15

Lucia watched Ianto as he walked calmly into her quarters like he owned the place and she fought the urge to sneer at him for this… this… familiarity. She rose from her throne to face him only to watch her husband follow him in and Alice started to scream as she ran to him.

"Daddy!" she cried as he scooped her up and swung her around with delight.

"Hello Lucia" Ianto called out calmly "We came to get Alice for the day.. a picnic"

"Oh wow… really Daddy?" she asked Jack as she clung to him.

"Yeah. Me and Ianto are going to ride out for the day and he reminded me that it has been soooo long since I spent time with you outside of my rooms. So boring in there right? Come on… we can have some fun." Jack crooned.

"And what if I have plans?" Lucia demanded.

"Careful" Ianto said under his breath as he came closer to her "He knows about the assassination attempt and is hurt that you would try to kill him like that."

She swung and gaped at him "What?"

She now had her back to Jack and was unaware of his release of their daughter to run and get her shoes. He now stood so close he could touch her as she snarled "I was not having him killed… I was killing you, ya fairy."

"Jack and I are bonded heart and soul. Kill me… kill him. Did they not explain that to you? Had your attempt succeeded Jack would have been buried with me in the deep hole you dug for yourself as well." Ianto sighed, then looked past her and she slowly tuned to find Jack staring into her face.

"Lucy? You got some explaining to do" Jack hissed.

For some reason Ianto found this funny and he turned away so they would not see the humour in his face but Jack must have felt the spike of emotion and misread it as upset because he looked his wife dead in the eye "I am demoting you for the act of treason. Bar another child born, our daughter will rule one day but you… you will not be my queen now. I rescind that. You are a courtesan."

The entire room gasped and it was a wonder that the sudden lack of air did not cause fainting. Lucia opened her mouth, then closed it again as she swung to look at Ianto. His face showed his shared surprise and he could only shrug as Alice re-entered the room "ready daddy."

As they left Ianto swung to walk backwards and grin before flicking up his hood and disappearing out the door into the shadows of the castle's dark hallways.

Lucia snarled as she swung on the hapless servant.

..

.

.

Alice was taken with the Fire mounts, especially Ianto's huge red devil who was no help at all as she lowered her head to blow smoke on the child.

Jack froze as he watched this display and he turned to Ianto "Did your horse just… blow smoke?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. She does that" Ianto said distractedly as he secured the saddle bags and then glanced at Jack to see he was genuinely concerned "Jack. Fire Mount. Dragon blood in her veins. They can breathe smoke."

"Right… at least not flame" Jack said as he reached for his daughter only to have her duck under the horse and away from him. He missed Ianto's glace sideways.

"I wanna ride with Ianto!" she declared "I wanna ride a real dragon horse!"

Ianto started to laugh as he told her Jack's horse was also a Fire Mount, even as he swung her up onto his saddle. "Alright princess. You hang onto that saddle horn there."

"Have you ever ridden a real dragon? They are real right?" she asked as Ianto walked around checking the tack one last time and he laughed. Jack was transfixed by his beauty. No wonder his daughter was too.

They took off and the little girl screamed with glee, her natural ability showing as she leaned into the wind and didn't blink. Ianto knew she would make a good rider some day and vowed to ensure a smaller Fire Mount to start her off. Well… they don't come that small but one more the size of a normal horse.

"What did you say to her?" Jack asked once they were at the picnic spot and the child was running around picking wild flowers like a nutta. Ianto almost made out he did to understand the question but he did. Lucia.

"I simply reminded her that I am your shadow, same as you did. Why act like you didn't know what I was saying to her" Ianto laughed as he flopped back and Jack did the same, both men watching clouds and then laughing as a little girl leapt onto them to wrestle.

Ianto had shown no fear and Jack had felt none. Clearly he was not easily rattled, nor easily angered. But he was amused.

Good to know.