A/N: Happy B-day Daughter of Apollo1217 (December 17)

If you are REALLY clever, you MIGHT, by the title, have figured out that this belongs to the Precious Gift universe… ;) So you have to read the 4 chapters of that story first, as well as drabble 173: Precious Gift : Spring in the North (and possibly number 79, the last of that collection). This begins right after the last drabble ended, and there are no particular warnings…

Precious Gift: Different Families

Rose was a very quiet baby, Robin noted with some concern. She couldn't be a year old yet, but she should be making sounds at this age, surely? She had cried a little and cooed once or twice, but it was the day after the attack now and Robin was getting worried.

They were on their way back to Wilson Hall, slower than they had gotten there, as they now only had one horse. Slade had insisted that Robin and the girl should ride it, and, since she needed someone to hold her, the young prince hadn't objected.

"Master, do you think she's scared?" he asked after an hour or so.

"Why?" Slade asked, looking up at them. The man hadn't been completely thrilled by Robin's little adoption idea, but there was no way he was going to refuse the teen without having another option to offer the child. He understood the practical mindsets of the other villagers, though; an extra mouth could mean starvation for all when you didn't have much. She was also a girl, and although women were very important in their society and were mostly in charge during the summer months, he knew that boys were usually more valued. He remembered how proud he had been when Grant was born, and Joseph too, although his birth was overshadowed by the death of his mother. He turned back his attention to Robin, who looked thoughtful.

"She's so quiet… do you think she knows what has happened?"

"I'm sure she understand that something has changed. She might just be shy. Or maybe the smoke hurt her throat," the man shrugged. "As soon as we'll get her home the women will take a look at her. Agnes is good when it comes to healing."

"I really hope she's just shy…" Robin mumbled, worrying his lip. "Rose? I know that's not your real name, but you can't tell me what it is, so… is it fun to ride the horsey? Have you ridden the horsey before?" Robin kept talking to her, asking her questions, and, little by little, the girl seemed to thaw some, and then she reached out and pointed at something, making an "Aaa?" noise. Robin followed the finger and grinned.

"Yes, that's a sword. A sword. Slade, she's looking at the sword hilt over your shoulder."

"It's probably gleaming in the sun," the man smiled. "Caught her attention."

"Well, maybe she wants to be a warrior?" Robin grinned. "Are you going to beat all the bad people, Rose? With the sword?"

"She's a girl, Robin," Slade chuckled.

"Do not tell me what my daughter can and cannot be," the teen snapped. "If she wants to be a warrior like you, she will."

Slade glanced at the tiny, white-blond thing in Robin's lap and sighed. If she would take after Robin in determination he wouldn't be surprised.

"I guess learning to fight with the staff could be useful," he resigned. "But let's just wait until she learns to walk first, shall we?"

"All right. And she doesn't have to fight if she doesn't want to," Robin nodded happily. "Is the sword pretty? Oh, did you hear that, Rose? The bird?" Robin went on to mimic the sound which sparked even more interest from the child and soon they heard her laugh.

"See? There's nothing wrong with her," Slade smiled, and reached up to pat Robin's leg. The girl's hand shot out and caught his fingers, making Robin coo, and, with the man feeling more than a little silly about it, they continued like that, as the child wouldn't let Slade's hand go.

They didn't arrive back at the hall until late in the evening, and Rose immediately became the center of attention. Slade had to raise his voice so he could tell the inhabitants what had happened with the attackers and what decisions had been made, but even then, most eyes were on the girl in Robin's lap, currently being fed some porridge and milk.

Wintergreen had returned by now and was watching it all with a grin on his face. One of the older women then raised her hand.

"Who will take care of the child, General?"

"I will!" Robin exclaimed. "Rose is ours."

"But-" the woman said but got warning looks from the others in time to quiet down.

"I'm sure you are all willing to help Robin with her," Slade said, and that was the end of that discussion… or it would have been… but a few weeks later, as spring has really set in and Rose was blossoming, the small ship carrying Grant and his new bride arrived.

The Island princess, Ailsa, was a true beauty with long, flaming red hair and warm, blue eyes, but, when they laid eyes on Robin they immediately turned cold. The Prince had no idea what he had possibly done to offend her, but she was frosty towards him from the start.

The language she spoke was very much like the native tongue of Slade's people, but with a few words here and there Robin didn't recognize. He did notice, however, that whenever the woman spoke to him she tended to speak faster and use more of those words only to stop and look at him like he was an idiot for not understanding, whereas when she spoke to others and they didn't understand she talked slowly, gesturing to explain what she meant.

"I do not think she likes me," he told Slade one night as they had retired to their sleeping space in the lofts.

"Who? Rose?" the man blinked, completely oblivious.

"No, Ailsa!" Robin snorted.

"Ah. Well. Sort it out then."

"Um… how?"

"Well, as my oldest son's spouse, she would be the highest ranking woman here if it wasn't for… you."

"I am not a woman!" Robin snorted.

"Don't I know it. But, my little bird, you have taken on some female roles, and you are my partner. You are, quite frankly, in her way. If I had had a wife Ailsa would have an easier time connecting with her and learning our ways in a more natural way… She doesn't know where she has you, what rank you really hold, and that must frustrate her."

