Leopold's horse clattered to a stop in front of the mansion, tossing
his head. Leopold sighed wearily. He looked at Kate, whose head was drooped
against his back. She wasn't sleeping, just resting. "Kate," Leopold shook
her shoulders gently. "My duchess, we're home," he said quietly. Kate
lifted her head and smiled at him. At that moment, Otis hurried out,
obviously worried.
"My Lord, My Lady! You worried us so! You said you were going riding, but when the maids saw Millennium in her stall…" he exclaimed, dropping all dignified manner. Oh, he would get it if anything happened to the Duke and Duchess…he would be looking for employment elsewhere. But they were back… and they looked exhausted!
"All is well, Otis," Leopold smiled down at the older gentlemen. "We are tired, and I have an announcement to make." His face stretched into a wide grin, and he slid off the stallion, helping Kate off as well.
"I suppose…I should go get changed for breakfast," Kate said, sneaking a glance at Leopold, who nodded. Kate swept past Otis, and rushed up to the bedroom, where she settled on a ruffled blue gown, to complement her eyes. She left as Leopold came in, who dropped a kiss on her forehead, smiling.
"You look lovely, Kate," he whispered, as though anyone were listening. Kate flashed him a smile.
"As long as your opinion stands, Leopold," she smiled, before setting off downstairs. Before her was…what she could describe as a banquet. At least to her it was. Fruits, and toasts of all kinds were spread before her. People bowed and greeted her as she descended down. She felt Leopold come down beside her, and a chorus of murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Once seated, Leopold looked carefully at Kate. She looked beautiful as always, but there was something about her in an elegant dress, hair neatly done, that made her more beautiful, if possible. He guessed what he really meant, was that she looked extra beautiful because she was here, with him. He was afraid…he knew she loved him, but he didn't know how much until she returned with him. She could have stayed in 2001…
"Leopold?" Kate's voice cut gently into his thoughts. "I believe you had an announcement?" Her eyes sparkled knowingly. Leopold nodded, and raised his glass.
"I'd like to make a toast," he said clearly, looking at Kate. "To my wife," a soft clapping sounded through the hall. Leopold held up his hand to signal that he wasn't through. "To my wife, and to the newest heir to the Mountbatten throne," he finished, his face splitting into an unreserved grin.
The household broke into a simultaneous gasp. Leopold looked at Kate, and she smiled. They both agreed that all was good.
~~A Few Months Later~
Leopold was striding carelessly back from an engagement, when he heard Kate's voice scream something at one of her maids. He flinched involuntarily. He knew it would take Kate some time to adjust to using…more appropriate terms when angry. To his surprise, the yelling continued, and soothing voices entered the scene. Leopold sighed, and entered the house. What was so important that all of New York City had to be included?
His heart leapt to his throat and stayed there, when it registered to him that he was just standing there. Kate is obviously in pain he admonished himself as he dashed upstairs And you were just foolishly standing there He bolted into the bedroom where the noise was coming from, and what he saw made him stop in his tracks.
Kate lay in the bed, her face flushed and sweating. In her arms was a tiny bundle. Kate's weary face brightened when she saw him. "Hey Papa," she whispered.
"P-Papa?" Leopold stuttered, having a brief dumb moment. It clicked. "Oh…Kate…"he rushed to her side, speechless. A girl. His baby girl. "Kayla?" he said quietly. To his surprise, Kate shook her head, smiling. Leopold tilted his head in confusion. "But Kayla…" Kate struggled to sit up, and Leopold eased her into a sitting position. "No?"
Kate smiled into his face. "Faith. Her name, I wish. I wish her name to be Faith. It seemed fitting, after all we've been through…" Leopold nodded, not trusting his voice to speak.
"After all we've been through," he stated. "Faith suits our daughter well." He kissed Kate's sweaty head, surprised to find himself shaking. "My Katherine…" he whispered softly. "My Katherine…"
~The…Beginning~
"My Lord, My Lady! You worried us so! You said you were going riding, but when the maids saw Millennium in her stall…" he exclaimed, dropping all dignified manner. Oh, he would get it if anything happened to the Duke and Duchess…he would be looking for employment elsewhere. But they were back… and they looked exhausted!
"All is well, Otis," Leopold smiled down at the older gentlemen. "We are tired, and I have an announcement to make." His face stretched into a wide grin, and he slid off the stallion, helping Kate off as well.
"I suppose…I should go get changed for breakfast," Kate said, sneaking a glance at Leopold, who nodded. Kate swept past Otis, and rushed up to the bedroom, where she settled on a ruffled blue gown, to complement her eyes. She left as Leopold came in, who dropped a kiss on her forehead, smiling.
"You look lovely, Kate," he whispered, as though anyone were listening. Kate flashed him a smile.
"As long as your opinion stands, Leopold," she smiled, before setting off downstairs. Before her was…what she could describe as a banquet. At least to her it was. Fruits, and toasts of all kinds were spread before her. People bowed and greeted her as she descended down. She felt Leopold come down beside her, and a chorus of murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Once seated, Leopold looked carefully at Kate. She looked beautiful as always, but there was something about her in an elegant dress, hair neatly done, that made her more beautiful, if possible. He guessed what he really meant, was that she looked extra beautiful because she was here, with him. He was afraid…he knew she loved him, but he didn't know how much until she returned with him. She could have stayed in 2001…
"Leopold?" Kate's voice cut gently into his thoughts. "I believe you had an announcement?" Her eyes sparkled knowingly. Leopold nodded, and raised his glass.
"I'd like to make a toast," he said clearly, looking at Kate. "To my wife," a soft clapping sounded through the hall. Leopold held up his hand to signal that he wasn't through. "To my wife, and to the newest heir to the Mountbatten throne," he finished, his face splitting into an unreserved grin.
The household broke into a simultaneous gasp. Leopold looked at Kate, and she smiled. They both agreed that all was good.
~~A Few Months Later~
Leopold was striding carelessly back from an engagement, when he heard Kate's voice scream something at one of her maids. He flinched involuntarily. He knew it would take Kate some time to adjust to using…more appropriate terms when angry. To his surprise, the yelling continued, and soothing voices entered the scene. Leopold sighed, and entered the house. What was so important that all of New York City had to be included?
His heart leapt to his throat and stayed there, when it registered to him that he was just standing there. Kate is obviously in pain he admonished himself as he dashed upstairs And you were just foolishly standing there He bolted into the bedroom where the noise was coming from, and what he saw made him stop in his tracks.
Kate lay in the bed, her face flushed and sweating. In her arms was a tiny bundle. Kate's weary face brightened when she saw him. "Hey Papa," she whispered.
"P-Papa?" Leopold stuttered, having a brief dumb moment. It clicked. "Oh…Kate…"he rushed to her side, speechless. A girl. His baby girl. "Kayla?" he said quietly. To his surprise, Kate shook her head, smiling. Leopold tilted his head in confusion. "But Kayla…" Kate struggled to sit up, and Leopold eased her into a sitting position. "No?"
Kate smiled into his face. "Faith. Her name, I wish. I wish her name to be Faith. It seemed fitting, after all we've been through…" Leopold nodded, not trusting his voice to speak.
"After all we've been through," he stated. "Faith suits our daughter well." He kissed Kate's sweaty head, surprised to find himself shaking. "My Katherine…" he whispered softly. "My Katherine…"
~The…Beginning~
