn't like how he looked at her and tended to avoid him. Unfortunately, he was fairly influential so of course he would be at her wedding. Though she also had bigger problems than men who stared, if she was being honest.

Her brow furrowed. "Captain Strek? Sounds familiar," she said, trying to think. Try as she might, she couldn't immediately recognize him. Perhaps she had met him when she was very young. An impish grin crossed her face. "Maybe he can give me some pointers." Now that would give her father a heart attack, if she flat out started sword fighting in her wedding dress. The mental image almost made her laugh.

But she sighed, thinking about the wedding in general. "I'm not going to be able to remember all these people," she said, nodding at the stack. "They'll introduce themselves and then I'll forget, and I'll have to spend the rest of the night talking to them and trying to remember their names." For some people it would be easier than others, but if there was one thing she had learned from previous gatherings, it was that faces tended to blur together as the evening progressed. Aspen wasn't looking forward to having to socialize almost all night.

 

[NickNacks]

"Well, you don't have to like everyone." Duncan replied with a small shrug. They'd be expected to greet the guests, certainly, but that didn't mean they had to spend the whole time talking with them. Certainly there would be some occasions where socializing would be mandatory-that was part of their job, unfortunately. But hopefully, their wedding wouldn't be too unbearable.

"I'll introduce you," Duncan offered. He hadn't missed the sly grin on Aspen's face as he'd mentioned the young captain and his aptitude as an instructor. He hd no doubt Strek would be enthused to meet the new consort, even more so if she had an enthusiasm for combat. Duncan signed another invitation, thankful that his wrist wasn't beginning to cramp just yet.

It was then that Aspen's tone shifted, and he regarded her thoughtfully. He wasn't surprised that she was nervous abut the wedding in general-he was, too. "It won't be that bad. You'll just need to thank people when they congratulate you, that's all. Leave the memorizing to me. In fact...Here, I'll tell you what." Duncan set his pen down for a moment, folding his arms atop his desk. "If we make it through the important parts, I'll probably be able to vanish the two of us from the fray. I've disappeared from parties lots of times before."