"You think so?"

"Yes, that… and she's a bit of a bitch."

"Slade!" Robin exclaimed and then burst out laughing. He had never heard the man use such a offensive word about a woman before, but he couldn't really disagree with the description. "So… how do I… sort it?"

"As a man or a woman. I think you have to pick."

"But I don't want to pick, I do not see why I have to. I enjoy both… sides."

"I meant you have to face her in one way or another. Either put her in her place or do what women do."

"What do women do?"

"Damned if I know. Ask one."

Robin sighed and burrowed down under the furs and blankets as it had been a rainy day and the air was chilly and damp. As Slade joined him the teen drew closer and kissed the man's chest. He noticed how Slade raised his head and looked towards the end of the room where a small bed with high wooden sides held a softly snoring Rose.

"She's sleeping," Robin smiled and pulled Slade closer.

"The question is, will she keep sleeping?" the man muttered.

"I'll be quiet."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," the man smirked.

"If she wakes up, I'll pleasure you in the forge tomorrow before noon meal," the teen grinned.

"Tempting. I accept your terms," the man chuckled and kissed his Gift thoroughly.

Rose slept through it all, but Robin decided to reward his master anyway the next day, but first, he had to face the island princess. Grant seemed just as oblivious to Robin's predicament as Slade had been, but, on the other hand, they didn't spend much time indoors or around the women during the day. Slade worked long hours in the smithy getting plows and other tools ready and mended, and horse shoes made. Besides agricultural work, there were also a lot of fishing and preparation for the summer markets keeping people busy. Winter, Robin realized, had made him forget how much work there really was to do, but now darkness, cold and snow didn't stand in the way anymore.

As he walked from the main hall towards the washing house where he thought Ailsa would be, he came across some young boys play fighting with swords and Rose, who sat on his hip , made such a happy little noise that Robin had to stop and let her watch for a while.

"Aww-aw-aw-aaaa!" the baby said.

"Yes, they are playing, does it look like fun?" Robin grinned.

"AWA!"

"I think so too," the prince chuckled, hoisting the baby up a little higher. She was getting heavy but was already standing and making an effort to walk, so he guessed he wouldn't get to carry her around much longer.

"Hi Robin, hi Rose," one of the boys said as they were finally spotted.

"Um… did mum send you?" the other one asked, looking guilty.

"No, so go ahead. Unless you have any chores to do. I will not tell on you," Robin smiled. Getting to just play around, especially in a busy time like this, wasn't something that happened every day, and even younger kids had their amount of important chores to do. These boys had reached an age where it was difficult to be left behind when older brothers got to sail out on adventures, and Robin could understand that. Being held by the ear by their mothers all the time couldn't make things easier.

"Say bye to the boys, Rose," he said and waved. The girl waved happily as well.

"ayy!" she grinned, making Robin proud. He then squared his shoulders and steeled himself for the upcoming confrontation.

When he entered the washing house most of the women smiled or said hello, one or two waving at Rose. The baby was the youngest in the keep at the moment, and as such she got a bit spoiled. The teen smiled back but then spotted Ailsa and headed straight for her, which made several women stop what they were doing. The washing house was for washing both clothes and bodies and sometimes doubled as a tannery and a place to dye wool as well. It had a well in the middle which was so deep that it didn't freeze during the winter and surrounding that there were several large wooden vats and barrels, today filled with clothes and linen which were sorely in need of a good wash after a long winter. It was hard work to get the water up and filling the big cauldrons on the stoves lining the walls so the water got hot, and the room was steamy. Robin was in the group that would take over in the afternoon, and he already knew that he would be very tired tonight. Possible too tired to play with Slade. Possibly.

Some of the clothes were boiled or dipped in the caldrons while larger pieces were soaking in the vats. Ailsa was currently dipping clothes into a cauldron and stirring. She did work, like the rest of them, as nothing else would be accepted, but Robin had noticed that she tended to skive off a bit, by taking the role of an overseer, something they never had needed before, or hurriedly taking on the easier chores.

"Ailsa?" he called out and the woman turned around, looking down her nose at him.

"Yes?"

"We need to speak."

"And what do we need to talk about?" she sneered, not so subtly pointing out that Robin had chosen a little less traditional word in that phrase. "Besides, I'm busy."

"I am doing this on orders from the General," Robin growled. "Would you come with me so we may talk in private?"

It was hard to tell what the woman was thinking, but, somehow, she must have come to the conclusion that Slade had told Robin to make friends with her, because she got a rather triumphant look on her face.

"Whatever you've come to say, you can say in front of my friends," she said, gesturing to the whole room, like they weren't Robin's friends as well.

"Fine." Robin changed his grip on Rose again, and decided to give the woman a chance to explain herself. "I have noticed that you do not seem to like me. You are rude and short with me. Have I done anything to offend you?"

"Why would I like you? You are a man but you act like a woman! At least Joseph and Tor still act like men. I am the rightful matron of this hall, because I am a real woman."

Robin was surprised as the princess admitted her dislike so freely, but that only made things easier, really.

"I don't think you have the right to give orders here based on what you have between your legs," Robin said dryly. "I've never claimed the post of matron, and yes, maybe, traditionally, it could be you, but I'm going to make a decision. Agnes," he said and turned to the old woman who knew her way around her herbs, "congratulations, you are the current matron. You are the great aunt of Grant and Joseph after all, and you know all there is to know about this hall, its history and traditions. We all normally turn to you anyway, so if it is of need to have titles, you should hold it."

"You can't do that!" Ailsa snorted.

"Oh, I cannot?" Robin smirked. "I am Slade's partner, his Gift. If he had a wife, she would outrank me, but you certainly do not. You are the wife of his son, nothing more. I was raised to be a companion to a man, capable of both male and female duties, as it pleased my Master. Slade does not object to me working with what I want, and I do work, I do not stand around and point as certain others." There was a small outburst of chuckles at that, but the women had decided to watch instead of taking sides. It was a strange situation for them all, and, even though they liked Robin, it was very important for a homestead to run smoothly so if there needed to be a power struggle they would let the opponents battle it out.

"Grant will soon be General! Then you'll see!"

"I'm sure he will be a fine leader," Robin shrugged. "But that doesn't mean you will be." Rose fussed a little at that point so the prince looked down on her and smiled, tickling her stomach a bit to make her laugh.

"Ma-ma!" she suddenly grinned and grabbed the teen's longish hair. Robin's eyes widened and he was just standing in a bubble of wonder for a moment, until it was burst by an upset voice.

"See?! See, the girl thinks he's her mother! She should be taken away from him! If anyone should be raising Rose, it should be me and Grant!"

That was the last drop for Robin.

"Here, can you hold her for a moment?" he asked Agnes and put Rose in the her arms.

Slade and Grant was on the way to clean up for mid day meal, along with most of the other inhabitants of the keep, when a screeched echoed over the courtyard.

"What in the world…?" Grant said as two figures emerged from the washing house, one of them being dragged by her hair. "That's Ailsa and Robin!" he exclaimed and took a step forwards. Slade's hands on his arm, stopped him.

"Don't interfere. It has to be done."

"But he's.. she's…"

"It's women's business."

"But Robin's not a-"

"Then at least it's his business, and trust me, you don't want to get in the middle of this." Out of habit the man looked around for Rose, and spotted her being put on the ground by Agnes, out of the way of the commotion. The girl crawled towards something on the ground, a toy one of the other children had left behind. As soon as he had made sure that she wasn't in any danger, Slade's attention went back to the middle of the courtyard where Ailsa was on her knees, crying and screeching, while Robin, despite his petite stature, managed to loom over her, looking murderous.

"You can't hit me!" the woman yelled.

"Really? Why? Am I fully a man now? Because there are no rules about a woman hitting another woman."

"I am a princess! I will not-"

At that point Robin backhanded the woman hard.

"And I am a prince! You are the granddaughter of a man who murdered the previous king and his family in a raid! You are the princess of a small rock in the middle of the sea! Your castle is nothing more than a farm! My father is the king of Jump, the flowering gem of the dessert. He is the tenth generation of rulers, keeper of the holy feathers, blessed by the goddess of the birds! I grew up in a palace a hundred times the size of this hall, built in shining marble, where heated water ran into the baths in pipes, and even the servants were clad in the most splendid colored cloth. You are a farm maid, and a stuck up, lazy, small-minded and uneducated one at that! You scoff when I say the wrong words or do not understand? I speak several languages from countries you have never even heard of! And not only am I a good hunter and ride better than most, I am also better at sewing and embroidering than you! I sing better, I tell stories better, I weave better, I even cook better and you dare, you DARE look down your nose at me! You should be asking to learn from me, from all of us! You should work harder than most to earn OUR respect, but you seem to think it should be the other way around! Well, no more! You will do your share of the work, and you will put your back into it! You will listen to Agnes and take your orders from her. You will learn our ways, and you will be polite, and if I ever hear you saying that Slade and I are not fit to be Rose's parents again, I will formally ask your husband's permission to beat you!"

"But look at her! Playing with a sword!" Ailsa cried, pointing to the toddler who was happily waving a wooden sword in the air. Holding the wrong end, but still. "She is a girl, she shouldn't play with weapons!"

Slade then went and picked Rose up, and carried her towards the two combatants, the girl cheerfully whacking him on the head with the sword the whole time. He came to a halt before the kneeling, outraged and crying woman, and pierced her with a cold glare.

"Don't tell me," he growled "what my daughter can and cannot do."

The End

A/N. I just loved the idea of ending it there, just because all of the tension and everything. ;) I hope it wasn't frustrating? I mean, I think Robin gave her a really nice verbal bitch slap (and a real one…), and Slade didn't really step in for Robin's sake, he stepped in for Rose's… and I think Ailsa is pretty well beaten down now, really… Hopefully she'll eventually grow up and come to her senses, and, when she does, I know Robin will forgive and accept her, because that's just who he is… he knows what is best for the keep, after all, and when you're living a sometimes harsh life, fighting for survival, you need to be close. … hm… that turned into a bit of an epilogue… ;)